The Southward Car Museum
Looking for something to do with all these loooong, sunny days we're having? Let me recommend a trip to the Southward Car Museum, just north of Paraparaumu.
Driving into the carpark you feel like you've spent back in time - to the 1960s. The building is fantastic, a large concrete bunker. The grounds are carefully manicured, with beds of marigolds. Take your old Tupperware picnic set and relive a simpler time.
Walking in, there is a 1960s Ferrari on a rotating plinthe, and a gorgeous Mercedes sports car. You can't help but play "which car would you take home" - except by the time you leave it is "which dozen cars, planes, and bikes would you take home".
Entry is $10 for adults, $3 for children (5-15), and pre-schoolers are free.
Is that the museum that also has (or used to have) an art gallery and a theatre in it? Maybe 20 years ago I went there for an exhibition of a friend's work, and the ballet was on as well, so we saw the ballet, inspected the cars, and attended the gallery opening. Oh, and spent the day on the beach first.
I agree - it's a great place. It was a day to remember.
(It was a bit odd to turn up for the ballet with sand between our toes, though. We didn't really fit in with the ballet crowd.)
They do have a theatre, and the largest Wurlitzer organ in NZ (I think). I didn't see any art, but it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they did that occasionally too.
Got to agree - it's a fascinating collection of vehicles and well worth a visit.