Heritage Military Vehicles visit Oakura Bay
Nearing the end of an organised convoy traversing the Far North, on Wednesday, 4 March 2020, some lucky residents and visitors to the bay were treated to the sight of a number of heritage military vehicles. The owners of these vehicles were en-route south to overnight in Whangarei, before deciding to drop in to treat themselves to an ice-cream on what turned out to be the wettest day in the Bay for months.
Organised by the New Zealand Military Vehicle Club Inc., these vehicles are owned by a community of like-minded MV enthusiasts from New Zealand (and elsewhere) with a common goal – to have fun on an adventure packed holiday of sun, sand and sea – as well as taking in some military heritage and other historic sights along the way. The MVs on convoy cover a wide range of types, not just the iconic US army jeep familiar to anyone who watched the TV series, M*A*S*H, back in the day. Without exception, all vehicles have been lovingly restored by their respective owners.
Setting out from Orewa on Sunday, 23 February, optional side trips were also available for participants to tour WWII gun emplacements, pill boxes and other historical sites. Some of the US vehicles were actually returning to where US forces were once stationed in the North at airfields, radar stations and coastal defences during WWII.
The convoy was organised by a team with many years of convoy experience, many of whom are veterans of convoys both here in NZ and in the United States. We hope they enjoyed their brief sojourn in the bay.
For more information, visit the New Zealand Military Vehicle Club Inc.’s website here.
Our thanks to Skips Fish’n’Chips for the use of their images.