‘It is my life's work': National Transport and Toy Museum on show for 30 years

Otago Daily Times

2 days ago

When Gerald and Jason Rhodes bought 16 acres of land beside the Wānaka Airport 32 years ago, they had a vision much more imaginative than what could be seen of the barren block.
While the father and son had large imaginations, they could not foresee the hangar full of aircraft, the cases full of Barbie dolls, the classic car collection of over 600, and a train set that could rival Sir Rod Stewart's.
"Everything evolves and it starts somewhere but nothing ever stays still. Our idea was that it had to be able to evolve. We had an assortment of trucks, cars, aircraft and the toys grew very rapidly on the side," Jason Rhodes said.
The National Transport and Toy Museum turns over the amount of customers in a few days what it did in a year when it first began. Mr Rhodes said they averaged about 45,000 people through their doors a year, but this needed to keep growing to cover costs.
Gerald died over a decade ago, and Jason and daughter, Debbie Rhodes, continue the legacy and what has become the southern hemisphere's largest private collection open to the public.
The museum started with 100 vehicles sourced from auctions, flea markets and private collections. They now have over 600. Add in a Chatham Islands plane, cars used on movies sets such as The World's Fastest Indian, bulldozers, and car brands dating back through the years.
Gerald started his career with International Harvester and then went on to establish a car and truck wrecking business in Christchurch, meaning he was always in the right place to pick up new items for his collection.
Wānaka was chosen as the home for the collection for the dry climate, which helps preserve the machinery.
"He always wanted to do something and was involved in the airshow in the very first stages so he supplied a lot of the ground support and that sort of thing, so we based a section down here," Jason said.
The museum has had its challenges; the global financial crisis and Covid-19 both sent it into dormant periods.
The Wānaka Airport, owned by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, had not made the friendliest of neighbours at times, at least the bureaucratic strand of it, he said.
"They have tried their hardest to move us on. We have become big enough and ugly enough that we are in the too hard basket nowadays. Moving a place like this, the building is the easy part, then you've got the objects.
"The aircraft are large and machinery can be over 100 tonne a piece and then there are the hundreds and thousands of small pieces, that you have to package up, and rehouse — that wouldn't be a fun exercise."
The museum opened to the public on December 26, 1995, and will officially turn 30 at the end of the year, although it has been under way for 32 years if you include preparing it for public.
At that time, it was just the main building and Hangar 1, which was built to look like the aviation hangars used in the 1940s with authentic doors from Christchurch Airport. In April 2004, the Fire Station was added, followed in December 2005 by Hangar 2, to house military collectables, planes and motorbikes.
Jason said the cabinetry and displays were often more expensive than the objects themselves, but you could not put a price on fun.
"We have tried to source something for everyone, no matter where you come from, from what world and what age, genders. There is generally something that you will latch on to."
He believed his father would be proud of the place it had become today, and the feedback it got.
"His passion was enjoying seeing people enjoy things.
"Talking to the people as they go out, a lot of people aren't sure what they are in for, but it is on the way out you get those conversations and that's the best part."
Sister Debbie said her brother had inherited some of their father's tendencies.
"He's got a love of hoarding; he's got dad's bug."
Jason said he did not believe museums were a dying breed as the proof was the amount of money local and central government were willing to put into them.
"It doesn't matter where you go around the world, museums are part of society, they show us where we are going and where we have come from."
"It is my life's work. There is not a hell of a lot out there that would be this old in Wānaka."