Healy-Guttman Blog

We left the Love Shack at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii at 2:30 PM Friday January 25th and 24 hours later, we were one day ahead (January 27th) and checking into the Hapuku Lodge in Kaikoru, New Zealand (South Island) close to 5000 miles away from the shack.    ….tired, probably really smelly, but running on adrenaline and just plain happy to be here, we grabbed a bottle of champagne and took this picture about 10 minutes away on the beach:

 

This is the story of our travels in the month of February through the South Island of New Zealand where we will (or “have” depending on when you read this) race in three consecutive weekends of the biggest vintage races on this island in “Pete” (my ‘69 BMW 2002 who has travelled in slightly lesser conditions inside of a container on a ship)….  We will be updating this blog regularly with photos and even in-car video of each race track.  …so check back often…

So how did we get to the Hapuku Lodge?  …well, first there was the ride to Kailua Airport in Kona in “Crusty” where we left him in the parking lot for some friends arriving in a few days who will “hold down the fort” in Hawaii.  We flew to Honolulu, caught the Air New Zealand red eye flight to Auckland, caught a “domestic flight” to Christchurch, rented a car, stopped off briefly to visit Robin & Sue at Clearview Lodge where we will be staying during our first race weekend at Ruapuna for the Skopes Vintage Classics, then headed North to Kaikoura.  We were disoriented but hungry when I spotted a “brewery” sign and skidded to a halt in front of the Brew Moon Brewery and Cafe:

 

Suzanne and I may have been running on empty - dazed and confused - but I have to say this is one of the best meals I have ever had at a brewery (excepting of course the Kona Brewery).  The atmosphere was outstanding, the staff was pleasant (typical in these parts), and the food was much better than your normal pub faire.  Highly recommended according to this jaded traveller.  …and one more Kodak moment:

Continuing North on Highway 1, we finally hit Kaikoura after some great winding roads through the mountains - very reminiscent of the Northern California coastal mountains.  The tiny fishing town of Kaikoura is known for it’s whales, crayfish, spectacular vistas, and interesting kelp?  ….well, leave it to Suzanne….

 

….other than sealife and beautiful vistas, Kaikoura is also known for - well - this is the view of the local herd of deer from our window at Hapuku Lodge:

This place is fantastic!  One view (above) and in the opposite direction you have the wild rocky beach.  World renowned chef’s, funky architecture (even several units that are “tree houses”), and sculpture at every turn like this cool piece at the entrance:

…panning left to the entrance:

Our first breakfast in NZ couldn’t have been at a better place.  We dined with fellow travellers from the UK (it’s a bargain here for them) and set off for the Kaikoura Peninsula for the “Cliff Top Walk” from the Peninsula car park to South Bay, back across the peninsula to the township and up the beach back to the car park.  The views from the limestone cliffs of the shoreline below and mountains to the West are nothing short of spectacular.  The weather was gorgeous and the nice coastal breeze kept us cool.  Some pictures along the way:

 

The walk took about 3 hours and we guessed the distance was around 5 miles.  There were certainly shorter routes, but we had all day and needed some exercise after our travels.   After some refreshment in the township (Speight’s “Dinstinction Ale” isn’t bad!) we headed North along the coast to check the sights.  Along the way, we had to stop at this place for one of the local favorites - crayfish:

This rock lobster caught locally is a real treat and Nins Bin (est. 1977 by somebody named Nin) is the best bargain around for these tasty delicasies. 

To wrap things up on our first full day in NZ, we treated ourselves to the full Hapuku Lodge dining experience.   A three course extravaganza in their beautiful dining room that included a few of the local denizens - err, that is things like venison from the herd photographed yesterday (see photo above from our room of the deer…) and other fresh seafood - mussels, smoked fish and scallops.  Accompanied by NZ Pinot Noir, we felt truly immersed in the island and Hawaii seems like a distant memory….

