The Eastern Bay of Plenty Branch of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand
Po Box 2168, Kopeopeo, Whakatane 3159
Email: easternbayofplenty@vcc.org.nz
Driving our history - Vintage and Classic Vehicles
May 2023
Running Board
Some of our Members Cars at the Classic Car Breakfast Sunday 2nd April Harry & Gay Sutcliffe’s Wolseley 6/99, Bevan Lange’s Holden Station Wagon Phil Leaming’s Ford Model A, Noel & Lois Davies Ford Falcon Station Wagon
Club Night: Last Thursday of the Month (except December) at Whakatane Athletic Clubrooms, Short Street, Whakatane
7.00 pm Social get-together
Branch Meeting starts at 7.30 pm
Followed by Supper
Chairman’s Report:
As I write this it is raining cats and dogs and the wind is whistling around the house, now the power has gone off (I suppose someone has paid the bill).
Let’s make it a short report.
We had just got home from Whakatane after getting the modern (or semi-modern 2007) serviced at Commerce Street Autos, after winning this free service at the East Coast Rally. This service is worth about $300 so is a very good sponsorship prize for a local winner. We should always support our Rally Sponsors when possible as they support us by sponsoring the East Coast Rally.
While getting the service done I decided to support them by having a transmission service and a couple of other small jobs done.
By the way a great service by Commerce Street Autos, very pleasant and helpful.
Don’t forget the coming AGM. If you want our Branch to continue as we are, there are a few roles that need to be filled, so think about how you can help.
It is getting dark now and the power hasn’t come on, so I guess this will be a short report.
April Events:
Sunday 2nd Classic Car Breakfast, we had 9 club cars attend and a good turnout of other vehicles.
Saturday 15th Farming Like Grandad, we had 14 club cars on show along with 1 car from Waikato Branch and 2 local non-member cars. It was a great day out with many tractors, trucks and farm machinery on display and also a line-up of Landrover’s and other vehicles in camouflage colours. Lots of vendors selling a range of crafts and other wares including food and coffee.
The venue was the old racecourse with plenty of room for all the displays and activities. Our cars were parked under a line of trees which was nice and cool but also made for a beautiful display of old vehicles.
Wednesday 19th Mid-week Run to Lake Tarawera, we had 9 cars on the run. Harry and Gaye lead us on a cruise to Lake Tarawera, around Lake Okareka, up hill down dale and around many inlets and communities to eventually finish at the Landing Cafe for a very nice lunch.
Sunday 30th We had 14 vehicles lead by Steve and Lesley McCann to a private car collection on the other side of Tauranga. It’s a great collection of classic and modern classic cars, mostly Ford but with a couple of GM beauties amongst them and the shed that housed this display was huge and was a great place to have our lunch after viewing the cars.
Sadly we note the passing of Member Patricia Gander
Our condolences to Terry
April Events
Classic Car Breakfast Sunday 2nd
Phil
Barry
Les
John
Harry & Gay Sutcliffe Wolseley 6/99 Bevan Lange Holden S/W Leaming Ford Model A Noel & Lois Davies Ford Falcon S/W Keene MGB Roadster Bruce & Lorriane Seddon Ford Thunderbird & Gail Costar Ford Capri Steve & Joy Growden Triumph 2500
Phil aiming to run over our photographer Les
And here Phil taking kids for a ride on the Waterwheel Wagon
Harry and James dressed for the occasion
Members at Farming Like Grandad Saturday 15th
James McCarthy - 36 Morris 8 Sports
Ben Vermeulen - Sutcliffes Wolseley 1300
Bevan Lange - Chrysler Valiant
Steve & Joy Growden - Ford Cortina
Noel & Lois Davies - Ford Falcon
Les & Gail Costar - 28 Ford Model A
Phil Leaming - 30 Model A Coupe
Harry & Gaye Sutcliffe - Wolseley 6/99
Marion & Christie Vermeulen - Morris Minor
Simon & Annie Cherrington - 39 Ford Deluxe
Barry & Marianne Spry - 47 Ford Coupe
Keith & Ian Rawlinson - 28 Dodge
Barry & Tessa Keene - 26 Willys Knight
Peter Hadley - 30 Model A Truck
David & Jill Philps (Waikato Branch) Nissan Laurel
Trevor Marshall Mark Hudson
Doug Wheeler
Also there was a 1938 Chev Coupe and a 1958 Humber 80 *********************************
Mid-Week Run to Lake Tarawera & Café Wednesday 19th
Harry & Gaye Sutcliffe - Wolseley 6/99
Les & Gail Costar – Ford Capri
Barry & Tessa Keene – MGB Roadster
Steve & Joy Growden - Ford Cortina
Simon & Annie Cherrington – Jaguar XK8
Phil Leaming – Ford Model A
Alan & Lorraine Stock & Grandaughter – Modern
Ben & Marion & Christie Vermeulen – Modern
Trevor Marshall – Modern
Photo’s next page .9.
Lake Okareka car park
After lunch at the Tarawera Landing Café
Club Run Sunday 30th to Tauranga to view a private car collection
Organised by Lesley and Steve McCann
Cars assembled at Matata ready to set off through Old Coach Road and Welcome Bay Road then on through to the other side of Tauranga
Barry & Marianne Spry - Modern Trevor Marshall - Modern
Harry & Gaye Sutcliffe and Ben & Marion Vermeulen - Wolseley 1800
Noel & Lois Davies - Modern Bevan Lange - Chrysler Valiant
Bruce & Lorraine Seddon – Pontiac
Steve & Leslie McCann and 4 friends all 6 in the Mk3 Zephyr
Barry Keene & Peter Montgomery – MGB Roadster
John & Sharon Burton – Modern Alan & Lorraine Stock – Datsun 280 ZX
A great turnout of 14 cars and 32 Members and friends
Phil Leaming - Ford Model A Peter Hadley & John MacKintosh - Ford Jailbar Les & Gail Costar - Austin 1800 Steve & Joy Growden - Ford CortinaHIGHLAND FLING 2023
Barry KeeneThe advertising for this rally said it was ‘For a True Outback Motoring Experience’ and they were right.
It was for Veteran and Vintage cars only and there were 77 entrants. This year most of the South Island contingent could not make it due to Ferry failures but one from Southland and one from Banks Peninsula did arrive. Tessa and I drove down in our 1926 Willys Knight on the Friday.
The rally explored the Highlands of Taihape with spectacular views and countryside and covered a few sealed roads, numerous unsealed roads and farm tracks and paddocks.
The rally briefing was at 7.45am on both the Saturday and Sunday mornings with departure at 8.00am. It rained each night we were there and there were scattered showers during the day which kept the dust down but the unsealed roads were muddy in places.
Saturdays run was 151 miles. Morning tea was at Mangaweka but it took 45 miles to get there going up and down and round and about on the eastern side of SH1. Then it was up country roads on the western side of SH1 coming out and crossing over it near Utiku. About an hour later the lunch stop was at River Valley Lodge. It was bottom gear on a steep rough hill getting into and out of it. This is a unique isolated place surrounded by bush at the bottom of a valley beside a river and waterfall.
After lunch we had a few miles of sealed roads, then 30 miles of unsealed and came out onto the Taihape - Napier road on the Napier side of the ‘Gentle Annie’ which we then went down, which tested our slowing down facilities and up the other side going through about a pint of water. When we finally reached the top we turned into Ohinewairua Station. By now the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. This station has huge valleys and steep hills and the farm tracks were not for the nervous, with big drop offs, and bottom gear was necessary on the last downhill. It is easy to see why tractors and four wheel drives are normally used on these farm tracks. At the back of this station the track ended but we carried on up and down through a couple of paddocks to end up in Erewhon Station.
Here the first hill, it felt like a mountain, was a real challenge and seemed to never end and most cars needed bottom gear. Several stopped on this climb due to boiling and mechanical problems and some had to be towed to the top or trailered back to Taihape. During the Rally there were three four wheel drive vehicles helping, one near the front, one in the middle and one at the back. Tail end Charlie with the trailer got the last car back at 7.30pm that evening. After coming out of Erewhon Station we were back on the Napier – Taihape Road for a short while then turned off it onto an unsealed road and followed this to get back onto sealed roads about 8 miles from Taihape. We were so busy driving that we forgot to take any photos when in the stations. .12.
We got back to Taihape at about 4.30pm and as we were filling up with petrol it started to rain then bucketed down. This only lasted about 10 minutes then eased to light rain. We were so pleased this rain stayed away during the day.
Day two was half as long with 72 miles to travel. No farms to cross today but several roads had grass growing up the middle. We travelled just north of Taihape then turned inland and soon got onto unsealed roads going up big hills and down into valleys. We finally came to Hunterville School for morning tea. From there it was back inland and north on four different roads to our lunch stop at Mataroa School, where most of the school children and adults took advantage of rides in the cars. At this stage we were about 10 miles from Taihape.
After lunch there was a gymkhana on a farm a few miles further out. On a slightly sloping, damp, grassy paddock there were road cones laid out. There were three events and all were speed time trials going around these cones in different ways. I think only about 15 cars did these challenges but the others certainly had lots of laughs at the slipping and sliding that was going on by the participants. Most cars got back to Taihape between 3 and 4pm in plenty of time to get ready for the final dinner and ‘prize giving’. This was an enjoyable evening held at the Gretna Hotel and they gave us a great meal. The Gretna Hotel was also the base for the Rally. The main organisers were Kaaren Smylie and Alister Jones along with other BOP members and local Taihape folk.
We returned home on the Monday and during the four days travelled over 600 miles and on the rally we reckon we must have made about 1000 gear changes with a number of them getting to bottom gear. The rally route was very scenic with huge majestic views at times.
We can thoroughly recommend this event where the cars go over roads that were typical in the years that the cars were made. Having chains or ropes to go around your wheels can be very useful. The next Highland Fling is to be based in Fielding on the 27th and 28th April 2024.
Getting to morning tea stop at Mangaweka. Below, at Mangaweka
More hills.
At final lunch stop at Mataroa School. .14.
After the gymkhana
Thanks Barry for your article and photo’s of the Highland Fling
I had a blank space on this page so I will share with you this photo of Les’ lunch at the Tarawera Landing Cafe’ which created a lot of interest especially the “black thing that looks like a piece of rubber” which is a “Black Bao Bun” he said it tasted like an ordinary Bao Bun along with the delicious pork, salad and chips
That filled a gap in more ways than one
For Sale
1983 Renault Fuego (poor man’s Porsche)
157,000miles, power steering,5 speed, reg/wof, tidy condition, goes well.
$6000.00 o.n.o
Selling for health reasons
Phone Mark or Karen Spackman 07 315 8800 mob 021 909766
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc)
Eastern Bay of Plenty Branch
Annual General Meeting
To be held at the Athletic Clubrooms, Short Street, Whakatane
On Thursday 25th May 2023
At 8.00pm
Preceded by the Branch Meeting at 7.30 pm
AGENDA
Present Apologies
Minutes of previous AGM Matters Arising
Chairman’s Report
Treasurer’s Report
Club Captain’s Report
Election of Officers
General Business
All Welcome
Secretary: Karen Spackman
All positions are up for nomination and if you would like to make a difference to the running of your Branch, please come along and either nominate a member you wish to have on Committee, or maybe be part of the Committee yourself.
Remember this is your Branch of the Vintage Car Club and your input is vital to the running of our Club.
The Vintage Car Club of NZ, Eastern Bay of Plenty Branch (Inc).