When one checks the inter web for the top 10 things to do in Invercargill, you'd be a bit surprised to find a hardware shop at the top of the list. Some would say that's because there's nothing else here, which I would dispute as there's heaps here in this quirky large town.
No, the reason that a hardware shop is on the top of the list is because its a hardware hop like no other on earth. Apart from being a fabulous hardware, and homewares and gift shop, it has this absolutely fabulous collection of cars and motorbikes and old hand-tools spread around. Its more of a museum that sells tools and stuff than the other way around. The main attraction however, is the full collection of bikes and tools and 'stuff' from Burt Munro's estate. Who? Burt Munro, creator, the star of the namesake of the film, The Fastest Indian (an Indian is a motorbike to those who may be struggling to follow), a tale about an ordinary sort of bloke that tricked an old 1920 Indian motorcycle up, took it to Bonneville in the USofA and claimed the world speed record with it at a mere 347kph. That's faster than the hottest V8 supercar, and its on a motorbike made in 1920....
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| Hardware shop, Invercargill NZ |
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| Hardware shop, Invercargill NZ |
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Worlds fastest Indian
Hardware shop, Invercargill NZ |
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| Hardware shop, Invercargill NZ |
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| Hardware shop, Invercargill NZ |
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| Hardware shop, Invercargill NZ |
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Bloke fixing a broom in the middle of motoring exotica
Hardware shop, Invercargill NZ |
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Worlds fastest Indian, replica made for the movie
Hardware shop, Invercargill NZ |
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Just another old Indian
Hardware shop, Invercargill NZ |
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The hardware shop has owned this since new.
Hardware shop, Invercargill NZ |
The hardware shop certainly made up for the disappointment in the would-be-fabulous looking Invercargill Motor Transport museum, which is due to open next week. Rats.
Further up the road we stopped at a tiny place called Lumsden for a coffee. Naturally we were drawn to the local post office which has a large side of a car mounted over the opening and the name 'Route 6', which is the number of the highway upon which we are travelling.
Inside it's just a magic place. You are immediately taken by the front end of a 1953 Dodge, the back half of which is missing and has been replaced by a bar and counter, so they can conduct official Post Office business. Apart from that there are 1950's styled booths at which to drink ones coffee, eat ones cake and read the newspaper. Ah, lovely!
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| Route 6 Post Office. Lumsden NZ |
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Dodge bar and Post Office counter
Route 6 Post Office. Lumsden NZ |
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| Route 6 Post Office. Lumsden NZ |
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Happy Days are here again
Route 6 Post Office. Lumsden NZ |
From there we dashed up to Te Anau, which is a tiny place on a lake of the same name, and starting point for the tour cruises to Milford and Doubtful Sound, but that's tomorrow..
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