South Island Tractor Trek 2010
 

Hi all.

I've started this 'ride report' so I can post photos and give progress updates for a trip we're about to do.*

As the thread title suggests it's a tractor trip which will be doing a 'not so quick' lap of the South Island. It's a fund raising charity ride to raise money for Child Cancer.

The official website is here. http://www.tractortrek.net/

The trek officially starts in Bluff on Feb 22nd. We're really excited about doing this and can't wait to get cracking. Kiwirob (aka 'Dad') will be driving a David Brown 990 kindly loaned to us by Maurice and Trish Short. (Shown below.)

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/mi...02_aQzUd-L.jpg

If you happen to see a convoy of tractors on the road around the South Island between Feb 22nd and March 16 give us a wave and don't be afraid to stop for a chat.

And of course... you will need to stop... to take your gloves off... so you can unzip your pocket... pull out your wallet... and hand over any monies you happen to have on or about your person :augie

It's going to be a fun trip for a great cause, and we can't wait to get started!!. :wings

peet

*Although it's still a 'ride' as it's not on a bike i've been told it can't go in the ride reports section, but should be ok in here.

About 4 weeks?

Fantastic.:thumb

When I saw the thread title I thought it was about some old BMW boxers.:D

Adrian

It is a ride-on tractor...

Subscribed:lurk
Helping kids, and being a kid on a tractor at the same time.
Travel well Mr Peet:clap

Getting closer...
 

A little over 3 weeks to go. We can't stop talking about it. :bueller

I've been busy pfaffing with the 'support vehicle'. We've built an internal shelf, which will hold a fridge/freezer (so our refreshments don't get cold :evil), fitted a UHF CB radio, and about to bolt on a honking great big roof rack... :thumb

I'm hoping to get some sign-writing done and will post photo's when finished.

Wasn't some of your mob parked up just south of Kawatiri last monday was it ? Saw some old tractors with caravans @ a rest area, looked like they were settled in for the night. I gave a toot just in case :D

Err...
 

I have nooooo idea. :dunno

People are coming from all over the country. I guess a few could be thier way south already.

We're nearly off!
 

We've been busy loading up the car getting ready for the trip. We leave Gisborne tommorrow, heading to near the start line in Bluff over the next 3 days. (The forcast for the ferry crossing tommorrow night doesn't look very nice... :sick )

Just to raise the profile a bit more, we got some signs made up for the Prado.

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...24_GQcaQ-L.jpg


We thought it might also help explain to anyone who gets stuck behind us what we're up to.

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...02_pBvx8-L.jpg

I think we're looking pretty conspicous...

So if you're on the road and see us, give us a toot and a wave.

2 big days.
 

Well... we left home (Gisborne) 8:00am yesterday... and hiked it to Welli.

http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=d&so...09&ie=UTF8&z=7

Weather was a bit crappy driving down, but nothing too ugly. Made it on time for the 6:30 ferry crossing.

The crossing turned out to be smooth sailing. Rainey and grey but little or no swell :thumb. Got off at Picton and headed straight to motel.

Today:

Breakfast in Picton,
Lunch in Kaikoura
Coffee in Amberly
Dinner in Timaru. (I'm only doing this for the food you know..)
Typing this, in bed at B&B in Oamaru...

http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=d&so...1,9.876709&z=7

We had a few stops and starts. Sorting out leccy gremlins with the fridge wiring. A bank here.. petrol station there... But we decided to munch as many k's today as (reasonably and comfortably) possible.

We'll be with our friends tommorrow and have our hands on the Tractor :evil

Getting close to the kickoff...
 

Arrived in Balfour today.

The tractor is all ready to go, a few small details to be sorted and we're all set.

Dad's a happy bunny

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...09_tuAxb-L.jpg

We're heading off with 8 tractors for Bluff tommorow. :thumb

Here's a few ready to go.

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...02_fhQ7u-L.jpg

P

Does he look happy?
 

You bet :lol3

<object width="425" height="318">


<embed src="http://cdn.www.smugmug.com/ria/ShizVidz-2010012201.swf" flashvars="s=ZT0xJmk9NzkyNDY1MTAzJms9c01OdWImYT0xM TI5MzIyN181cUxEWiZ1PWtpd2lwZWV0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="318"></object>

Wish we were allowed to do that.

The feeling of the wind in your... umm... scalp...
:freaky

We're in Bluff!
 

Today we left Balfour for the start line in Bluff. 8 Tractors left at 10:30.

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...35_rcHd8-L.jpg


We had our first breakdown at 10:53... (loose wheel nuts.. easily sorted)

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...08_gxhhZ-L.jpg

We drove 115k's at roughly 25 kph... on the straights we got up to about 30-ish. (woohoo!)

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...45_4e3z9-L.jpg

The weather was great. (I think we all got a bit burned on the way down...)


Pilot vehicle (1923 Dennis)

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...37_UQ8Qc-L.jpg


Trish

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...75_mmECF-L.jpg

Maria

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...79_odMrU-L.jpg

Rob

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...57_pDrB2-L.jpg

Robin

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...12_3Lxw3-L.jpg

Noel

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...53_PhxA3-L.jpg

Peter

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...32_DETfY-L.jpg

Lorraine

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...02_cTKjy-L.jpg

And tail end charlie (Maurice) Towing the 'Love shack'

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...83_woWVe-L.jpg

We're staying in the camping ground, (actually the camping ground was full, so we stayed in the park next to the camping ground) we pitched our tent, and watched the other tractors roll in. At 6:00pm we had the drivers breifing and discussed the plan for tommorow and went over the trek rules for the road.

http://kiwipeet.smugmug.com/Other/20...42_aaXSR-L.jpg

There's supposed to be 35 tractors leaving from Bluff tommorrow, I think we have about 25 here tonight.

Good luck guys. Looks like you are having a bit of fun. Should post a link of this thread to my old being an ex farmer from south canterbury. He started out on Farmals, then Nuffields, Massey Fergisons and lastly (just before we sold the farm) a Ford 6610 which was just a big version of the 4600 in your fleet.

We still have a Fergie TEA in the shed (middle of Chch) that we mean to fix up a little one day for him. We should have done it for this run!

Best of luck! I'm watching with interest.

Cheers R