If you ask an eight-year-old their highlight from visiting Wānaka’s National Transport and Toy Museum, you should prepare for a list.

When the Wanaka App visited the museum this week with Billy and Nevis, their highlights included the pedal cars, climbing on the big diggers, all the fire engines, the big airplane, the tanks, and the fact you can “buy cool stuff”. 

Regular visitors to the museum know this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Rhodes’ private collection of cars, robots, aircraft, dolls, trains and other miscellany is, shall we say, extensive.

Gerald Rhodes spent more than 50 years collecting and preserving pieces from the past, and the museum, now managed by his son Jason, houses rare and unusual aircraft, trucks, motorcycles, fire appliances, military vehicles and tractors. 

A 1961 Fokker F-27-100 Friendship takes pride of place in Hangar Two. PHOTO: National Transport and Toy Museum

But like any avid collector, Gerald saw the value in a wide range of items, and the museum also houses a nostalgic collection of toys, including clockwork and battery powered toys, porcelain dolls, Teddy bears, and money boxes.

“Oh - I had one of those!” is surely a phrase uttered often by museum visitors. Regular visitors will also have their favourite displays, and this writer always lingers at the extensive Sylvanian Families collection.

Expect the unexpected: Smurfs at play. PHOTO: National Transport and Toy Museum

There are also indoor and outdoor playing areas, and a shop with an impressively eclectic range of models, toys and gifts.

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Jason told the Wanaka App the next few months of trading, in the aftermath of the changes wrought by COVID-19, are going to be challenging.

“We’re like every other business in town, trying to find a way to trade during the unknown,” he said.

Billy and Nevis take in their options from one of the popular pedal cars. PHOTO: Wānaka App

In normal years, 52 per cent of the museum’s visitors are New Zealanders, 28 per cent are from Australia, 13 per cent are Chinese, and the remaining few per cent are from other countries.

“The New Zealanders aren’t going to be able to pick that up,” Jason said.

There are also 12,000 or so non-paying visitors each year, part of the museum’s programme to work with schools and special needs groups. Jason said the museum works hard to make it affordable for such groups, and he doesn’t want to lose “that aspect”.

A working military tank from Australia. PHOTO: National Transport and Toy Museum

“And we want to see locals come out and enjoy the place. That’s the whole point of it.”

Jason said some locals visit most weekends, perhaps grandparents with their grandchildren looking at the displays, playing with the Lego, then having a coffee at the shop.

Jason has also observed that Lego (the museum provides some Lego to play with and there are Lego sets for sale in the shop) “transcends generations”.

Despite the uncertainty of the next few months, Jason said the museum will stay open, and work to keep costs down. The museum’s many projects and plans will remain on the back burner.

The National Transport and Toy Museum is open daily from 8.30am to 5pm, at 891 Wanaka-Luggate Highway (next to Wanaka Airport)