2003 Alpine Classic Report

It's hard to know where to start as I had such a good time.  No, we didn't find snow this year so the chains just gathered dust in the boot (literally) but there certainly was a lot of snow on the mountains and it all looked absolutely wonderful.  We drove over some magnificent roads and had lots of fun with many opportunities for the all important socialising!

The start was from Cave, inland from Timaru, at 11am.  When we arrived at 10.30am(ish) we thought that we'd be early and have a chance to set up the flags and talk to the caterers and generally be calm and collected by the time everyone arrived.  But we'd forgotten the basic rule of these events: everyone is on HOLIDAY and KEEN and wants to catch up with everyone else.

So by the time we arrived at 10.30am we were almost one of the last to get there.  The caterers were vaguely flustered (but hiding it well) as the first car had arrived at 9.30am!!  That carload got directed to the historic church over the hill for a looksee so that the caterers didn't feel too pressured.  By the way, the caterers were the Cannington School parents (27 children) and the newly formed Cave Playgroup combined.  It's always fun when we go to these small townships and completely fill the place.  There were cars parked and down the street and jammed in around the hall.

Lunch was magnificent and was followed by the usual drivers' briefing and awarding of the floppy licorice awards.  As Geoff Ridley handed these out he did mention that they now came hygienically wrapped which did make them rather more appealing than on previous events.  The awards were given to: Simon Reid (travelling with his father, Graeme) who had returned from England especially for the Alpine (or so we were led to believe); Bruce Keddie & Leslie McIntosh for having the only typed entry; and Phil & Betty Ornstien for requesting king sized beds everywhere.

Then there was to be an orderly departure in numerical order, which was a bit of a challenge for some participants!!  By this time the Cannington School children had been bused over to see all the cars and wave us off, which they did most enthusiastically.  What people didn't see was the same children's reaction when they were let into the Cave hall to finish off the lunch — 'wow' was the main word used.

We were the last car to leave Cave (often seems to be the way, I'm not really sure why) so we didn't expect to catch up with anyone.  Drove over wonderful undulating hills including some excellent smooth gravel roads but it was the 2nd ford that was the undoing of some participants.

A warning had been placed in the notes about the base of the ford which was concrete posts laid down side by side.  As we eased our way up to it we came across a little blue Fiat having just been pulled out of the ford having been stationary in the middle!  Apparently a gear linkage bolt had dropped out.  And the car was owned by a mechanic (John Harman).

They had good support from a Saab owned by Brian Wearing who had towed them out of the ford before the support 4-wheel drive of Peter Clarke arrived to tow them to a flat area where they could actually get the bolt back in.

Shortly after that we came across a grader creating a shingle hummock n the middle of the road that went on for quite a long way.  Bet he was staggered as we all streamed past him.

Travelling on to Tekapo, we stopped for coffee on the side of the lake so once again were running completely at the back of the field and didn't expect to see anyone again.  We'd decided not to do the Braemar Road as the notes mentioned a much more interesting option further ahead so leap frogged up the queue to be part of the confusion on the canal road where the setters of the route had set a little trap for us, the participants.

There was an odd instruction involving an acute left, a loch, a gate and a right turn that most of us just didn't get.  Comprehension dawned when one tour participant opened the gate, drove around the tiniest lake you've ever seen and exited by the second gate.  Lynching seemed too good for the planners of the route (Geoff Ridley and Graeme Matheson) but if you'd followed their instructions to the letter, they would have worked so I guess we shouldn't abuse them too loudly.

Then there was a warning in the notes that there were 3 options available up ahead including one that was NOT recommended!  Guess which route 80% of the tour participants took?  It sounded too interesting to leave unexplored as it involved crossing the Ohau River weir and then travelling down a VERY (note the emphasis!) rough road.  And boy, was it ever rough but once you'd started on it, there was no way you'd turn back!  But the boys in the 4-wheel drive that were pruning out Wilding pines looked completely staggered to see all these mad classic car drivers wending their was down what looked like a river bed at times.  Getting back on to the main road was both a relief and an anticlimax.

Then it was a quick blast down to Omarama and the compulsory fuel stop by now.  Unfortunately for some tour participants the local law enforcement were out in force and remarkably picky!  But we're not naming names.

Another shingle option hove into view shortly after the Lindis which had to be taken but was nowhere as adventurous as the previous one.  Then it was a quick run out to the Clutha River, past Luggate and on through the dusk into Cromwell.  By the time we made it in, the ticket collectors had given us up as they thought everyone must have been back but just forgotten to return their tags!

The next day was beautifully clear with drivers' briefing at 8.30am.  Some people were looking a little seedy and those that had taken up the Taieri Gorge Railway option had already headed out of town.  Once again the floppy licorice awards were handed out:  Brian Wearing won one for importing a co-driver in from Christchurch overnight!

We did our usual inefficient departure which included a pancake breakfast at the local restaurant, by which time the only participants left were those that were getting their cars repaired (Mel and Gill Peters) or those that were abandoning their cars (Max and Merilyn Clarke)!  The Clarkes the previous day had turned down Warren Burt's enthusiastic offer of helping them to repair their car on the side of the shingle road as being a good practice run for the Peking to Paris!

Stephanie Royds