Ashburton Aviation Museum

Okay, so I'm here at the Ashburton Aviation Museum, which is just a little bit east of Ashburton, right at the aerodrome. There are about 40 aircraft spread across two buildings, which is pretty cool. Ashburton actually has a big aviation history because it was a training base for the RNZAF during World War II – apparently, 50 Tiger Moths were based here!

The museum itself started with its first meeting back in 1974, and they got their first aircraft, a training Harvard, in 1978. It was even stored in a farm shed while they raised money for a hangar, which finally opened in 1991. They have some really unique planes, like the only Harrier "Jump-jet" in the Southern Hemisphere and a former RNZAF Skyhawk, though that one's just on loan from the US Airforce. There's also a de Havilland Vampire that was rescued from a playground and restored, and the historic Douglas DC-3 airliner, ZK-AMY. It's not just military stuff; they cover civil aviation history in Canterbury too. Looks like it's a popular spot, with thousands of visitors last year!