Far North Focus
May 2018
Learning the potters’ story at Fern Flat on the Brian Parker Rally
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The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand
Far North Focus Who’s Who for 2017/18 Chairman
Warwick Woollams
w.woollams@gmail.com
09 407 7494
Vice Chairman
Murray Cormack
m.g.cormack@xtra.co.nz
09 409 3823
Secretary
Peter Slawson
netherfields@kinect.co.nz
09 407 3066
Treasurer
Robyn Mackay
wmackay@vodafone.co.nz
09 406 1955
Club Captain
Naomi Mason
vinomi88@gmail.com
09 408 1376
Editor
Peg Hills
comstockdowns@gmail.com
09 406 1077
Communications Officer
Ruth Reid
r.t.reid@xtra.co.nz
09 4060 392
Welfare Officer
Margaret Wallace
johnandmarga@actrix.gen.nz
09 407 8251
New Member Liaison
Murray Cormack
m.g.cormack@xtra.co.nz
09 409 3823
Beaded Wheels Scribe
Dave Duirs
dave.duirs@xtra.co.nz
09 406 1288
Area Rep North
Ruth Reid
r.t.reid@xtra.co.nz
09 406 0392
Area Rep South
Warwick Woollams
w.woollams@gmail.com
Committee
Warwick Woollams, Murray Cormack, Dave Hills, Cecelia O’Dell, Robyn Mackay, Peter Slawson, Winston Matthews, Graeme Moore, Paul Sullivan, Vince Mason, Mike Pooley, Margaret Wallace
Building Officer
Peter Mason
09 406 1409
Club meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at the Aurere Clubrooms at 7.30pm.
CLUB CLEANING ROSTER 2017/2018 During the month, and preferably before the main calendar event, please give the clubrooms a thorough check over, as in: Clean the toilets and hand basins, check kitchen, window ledges etc, and sweep the floors. Window cleaning, washing walls etc will be done at working bees. Note any required maintenance and pass on to the Building Officer- Peter Mason, ph 406 1409. If your date doesn’t suit you, please swap with someone else. For any other enquiries please contact the Club Captain.
P & K White July
N & V Mason
January
M & L Pooley
August
C& M Ilton
February
M & M Baker
September
R & W Mackay
March
M & M Cormack
October
Everyone– working bee
April
B & D Francis
November
G Moore & M. Cornwall
May
P & K White
December
R & R Pennell
June
I & D Kemp
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Calendar of Events 8 May
AGM
Everyone
13 May
Mothers Day
Winston
24th June
Molloy Trophy Rally
Warwick
July
Annual Luncheon & Prizegiving
Club meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month, at 7.30pm, at the Aurere Clubrooms, unless otherwise advised.
MOTHERS DAY RALLY SUNDAY 13TH MAY MEET AT THE CLUROOMS AT 10 O’CLOCK FOR MORNING TEA– SUPPLIED AT NO COST
RALLY TO LUNCH DESTINATIONCARRINGTON ON THE KARIKARI PENINSULA COST $35.00 PER HEAD, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE TO THE TREASURER, ACCOUNT NO. 38-9001-0577961-00 FNVCC
BOOKINGS NEED TO BE IN BY SUNDAY 6TH MAY FOR CATERING PURPOSES
NUMBERS ARE LIMITED TO 45
FAR NORTH VINTAGE CAR CLUB ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TUESDAY 8TH MAY 2018 7.30PM AT THE AURERE CLUBROOMS The agenda for the Branch meeting which follows the AGM will include a discussion on the future of the Autospec. Please give it some thought.
