TIME:
PHOENIX AND OAMARU STEAM & RAIL BOOK LAUNCH
RUNNING SHEET FOR SATURDAY, 23 MAY 2026
10:30 Public / Invited Guests / Dignitaries commence arrival Brass Band starts playing
11:00 Proceedings commence
Phoenix Dedication Prayer
Speakers
OS&R President – Ken McCallum
Waitaki Mayor – Melanie Tavendale
Hon Mark Patterson – Minister for Rural Communities and Associate Minister Regional Development
Waitaki MP – Miles Anderson
FRONZ Executive – Grant Craig
OS&R General Manager – Harry Andrew
12.:00 Ribbon Cutting – Mayor Melanie Tavendale & MP Miles Anderson
12:15 Large Group Photo with Phoenix
12:30 Phoenix Railcar commences free trips for all attendees – Quarry Siding to Harbourside Station – return
15:00 Pack-down seating / Speaker system / Bunting / House Phoenix
16:30 Barbecue for Dignitaries and Staff at OS&R HQ.
David A. Wilson Chairman
OS&R Book & Phoenix Launch Committee
Vintage Car Club Canterbury Branch Grasskhana 17th May 2026 - 9:30am for a 10am start
All club eligible vehicles are welcome.
If your vehicle doesn't have a WOF please get there early so the car can be checked if it is safe.
No sign up. Just turn up on the day.
Cost $10 per car - bank account number 03-1594-0096832-00
Reference - Grasskhana plus name or cash on the day. Prizes for winners.
Come and experience the thrill of driving your own car around a track, tackling tight corners and feeling the adrenaline build with every lap!
This event isn't about setting the fastest time, instead, you'll complete the course twice and aim to match your times as closely as possible.
It's the perfect introduction for new drivers or anyone keen to give grasskhana a go in a fun, low pressure environment.
Contact Katryna Shaw katonwheels66@gmail.com
Photo Supplied by John McDonald
Gerald Lynch-Blosse Memorial Motorcycle Rally 2026
What a great event it was. People attended from Dunedin to Kaikoura. A very good effort on their part.
After meeting at the clubrooms at 9:30am for morning tea and a briefing we headed off at timed intervals from 10:30am and rode to the Waihao Forks Hotel. There were between 20-30 bikes bikes, everything from BSA to Yamaha, riding on great roads in good weather.
The service and the food at the hotel was excellent, along with the conversation. After food and lube (drinks), it was back in the saddle to return to the clubrooms via Morven and Glenavy. Giving it full throttle up the steep Redcastle road hill on the way back was a blast!
Back at the clubrooms there was an excellent afternoon tea provided, followed by prize-giving for each category of machine.
This much enjoyed event was made possible by the efforts of Murray Hayes who organised a great day and manned the check point. Dianne, Margaret and Lee who organised the food and did all the kitchen work, Gilbert and Steve who drove the back up vehicle. Steve who is the Club Custodian helped clean up the clubrooms after the event was finished.
From those of us who just “turned up” to enjoy the event I would like to thank the members named above, for without their efforts an organisational skill, this event would not have been the great day it was.
I heard it said that the person that wins the most prizes organises next years event, so Josh…..
It was a really great day, “life’s for living”and we really did it on Saturday 11th April 2026
C.K.
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Available from Roses General Store
Gerald Lynch-Blosse Memorial
Motorcycle Rally 2026
Whitestone Motorfest
10th May 2026
Items for the Newsletter can be posted or dropped off to 6 Waiareka lane, off Saleyards Road Or emailed to gsimpsonyyy@gmail.com
Newsletter submissions. Preferred formats are Open-office, Libre-office or MS Word as an attached document. Plain emails create extra work. Please, no “enter” key at the end of every line. Contact me for advice if not sure.
Thanks, Graeme
NORTH OTAGO BRANCH
OFFICE BEARERS 2025/26
Chairman Derek Brehaut (Lee) 021 390 518
Immediate Past
Chairperson
Vice Chairman
Secretary Brian Harrison (Janette) 03 434 2148
Club Captain Athol Caldwell (Patricia) 03 437 0897
Treasurer John Gale (Jo) 03 437 1112
Committee:
Tony Hales (Jenny) 027 587 8851
Lindsay McLeod (Margaret) 021 871 526
Allan Holywell 0210 813 1323
John Adamson 0274 347 009
Murray Hayes (Diana) 027 239 9009
Wes Hamilton 03 437 2260
Beaded Wheels Scribe Kathleen Perry 03 434 7226 kathleen2015@xtra.co.nz
Custodian Steve McDonald 027 928 0002
Librarian Murray Bain 0211 785 783
Archivist Murray Bain
Newsletter Editor Graeme Simpson (Wendy) gsimpsonyyy@gmail.com 027 293 1059
Spare Parts
Vehicle Verifiers
James MacKenzie (Angele) 029 770 7105
Wayne Croft 027 608 0002
Quentin Barrow (Ange) 027 434 5570
Ernest George 027 209 0609
Club email address northotago@vcc.org.nz
Committee Meetings 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7.00 pm. Members Welcome.
Club Nights 1st Wednesday of the month at 7.30 pm (details in The Distributor)
Gerald Lynch-Blosse Memorial Motorcycle Rally 2026
