Ashburton - Home To a Gem of an Aviation Museum

Friday 22 May

A few chores in Ashburton in the morning, out on the bikes to save unhitching Banjo. Accidentally fell into Sallies in town and came out with a bike pannier full of goodies including two dresses and a duvet cover set. On to Kmart to get their bargain moisture absorber products for the winter in Banjo, and back via Triangle Espresso for a couple of sweet treats! Loved the cool Hakatere mural we passed, and I got to say hello to Khan as Louis popped into Triangle Espresso to grab a ginger crunch and a date scone for later.

A quick lunch in Banjo and then we cycled a couple of kms up the road to the Ashburton Aviation Museum which turned out to be a bargain at $10 pp. There were two hangars jammed full of fascinating military planes, biplanes, commercial airliners, choppers, gliders, microlights and all manner of aviation memorabilia. Pride of place was a Harrier Jump Jet which saw active duty in the Falklands War, and which had a link to Air Chief Marshall Sir Patrick Hine, father of my old friend & flatmate, Andrew Hine. Fascinating aircraft - we watched lots of the video about their innovative Vertical Take-Off & Landing system and how it was developed, tested and then used in warfare. The airfield here used to be an RNZAF station and there were loads of old photos of the squadrons and trainee pilots back in the day.

In contrast to the powerful military planes was a wee red chonk -“The Flying Flea” - a French home-built aircraft first pioneered in the 1930s, and some sleek gliders up in the roof. There was also a tyre off Juliet Delta 321 which crashed in Antarctica in 1971 and only recovered almost 20 years later.

Jean Batten and farmer Ernle Clark were the two first people to fly from UK to New Zealand, back in 1936 - Jean Batten arrived just a few months ahead of Ernle Clark who flew over for the sheep shearing season.

Spent ages checking out all the various aircraft and feeling impressed that we recognised several types from Warbirds including a De Havilland Vampire and a Strikemaster, a Harvard and a Mission Impossible yellow Tiger Moth. Such a great way to spend an afternoon!

In the second hangar was a North American Trojan, which was very USA branded! Trojans flew from the 1950s, saw active service in Vietnam and this aircraft still flies at air shows 🇺🇸.

On the Aermacchi, the RNZAF logo made me laugh - a flightless bird representing our flying military!

I didn’t know NZ had a Flying Doctor Service, but given the huge distances and remote nature of much of the country, it makes sense. The final pic above is a reminder in Pink Ribbon Breakfast month to check your breasts! If only mine were as symmetrical and perky 😉

We had a lovely time checking out the old Southern DC3 - incredible how passenger airlines have advanced over the past decades! The fabulous Douglas DC3 revolutionised air travel in the 1930s and 1940s - this one flew as recently as 2014 (but not as a commercial airliner!) Everything inside was pretty basic by today’s standards - luggage was stored behind netting and straps, the galley was tiny, the overhead luggage storage was shelving with no closure and the seats were pretty lumpy! But absolutely fascinating!

We loved that this DC3 has our younger daughter’s name on it! And keeping it in the family, I think I scored with the captain 👨‍✈️

After a very informative afternoon, we cycled back to Robbie's place into a chilly wind.

Packed up back at Banjo and hit the road north to Rakaia to spend the night at Stoliker Ranch POP - alongside Holly the chatty dog, 7 goats, Grunty the Kunekune pig, assorted ducks and chooks and some very flirty piwakawaka who loved Banjo! Hostess Lesley introduced us to all the menagerie and was most welcoming - what a fun place to stay!