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<strong>Tour</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong><br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>South</strong> Isl<strong>and</strong>s in 2017<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Mike</strong> <strong>Heins</strong><br />
In early January 2016 I received a telephone call from a<br />
member <strong>of</strong> the Bentley drivers club (Cedric Cooke), who I did<br />
not know, asking me if I would be interested in entering my<br />
Lagonda 2 litre High Chassis tourer in the Bentley Drivers club<br />
2017 tour <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong>’s <strong>North</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>South</strong> Isl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
The tour was limited to 25 cars <strong>and</strong> prior to telephoning me<br />
21 Bentley owners, from various part <strong>of</strong> the world, had<br />
entered <strong>and</strong> paid their deposits. To ensure a full entry Cedric<br />
contacted the Lagonda club chairman <strong>and</strong> asked if he could<br />
suggest any Lagonda owners who might like to join the event.<br />
My name was put forward hence the telephone call.<br />
The tour costs included 42 nights’ accommodation in <strong>New</strong><br />
<strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong>, mostly dinner, bed <strong>and</strong> breakfast, car<br />
shipping/insurance, traffic Insurance, breakdown cover, road<br />
tax, warranty <strong>of</strong> fitness (MOT), customs procedures <strong>and</strong><br />
selected social events <strong>and</strong> an allowance for air flights. Cedric<br />
Cook had arranged for a <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong> based tour operator<br />
(Tony Haycock), who owns a vintage car, to help organise the<br />
event. Tony joined us on the tour <strong>and</strong> dealt with all the local<br />
issues. Each entrant paid a percentage to cover Tony’s costs.<br />
The Lagonda was shipped from <strong>South</strong>ampton on 2nd<br />
November 2016 along with 3 other Lagondas <strong>and</strong> 13<br />
Bentleys (17 cars in total).Prior to shipment the car was<br />
checked over mechanically, selected spares packed into the<br />
car <strong>and</strong> it was scrupulously cleaned all over. I had to make<br />
absolutely certain there was no mud/soil anywhere under the<br />
wings or on the chassis. If there was the car would not be<br />
allowed into <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong>. The cars were packed into<br />
containers <strong>and</strong> securely strapped down.<br />
Cedric spent about 30 minutes giving me full details <strong>of</strong> the<br />
tour which included the tour dates (starting on 23 rd January<br />
2017 in Christchurch), an outline <strong>of</strong> the places to be visited,<br />
air flights, car shipping arrangements, insurance issues <strong>and</strong><br />
the overall cost. He then asked me to let him know, if possible,<br />
within 4 weeks if I wanted to go. He was very surprised when I<br />
told him there <strong>and</strong> then I would like to enter. I made up my<br />
mind whilst he was giving me details <strong>of</strong> the event. I told him I<br />
would take part in spite <strong>of</strong> having absolutely no idea who<br />
would accompany me. Over the next few days I completed<br />
the entry form <strong>and</strong> sent <strong>of</strong>f my deposit.<br />
It took 7 weeks before they arrived in Christchurch. Tony<br />
Haycock sorted out the customs clearance, Warranty <strong>of</strong><br />
fitness <strong>and</strong> road tax. The cars were then stored in Christchurch<br />
until our arrival.<br />
Hazel <strong>and</strong> I left the UK on 16 th January 2017 flying from<br />
Manchester to Singapore, via Dubai. We spent 2 days<br />
sightseeing in Singapore before flying to Christchurch, via<br />
Sydney arriving on 20 th Jan. We spent 3 days based in<br />
Christchurch where we met up with relations, <strong>and</strong> looked<br />
around the extensively earthquake damaged city which was a<br />
very sad <strong>and</strong> sobering sight, as is illustrated on next page.
