One wet and windy morning we decided to take the kids to the Transport and Toy Museum just on the outskirts of Wanaka. The Museum claims to be the largest private museum collection in the southern hemisphere and after a number of hours wandering around the various rather eclectic exhibits I can well believe it!

The Transport & Toy Museum on the outskirts of Wanaka.

Tank at the Transport & Toy Museum.

The collection was amassed by a Mr. Gerald Rhodes from Christchurch, who began collecting in the early 1950s. The museum opened in 1996 with just 100 vehicles and a few thousand toys. Since then the collection has grown significantly. I’m not certain what the criteria for curation is, or whether there is actually one, however I believe the curator must have a bit of a dark sense of humour as some of the photos indicate!

We had a very amusing and sometimes bewildering few hours checking out the exhibits and reminiscing about toys and cars from our youth. Dad found an Austin A30 which was the same make of car that his Mum and Dad used to own and I was rather fond of Mr. Rhodes’ Smurf collection.

A small selection of Smurfs at the Transport & Toy Museum.

Dad contemplates the meccano Ferris Wheel.

Part of the Star Wars exhibition – A toy Luke Skywalker hides inside a dead tauntaun’s belly!

Themed Barbies including ‘Pioneer Barbie’ ‘Civil War Barbie’ and ‘American Indian Barbie’.

Part of the Barbie exhibition – lots of pink!

Air New Zealand Fokker Friendship and other exhibits at the Transport & Toy Museum.

Dolls in cars at the Transport & Toy Museum.

Funeral Cars at the Transport & Toy Museum. One even came with it’s own coffin with the arm of a mannequin sticking out of the front!

Mannequin!

More mannequins amongst the exhibits at the Transport & Toy Museum

Cars, model planes and bikes at the Transport & Toy Museum.

A section of a field full of cars, vans, buses and agricultural vehicles at the Transport & Toy Museum.

Exhibits at the Transport & Toy Museum.