Thread: Trip to the Deep South

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Returned last night from a month in the deep south of New Zealand. We cannot thank johnboy & Rosie enough for taking time from their normal daily life to escort us around their beautiful country so that we didn't become statistics in the NZ traffic deaths due to tourists. Also thanks to Robin & Lynda Barnes for hosting us over the last weekend we were in-country, and showing us some of the beautiful parks and gardens around New Plymouth.

Our trip started with the NZ NSRA Nationals, which were held in New Plymouth, Taranaki this year, held over their Labour Weekend which is equivalent to our Labor Day weekend with events Saturday, Sunday and Monday before folks headed for home around mid-day. Tuesday we picked up a rental "people mover", a Toyota mid-size van, and headed south toward Wellington & the ferry to the south island. Once engaged we toured the perimeter of the south island, and made a few inland loops for specific sights that were on the "don't miss" list over about two weeks. We took the ferry back to the north island on Tuesday, 11/11 and spent three days catching some of the middle north island sights before heading to New Plymouth & the weekend with the Barnes. Monday & Tuesday were more north island sights, including the amazing Bridal Veil Falls before getting up to Auckland Tuesday evening for our Wednesday return flight.

We met some great people during our trip. Besides jb & Rosie and the Barnes we met SharpMark and saw his work space, and Colin Proust who goes by V8Flathead here and drives a very nice '36 Coupe. We also met Graeme Cox (Coxy) who did the chassis mods on jb's bus, and has a righteous shop turning out some great work, besides being a stand up guy. I was amazed by the number of guys that told me that they had multiple "left drive" cars that they had imported from the USA over the years, including a fellow who just celebrated his 90th birthday and owns a '67 (or '68?) Mustang fastback that was one of 40 built with a factory Paxton blower!

We have something north of 1700 photos of our trip, mostly scenic shots that are only special to us but with a few segments of cars from the NSRA gathering, plus a couple of private collections. I may post some of the NZ cars one of these days, but it's going to take some time to sort through everything and make sense of the images, especially considering that the holidays are upon us, and we've got nothing done to prepare like outdoor lighting, getting the tree out of storage, etc, etc, etc.

Today was the first time I've driven in over a month, so I made it special by taking the '33 for the run to WalMart to pick up milk & a few staple needs. It was a great trip, but it's also good to be home.

Johnboy, once again I cannot thank you & Rosie enough for taking time & traveling around "GodZone" with us. I believe that we could have navigated the roadways safely, but I expect that we would have experienced a few exciting moments in the process. Robin, thanks also for you & Lynda giving up your weekend to show us the Taranaki highlights. All in all it was a trip to be remembered!

OK------1700 pics-how many miles??????kilos? Robin and I average about a pic per mile traveled ( not every mile of the roads---it just works out that if we go x miles we have x pics when we return)


Never got down under probably because the planes I flew weren't routed there at that time--but Robin did go to Australia and over to the far end to visit her brother in the Navy early 70s---------

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

OK------1700 pics-how many miles??????kilos? Robin and I average about a pic per mile traveled ( not every mile of the roads---it just works out that if we go x miles we have x pics when we return)

Looks like 6445 kilometers, or just over 4000 miles for the month.

Did you check to see which way the water rotated when you flush a toilet south of the equator???

A shame I wasn't a member of this forum back then - you would have been welcome in the even-deeper-south!

Tons down here to show you - hell, Burt Munro lived only 75 miles away!

Roger: you and Susan are very welcome guests in our neck of the woods at any time.
You both fitted in extremely well, and the work Susan did in the kitchens at our NSRA Nationals was noted and much appreciated.

Sorry I had to 'farm you out' at the grasskhana, but the Barnes and ourselves were flat out like a lizard drinking...all go!

You most probably could have negotiated our roads with their 'cack-handed' driving, but we didn't wish to see you end up as statistics.
(There has just been another fatality involving an overseas driver...not good!)

As I said; you're both welcome back any time.
Now you both go and enjoy your snow...we've got a fine day here, and I've just finished mowing the lawns.

Originally Posted by Kiwi37

A shame I wasn't a member of this forum back then - you would have been welcome in the even-deeper-south!

Tons down here to show you - hell, Burt Munro lived only 75 miles away!

We were in your area; went and looked in to the Haye's hardware store.
And the truck museum too.

