The Star: July 20, 2023

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday July 20 2023 The Star
NEWS 7
– and the ultimate man cave
He sold the cardboard replica
for $2025 and donated the money
to Mike King’s mental health
charity, I Am Hope. Graham
often pays for people’s groceries
at the supermarket checkout line
when he sees the need.
“It’s not about them going oh
look, thank you to me. It’s just
making them think, hey, we’re
all on the planet, we’ve all got
different channels we’re going
down, but we’re all here and we
all care.”
Outside the man cave, a number
of incredible items can also
be found in his backyard.
He owns a flying 3/4 replica
P51 Mustang single-seat
fighter plane built in Loburn.
It’s mounted on
a steel post
and has been
painted
blue and
red to
look
like
actor Tom
Cruise’s
P51. Inside
the
cockpit,
there is a
mannequin
dressed
like Cruise’s
character
Pete Mitchell,
known as ‘Maverick’, from the
film Top Gun.
Also on his lawn is a Land
Rover on a stump and a Mil
34C Hermit light helicopter
once used by the Nigerian Air
Force. Graham also has a High
Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled
Vehicle, known as a Humvee,
which was used by the United
States Army during the
Iraq War.
ON SHOW: Motorcycles and film props, including a life-sized Deadpool
mannequin, adorn Dean Graham’s man cave, while a former US Army
Humvee and a replica Mustang fighter plane, similar to the one owned by
Tom Cruise, are on display in the backyard.
As you enter his man cave
there is a workshop for his bikes,
a helmet room, and a wall full of
old skateboards, many of which
were Graham’s when he was
growing up.
Moving through the cave, it
becomes much more homely –
with a bar, sunken lounge and a
Volkswagen Kombi van, which
has been converted into a DJ
booth.
On either side of the lounge
area, there are display cases
with more motorcycles, one
of which is a bike designed
by New Zealand freestyle motocross
rider Levi Sherwood.
It was made for a specific
trick – a double forward flip –
and was the first bike Sherwood
ever built.
Said Graham: “The fuel tank
is only big enough for a specific
run time.”
Going through the rest of
the cave there are a number of
cars, including a rare replica
1965 Shelby Daytona American
sports-coupé and a Holden A9X
Torana.
Along with the cars, he also
has many motorcycles mounted
on the wall, many of which he
has raced or used on the farm.
“I’m glad I kept them all
because they are important to
me.”
Graham said he can look at
them and remember his past.
“Some people have photo
albums I just keep the bikes
and know what each one
means.
“This cave is just
a whole lot of
photographs
of my life and
how much fun
I’ve had and
it’s only just
begun.”
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