Breakdown comes after trouble-free tractor trip

By Marjorie Cook

Members of Temuka Tractor Club took three days to chug 292km from their homes in South Canterbury to Wanaka, via Kurow, to take part in the Wheels at Wanaka Show this weekend.

It was an uneventful journey and they felt like celebrating, after their efforts to get to the show in 2021 went badly.

But their impromptu parade on Ardmore St about noon on Thursday ended embarrassingly when one of the vintage machines broke down.

Tractor enthusiast Andrew Davey (right), of Temuka, was embarrassed to break down in Wanaka's busy main street just on noon yesterday. PHOTO: MARJORIE COOK

Anxious tractor owner Andrew Davey redirected the mid-day rush of traffic around his 1945 International Harvester "tricycle", which had stopped outside the ANZ bank.

Adding to his stress was the fact most of his friends had disappeared into the distance in their eagerness to get back to Three Parks venue, where they were all camping.

However, to Mr Davey’s tremendous relief, Margaret and Graeme King, of Temuka, were quickly on the scene to redirect traffic.

One by one, more friends rematerialised, including Russell Mulligan, of Darfield, in his Massey tractor and Graeme Urquhart, who had recently repaired the gearbox of Mr Davey’s machine and was feeling a little bit bad.

Mr Mulligan told the Otago Daily Times the problem was with the gear selector.

"It could have happened anywhere," he said.

Tractor enthusiasts (front from left) Margaret King, Graeme Urquhart, Kelleigh Urquhart, all of Temuka, Russell Mulligan, of Darfield, and Wayne Loomes, of Temuka. Back, Sean Mulligan, of Darfield, Graeme King and Colin Richmond, both of Temuka, and Ryan Davey, of Geraldine. PHOTO: MARJORIE COOK

The passing traffic patiently negotiated Mr Davey’s tractor, some drivers offering help, as the machinery enthusiasts did maintenance in the middle of the street.

After about 30 minutes of fiddling and rocking to get the tractor back in gear, the drama was over and with a whoop and wave of joy, Mr Davey was back in Wheels on Wanaka heaven.

Mr Mulligan said the unscheduled main street display was nothing compared to getting to the show in 2021.

The Temuka crew decided to come through the Mackenzie Pass instead of going over Burkes Pass.

When they got to Haldon Fork, they had a choice of a bridge or a gully.

A passing shearer advised them to use the bridge but the hydraulics sunk in his tractor and broke the chain link, which in turn bent the bridge mesh at right angles so he got stuck and couldn’t go back or forward.

It took an hour or two to sort out.

Exiting the other side of the bridge, everyone’s caravan wheels had trouble in the big ruts left by four wheel drives, so they helped each other through that mess before they all got stuck in the Twizel River later in the day.

When they finally got to the camp at Lake Ruataniwha it was closed but the manager took pity on their predicaments and opened especially for them, he said.