Went down the East Coast SI, over the Haast Pass, out to Milford Sound, and back up the West Coast.

Lynda here. Roger and Susan we just felt like you were forever friends when we first met you on the Wednesday you arrived and took you out for a meal, and then Susan helping me take information when I was photographing the hot rods. And again when you arrived and stayed with us. At no point did we feel you were intruding at all or that we had to 'entertain' you. We just 'were' and enjoyed each others company in a lovely relaxed way. So pleased the weather was good enough to see our beautiful Pukeiti Rhodondendron gardens, Tupare (where you saw a Tui up close), and Lake Mangamahoe where you got the shot of the shag and the goslings and black swans. Hope you snagged a look at a (real) kiwi before you left us. Both of you blessed us immensely and we were sad to see you go. Thank you for the lovely framed photo, too. Big hugs from us and we really hope to see you again.

yip , I was impressed with you roger.
kinda cool to be able to shoot the breeze with someone I didn't really know from a bar of soap and an hour went past very quickly.
hotrodding is definitely a way to make us all family
thanks for the visit.


.

Cool happenings for a Cool Dude !
HOWEVER

Ya'll are gettin' me misty eyed this morning The hot rodding community in NZ is much more close knit than here, obviously due to the comparable size of our countries and the number of people involved. Just like any family there are all kinds of people, some real "characters" but all in all, Cuzzy Bro's to the end and crash hot as a whole. We met a lot of people at the NSRA Nat's that first weekend, and through our travels touched base with several of the Maverick's, which is a smaller group of hot rod friends through the country. Besides our "base" of johnboy & Rosie, Robin & Lynda we met a lot of people, and "..the lot" were friendly, open and interested where ever we traveled. It amazed both Susan & I that we were tagged as "not from here" after a simple "hello" or "good morning"!! One or two words and the next question was "And where are you from??"

Jerry, the toilet bowls in NZ are a very different design than here with a deeper "pit" in the bottom and they flush with a massive pulse of water jet into the siphon without the increased depth to push the siphon action so no vortex action. Sadly, I never thought to fill a bathtub to watch the drain for reverse spin action The other thing that I missed seeing was the Southern Cross in the night sky. The one night that we remembered to look we found via a star chart that for our date & time it was just above the horizon to the SSW, and the lights of town hid it from our view I guess we'll just have to plan another trip to check out those two phenomena that we've always wondered about.....

Again, heartfelt thanks to all of the people of NZ that made our trip more memorable! You made us Cuzzy Bro's, we enjoyed a cuppa in the arvo breaks, and before we pack a sad and start acting drongo I'd better rack off!! Maybe go to the shop for shark & tatties for tucker?

Real people enjoying real camaraderie.............................it don't get no better than that!

I'm with Em on the green thing....................

I've always found that those folks from down there ( under?) are right up front much more genuinely open and receptive to a positive flow of banter? about real deal thingies----they don't put out a false image and don't project an we're better than you aura like maybe the cast system folks from India--------and when your mouth is moving there ears are listening instead of talking over you--------


Missing the southern cross is a bummer Roger so you'll just have to go back--------I always enjoyed the north/south hemi spere flying compared to east-west-not as much jet lag plus on the way home (they are always night flights) I could watch the North star rise as we crossed equator and when it was getting about half way up the windshield it was getting time to land---------




Hopefully Robin and I will get down there some day and I want to do a big triangle trip with her---Australia, New Zealand and South America--------

Em, Bob, Jerry, you all would be welcomed.
We're a pretty egalitarian bunch down here, and nowhere is it more exemplified than in the hot-rodding community, where those with egos and attitudes are not tolerated.

So come visit!

(We need your money!)

Originally Posted by rspears

and through our travels touched base with several of the Maverick's, which is a smaller group of hot rod friends through the country.

The Mavericks are even more close-knit than NSRA, and was formed initially by rodders who walk to the beat of their own drum, and so kept getting banned from other web-sites.
You've got to be a bit of a Maverick to be eligible!

Originally Posted by rspears

Again, heartfelt thanks to all of the people of NZ that made our trip more memorable! You made us Cuzzy Bro's, we enjoyed a cuppa in the arvo breaks, and before we pack a sad and start acting drongo I'd better rack off!! Maybe go to the shop for shark & tatties for tucker?

Crikey!
We've even got you speaking the language!