Wandering around Woodville – Part 2

Lunch in Woodville was at the Lindauer Restaurant and our bus group of 40 filled the restaurant to capacity.  Roast lamb was on the menu and our 60s Up group was quickly served – silence reigned while we all enjoyed our meals.  Later the owner told us some of the history of the area.  His restaurant sits on the site of the old Club Hotel and stables, which replaced Woodville’s very first building, a log hut in a clearing inside 70 Mile Bush.  Two large photographs grace the walls of the restaurant, showing Woodville in it’s very early years.

Part of 70 mile Bush can be seen behind the early buildings

This photo was taken just 9 years later showing growth in the town

Woodville still had more to show us, so after lunch we boarded the bus, and drove around a few corners to the Woodville Pioneer Museum. 

Woodville Pioneer Museum

Old fashioned grocer’s shop

There was plenty to see, from the grocer’s shop, and lovingly decorated vintage rooms, kitchen, dining room, parlour, and bedrooms complete with dolls clothed in beautiful hand made clothes.

Dining room

Many cabinets house the 600 strong Bessie Spinnet Teapot Collection, lovingly collected over many years and donated to the museum in 2001.  Like most collections, it started small, and grew and grew, with tea pots from all over the world.

Just part of the Bessie Spinnet  tea pot collection

Outside was a tiny gaol, with hardly room to swing a cat.

And sheds behind the house held a plethora of artefacts, from tools, farm machinery, horse drawn wagons, and even a fire engine.  We could have spent a lot of time here, looking at this and that, but we were called to board the bus for our return journey.

A gig and flat bed wagon

After Peter made a quick head count to make sure we were all safely aboard, he announced that we were travelling back home over the Saddle Road, instead of driving back around the notorious Manawatu Gorge.

All aboard – it’s time to head home

We would have a stop at the Te Apiti Wind Farm Lookout, to get up and personal to the wind turbines, Peter announced.  Sadly, this wasn’t to be, as the area was closed for maintenance.  

Wind Farm Lookout closed

So we continued on our way, up and over the Saddle Road

Once through Palmerston North, it wasn’t too long till we arrived back in Levin.  I don’t know how many enjoyed the scenery, as most of the passengers seemed to have nodded off after their long day out.   As always, it was another interesting 60s Up trip.