Vintage machinery – including a hay stacker with a possible link to a local family – will come alive on April 9 when Tauranga Vintage Machinery Club's Crank Up Day happens in Katikati.

Co-organiser Eric Green says the day is for people of all ages – but is also a chance for club members, who spend considerable time researching and restoring vintage machinery, vehicles and equipment, to demonstrate the result of their work.

'We received a lot of positive comments from those who attended, including many from people who had a direct association with the type of machinery and equipment on display.”

But one item of particular interest this year will be a hay stacker being restored and reassembled by Larry Williams.

'We think the hay stacker, or parts of it anyway, may be the same as one operated in the area by the Henry family,” says Eric.

A photograph of the Henry hay stacker appears on the website: www.katikati.co.nz with a caption reading: 'Haymaking with a stacker and two-horse gate sweep. The gate sweep gathered the hay and pulled it to the stack. Once done, one side was uncoupled and pulled around to be hooked up to start again. This photo was taken on the Henry family farm”.

'We can't be entirely sure the stacker we have is the Henry one but it does represent the kind of equipment used in the area in the early days of farming,” says Eric.

To find out more about the hay stacker, come and see it in action along with other vintage machinery on Hot Springs Rd, Katikati, on April 9.

Members of other vintage machinery clubs, including from the Waikato, Hauraki Plains and Rotorua are also expected to take part.

The event runs 10.30am-3pm and will be signposted from State Highway 2. Admission is by donation.

Forget the ponies – these youngsters enjoy a buggy ride behind a 35hp tractors at last year's Crank Up day at Katikati.