Folks Of Interest Question For The New Zealand Members

My wife and I were talking the other day about the possibility of taking a trip to New Zealand. Just wonder how big the hot rod scene is there and when would be an optimal time to visit. Not quite at the planning stages, just want to gather some info.

 

I'm not down there, but keep in mind that when it's Summer here it's Winter down there.

 

If you do go to New Zealand, contact Brian and Liz Smith in Paeroa. This is their cell phone number, 6421757192. They own an early Ford parts store there. I am quite sure that they will help you out.

 

Kinda like OZ although their summer don’t appear as extreme as OZ

 

There is something on virtually every weekend, but the ‘main’ things seem to be,
January - March.
Kumeu Car show - 3rd weekend January (Auckland area)
Muscle Car Madness - South Island - late January
Beach Hop - Whangamata - late March - more ‘60’s cars, but still some hot rods. Similar perhaps, to Cooly Rocks in Coolangata.
These are probably the biggest events, google them to see more.

If you get to Invercargill, - Richardson Truck Museum is a must see, in my opinion.
Best Automotive museum in New Zealand but mainly trucks - again, just my opinion.

Beautiful scenery all year round that varies with the seasons and is quite different between the North and South Island.
.

 

They run - Ajays Ford V8 Parts.

 

Of course my wife will have some interests as well. Figured car car related activities on the weekend then tourist kinda stuff of the weekdays

 

As Clem posted there is alot on over our summer months (essentially Dec through to April).
There generally is something car (Hot Rod) related on most weekends over summer, just depends on what parts of the country you want to see and how long you will be here for.

 

A lot of tourists fly into Christchurch, hire a car and do the South Island, Queenstown, etc, drive up the Island, cross the ferry, (we prefer Bluebridge, not the alternative),
then drive the main island (North Island), and fly out of Auckland.
Or vise versa, fly into Auckland and out from Christchurch.

 

I would like to think that all Kiwi car guys are very hospitable. Just make contact with someone on here and let them know your plans etc, they would hook you up with some shed tours and steer you in the right direction for car events as well.
I can say this personally as we came here 30 years ago from Australia. Dont let anyone know as I'm trying to keep it a secret, lol. I can guarantee that if I was to break down anywhere in this country, we would get help and probably a bed for the night as this has happened a few times over the years, happy trails, cheers

 

That’s the impression I get from the car guys. Don’t personally know anyone there except for the occasional chat on this forum. I’d love to bring my 52 Dodge pickup over and run with you guys.

 

Kinda like OZ although their summer don’t appear as extreme as OZ

Lol , Yes our summers are way cooler, just don't go comparing us to them over there in Australia,,lol

 

The car culture in NZ is probably the highest per capita in the world.
NZ has a total population of less then 1/3 of Greater Los Angeles but we have over 5000 Competition Cars with log books, then add to that Dirt Cars, Off Roader's ,Drift Cars and minor classes
This does Not including Hot Rods etc

The best time to visit is NZ is late February / Early March when our weather is dry and warm [all the rugrats are back at skool]
The biggest event in Feb is Beach Hop in a seaside town called Whangamata
They usually get 2000+ entrants and attracts between 40,000 and 80,000 people each year.

There is a couple of satellite towns that also have "spill-over" shows during this week

Happy Wife = Less Strife. [stay away from our beaches, or you'll get whiplashed eyeballs and a whack around the head from the wife]
There is a lot more to see of NZ and every thing is only a few hours drive from where you set up .

Where I live, I can have breakfast at the beach, then drive inland to the ski-fields [to play in the fluffy snow] then drive back to the beach for dinner all on the same day.

There would be a few hoops to jump through to bring your Dodge down under. You can get a temporary registration for specific events [eg: Beach hop ]
Temp rego means the car must leave NZ after a specific nominated time period. International Rally cars do this all the time.

Personally , Leave your car at home, it would add too much stress to your visit . Bring your camera instead.
When I visited USA 20+ years ago I took a pile of "McLaren" baseball caps and T-shirts with me to give away [this opened a lot of doors for me]
Try and do something similar ........ It works wonders.

For the Wife, I recommend flying to Sydney Australia [stay there for a few days] , and jumping on a cruise ship back to NZ [10-13 days] this will circumnavigate NZ and see the Fjords etc

Females love this .... and by the time you get off the ship You are totally in relaxed mode.... Then hit the local car scene [this is a "give and take" scenario]
Plus cruise ships are cheaper than road trips when you factor Rental, Accommodation, Gas, and Meals

Everything is within reasonable distance in NZ and there is a lot to see [apart from cars] So try and do both.

You're welcome to look me up [and keep in touch] We can have a coffee or beer together in my back yard ,and I can introduce you to a lot of boring car guys [and swap "war stories"]

 

late March generally…….

taken from their website…….

Beach Hop 25 Dates · 26th – 30th March 2025 · Repco Beach Hop 25 Dates · 26th – 30th March 2025
.

 

If that’s your backyard that’s nice. I don’t see any shade so I assume the sun doesn’t get too intense. Here in Phoenix the sun is intense. Been 109 average the past few days with no change at night. When the sun goes down evening with that 109 temp isn’t too bad.

 

My backyard has sweeping views over the harbour and city.
this is sweeping further around



In summer the temps are approx 78° to 85° range but that can fool you.
When I was last in Arizona , when I took off my sunglasses it was like staring into a hairdryer [hot wind]] NZ is the opposite.
We get cool breezes off the pacific which mask the intensity of the sun giving a false sense of security.
Our UV is the highest in the world, and during summer you can get sunburnt in 8-12 mins [SO BRING SUNBLOCK]

The plus side to this UV is everything is green [a North American pine tree can fully mature in 12-16 years]
This is a local park 10 miles from our place.


