Hundreds descend on Bendemeer for 7th Grey Fergie Tractor Muster and Land Rover Gathering

The truck-lover rode in a pursuit vehicle behind a convoy of Ferguson tractors averaging 25 kilometres an hour on backroads from Coffs Harbour.

"Takes us about three days to get up here and two to get home," he said.

"We had about ten tractors this rally."

Another squadron of tractors crawled their way all the way from Wingham.

Secretary Ann Doak was completely taken by surprise about the sheer number of passionate rev-heads who made the pilgrimage for the Grey Fergie Tractor Muster and Land Rover Gathering, estimating attendance in the hundreds even early on Saturday.

Thanks to widespread internet illiteracy, many hadn't signed up in advance.

She finished laminating 101 number cards to identify Ferguson tractors on display alone, only to have to go back and do more. There were 130 trucks alone at last count.

"We've been very inundated with paper registrations today, people who hadn't registered prior to the event,

"We couldn't believe it!

"They just turn up on the day; 'I've come with my Fergie' or 'I've come with my Land Rover'.

"So the site office has been flat out all weekend."

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The event is held every three years, and the 2022 event was a holdover from a pandemic casualty last year.

That raises a conundrum for the organisers: should they hold the 8^th event in 2024, or 2025? Ms Doak said it will be a decision for the committee.

Land Rover owner and former registered nurse Denis McLaughlin owns eight Land Rovers, and took several to Bendemeer.

Two of his vehicles served in Vietnam - he reckons one was the first in country in 1965 - and every one had had the life flogged out of it on a farm before he bought it.

"They were all pretty bloody ordinary," he said.

Growing up just 20 miles from the factory in the UK, he's been fixing up the vehicles made there for almost his entire life, he said.

"I used to work in aged care, it's a petty stressful bloody job," he said.

"No matter what I did I always did something to it [my vehicles] every day.

"I've got a very understanding wife, she's quite happy for me to spend time down there."

For the first time ever the event featured a stationary 1914 steam engine, lovingly restored over two years by Ross Taylor.

It was the first outing for the eight tonne engine.

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