<strong>Tour</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong><br />
Monday 23 rd Jan. The next morning we were up early as<br />
we needed to collect the Lagonda from the storage depot. I<br />
was slightly apprehensive that the car might not start but<br />
this turned out to be totally unfounded as it started without<br />
any issues.<br />
Buildings devastated <strong>by</strong> the quake.<br />
On the day before the tour started we were very kindly<br />
picked up from our hotel <strong>by</strong> Kevin Atkinson, who is doing a<br />
magnificent job rebuilding a MK 1 18/80 RX 7207 he<br />
acquired from Irvine Black. Kevin drove us to his house<br />
where we meet his wife Julia <strong>and</strong> their collection <strong>of</strong> dogs.<br />
Kevin showed me around his collection <strong>of</strong> vintage cars <strong>and</strong> I<br />
was extremely impressed <strong>by</strong> the amazing work he is doing<br />
on resurrecting the 18/80 from the pile <strong>of</strong> parts he<br />
purchased.<br />
Kevin Atkinson’s M.G. 18/80 begins to take shape.<br />
Later after a c<strong>of</strong>fee we left Hazel & Julia <strong>and</strong> Kevin kindly<br />
drove me to visit Irvine Black <strong>and</strong> see his emporium <strong>of</strong><br />
vintage <strong>and</strong> classic cars. Irvine is making steady but slow<br />
progress with his 18/80 rebuild.<br />
We had a lovely lunch with Irvine <strong>and</strong> his wife prior to<br />
moving on to see Peter Lyttle’s 18/80 rebuild. Sadly Peter<br />
was not available but he had given Irvine a key to his garage<br />
so I could see his collection <strong>of</strong> cars <strong>and</strong> horse drawn<br />
carriages. Peter’s 18/80 is much further advanced than<br />
Irvine’s car <strong>and</strong> the quality <strong>of</strong> the workmanship is very high.<br />
Kevin <strong>and</strong> Peter should be proud <strong>of</strong> their achievements <strong>and</strong><br />
hopefully we will soon hear they have completed their<br />
rebuilds <strong>and</strong> the cars are back on the road. Kevin drove me<br />
back to his house where we had an evening meal before he<br />
kindly dropped us back to our hotel after a really amazing<br />
day.<br />
This was the first time Hazel had seen the Lagonda, apart<br />
from pictures, <strong>and</strong> I hoped she would be happy travelling in<br />
a vintage car as she had never done so before. Again<br />
everything turned out fine, she climbed aboard, <strong>and</strong> we set<br />
<strong>of</strong>f to drive the short distance to our new hotel <strong>and</strong> the start<br />
<strong>of</strong> the tour. On arrival there were already a number <strong>of</strong> other<br />
people there. We booked into our room <strong>and</strong> shortly<br />
afterwards set about cleaning the WD 40 <strong>of</strong>f the Lagonda.<br />
Prior to shipment I was advised to spray WD 40 over all the<br />
aluminium <strong>and</strong> nickel parts <strong>of</strong> the car to prevent the salt<br />
from the sea spray attacking the surfaces. It worked well but<br />
took some effort to clean it <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
Later that evening we met up with all the other entrants at<br />
the “Welcome Dinner”. The organisers had been very<br />
thoughtful <strong>and</strong> provided very good name tags for the<br />
entrants to wear which helped me a great deal as I am<br />
hopeless at remembering people’s names.<br />
Tuesday 24 th Jan. We went on a 120 miles “shakedown”<br />
run to a large sea inlet at Akaroa on the east coast. The<br />
route took us over some very mountainous <strong>and</strong> deserted<br />
roads which provided stunning views especially as the<br />
weather was warm <strong>and</strong> sunny with a lovely blue sky.
<strong>Tour</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong><br />
Wednesday 25 th Jan. We had a free day <strong>and</strong> went<br />
back towards Akaroa to collect a poncho Hazel had<br />
accidentally left at a c<strong>of</strong>fee stop the previous day. That<br />
evening we attended a BBQ organised <strong>by</strong> Bentley enthusiast<br />
Gavin Bain who lives at Governors Bay. Gavin has an<br />
amazing collection <strong>of</strong> vintage cars garaged in a beautiful<br />
setting.<br />
BBQ time.<br />
temperatures). We also ventured into the steam/sauna<br />
facilities. We went to bed at 22.00 tonight but had to get<br />
up again at midnight to walk into the town <strong>and</strong> catch a<br />
small bus which took us to the local sky observatory where<br />
we spent 90 minutes “star gazing”. The night sky was clear<br />
with lots to see including the “Milky Way” which was<br />
stunning. Back to bed at 3.00am<br />
Saturday 28 th Jan. Off to Dunedin today. The 217 mile<br />
drive was an extraordinary series <strong>of</strong> contrasting spectacular<br />
scenery. Lake Tepako was bright blue <strong>and</strong> crystal clear. We<br />
drove past the long lakes <strong>and</strong> canals <strong>of</strong> the hydroelectric<br />
power system. We stopped at Omarama for a break <strong>and</strong><br />
then continued on to Dunedin. There were some very long,<br />
steep hills <strong>and</strong> bendy roads on this section but we overcame<br />
them without issue.<br />
Sunday 29 th Jan. An early start as a bus picked us up at<br />
7.50 to takes us to the port for a Wildlife cruise. This took<br />
most <strong>of</strong> the day. We saw several albatross flying with their<br />
huge wingspan majestically soaring over the sea. Later that<br />
evening we were taken <strong>by</strong> coach to “Larnach Castle” where<br />
we had a formal evening meal. The castle is a mock copy <strong>of</strong><br />
a Scottish castle <strong>and</strong> is the only castle in <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong>.<br />
The <strong>Tour</strong> Group.<br />
Thursday 26 th Jan. Today was the first long trip <strong>of</strong> the<br />
tour with a 190 mile drive from Christchurch to Tekapo. We<br />
drove through the Canterbury plains in brilliant sunshine <strong>and</strong><br />
no traffic before turning inl<strong>and</strong> to cross the beautiful<br />
