A rusty truck for inspiration

Former Kohukohu landmark provides exhibition theme

Northlanders with memories of a rusty old truck that became a tourism icon are invited to take part in an exhibition next year.

From the 1950s until 2008 one of the best-known sights on the waterfront at Kohukohu was an old truck perched on a jetty over the harbour.

It was originally housed in a garage, but as the years ticked by the building slowly fell to pieces, leaving the truck exposed to the elements. By the 2000s all that was left was a skeletal cab and chassis barely clinging to a sagging jetty.

Its removal four years ago sparked anger and celebration in roughly equal measure.

Now the old truck is about to get a new life as the subject of an exhibition at Village Arts in Kohukohu in May next year. The gallery's trustees are already collecting artwork and memorabilia relating to the truck, trustee Marg Morrow saying the show would be about people's memories of the vehicle and what it meant to them.

Anyone could contribute in any art form, including poetry, writing, painting, photos, songs or stories.

Ms Morrow suspected they would be deluged, and couldn't guarantee every contribution would make it into the exhibition.

Everyone in Kohukohu had an opinion on the truck, she said, and all were wildly different.

"One person thought it was an eyesore that should have gone years ago. Another said it represented everything they loved about this place, the way things are allowed to fall into ruins," she said.

Some visitors came to Kohukohu just to see the old truck, including a German who returned every five years to photograph it.

"He was devastated when it was gone," she said.

For more information drop in to Village Arts or phone 405-5827.