Aviation museums and wrecks in new zealand

Hi Dave

Thanks for remembering, my friend is due to go out early next week – in fact I am meeting with him today. I’ll ask him – I don’t think he is keen to go off into the wilds unfortunately but will let you know.

Cheers

Elliot, what has happened with this? Is your friend in NZ now or still coming here?

I only recently discovered that there is still a significant high ground wreck in NZ, near Nelson. It was a Hudson bomber that hit a hill, and I am told by someone who has been there and filmed it not too long ago that the remains are quite substantial. The place is quite innaccessable and on private land, but it is interesting that it is still around nowadays. I wonder, if helicoptered out, if there would be anything worth using for a restoration – apparently the tail and at least one wing plus engines are there.

No thats the same one, go back and read the text.

The shot was taken ~before~ it moved to the Auckland area.

DaveM2…. just to prove its the same one i/we would love the see the photo, so PM duly sent. 😀

NZ2527 is the MOTAT Avenger and was at Dairy Flat with the CAF, NZ2539 is derilict with Ken Jacobs.

Thanks Dave for the comments re. Ohakea. My observations were from the outside as I arrived after it had closed for the day – seemed very dreary and only a tiny building with these couple of aircraft outside. I just wrote it off mentally. And I fully agree that if traveling past by car by all means stop. But if I were coming for the other side of the world, I wouldn’t deliberately try to go there.

No worries. I recommend a look if you’re in the area, but yep, I wouldn’t go out of my way. Anyone on a driving tour of NZ who is going down/up on SH1 it is worth an hour or so stop.

Those Avengers you 3x Daves and Hairy are talking about. Is there still one, at whatever that army or airforce place is, near Ngaruawahia on Highway 1? Used to always be something I looked out for as kid. But I haven’t travelled H1 for years and years, always do the faster H27 route north/south.

Ah, some mixed memories there Mr Gnome. The Army base above Ngaruawhahia was Hopuhopu, which was closed int he early 1990’s and given to Tainui Maori Tribe. It is now some sort of college that no-one goes to or something but is largely just like it was in its Army days, just not as tidy.

The Avenger was NZ2504, the gate guardian at RNZAF Base Te Rapa, in North Hamilton. It was removed and replaced by a Vampire in the 1980’s. The Avenger is now in pristine condition in the RNZAF Museum in the colours of a 31 Sqn machine that was lost in action. (The navigator of that Avenger was Malcolm Harsant of Cambridge who was killed on his first mission byt the way 🙁 ).

Te Rapa on the other hanbd was also closed and given to Tainui, who absolutely squandered the excellent facilities they were given. It was a stores base and so had many large storage hangars, warehouses and specialist buildings. The flattened the lot! Everything but the base housing was demolished, and the land become a mass of long grass and blackberries. After years of this terrible use of a fine place, they are now building Warehouse buildings on it!!!!! Sadly it is becoming another “all the junk you can buy in one spot” industrial-commercial estate with crappy shops like The Warehouse, Briscoes, Postie Fashion ans several other scourges of the landscape. And they have the audacity to call this new industrial-commercial estate The Base. It makes my blood boil!

BTW – We usually take SH1b which is much faster too, especially since it originates here in Cambridge and you miss Hamilton out. It comes out at the mountain cemetery at Taupiri.

When I get to the Classic Fighters in Omaka this Easter I’ll make sure I take some pics of the collection there – as well as copious quantities of pics of the airshow..;)
(taking an extra large mem card this time )

TNZ

Thanks Dave for the comments re. Ohakea. My observations were from the outside as I arrived after it had closed for the day – seemed very dreary and only a tiny building with these couple of aircraft outside. I just wrote it off mentally. And I fully agree that if traveling past by car by all means stop. But if I were coming for the other side of the world, I wouldn’t deliberately try to go there.

Those Avengers you 3x Daves and Hairy are talking about. Is there still one, at whatever that army or airforce place is, near Ngaruawahia on Highway 1? Used to always be something I looked out for as kid. But I haven’t travelled H1 for years and years, always do the faster H27 route north/south.

There is another ex playground TBM rotting in a garden in the suburbs of Auckland.
It is also mentioned in the Classic Wings article with a photo.

No thats the same one, go back and read the text.

The shot was taken ~before~ it moved to the Auckland area.

DaveM2…. just to prove its the same one i/we would love the see the photo, so PM duly sent. 😀

In Classic Wings Vol 6 No.3 (circa 1999) theres an articles on TBM Avengers downunder.

Theres a photo of a derilict TBM fuselage (NZ2539) ex-kiddies plaything, in the Auckland area.

Anybody (Dave Homewood ?) know if its still rotting away or has found a good home yet ?

There is another ex playground TBM rotting in a garden in the suburbs of Auckland.
It is also mentioned in the Classic Wings article with a photo.

