What, you must be joking that means a 5.30am wake up call, and a 40minute drive!, and we live in Auckland what about the entries from Warkworth , Taupo, Tauranga, Rotorua etc or even the locals from Hamilton, maybe they are closer time wise ??
However we did! and it was a beautiful crisp clear morning, a sign of things to come, surely not after the recent weather, how could they organise that!.

Roof down of course and dressing as onions and using the woolies we did not need in Alaska we ventured off. Saw no MGs on route, we normally see one somewhere, thinks, they are all asleep? , it’s a bit cool but by god it’s worth it.
Not so, six cars already there including Taupo and Tauranga cars, madness they must surely know this event is worth any early start!

Most cars arrived within the next 30 mins, including a record 8 MGAs. great to see other marquee club cars along with a sprinkling of Jaguar, Landrover ,Triumphs, Daimler SPs , Mini’s (proper ones) and even a Peugeot again back for another time, some people never learn .Tony gave his drivers briefing and we were waved away, just leave when the clock hand reaches 12, my god we have to leave at the right second ! Shall we give this timing lark a miss?

As we were number 28 out of 41 cars with the fast operators behind us I would have to check the rear view mirror for them this event is NOT a race but you do not want to cause any problem to a fellow competitor.

Done the ODO check, decided for some obscure reason to stop and work out the average speed adjustment, big mistake, then overtaken by six car’s including that pesky SP250 and then realised that to keep up the average speed we have too get a move on and pass them again, amazing how much you have to push to average only 40mph!

Not an enjoyable task but someone has to do it
Saw that pesky SP250 two cars ahead, but he had the same idea, never saw him again, off like the "robber’s dog".

Even managed to pass Bernard, he was obviously trying to have a quiet day, Mary having expressed an interest in being able to read the road signs instead of them being a yellow flash! We decided as usual to stay on the seal route and to leave the gravel bashing to others, with the class of the seal; who needs gravel grazes?

Got to Morrisville and the straight line instructions, easy once you remember the concept, shame we did not notice the questions until the end!! as I was preoccupied by a stranger than normal sound in the engine compartment, concerned it could mean an early retirement, I was distracted, Colin got a puncture and was forced to use his spare, rumoured to be the original one issued when he purchased the MGB brand new, and as Cynthia was driving he knew who had caused the problem, it was the excess speed she was driving, you very seldom catch Cynthia!

The strange noise disappeared at speed on the open road, there the obvious resolution I hear you cry, just drive faster, sorry thinking it could be the generator or water pump bearing I expected the worst and was not impressed, even after stopping for the lunch break it refused to disappear.

Spotting PW and Bronnie arriving I thought I would get the expert opinion!!
"God will know" better grab him before lunch noted Andrew, "he’s always more alert before lunch".

So I started the engine then opened the bonnet, yes strange noise still there.
Me "Listen to that knocking noise".
PW "What noise?".
Me "that one, the strange bass noise ".
PW "Running very smooth, what noise are you worried about?".
Me "That noise, listen while I give it a rev".
PW "What noise?".
In desperation I grabbed hold of the metal breather cap.
Eureka!! noise disappeared.
So did PW, he needed his lunch.
THIS WAS ALL A BIT BORING, so I will rewrite it to say

"I lifted the bonnet and the evil was still there,
God placed his hand upon the rocker cover and behold the evil vanished"

With no strange noise the afternoon was a breeze, great motoring conditions, in my opinion the best driving roads I have seen in this world , yes I know UK "B" roads are cool but there is so much traffic, the sweeping nature not to mention the fantastic scenery in NZ seems to suite the poor old slow MGA so well, just cruising along at 2700rpm everywhere, no problem, every now and again you may, if you are lucky, get to pass an even slower car or in a worse case scenario some one may catch you.
Does not matter, great roads, great scenery great company and great organisation by Tony and his team.

And the next day was even better but that’s someone else’s effort.
See you in two years time even if it is early start.

Agatha A.
(Marty Dunn as Ghost Writer)