A day to celebrate vintage machinery in the Hauraki Plains was just around the corner for eager enthusiasts from near and far.
The Hauraki Vintage Machinery Club will kick off its annual Crank Up Day event on November 24 from 10am at the Kaihere Domain.
Event organiser Robin Hill told The Profile people could expect to see vintage machinery, tractors, motorbikes, classic cars, and stationary engines.
Even an old milking shed belonging to the club would be on display, plus tractor and trailer rides and sheep shearing “which the kids enjoy”, Robin said.
Yesteryear memorabilia would also be on display.
Families are encouraged to take a picnic lunch or purchase some of the food on sale at the grounds such as sausages, cakes, tea, coffee, cans of drink or ice cream, he said.
Members from other clubs were expected to be there, including a good friend of Robin’s, who built his own motor from scratch, he said.
Robin, who said he’d been involved with the club for more than 20 years, had 35 tractors.
“I would have the biggest collection in the district.”
He planned to take four of them to the event, he said.
“I’ve got a lot of different makes of tractors, I think my oldest tractor is [from] 1926.”
But there was a spanner in the works.
Robin said the 1926 tractor wasn’t actually operating at the moment, and he couldn’t find out the reason why – “but we’ll get it going”.
Robin said the vintage machinery community in New Zealand was it was a lot bigger than people thought.
“You know, we’re all a little bit mad, I think…
“We’ve got rust in our veins, picking up this old machinery,” he said.
DETAILS: Crank Up Day, gold coin entry, 10am to 4pm on November 24 at the Kaihere Domain 1559 Kaihere Road (just off State Highway 27). For further information, phone or text Neil Fitzgerald on 027 497 3865 or Robin Hill on 027 280 7687.
