Motorsports Auckland

[TrueBlueFlyer]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Are you doing the 1 year working holiday visa?

Yessir...

the Whakatane - Gisborne - Napier sounds like the "pacific coast highway" equivalent of California... my buddy and I plan on doing it at some point, probably soon

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

Yessir...

the Whakatane - Gisborne - Napier sounds like the "pacific coast highway" equivalent of California... my buddy and I plan on doing it at some point, probably soon

I've known probably about 30 Americans that have done that visa and it's a good program.

The one difference with that route is hardly any cars compared to California. The part of the country from Whakatane to Gisborne is pretty remote country, probably the least populated part of the North Island.

[DX20VT]

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

While driving down saw quite a few race cars being trailered up from further south... must have been from one of those S. Island racetracks Mick mentioned.

--Russ

Ruapuna racetrack is probably 10 mins drive from Christchurch airport,
and there was one of thier biggest events on on December 9th to 11th.
wasn't around then was it?

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

The one difference with that route is hardly any cars compared to California.

Spent the whole way through the gorge following a JetSprint boat on a trailor, trying to work out what the heck it was. Little knowing I'd see them in action a couple of days later in the national championship round at Gisborne.

Watching the marshalling for that amused me - wading through waste deep water to reach the wreck carrying a fire extinguisher, I did wonder if a bucket might be a better idea!

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Woolley

Spent the whole way through the gorge following a JetSprint boat on a trailor, trying to work out what the heck it was. Little knowing I'd see them in action a couple of days later in the national championship round at Gisborne.

Watching the marshalling for that amused me - wading through waste deep water to reach the wreck carrying a fire extinguisher, I did wonder if a bucket might be a better idea!

I knew they did some boat racing down in NZ, seen it a few times on TV, but didn't know they did any boat races near Gisborne. Not a whole lot happens around GizzBUN from what I could tell.

I have to say I feel at home on the South Island and the North Island doesn't do a whole lot for me.

New Zealand is a great place to go for motorsport. 7 tracks, 4 million people and more racing licence holders per capita than any other country. Plus you have a few long distance tarmac rallies(Targa's) and a pretty sizable rally scene.

[Woolley]

Gisborne has it's own... track? There's another down at Wanganui and I'm pretty sure there's one in the Auckland region too. Well worth a visit (try YouTubing NZ Jet sprint).

[TrueBlueFlyer]

Gizzy/Gizza in the news today:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crim...-Subaru-convoy

Originally Posted by mountainstar

New Zealand is a great place to go for motorsport. 7 tracks, 4 million people and more racing licence holders per capita than any other country. Plus you have a few long distance tarmac rallies(Targa's) and a pretty sizable rally scene.

Yeah I'm quite lucky! With the number of events I've already attended and a bunch more that I'm planning to, New Zealand will be my "education" when it comes to motorsports and race officiating. What a great place to learn too... at the last Thunder in the Park at Pukekohe we had 24 races on race day (in the rain!)

Originally Posted by DX20VT

Ruapuna racetrack is probably 10 mins drive from Christchurch airport,
and there was one of thier biggest events on on December 9th to 11th.
wasn't around then was it?

That's the one! I went down to Blenheim on Friday just to meet friends for dinner, spend most of the day at the airport hoping to fly out on Saturday so I can make the last event of the season at Hampton Downs on Sunday, but it didn't happen that way. It was refreshing seeing cars on trailers heading from Christchurch direction going north.


By the way... I just booked a hotel in Rotorua, it'll be our half way point. We decided to spend New Year's in Napier and will drive out from Auckland Friday Morning... looking forward to this road trip Will be great to visit places like Whakatane, Tauranga, Rotorua, and Napier before I visit them again in March by plane Get some different perspectives. For one I really enjoyed checking out Marlborough Sound from the air before going out there on the boat that same weekend. You get the complete view of the place.