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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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/
370353
370354
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.
370355
370357
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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/
370360
370361A
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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