Wehadthepleasureofattendingthe57thAnnualRally,toa destinationthatmostpeoplehadnotexperienced.
ForsometimetheOrganiserhadKakahuStationasaCarClub Destinationandwastryingtoworkitintotheeventscalendarfor sometime.RodMcKimmiedidafantasticjob,rightfromthe Clubroomsforacuppatolunchonthelawnatthevenue.
WatchingtheforecastsomedaysoutfromtheeventIdecidedtogo thegroundsatwhatIthoughtwasearly,butwasgreetedbyagood numberofvehiclesalreadyparkedwithMembersmillingaround thevehiclesenjoyingthemanysmallconversationsthatwere beingheld.AquickwanderaroundthegatheringInotedthe massivevarietyofVCCeligiblevehicles,infacttherewere43 vehiclesparkedupfromearliest1922ModelToftheSheppards,to a2023Hyundai,withtheonlydoubleupofvehiclesbeingafew destinationwegatheredanother5differentvehicles.
Thefieldtestsorquestionsasweleftthegroundstestedthegrey matterandalsoourmaths,beingclosewasnottheanswerPeter LambiewaslookingforbutIdidlearnwhatyearthenumberplate was. mostralliesandrunsweturnlefttowardtown,withgood instructionsandalistofquestionstocompleteaswedrovethrough theMidandSouthCanterburyroads,withthefirstquestion requiringananswerafewhundredmetersdowntheroad.Tokeep thenavigatorandthedriverbusytherewerealsoafewquestions basedoncarsthatfeaturedinTVshows,moreonthatlater.
WemotoredonfamiliarroadstowardGeraldine,takingparticular noteofthedifferentsmellswewereexperiencing,aswehadthe topdown,somewefoundwenotsogoodtravellingdownTrevors Road.
OnceinGeraldineweturnedattheZGarageandheadedupthe sincewebothhadbeeninthispartofthecountry,thenfinding ourselvesonunfamiliarroadsthateventuallytookustoKakahu.
WewerequiteluckytobeabletoparkonthelawnasonSaturday thelawnwasverysquishyfromtherecentrain,aquickmowand24 hoursmadeallthedifference.Theowners,Hargreaves,gaveusa quicktalkaboutthepropertythathadbeenintheirfamilysince 1924.ItwasmentionedthattheOaktreelineddrivewerefrom conditionsforalotofthetreesthatwerearoundthehomestead.
AfterthetalkfromtheHargreavesweallgatheredunderthevery oldOaktreeforthetrophypresentations;
Vintage CSheppard 1922FordModelT
PostVintage TBegg 1937ChevroletDeluxe AndBestOverall
PostWarVintage MKingsbury1960MGA
Post60 GCullimore 1968RoverP5BCoupe
Post80 NStevens 1981FordCortina
Commercial RJones 1949FordBonus Motorcycle GHawke
FurthestTravelled-WaimateRBrown 1977RangeRover, FirstEntry NBatty 1930FordModelA
BestLadyDriver DWells 1964Daimler2.5V8
GoingbacktothecarquestionsandwhatcarfeaturedinwhatTV programme,GrantCullimoregotmostofthemright,abigfanof thosevintageTVshows,welldoneGrant.
Pottsbeforesothisshouldbeapieceofcake.Welltheroadwasa littleroughtostartwithacoupleofcorrugationsthenwerealisedthe roadhadbeengraded,Ipickedagoodlineandputthefootdowna bit.Pleasedtherewasnotrafficcomingtheotherway,asitturnedout therewasnotraffic,asattheendoftheroadtherewasaROAD CLOSEDsign,ohwellwegottotheendunscathedandalittledusty. HadacoupleofdrinkswithlikemindedClubMembersandmadefor home.
Wehadsuchanenjoyableday,withagreatdestinationandaneven betterturnoutoffellowenthusiasts,untilnextyear.
Peter&AnnetteJacob
PreChristmasRun2025
ThisPreChristmasRunwastheAshburtonVCCsthirdoverseas expedition,previouslywehaveinvestigatedDurvilleIslandand StewartIsland,thistimeitwasalittleknownIslandlocatedtothe NorthofMainlandNewZealand,commonlyknownasNorthIsland.11 carsincludingabackupvehiclelinedupreadytoboardaferryonthe morningof27thNovember.Surprisinglyallwaswell,howevera BluebridgeFerryhadbeenselectedastheyhavebothaCrew prefertheirvesselsnottogoaground)andalwayshaveoneCrew Memberwhoknowshowtoturnofftheautopilot.ACommittee MemberwhoappearstobeincapableofdistinguishingbetweenAM andPM(somesortofliteracyissueIbelieve)hadbookedonan afternoonsailingratherthanthe7.30AMsailing,howeversome humblegrovellingbeforetheniceladyinchargeofwhowasallowed ontotheshipforthecorrectsailing,remediedthemistake.Itis understoodhealsoattemptedtoabscondfromarestaurantwithout payingforhismeal!KaikouraresidentsAlanandChrisGullefordmay haveahardrowtohoeinordertorestorethereputationofthe AshburtonVCCMembers,inKaikoura.
