Rakaia News Published by Rakaia Community Association, Acton Centre, Rakaia. Published: Fortnightly: Deadline for news: 10.00am MONDAY Phone: (03) 303 5163 Mobile: 027 555 00 21 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RakaiaNews Email:
[email protected] www.rakaia.co.nz Thursday 23 March 2017 Issue 478 International Trucks Drive into Rakaia Despite the undecided weather on Saturday, 18 March, a band of merry men (with supportive others) and their International Trucks congregated at the Rakaia Domain for the inaugural meeting of the Binders DownUnder International support group. This group has only been in existence for seven months but already has over 100 members. Trucks arrived from Dunedin, the West Coast, Nelson and the Canterbury region. Councillor Mark Malcolm even made the long journey from Chertsey in his 3½ tonne 1927 International 74C Truck. The journey only took a couple of hours, due in part to the lack of water flowing through the district’s irrigation ditches. Also, this was the truck’s longest drive in years. The truck has a four cylinder 284cc engine, with a four speed siding gearbox. Much determination and concentration is needed to drive this twin, chain-driven International truck. What a sight to behold. Mark’s particular truck is one of two which survived the building of the Hoover Dam, mainly because it was used to transport the compressor needed to build the dam. It is also thought to be one of only four still running in the world out of the 558 ever made. With a little confusion over the ‘start time’, locals, public and supporters arrived to view the trucks steadily during the day.