Twelve orange Chamberlain 9G tractors - 10 of them shipped from Australia - have spent the past three weeks travelling around the South Island.
They aim to reach Methven this Saturday, in time to celebrate its 100th A&P Show. Last Saturday, the trek reached Tapanui, delighting participants of a South Otago motorcycle rally who had stopped in the town.
The trip was organised by Australian man Ron Bywaters, who earlier told the Otago Daily Times he was impressed by New Zealand on previous visits and thought it would be an ideal location for a tractor trek.
The Western Australia Chamberlain 9G Tractor Club was formed in 1999 and the following year it held its first tractor trek, from the furthermost western point of Western Australia to Byron Bay in New South Wales, in time for the Olympic Games in Sydney.
Every year since, the club has done either a major or a minor trek. This year's 25-day, 2500km trek, which raises money for the Child Cancer Foundation, started in Christchurch on February 19.
Steve Day, of New Plymouth, is the only New Zealand member of the tractor club, and helped organise the trek.
He said the Chamberlain 9G was a comfortable tractor, with a double seat, a sprung front axle and ''air-conditioning'' - removable windows.
''It's a good cruising tractor.''
Mr Day bought his 3.6 tonne 9G in 2008 and restored it.
The 9G, named for its nine-speed gear box, made a name for itself in 1957 when it took part in a car rally around Australia and earned the nickname Tail End Charlie.
Capable of speeds of up to 100kmh, it assisted broken-down and stranded competitors into check points throughout the rally.
