Jan 22 – Packards and Avos

Packards and Avos may not seem to go together but they combined for a very nice day today! 

In the morning (after walking the Loop) we visited the Maungatapere Packard Motor Museum.  If you have never heard of Maungatapere, you are probably not alone.  It is a “settlement” along Highway 14 between where we are staying and where Frances’ sister Helen lives.  We happened to see the museum while driving by.  The museum is a collection of over 50 Packard cars from the 1919 Opera Coupe to the 1958 Packard Hawk.  The collection also includes 65 classic motorcycles, the Land Rover Queen Elizabeth used in her 1953 visit to New Zealand, military vehicles, fire engines, farm machinery, construction machinery, and far too many other items to mention.  The collection was amassed by a kiwi farmer/businessman who was fascinated with the prestigious Packard marque. It is housed in (crowded into) 5 “sheds” – really three large pole barns, a lean-to addition, and a large warehouse.  Many of the larger industrial and farm items are outdoors and not weathering well.  But the collection of Packards is the center of the show.  I think my favorite is the Right Hand Drive 1925 Packard Phaeton Sport (Model 236).  The 1930 Packard Coupe (RHD, model 733, straight 8) with a special golf club hatch was made for a Wellington golfer.  The collection also includes a RHD 1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk (only a few hundred of these were made).  It is better looking than the Studebakers I remember!

After touring the museum, we had lunch at a nice ‘Office Cafe’ a couple of doors down the road (past the travelling bridal shop, the wool buyer, and Northmix Manures).  Maungatapere is a small place.

After lunch we headed over to visit Frances’ nephew Nick’s Avocado Orchard.  Nick has planted and staked 900 avocado trees!  He also installed an electronically controlled underground irrigation system to keep them all watered.  Liquid fertilizer can be supplied to the trees through the irrigation system.  Mowing, weeding, and spraying are still hands-on, however.  The trees are currently about 4 months old and should produce a harvest in year 3.  Interestingly, the avocado flower has both functional male and female organs, but opens and closes twice over a two day period – the first day as female, the second day as male. For now, the young trees need a lot of care but there’s no opportunity to give up the day job!  The property also has a great view of the surrounding area. 

In addition to teaching us about avos (and supplying Frances with some), Nick showed us his home brew setup – explaining various grains, varieties of hops, and yeasts. 

After a cuppa (never a bad time), we were back to Whangarei!