On the Road: The Car in New Zealand (book)
On the Road: The Car in New Zealand
Graham Hawkes
GP Books, 1990. Hardback, 160 pages, illustrated.
Inscription inside in pen. Also light foxing on title page, otherwise excellent condition.
Traditionally near the peak of car-owning nations, New Zealand has made the car an institution, ensnaring almost every aspect of our lives. It has literally shaped our environment and affected our architecture and our fashions.
The early Fords, Buicks and Pontiacs of the 1920s - the Vauxhalls and still more Fords of the 1930s and 40s. To the 1950s and the Vauxhall Wyvern and the Velox, the Morris Minor, a string of Holdens and what some consider to be the apogee of motoring in this country - the Mk I and Mk II Zephyrs. This book chronicles these cars and the eras in which they were driven, showing the magic appeal of the best of them, and noting how others missed the peculiar quality to evoke nostalgia and happy memories.
Poll: Should we ditch daylight saving? 🕰️
First introduced in New Zealand in 1927 with the passing of the Summer Time Act, it's what we know as 'Daylight Saving' and this year it ends on the first Sunday in April.
While we do get to sleep in this time around, some people would like to scrap the clock tinkering for good.
And why? Some evidence suggests the time changes are bad for our health as they mess with sleep patterns leading to short-term fatigue and affecting mood. Meanwhile the hour change is frustrating for farmers and a nightmare for getting the littlies to sleep. But what's your take?
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41.1% Yes - get rid of the clock changes
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57.3% No, I enjoy it
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
Mr Minit in Chartwell: Be wary
Hi all,
Just sharing my experience. I had the battery for my car key replaced in March 2025 at Mr. Minit in Chartwell. I was given a one‑year warranty, which seemed impressive at the time.
However, the battery stopped working early Mar 26. With the warranty card, I brought the key back to have it checked and replaced. What I didn’t realise was that the battery was *not* actually replaced. He only tested it with a meter. When I asked whether he had replaced the battery, he said “yes,” but that wasn’t true. He then said he had tested the battery level and there was no need to replace it. When I asked to see the meter, it showed the battery was in the green zone which means it was ok.
I was then advised that I might need to replace the entire key unit. I asked whether he had properly troubleshot the issue to confirm it was the battery and not the key itself. His reply was that he normally doesn’t do that, but I was a “special case.” That means, the warranty card was a misrepresentation and there was no real intention of replacing the battery when it was faulty.
After he finally replaced the battery with a new one, my key worked perfectly again.
**Lesson learnt:**
Make sure you take a photo of your warranty card. I feel like the warranty is mostly for show — if I had lost it, I would have been charged another $20+ for a battery. Worst still, I would have to pay more to change the key unit unnecessarily.
Make sure you witness that they replace your old battery with a new one if it's still under warranty.
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