Feb 5th Update:

Suzanne and I are now at Lake Tekapo here in the “Southern Alps” of the South Island of New Zealand.  We are catching up after a busy weekend of racing at the Skope Classic at Ruapuna race track near Christchurch. 

After Kaikoura, we went to a place called Hanmer Springs in the mountains that is famous for its natural hot springs.  We stayed at a B&B called “Fontainbleau” on Tuesday night.  This was a comfortable 5-star place and we had a great dinner with a couple from the UK and the hosts.  The town is somewhat “touristy” so we headed back to Christchurch Wednesday to the Clearview Lodge in anticipation of the racing weekend that started Thursday morning (a “test and tune day”).  

The three rooms at Clearview Lodge were booked through the weekend by some of our group - Mark & Jo Powell (1960 Porsche 356 Roadster)  and Tim Osborne and Carol Tranfaglia (1967 Brabham single seater).  We were welcomed by hosts Robin & Sue Clements who got the Powell’s and ourselves settled outside with a glass of their 2006 Pinot Noir from grapes out of their own vineyard:

That night, the six of us went to the Lakes Restaurant which was a short walk down the road at the Clearwater Resort:

The next day - Thursday - and through the weekend was spent at the Powerbuilt Tools International Raceway at Ruapuna Park.  Since our group brought 6 cars and there were some other Americans who brought some Can Am cars and other vintage cars (a few Allards), we were granted some time on the track Thursday morning before the “official” practice sessions started after lunch.  We arrived Thursday morning and first snapped a few photos:

The two blue containers will serve as our “trailers” throughout the “Southern Festival of Speed” series (from here, we go to Timaru and then the last weekend at Invercargill).  Our cars were packed 3 cars per container for the transport to NZ from the Port of Seattle.  Our host, Tony Garmey, and his crew then “re-packed” everything into the containers you see in the picture.  After the events, all the cars and gear will once again be moved into different containers for the voyage home.  …quite complicated logistics and something none of us would have been able to do on our own…  Another Kodak moment:

We set up our canopy and pits for the weekend - I was pitted next to Tim’s beautiful Brabham:

We headed out onto the track with minimal paperwork or fuss - things are pretty relaxed here!  There were some workmen on the track but we were told to simply “avoid them”…  This track is full of twists and turns and reminds me of a longer version of Mission but with much better runoff area all around.  It’s technical in nature but not overly complicated.  I was really glad to have the time to “figure it out”.  During the day, some competitors started showing up.  I quickly learned that a “classic car” in NZ is anything that is 15 years old and beyond.  …so I would be up against M3’s from the ’80’s and even early ’90’s like these guys:

Pete looks a little small in comparison…

Thursday night we got the whole group together that also included Greg & Marianne Campbell (1964 Porsche 356) and Jim & Christy Loveall (another 356 in “Creamsicle” paint scheme) and headed to one of our favorite Christchurch restaurants: “Cook’n With Gas”.  It was a memorable evening and the food was great as always:

Friday was another practice day and the three saloon classes (sedans) including mine were to qualify between 5 PM - 6 PM.  There was a lot of “sorting out” during these first few practice days.  The Porsche’s all had some issues to deal with and Tim’s Brabham had a mysterious transmission problem.  Tony Garmey was running between cars with a frantic look on his face both days but pulled through heroically and in the end, everybody’s issues were ultimately resolved.

Friday afternoon, we were introduced to a unique Christchurch weather phenomena - fast changing weather.  The day started with pleasant partly sunny skies but the wind picked up and the clouds started coming in and pretty soon it was REALLY windy.  Canopies were flying, dust was everywhere and the temperature dropped about 30 degrees in 30 minutes - no, that is not an exaggeration.  Around 5 PM, we were huddled inside the containers and rain seemed imminent.  I was debating whether or not to put on my rain tires, but opted to cross my fingers instead.  It turned out OK and my group narrowly escaped the rain.  I qualified 8th out of 30 cars with a 1:44:50 and was happy to head home to shower off the dust and grime.

