The Mandeville Fly In & Steam Festival was held over the weekend, bringing in stallholders, exhibits, vintage machinery and aircraft demonstrations — with fun throughout.
Windy weather on Sunday meant the fly-ins were cancelled, but the steam engines were still blowing strong — especially for the Scandrett clan.
It would be hard to find a family more entrenched into vintage machinery and steam engines in general, with three generations heading out to Mandeville with a 1925 Marshall Compound Traction Engine.
The vintage machinery was originally the road roller for the Invercargill Council, but was converted to a traction engine in the 1960s before being bought by Quinton Scandrett and his sister Adele Sanderson about 15 years ago.
Now the family travel around, alongside their father John Scandrett, a Southern Steam Engine Club stalwart, taking it to every rally and get-together the family can get to.
Mrs Sanderson said it was easy to see the appeal of the steam engine, but the purpose went even further than just the aesthetic.
"They’re alive, there’s such a buzz about them, like when you watch a steam train go past.
"For us, it’s a bit more practical. We can tow our living quarters with us, we’ve got a steam heated shower in the front so we use the flexi engine to heat it.
"We cook roasts in the front, we had a peach dessert on Friday night when we got there.
"Pies for lunch, we just wrap it in tinfoil and put it on the boiler and after an hour it’s ready," she laughed.
Meals on steam-powered wheels is one thing, but the familiar ties go even further beyond, with Mrs Sanderson and her husband Evan celebrating a very special occasion at Mandeville.
"We actually got engaged here 10 years ago in Mandeville.
"He proposed on the traction engine, on February 21, so this holds a special place in our heart.
"We absolutely love this event. We’re very active members of Southland Steam Engine Club, Mike Quinton is the president and I’m the treasurer, so we just go around representing the club with pride," she said.
The public adored the engines she said, with a ton of support as they chugged down the road on the way to an event.
Mr Scandrett agreed and said there was nary a head not turned when the family traction engine hits the road.
"They’re amazed when they see it coming, people are waving, people are hanging out of windows when they pass us in their cars, taking photos.
"Kids will run out of houses to see.
"Everyone’s just really intrigued by it," he said.
For the Scandrett and Sanderson families, the history of Southland is one of the steam engine and it is the same for their family, as every event or rally is just another way to get together and celebrate a very special type of machinery.
