The Variety Bash diaries: Day four

Stihl Shop Silverdale runs two teams - Thunderbird Wallies field an ever-changing crew of Lady Penelopes. Peter Leishman aka Parker at left runs the team with daughter Dana (left-hand Lady P) and wife Judy (center lady P) flanking Penelope for a day Suzy Cato (pink). Photos / Jacqui Madelin

Monday, and the Variety Bash breakfasted at Waiouru's army museum, where Ohakune's Seuss Subbus presented the keys to a Ford Sunshine Coach to the principal of the nine-pupil Ngamatea School - where the teacher currently collects pupils from as far afield as Fisher's track.

The Herald leaped aboard the Ford dealer team Fairlane Ghia V8, a long wheelbase car that's packed to the gunwales with Canon printers to give away to rural schools. Up front there's Bondy and Gibbo, and somewhere the other side of the pile of giveways, Burnzee. They're all from Stevens Motors of Lower Hutt, which owns the car and enters every Bash - making it available to any Ford dealer wanting to join in. There'll be others joining later from Christchurch and Nelson, and my seat was vacated by Mel, of South Auckland motors, riding on a fire engine until I vacate.

Why do they do it? "Presenting an iPad to an autistic boy last year at Rainbow's End, and seeing how easy it is to make quite a big difference to a family... It's not until you get out and do this sort of thing that you realize how some people do struggle, you get so wrapped up in daily life you lose that understanding, and it's good to get out and about and give something back," Gibbo says.

"When you look back at the Bash you think about funny things you did, but more than anything, you remember the smiles from children you meet."

Ford dealer team Bondy, Gibbo and Burnzee from Stevens Motors, Lower Hutt with Canon printers at Mangaweka school.

By now we've arrived at Mangaweka's small school where its 28 pupils are making the most of the giveaways being handed around - including hats and toothbrushes - and the chance to clamber aboard some of these vehicles.

With the printers handed over, we head for Kimbolton's Cross Hill Gardens for lunch, then to Shannon School to meet Warehouse Community and Environment General Manager, Paul Walsh, as part of a Laptops for Learning programme.

There's a crowd here, but the Wallies are everywhere - a regular stunt from the Stihl Shop Silverdale team in their red and white stripes, who make an art of photobombing - there was even one inside this morning's Sunshine Coach. This year the crew has two cars, Thunderbirds 2 a disguised Ford Falcon carrying the Lady Penelopes and Parker. The costumes are wonderful, but not as wonderful as the soundtrack when the car fires up for launch.

Shannon School receiving Laptops as part of the Variety Laptops for Learning programme run alongside The Warehouse.

Parker - aka Peter Leishman - fettles used lawnmowers and passes them on in exchange for donations to Variety, among the many fundraisers his family take on, and wife Judy and daughter Dana are among the colour-coordinated Penelopes.

The day ends with the run into wellington. Tomorrow we'll breakfast at Lyall Bay School, gather around Parliament at 9.15am, and then start a round of school visits as we head toward Masterton's night stop.