A day out at Southward Car Museum!

I have always loved classic cars from as far back as I can remember. This I put down to my father's love of them, and of being taken to many car museums in the UK. The thrill of knowing that I would be going as a child was like being offered an ice cream or a bar of chocolate, and as we know most children have a sweet tooth! My mother was not a big fan so often just the two of us went, and of course, it gave me quality time with my dad as he worked long hours. Those memories have lived on long after he died in 1983!

Fast forward many years, and living in New Zealand I asked my husband Jonathan if, we could go to the Southward Car Museum together. I don't mind doing things alone but I often find spending quality time together is important in a marriage. I had heard many good reviews about the museum and loved going anywhere by train. I think the journey is just as good as arriving at a destination. I think it has something to do with my childhood and going to so many different places. Anyway I digress, and so we went even though it was a cold day it was dry and the sun was shining which always makes a trip out more enjoyable!

We decided to get the bus to the train station as I have a bad ankle and wanted to save my energy. Soon we arrived at Wellington railway station and after a twenty-minute wait, were finally on the way to our destination of Paraparumu. One of the things I find enjoyable is the beautiful scenery on this train. The sea with the waves riding over the rocks and sweeping along the sand with beautiful blue skies overhead, is a sight to behold, so we sat quietly admiring the view. The train began to get busy with commuters and people like us enjoying a day out. All in all the whole journey took an hour. and finally we arrived at our destination.

We decided to get an taxi to the Southward Car Museum. On arrival it was eerily quiet probably because it was a weekday, but personally I prefer visiting places that are quiet anyway. The museum was established by Len Southward and his wife Vera in the 1970s to house their collection of over 450 vehicles and several aircraft. Len and his wife Vera started their collection in 1956. The first car was a Ford Model T. There are rare treasures in the museum such as an 1895 Benz Velo, and a 1939 Mercedes-Benz. There is even the Back to the Future DeLorean. The museum is the epitome of classic cars, and we both looked around in wonder at the sheer beauty of the vehicles.I took so many pictures and enjoyed leisurely looking around. The time flew by so quickly that Jonathan and I had been there for almost 3 hours. I would recommend visiting if you love old cars and to end our visit I had to get a fridge magnet to add to our collection of the places we had visited.

Our trip did not end there though as the sun was still shining we got onto a train to Porirua and decided to browse in the shopping mall and get something to eat as we were both ravenous by this point. We had a curry and then looked in some quirky shops which we both liked before getting the train back to Wellington and home. The day is one I will remember not only for the museum but also for spending time with Jonathan away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. I feel blessed to live in such a beautiful country as New Zealand and would highly recommend a visit!

Alexis Mundy

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