This is an account of my recent trip to New Zealand with 18 members of the Gold Coast MG Car Club.

My involvement came about during a visit to our club, back in September 2007, by Gary Lock & Dave Godwin, from the Gold Coast Club, whilst on their way around Australia in their MGAs. During the evening they spoke about a plan to take their MGs on a tour of  New Zealand in March 2008, which would culminate in attending the MG National Meeting, to be held at Waitangi in the Bay Of Islands, hosted by the Auckland MG Centre. I made up my mind there and then that I would go with them.

The shipping of the cars to New Zealand & back, which originally was thought to be relatively simple, turned into a costly logistical nightmare, first we had to have the cars officially valued and then based on that value, either arrange a bank guarantee, an insurance policy or  lodge a refundable cash deposit, all based on  50% of the official valuation. This is a government requirement to ensure you bring the car back home again, and not sell it in NZ. Then we had to take out insurance to cover the cars during  transit to NZ & return and while in use in NZ. The customs and quarantine costs were also more than expected.

I arrived in Christchurch on Wednesday 13th March and joined the other members of the group at our  motel, they turned out to be a great bunch of MG people and made me feel welcome right away.

We had to wait until Friday afternoon before we were told our cars were available from the shipping agents,  and once we had picked them up we proceeded to the Vehicle Testing Station to obtain our ( WOF ) Warrant of Fitness, this involved a complete check of the vehicle including, alignment and operation of the lighting system,
steering and suspension, and braking efficiency, during the brake test it was discovered that my left front brake was not operating at all, and that the right hand side hydraulic brake hose was showing signs of a possible rupture. Based on these results I was advised that I would have to rectify the problem and present the car again for a further inspection.

Arthur's MGA in Christchurch Vehicle Testing Station

Next morning back at our motel Gary Lock, Ian Wilson and I took the left wheel and brake drum off the car to see if we could find the cause of the problem, and found that the hydraulic hose was completely blocked. A couple of phone calls located a brake service centre that was able to make up a couple of new hoses to suit. We fitted the new hoses and bled the air out of the system, and then I drove to the Vehicle Testing Station for another test, while driving in I could feel the brake pedal getting a bit soft and feared the worst, the test showed the left brake was still not working as efficiently as the right side, and I was told I would have to sort it out and have a further test before I could obtain my WOF. I didn’t fancy driving back to the motel to fix the problem so asked if I could move the car  out of way and jack it up and adjust the brakes again, they let me borrow their trolley jack and tools, and after nipping up the shoe adjusters and a further test I was given the all clear. In the 3 years I have owned the MGA the front brakes have occasionally pulled to the right, despite several attempts to overcome the problem, and I had to come all the way to New Zealand to get them fixed.

THE TOUR

Day 1

Sunday morning, 16th March, we all assembled for an official photo shoot before departing for Greymouth, the largest town on the west coast,on the first leg of the actual tour.

The group assemble for the first time in Christchurst

We encountered heavy fog on top of the Torlesse Ranges which cleared to a fine sunny day as we descended into Arthur’s  Pass , but due to a road tanker rolling over the side of the road the previous day, the road  just beyond Arthur’s Pass was closed for several hours, so we had no alternative but to stop here for lunch, but once we got going again it was a pleasant drive through valleys and wooded hills to Greymouth for our overnight stop.

Day 2

This  morning we set off down the west coast stopping at Hokitika, renowned for it’s greenstone deposits, then on to the old goldmine town of Ross for morning tea, and then to Franz Josef where most of the group drove up the glacier look out, with myself and several others taking the lengthy trek, through misty rain, almost up to the face of the glacier. The 25 km to Fox Glacier was a twisty hilly drive through rain a forest, and although misty rain was falling, the hood of the MG A remained down, in fact I never had to put the hood up once during the tour. That night we had a St. Patrick’s Day dinner at nearby Lake Matheson, with every one wearing green for the occasion.

Day 3

Today, after a look at the Fox Glacier, which is easier to get to than the glacier at Franz Josef, we headed off to Queenstown, passing through Bruce Bay, Haast and Wanaka on the way, for almost  30km of the trip you are driving along the shores of Lakes Wanaka, Hawea and Dunstan, one  cannot help but marvel at the amount of water in these lakes. Dinner this evening at our Motel in Queenstown.

Coronet Peak lookout , near Queenstown

Day 4 & 5

Wednesday morning we set off for Te Anua which is situated on the shore of the South Islands largest lake of the same name. Before dinner that evening several of the group went on lake cruise and guided tour of the Te Anau Glow Worm Caves.

