This amazing Museum started life as the Bill Richardson Collection. Bill was a transport operator and concrete batching plant owner in a big way. For several years, he had a mechanic,, a panelbeater and a spraypainter working half the week on museum vehicles and the other half on his working vehicles. After Bill suddenly passed away, his family took several years to decide what to do with the collection until they set it up as a professionally operated museum, open to the public.
Unfortunately, the only time I spent any time in Invercargill was soon after Bill died and the collection was open only by request. As it happened, the week I was there, the only person who could give access to it was in Perth, WA, for a wedding, so I missed out.
Also in Invercargill there is the Burt Munroe Museum. Burt was the subject of the movie "The Worlds Fastest Indian" (motorbike, not resident of Bombay) Replicas of his racing bike and much original equipment is on display. He was an amazing motorcycle racer and innovator. The "Burt Munroe Weekend" a rally for bike enthusiasts, is held in October? each year and attracts thousands of enthusiasts.
In the city, there is also a fascinating combination of hardware shop and museum which is well worth a look. I forget the name, Coe's or Coles or something similar. Locals will know it's name and address.
Don't worry too much about the weather. Because of a freak of nature, the weather in Invercargill is much warmer in winter than it is much further north.
A few hours drive north is the town of Queenstown and Lake Whakatipu, which has many boat cruises from which you can see spectacular scenery. The lake has an operating paddle-steamer ferry, The Earnslaw. one of two built in Britain around the start of the Twentieth Century, disassembled, shipped (this one to New Zealand and the other to South America) the Earnslaw was carted overland to Queenstown. A feat almost impossible to do today.
A little further on is Wanaka, which is famous for it's aircraft museum. On the road to the airport is the largest collection of cars, trucks and earthmoving machinery in the country. While you are looking at that, your Lady will be occupied looking at has the largest collections of dolls and of stuffed toys in the country. Much of it is realistically set up in replicas of house rooms.
It is all on my Bucket List for another visit before I am too old.
I have my shoulder to the wheel,
my nose to the grindstone,
I've put my best foot forward,
I've put my back into it,
I'm gritting my teeth,
Now I find I can't do any work in this position!
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