New Zealand 2017

[38 coupe]

I just got married earlier this year and we are planning a very belated honeymoon. We are going to attend the 2017 Early Ford V8 Club meet in New Zealand. Since we live in Houston Texas we are hoping for some advice on visiting New Zealand in general, and on the V8 club meet in Napier in specific.

We are thinking about flying into Napier, going to the meet, then staying in New Zealand for a second week of exploration. We are also considering flying into Auckland and driving to Napier. What advice can the New Zealand residents give us?

Thanks!

[KiWinUS]

Visit the South Island !!!!

[swoopNZ]

If you only have 2 weeks...
Fly into Auckland.
Then fly on down to Napier.
Attend the EFV8 meet.
Fly from Napier to Wellington and on to Christchurch.
Take the Trans Alpine train over to Greymouth ( about 5 hours ).
Bus down to Franz Josef, stay the night, then continue by Bus down to Te Anau.
Stay overnight and take the day trip into Milford Sound.
From Te Anau head over to Queenstown and stay a couple of nights.
Fly from Queenstown back to Auckland.

I spent some time in Odessa and Kilgore many years ago.
We are good people down here but lock up your valuables.

[KiWinUS]

Right on Swoop !!!
Now I would include going to Invercargill , the Truck Museum = AMAZING best 3-5 hours you could spend !!! ( about to include the Nelson motorcycle collection ) & Hayes Hardware Store to see the awesome "Original" Bert Munro Special & all the cool stuff that were Berts & you thought were only movie props ! A museum in itself along with being an awesome hardware store ! Be sure to meet Neville Hayes a grreat friend of many of my very close friends !

[Brian]

Great choice on hunny moon venue!! I think NZ as a whole, has so much to offer tourists that, although we're only small in size, compared to the States, there is no way you can fit it all in in a two week timeframe. Obviously, taking in the V8 nationals in Napier is gonna keep you happy, your lovely bride is also gonna want to be entertained.
You'll not get a direct flight into Napier; you'll fly into Auckland. From there you can either drive or fly onto Napier. Be advised, we drive on the other side of the road from you guys!
I think you'll find that us Kiwis are a friendly lot.
You do not 'tip' for services rendered over here.
I am sure you'll get many suggestions from the Kiwis on here, all good, well intentioned. Without knowing your exact travel plans [which you're obviously in the process of formulating], anything is possible.
Personally, I think a road trip would be the way to go, you are more than welcome to stay at my place [2 1/2 hrs south from Napier - on your way to South Island], and you could probably find several more Kiwibarners who would put you up, show you their collections/ local sites. Some of them might even interest your wife, [just so it's not all car related]
I think you'll get a great response from the Kiwis on board here.
Enjoy.

[Brian]

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For example....Masterton, my hometown, boasts the world's largest flying collection of WW1 aircraft, courteous Sir Peter Jackson, the film director. You can actually 'touch' these things, maybe even get a flight!

[trevo]

Hi 38 coupe,
Most likely my wife and I will attend the meet in 2017 we live comfortably here in Napier and would be happy to host you for a time best PM me swap email address if you are keen congratulations anyway as for visiting NZ happy to make suggestions best go online and work out what interests you both NZ is a mountainous country our roads away from the big centres are relatively narrow and care must be taken with our terrain again research will help you cheers

[Voycey]

If you get to Masterton visit Pointons Car Museum, Magoos Street Rods and Gasoline Alley in Carterton. Shoot over the hill to Wellington to Southwards Car Museum it is a great set up, 250 cars including Marlene Dietrichs 34 Caddy.

[swoopNZ]

They are from Texas.
Air New Zealand now have a direct flight from Houston to Auckland.
About 12 hours in a Boeing 777.
Texas is a pretty flat State over most of it.
The mountainous terrain of the South Island and Milford Sound will impress them.
Along with the flights into Wellington and out of Queenstown.
They will not have time to visit many places - hence my idea of an itinerary.
Driving themselves will eat up too much time - let the Bus Driver do it.
I visited the Jerry J Moore car museum in Houston ( long gone now )
Made Southwards look like Horopito.

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Swoop I enjoyed Southwards but Horopito is better!

38 coupe
If you're into Art Deco, Napier is the Art Deco capital of NZ. The reason it is that Napier was well and truly F'd by an earthquake in 1931 and had to be rebuilt. Kiwis will ensure you have a good time here.