Thursday morning we left the motel at 7.30 am for the 120 km journey to Milford Sound, it was dark and cold, the beanie was pulled down over the ears, but the hood was still down.

Waiting to enter Homer Tunnel after cruise on Milford Sound

About 35 km from Milford Sound we struck heavy fog but  when we emerged from the 1.2 km long  Homer Tunnel it was bright and sunny for the steep descent into Milford Sound. After a relaxing cruise on the crystal clear waters of the sound, taking in the sights of  160 metre high water falls and cloud hooded peaks, it was back to Te Anau via the same route.

Day 6

Today we headed back to Queenstown, with a morning tea break at Five Rivers and then we called into Kingston, just in time to see the steam train  “ The Kingston Flyer “ refuelling and taking on water .

Gary  Lock and I parked our MGAs along side “ The Kingston Flyer “

Gary  Lock and I parked our MGAs along side  the  engine for a photo shot and I think the MGs attracted as much if not more attention than the train did. After leaving Kingston we drove out to the old gold mining town of Arrowtown for lunch and then back into Queenstown via Coronet Peak lookout for a panoramic view over the surrounding country side.
That evening we took the gondola up to the Skyline Restaurant ( 450 metres above the CBD ) for dinner where the view over Queenstown was spectacular. That evening we had very heavy rain but fortunately, and this was the only time on the whole tour, six of the cars, including mine, had undercover parking.

Overlooking Lake Hawea, South Island

Day 7

We had an MG free day today, with most of the group travelling by mini bus to Wanaka and back to Queenstown after,  for the “ War Birds Over Wanaka “ air show, a spectacular display of vintage and world war 2 aircraft, attracting tens of thousands of spectators.

Day 8 

On the route from Queenstown to our over night stop at Twizel, we stopped in the Kawarau Gorge area for a wine tasting and wine appreciation tour at the “ Big Picture Wine Adventure “  complex, then on through the little town of Omarama  where disaster struck for Terry and Berit in the 1954 TF, a broken crankshaft was the final straw in a series of mishaps which included brake problems, leaking fuel tank, blown welch plugs and being photographed by the government photographer crossing over a double yellow line.

Day 9

Today we travelled into the heartland of the Mount Cook National Park, 70,000 hectares of ice, snow and mountainous peaks, with Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand, at 3760 metres. While six of the group enjoyed a flight in a fixed wing aircraft over the area, I and five others opted for a less expensive flight in a helicopter, which included a snow landing on the slopes some distance from Mount Cook. There is only one way into Mount Cook, so we had to travel back the way we had come, some 55 kms, before reaching the turn off to Lake Tekapo, where we called in on Gary Lock’s sister, for afternoon tea. Before our dinner that night at the local Chinese restaurant, we had time to take the steep drive up to the Mount John University Observatory, to enjoy the view over the blue waters of Lake Tekapo and the surrounding hills.

Day 10

Tekapo to Hanmer Springs with a stop at the town of Geraldine for morning tea, there was something familiar about that name but I could not remember what it was. Then on to Oxford for a light lunch before the drive to Hanmer Springs, perfect driving weather, lovely scenery, winding roads and straight sections to break up the monotomy

Day 11

Leaving Hanmer Springs we travelled south back towards Culverden and then turned east towards the coast and followed highway number 1 along the coast to Kaikoura.  A lovely scenic drive with the Pacific  Ocean on one side, sheer cliffs and greenery on the other side, passing through several road tunnels before stopping at Kaikoura for a fresh crayfish sandwich. It was then onto Blenheim, stopping at a popular lookout along the way to view the hundreds of New Zealand fur seals on the rocks below.

That night before dinner at the hotel we had a “ Mad Hatters “ competition  with Laurel Godwin being judged the winner by the hotel staff.

Day 12

We had a 7.30 am start today for the journey into Picton to board the inter island ferry to Wellington. The crossing was in bright sunshine and calm seas, thankfully. We were met at the ferry terminal by a member of the Wellington MG Club, who escorted us out to the Southward Motor Museum, at Paraparaumu approximately 50 km from Wellington. After the leisurely driving conditions on the South Island it was an absolute rat race to get  out of the city and onto  the express way. The museum was well worth the visit, included among the vehicles on show their were an R type MG and a Type 57 SC Bugatti. At the conclusion of our visit the President of the Wellington MG Club escorted us back into Wellington right to our hotel, for which we were most grateful.

