Donald McFadzien’s two motoring loves, Land Rovers and tinkering under engines, started when he was growing up on his parents’ Ferndale farm.
The Wyndham man entered his 1983 Land Rover Series 3 in the GWD Toyota Hokonui Ute Muster held at the Southern Field Days, Waimumu site near Gore yesterday.
The muster is one of the Bayley’s Tussock Country music festival events being held in the town from last Friday to this Sunday.
When he was growing up, Land Rovers were used on the farm, Mr McFadzien said.
‘‘I’ve always been a Land Rover guy.’’
It was the first vehicle he drove and when he was older if the Land Rover needed mechanical work his father Henry called upon him for help.
When he left school Mr McFadzien became a mechanic.
His vehicle had a spray rig mounted on the back and 10 years ago he bought it from his brother Cameron.
He had rescued the Land Rover from its hard life on the farm and restored it so it was roadworthy, he said.
‘‘It needed just a lot of love and I’ve given it the love it needed and just taken care of it.
‘‘It’s a rolling project to keep me poor.’’
The Land Rover was now used for family outings.
‘‘It’s a town truck now.’’
The vehicle had a V8 motor but as these were only produced for about three years they were not as common as as the Series 1 model, he said.
People could enter their utes in many categories at the muster including best trade ute, best ute with a dog and best rural ute.
Muster organiser Annabel Roy said there were about 80 entries which was similar to 2022.
However, this year the 270-strong crowd was bigger which was possibly due to the other attractions including a mechanical slippery pig which people could ride and the barkup and mullet competitions.
‘‘Lots of family fun,’’ she said.
The event raised money for the Southland Rural Support Trust.