That evening, our hosts Robin and Sue were kind enough to offer up their lodge accommodations for a BBQ that included our entire group.  Due to the weather, we ate inside:

Host Robin Clement knows how to work the barby!  …another memorable event with some truly great people:

Once again, the weather changed quickly and by the morning of the first race day - Saturday - we were back to pleasant dry and not so windy conditions.  Perfect!  …even for these guys:

After all the other cars qualified Saturday morning, we were set for racing that afternoon.  My class (called the “The Ernie Sprague Saloons”) was one of the first groups to go out.  I was a bit nervous about the standing starts (versus the rolling starts we normally see in the states) but that turned out to be the least of my worries.  These are short 5 - 6 lap sprints and the Kiwi’s know they have just a few laps to “get it done” - and coupled with the somewhat lax rules - there tends to be some “frantic driving”.  In my first race, I learned the following: 1) get ahead of as many cars as you can at the start - this is the easiest way to pick up spots; 2) ignore yellow flags (I was passed by 4 cars during one yellow flag); 3) Protect your spot - even if it is considered “blocking”; 4) don’t think to yourself:  ”I’ll get by him on the next lap”.  ….you only have a few laps… ; 5) Expect your lap times to be 2 - 3 seconds slower during the races (versus qualifying) due to all the mayhem - err - fun you are having.

 By the end of the first race I had dropped from 8th to 16th…  Lest anyone think I’m complaining - far from it.  I really appreciated running against cars I would never get to race against in the States on a fairly decent track.  …for example, when are you going to get to race against two of these (this is the husbands - the wife’s is identical):

 

 …yeah, both were in my group and I didn’t stand a chance…

 I also appreciate how efficient the Kiwi’s are at getting races going one after the other with very few delays.  You will get in at least 3 races per day - Sunday I had 4.  It’s just a matter of learning how the game is played.  If you find yourself in a “scrum” of cars that are too aggressive for your taste - just drop back a bit and play with someone else.  If things don’t feel right - just head into the pits - you’ll be out again in a few hours.

Later in the day, I picked up a spot or two as I caught on and only got “punted” once - ironically by another BMW (early ’90’s M3) who left some of his paint on my rear quarter panel and apologized afterwards saying “I was just having a bit of fun”.  The paint rubbed out, so the damage was minimal.  All in all I had a blast and wore a grin on my face most of the weekend.

Unfortunately the “Mad Max, Kiwi Style” racing took its toll on Mark’s 356 during his first race that Saturday afternoon.  A “classic” Ferrari (1992) spun in front of him and an MGB plowed into him when he checked up.  I guess his braking for a spin was “out of the norm” (said tongue in cheek) and this was the result:

On the positive side, Tony and Leitch Motorsports were able to pull out the dents, apply what seemed like a dozen rolls of tape and he was back in action that afternoon!

Kiwi’s are some of the friendliest people on the planet and part of the enjoyment of racing here are the folks you will meet - both fellow racers and spectators.  Russell Grace (1987 BMW M3) was near our pits and we duked it out in several races.  He was cleaner on the track than some of the other guys so I really enjoyed running with him.  Here is his car:

Since the track was a lot busier than most, I was able to make up for a lack of horsepower by focusing on cornering and braking.  …then again, maybe Russell was just taking it easy on me.  He did express interest in buying Pete, so who knows.

One other thing that stood out in this race from what we are used to back home is the number of spectators.  …there were thousands…  Kiwi’s are racing fanatics and for a town that is smaller than Tacoma, I was amazed at how many people there were at this event.  Here is a view of one of our standing starts from near our pits:

And the only time I was actually by myself in a corner - perhaps during qualifying:

…and there were the cars…  There were 240 cars entered in the event and at least triple that amount of classics in the parking lot.  Where else are you going to see a Cobra replica with a tow hitch that was actually used to get another car to the event:

OK - it’s hard to see, but trust me it’s there.  And this car was nice! 

Saturday night was a BBQ at the track that included an awards ceremony and lots of hilarity.  At one point, Ian Wood who brought his Rawlson CR11 Can-Am car from Canada in one of our containers sang one of his infamous songs many of us have heard him sing at Mission.  

