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NZ men steer amphibious van cross strait
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-06 20:03

WELLINGTON: Two New Zealand men on Sunday successfully crossed Cook Strait between New Zealand's North and South islands in an amphibious van.

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Aeronautic machinists Adam Turnbull and Dan Melling made the nearly 10-hour trip in a 1990 four-wheel-drive Toyota Tarago van they converted last month.

The van left Waikawa marina in South Island's Picton at 6 am local time (1800 GMT Saturday), entered Cook Strait at 10:20 am and arrived at Mana marina in Porirua, north of Wellington  at about 3:45 pm where supporters awaited, the New Zealand Press Association reported.

Overall conditions had been good and dolphins had joined them on the journey, they said.

Melling said they had come up with the idea after seeing something similar on television.