Ray's tanked up ready to shoot the breeze ...

It looks like a scene from the Cold War.
But it's not _ instead it's Ray Cross driving around his farm in his 1960s tank.
The Katikati man drives the 8.2 tonne, 6m long German SPz kurz Hotchkiss around the farm.
He bought the tank, which he says is worth "less than $25,000", from the UK through the internet three years ago to feed his hunger for military vehicles.
"It was such a thrill when I first got it going," he said.
"It's a bloody awesome feeling driving around in it."
He says people are a bit startled when they drive up his Lockington Rd property and see the tank but he reckons there's nothing peculiar about his big boys toy.
"They're pretty shocked and think it's a bit eccentric but it's just like owning a speed boat."
Built in 1960 the tank, which has a top speed of 60 kmh, was used by NATO intelligence personal in West Germany for spying missions. Mr Cross believes it is the only one in the Southern Hemisphere and only one of 15 left in the world.
Although equipped with machine guns, it would only fire in defence as the armour was more psychological and the tank would have blown to pieces had it been fired at.
There is no such risk now as it sits in Mr Cross's Katikati shed and is used for gallivanting around his farm.
"It's a smooth ride over just about anything," he said.
"Hills, rocks and water."
Mr Cross, who owns an earth moving business, taught himself to drive the tank. He says his years of experience with big machinery meant he just had the knack.
The tank is in relatively the same condition although the guns have been taken off. The cramped interior, which nearly explodes your eardrums from the sound of the motor, still has its original stove cooker and storage compartments.
It isn't a cheap hobby. It cost him $4000 to ship from the UK and he has already spent around $6000 doing it up.
The self-taught mechanic plans to chip away at restoring it to its original condition, which will cost him about $2000 a year.
He does not know how long that might take.
Mr Cross's love of military vehicles stemmed from sitting in old vehicles and airplanes as a teenager.
He's never been in the army and says he isn't too interested in history.
"I just the love the mechanics of it all, how it all fits together and works."
He also owns a 1943 Dodge truck which was his first purchase about five years ago.
Mr Cross's tank isn't the only one in the Bay as one other member of the Military Vehicle Collectors' Club has one.
For more information on the Military Vehicle Collectors Club visit
www.nzmvcc.org.nz