Saltwater Creek Garage

I used to drive past an old 1950s-style service station at Saltwater Creek on State Highway 1 between Leithfield and Waikuku in North Canterbury, attracted by the fact that the owner was slowly restoring it. Parked up for about a decade under the veranda was an oldish three-door hatch. Many readers may recall this old garage because of the large sign on the face board of the front veranda reading in large letters “JESUS CHRIST IS LORD” and in black plastic block letters “SALTWATER CREEK GARAGE”. Over the years, it has become well known in the North Canterbury district. It has been closed for at least 27 years, and the current owner, Mervyn Croat, bought it 28 years ago from Barry Giles who had operated it as a motor workshop and service station for 30 years.

PATIENT PONY

After passing by this building for many years, I decided to call in and ask the owner about his garage and the car that had been parked there. It was a 1982 Hyundai Pony 1200 TLS that he’d inherited from his mother who had bought it when it was nearly new. I was fortunate enough to buy it from him — many had approached him over the years but were turned away. After sitting out there for that long you could not imagine how dirty it was. At