SOUTHLAND TREASURES

ONE OF OUR COUNTRY’S BIGGEST FORD COLLECTIONS

Anyone who has lived in or visited the deep south of New Zealand would not have been disappointed by the beauty of the region. Southland is probably better known in recent years for Oreti Beach, testing grounds of Burt Munro for his world-famous Indian motorcycle, and just as popular are its cheese rolls, Bluff oysters, and of course its hospitality. Something else you will notice, especially if visiting Invercargill, are the amount of old classics being used as daily drivers. Holden, Valiant, and Ford are all well represented in the city of the South, and one never fails to see a classic or two cruising the streets. While on a recent trip to Southland, we were treated to some great southern hospitality by Dianne and Roger Whyte who opened their amazing car collection to our cameras and offered up a delicious lunch afterwards. Despite its size, the collection is fairly young, having only come together over the past 20 years. Cars, however, have always been a love for Roger, who started out doing an apprenticeship with Stanner Motors Ford garage in Taranaki. We don’t think Roger realised at the time the path that this would lead him down in the future. He then went on to work for Shell as a mechanical engineer, skills that have been put to good use over the years. After the passing of his dad, Roger went out farming, which saw a move from up north to their current home

THE COLLECTION IS FAIRLY YOUNG, HAVING ONLY COME TOGETHER OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS