Taranaki Vintage Machinery club event set to put a spotlight on fossil fuelled farming machines

The event promises to keep all ages entertained, with a wide range of vintage machines on display as well as plenty of interactive exhibits. Photo / Supplied

“It’s not a spit and polish show. We will be actually using these machines to showcase their unique characteristics.”

Rob Lintern, of the Taranaki Vintage Machinery Club, says the upcoming Fossil Fuelled Extravaganza will feature a wide range of vintage machines and highlight how fossil fuels changed farming practices substantially.

“We have some pretty rare machines in New Zealand, and Taranaki specifically, including some machines you don’t see so often. All farmers have grown up with a Fergie or Ford tractor on their farm, but this show will feature some rarer machines like Lanz Bulldogs from Germany and Field Marshall tractors from England.”

Because the machines will be actually working at the extravaganza, not just lined up on display, people can see exactly how these old machines were started, he says, adding some of them have quite “odd starting methods”.

The Taranaki Vintage Machinery Club has around 100 members, says Rob, with a sub-group of six organising the Fossil Fuelled Extravaganza that takes place over the weekend of March 4 and 5 this year.

“The name Fossil Fuelled Extravaganza came about because we wanted to expand the show from just being about old working machines to more about anything and everything from that era. It’s about the way fossil fuels changed farming and living, and the development that rapidly happened within 80 to 100 years.”

He says the club has held several similar events before.

“As we have grown, so has the event ... we tended to hold it every second year, with the hay day in New Plymouth, but Covid has thwarted the last few years, giving us the time to make a comeback with new and bigger ideas to entertain everyone.”

With a focus on entertainment for all ages, the weekend event includes a fun zone complete with bouncy castles and kids’ rides and activities, as well as a range of craft stalls, Rob says.

“We will also have several full size and 1/3 size steam traction engines either offering rides or driving machinery. These machines are the highlight of any vintage machinery show, and impress with sight, sound and smell.”

The details:

What: Fossil Fuelled Extravaganza

When: March 4 and 5, 10am-4pm both days.

Where: 172 Turuturu Rd, Hāwera

Cost: Entry Adults - $10, children - free. Car parking - gold coin donation

More info: Search for Fossil fuelled extravaganza 2023 on Facebook