Tanks for souvenirs: Auckland residents intrigued by the tanks of the army being refueled

Residents of a western suburb of Auckland were left puzzled after an army tank was seen refueling at a local gas station.

Local man Dylan Weerdernburg saw the tank attack at the Kumeu service station Z on Tuesday night as he was fetching his own fuel after completing his work.

A small crowd of people had gathered around the tank, said Weerdernburg.

They were taking pictures and chatting with the driver.

"The driver was outside chatting with people, and I only stayed there for about a minute before he jumped into the water and left."

It was thought that the vehicle was a FV433 SPG field artillery tank.

Tanks are legally allowed to drive on New Zealand roads, but rubber must be glued to the tracks to prevent the tank from gnawing at the road and the gun must be turned off.

When the gun is deactivated, the vehicle owner must always be in possession of a firearms license.

A spokesman for the New Zealand Military Vehicle Club (NZMVC) said the tank belonged to one of the club members in Auckland.

"It's actually a self-propelled gun – the tanks normally have a turret to allow the gun to rotate and use it up close.

"The SPG is a type of mobile artillery that usually pulls upwards to attack a target in the dark and often miles away."

Crown Xu is the owner of the impressive military vehicle. He said that he was at the gas station to refuel for the Christmas parade at Browns Bay on Saturday.

"I bought this United Kingdom tank."

Although the tank could be legally driven on the road in New Zealand, Xu said he rarely drove him there.

"The gas is too expensive and I need 460 liters to make it work."

Xu also plans to bring his float to the Kumeu Huapai Christmas Parade on December 7th.