Mckenzie basin before arriving in Tekapo. The views <strong>of</strong> a<br />
glistening Mount Cook in the distance made it a perfect day.<br />
Larnach Castle<br />
Monday 30 th Jan. In the morning we visited the “Toitu<br />
Otago Settlers” museum containing many historical <strong>and</strong><br />
interesting exhibits. In the afternoon we went for a ride on<br />
the “Taieri Gorge” railway. The train leaves Dunedin's<br />
beautiful railway station <strong>and</strong> travels through the southern<br />
parts <strong>of</strong> Dunedin city until it arrives at Wingatui junction<br />
where it turns <strong>of</strong>f onto the Taieri branch with stunning<br />
scenery everywhere.<br />
Tepako Lake & Mount Cook.<br />
Friday 27 th Jan. Today was a relaxing day <strong>and</strong> we<br />
walked to the “Tekapo Springs” where we bathed in the 5<br />
heated outdoor pools (all at predetermined different
Dunedin Railway Station.<br />
<strong>Tour</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong><br />
Tuesday 31 st Jan. We were on the road again today<br />
travelling 167 miles to Invercargill. The morning part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
journey was in brilliant sunshine with yet more stunning<br />
views. We stopped for lunch in Owaka. During the afternoon<br />
we had hoped to visit the “Cathedral Caves” on Waipati<br />
beach but had to ab<strong>and</strong>on this idea when the weather<br />
suddenly changed to very heavy rain <strong>and</strong> extremely strong<br />
winds. We stopped <strong>and</strong> put our wet suits on <strong>and</strong> continued<br />
with the hood down (A big mistake). By the time we arrived<br />
at Invercargill we were soaked <strong>and</strong> cold.<br />
Wet in Invercargill.<br />
As it was a free night we had an evening meal with other<br />
members <strong>of</strong> our group in the hotel <strong>and</strong> there was much<br />
joviality.<br />
Wednesday 1 st Feb. The weather was dry but windy so<br />
we mopped out the Lagonda prior to visiting the Richardson<br />
Truck Museum which has a vast array <strong>of</strong> commercial<br />
vehicles. Whilst interesting it was not really Hazel’s or my<br />
“cup <strong>of</strong> tea”. In the afternoon we drove 20 miles to Bluff this<br />
being the most southerly point <strong>of</strong> the <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong><br />
mainl<strong>and</strong>. The trip there was wet <strong>and</strong> windy but luckily<br />
whilst we were actually at Bluff the rain stopped <strong>and</strong> we<br />
took some pictures in the dry. (See below)<br />
Too costly for a ride in this Moth.<br />
The drive was unusual as the road was virtually straight <strong>and</strong><br />
flat although it did go downhill significantly as we<br />
approached the hotel close to the stunning Te Anau lake.<br />
Friday 3 rd Feb. Another early start today as we were<br />
picked up <strong>by</strong> coach at 9.15 to take us on our “Doubtful<br />
Sound Wildlife Cruise”. This was a full day event which<br />
involved a coach ride to the lake, then crossing “Lake<br />
Manapouri” on a ferry, followed <strong>by</strong> a scary bus ride over the<br />
21 kilometre “Wilmot pass”, a mountainous unmade road,<br />
before arriving at Doubtful Sound where we boarded<br />
another ferry for a tour <strong>of</strong> the sound. The sheer size <strong>of</strong> the<br />
mountains, the waterfalls coupled with the tranquillity <strong>and</strong><br />
the remoteness, made it a very eerie place especially as it<br />
was wet <strong>and</strong> misty. It rains here for over 300 days a year!<br />
Saturday 4 th Feb. Off to Queenstown today <strong>and</strong> it is<br />
only 106 miles. The weather was damp <strong>and</strong> overcast to start<br />
with but brightened up as we drove along. There was much<br />
more traffic around as it was the start <strong>of</strong> the bank holiday<br />
weekend. A very easy route <strong>and</strong> we only used 3 different<br />
road numbers.<br />
Sunday 5 th Feb. Today we went for a 40 minute trip<br />
across lake “Wakatipu” on steamship “TSS Earnslaw” to<br />
Walter Peak, a sheep ranch where we were hosted to a<br />
spectacular barbecue followed <strong>by</strong> a sheep shearing<br />
demonstration.<br />
Later in the afternoon we went into Invercargill town centre<br />
<strong>and</strong> found it a desolate place <strong>and</strong> decided we did not like it,<br />
so went back to the hotel.<br />
Thursday 2 nd Feb. Today started in an unusual manner<br />
when Hazel accidently dropped one <strong>of</strong> her earrings into the<br />
wash basin <strong>and</strong> it fell down the plug hole. As the earring had<br />
sentimental value I retrieved it <strong>by</strong> dismantling the wash<br />
basin U bend trap, recovering the <strong>of</strong>fending item prior to reassembling<br />
the hotel plumbing. Today we are travelling 136<br />
miles to Te Anau. A lunch stop had been pre-arranged en<br />
route at “Miss Cocoa Cafe” at M<strong>and</strong>eville airport <strong>and</strong><br />
aviation museum. We arrived mid morning <strong>and</strong> looked<br />
around the museum before lunch in the cafe. After lunch<br />
some members <strong>of</strong> our group paid for flights in a Tiger Moth<br />
but we decided this was too expensive so set <strong>of</strong>f for our<br />
hotel.<br />
Afterwards we had time to look around the farm with its<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> different sheep <strong>and</strong> walk around the very colourful<br />
gardens. There was a pianist on board the steamship <strong>and</strong><br />
we had a good “sing song” on the return journey with Hazel<br />
taking a lead role.<br />
Monday 6 th Feb. We took the public bus to “Arrowtown”<br />
this being a restored gold mining town with touristy shops<br />
<strong>and</strong> a fascinating museum giving a good insight as to the<br />
way <strong>of</strong> life when gold mining was in progress. The bus trip<br />
was also interesting as it called in at many <strong>of</strong> the small<br />
hamlets <strong>and</strong> we were able to see a combination <strong>of</strong> old <strong>and</strong><br />
new housing.
