EXPLORE | WAIKATO GEMS
Jukebox Diner at the Classics Museum, Hamilton
WAIKATO GEMS A road trip takes a surprising turn as Eleanor Hughes finds three unique treasures
A
n internet search on what to see in the Waikato brought up the obvious – Hobbiton, Waitomo, Hamilton Gardens and the Blue Springs. But it also unearthed three attractions I’d never heard of. We found the first in Hamilton.
CLASSICS MUSEUM
Just off SH1, with overnight parking for self-contained campervans and caravans, the Classics Museum is fun. Even if, like me, the only thing that interests you about a car is its colour, you’re sure to enjoy it! Entrance is through the Jukebox Diner, a 1950s American-style cafe with black and white floor tiles, red-upholstered seating, a jukebox, and Elvis gracing the walls. A waitress walked past with a gigantic burger, and as we waited at the till to pay for entrance to the museum I glanced at the cabinet food. Slices, cheesecakes, flans, monster sausage rolls … It all looked good. Entering the museum, the first thing that made me smile was the collection of vintage tricycles, games, picnic sets and other household items, dating from perhaps the 1930s through to the 22 Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations
1960s. The radios brought back memories of my childhood home. The 1915 Excelsior motorbike and sidecar, with its insubstantial-looking fabric roof, must have given lots of unforgettable times. The surrounding scarlet Texaco petrol pumps, all shapes and sizes, slightly prepared me for the dazzling display of colourful and gleaming cars around the corner. One hundred vehicles are displayed over two levels, backdropped by motoring signage – Shell, BP, Caltex, Firestone, Dunlop … and more classic pumps. From the 1922 Stutz and 1927 Ford T, to a gangster-looking Packard, square-shaped Fiats, convertibles, and Porsches and Maseratis next to Triumphs and Ford Prefects, there’s bound to be a car that awakens memories. I passed an elderly woman reminiscing about her younger days, when she waved from the back of a vintage open-top, feeling like royalty. A man in his 80s laughed with his mate over motorcycle recollections. A Morris Minor reminded me of my Mum; I’d forgotten about choke knobs and infant car-seats – a metal frame with a seat. One is hooked over a front passenger seat.
