2021 TAUPO HOBBY SHOW DIARY

Gavin Sowry

Garden Railroader and Raconteur
27 Oct 2009
7,841
2,490
70
Hutt Valley, NZ
Best answers
0
Country flag
I'll anchor this thread with this, for starters.

DSC_0224 (2).JPG

A slight variation on my usual fare. This time, I ran videos of the Wellington Group layouts, a DVD player coming 'available for further use' after some furniture rearrangements at home. I also dug out some S scale standard gauge stuff to compare the Glen Road layout with... Yes ma'am, it is the same scale. As usual, Haywards was the ready fallback of plug in and play. All this fitted in my Honda Fit, along with weekend luggage for two.

The show itself, is run by the Taupo Model Railway Club, but is more than just a model railway event, partly due to the fact that they are are smallish club, and trains alone will not support an exhibition on its own. The fact that it includes other hobbies, widens the appeal to the general public, and has also attracted a good sponsorship from a local entertainment provider (the publicity works both ways). The fact that a lot of the participating clubs are on the same adjoining acreage. Bonus for the club, is that they are about halfway between Wellington and Auckland, and it is the middle of the school holidays, and Taupo is a tourist town with a nice little trout fishing pond.

Michael Crawford relates in his dissertation of how he became the Phantom, recalling how he bumped into Andrew Lloyd Weber 'outside the Men's loo',
'Michael, we, we, we must do Phantom, together'.
'Yes Andrew, and I immediately went out and bought the book'
The location mentioned, drew a typical English 'inuendo applause'..... which I always recall (and mention) every time I get located 'outside the Men's loo'. Third show in a row, now.
 
Last edited:

Gavin Sowry

Garden Railroader and Raconteur
27 Oct 2009
7,841
2,490
70
Hutt Valley, NZ
Best answers
0
Country flag
It is of course, the middle of winter in these parts, and the weather certainly played its worst.... winds, and rain, and flooding (except in Taupo, no flooding)....
We took an alternate route 'around the mountain' on the leeward side, in defference to the bright flashing 'Desert Road Wind Gusts' warning (bonus being another 50 miles of railway track to follow.....

DSC_0217.JPG

including this site, where 151 souls departed this world on Christmas Eve 1953. This is the replacement bridge that has survived a few volcanic eruptions similar to the one that washed out the original.

DSC_0218.JPG

Turn 90°, and here is GD#1 all rugged up to deflect the chills of that troublesome volcano. The crook weather started 20 miles up the road, just after having being held up by a farmers' tractor convoy protest... the government want to ban diesel tractors, and to stop cows farting.
 
Last edited:

Gavin Sowry

Garden Railroader and Raconteur
27 Oct 2009
7,841
2,490
70
Hutt Valley, NZ
Best answers
0
Country flag
The Taupo Vintage Car Club, as usual, brought along (from the clubrooms next door), some of their members cars.

DSC_0221.JPG

All road legal, too. A Minx, a Moggie, Chev, and something from Henry.

And the event venue

DSC_0222.JPG

Venue has thermal pools at the rear. No rain drops were harmed in the taking of this photo.
 
Last edited:

Gavin Sowry

Garden Railroader and Raconteur
27 Oct 2009
7,841
2,490
70
Hutt Valley, NZ
Best answers
0
Country flag
A few of us managed to sneak 'out of bounds' to get similar shots of the venue in full swing. Most of the crowd were still at Sunday Mass when this was taken.

DSC_0232.JPG

DSC_0233.JPG
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Gavin Sowry

Garden Railroader and Raconteur
27 Oct 2009
7,841
2,490
70
Hutt Valley, NZ
Best answers
0
Country flag
So I don't offend my hosts, here's some of them.

DSC_0226.JPG
 

Paul M

Registered
25 Oct 2016
11,881
1,696
60
Royston
Best answers
0
Country flag
Now it's Freedom Day, perhaps we can have some more shows
 

Gavin Sowry

Garden Railroader and Raconteur
27 Oct 2009
7,841
2,490
70
Hutt Valley, NZ
Best answers
0
Country flag
Now it's Freedom Day, perhaps we can have some more shows
Oh bother, too busy blabbering here to read my e-mails.....

'Sorry 'bout the late notice, another show next Sunday'. Actually a combined area meet, that the public can attend. What's more, it's dearer to our hearts, as it is Garden Railway groups.
 

Gavin Sowry

Garden Railroader and Raconteur
27 Oct 2009
7,841
2,490
70
Hutt Valley, NZ
Best answers
0
Country flag
Bonus from the weekend, was a comment passed that 'Hobby City are opening in Wellington'.
Being half a sandwich walk from my office, I have given it the once over already, and made a purchase.
The girls are still stocking the shelves, so repeat visits are in order, their on line catalogue is enticing in terms of modellers supplies.
 

Gavin Sowry

Garden Railroader and Raconteur
27 Oct 2009
7,841
2,490
70
Hutt Valley, NZ
Best answers
0
Country flag
Sadly, chief organizer passed away a week after the show.