AN amphibious vehicle which made history in 2009 when it crossed the Cook Strait between New Zealand’s North and South Islands has been rescued from destruction. “Roofliss” (pictured below) is a converted 1990 Toyota Tarago van which was constructed by two aeronautical technicians while they were stationed near the NZ...
AN amphibious vehicle which
made history in 2009 when it
crossed the Cook Strait between
New Zealand’s North and South
Islands has been rescued from
destruction.
“Roofliss” (pictured below) is
a converted 1990 Toyota Tarago
van which was constructed by
two aeronautical technicians
while they were stationed near
the NZ town of Blenheim.
The pair achieved worldwide
fame when they made their
channel-crossing journey in
just over ten hours – apparently
eating hot pies all the way.
The creators, Adam Turnbull
and Dan Mellijng, were “bored
watching Top Gear and thought
they could do a better job”.
After the feat they auctioned
the vehicle, with a Blenheim
local snapping it up and then
donating it to the Edwin Fox
museum.
However the museum now
has no space for Roofliss, with
the owner, Mark Stevenson,
deciding to give it to Turnbull’s
mother who wants to preserve it
for posterity.
“Roofliss is typical of Kiwi
ingenuity…it’s a serious piece of
maritime history,” he said.
Despite naysayers predicting
the van would sink, apparently
just ten litres of water seeped in
during the Cook Strait voyage
