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AUTUMN GOLD RALLY REPORT... by TR Speed Demon
I'm usually well organised before a long weekend such as this... shirts ironed and folded, and all essentials packed. Not this time. I'd spent this vital preparation time looking for my camera. This damn thing has gone... vanished. And I still haven't found it. I'm gutted and what's worse I'd just loaded it with a new film. As rally time passed I'd realised I'd neglected to pack enough clothing, shaving tackle, specs and 'top down' warm coat. As it turned out the 'left at home' coat was no great tragedy.
On the other hand the TR6 was well prepared. The hood checked and possible leaks repaired, break-down spares packed. A container of my 'special' fuel additive, chassis lubed, tyres checked, oil & water levels checked. And, for top down motoring, tonneau cover packed away. Ha! what a laugh.
The day dawned and the Christchurch contingent gathered at the rendezvous point more or less at the allotted time. Three cars; a Spity, Stag and TR8 and their masoch... I mean hardy crews had tops down. Mine wasn't. I now had a great excuse, no coat. Friday's weather wasn't bad. A bit cloudy, and some sun and off we set to Dunsandel by the dog dosing strip to pick up President John Reid and family in their mighty Triumph 3500.
It was at this point that my TR6 suddenly decided to run on only 5 cylinders, quickly diagnosed as a lazy Nº 6 injector. A bit of an air bubble in the fuel line. John's healing hands soon had the engine purring back to perfect health. I may as well mention now, that the motor never missed a beat from here on in. Next stop , Geraldine, via Thompsons Track to collect the Timaru contingent and a coffee break. The Cafe, right on Fairlie Rd corner, dispenses coffee from a push button machine; "a bit of a worry," I thought, but by Gad! its a very fine cuppa. Must keep going... so back on the road again. A road that seemed reserved for Triumphs.
After Fairlie we're into McKenzie Country, over Burkes Pass and the Southern Lakes. The roads and scenery are amazing. This day the rain was just holding off and the clouds were strata'd across the mountains with the peaks in clear air. From the Tekapo B hydro lookout point the summit of Mt Cook could just be seen. To get to this point we had been using the Hydro Canal roads. And, to continue using the canal roads around the back of Twizel. But somehow I missed the turnoff to this canal and I blissfully hurtled along HW 8 all on my own to the next regrouping stop at Lake Ohau Lodge... where I had a wonderful cup of $3 tepid tea (Egad! $3 could buy me a packet of 100 cups of tea) I couldn't be bothered complaining I was in too good a mood.
From the Lake Ohau turnoff it was only a short run to Omarama to fill up with go juice before the assault on Lindis Pass. Over the whole rally I rarely travelled at more than 65mph. But on the lead up to Lindis some lame brain in a new low-line 4x4 insisted on travelling behind me about 1m from my rear bumper. On the steeper part of the incline that wonderful Triumph 2.5 six cylinder could easily maintain 65mph (plus more if I wanted). And it gave me great pleasure to see the 4x4 plonker dwindle in size in my mirror. However, over the other downhill side the mental midget caught up again and overtook in a hugely dangerous manner. I expected to see the thing on its roof 'round the next bend. Happily I never saw it again.
Another regroup at Tarras before the final run to our first overnight at Wanaka. At this point we were joined by Gerald the Herald with Nick and Andrew who had a late start out of Christchurch. A situation entirely out of their control. And they did remarkably well to catch us up here. At Wanaka it started to rain.. gently... but who cared. The locally brewed beer was excellent. And dinner at the Calaboose restaurant superb. And the company perfect, if a bit rowdy.
Saturday morning and a 8.15am start and no rain.... yet. More gas and straight round to the airfield and the fighter plane collection and museum. (Though some went to the Transport Museum and others went to the funny park and crazy houses instead... must go there myself one day). I could have spent the whole morning at the fighter collection. Though its sad to hear many planes have been sold to USA namely the Corsair, the Avenger, the Kittyhawk and hugely valuable Nakajima Oscar (the only airworthy one in the world). However the Spitfire, Hurricane and Mustang are still there.
The drive through the back roads to Hawea and beside Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka was astounding. I wish I had the skills to describe the spectacle of the Autumn colours. Picture the green fields and hills, leaves in luminous yellow. Trees splashed with flaming scarlet, vermilion, lustrous gold and fiery orange against a back drop of blue and white and grey sky. All this amplified by reflections on the lake's surface. The Autumn Gold Rally was aptly named.
Next a tea break at Makarora. We've left behind the gold and are now amongst the dark green of the West Coast. Its amazing how quick the vegetation changes, it must be the high annual rainfall.... and what do you know its raining. About 10 miles away is the next stop at the Blue Pools. A 15 minute tramp through the aforesaid rain
forest, across a vertiginous swing bridge which is perfectly safe (I can say that now since I survived it). Blue pools?... its a lie.... they were dark green and a raging torrent, but awesome nevertheless.
