Balloons

In March each year the Wairarapa (the area that my home town is in)  hosts a hot air balloon festival, with different events held at various locations throughout the region.

A lone piper soars across the fields.

Mark Wilton gets his craft up just over my back fence.

The early morning "Splash and Dash" at Henley Lake at the end of our street draws a big crowd.

The impressive size of the "Polar Bear" is evident here.

The early morning launch at Clareville Showgrounds is also very popular.

An alert eagle observes the gathered crowd.

"Thomas" almost fully inflated.

A farm barn over Farm Meats.

Another Dozen Trucks

Here are a few more truck photos taken in the 80s or early 90s.

This 1986 Mack Ultra-Liner MH688RST was operated by Robert Robinson in the Southern Wairarapa .

Matte Franicevich of Dargaville in the far North of NZ operated this 1981 International Transtar 4300. Seen here, a long way from home, in Masterton's Queen Street. Presumably it was later painted in Matte's bright colour scheme

White Line Freight hauled biscuits for Aulesbrooks in this 1983 Misubishi FP313JR. Here it is unloading at a warehouse in Chapel Street Masterton.

A Scammell S26 of Kevey's Transport is parked in Dixon Street Masterton with empty decks.

An S.Cronin R series Mack with grain bodies awaits a load at a Masterton grain merchant.

Renaults were only sold for a short time in NZ. This 1985 R310 is at the same warehouse as the Mitsubishi shown previously.

This ERF of Produce Freighters with its self-steer semi-trailer was a regular visitor to the produce market in Masterton's Dixon Street.

The 4x4 Stonefield was built in Scotland. This is the only example I have ever seen in NZ. This 1979 model is at the Golden Shears Motor Inn in Masterton.

370hp of Cummins propells this 1984 ERF with its grain bins. "Midnight Express" was operated by K.Hayward.

This day cab ERF of Trailways with flat deck B-train is at Wrightson Seeds in Masterton. It first went on the road in 1977.

With its landing legs still fully down this trailer is probably not actually coupled to the 1986 MHS622RST Mack Ultra-Liner. This trailer has doors which fold to open up the whole of one side.

The spoke type wheels, tall stack and flat "West Coast" style mirrors are typical of the Australian sourced Volvos that came to NZ in the 80s. This F717 operated by Taupo's fruit market was of 1983 vintage.

Model Expo

Today whilst heading to Wellington, to take my daughter back home after a weekend visit, I called into the Model Expo which was being held in Lower Hutt. Here are some of the photos I took.

This R series Mack was perfect in every detail, except for.........

......... a spelling mistake in the company name on the door!



Look at the detail in this close up of a De Havilland Mosquito.



Compare this model with a real rig from the same company in my blog of 18th July.





Five axle Western Star mixer could be the real thing if there wasn't a huge person in the background.

Another Western Star, this time an articulated unit.

A Peter Baker Scania, just like the real thing.



Nice Mini-Cooper. Look at those twin carbs.



There were also some working train sets on display. This replica of a German train carried 50 Volkswagens.

Another view of the same train.

My favourite of the show. Compare with the example on my blog of August 4th.

This little Alfa even had "Orange Peel" paint, just like the real thing.

Dinos are one of my favourites from the Ferrari stable.





 

Tankers (3)

This 8 wheeler FM12 Volvo with 4 axle trailer is at Palmerston North and is operated by Rural Fuel.

These two Freightliners, one a 2004 and the other from 2000, are in the blue livery of Alexander Bulk Liquids before they changed to the bright yellow colour scheme they use now.

Although it is in Shell livery this 2005 Scania R420, operated by Provincial Transport, doesn't appear to have the word Shell anywhere on it.

28 wheels support this Freightliner Argosy of Freight Lines as it rests for the night at Copthorne Solway Park in Masterton.

Heading North and decelerating as it approaches the Paremata roundabout is a DAF CF and trailer loaded with BPs finest fuels.

A Mack Trident that first hit the road in 2008 operates for Fluidex with a B-train of unknown liquid.

Fulton Hogan are in the business of road construction, amongst other things, but I'm not sure what this short tank on the 4 axle Volvo F12 is used for.

This photo I did not take. It is a copy of a promotional postcard for Kiwi Dairies in the Taranaki region of NZ's North Island. Taranaki is a large dairying area, and the Kiwi Dairies plant at Hawera is the largest milk processing plant in the Southern Hemisphere. Their tankers travel far outside the Taranaki area to pick up raw product for this plant.
This Nissan CG380 tanker and trailer set up is the most common configuration for milk tankers in NZ.
The mountain in the background is Mount Taranaki (also known as Mount Egmont) which reaches 2518 metres.

An Isuzu Giga and tank trailer parked in BPs yard at Seaview near Wellington.

In the same yard as the above photo was this pair of Hookers rigs with their BP tankers. On the left is a Freightliner Columbia and on the right a Mack CX688.
This photo and the one above, were both taken in 2010.

MORE Snow

Exactly 3 weeks to the day since our last "Once in a Lifetime" snowfall we have again been hit my more snow. This time heavier than the last and parts of Northern New Zealand that never ever see snow, experienced some falls. Please bare with me if you live in a climate where you see snow every Winter, but I have lived in Masterton all my life and have never seen anything like this

This is looking over my back fence toward the Eastern hills.

Some of the car sales cars at the motor dealer I work for 4 days a week.

Dixon Street in Masterton, looking North toward the roundabout at the intersection with Worksop Road.

Just outside Masterton on Westbush Road looking East.