Siege Machines - 600th Rally Continues

The following day we had fun of a different kind, when we took our group to visit Lex and Angela’s Private Museum. The instructions were to look for the red bambino  and continue up the drive. 

There it is

Lex gave us a talk in the Museum telling us about the hunting trophies on display.  And about the fun they had collecting dinosaur bones, old guns and machinery, his interests are many and varied.  This was followed with morning tea and we all enjoyed Angela’s yummy cheese scones.

Displays in the museum

The highlight of the morning was the display of Lex’s war machines, all built by him.  Trebuchets – also known as siege engines, made to fling large rocks at castle walls to break them down, and flaming projectiles were also fired up and over the walls.  Such interesting machines of long ago.  Gunpowder was lit, fiery arrows were hurled aloft – it was certainly an exciting exhibition of early warfare.  Ear protectors were supplied for the noise.  Some man power was needed to work the machines – this one is a traction trebuchet, or mangonel, which uses manpower to swing the arm.  Six of our campers answered the call.

More brute strength was needed on the Battering Ram, and our six men went to try their luck with this..  Pulling hard on the ropes, the heavy timber post swung forward to batter down the castle gates.  Not having done this before, it was difficult to get the rhythm right, they said.

The Ketepeltes machine from Roman times is wound up using a chain and cogs releasing the arrows which can pierce through shields.  No wonder we all had to keep well back out of harm’s way.

Roman War Machine

The arrow in the giant crossbow was set alight, the fuse was lit, and off it went, bringing death and destruction to any in the way.

Giant Crossbow

Of all the machines, I liked the Trebuchets best, probably from reading so many books about medieval history. Those living in castles weren’t really safe when this machine was brought in.  Rocks were hurled at the castle walls, and burning projectiles, together with such things as dead diseased animals were flung over the walls.   A trebuchet (French: trebuchet) is a type of catapult that uses a long arm to throw a projectile. It was a common powerful siege engine until the advent of gunpowder.

Trebuchet siege machine

This may look like a little cannon, but it went off with a big bang, hence the ear protectors.

What a clever and enthusiastic collector Lex is, particularly as he constructed and maintains all of theses machines himself.  During the demonstrations he used $100 worth of gunpowder, he told us.

Lex, the great white hunter

All the fees for museum visits collected by Lex and Angela are donated to the Fred Hollows Foundation to provide cataract surgery for patients facing blindness in the Pacific Islands.  Such a good cause.  We really enjoyed our museum visit and hope the other club members did as well.

Art Deco Festival

Napier is known as the Art Deco Capital of the world.  Following a massive earthquake (7.9 on the Richter scale) on the morning of Tuesday 3 February 1931, fires destroyed most of the commercial heart of Napier. The city was rebuilt in the style of that era and by the end of the decade Napier was the newest city on the globe. The annual Art Deco Festival celebrates the rebuilding of the city after this horrendous time.  Our intrepid group of ICA travelers parked up close to all the action at Napier Intermediate School, just a shortish walk to the city centre.  It seemed longer to those with knee and hip problems, but everyone made it there and back.

Nice to be parked on green grass

The Art Deco Trust puts together a very full programme,  and as first time attendees, everything was new to us.  The highlight to us was the vintage car parade, with 300 pre-1946 cars registered.  We walked through Clive Square and admired a young family dressed up for the day.  It was lovely to see so many getting into the spirit with their vintage styled clothing.

We spent some time in this area admiring these beauties as they awaited the start of the display.  How did the passengers clamber up into those dickey seats and get settled while dressed to the nines, I wonder?

Waiting to take part in the parade

In my opinion, there is nothing more thrilling than a pipe band - the Hawkes Bay Caledonian Pipe band started playing and got my toes tapping and my (diluted) Scots blood racing through the veins.

The Royal New Zealand Navy Band looked extra smart as they started playing before the parade.  The navy played a crucial role in Napier during the 1931 earthquake.  At 10:46 am on 3 February 1931 an earthquake registering 7.8 on the Richter scale shook throughout New Zealand, its epicentre just 15.2 kms north of Napier. The initial shock lasted for 2.5 minutes.  In the city of Napier, buildings and chimneys toppled, roads broke apart and the earth heaved and opened.   Water rushed out of the harbour as the ground rose. HMS Veronica was ‘left high and dry, all the wire mooring lines broke, but the ropes, made from New Zealand flax, held, and prevented her from rolling over on her side.’ Commander Morgan landed rescue teams to assist the injured, feed the hungry and help establish a sense of order amidst the chaos.  Fires were ablaze on shore, power and water supplies were cut and hundreds discovered they were homeless.  Two merchant ships at anchor nearby, the Taranaki and Northumberland placed themselves under naval command and assisted in the relief efforts. 

