TOP OF THE SOUTH RALLY REPORT - By TR Speed Demon The maintenance on my TRusty roadster was fully up to date, just 400 miles since completing the 1500 mile pre-summer service. However, I thought it wouldn't do any harm to relube the steering and front suspension in preparation for the Top Of The South Rally 2002. Everything else was in order and cleaned. Great! Come on Friday the 8th November, hurry up I can't wait.
At last I arrive at the start point. 8am, sunny day, top down and park amongst a whole array of Triumphs from 1200cc 4 cylinder to 3500cc V8. The T.O.C. has been meeting at the Redwood Tavern carpark on occasions for 16 years and in the past we have handed many dollars over the bar. But on this day at 8am one of the Redwood Hotel management strode over to us, cellphone clamped in hand like Darth Vader's laser sword, and whined that we hadn't asked permission. For pity's sake!
Anyway off we set via back roads to our first brief stop at Amberley to pick up Ron and Christine Brooking. And then on to Culverden for morning coffee break, most of us out in the cafe garden, sun still shining. From here the roads started to get really interesting and scenic, with a steady climb to Lewis Pass. We were getting fairly close to that white stuff and this was affecting the water temperature in my car, getting cooler and cooler.
Eventually we reached our picnic lunch stop, a tad further on from Maruia Springs, where there is a prominent fault line. Across the fault line is an 80ft long low wall, which is calibrated to allow measurement of any shifts in the terrain. We all 40 of us clambered onto this wall for a photo shoot. I wondered if this scientific device also has sensitive seismological instruments housed under the wall wired direct to Wellington laboratories. About 3 ton of human bodies jumping up and down on the wall probably sent those oscilloscope needles berserk if my theory is correct.
All Triumphs still going fine, our next stop was at Maruia Falls for a leg stretch, and then on to Murchison for petrol and a wander around the museum. Next stop was Kawatiri Junction to explore the abandoned railway project, which would have connected Nelson to the Midland line, I guess at Inangahua. The rail bed, station platform, tunnel and bridge piles are very evident but no lines were ever laid beyond Glenhope. Great shame, it would be a fantastic tourist rail journey today.
There are no inhabitants at Kawatiri Junction except 3000000x1000 sandflies. No humans could possibly live there. Leaving the place I found it difficult steering the roadster, changing gear and using both arms to fight off the rotten little blighters. I finally out-dragged them at about 30 MPH. Just 20 minutes later, on arriving at out first night stop at St Arnaud, I swear about half a dozen sandflies flew out my nose when I sneezed.
The Alpine Lodge was very comfortable, a pleasant dinner, great company, fine ale. And a small group of us took a very agreeable post-prandial stroll to the lake edge at dusk. Another ale later, bedtime, the end of a perfect day.
Next day began with a kitset breakfast with Nick and the Timaru contingent in the backpackers kitchen/lounge. The weather was a bit grey overhead but bright blue in the direction we were headed. Whilst loading up, a few of the other inmates of the Alpine Lodge were quite interested in our Triumphs. Particularly an attractive young lady with a trans-Atlantic accent who was rather keen on Nick's Herald (I've just thought perhaps she was hitch hiking to Picton).
From here was mostly on roads I've never been on before. Very scenic rolling countryside, very fertile growing all sorts of Nelsony things like orchards, hops, grapes and so on, until morning tea at the Hop Kiln cafe and antiques and grumpy dog. A welcome pot of tea. And scones and strawberry jam and lashings of fresh cream. Do I need that? No! But I had it anyway. One could buy many things in the antique shop from wrought iron double bed to French soldiers uniform to professor's mortar-board. At this point I went to the loo. Uhhh? "Do we need to know this?" I hear you say. But a visit to the conveniences was mandatory for all of us. Must be one of the most interesting in the country. Apart from the vintage porcelain and plumbing, the room is chock full of curios. How can they maintain security? There must be a dunny-cam somewhere.
Continuing on through more Hobbiton-style countryside through Upper Moutere, it looks very European to me, in fact I believe early German settlers made their home there. Anyway we were getting close to our lunch stop. Oh no! Not more food, my tum had no more room. However I always enjoy a pot of tea and I did manage a savoury muffin. This lunch stop is also a winery, Te Mania label. I did head towards the tasting room but I veered away when I'm sure I spotted a frown on the face of Little Blue, my wee roaster. It was probably just a passing cloud shadow.
Moving on after lunch, I knew we were going to visit a private car collection, but I could never have imagined what was awaiting us. I figured perhaps a dozen or so classics. Wrong. In total I would guess at 250 cars. Among the most desirable were Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, Maserati 3500GT, Bristol 401, Toyota Sera Gullwing, Austin A90 Atlantic convertible, and a Triumph Herald with only 18,000 miles. There could have been other rarities I didn't spot, it was impossible to scrutinise them all. The cars and motorcycles were all under cover, albeit covered in dust and located on two separate sites. Most of the engines are regularly started and run and the tyres are inflated. It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the cars haven't run on the road for 20 years. I have seen many car collections, for example Beaulieu, Birdswood near Adelaide, Haynes Museum, Southward's at Paraparaumu, and Gaydon. But this one near Nelson is the most extraordinary and most memorable, and it is not open to the public. It feels to me only the owner and his family and participants of the Top Of The South Rally know about it. If on average each car is worth a very conservative $10,000, then the whole collection would be worth $2.5 million as is. It was a tremendous coup by the organisers to get permission to view.