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The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand From the Chair……. I'm just catching up with activities over the last couple of tions as both the car and the brother-in-law have months. links back to Okaihau. Terry and Sue Rogers took their 1929 Chrysler 75 along and joined in the parade. Firstly the visit of the Riley Car Cub to the Far North. Our Club They report that it was very well organized and the best event of made them very welcome, accommodating them in our Club this kind they had attended, and had a thoroughly enjoyable day. Rooms for their AGM in the afternoon and in the evening The presence of the cars was much appreciated by the organizproviding them with one of our famous Far North Branch Din- ers. Thanks for representing our Club for the Community. ners set out in Winston's museum. The report came back was that this was a highlight of their tour, being very impressed by Our most recent event, The Brian Parker Memorial Rally, which the venue and of course the meal. Thanks go to Winston and is our major Calendar rally for the year, was a well thought out the Catering Crew led by Peg Hills and Lynn Pooley. rally although somewhat under supported. It was nice to have a couple of the usual suspects from Whangarei and Dargaville Next up was a visit to Pamapuria to a delightful landscaped gar- come and join us. I must say that Rally Organizers, Cecelia and den with various sheds with great stuff for the blokes as report- Pete O'Dell, would have spent quite some time producing the ed previously. Thanks to Naomi and Vince Mason. photos and cryptic clues that went with the instructions. A highlight would have been arriving at Taupo Bay for lunch to Next, for Penny and myself, it was off to Cambridge for the find that Pete had whipped up a large pot of homemade hot soup VCC National Easter Rally. This time heading south we had for the hungry motorists. We finished up at the Club Rooms for the Model A Ford on a trailer which, more than anything else, a social time and a very welcome dinner organized by Robyn, removed the stress factor of crawling along the motorway Warren and Winston while Colleen dressed up the tables for the through greater Auckland in a vintage car. The Rally event occasion. Thanks to all concerned and to Cecelia and Pete for a started on Friday afternoon and finished on Sunday evening. It good day out. was an extremely well organised event from start to finish, plenty of social time, rallying was all on beautiful sealed roads, good On Sunday 22nd April I took the Model A down to the Northinstructions, but the silent checks to us were invisible. We had land Swap Meet in Whangarei. There was a large number of a good function on Saturday night at a rustic barn type venue. show cars and the paddock was full of vendors. I managed to Sunday took us around the very early homes in Cambridge and pick up some rusty but serviceable axle shafts for the Model A then up to the Hamilton Gardens for lunch. After which, self and also met up with a few members of the Model A Club from tour of the gardens with cryptic questions to decipher at the var- Auckland. The show was all over by about midday. ious gardens. It all finished with a prize giving dinner on Sunday night in Cambridge. It was great to catch up with old friends Coming up of course is our AGM on 8 th May. It would be nice and make new ones as well as bumping into Matt and Bev to have a good turn out of members for this meeting. It is your Sharpe occasionally. Club and this meeting is a excellent opportunity to give your input into the activities and operations for the years ahead. One of my old friends, that I caught up with, told me he remem- Following the AGM will be the Branch Meeting. On the Agenbered the Model A Coupe that I restored in 1967, which I sold da will be a discussion on the future running of the very sucin 1976. It was kept in a basement with a collection of other cessful Autospectacular. So please make the effort to come cars and not seen again until very recently. My friend said he along and support those who put their time and energy into the had been for a ride in it during the last week and I should visit running of the Club. the owner in nearby Pirongia. We did this and arriving in Pirongia saw the car motoring along the road. Fortunately it See you there stopped and we spent some time with the new owner. Warwick
On Easter Saturday was the 150th celebration of the settling of Okaihau. Jo Heatley arranged to have her brother-in-law come up from Christchurch to drive the 1925 Buick to the celebra-
From the Riley Club: Hi Peter and the Far North Team, just a note to say how much Everybody enjoyed the hospitality your club provided. I’ve been receiving complimentary emails since our return, and our “Final Night’ was an unqualified success, a fitting finale to a pleasant Ramble. People loved the venue, and your team outdid themselves, not only in presentation, but the kitchen side was stunning too. Seafood as well! Could not have been better. Dave Pitches, Auckland Riley Club Sec.
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Club Captain Reporting….. Hi everyone. It’s that time again for a report. Hope you have all enjoyed the holidays, those who have grandkids etc.
Our next event will be the AGM on the 8th May, so we hope that many of our members come along and support the Club. Your input is what makes the Club work and you can have a say in how it runs. Anyone interested in taking up a position would be very welcome, and would be supported in their role. Fresh ideas can make us more vibrant and we would love to see younger people interested in joining us.