Day 13

Once again we had to join the rat race for the first 15 km of our trip this morning to get clear of the traffic in the city centre. Then it was a pleasant drive through the Hutt Valley, passing through the little towns of  Masterton and Pongaroa, we had to stop twice for herds of dairy cows being transferred from one paddock to another, along the main road. There were fresh cow pats all along the road and we could not avoid driving over them, luckily the hotel at Napier, where we stopped for the night had a wash down facility in the car park, so you can imagine what the first task was when we arrived. Napier was rebuilt after a violent earthquake and subsequent fire in 1931 and there is a distinct ‘art deco ‘ style to many of the downtown buildings.

Day 14

 Napier to Rotorua a 223 km journey through some very rugged country and vast man made pine forests, with a lunch stop at Taupo and a look at the Huka Falls before arriving at our hotel. This evening we travel the short distance to the Mitai Maori Village for an authentic Maori cultural experience, including a demonstration of the handling skills of the warriors in a maori war canoe, the Haka song and war dance and a traditionally cooked Hangi meal.

Day 15

The drive from Rotorua to Cambridge, where I stopped for coffee, was just perfect, the weather, the scenery, what more could you ask for. After leaving Cambridge I deviated slightly from the planned itinerary and travelled through the outskirts of Hamilton to the little town of Te Kauwhata, which is just off highway number one, 55 kms north of Hamilton, where my sister Alice and her husband Ken live. I advised the rest of the group of my intention, and one cheeky bugger, said that if Alice would put on hot scones, jam and fresh cream, he would call in as well. In the end the whole group decided that the offer sounded too good to miss and all called in for a lunch stop. I had warned Alice in advance, so she was prepared.

Scones & Cream at Ken & Alice's place!

After lunch we headed for Auckland, with route instructions provided by my sister, which included taking the Khyber Pass exit from the expressway, out to our hotel in the suburb of Parnell.

After booking in Faye , Ray and I walked into the city and around the harbour, I have never seen so many million dollar yachts as are  moored in the harbour there.

This was the last day of our organised tour, tomorrow we were heading up to Waitangi in the Bay of Islands for the MG National Meeting.

National Meeting

The National Meeting was hosted by the Auckland Centre, with all 180 entrants staying at the Copthorne Hotel complex.

After arrival on the Monday , we registered and received our Registration Pack, that evening we attended the welcome dinner. Next morning was the Concours held on the lawns adjacent to the hotel, in marked contrast to our Nat Meet concours, there was only three prizes awarded in total. That evening we enjoyed a cruise around the Bay of Islands and dinner at the Zane Grey Restaurant on one of the many islands.

On Wednesday the Motorkhana and Autocross was held at a venue approximately 40 minutes driving time from the hotel, both events were held on grass, and Dave Godwin from the Gold Coast gained a third place in the Autocross in his MGA.

Thursday was the Trial and Scenic Tour, I was fortunate to have Tony Coxen from the Gold Coast as navigator for this event, but I think it was because the instructions were written in “ Kiwi terms “ that we got hopelessly lost on several occasions. That evening at the presentation dinner, among the numerous official photographs of the Nat Meet that were on display, there was an enlarged photo of Tony and I, in the MG A, throwing our hands up in the air in an attempt to decipher the instructions. During the evening Terry Dewley was a clear cut winner for the “ Hard Luck Award “ because of all his troubles with the TF.

The following morning we all headed back to Auckland and that evening, at dinner,  there were a round of speeches and toasts as we prepared to depart one another’s company at the end of a very enjoyable several weeks together. And it was agreed that we should have a get together on the Gold Coast, with each bringing a CD of 25 selected photos, for a show and tell night. By the time you read this article I will have been up to the Gold Coast to meet up with a fantastic group of like minded people with a common interest in MG s.

Next morning I drove back down the 75 kms to Te Kauwhata to  spend a relaxing six days with my sister and brother in law before returning home to Adelaide.

Some Statistics

During the trip I travelled just over 3000 miles or 4800  kilometres and used  434 litres or 96 gallons of fuel, which cost NZ $818.00. The MG used about 2 litres of oil, I did not have to top up the radiator at all during the trip, and the fuel economy was just over 30 miles to the gallon, which I thought was very reasonable when you consider that at times we were down to second gear in the steep mountainous sections.

It was exactly three months from the time I delivered the car to Toll Auto Logistics at Dry Creek, for transport to Melbourne to be loaded onto the ship to New Zealand, until I got it back home again. All in all it was a most enjoyable experience.

Arthur Ruediger