By now rain was starting to fall steadily and a mean wind had built up. Drats! Hood up. And we set off again to our next stop at the City South Gallery pottery in Nelson. I hadn't a clue where we were so I followed a green Stag into the town centre, saw it turn left around a corner, and then promptly vanish into thin air. Then I spotted a red Herald angle parked but no driver to be seen anywhere. So I decided to fill up with gas and proceed to the next regroup stop at Pelorus Bridge.
I have poor sense of direction, consequently I headed off 180 degrees out back towards Stoke and saw the green Stag again, going the opposite way. I reversed direction by going toward Tahunanui and along Rocks Road by the sea wall - bad mistake. By this time the wind had really whipped up, and being high tide as well, waves were crashing across the road. By sheer luck I managed to synchronise my speed so that the waves were breaking in front and behind, but not on me. At last on a course for Pelorus Bridge, the wind and driving rain were making going a bit tricky.
And somehow or other I seemed to lose the rest of the Rally members. I never saw another Triumph until the next morning. At Pelorus Bridge there was no sign of anyone. Quite a lot of water was getting inside the car by now. The towel I had stuffed into the worst leak soon became saturated, my right leg was soaked, and my coat spread out to catch more leaks was also soaked. Classic motoring at its most demanding. But the wee Triumph kept purring on without falter.
At Havelock I had to make a decision; do I get to Picton via the slip-prone Queen Charlotte Drive, its magnificent scenery invisible in the deluge, or play safe and go the long way round via Renwick, Rapaura Rd and Spring Creek? Ah what the heck, I'll use up an extra gallon of petrol and take the flat safe road through Marlborough's best grape vine country.
And before long was my haven of Picton and the Marineland Guesthouse, warm, and friendly and dry. Car safely parked and secured out of sight from the road, excellent. Luckily it doesn't leak when its stationary. The first thing; a cuppa and then change out of my soaked jeans.
Our evening venue at the Settlers Inn was only about 50yards away from my digs, so during a lull in the downpour I sauntered over, and got in a couple of pints of excellent locally brewed lager before the rest of the troops turned up. We had booked out the entire restaurant A N D on a Saturday night. Getting there early, I observed and started to feel a bit sorry for the several folk that were turned away, because it is a very fine restaurant and very good value. And so eventually, after the prize giving, which was brilliantly delivered, and just one more pint, I staggered off to bed and zonked.
I regained consciousness next morning to clear skies and bright sunshine, just in time for breakfast. A quick report in to the Broadway Motel where most of the Rally was staying, to inform them that I was off to Blenheim to visit friends and that I would catch up at Kekerengu, the morning tea stop. Wrong! I didn't really catch them up until Mt Lyford our late lunch stop. However, the drive southward was perfect. The Kekerengu cafe carpark was bereft of Triumphs, as was the Kaikoura seal colony car park. So, onward onward, the day getting very warm.
My Triumph was very happy. I could tell by its burbling, and its temperature was staying nicely between about 75 degrees and 80 degrees celsius. And so, about 300 twists and turns later on the inland route, I arrived at Mt Lyford Lodge and lunch, and I was late. And I was ravishing no that's not right, I mean ravenous. Now I was content as my TReasure, replenished with a fine buffet lunch and a Stella Artois. 3pm Sunday and it was getting too darn close to the end of the weekend, so we all said our Hoorays and departed Mt Lyford. The day still hot but now with a powerful Nor'Wester.
And I'm getting closer to Christchurch and that city's idiot drivers who feel they have to sit a meter from the tail of a 43 year old Triumph who just wants to stooge along at 62 and a bit mph. A very small regroup at the Nor'Wester Cafe in Amberley and that's it, the weekend really was over. Oh dear!
First thing to do on arriving home was to get the carpets out and dried, dry the hood and tonneau, and open the car up to get rid of any lingering moisture. After a cuppa I checked the engine oil and was pleased to see it had barely used any. And the next day I filled up with gas and was astounded to discover that the fuel consumption over the whole trip, 654 miles (tour miles plus detours voluntary and involuntary) was 34.6 mpg.
The Top Of The South Rally was brilliantly planned. The side trips were interesting. The pictorial quiz and TRIUMPH word puzzle were stinkers but great fun. The weather over all was reasonably kind. All in all a great long weekend (As far as I am concerned I wouldn't have minded if it was a bit longer). Thanks very much to Janey and Roger and Nick and Rocky and anyone else who had a hand in the organising.
Signed TR SPEED DEMON