An Unplanned Trip

[Cormanus]

I had intended to spend the last two weeks of October riding south to Phillip Island for the Australian MotoGP. Due to the untimely death of an old and dear friend, I had to abandon the plan so my wife and I could travel across the Tasman Sea (known fondly as 'The Ditch') to New Zealand for the memorial. We took the opportunity to go for a few days and catch up with other friends.

On the first morning we were there, we walked to Lyall Bay for breakfast and I spied this on the street.




Then, over the weekend, our friends took us to the [url=https://www.southwardcarmuseum.co.nz/]Southward Auto Museum at Paraparaumu which has an extraordinary collection of cars and more than a few bikes.

I'll start with a car as it's the first you see as you walk through the door.




This 1950 'Gangster Cadillac' features bullet holes, a bomb proof floor and glass the thickness of a matchbox. Here's the wrap sheet for it.


Sitting right next to Comrade Cohen's ride was this.






Although there were bikes scattered all over the floor amongst the cars, the majority was on a mezzanine along one side of the huge shed. On the way there, I came across this modest V8, built in NZ






Then it was up the stairs