Royal New Zealand Navy Band

Once the car parade, the bands, and marching girls had moved off, it was time to make our way to see some of the other delights on show.  Ladies walked by dressed in their beaded finery, fancy feather headdresses, and some sporting fox furs around their shoulders.  The gents were also elegantly dressed, braces, hats some in knickerbocker trousers too.  And look what fun this bunch of revelers are having.

That looks like fun

There was a concert in full swing at the Sound Shell, this is free entertainment for the masses.  Seasoned attendees knew to take some folding chairs with them, while others had to stand, sit on the grass, or find somewhere to perch on.

Concert at the Sound Shell

Flying displays by the Warbirds Display Team roared overhead.  We watched as they flew in formation, and looped the looped.  Then one would break away from the group, fly up high, then nose down seemingly in a suicide mission, luckily pulling up in the nick of time and continue on his way.  Thrilling stuff indeed!

Warbirds Display Team

Getting footsore and a little weary we wandered back to the van, stopping to admire some of the Art Deco buildings as we passed by.  There are many, many Art Deco buildings, as this was the style that the city was rebuilt in after the earthquake. 

Art Deco architecture

Later in the afternoon our group had their own Best Dressed competition, and what a lovely bunch we were.  After the judges put their heads together, the winners were announced.  The Best Dressed Couple was Val and Graham, the Best Dressed Lady was Jeanette, and Jim took the prize as the Best Dressed Gentleman.  Congratulations to all.

Val and Bill, and us, Jenny and Robin

All in our finery

Some rain fell on our last evening in Napier, quite heavy for a while so it is sure to be welcomed by the region.  It didn’t stop us sitting outside under the awning though,  and the cooler temperatures were a relief. 

Leisureline 2019 Get Together

It was a great gathering of the Leisureline Owners Club.  48 of these caravans met at Eskdale School at Napier.  What a great sight to look out from the school hall balcony and see all those caravans lined up.

As far as the eye can see

Leisureline is a family run business by the Bates family, and they came along to support our weekend, and join in the fun too.  They also brought down a couple a new vans for us to see.

Colin, Liz and Merilyn

Arrivals on Friday from 4.00pm as it was a school day, and after settling in, meeting and greeting our neighbours and old friends, we met in the school hall at 6.00pm.  “Open Home” visiting took place on Saturday morning, and most took the opportunity to check out the new vans brought down from the factory.  Owners of near new vans were quite happy to welcome people to look through their pride and joy so there was a lot of visiting taking place.   It’s amazing how many tips and new ideas you pick up from other owners and their vans.  Then in the afternoon those who had booked went on a winery or brewery tour.  We saw some of them stagger back to site carrying their acquisitions with them after a happy afternoon of sampling.

Dinner that evening was at the Bay View Hotel for a Pig on a Spit meal.   The pork was delicious, and there was a great selection of vegetables too, plus dessert.

Dinner at Bay View Hotel

Then it was back to the school hall where we were enjoyed a musical evening, got to love these sing-along songs which we all know.  Some of the happy campers did a turn or two around the dance floor.

Musical entertainment in the hall

It seems to be a given at these Leisureline Get togethers we share a bacon and egg breakfast on Sunday morning, cooked by the  Leisureline family and the organizing committee.  The kitchen was a hive of activity with bacon, eggs and hash browns cooking away, a huge pot of baked beans simmering away, plus mountains of toast.  Hungry campers were queuing up, plates and cutlery in hand waiting for their breakfasts, and sat down happily to enjoy their generous plates of food. 

 

Sunday morning breakfast

This was followed by Colin’s Q & A session.  He told us he was about to step back from his company with his son and daughter stepping up to the helm.  The company will be introducing a few new ideas, and he spoke about tyre pressures, fridges, and other items which often cause a little bother to van owner.   Colin then took questions from the floor and the conversations flew around the hall. 

