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View Full Version : Invercargill guy stuff museums



bob ward
30th Sep 2017, 10:22 PM
Invercargill is a city of some 50,000 hardy souls at the bottom end of New Zealand, its about 400km further south than Hobart to put it in Australian terms, yet for its small size and isolation it has marvellous museums full of guy stuff, its well worth a quick trip from Australia or a must do on an extended NZ visit.

Richardson's truck museum is a world class truck museum, some 250 trucks ranging from early 1900s all well set out in large sheds, plus any amount of truck paraphenalia.
https://www.transportworld.co.nz/transport-world/
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Hayes Hardware isn't a museum its a hardware store, but there were strong links between an earlier generation of owners (Norman Hayes) and local hero Burt Monroe of World's Fastest Indian fame, motorbikes feature strongly in the store. Among the nuts and bolts and wheel barrows are an array of Black Shadows, Nortons etc, not to mention the famous Indian itself. Hayes has to be one of the coolest hardwares ever.
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New in town is a motorbike museum with 300 or so bikes from early 1900s to 60s/70s
https://www.transportworld.co.nz/motorcycle-mecca/
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Out of Invercargill a few km off the road to Riverton is the Thornbury Vintage Tractor Museum which is well worth a visit. Best to phone ahead re visiting times, its run by volunteers which means things can be hit and miss sometimes. The tavern with the key mentioned in the web page had closed last time I went past.
Western Southland - Thornbury Vintage Tractor Museum (http://www.westernsouthland.co.nz/pages/viewentity.php?entity=246)
https://www.facebook.com/thornburyvintagetractorclub/

That's the major museums in and around Invercargill. I'll let you do your own googling but there are other goodies within a 2 hour drive of Invercargill, e.g. the Hokonui Pioneer Park near Gore, the Croydon air museum near Mandeville, the Gasworks museum in Dunedin and others.

As a bonus, if you can be in Southland on the last weekend of January, there is the Edendale Crank Up, you can spend a good half day there, old tractors, earthmoving equipment and steam traction engines galore.
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wheelinround
1st Oct 2017, 01:42 PM
Very nice Bob thanks for the pics.

I've not been but if you are heading up the west coast through Ahsburton make a stop at The Lynn Museum :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup: Contact Us :: The Lynn Woodwork Museum (http://lynnwoodworkmuseum.org/contact.php)

Retromilling
1st Oct 2017, 02:29 PM
Went to Invercargill once but my wife was so sick on the ship that she could not leave the cabin and I could not leave her alone . Eventually we flew home from Christchurch the whole cruise and NZ holiday a total loss . Then to add injury the travel insurance said because we actually got to NZ they only reimbursed half of the costs not including the flights home and not including the $1000 doctors bill from the cruise ship or the $5000 worth of tours and accommodation that was pre booked either . My wife and I will never set foot on a cruise ship ever again and never use Mondial insurance again but I would like to fly back one day , the NZ people were very good to us in our plight right down to the nice helpful local taxi drivers . The docks at Invercargill was all I saw from the cabin balcony it looked a nice place .