World of Wearable Art & Classic Cars

Location: Nelson, New Zealand

This is a strange museum. The World of Wearable Art started out as a small tent show and has grown to a huge production that draws designers from around the world and gives out tens of thousands of dollars in prizes. While a usual fashion show displays ridiculous contraptions with the conceit that one would theoretically wear them, this one does away with that limitation and displays ridiculous contraptions that noone could possibly wear through the day. Fashion is quite enjoyable, actually, when you drop the pretense that it is reasonable.

Some of the works drew inspiration from Victorian fashion. Like this outfit, "Rattle Your Dags":



'Dags' are sheep dingleberries and this outfit had black gems and crystals streaming down the posterior.

There really was some stunning work:





some way out there stuff:




...and some premium-grade art-world bullshit that I won't dignify showing.

In order to get the tourists in the doors, they need something for the husbands to do. So they have a collection of classic cars for you to stroll around while the wife looks at the pretty clothes.

They've got a nice Excalibur outside but I didn't even bother to take a picture of it. If you want to see one just google it, they're not uncommon. You could order one up yourself if you wanted, it's a freakin Studebaker!

Inside there are a surprising number of pre-1930 autos. I was pleased to learn that the Model T Ford got 20 miles to the gallon of gas, while their new 2009 "Fuel Efficient" pickup gets 21. One early auto had a range of 150 miles, meaning it could carry more fuel than there were properly built auto roads in America at the time.

I like this delivery bike because it is very much like something I would build:

From World Of Wearable Art Museum

Check out this lovely early 1900s Locomobile:

From World Of Wearable Art Museum

The thing about these early cars, as Leno says, is that because they were luxury items they were made to tip-top perfection and could give any modern luxury car a run for its money on the road. Just look at the locomotive wheels on that thing!

And the lovely flip-down windscreen:

From World Of Wearable Art Museum

I like the storage boxes, outside-of-the-cab shifter, and long horn. The bulb is in the upper right:

From World Of Wearable Art Museum

Just look at those lantern headlights! Some worked off acetylene. Boom!

I have mixed feelings about this museum. The work is stunning, but it's a one-room deal and it costs $18 to take a peep. Somehow I thought the "World" would be a little bit bigger than one room, but it turns out they cycle through their collection. For $8 I would have left this place feeling inspired and amazed, but for $18 I left feeling slightly snookered.

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Pigeon Valley Steam Museum

Location: Wakefield, New Zealand

This place had hundreds of functioning machines on display. Traction engines, vintage tractors, stationary engines, and old trucks were the focus but there was an impressive range of old machinery. Entry was free or by donation and the old dudes were more than happy to talk.

1949 Ford:

From Pigeon Valley Steam Museum

From Pigeon Valley Steam Museum

From Pigeon Valley Steam Museum

This ole Dennis fire engine was designed to fit down narrow city streets:

From Pigeon Valley Steam Museum

A late 1940s Austin Champ. This odd little vehicle has five forward and five reverse gears (because hey, sometimes you can't turn around in the bush). The engine is enclosed for wading which makes it "difficult" to work on. And the front differential is driven by a separate shaft from the rear diff! Seems like a recipe for getting bent hung up on some rock if you ask me.



A nice old 6x6.



A Fordson tractor converted to rail use.

From Pigeon Valley Steam Museum

Diesel bushloco.

From Pigeon Valley Steam Museum

4 X 4 tractor.

From Pigeon Valley Steam Museum

From Pigeon Valley Steam Museum

A huge old portable 1907 Marshall 28hp. I've put my hat on the wheel for size.

From Pigeon Valley Steam Museum

Giant marine boiler.

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Wanaka Toy and Transport Museum

Location: Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand

This is a strange museum, a sort of jumble of sheds for a single man's collection. Cars and planes are packed in as closely as they can be, and then toys are piled on top of them. There doesn't appear to be much focus beyond that, with odd piles of vintage telephones or firemen's badges or tabletop cannon. The beds of the trucks are full of old bikes and farm equipment, and the toys range from a pencil sharpener collection (I used to love that shit) to a section of Jar-Jar era Star Wars "collectibles". There's so much stuff I can't imagine how he had the time to buy it all. Moped and small motorcycle lovers will flip at his collection, as will fire engine enthusiasts.

Not being able to catalog the whole three hangars, I chose some vehicles that might appeal to Steampunks:

From Wanaka Toy and Transport Museum

1960 GAZ Merk: This was some sort of GAZ-derived Merk made somewhere in Indonesia. I thought it had style.

From Wanaka Toy and Transport Museum

1975 Land Cruiser Fire Appliance: Maybe not the classiest, but I'll bet it's a goer. Remember, utility vehicles are low-mileage, schedule-maintained, and garage-kept! This one has some kid's hovercraft project sitting on the hood.

From Wanaka Toy and Transport Museum

1923 American La France Fire Appliance: I bet you anything this bastard runs.

From Wanaka Toy and Transport Museum

Hub motor on delivery bike: On some of these old hub motors, the pistons are stationary and the engine rotates around them.

From Wanaka Toy and Transport Museum

1942 Ford V8 Centerdrive: Now this is a beast! This thing's V8 sat right over the rear axle. The sign said it was built as a gun carrier until converted for forest service use. I suspect that this is simply a four-wheeled version of their tracked gun carrier.

From Wanaka Toy and Transport Museum

From Wanaka Toy and Transport Museum

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