From rusty eyesore to showpiece

Northlanders with memories of a rusty old truck which became a tourism icon are invited to take part in an exhibition next year.

From the 1950s until 2008, one of the best-known sights on the waterfront at Kohukohu, in the North Hokianga, was an old truck perched on a jetty over the harbour.

It was originally housed in a garage but, as the years ticked by, the building slowly fell to pieces, leaving the truck exposed to the elements. By the 2000s, all that was left was a skeletal cab and chassis barely clinging to a sagging jetty.

Its removal four years ago sparked anger and celebration in roughly equal measure.

Now the old truck is about to get a new life as the subject of an exhibition at Village Arts in Kohukohu in May 2013.

The gallery's trustees are already collecting artwork and memorabilia relating to the truck.

Trustee Marg Morrow said the show would be about people's memories of the truck and what it meant to them.

Anyone could contribute in any art form, including poetry, writing, painting, photos, songs or stories. She expects lots of contributions.

Everyone in Kohukohu had an opinion on the truck, and they were all wildly different, she said.

"One person thought it was an eyesore that should have gone years ago. Another said it represented everything they loved about this place, the way things are allowed to fall into ruins."

Some visitors came to Kohukohu just to see the old truck, including a German man who returned every five years to photograph it.

"He was devastated when it was gone," she said.

For more information drop in to Village Arts or phone (09) 405 5827.