Sunday  morning and the school grounds started to empty out as people headed off home

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Sunday morning

We had also intended to pack up and get on our way on Sunday, but changed our minds with the opportunity to dine out again.  Colin and his family had previously had lunch at the Linden Estate Winery and was so impressed he talked the restaurant into opening up especially for our group on Sunday evening.  And because we were a large group of 68, we got a generous discount off the meal price.  The food was delightful, with choices of steak, lamb or salmon, plus dessert.

Dinner at Linden Estate Winery

Finally, on Monday, our Leisureline weekend had come to an end, and we said goodbye to our fellow campers.   It’s great to know that some members have put up their hand to arrange the Leisureline Owners Club get together for next year, and it will be in Mokau.  No dilly dallying around in the morning, we had to leave the school grounds reasonably early as the playing field we were camped on was about to get dug over.  And here’s the digger which arrived to do the job.

Many thanks to the organizing committee for a wonderful weekend, and to Leisureline for supporting the Leisureline Owners Club.  It was a great weekend, and so nice to catch up with people we had met before at previous Leisureline get togethers.

Bill Richardson – Transport World

Bill Richardson is a big name down here in Invercargill – and his Transport World Museum has to be seen to be believed.  Collecting his first truck in 1967, and adding many other vehicles over the years, more than 50 years later the collection grew to become Transport World and is now housed in a huge purpose built building.  His one wish was “I hope when I die that someone will be interested enough to carry it on”.  Transport World in now directed by Bill’s daughter and family, and is going from strength to strength.  It was a cold and rainy morning when we visited, and this place was top of Robin’s South Island Bucket List, being the petrol head and car lover that he is.

 

Just in the door was the mighty 1940 Dodge RX70 Texaco Tanker, one of 75 ordered by the company.  After it’s time with Texaco, it was used for water cartage before going to the wreckers, and was finally bought by Bill Richardson in 1992.  Being quite badly damaged, the restoration took four years. 

Texaco Truck

Looking down at the first display

Even a philistine like myself is well aware of Henry Ford and his Model T car, but I did not know that there was quite a range of famous  “Letter Cars”.  And this collections boasts: 1904 AC Runabout, 1904 Model C, 1905 Model F, 1906 Model N, 1907 Model R, 1907 Model S, 1910 Model T, 1915 Model T, and lastly, a 1907 Model K 6 cylinder, one of only eight restored.

Some of Henry Ford’s Letter Cars

There was also quite a selection of Henry Ford’s convertibles through the years, from a 1928 Model A to a 1946 V8.  These would have surely made quite a statement as their rich and fashionable owners took them out for a spin.

Henry Ford’s convertibles

And how about this for a Paddy Wagon?  This bright and shiny 1925 Ford T is an exact replica of the first motorized Paddy Wagon in New Zealand.

1925 Paddy Wagon

We even found a caravan tucked away.  The Ranger Camp Trailer was manufactured in the 1950s by Hillie Engineering, in Anaheim, and only 200 were ever produced.

Ranger Camp Trailer

And then there were the trucks.  Rows and rows of bright shiny ones, all nicely lined up.  Robin was in truck heaven, as he wandered up and down, admiring them all.

Trucks galore

And the green Bedford brought back special memories.  Robin’s Dad Curley had one just like it which he used for his milk delivery business.  And when the family went out and abut, the older boys sat in the tray against the back of the cab.  This wouldn’t be allowed today!

Just like Dad had

Some of these need restoring

Tractors on display

The film playing described how the tracked vehicles evolved, and how the name caterpillar came about and was registered. Company photographer Charles Clements was reported to have observed that the tractor crawled like a caterpillar and Benjamin Holt of Holt Engineering seized on the metaphor. "Caterpillar it is. That's the name for it”.

And big yellow caterpillar machines

There were plenty of bowsers, car grills, oil cans, garage machinery and other bits and pieces on display throughout  the different halls.

Petrol bowsers

Even the bathrooms had motorized touch, especially the men's.

Mirrors framed by gears and pipe toilet roll holders

Racing seat in the loo

There was a small theatre playing the iconic Kiwi film “Goodbye Pork Pie” continuously.  This is all about three would be crooks and a yellow mini, and their adventures as they outwit the police as they try their very best to drive the car to Invercargill.  Sitting in that bright yellow mini, it looks like Robin has already made it to Invercargill!

Goodbye Pork Pie