Information on the Classic Marathon 2010

March 7th — 11th, 2010, North Island, New Zealand

We are now pleased to open entries to the 2010 Classic  Marathon and we outline below details of the event, information on accommodation and an entry form.  We’re calling this the Wildlife Classic Marathon and it covers the lower North Island.

The Dates

Saturday March 6th to Thursday 11th
We encourage participants to get together in Petone (Wellington) for the evening of Saturday March 6th.  An informal dinner will be available in Petone on Saturday evening.

The event will start on Sunday morning (7th) with a drivers briefing at 8.30am, and cars departing from 9am for the first day’s motoring to Hastings.

Over the next five days, the route will follow a loop round the North Island, travelling some of New Zealand’s most scenic roads and offering participants the opportunity to experience many of our special tourist and cultural attractions.

And purely by coincidence we will be using a number of the roads used in the 2009 Targa. Our event was plotted, (based on an idea from Geoff Ridley) by the two Graemes, assisted by a motorsport stalwart from Wellington - John Rapley. The Graemes and John are ex-Gold Star trialists with some experience in Rallying.  They have used a mixture of good quality gravel and sealed roads to ensure a pleasant and varied driving experience.

On Thursday evening of March 11th, we arrive back in Petone for a celebration dinner and farewell.

The Route

The route has been chosen and plotted to provide driving challenges and stunning scenery in the North Island.

As with previous Marathons, a proportion of the driving will be on well formed gravel roads.  Participants will be free to choose alternative sealed routes to each night’s destination.  These will be shown in the route book.

Event organisers will provide road information for the day at a drivers’ briefing each morning.  Drivers have total responsibility for the route they choose each day, related to their own driving experience, the suitability of their vehicle and their sight seeing preferences.

Daily kilometres are about 380 to 420 per day , except day three which is a relatively short run of 160 kilometers to give you time explore Rotorua or go through to Waitomo and experience some of the activities there, including the Glow Worm Caves or Black Water Rafting.

Daily Highlights

Day 1    Petone (Wellington) to Hastings    369km
  7th    via east coast road

Day 2    Hastings to Rotorua    366km
  8th

Day 3    Rotorua to Waitomo    150km
  9th    via Arapuni
    Group dinner at Waitomo Hotel

Day 4    Waitomo to Wanganui    390km
  10th

Day 5    Wanganui to Petone    264km
  11th    End of tour dinner

Accommodation

Will be at hotels or motels and will be arranged for participants on a first in, first served basis as it will be high season and necessarily limited. Details are attached.

Entrants are free to make their own accommodation or camping arrangements if they wish.

Vehicles

This is a Classic Motoring Society event and so owners of all vehicles entered and driven in the Marathon should be able to justify their selection on some basis of “classic”, “interest” or “entertainment” value.

The final decision on vehicle eligibility will rest with the organisers. If you have any doubts about suitability, you are welcome to contact the organisers for a definitive opinion.

All vehicles must have a current WOF and remain roadworthy and warrantable at all times during the event.

Fees

Registration Fees for the event will cover administration costs, tour giveaways and apparel, prizes, mid tour and end of tour dinners.

It is the policy of CMSNZ that all tours will be financially neutral with the tour costs being met in total from entry fees. Some organising expenses are being met given that the event is North Island based. It should be noted that the organisers also pay a full entry fee.

Registration fee (2 people) maximum    $550.00 (members)
Early bird fee (2 people) maximum    $500.00 (members)
Early bird registration fees are applicable for entries confirmed and paid in full before December 11th, 2009.

Additional crew members will cost $152 per person. Entry from current non members will be subject to an additional fee of $25 per car which will give membership and allow the Society to meet its 3rd Party insurance obligations.

The entry fees stated are the maximum and if the numbers of entries exceeds those partaking in the last two Marathons we will refund a portion of the stated fees.

Why is it Called the Wildlife Marathon?

You will recall that the 2008 tour was called the Gateway Marathon and we used over 70 gateways during the tour.

The plotters are pleased to report that there is only ONE gateway this year and that gravel roads, without exception, are of a much better standard than those used in 2008 on the mountain passes.

What they did encounter was a wide variety of wildlife ranging from horses, pigs, a donkey, sheep, cattle, geese, turkeys (of both the feathered and human kind), ducks and pheasants, to name a few.  Not all of them were on the road sides but some were. Hence this year’s name.

We also encountered the odd slow moving chicane in the form of a very old Bedford van, a human chicane who insisted on walking down the middle of a gravel road and the odd tractor.

General Information

The Classic Marathon is not a competitive event in any sense.  You are encouraged to fully participate, interact and enjoy yourselves. A route book will guide you if you choose to follow the plotted route, but the navigation is not designed to get you lost! It is designed to get you, without too many arguments or matrimonials, to the next comfortable meal and accommodation.

Drinking and driving do not mix.

Drivers are required to uphold a high standard of driving skill, courtesy and compliance at all times.

This focus particularly includes allowing faster cars to pass on rough and dusty road sections. Organisers may limit the access of vehicles to some roads plotted if this courtesy is not observed.  Likewise, overtaking drivers must pay high regard to the welfare of other tour members and road users and their cars.

The event is unlikely to include a “Tail End Charlie” (TEC).  So all participants must be able to service, repair or repatriate their own vehicles. We expect all entrants to provide assistance to any other entrant where they can.

We trust that you will find this event challenging and enjoyable and we look forward to having you with us.

We welcome any suggestions or comments that will keep this five day event one of the serious “classic” events on our calendar.