What a wonderful day we had for the Brian Parker Rally. A real answer to prayer regarding the weather which was supposed to be horrible and wet, also rough. It turned out lovely and sunny with a breeze or two and we thoroughly enjoyed the run over back roads, through On May 13th is Mother’s Day and Winston has organbeautiful bush, visiting Rod and Marguerite (potters) in ised a Luncheon at Carrington estate. Sounds like a their idyllic home environment. Lovely to see them enwonderful day out. More info of this rally in the Focus. joying life and still able to make and sell their creations. Anyone interested must prepay the luncheon to Robyn We saw lovely running rivers with a waterfall or two and let Winston know as soon as possible, for numbers. amongst the bush. Even with a glitch or two in the in- Wishing all Mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day. May it structions, we really enjoyed our day and evening at the be really enjoyable and relaxing for you. Clubrooms with a lovely meal to finish with. We would June brings us to the Molloy Trophy rally, organised by like to thank our friends, Brian and Lyn Wrack and Doug Warwick Woollams. Another day for all Club members and Bev Grant for making the effort to come along to to come along and enjoy a day out with each other. support us in this rally. We thoroughly enjoyed catching Many thanks to all our Club members who participate up with you. Congratulations to Dave and Peg Hills for and enjoy rallies with us. It is lovely to get together. winning the rally, along with Vince and I, but unfortunately because we were in a modern vehicle, we were- Wishing you all the best. n’t in the running. Well done Pete and Cecelia on a Regards, lovely rally and day out. Naomi Mason
Brian Parker moments
26th National Motorcycle Rally Save the date!
Blenheim
The Molloy Trophy Rally
15th-17th February 2019
Sunday 24th June
Contacts:
Details next Focus
Postal– P O Box 422, Blenheim Email– vccrally2019@gmail.com
The Far North Branch of the VCC does have a policy that pets are not brought to any Club events. We do ask that this policy is respected.
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Brian Parker Rally 14th April 2018 We met at the Oruaiti School for the start of this year’s Brian Parker Rally where Cecilia and Pete were waiting to send us off. We were the first car away, told to turn round and go back towards Mangonui. We had a page of photos to put in order and some clues to look for as we drove along. We turned up Kohumaru Rd and made our way up the windy road to the top of the hill and then down towards the Peria road, our eyes on the scenery to match up the photos. Not a great success on our part! Dave, Mike and Peg however forgot to get their instructions and set off without them, which earned them the Turkey prize at the end of the Rally!
All smiles at the start– no challenges yet
When we reached the bottom of the hill we turned left up Fern Flat Road. We passed a mother pig with her babies, and still keeping our eyes out for clues came to a letter box with the right number on it but the question was “Who lives here?” We couldn’t see any sign of a name but two people were walking up the drive towards us and we asked them who lived there.To our surprise, the man held up a sign, saying he had taken it off the gate to clean it, and was just about to put it back! If we had been 5 minutes earlier we would have missed it. Luckily for everyone following it was back in place by the time they got there! A little further along we turned right up a sideroad which led us to a Pottery which was our Look-in. Such a lot of beautiful pottery and a Man-cave and also Woman-cave to look at! Some of us had a cup of tea before we set off again for the next part of the Rally. A sharp right turn took us up through the even more windy road towards Otangaroa. One of our clues was looking for a yacht............my driver was sure there would be no yacht up there in the bush, but lo and behold we came round a corner at the top of the hill and there was a big yacht! We went back down towards S.H. 10 where we turned left , being told to take the first road on the right. We knew it was a No Exit Road so we bypassed it.......................local knowledge helps..........but some of the others went down Salvation Rd.............perhaps it will prove worth it! On towards the Taupo Bay turn-off and down to the Bay for lunch. It was a bit windy and Pete’s lovely soup was much appreciated. This was the end of the Rally and we were given the choice of going straight back to the Clubrooms or turning down the back road towards Hihi. We chose this route and had a leisurely drive back via the Hihi Road. Back at the Clubrooms a lovely meal was prepared for us by Robyn and Win, and helpers.
Lunch at Taupo Bay on the Brian Parker Rally Many hands soon get through a bag of spuds.
The locals at Kenana were disinterested rather than friendly
Prizegiving followed, and Dave, Mike and Peg, redeemed themselves by winning the Rally in spite of their ‘false’ start! Thanks Cecilia and Pete for an interesting and very scenic Rally. Ruth “Aroha mai,- Sincere apologies” Our most humble apologies to the 8 cars who took the first road on your right (as instructed) after exiting Taratara Rd. Hopefully, the humble soup offered at our lunch stop was enough to redeem ourselves. We had a bit of a giggle when we sighted ‘Salvation Rd’ on our way to Kerikeri the following day. “We can only please some people some of the time, that day guys, just wasn’t your day.” Signed by the bashful organisers of the Brian Parker Rally.
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More smiles at the end of the day
NELSON BRANCH VCCNZ
NATIONAL VETERAN RALLY Nov.2018 100YEARS OF VETERANS 1918 Armistice Day Centenary Let’s make this the grandest Veteran turnout ever, there’s plenty to celebrate over the last 100 years. Veteran owners; Have you received email newsletter No 1? It has the preliminary details for the pre & post rally tours and rally weekend. If not, send your email address and VCC Branch to: jimnkyra@xtra.co.nz We want you on our list!
