First newsletter - Alpine Classic 2009

After a substantial amount of planning and scheming we are now in a position to outline the 2009 Alpine Classic Tour.

Calling all classic and vintage vehicle owners and crews!

The event is open to all classic and vintage vehicle owners and crews who meet the Tour car and driver criteria. Membership of the Classic Motoring Society is a prerequisite to entry. Organisers reserve the right to restrict entries or exclude entrants considered unsuitable for the event. If you have any questions about eligibility give us a call.

Saab 96 at Mt Cook in the snow As in past years, the Alpine Classic will be run over a combination of sealed and well formed gravel roads, with drivers given the option where ever possible to avoid unsealed sections and take alternative sealed routes if they wish. Because of the distances involved in this Alpine event the majority of the roads will be sealed major roads with small segments of unsealed roads to keep the ‘gravel rash’ brigade happy.

Back in late 2007, after the last Alpine, late one evening whilst telling anybody that would listen that we would not ever organise another Alpine, (if this is starting to sound like a fairy tale please bear with us), we decided that given our combined lack of history/knowledge we would attempt to rectify this abysmal lack of schooling as we toured over the South Islands alpine passes in 2009. From this small acorn grew the mighty 2009 Alpine event.

The Brief Outline

We will start at the Memorial Hall in Kaikoura with a drivers' briefing. From there we will travel by bus to the Takahanga Marae where we will be formally welcomed onto the marae by Mark Solomon currently the Kaiwhakahaere (Chairman) of Te Rünanga o Ngäi Tahu (a 600 million dollar enterprise). Following an explanation of the welcome ceremony Mark will outline local Ngäi Tahu history and other things Maori. After lunch on the marae we will return to our cars and depart for Hokitika. There are no formal events on Friday evening in Hokitika.

On Saturday morning we hope to hear from a local Maori elder on the significance of pounamu (greenstone) in both an economic and cultural sense to Maori. We will then cruise up the West Coast, through the Buller Gorge and on up to Nelson for Saturday evening.

You will be bussed from the main Nelson accommodations (Newmans have some period coaches we hope to use) to the WOW museum. At the World of Wearable Art Centre we will partake pre-dinner canapés in the World of Wearable Art Gallery and then dine amongst the vehicles in the WOW Classic Car Museum. There will be a band for your entertainment and later in the evening we will have access to the second building of classic cars.

Sunday morning will se us start from the WOW carpark travelling down to a finish at the Mudhouse at Waipara

As always, if at all possible, the organisers will be looking for snow!

NB: Tidy casual dress is essential for the marae welcome. NO “fancy dress”, thank you.

Factoids

Did you know that if you find pounamu in any New Zealand river, that as long as your are able to carry it out you can keep it.

Along the Clarence River flats beside S H 1 Ngai Tahu cultivated 40 hectares of kumara annually for local consumption and trade in pre-European times. Consider the manpower needed to carryout this enterprise.

The location of the present day Pegasus Township development was a very significant ‘manufacturing’ site for pounamu, argillite and obsidian tools by the local Ngai Tahu. The site probably had a permanent population of several thousand people.

General

Some of the cars at the start at Pleasant Point As in previous years, we stress that this is a touring event designed to provide an exciting and scenic touring experience, with no competitive driving element. All participants will be expected to demonstrate the highest standards of driver courtesy and road behaviour and comply with all New Zealand road rules at all times. Participants found to be failing to comply with organisers directions or applicable road laws are liable for immediate exclusion from the event.

The entry fee for 2009 has been set at $480 per car (2 persons), with an extra person surcharge of $200 per head. The entry fee will include start and finish functions, transport to the Saturday night meal in Nelson, the formal Saturday night meal, along with alpine plates and decals (and an Alpine momento if you finish!).

The success of the Alpine Classic Tour over recent years can be largely attributed to the “Alpine Spirit” brought onto the event by the rapidly growing number of “Alpine” enthusiasts who take part. Once again, appropriate attire is considered an integral part of the event. Our dinner location on the Saturday evening probably limits the use of the flags at this celebration.

The Tour dinner is being held at the WOW World of Wearable Art & Classic Cars Museum which should provide a unique dining experience. As in previous Alpines, there is a band for late evening entertainment.

This year’s Alpine has an obvious theme of “Wearable Art” which we believe gives you a very wide brief to develop your artistic skills. Given the number of American cars in the WOW collection a possible sub-theme of ‘rock n roll’ will also be welcomed. We encourage all participants to enter into the spirit of the event and wear appropriate attire at all times but recognise that most of us will probably just dress up for the Saturday night function. A “Spirit of the Event” trophy will be the premium award for the Tour.

Entry Form

An entry form is included with this newsletter and a completed form plus the full entry fee will be required to secure a place on the event. Places may be limited by accommodation constraints but a full “wait list” will be run.

Please send your accommodation form directly to Travel Smart Ashburton, along with your $100 deposit. If you pay your deposit by direct credit (details on accommodation form) please ensure you use the code CMS and your surname as a reference.

To Finish

Remember to take copies of the completed forms so you know what you’re doing!! Also, please send a copy of your accommodation form to us as well so our minds at put at ease about your accommodation.

We look forward to sharing another Alpine Classic Tour with you. If you have any queries don’t hesitate to contact us.

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