GB

[fordlovr]

Hi 38 Coupe. Hope to see you in Napier, I just sent in my registration, Its limited to 200 people and registration closes 31st October, so don't shag about to long, although I'm sure they would find space for you. I will have a 9 hour drive each way with a 3 hour Ferry crossing each way in the middle, so am looking forward to a great trip, although not as EPIC as Old Henry's !! cheers

[trevo]

38 coupe,the EFV8 Club is very strong in the Hawkes Bay and generally classicars/ motorcycles also very prevalent in the area as suggested ArtDeco is well worth researching online its a fabulous time mid Feb interestingly NZ was a drop off place being at the bottom of the world for lots of cars/ motorcycles that now today are so rare and desirable sadly many have been re exported due to the high values a Packard phaeton has recently left for Germany sadly but the values internationally means they often end up going overseasmy mate has an 34 Auburn Speedster one of 5 produced sitting locally in a shed alongside
fabulous Packards and Buicks rare Fords also exist!

[Karl]

Happy to provide accommodation at our home if required . We are 2 hours South of Napier but on the west side of the lower North Island. Brian is on the East side and that side offers a bit more in Tourist stuff- Peter Jackson's museum is amazing but so are the Martinborough vineyards. Yum Yum !

[Bored&Stroked]

This whole thread is what I love about the Kiwis - great, hospitable and fun people . . . and one bad-ass rugby team! (Now don't get all excited). I've had the pleasure of spending some time in New Zealand - hope to make a trip once again.

[47Merc]

Hi 38 Coupe
I live in Australia and have just spent 2 weeks in New Zealand motoring around the North Island.
We stayed in motels all the way and some of them were very nice but the 2 nights we spent in Napier we were at the Pebble Beach Motor Inn which is right in the city and it was the best by far of any that we stayed at. I would stay there again any time.
http://www.pebblebeach.co.nz/

The Speights Ale House is also a great place for an evening meal.

I would also echo the itinerary that swoop gave you but I would drive from Auckland to Napier through Rotorua so you can see some of the country and then leave the car there and fly out.

[FlatheadTed]

If your are heading to Auckland ,contact me and I can show you around some of the Ford collections ,/tourist sites ,Ted

[swoopNZ]

Plenty of art deco in Galveston.
Museums in Houston - go to the Johnson space centre.

[38 coupe]

Thanks for all the advice so far. At this point we have the first week or so fairly set. We arrive in Auckland airport the morning of 9 January. We rent a car and drive to Napier. On the drive to Napier we see a few sites. Our basic route looks like this: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Auck...39.4928444!3e0

We then spend the week in Napier enjoying the V8 Club meet and the area in general. If we could catch a ride in an early Ford during the driving events we would really appreciate it.

Question, does the New Zealand meet include judging cars? The nationals in the US are always looking for judges and I like getting to take a close look a nice car.

Following the meet we are thinking of flying from Napier to Christchurch. We don't have definite plans yet but we like the sound of Swoops suggestions. We do have a definite end point, we fly out of Queenstown on the afternoon of 21 January. My wife Rae is really interested in seeing Sutherland Falls and some of the other sites at the south end of New Zealand.

I appreciate all the car related suggestions. I think Swoops is right though, I can see a lot of cars in the United States. We have a limited time to see New Zealand and want to make the most of it. I remember seeing the thread that fordlovr did about crossing the South Island in his 38 Ford, here. The roads in that thread look amazing. We intend to drive that route or take the train between Christchurch and Greymouth, we don't know which.

Many thanks to all who have offered their homes or their time. We would enjoy taking everyone up on their offers. Depending on how the schedule works out we may have the opportunity to take a few of ya'll up on those offers.

Thanks,
Fred Mills

[swoopNZ]

5hrs 57 minutes driving time from Auckland to Napier is very optimistic.
I've worked with a lot of Americans over the last 30 plus years on oil rigs.
Be very careful while driving here, especially on blind corners ( of which there are plenty ) when you suddenly come across an approaching vehicle.
Your natural tendency will be to swerve to the right.
Learn to resist that tendency.
Paste a sign above the steering wheel saying " KEEP LEFT ".
Happy motoring.
Swoop.NZ.
PS: Always lock your car and have any valuables hidden out of sight.
Tourist's cars are often targeted.
I live in New Plymouth.

[38 coupe]

Thanks for the advice. I figure that we will spend at least nine hours on the drive to Napier. Not only the drive but stops for pictures, food, and restroom. Our limit on that drive is our need to get to the meet registration before 5 p.m.