RALLY WEEKEND 16TH-18TH November The “Prince Henry Tour” will precede the rally, assembling in Ashburton 12th, arriving Nelson 15th. A Get-to-know –you dinner at Nelson VCC on 16th. “Rally Weekend” with rallies on both days 17th-18th.
A lay-day with local sightseeing suggestions on 19th. A “Post Rally Tour” (20th-22nd) to Golden Bay will be arranged if there is interest. Contacts: Rally & Post Tour: Jim & Kyra Wareing jimnkyra@xtra.co.nz
Phone 03 544 9998
Prince Henry Tour: Ray & Glenys Miller glenray @xtra.co.nz Phone 03 314 4322
G T MULLER State Highway 10, Coopers Beach
WOF CENTRE
VEHICLE IMPORTS
PHONE 09 406 0406
Jaguar World Magazines Available to a Good Home Jaguar XJ-S 40 years, Jaguar XJ Generations. Jaguar XJ Special Road Tests. X300 Owners Guide. X350 XJ Owners Guide. XK8 vs XJ-S Comparison. XKR – F Type R Comparison. F – Type Buying Guide.
XJ-S Ultimate Guide. Jaguar Super Saloon Buyers Guide. Jaguar XJ6 S1,S2,S3 Buyer Guide. XJ6 Series 2 XJ6 Series 3 (2 Magazines of reports). X300 & X308 Comparisons. X308 Ultimate Guide. X350 XJR. X358 Special. Jaguar XK Ultimate Guide. X-Type Buying Guide. Jaguar, The Final XK. F – Pace Jaguar SUV. Jaguar Convertible, Special.
Please contact Graeme on 09 4061413 or 0274 485633
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Welfare Report, from Margaret Wallace Having been the patient, Lorraine Walker became the caregiver instead this last month, when Brian was taken ill & ended up in hospital! I had a chat with Lorraine on the phone, and Brian is now on the mend, as they both concentrate on their health issues, and support one another. Lorraine, you are amazing – always cheerful to talk to, whatever the circumstances. A card has been sent on behalf of the Club wishing Brian well for his recovery. I know there are others in the Club who plod on with ongoing health issues from month to month. Hopefully you are all keeping as well as possible. Take care over the winter months, and feel free to call any member who might be of assistance to you should you need it. We are all there for one another. My numbers, as always are 09 407 8251 or 027 298 7322, or my email johnandmarga@actrix.gen.nz
CLUB SHIRTS AVAILABLE: THE CATERING COMMITTEE Mike & Lynn Pooley
Winston Matthews
Dorothy & Dave Duirs
Colleen Brownlie
Margaret Cornwall
Raewyn Pennell
Dave & Peg Hills
Margaret Ilton
Contact Ruth- see her at a meeting, call her on 09 406 0392, email her at r.t.reid@xtra.co.nz There will be samples at the Clubrooms to try on for size. Cost is $30-$35 dollars, depending on size.
CARS THAT NEVER MADE IT TO PRODUCTION
WHERE FORDS GO BY Let me move from the bustling highway, A lonely by-road will do, Through a land of swamp and quicksand, Where only the Ford gets through. In a cottage there in the maples, Contented I’ll be evermore; For I feel the world’s growing better Where the Fords go by the door.
1958 Ford X-2000
While other cars passing my cottage Are ditched, or something goes wrong, They seldom grow weary of waiting For Fords to tow them along. It seems that there’s always one coming Like the one rattling past them before, And that’s why I never get lonesome– Where the Fords go by the door.
Designers Alex Tremulis & Bill Balla This amazing creation– a styling fantasy– is what the Ford design department thought we might just possibly be driving in the year 2000. The oval grille shape certainly predicted the Edsel’s horse collar grille. It was originally just a scale model, but English enthusiast Andy Saunders saw it in the “Dream Cars” book of 1981, pursued the impossible dream, and built one, between 1994 and 1996. For the rebuild he used a 1962 Mercury Monterey which donated the frame, suspension and running gear.
The faint little purr of the motor, And tuneful honk,honk, as she goes, Seem to lure my respect, and it follows Like the cloud of grey dust that it throws. And that’s why I never get weary, Away from the great city’s roar, For I feel the world’s getting better Where the Fords go by the door FRED KELLER DIX
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