<strong>Tour</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong><br />
Tuesday 7 th Feb. We are now moving on to Franz<br />
Josef which is 241 miles away so an early start on a cold but<br />
dry day. The first part <strong>of</strong> the journey was on a yellow minor<br />
road to Cardrona. This was a very steep bendy climb, with<br />
many extremely tight hairpin bends with large drops over<br />
the edge. When we left the hotel we were 30m above sea<br />
level <strong>and</strong> after about 20 miles we were at 1258m.<br />
On Franz Joseph glacier.<br />
Sat-Nav warns <strong>of</strong> bendy climb.<br />
We were told afterwards there were many stunning views<br />
as we wound our way up the hills but sadly neither <strong>of</strong> us was<br />
prepared to take our eyes <strong>of</strong> the road <strong>and</strong> look! We<br />
continued to Wanaka where we stopped for c<strong>of</strong>fee. There is<br />
another amazing lake here <strong>and</strong> lots <strong>of</strong> new house building<br />
going on. The rest <strong>of</strong> the journey was on predominantly flat<br />
roads with vastly differing mountains on either side.<br />
Wednesday 8 th Feb. Another early start as we needed to<br />
be at the Helicopter <strong>of</strong>fice for 8.30 prior to a trip up to the<br />
Fox <strong>and</strong> Franz Joseph glaciers. The weather was perfect with<br />
brilliant sunshine.<br />
The road to the Fox & Franz Hoseph helicopter <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
Neither Hazel nor I had been in a helicopter before so with<br />
a little trepidation we climbed in. As soon as we took <strong>of</strong>f our<br />
fears disappeared as we were surrounded <strong>by</strong> stunning views<br />
<strong>of</strong> the snow covered mountains. After about 15mins we<br />
l<strong>and</strong>ed on the Franz Joseph glacier <strong>and</strong> got out <strong>of</strong> the<br />
helicopter where we walked around taking pictures <strong>and</strong><br />
admiring the views. The return flight took us over the Fox<br />
glacier <strong>and</strong> all too soon we were back at the Heliport after a<br />
most amazing experience.<br />
In the afternoon we drove about 20 miles to Lake<br />
Matheson where we walked around the perimeter <strong>of</strong> the<br />
lake. Normally this walk enables you to see views <strong>of</strong> the<br />
mountains reflected on the still waters <strong>of</strong> the lake but whilst<br />
we were there the wind was blowing so sadly the reflections<br />
did not appear.<br />
The car park at Franz Joseph hotel.<br />
Thursday 9 th Feb. Time to move on this time to<br />
Greymouth a further 126 miles north. We had a c<strong>of</strong>fee<br />
break at the “Treetop Walkway” at Hokitika but did not go<br />
on the attraction as it was very expensive. Instead we<br />
continued our journey <strong>and</strong> visited the Shantytown Heritage<br />
Park a leading culture <strong>and</strong> heritage attraction located 28<br />
miles south <strong>of</strong> Greymouth. The Park consists <strong>of</strong> over 30<br />
historic buildings which faithfully recreate the 19th century<br />
pioneer town, inspired <strong>by</strong> the West Coast gold rushes <strong>of</strong> the<br />
1860s. We then drove to the hotel for a one night stop. In<br />
the evening Hazel <strong>and</strong> I had a meal on our own in a local<br />
restaurant.<br />
Friday 10 th Feb. We loaded up the car again, <strong>by</strong> now we<br />
are getting good at this, <strong>and</strong> set <strong>of</strong>f for Nelson 210 miles<br />
further north. We took the coast road <strong>and</strong> after 30 miles we<br />
arrived at Punakaiki to view Pancake Rocks which are<br />
limestone formations that began forming 30 million years<br />
ago, when lime-rich fragments <strong>of</strong> dead marine creatures<br />
were deposited on the seabed, then overlaid <strong>by</strong> weaker<br />
layers <strong>of</strong> s<strong>of</strong>t mud <strong>and</strong> clay. The result is a very impressive<br />
sight. We then drove a further 35 miles along the coastal<br />
road before turning inl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> driving in the valley with the<br />
Kahurangi National Park on our left <strong>and</strong> Nelson Lakes<br />
National park on the right.