Progress on our planning: we have booked the flight from Napier to Christchurch and we booked the train ride from Christchurch to Greymouth. We also realize that we don't have time for the hiking trip required to see Sutherland Falls. We are planning to drive down the west coast of the south island though.

[Karl]

You will enjoy the Trans Alpine Train trip . The South Island Rivers are the most incredible shade of Teal/Blue which is impossible to describe and also very difficult to catch on film. The waters are 100% pure . The West coast is very different even to most of the rest of New Zealand . In places it is very unspoilt and rugged The roads are narrower and much more bendy than the roads I suspect you are used to. The sticking to the left is something you will have to keep reminding yourself of. My experience of driving overseas is that its easy to stay on the unaccustomed side on straight roads but the bends and intersections are the big challenge . I hope you love our country -We certainly do ! -Karl

[swoopNZ]

Take the bus trip into Milford Sound from Te Anau.
If it's been raining you will see a lot of waterfalls falling from several thousand feet up.
The whitish blue colour of some of the rivers is due to the effect of the glaciers.

[Scottie]

Hi 38 Coupe. Great to hear you are visiting us. I am on the organising committee and we have a great week organised for the convention
You will need to move quickly on accomodation as the primary venue is full but there are 3 or 4 motels close by (also filling up)Email the convenor Brendon at [email protected] and they will put you straight on to somewhere to stay.
As stated we are a pretty generous lot and won't see you out of somewhere to camp down. Wont be an issue to find a space for you for the outings.
Scottie

[38 coupe]

Thanks for the feedback so far.

We have booked a hotel in the Napier area. It is across the street from the beach, which my wife likes, and it fit the budget, which we both like. We are really looking forward to the meet.

The current plan for after arriving in Greymouth is to rent a car, drive north to Punakaiki, and spend the night in the area. The next day we drive south and visit Franz Josef Glacier and maybe Fox Glacier. We don't have a specific stopping point for that day. We are planning to drive to Te Anau and on to Milford Sound. We don't have specific stopping points or schedules for these yet either. We do have our plane ride deadline to leave New Zealand. We are excited about the V8 Meet and the trip.

[swoopNZ]

If it were me I wouldn't travel north from Greymouth.
The scenery is so-so.
Head south - stay the night at Franz Josef - then continue on to Te Anau.

[Bassman/NZ]

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I live in Napier, as does Trevo. I see you have booked a hotel already, if you change your mind I too can offer accommodation. I won't be attending the event, as my flathead resides in a chopped Model A, not kosher EFV8 material! LOL!
I would love to meet up, even if only for a coffee and a yarn, so please stay in touch closer to the time.
All great advice from my fellow Kiwis, and I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time here.

[Karl]

I have been to Punikaiki twice twenty years apart . Still yet to see the blowholes working anything like the clips on the internet . Its all related to sea and tide conditions and I have a knack of striking it wrong . I agree scenery south of Greymouth much better
What dates is the meet in Napier? I may travel over for a day or two -Karl

[tiger.1000]

38....Remember that NZ is not in the USA so if you get behind a steering wheel; you're on the other side of the road and the other side of the car !

Regarding the language....it's sort of mid-way between American, Australian and English. You'll pick it up pretty quick !

[Bassman/NZ]

Originally Posted by tiger.1000

38....Remember that NZ is not in the USA so if you get behind a steering wheel; you're on the other side of the road and the other side of the car !

Regarding the language....it's sort of mid-way between American, Australian and English. You'll pick it up pretty quick !

And don't forget we use a few Maori (Te Reo) words in our everyday language too, like whanau ("far-now" = family), kai ("kye" = food), and many colloquialisms like "sweet", "choice", ""bro", and we pronounce the word "to" as "tuh".
Many others too.

[fordlovr]

Originally Posted by Karl

I have been to Punikaiki twice twenty years apart . Still yet to see the blowholes working anything like the clips on the internet . Its all related to sea and tide conditions and I have a knack of striking it wrong . I agree scenery south of Greymouth much better
What dates is the meet in Napier? I may travel over for a day or two -Karl

Monday 9th Jan to Sat 14th.Best day's for viewing v8's Tue 10th, morning, Show and Shine and Sat 14th ,morning,Group Photo. We should get a Kiwi Barner get together for an hour or two?

[Karl]

Originally Posted by fordlovr

Monday 9th Jan to Sat 14th.Best day's for viewing v8's Tue 10th, morning, Show and Shine and Sat 14th ,morning,Group Photo. We should get a Kiwi Barner get together for an hour or two?