I have a not so exciting shot of it in store at Motat, PM me your email address if you want it.

Dave

Dave T, yes the Avenger is owned by and stored at Motat. Foir some years it stood ouside at Dairy Flat but it is now apparently in a back shed at Motat being restored ready to include in the displays of their upcoming hangar expansion – that’s what I was told last May by a curator there.

Oh that is good news. Does anybody have any pictures please ?

Oscar, I believe the reason is because Wigram receives little enough funding and donations as it is, and did not want to have half of it syphoned off by another museum that had not been sanctioned to receive such. Fair enough I say. As I say, Ohakea is and always has been just a base museum.

Dave T, yes the Avenger is owned by and stored at Motat. Foir some years it stood ouside at Dairy Flat but it is now apparently in a back shed at Motat being restored ready to include in the displays of their upcoming hangar expansion – that’s what I was told last May by a curator there.

I was lucky enough to visit most of the aircraft museums in North and South Island last year, along with the Warbirds Over Wanaka show, and still haven’t stopped talking about it !
Every museum was excellent and the people very friendly and accommodating, so all I can say to anyone thinking of going is – STOP THINKING AND GO FOR IT !!
The food and beer is also superb, so where’s the reason not to go?
I’ll be going back as soon as I can raise the funds and get a month off work.

I believe it is now stored at Motat, but will confirm later.

Dave

In Classic Wings Vol 6 No.3 (circa 1999) theres an articles on TBM Avengers downunder.

Theres a photo of a derilict TBM fuselage (NZ2539) ex-kiddies plaything, in the Auckland area.

Anybody (Dave Homewood ?) know if its still rotting away or has found a good home yet ?

Thanks everyone for your replies! They will really help – I wouoldn’t be surprised if he ends up planning his trip around them 🙂

Unfortunately. he’s not digital so may have some trouble getting pics out of him but I will try.

And thanks Hairy for the offer to show him around. I’ll tell him!

Thanks again everyone

Why wouldn’t the RNZAF want two good museums.? One in the north and one south??? Also describing a Bristol Freighter as gorgeous is playing with the English language…haha

The big difference is Ohakea is a base museum, Wigram is a national museum. For a while Ohakea tried to get a bit above its station I believe, promoting itself as THE RNZAF Museum, which it is not. Wigram soon clamped down on that.

Ohakea has some good pics and the cutaway jet engine is quite neat.
Not to the standards of Wigram unfort.

TNZ

OK – I’m clearly missing something, having recently stopped at the museum at Ohakea. What’s the big deal about it? Couple of forlorn looking jets parked on the apron and – anything else?

Well, apart from being the only aviation museum of any note in the south of the North Island, I suggested this one because Whitley_Project’s mate is looking for wrecks. The museum does (or at least did when I lived there in 1993) have a lot of aviation archeology – things like engines dug from crash sites, etc. And a very knowledgable staff. They also have fairly good displays that tell the history of Ohakea, one of the country’s most important training and operational bases both in WWII and post war. I haven’t been there in a long time though, so things may have changed. I’d especially like to know what became of their C47 which was in VIP colours and sat out near the road. Also if the traveller is going south by car, why not stop? It is one SH1 and is before you have to veer off to Masterton from the main road. 🙂

Where is Wigram relative to CHC airport?

About ten minutes down the road, heading south. Not a lot in a taxi, cheaper by bus. Well worth the effort. Also if you’re passing through and have time, definately see the Antarctic Centre at Harewood (Chch airport). Superb attraction.

Note if intent is to wander around high-ground in June/July – that’s winter which means cold-and-wet or cold-and-snow depending on how far south. And of course, Wanaka is a popular winter sport destination – if this erstwhile fellow likes snow skiing or boarding … say no more

Very good point, and as there is nothing in the way of aircraft to see anyway, you might as well go skiing, or sit in a nice warm Wanaka bar! 🙂

OK – I’m clearly missing something, having recently stopped at the museum at Ohakea. What’s the big deal about it? Couple of forlorn looking jets parked on the apron and – anything else?

For the overseas visitor who can’t go everywhere, I’d do the Auckland piece thoroughly (per P&P big adventure thread – Hairy conducting :p) then down to Wellington (only if I had time to veer off to Masterton) otherwise straight on to Blenheim, then down to Wanaka. That means three accommodation spots (AKL, WLG/Blenheim, Wanaka) and less time travelling. Note you can fly from Christchurch to Wanaka nowadays (rather than via Queenstown) so I assume it should be fairly easy to go from Blenheim to Wanaka transferring at CHC. Where is Wigram relative to CHC airport?

Note if intent is to wander around high-ground in June/July – that’s winter which means cold-and-wet or cold-and-snow depending on how far south. And of course, Wanaka is a popular winter sport destination – if this erstwhile fellow likes snow skiing or boarding … say no more