A group of eight Southlanders are about to play their part in improving health care in the lower south.
The Massey Ferguson 20D that will be used for the trek. Photo: Southland charity Hospital / Facebook
The group from Thornbury Vintage Tractor Club will set off on Sunday from Invercargill in a 1983 Massey Ferguson 20D tractor to complete the 1200 kilometre round trip to Christchurch.
The tractor trek, as its dubbed, came in response to the Southland Charity Hospital's call for donations for construction of the project.
The Thornbury Vintage Tractor Club's president, Fraser Pearce, said they floated the idea of buying a brick until one of their members came up with a better idea.
"One of our club members, Tom Parkes, has been tractor trekking since the 1970s and he's always wanted to do something like this. Initially as a vintage club we thought 'Why not support the charity hospital and buy a brick?' and then Tom came up with this idea and as soon as he mentioned it I thought 'This is a really good idea'," Pearce said.
The Southland Charity Hospital was the brainchild of Blair and Melissa Vining, who got the wheels turning on the idea after they discovered the shortcomings of public health services in the south following Blair's diagnosis with terminal bowel cancer in October 2019.
Pearce said he was sure Blair - who was a farmer and spent many hours on a tractor - would have approved of their fundraising approach.
"As a club we've lost a few members with cancer, we've had members that have had cancer and survived, so we thought it's a good charity to support."
The group of eight would share the two day journey by alternating two-hour shifts in the Massey Ferguson, travelling an average of about 30 kilometres per hour.
"The tractor's quite comfortable actually - it's got a cab. It's a neat wee tractor, it's a 20D, so it's an industrial tractor that was imported from the UK. It's bright yellow, so it's very easy to see," he said.
The idea of an eight-strong team taking shifts was all about reducing driver fatigue, but there was plenty experience among the group, Pearce said.
"Our club is used to tractor trekking, most of our members have travelled many miles on tractors before so it's nothing new."
Southland Charity Hospital general manager Helen Robinson said she was stoked to have the support of the tractor club.
"I think they would drive the tractor whatever but the fact that they are doing this and raising money for the hospital, we couldn't ask for a better group of guys to do that."
She hoped the tractor trek would also garner plenty of support along the way and raise awareness, as everyone south of the Waitaki River could access the services of the Southland Charity Hospital.
"It's such a bonus opportunity for us to promote the hospital and we're so lucky the way the community always gets behind us. The community has a real soft spot for the hospital and I just really hope that people in all of those places where the tractor will pass through will come out to support them and wave them as they go passed," Robinson said.
The tractor would leave from E. Hayes and Sons in Invercargill at 11am on Sunday.
It was expected to arrive at the Canterbury Charity Hospital about 24 hours later and then begin the journey back.
Anyone wanting to donate to the cause can text TRACTOR to 4644 to donate $3 or visit tractortrek.co.nz for further options.