DAY ONE - Auckland to Wanganui

For the last 25 years my wife Sue and I have had the pleasure of travelling to MG rallies all over NZ and in particular enjoying the fabulous South Island scenery (the first rally in Old Blue being in Dunedin with the Errington family), each rally having its own particular flavour.

The convoy to the Christchurch Rally was organised by Sue Courtney who is an expert in organising these great journeys.

We had intended to take our newly restored Twin Cam, although this was not to be.

Raising the garage door, Old Blue waggled her exhaust pipe - she was on the way again! Blenheim, Hanmer, Blackball Hilton, Greymouth and then up Arthurs Pass, visiting two high country stations (Castle Hill and Mt Snowden) not to mention dropping in on the iconic CASS rail way station. Happy? You betcha!

At 10:30am on Day One, we were off with 23 cars on an adventure. Rain appeared to be the order of the day and at Pirongia it bucketed down. Sandwiches on board for lunch (á la coupe) was the way we travelled, although accompanied by poor spark plug connections producing a somewhat jerky drive… but not to worry!

At Raetihi the Heavenly Angel café beckoned us for coffee however the smallness of the town was looking rather sad with a number of shops closed. Speeding across the National Park plateau no mountain peaks were to be seen and then a left turn, then a right turn, and we were off to the Paraparas while some others went via Fields Track joining us half way over the Paraparas in the midst of major road works that were in progress. When finished this is set to become one of the great drives of the North Island.

A lolly-pop man suddenly appears - STOP - and we all obey but a truckie with trailer coming towards us brakes heavily and showers us with sharp rocks. We sustained two large star cracks and two pin point blemishes in the windscreen.

We meet up with the Wanganui River and finally reached our motel - still raining. Sue's legs are wet and now stained from a wiper leak. You told me that it was fixed… er.. er.. er.. feel like a wine Sue? We are now surrounded by others over wine and nibbles and plenty of laughter, but hey, tomorrow dawned bright and blue, it was going to be a loverly day, loverly day, loverly day!

Ernie Martin MG 9170