<strong>Tour</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong><br />
Later that evening we went out to visit some <strong>of</strong> Hazel’s<br />
friends who live 20 miles from the hotel.<br />
Saturday 11th Feb. Today we visited the local Saturday<br />
market, walked around the town; visited the cathedral where<br />
we listened to an orchestra practising for a concert. After<br />
some lunch we drove to the “World <strong>of</strong> Wearable Art “<strong>and</strong><br />
“Classic Cars Museum”. This single facility is an<br />
iconic Nelson visitor attraction that celebrates two passions<br />
united <strong>by</strong> design. Amazing wearable works <strong>of</strong> art from the<br />
annual “WOW Awards Show” are displayed alongside one<br />
<strong>of</strong> Australasia's biggest private collections <strong>of</strong> rare, classic<br />
cars. Both Hazel <strong>and</strong> I were amazed <strong>by</strong> the wearable art <strong>and</strong><br />
spent a significant time looking around. The car museum<br />
was good but no different to any other. Afterwards we drove<br />
to Mapua a small town on the coastline where we had a<br />
walk on the beach.<br />
Sunday 12 th Feb. Surely it can’t be 7.30 am already?<br />
Time to get moving as we are driving 77 miles to Blenheim<br />
today <strong>and</strong> there should be no need to rush. However <strong>by</strong> the<br />
time we had breakfast, packed the car <strong>and</strong> sorted out our<br />
route the time was 9.30. We set <strong>of</strong>f to drive 66 miles to the<br />
“Allan Scott” winery <strong>and</strong> arrived at 11.45 (on time). At<br />
midday we had a tour <strong>of</strong> the winery followed <strong>by</strong> an excellent<br />
lunch in their restaurant accompanied <strong>by</strong> lots <strong>of</strong> nice wine<br />
although the drivers had to restrain themselves. After this it<br />
was a short drive to the hotel. No planned dinner today so<br />
we ate with friends in a pub in the town.<br />
Monday 13 th Feb. A coach picked us up from the hotel<br />
at 9.00 today <strong>and</strong> we were driven 19 miles to Marlborough<br />
Sounds where we boarded a boat to enjoy a trip around the<br />
natural beauty <strong>of</strong> the Marlborough Sounds. Initially it rained<br />
but luckily it brightened up although a strong wind persisted.<br />
We were treated to cooked salmon along with freshly<br />
caught <strong>and</strong> steamed mussels paired with a glass <strong>of</strong><br />
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.<br />
A very enjoyable trip <strong>and</strong> we arrived back at the hotel late<br />
in the afternoon. We walked around the town before dinner<br />
at the hotel.<br />
Tuesday 14 th Feb. We were up at 6.00am this morning.<br />
Had a quick breakfast followed <strong>by</strong> final packing <strong>of</strong> the car<br />
<strong>and</strong> then drove 20 miles to the ferry terminal at Picton for<br />
our crossing to the <strong>North</strong> Isl<strong>and</strong>. We had to be there <strong>by</strong> 8.05<br />
but did not board the ferry until 9.00. The crossing was calm<br />
<strong>and</strong> we arrived in the <strong>North</strong> Isl<strong>and</strong> at 12.30.Once <strong>of</strong>f the<br />
ferry we drove around the outskirts <strong>of</strong> Wellington on our<br />
way to “<strong>South</strong>ward Car Museum” at Paraparaumu 32 miles<br />
away. A soon as we left the ferry we noticed how much<br />
more traffic there was on the roads compared to the <strong>South</strong><br />
Isl<strong>and</strong>. The museum was vast <strong>and</strong> in spite <strong>of</strong> spending<br />
several hours there we only saw a small proportion <strong>of</strong> the<br />
exhibits. The museum has its own workshops where they<br />
restore cars. The area containing un-restored cars is vast <strong>and</strong><br />
would make a good museum in its own right! We then drove<br />
north 87 miles to Whanganui on the west coast arriving at<br />
17.45. Later in the evening Hazel <strong>and</strong> I had a valentine’s<br />
dinner in the hotel restaurant.<br />
Wednesday 15 th Feb. We spent most <strong>of</strong> the day walking<br />
around Whanganui. It was an interesting town with lots <strong>of</strong><br />
historical things to see. That evening we joined the rest <strong>of</strong><br />
our group for a trip along the Whanganui River on a paddle<br />
wheel steamer called “The Waimarie” which was built in<br />
1898. Luckily the weather was warm <strong>and</strong> dry. A Jazz trio<br />
played for the duration <strong>of</strong> the trip <strong>and</strong> we were given<br />
delicious dinner on board accompanied <strong>by</strong> fine wine. No<br />
driving tonight so we were able to have a drink!<br />
The Waimarie<br />
Thursday 16 th Feb. Today we crossed from the west to<br />
the east coast <strong>of</strong> the <strong>North</strong> Isl<strong>and</strong>. We took a deviation from<br />
the suggested route so that we could call in <strong>and</strong> visit a<br />
Lagonda owner who lives at Palmerston <strong>North</strong>. The first part<br />
<strong>of</strong> the journey was 45 miles <strong>and</strong> required us to head south<br />
again to tour around Napier <strong>and</strong> near<strong>by</strong> Hastings which we<br />
decided to go get to our friend’s house. The Sat Nav took us<br />
to their address without any issues <strong>and</strong> we spent a few<br />
hours admiring their house, garden <strong>and</strong> garage prior to<br />
enjoying a lunchtime meal. Fully refreshed we set <strong>of</strong>f to<br />
complete the 144 mile journey to Napier in overcast<br />
conditions. As we got closer to Napier the weather<br />
deteriorated significantly <strong>and</strong> we spent the last half hour<br />
driving in the pouring rain with the hood down. There was<br />
no arranged meal tonight so we walked into the town with<br />
our umbrellas up <strong>and</strong> had a simple meal at McDonald’s<br />
before returning to the hotel bar.
