It's hard not to envy all those who lived through the golden age of travel. Fortunately for Kiwis, these 10 vintage travel experiences are booming in New Zealand writes Anna Sarjeant.
North Island
Northland/Bay of Islands: Tall ship sailing
It's not every day you get to hoist the sails of a vintage ship and circumnavigate secluded bays by wind power and hard yakka alone. Welcome aboard the R Tucker Thompson in the Bay of Islands, a traditional gaff-rigged schooner, channelling all the good looks of a 19th-century tall ship and available for one-day voyages, shorter sundowner sailings and three-day sojourns for the truly adventurous. Get your hands dirty by taking the helm and climbing the rigging, or simply lie back and wait for the cream tea, barbecue lunch and isolated island stops.
tucker.co.nz
Auckland: Waiheke Classic Car Tours
They (slick city dwellers) often say a trip to Waiheke Island is like stepping back in time. They mean by about 15 years, but once the island opens up to non-residents once more, visit the good folk at Waiheke Classic Tours to go back at least another 40. Private tours in classic cars will whittle you across the Waiheke landscape, from vineyards to lunch spots, in anything from a 1958 Cadillac to a 1937 Buick, complete with all the nostalgia-inducing rattles of a racy little ride. With six different packages to choose from, you might find yourself returning to experience every one.
waihekeclassictours.com
Waikato: The Glen Afton Line steam train
Make like any good Agatha Christie character and totter aboard a handsome steam train. Run by local volunteers, every first Sunday of the month sees both steam and diesel trains chug along a 5km stretch of the old Rotowaro to Glen Afton branch line, 12km from Huntly. All those who are game can jump aboard to ride the rails like our ancestors of yesteryear. Trains depart hourly between 10am and 3pm, with sausage sizzles and additional rides on a "bush jigger" (1930's road trucks on railway wheels) available station-side to entertain waiting passengers.
facebook.com/TheBushTramwayClubInc
Hawke's Bay: Art Deco Walking Tours
Easy on the eye as well as your leg muscles, this one-hour guided walk cuts a 2km route through Napier's most beautiful Art Deco sites, along a mostly flat surface, save for a few steps here and there. Allow a full 90 minutes as the excursion begins with a short 1931 earthquake film at the Art Deco Centre, detailing the quake's devastation and the city's rebirth as an Art Deco Shangri-La. Departing daily at 10am and 2pm, whatever the weather.
artdeconapier.com/walksandtours.html
Taranaki: Chaddy's Charters' 1953 lifeboat
In a time before the British named their marine vessels Boaty McBoatface, they came up with sensible titles such as Rescue III. Somewhat appropriate for a 1953 wooden rescue boat and member of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). These days Rescue III resides in Taranaki, under the guardianship of Chaddy's Charters. Rather than save persons in peril, she treats passengers to a one-hour cruise of the Taranaki harbour, venturing out to Sugar Loaf islands and seal colonies while the captain regales guests with stories of intrepid Taranaki settlers and whalers.
chaddyscharters.co.nz
South Island
Marlborough: Cloudy Bay 1985 Land Rover Tour
The 80s were a decade of big hair and shoulder pads; Madonna wore fishnets and Bruce Willis donned a dirty white vest. But a style icon of the era that we can admire rather than ridicule is the Land Rover. Unlike Jason Donovan, it'll still make you swoon. Jump in the passenger seat of a custom restored 1985 Land Rover Defender courtesy of Cloudy Bay vineyard for a guided tour of the winery's "terroirs". Group sizes are limited to four so it's perfectly intimate, with ample stops to admire the scenery over a flute of complimentary Pelorus NV.
cloudybay.co.nz
Hanmer Springs: Village Cruisers
They're not vintage per se, but they certainly look like something you'd find tootling down a 1920s street. Village Cruisers are a unique 2-6-person bike dressed in bold colours and canopied with a striped awning not dissimilar to that of an ice cream parlour. Utterly charming, they have names such as "Dolly" and look like jolly good fun. Pedal across town from one sight to the next, with space for your picnic hamper and, should you have tots in tow, a belted infant seat.
alpinecrazyputt.co.nz/villiage-cruisers
West Coast: Golden Sands Horse and Wagon Tours
Meet Duke, a rather dashing Clydesdale horse who likes nothing more than to take his guests on a tour back in time. Cantering along a vast and unspoiled West Coast beach, thump across the sand in a traditional horse-drawn wagon. You'll learn all about the Coast Road's mining and pioneer heritage, stopping to bake damper bread over the open fire and boiling your own billy tea to wash it down with. Search for green jade in the sand and get to know Duke a little better; he looks particularly dapper in a beach backdrop selfie.
wagontours.co.nz
Fiordland: Faith the vintage sailboat, Fiordland Historic Cruises
If she's good enough for Sir Winston Churchill, then she's good enough for you. Her name is Faith and she's a Scottish-born 19.7m wooden sailing boat, built in 1935. She gallantly served in WWII, made her acquaintance with the British Bulldog and travelled all over the world before pausing on Lake Te Anau for a breather. Thanks to Fiordland Historic Cruises, she now enjoys a more sedate lifestyle in Fiordland National Park, escorting up to 16 guests across the picturesque waters for morning, afternoon and evening excursions. Now in her twilight years, guests can help by hoisting the sails before visiting the engine room and tuning into the skipper's commentary.
fiordlandhistoriccruises.co.nz
Southland: Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre
Take to the skies in a vintage Tiger Moth thanks to Croydon Aviation Centre. A mecca of restored aircraft, the museum is regularly called on for its retro pleasure flights. During summer months they may also have a de Havilland Dominie, Dragonfly or Fox Moth for you to commandeer with a pilot and soar across the blue. Flights last between 15 and 30 minutes and if the weather permits (and your stomach does too), aerobatic loop-the-loops are all part of the package.
croydonaviation.co.nz
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