Back on the road and over the third pass - Haast. Its now raining steadily and the cloud base quite low. I was often the tail enders. I tried to compromise between having fun in the TR but also swivelling the old headpiece around to oggle with awe at the stupendous scenery. The nearby mountains were virtually invisible due to the rain clouds but pouring down those hardly visible mountains were long white distant streaks of many waterfalls like wraiths fleeing across the leaden skies
After lunch at the Haast tearooms we are on the West Coast proper. I was hugely late leaving the Haast DOC Information Centre (well worth a visit). I never saw another Triumph until Fox township. I found out that they'd all ducked up a side road near Lake Paringa to another Cafe to feed their faces- huh!
Fox a regroup stop so I take shelter from the rain inside a warm coffee shop and observe the arrival of the rest of the troupe from within. Franz Josef Glacier is the next sightseeing stop so off we go. The glacier access road was unsealed, pot holed, dirty grey and probably muddy. I cant understand it but I suddenly thought of the words "wheel arches" so instinct took over and the car turned itself around back on the tar seal and headed for our second night's stop at Franz. This evening was to be the highlight of the Autumn Gold Rally with a celebration dinner and prize giving and limerick reading. And an excellent cabaret turn given by Stephanie Cartwright. Thanks to the organisers for a great evening. Some sadist had set a quiz to be completed during the 3 days. So we didn't get the results that night. The quiz/exam wasn't easy. I mean for heavens sake, who on earth knows what the official speed record for a Triumph is, or how many sprogs Mel Gibson has, or do kids with toy cars end up owning a Triumph....
The next day dawned wet and grey and we had to be underway at 8am. So things were a bit of a rush and the Ruske's managed to set off the smoke alarms. I had oil and fluid levels to check, my special additive in the fuel tank. And then round to the gas station to fill up. My God what a price! Surely petrol at Franz Josef must be the most expensive in the whole of Australasia. Despite the rain the scenery is still dramatic and so far I am thoroughly enjoying the whole thing. Miraculously in my car water has not got to where it shouldn't be, the heater which hadn't been used for a long time is working well. And the engine is purring beautifully. I might say here that if I want to use overdrive, and I most certainly do, I need to keep the rpm above 2000. The engine is really happy at 2500 which means travelling somewhere between 60 and 68mph in O/D.
Three more regroups in Hari Hari, Ross, and Lake Mahinapua and I couldn't help noticing and unofficial regroup for some Triumphs outside the Mahinapua Pub (drats, I'd shot past the pub turnoff). At Ross and being Sunday I knew the gold mine wouldn't be working. I thought I'd just go and help myself.... until I saw the size of the hole... its huge. At Hokitika this was the place to replenish the fuel tank and replenish my wallet. And then straight round to the restaurant that serves the best whitebait sandwiches I have ever sampled. Tum now replenished we;re off northwards through Greymouth... what's the matter with Greymouth drivers? They're bloody awful or perhaps the TRs suddenly became invisible. I had to take evasive action several times. So I mighty relieved to get safely to Blackball and the hospitality of the 'Hilton' and a fine pint of Miner's dark ale. A group photo of all the rally participants on the veranda of the pub. The sort of photo that could well end up in some museum in 200 years time.
Time to go again and head for our next lunch stop at Reefton. Nice empty back roads from Blackball to Ikamatua where we joined Highway 7. HW7 now has to take double the traffic load because 73 through Otira is temporarily closed. But I think the rotten weather kept most people indoors. But wait, what's this... there's blue sky up there and the sun's coming out. So we enter Reefton in the dry. Some crews even had a picnic lunch alfresco. However I tagged along with a tardy bunch who took far longer than the allotted 45 minute break. We spent a fair amount of time admiring and sniffing the dozen eggs that Christine Brooking bought... I have to explain they were wooden eggs of different exotic and aromatic timbers. And after panninis and muffins and coffee and chat we found that the rest of the rally had gone. So three TR6's, red white and blue, line astern climbed out of Reefton eastwards into a solid wall of rain, dense rain, each drop must have been half a pint. Luckily the deluge eased off once over the Rahu saddle and into Springs Junction. From there it was steady rain all the way to Hanmer, conditions not good (made worse by some idiotic other road users).
Sadly, Hanmer was the end of a great weekend. Great country and colours. Superb company and 18 magnificent cars; 2 Heralds, 2 Stags, 2 Mk1 2000's, 2 GT6's, 1 Spitfire, 1 TR8, 3 TR6's, 2 Mk2 (2.5 PI and 3.5), 1 Vitesse, 1 Dolomite and a non-triumph survived without serious hitch.
I couldn't let go of the rally, so with some others stayed the night in Hanmer Springs and had a leisurely drive back to CHCH the following day in bright sunny weather. Tchh!

PS: When and were's the next one?