<strong>Tour</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong><br />
Friday 17 th Feb. It was still raining heavily when we<br />
woke up so we decided to put the hood up on the Lagonda.<br />
As the tonneau cover was soaking wet we left it to drip dry<br />
in the bath <strong>of</strong> our hotel room. The organisers had arranged<br />
a photo call with all our cars at 9.00 on the sea front which<br />
we attended in spite <strong>of</strong> the weather. After that there was a<br />
on. A number <strong>of</strong> our party dropped out which was a pity as<br />
they missed an excellent 2 course lunch which had been<br />
arranged part way round the route. The return journey was<br />
also wet. This weekend was the Art Deco festival <strong>and</strong> in the<br />
evening we dressed up in appropriate clothes <strong>and</strong> attended<br />
a function in the town’s theatre <strong>and</strong> enjoyed a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
entertainment.<br />
Saturday 18 th Feb. This morning we dressed up again in<br />
our Art Deco outfits <strong>and</strong> drove 5 miles to the Vintage Car<br />
Club (VCC) club rooms just outside the town where we were<br />
provided with “tea <strong>and</strong> cakes” prior to setting <strong>of</strong>f on a 45<br />
mile tour in pouring rain.<br />
<strong>Mike</strong> & Hazel dressed for the Art Deco festival…<br />
We purchased drinks at the bar <strong>and</strong> were provided with a<br />
good selection <strong>of</strong> canapés. A number <strong>of</strong> other car clubs had<br />
been invited to the event.<br />
…a few drinks later.<br />
Before the big parade.<br />
The tour arrived back in Napier just before midday so we<br />
could take our place at the front <strong>of</strong> the Art Deco car parade<br />
through the streets. It was still raining so we had the ro<strong>of</strong> up.<br />
In spite <strong>of</strong> the weather the parade through the town went<br />
ahead as planned <strong>and</strong> the streets were lined <strong>by</strong> a vast crowd<br />
in appropriate costumes with loads <strong>of</strong> umbrellas. As we<br />
drove past the crowd shouted <strong>and</strong> waved <strong>and</strong> everyone had<br />
a good time. In the evening we changed our attire so we<br />
could attend the “dress down” depression dinner. This was<br />
held in a marquee near the town centre <strong>and</strong> again a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> car organisations were present. The meal consisted <strong>of</strong><br />
soup served in an enamel mug (which we were allowed to<br />
keep) followed <strong>by</strong> a stew <strong>and</strong> vegetable main course. A<br />
group <strong>of</strong> musicians played <strong>and</strong> there was a general “Sing<br />
Song” both during <strong>and</strong> after the meal .A very good night<br />
was had <strong>by</strong> all.<br />
Sunday 19 th Feb. Another early start today as our group<br />
had been invited to join the VCC at their club rooms for<br />
breakfast. Many other car clubs also attended. We had time<br />
to look round the “spares store” which contained an<br />
amazing array <strong>of</strong> old car parts (mostly American). The<br />
weather had improved <strong>by</strong> now <strong>and</strong> we managed to get<br />
some photographs <strong>of</strong> the all the Lagondas from our tour<br />
plus a couple <strong>of</strong> local cars. We had a free afternoon <strong>and</strong><br />
spent time watching other Art Deco events in the town. In<br />
the evening we had a group dinner at <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong>’s oldest<br />
winery founded in the 1850’s aptly named the “Mission”<br />
winery. We dined in its exquisite chapel. The meal was<br />
superb.<br />
Monday 20 th Feb. The organisers had arranged for us to<br />
collect packed lunches from the hotel before we set <strong>of</strong>f on<br />
our drive to the next hotel at Taupo in the centre <strong>of</strong> the<br />
isl<strong>and</strong>. We had been informed there would be no cafes etc<br />
along the very twisty <strong>and</strong> mountainous route. After 48 miles,<br />
much to our surprise we found a large cafe <strong>by</strong> the side <strong>of</strong><br />
the road. We pulled in only to find most <strong>of</strong> our group were<br />
already there having a break. So we joined them. 5 miles<br />
after we set <strong>of</strong>f again, we came to some amazing waterfalls<br />
so pulled over <strong>and</strong> had our packed lunches whilst watching<br />
the water pour over the falls.
<strong>Tour</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong><br />
The rest <strong>of</strong> the journey to the hotel was mainly flat in<br />
spite <strong>of</strong> us being 2400ft above sea level. Our hotel was<br />
situated right on the edge <strong>of</strong> Taupo Lake <strong>and</strong> we had a<br />
stunning view from our room. We swam in the lake which<br />
was warm owing to thermal activity.<br />
Tuesday 21 st Feb. We did some shopping in the town<br />
this morning. Later we drove to the near<strong>by</strong> Huka Falls which<br />
are a set <strong>of</strong> waterfalls on the Waikato River that drains Lake<br />
Taupo. A few hundred metres upstream from the Huka Falls,<br />
the Waikato River narrows from approximately 100 metres<br />
across into a canyon only 15 metres across. This causes an<br />
extremely fast flow <strong>of</strong> water which is impressive to listen to<br />
<strong>and</strong> watch making the Huka Falls a major tourist attraction.<br />
We drove 56 miles to Rotorua with its distinctive smell <strong>of</strong><br />
Sulphur. On arrival at the hotel I sprayed the Lagonda<br />
aluminium <strong>and</strong> nickel with WD 40 to prevent corrosion. In<br />
the evening we attended a Maori concert <strong>and</strong> Hangi feast<br />
near our hotel. The men were taught the Haka whilst the<br />
ladies took to the stage twirling their poi-balls.<br />
Wednesday 22 nd Feb. During the morning we went for a<br />
walk around the town before returning to the hotel for<br />
13.00 where we joined our group boarding a coach to visit<br />
the Wai-O-Tapu Geothermals. This was an amazing<br />
afternoon showing the real power <strong>of</strong> nature.<br />
Once we reached the hotel we found that other group<br />
members had also experienced difficulties with the traffic<br />
<strong>and</strong> signage.<br />
Saturday 25 th Feb. After another 1 night hotel stop we<br />
set <strong>of</strong>f for Paihia in the “Bay <strong>of</strong> Isl<strong>and</strong>s”. This 151 mile trip<br />
took significantly longer than planned. For the first 2 hours<br />
we averaged less than 5 MPH in the weekend traffic<br />
gridlock. We had not expected this. Eventually the traffic<br />
cleared <strong>and</strong> we made better progress. Whilst we were<br />
stopped for a c<strong>of</strong>fee break an MG C type owner (Lawrie<br />
Poolman) pulled up <strong>and</strong> we chatted to him for sometime<br />
before continuing our journey.<br />
Lawrie Pullman’s C-Type M.G.<br />
Wai-O-Tapu geothermals.<br />
Thursday 23rd Feb . It was a short 51 mile drive to get<br />
to Tauranga. On the initial part <strong>of</strong> the journey we saw many<br />
Kiwi fruit farms. Further on, the area was much more<br />
industrialised with many large oil storage containers <strong>and</strong> gas<br />
storage tanks visible as we drove along. The roads were also<br />
complex with many complicated flyovers. We managed to<br />
get lost even with the Sat Nav! After booking into the hotel<br />
we spent the rest <strong>of</strong> the day visiting friends who lived<br />
near<strong>by</strong>.<br />
Friday 24 th Feb. Today we continued to travel north<br />
heading for Takapuna following a scenic route <strong>of</strong> 179 miles.<br />
After a couple <strong>of</strong> hours we made a mistake <strong>and</strong> ended on an<br />
incorrect road but did not realise it for about 15 miles. After<br />
studying the map we decided to carry on using a new<br />
revised route. It worked well <strong>and</strong> we saved 45 miles BUT<br />
missed some <strong>of</strong> the planned views. The later part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
journey was on the Auckl<strong>and</strong> motorway network which was<br />
extremely busy <strong>and</strong> the signs confusing until Hazel worked<br />
out the “system”.<br />
Lawrie wanted us to view his car collection but we had to<br />
decline as we were running way behind our schedule.<br />
Surprisingly, in spite <strong>of</strong> the traffic delays, we were one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
first to arrive at the hotel.<br />
Sunday 26 th Feb. We visited Russell today which is a<br />
peninsular across the bay. The ferry left at 10.00am from<br />
the wharf near our hotel <strong>and</strong> took 15minutes to cross the<br />
bay. After disembarking we looked around the town centre<br />
until 12.00 when we took a minibus tour to see the<br />
countryside <strong>and</strong> views <strong>of</strong> the surrounding hilly area. When<br />
we returned, our entire group had a formal lunch at the<br />
“Duke <strong>of</strong> Marlborough Hotel”. We were seated on an open<br />
air ver<strong>and</strong>a looking out over the bay. Russell is now a very<br />
expensive place to live. We caught the return ferry to Paihia<br />
<strong>and</strong> walked back to the hotel.<br />
The Duke <strong>of</strong> Marlborough.
<strong>Tour</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong><br />
Monday 27 th Feb. The <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong> TV company had<br />
asked the organisers to select 8 cars to take part in a short<br />
documentary about the tour including the different cars <strong>and</strong><br />
people involved. This was scheduled to be shown on the<br />
evening news later that day. Our Lagonda was selected <strong>and</strong><br />
we spent most <strong>of</strong> the day waiting about whilst the film crew<br />
recorded interviews, took static pictures <strong>and</strong> made videos <strong>of</strong><br />
the cars driving in <strong>and</strong> around the area.<br />
Parading for the TV shoot.<br />
<strong>Mike</strong>’s Lagonda follows on <strong>of</strong> the huge Bentleys.<br />
The documentary was shown on the evening news but<br />
lasted less than 3 minutes <strong>and</strong> they did not show or mention<br />
the Lagonda at all. What a waste <strong>of</strong> a day!<br />
Tuesday 28 th Feb. Today we drove 87 miles through<br />
beautiful countryside to Paihia diverting en-route to visit<br />
Matauri bay which had been recommended to us. There was<br />
a steep winding road down to the beach. Hazel chatted to a<br />
tattooed Maori fisherman who explained his technique for<br />
catching fish.<br />
Maori fisherman with Hazel.<br />
Wednesday 1 st Mar. It was a coach tour today for our<br />
entire group. The coach picked us up at 9.00am <strong>and</strong> it took<br />
2 hours to travel to Cape Reinga the most northerly point <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong>. We spent 45 minutes there admiring <strong>and</strong><br />
photographing the views. We walked down to the most<br />
northerly point for the m<strong>and</strong>atory picture <strong>by</strong> the sign. Then<br />
back on the bus <strong>and</strong> a short trip to some huge s<strong>and</strong> dunes<br />
where a few <strong>of</strong> our group took the opportunity s<strong>and</strong> board<br />
down the slopes. Next the coach drove along the s<strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
the so called “90 mile beach”. Cars are no longer permitted<br />
to drive on the beach hence our coach trip. After leaving the<br />
beach we were taken to a restaurant for a “Fish <strong>and</strong> Chips”<br />
lunch prior to returning to the hotel.<br />
Thursday 2 nd Mar. Today it was a long 265 mile drive<br />
south through the Kauri forest along the Tasman coast to<br />
Auckl<strong>and</strong>. The roads were narrow, twisty with lots <strong>of</strong> steep<br />
hills <strong>and</strong> valleys. At one point we had an hour’s delay<br />
waiting for the Rangiora ferry which could not cope with the<br />
volume <strong>of</strong> traffic. Overall it took us nearly 11 hours to get<br />
back to Aukl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Friday 3 rd Mar. A free day at last! We spent the day<br />
sightseeing various parts <strong>of</strong> Auckl<strong>and</strong>. In the evening there<br />
was a farewell party <strong>and</strong> dinner which was quite relaxing<br />
with entertainment from a live local trio b<strong>and</strong> called “2<br />
many chiefs”. All too soon it was time for bed.<br />
Saturday 4 th Mar. After breakfast I drove the Lagonda to<br />
the container port 14 miles away along with 18 other cars.<br />
Once at the container depot the fuel was pumped out <strong>of</strong> the<br />
petrol tank <strong>and</strong> the car left in the h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the shipping<br />
agent. We were transported back to the hotel <strong>by</strong> coach.<br />
During the tour the Lagonda covered just over 3500 miles<br />
without a single problem for which I am eternally grateful.<br />
Hazel <strong>and</strong> I stayed in Auckl<strong>and</strong> for 3 further nights but at a<br />
different hotel. For those <strong>of</strong> you who are good at maths you<br />
may have remembered 17 cars were shipped out from the<br />
UK <strong>and</strong> 19 shipped back. This can be explained as a<br />
member <strong>of</strong> our group purchased another car whilst in <strong>New</strong><br />
<strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong> <strong>and</strong> a Bentley which had originally been shipped<br />
from America was now needed in the UK for another event.<br />
Sunday 5 th Mar. Chris Wheeler who owns an 18/80 Mk II<br />
(WM 5261) kindly picked us up from our hotel <strong>and</strong> drove us<br />
to his house where I was able to able to see the excellent<br />
work he has done on the restoration <strong>of</strong> his car. Whilst Chris<br />
still has some way to go the quality <strong>of</strong> his workmanship is<br />
excellent <strong>and</strong> it will make a lovely car when finished. Chris<br />
<strong>and</strong> Catherine provided us with a super lunch <strong>and</strong> later in<br />
the day Chris took us back to our hotel.<br />
Monday 6 th Mar. We took a boat trip around the harbour<br />
which included a visit to Davenport which is a “harbour side”<br />
suburb <strong>of</strong> Auckl<strong>and</strong>. Whilst at Davenport we visited the<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficial museum <strong>of</strong> the <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong> Royal Navy.<br />
Tuesday 7 th Mar. During the morning we walked around<br />
the town <strong>and</strong> then watched 2 girls plummeting 192 metres<br />
<strong>of</strong>f the Auckl<strong>and</strong> Sky Tower down thin wires at 85 km an<br />
hour. They enjoyed it but this was NOT for Hazel or me! In<br />
the afternoon we flew to Sydney where we stayed for 4<br />
nights. We visited several <strong>of</strong> the well known tourist<br />
attractions including 3 different performances at the Opera<br />
House.<br />
Saturday 11 th Mar. We had an overnight flight to Dubai<br />
where we stayed for 3 days doing more sightseeing.
<strong>Tour</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong><br />
In Summary.<br />
This was the most amazing holiday I have ever been<br />
on. I could not have wished for a better time. Hazel was<br />
amazing especially how she adapted to travelling in a<br />
vintage car, living out <strong>of</strong> suitcases for 2 months whilst also<br />
having to put up with me. Our fellow travellers were<br />
extremely friendly <strong>and</strong> made us feel very welcome. The<br />
organisation was exemplary <strong>and</strong> our thanks go to Cedric<br />
<strong>and</strong> Tony for organising such an amazing event. Lastly I<br />
must thank Lagonda for designing <strong>and</strong> manufacturing a car<br />
which after 88 years is still capable <strong>of</strong> covering over 3500<br />
miles <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zeal<strong>and</strong></strong>’s notorious twisty <strong>and</strong> mountainous<br />
roads without a single problem.<br />
<strong>Mike</strong> <strong>Heins</strong> <strong>and</strong> Hazel Rowl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Our route around <strong>South</strong> Isl<strong>and</strong> …<br />
The trusty atlas we used in conjunction with the Sat-Nav.<br />
… <strong>and</strong> the <strong>North</strong> Isl<strong>and</strong>.