Land Rover Series 1 enthusiasts make the trip to Whanganui

Phil and Gillian Avery welcomed a group of fellow Land Rover Series 1 enthusiasts to Whanganui over the weekend. Photo / Bevan Conley

Members of the Series 1 Land Rover Enthusiasts group descended on Whanganui from around New Zealand for a tour of the region.

The tour last weekend was hosted by Whanganui residents Phil and Gillian Avery.

Series 1 Land Rovers were made between 1948 and 1958.

"It's been really cool, we've gone all around our back country and we haven't missed a beat," Phil Avery said.

"These things work their hearts out, and they've made a big contribution to building New Zealand and its agriculture.

"We like to say that there's not a road or farm in New Zealand that Series 1s haven't been on, and I think we can say that pretty confidently."

Avery, who owns a 1947 model, said around 30 vehicles took part in the event.

"We've been doing these events for the past 11 years, so we thought it was time that the group came to Whanganui. We put our hands up and said 'yep, we'll do it'.

"We're very fastidious that if you're going to go on the rally you have to do it in a Series 1. You can't say 'mine's broken down so I'm bringing my modern one'.

"You can use a modern one to get here, but from there you have to either drive or ride in a Series 1."

The 1955 Oxford Land Rover turned heads during its visit to Whanganui. Photo / Bevan Conley

It was "easier now than ever" to get spare parts for Series 1s, Avery said.

"They've just got such a following, especially in England.

"A group like this is a bit different to your normal car club as well, because we get to go off-country and go to some harder to reach places.

"We've been up the Parihauhau Rd, and from there we were able to access a farm, go over a big ridge and back down onto the Paraparas.

"On the first day we started from Mangamahu Rd and went up and over and came down Makirikiri Valley Rd to Upokongaro. That probably hadn't been done by a motor vehicle for decades."

One vehicle that turned heads was the famous 1955 Oxford Land Rover, which embarked on "The First Overland" expedition in September that year.

The journey took six months, visited 19 countries and covered more than 28,970km (18,000 miles as recorded then).

After years of faithful service, including a stint with the British Ornithologicalists' Union on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, Oxford was eventually retired and moved to neighbouring St Helena Island, where it fell into disrepair.

In 2017, Yorkshire Land Rover enthusiast Adam Bennett tracked down the vehicle and traded it with the owner for a more modern Land Rover Defender.

"All he [Bennett] was getting was just a pile of stuff that was scattered around the island," Avery said.

"He went around and got every bit he could, then came back and restored it.

"It's been around all the clubs in America and now he's letting us drive it, which is incredible.

"That's the spirit of the thing, it's just got to keep going."

Avery said the final drive for the group while they were in Whanganui was to Strachan's Cave at Okoia, and the next big event was Wheels at Wanaka on April 3-4.