The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Tauwhare Millitary Museum legacy brings his toys to Frankton Thunder

Geoff Lewis
Hamilton News·
17 Jan, 2019 11:30 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Grant Moreland with the 1966 Rolls-Royce-powered Saracen, a 12-person armoured personnel carrier; one of the military vehicles he is looking at bringing to Frankton Thunder in March. Photo / Geoff Lewis

Grant Moreland with the 1966 Rolls-Royce-powered Saracen, a 12-person armoured personnel carrier; one of the military vehicles he is looking at bringing to Frankton Thunder in March. Photo / Geoff Lewis

If there's one thing Grant Moreland remembers about his childhood it was that so many things seemed to be military green.

Moreland, son of the late Tauwhare military museum founder Andy Moreland, is tossing up which exhibits from the museum he will bring to the fourth annual Frankton Thunder automotive event.

At the Tauwhare end of Victoria Rd between Hamilton and Cambridge, the museum constitutes one of the more significant private collections of military memorabilia and hardware in the North Island.

"I got dad into it. All my toys seemed to be green. As I grew up it just got out of hand."
Grant is pretty sure he'll bring the ex-NZ navy 20mm Oerlikon, and anti-aircraft gun, and is tossing up between a 1943 American White half-track and a 1960s British Saracen armoured car and maybe a Jeep or Land Rover.

The White was retrieved as a wreck from Vanuatu where it had been abandoned by the US at the end of World War II.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"When mum saw it she just made the comment that we were as silly as we looked — but a couple of years latter we had it finished." The job required finding another engine for the vehicle. One was discovered in Holland — still in its original 1940s packing case.

The other, and more probable option, is a 1966 Rolls-Royce-powered Saracen, a 12-person armoured personnel carrier used in Hong Kong and Northern Island.

"It's typically British. If something needed five bolts to hold it on the Brits would put 15 into it."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Moreland is a member of the New Zealand Military Vehicles Club which has about 125 members around the country. The Tauwhare museum is open by appointment and a variety of groups and individuals visit. Moreland has supported many events including providing 18 vehicles to the Cambridge Armistice Day commemorations.

Frankton Thunder, Sunday March 10, Frankton, Hamilton, includes the Thunder Cruize-in from the Cambridge raceway Taylor St at 8.30am. On display in Frankton will be the famous Britten motorcycle, classics, customs, rods and bikes, drag machines, Electric Vehicle Thunder Lightning, Military, Steampunk, Miss Frankton Thunder retro fashion, ThunderInk tattoo competition, photorama, music, displays and market.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Bellbird project takes flight as Northlanders join backyard trapping drive

21 Sep 01:00 AM
The Country

Cutting-edge safety: Kiwi team builds AI chainsaw drone

20 Sep 05:03 PM
Premium
The Country

The making of Marokopa's 'monster': Tom Phillips' childhood, hobbies and descent

20 Sep 05:00 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Bellbird project takes flight as Northlanders join backyard trapping drive
The Country

Bellbird project takes flight as Northlanders join backyard trapping drive

The project aims for one trap in every five Waipu backyards.

21 Sep 01:00 AM
Cutting-edge safety: Kiwi team builds AI chainsaw drone
The Country

Cutting-edge safety: Kiwi team builds AI chainsaw drone

20 Sep 05:03 PM
Premium
Premium
The making of Marokopa's 'monster': Tom Phillips' childhood, hobbies and descent
The Country

The making of Marokopa's 'monster': Tom Phillips' childhood, hobbies and descent

20 Sep 05:00 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP