Motorsports Auckland

TrueBlueFlyer · 28 Nov 2011, 01:13 (Ref:2992247)

A week after arriving in New Zealand I was very warmly welcomed by Motorsports Auckland to do flag marshaling duties at Pukekohe Raceway. Events here are held on almost weekly basis and marshals are in demand, so if there's any interest through this forum, do come by!

This is going to be fun

--Russ

**Woolley** · 28 Nov 2011, 01:32 (Ref:2992253)

Excellent - you beat me to the contacts - hadn't managed to dig them out yet. Enjoy.

TrueBlueFlyer · 28 Nov 2011, 04:33 (Ref:2992270)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woolley

Excellent - you beat me to the contacts - hadn't managed to dig them out yet. Enjoy.

thanks man, everything is easy with Facebook lol

Richard Duvall · 28 Nov 2011, 19:03 (Ref:2992580)

I regularly visit New Zealand visiting my daughter but have never got round to offering my services to marshal. As I am usually in the Hawkes Bay area, Pukekohe is probably not a suitable location for me. I'm vaguely aware that there is a circuit at Taupo and even that is a fair journey. Are there any other circuits that are close to Hawkes Bay?

MalcolmC · 28 Nov 2011, 19:14 (Ref:2992583)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Duvall

Are there any other circuits that are close to Hawkes Bay?

There's no permanent circuit in Hawke's Bay. Taupo and Manfeild are the closest, both about 2hrs drive from Hastings/Napier. The local car club is very active with sealed hillclimbs and rallying though so it's by no means a motorsport free zone.

Malcolm.

The SpeCTator · 28 Nov 2011, 19:18 (Ref:2992585)

Russ

20 minutes down the road from Pukekohe is Hampton Downs, a magnificent circuit that opened a couple of years ago, sadly I dont think there is much happening in the near term.

mountainstar · 28 Nov 2011, 19:57 (Ref:2992602)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Duvall

I regularly visit New Zealand visiting my daughter but have never got round to offering my services to marshal. As I am usually in the Hawkes Bay area, Pukekohe is probably not a suitable location for me. I'm vaguely aware that there is a circuit at Taupo and even that is a fair journey. Are there any other circuits that are close to Hawkes Bay?

Taupo is an easy 2 hour rural drive from Napier on Highway 5, done it a few times. There is one section that is a bit higher in elevation that apparently in winter might get snow when a storm happens, but other than that it's a nice drive.

http://www.taupocarclub.org.nz/About-Us/

mountainstar · 28 Nov 2011, 20:00 (Ref:2992603)

Quote:

Originally Posted by The SpeCTator

Russ

20 minutes down the road from Pukekohe is Hampton Downs, a magnificent circuit that opened a couple of years ago, sadly I dont think there is much happening in the near term.

I think they've got a pretty busy schedule for the next year.

TrueBlueFlyer · 28 Nov 2011, 23:17 (Ref:2992701)

Quote:

Originally Posted by The SpeCTator

Russ

20 minutes down the road from Pukekohe is Hampton Downs, a magnificent circuit that opened a couple of years ago, sadly I dont think there is much happening in the near term.

I got invited to an event there next weekend December 10/11, apparently last event for the year in Auckland area... but unfortunately I have to be on the South Island for a function so will have to miss it until next year.

Definitely looking forward to it though, the more the merrier! (this time I'll remember to bring sunblock... didn't realize I was burning last Sunday until I was already burnt O

275 GTB-4 · 29 Nov 2011, 14:33 (Ref:2992977)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

I got invited to an event there next weekend December 10/11, apparently last event for the year in Auckland area... but unfortunately I have to be on the South Island for a function so will have to miss it until next year.

Definitely looking forward to it though, the more the merrier! (this time I'll remember to bring sunblock... didn't realize I was burning last Sunday until I was already burnt O

Hey Russ, didn't those Kiwis tell you about the hole in the ozone layer!! Thats why you find SPF 50 and 70 sunblock on their shelves!

Try and get to all the tracks on the Nth Island....and where will you be in the Sth?? there are a couple of tracks there as well...have fun...Cheers, Mick

Richard Duvall · 29 Nov 2011, 19:07 (Ref:2993096)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalcolmC

There's no permanent circuit in Hawke's Bay. Taupo and Manfeild are the closest, both about 2hrs drive from Hastings/Napier. The local car club is very active with sealed hillclimbs and rallying though so it's by no means a motorsport free zone.

Malcolm.

Next time I'm over I will give some serious thought to offering my services to marshal. Co-incidentally, I usually stay in Havelock North as that is where my daughter lives.

Shelagh · 4 Dec 2011, 18:00 (Ref:2995138)

We had a fantastic time in NZ and managed both Taupo and Pukekohe. Everybody was very kind - even if they thought we were a little bit mad - especially when we said we wouldn't be doing the final round of the A1GP at Brands because it was too far!!!

We didn't have long enough over there, so only saw some of the North Island. Definitely somewhere we really have to try to get back to. I can't recommend it enough.

TrueBlueFlyer · 7 Dec 2011, 00:38 (Ref:2996216)

My new Kiwi driver's license looks silly... the area below my glasses is burgundy red, lol

Had a great time volunteering at Pukekohe last weekend... Friday a mixed day with a little drizzle and a lot of sunshine... Saturday was scorching hot while Sunday was freezing cold, the rain started as we manned the post in the morning and didn't finish until the racing was over... then there was a very pleasant/almost sunny drive home.

Looking forward to checking out Taupo as well... a few guys I met volunteer at both places.

isoskim · 7 Dec 2011, 10:06 (Ref:2996351)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

My new Kiwi driver's license looks silly... the area below my glasses is burgundy red, lol

Had a great time volunteering at Pukekohe last weekend... Friday a mixed day with a little drizzle and a lot of sunshine... Saturday was scorching hot while Sunday was freezing cold, the rain started as we manned the post in the morning and didn't finish until the racing was over... then there was a very pleasant/almost sunny drive home.

Looking forward to checking out Taupo as well... a few guys I met volunteer at both places.

Thats Thunder in the Park for you

Though, I can't say I've been to one where we start the day with so many incidents (over my 5 years of volunteering so far).

**Woolley** · 7 Dec 2011, 13:30 (Ref:2996456)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

the rain started as we manned the post in the morning and didn't finish until the racing was over... then there was a very pleasant/almost sunny drive home.

That's pretty much standard up here. Sometimes I think it must be in the meeting regulations!

TrueBlueFlyer · 24 Dec 2011, 05:25 (Ref:3003794)

I ended up missing the Hampton Downs (last event of 2011) as much as I wanted to make it there, got stuck on the South Island thanks to a certain famous rugby player's wedding in Blenheim. Go figure! Flew down there on a $59 standby ticket to have a dinner with my Ozzie/American friends... something that has become a tradition now since the first dinner I attended in Cains, QLD in 2009. Spend the day at the airport on Saturday on another $59 stand-by fare but wouldn't you know every single one of those puddle-jumper planes they use were either completely full or overweight. (to the point that on one occasion they had to offload bags)

Missed Hampton Downs but instead got to spend two more days in the wine country... did a winery tour and then a boat trip in the Marlborough Sound... were lucky to have dolphins come up and play with the boat we were on, great photo ops. And generally had a really good time. Then, so not to risk it with the little BHE airport, my friend let me drive her car down to Christchurch where I caught the same stand-by flight I was meant to do a few days earlier. While driving down saw quite a few race cars being trailered up from further south... must have been from one of those S. Island racetracks Mick mentioned.

I can't wait for the holidays to be over so I can get back to the track on the weekends. I'm told there's quite a few back to back events at Pukekohe and Hampton Downs... even a weekend in Taupo... that I'm especially looking forward to.

One nice thing about the holiday season is the great deals on Air New Zealand Grabaseat promotion.... during their 12 days to Christmas countdown I managed to book like 10 flights around the N. Island... I think I'll literally end up sightseeing the whole island from the air.... They were being slick on dates of travel though, offering tickets for nearly the same week in March... so I booked a whole lot of day trips. I think I'll have to rent a place to stay near the airport because I'll be flying somewhere every day from March 27th to April 1st. LOL

By the way, if there's any New Zealand officials on the North island that live near to Whakatane, Kerikeri, Taupo, Hamilton, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Palmerston North or Wellington... come meet me at your local airport and I'll buy you lunch! Just take me for a spin for half an hour and drop me off back at the airport so I can fly back to Auckland, lol I'm really looking forward to these trips, I love flying.

...anyway, I'm writing a novel here. Happy holidays everyone!

--Russ

mountainstar · 24 Dec 2011, 07:00 (Ref:3003813)

I've never heard of anyone puddle jumping 10 times around the North Island, that's pretty wild. You might be able to drive quicker to some towns by the time you go through all the waiting at the airport

While you are in New Zealand make sure you get out and do some driving on track. There are a number of companies that have drive experiences available. There is also a decent rally school in Hamilton. If you need any info for them, PM me and I will forward it to you.

**Woolley** · 24 Dec 2011, 22:43 (Ref:3004041)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

I think I'll have to rent a place to stay near the airport because I'll be flying somewhere every day from March 27th to April 1st. LOL

Motels are the best value option, most are pretty good and very friendly/

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainstar

You might be able to drive quicker to some towns by the time you go through all the waiting at the airport

Not to mention getting to see some of the wonderful scenery you're currently passing over.

mountainstar · 25 Dec 2011, 00:50 (Ref:3004071)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woolley

Not to mention getting to see some of the wonderful scenery you're currently passing over.

Yes, the South Island I prefer 10 times over for driving roads(better scenery, less traffic, friendlier drivers), but there are some good driving roads on the North Island that have reasonable scenery and not a lot of traffic.

TrueBlueFlyer · 26 Dec 2011, 06:43 (Ref:3004220)

I've done a few short trips with a buddy of mine mostly to the north of Auckland... with the most recent trip up to Omaha Beach yesterday. We plan to drive the "Pacific Coast Highway" down to Napier at some point soon... but with the price of petrol, flying there was much cheaper. Though I'm sure we'll drive it anyway.

I've driven myself from Picton/Blenheim to Christchurch recently and it was awesome. Will have to do some more trips further south.

The flights I booked came to $5 per ticket on average. The most I paid was $10 per segment, the least was $1 fare. I've got a bunch of them... So I'll be visiting: Whakatane, Rotorua, Tauranga, Kerikeri, Hamilton, Taupo, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, and Wellington (twice) over the course of a few days. I love flying so for me the trip on the tiny puddle-jumper plane is the main attraction, the destination is just a bonus.

275 GTB-4 · 26 Dec 2011, 20:12 (Ref:3004343)

How was the landing at New Plymouth? usually quite "interesting"!!! :-)

TrueBlueFlyer · 26 Dec 2011, 21:41 (Ref:3004360)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 275 GTB-4

How was the landing at New Plymouth? usually quite "interesting"!!! :-)

I'll let you know in March

The real interesting part will be me trying to make this flight, I booked it before I booked my trip to Malaysia for the GP there... so I arrive from Singapore at 11am, clear immigration and customs as quickly as possible and run across to the domestic terminal for the New Plymouth flight

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainstar

While you are in New Zealand make sure you get out and do some driving on track. There are a number of companies that have drive experiences available. There is also a decent rally school in Hamilton. If you need any info for them, PM me and I will forward it to you.

I've done the V8 Race experience at Calder Park in Victoria when I lived in Australia... that was a lot of fun, though quite pricey from what I remember. The rally thing sounds interesting, I'll PM you for details once I get myself more situated here. My plans sort of drop off completely after March/April. LOL

**Woolley** · 26 Dec 2011, 22:29 (Ref:3004377)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

drive the "Pacific Coast Highway" down to Napier at some point soon...

Napier to Gisborne is a wonderful trip. Gisborne to Whakatane through the gorge even better. Would have enjoyed it more if I'd filled up with fuel and not been down to vapour before seeing another garage!

Other thing to think about for Marshalling NZ is Jet Boats which are pretty exciting.

mountainstar · 26 Dec 2011, 22:54 (Ref:3004386)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woolley

Napier to Gisborne is a wonderful trip. Gisborne to Whakatane through the gorge even better. Would have enjoyed it more if I'd filled up with fuel and not been down to vapour before seeing another garage!

Other thing to think about for Marshalling NZ is Jet Boats which are pretty exciting.

Those are 2 of the roads I'd recommend as well. The Whakatane to Gisborne route I remember once you go past Opotiki, it was pretty empty country and a nice drive. Gisborne is pretty isolated. A girl I flirted around with for a few years was from there and she didn't see a shopping mall until she was 22 years old.

Gisborne to Napier I've driven at night and I remember it was a pretty wild ride of twisties. Would like to see it in the day.

mountainstar · 26 Dec 2011, 22:55 (Ref:3004387)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

I've done the V8 Race experience at Calder Park in Victoria when I lived in Australia... that was a lot of fun, though quite pricey from what I remember. The rally thing sounds interesting, I'll PM you for details once I get myself more situated here. My plans sort of drop off completely after March/April. LOL

The different ones in NZ I think are pretty reasonable for what they are.

Are you doing the 1 year working holiday visa?

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