Ka Pai - Karl

[38 coupe]

Well it is time to report back on our experience in New Zealand. We had a blast at the National V8 Meet. I really want to commend the host group for putting on the most fun V8 National meet I have been to. Our second week was also wonderful with spectacular scenery. Here are a few pictures from the V8 National.

Getting ready for the drive to the show on the first day; we got a ride in the 39 standard fordor:


A few pictures from the show at the "Sound Shell" in Napier:



The inside of the Faraday Centre we visited that afternoon:


A cute little English Ford at the British Car Museum we visited on the second day:


A lineup of vehicles outside an olive oil / avocado oil plant:


The sun coming up over Hawkes Bay:


On the third day we took a tractor ride down the beach to a Gannet (bird) colony:


We were riding along with the Cosseys in their 54 sedan after the tractor ride. They wanted to visit a scenic view in the area so we went along. It turns out "scenic" is a bit of an understatement:



Then, since it was our honeymoon, we splurged and went on a helicopter ride over Napier (many thanks to the Cosseys for getting us to and from all the activites this day):



We visited a forest on the morning of the last full day of the event:



And we have photographic evidence that the celestial powers that be favor 1953 Ford hardtop cars:


We visited a photogenic winery that afternoon:



And then had the banquet that evening (gratuitous shot of me):


The final morning all the remaining cars were lined up for a group picture:


Then we said good-by to the friends we had made (here is one of Mr. Cossey hamming it up with my wife Rae):


Again, I want to thank everyone. We had a wonderful time.

Thanks,
Fred (& Rae)

[38 coupe]

I also want to give a special thanks to the folks who let us ride in their cars:

Al Lewis and her 1939 Standard Fordor:


Gary & Maree and their 1940 Mercury Convertible:


Brendon & Jane Lee and their 1949 "single spinner" fordor:


Bryan & Lorraine Cossey and their 1954 fordor:


I hope I get this one correct since there was more than one 51 at the meet and I am terrible with names...
Brian and Lyn Bayliss and their 1951 "twin spinner" fordor:


And the very generous Bryan Southhall who let me drive his right hand drive 1939 tonner a mile up the road and back:

[DavidG]

If you've no prior experience "driving on the wrong side of the road", New Zealand is a very good place to become comfortable doing so (even in Auckland) compared to England and London, for example. It's nearly all two lane roads, but then the traffic's light and drivers are pretty well behaved. Have fun with your first roundabout!

The sales pitches of the Kiwis above are pretty much accurate and not overstated. You'll likely not regret going. On the North Island, my favorite small town is Russell on the Bay of Islands.

[JM 35 Sedan]

38 Coupe, that sounds like the trip of a lifetime, and doing all that as part of your honeymoon makes it even more special for you and your wife.
Thanks for sharing your trip and all those great pictures, and kudos to all the New Zealand Fordbarn members who stepped up and offered to help you in all kinds of ways during your travels. Good post with a great followup report.

[Talkwrench]

Looks like you had a blast! Must get over to the land of the long white cloud and see the cuzies , eh bro'

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Originally Posted by DavidG

If you've no prior experience "driving on the wrong side of the road", New Zealand is a very good place to become comfortable doing so (even in Auckland) compared to England and London, for example. It's nearly all two lane roads, but then the traffic's light and drivers are pretty well behaved. Have fun with your first roundabout!

The sales pitches of the Kiwis above are pretty much accurate and not overstated. You'll likely not regret going. On the North Island, my favorite small town is Russell on the Bay of Islands.

David. Russell in its's infancy of "white settlement" was known an "The hell hole of the Pacific". A town out of control, with murders, rape, unruly drinking, plenty of "soiled doves" to be had and every kind of debauterous behaviour imaginable, whalers, sailors , schisters... you name em they were there. Hard to imagine when you visit this idillic setting now. It was also to become NZs first capital.

GB

[tiger.1000]

I remember the last time I visited my daughter in Christchurch. Mt brother-in-law (Steve) picked me up from the "airfield".....I say airfield because the car park was 50 yards from the terminal. Approaching a roundabout during "rush hour" there were may six or seven cars in front of us. Steve muttered....."this place needs a f-------g bypass

That's New Zealand ....glorious !

[DavidG]

Graeme,

Thanks for the background on Russell's notorious past; it's quite the contrast to the present.

[Bored&Stroked]

Sounds like a fabulous trips - and you made a bunch of new friends! I've only been to NZ once, but had a wonderful time - love the country, love the people . . . only good things to say about it. Now - I need to get my arse back over there!