Duringthevoyageourbackupvehiclesnavigatorinsistedonusing herhandtopreventaveryheavyshipswaterproofdoorfromshutting, shipstannoysystem.Orderwaseventuallyrestoredwiththe applicationofbandagesandanimpressiveslingtotheoffending limb.Theharassedbackupdriver,BruceLuskie,waslaterobserved directingtheCrewMemberdetailedtopushthewheelchair containingtheNavigatortothewrongvehiclefloorfortheirvehicle, presumablyanumericallychallengedBackupdriver!Perhapssome sortofcognitivetestingcouldbecarriedoutbeforeacceptingentries fornextyearsPreChristmasRun?FurtherevidenceofEntrants confusionlaterinthisreport.Howeveralleventuallyarrivedsafelyin thebackofus.
Itwasjudgedtobepolitictoproceedindividuallytoour accommodationinMasterton,ratherthaninconvoy,andrisk inadvertentlycreatingatravellingroadblockontheRimutakas, allvehiclesperformedadmirably.Stopsweremadebysome vehiclesatFeatherstoneforlunchandtovisittheMemorialSites fortheMilitaryWW1TrainingCampandPOWCamps.The eveningmealwasprebookedattheCopthorneHotelandwas mademoreinterestingbythesoundingoftheinhousefire alarms.Everyonewasrequiredtovacatethepremisesand amongVCCMembers)untilallwereallowedtocontinuewith theirmeals.AnothernumericallychallengedMemberhad apparentlyrunoutoffingerstocountonandhadbooked4nights accommodationinsteadof5,butthestaffwerevery understandingandallowedthemtheextranight.
TheRickardshadbeendetailedtoorganiseactivitiesforthe FridayandaccordinglyhadarrangedforatouroftheCape Palliserarea,aninspiredchoiceaswethoroughlyenjoyed examiningthemultitudeofBulldozerswhichareemployedto lowerfishingboatsintothesea.Someofthedozersarefarfrom beingrustedhulksandincludedaCaterpillarD7andother usefulmachines!Approximately40inall!Weproceeded onwardstothePalliserpointlighthouse,builtin1897.Itis accessedbyastaircasecontaining258steps,someofusmadeit tothetopandwerereassuredbytheClubDefibrillatorbeing carriedintheOrganiserscar!
AvisittoHoodAerodromethefollowingdaywasahighlightof theexpeditionforthevintagevehicleEnthusiastswithatourof themoriginalexamples,someofthemexactreplicas.Thiswasa flyingdayforthemandwewereallowedtogetupcloseand
personalwiththeaircraft.Weweresplitupintosmallgroups andeachgivenguidedlectures,onalloftheindividualaircraft. Aonceinalifetimeopportunityandanunforgettable
partakeofaflightintheavailableHarvard,about30minutes, hereturnedinamazinglygoodspirits,afterwatchingthe Havardperformingloopsandrollsmanypredictedagreen verywobblyWaynetoemergefromthecockpit,butnoneofit, heappearstohavetheconstitutionofanoxen.Afewother vintagecarsfromthelocalWairarapaBranchjoinedusto displaytheirvehicles.
ThenextdaywastakenupbyadrivetoMangatainokato participateinaCarShowaround70kmsfromMasterton,I 150,someveteranandvintageandmainlyclassicvehicles.We weremadeverywelcomeandreceivedacertificate(seenotice board)fortravellingthegreatestdistance.Weallmadeour ownwaybacktoMasterton,withsomechoosingtouseback roadswhichgaveusagoodlookatRuralWairarapaincluding theroadandweexpectedtoseeWalandthedogtryingto avoidHorse.
Onourlastday,againJohnandMargaretRickardhad organisedatour,thistimetotheCastlePointareaand Lighthouse.Twovehiclesdidnotattend,onerequiredthe acquisitionandfittingoftwonewtyres,theotherrequiringa replacementstarterBendixspring.LocalMembersofthe WairarapaVCCgenerouslygaveuptheirtimetoassistusin openingtheirPartsShedandobtainingthenecessaryparts. Theirhelpwasveryappreciatedaslocalknowledgeisso
TheexcursiontoCastlePointwasmadeevenmoreinteresting becauseofthehowlingwindwhichthreatenedtoblowall concernedofftheirfeetastheyexaminedtheLighthousewhich wasbuiltin1913.
OnourfinaldayduringwhichwewereduetoreturntoNew ZealandviaBluebridge,allvehiclesarrivedinWellingtonat leastanhouraheadofthesailingtimeof12.30pm,onlytofind theferryhadfailedtoproceedfromPictonandwasreceiving therequiredattention.WewanderedaroundWellington,some ofushopingtocomeacrossaPoliticianwhocouldbenefitfrom ourwisdomregardingtherunningofNZ,othershopingnotto meetanysuchundesirablecharacters.
TheFerryfinallydepartedat8.00pm,depositingusatPictonat aroundmidnight,whichmadeforaninterestingdrivedownto Blenheimafterdisembarking.
Overall,asuccessfulexcursion,perhapsafollow uptripcouldbemadein2027thistimevisitingthe Taranakiarea?
DavidandMarionOakley
WANTEDTOBUY
1958Wolseley690S3
Beeninourfamilyfor approximately35years
Regoandwof Ithasjustbeendriven,not asmuchasitshouldbe, andistidy.
2xNewtyres
Somesparesmallparts Hashada610/10motor andgearbox3speed manualoverdrive2nd gearisdoubletheclutch anditisfine.Ihavea replacementbox,newbearingsandpartstorebuild. Ifyouareinterested
ContactGraham0278981177Ashburton
IFROSTERDATEDOESNOTSUITORGANISESOMEONEELSE