A real "Kiwi" thing is picnics at the local beaches and parks [due to the clean environment] Our local govt has provided Free BBQ's for this [they even pay for the propane] so most diners are usually "to-go"

So there are park benches and picnic tables everywhere , or you simply park your vehicle and listen to music and enjoy your coffee and food.
But be prepared for a few extra "guests" that invite themselves [they aren't scared of people]




Most NZers love birds and wildlife.

These are the most dangerous Snakes in NZ [they slowly kill you with diabetes]



These are at a local "Cars'n'Coffee" the 1st Sunday of every month [to keep this post HAMB friendly]

 

Thanks for the write up, Kerry.
Looks even nicer than my bit of the planet.
It's too hot for me when it's over 70 F. But then there's a big difference between sitting in the shade with a refreshing drink, and working in the hot sun.

 

BC isn’t too bad, maybe higher in humidity

We lived in Yakima, WA for almost 40 years. Enjoyed the 4seasons until after 30 years. From then on it would be summer one day, winter the next. That got old so we re-located to Arizona. That a pretty nice view, reminds me of lake Washington in the summer

 

We don't sit out in the sun drinking [you get dehydrated and hammered too easily] and you lose track of the time and the next day you're totally burnt

The North Island of NZ is very similar to the Pacific Northwest
And we also have a desert [very small though]


One thing that we don't have in NZ [and Aussie] is the "Tipping Culture" , any prices listed are that's it .
If you buy a $8 beer ,they don't expect a $5.00 tip just to slide it 18" across the counter.
The staff are paid a liveable wage by law

Our prices listed to the public are required to incl all taxes. [no extras unless they are optional]
I got a lesson from a motel in Ontario Canada which I thought was really cheap , until I got rorted out of all these "bed taxes, tourism taxes, sales taxes" which almost doubled the price

This is a Caldera [a volcanic crater] at Waiotapu where you can walk around inside the caldera.


[When it stops bubbling , then it is time to run for your life ]


This whole thermal area is only 45 mins from my place

Another place called "Hells Gate" has a new volcano slowly forming



Here's another "token" car shot to stay on the theme.

 

One thing I don’t like about OZ is there too many things that can bite you, sting you and eat you and that’s in the city. Sydney Funnel Web Spider, King Brown and Crocs aren’t my cup of tea.

 

In 2012 my wife and I did the North Island using a hire car including Napier (art deco buildings) Whangamata (pronounced Fangamata if I remember right) and then the ferry to the South island to Picton. Did the run to Nelson for a look at the car museum and well worth it. We then drove to Greymouth and caught the train to Christchurch across the Alpine way. Beautiful trip especially the scenery but Christchurch was still suffering after the earth quakes. Flew back to Australia from Christchurch after sitting through some small 'quakes' while waiting for a taxi at the motel. Hope to go back one day to do the lower part of the South Island including Invercargill.

 

Hey Terry, how far are you from Mordor?

 

All that volcanic activity is a 40-45 min drive from my city.
6 miles away at the base of Mount Maunganui [an extinct Volcano] we have geothermal salt water hot pools which make me wonder how "extinct" the volcano actually is.


@spanners about 1/2 hour north of Whangamata [near Hahei] is a place called "Hotwater Beach" you take a spade with you and dig a hole in the sand and there is boiling water in the beach , it is much cooler at high tide.
10 minutes down the same road is "Cathedral Cove" but it is a 40 minute hike
This is Cathedral Cove



@Beanscoot
Mordor in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was filmed at Tongariro National Park [The desert photo in my previous post]
The Ski-Fields on that mountain are only 2-1/2 hours from my place.

The other "Lord of the Rings" film set [Called Hobbiton] is only 40 mins in the other direction


Here's some real scenery

 

Really great info and pictures, keep them coming

 

Yeah that’s great info Kerry, you should get paid by tourism NZ!

But as Kerry and others have said, NZ is a neat place.

 

Would agree that the Richardson transport museum in Invercargill is a great place to visit. They also have a would class motorcycle museum there now and of course the Hayes hardware store which has cars and motorcycles including Burt Munro's bike and memorabilia. Beach Hop is stuff that you would see any weekend over there and you will be fighting for space with the masses. Would bypass that and go to the Hot Rod Blowout which is on the same weekend at Merermere drag strip just south of Auckland and features more of the stuff appropriate to this site.

 

Yeah, have a couple of past issues of Old Kool Rods and they talk about the Beach Hop. Something like 100,000 people converging on a small town. That would be a bit to much for me. I’d prefer more smaller gatherings such as Car N Coffee or local Cruise Ins. Are there mid week gatherings?

 

I wouldn't waste my time at Beach Hop, personally, prices are jacked up and too many Mustangs for my liking. I went to the first 5 and never again. Thats just my opinion. Heaps of people enjoy it, obviously.
Definitely The Blowout. Chris and his mates put on a great day. Beter now that it is at Meremere. Mid-week gatherings do happen, not so much where I live though.

 

I was the same. It was an eye opener even back then (2012). The main reason we went was a mate of mine, Stewie "Soup" Campbell's son is in the Flattrackers band so he suggested going there. Sitting on the grass surrounded by hotrods and customs listening to the Flattrackers (look them up on Youtube) ripping into their style of rockabilly was the highlight.