On Sunday, there were a lot fewer mishaps.  I broke an exhaust mid-day but Tony found a tig welder and get me back on the track.  The next photo is during that repair - but notice Tim and Suzanne peering at a particularly large military transport jet that happened to be passing overhead:

We were right under the approach path for the Christchurch airport.

Later on during one of my last races - a handicapped sprint - I misjudged the first corner while trying to pass on the outside and dipped two wheels off the track.  …that was all it took for a wild off track excursion through the grass.  I had no idea there was a gravel trap out there but when I saw it, I attempted to steer out of it but something locked up in the drive train and within a few seconds I was solidly beached - or “parked” as the announcer noted…  I was a bit taken aback when instead of a tow, it was suggested I get “craned” back to the pits.  We need one of these things at Pacific Raceways!

Miraculously all checked out OK and within 10 minutes I made it to my last race of the event and got a 6th place.  …my best finish, best time and a lot of fun dicing with a 1974 Datsun 1200 SSS - and a driver that really knew what he was doing - Fantastic stuff!

The event was an incredible adventure even though it was “different” than what we are used to - that’s what makes it so exciting.  As I write this here at Lake Tekapo - one of the most beautiful places in the world, what I am really thinking most about is the upcoming race weekend in Timaru.  …it’s a disease…

On our way to Lake Tekapo, Suzanne and I decided to take the “scenic route”.  This sent us through a town called “Geraldine” and seeing a sign about a vintage car museum, I figured how could we not stop for that?  It turns out that the “Geraldine Vintage Car & Machinery Museum” is worth every penny of the $7 admission price.  …if nothing else, just to see a few oddball cars like this 1957 Berkely:

This was one step up from one of those pedal-cars you might have had as a kid.  Here’s the spec’s:

70 MPH and 70 MPG?  …and that was in 1957…  Granted this thing is small, but it would seem that in 50 years, we could do a little better…

…and then there was this:

I guess they needed these during the war…

So here we are at the Lake Tekapo Luxury Lodge catching up with email, this blog and generally relaxing.  Lake Tekapo is about an hour drive to Mount Cook National Park and three hours from Queenstown to the South and Christchurch to the North.  The lake is glacier fed and has the most beautiful turquoise hue I have ever seen.   This is the view out our window:

Part of relaxing means seeking out fine dining and there was one exceptional restaurant here in this small lake town - Rakinui.  It had been open for only two weeks, but we decided to give it a go.  We were a bit concerned when we walked in and we were the only people there…  However, our waiter and GM, Charles, started us out with the best martini we had in NZ thus far.  I told him this and he said: “that’s because I’m from S. Africa!”.  …apparently they brought him here to oversee the opening of this restaurant.  We proceeded to have one of the best meals in our two trips to NZ - right up there with Hapuku Lodge and Herzog Winery (Marlborough - last trip).  We decided to go the next night after our trip to Mt. Cook.

Wednesday morning dawned cool and bright with not a cloud in the sky.  We had the typical NZ breakfast of poached eggs, tomatos, mushrooms and bacon at our B&B, and then headed up to Mt. Cook about an hour away.  Hmmm, what adjectives to use about this place?  Suffice it to say that the moniker “Southern Alps” does not do it justice - it’s truly an amazing place.  We decided on which “tramp” to go on, and settled on this one:

This tramp crosses alpine meadows, rushing glacier rivers over suspended bridges and ends at Hooker Lake with a glacier at one end rumbling every 10 minutes or so as it dumped a bit of ice into the lake.  Photos along the way:

Glaciers in the background:

That’s Mt. Cook in the background:

One of the suspension bridges and if you look really close, that’s Sue and I standing in the middle:

OK - we’re a bit tiny….   How about a close up:

Yes, it’s fuzzy, but that is me hanging on tight due to my strong aversion to heights…  And our final destination, Hooker Lake - complete with glacier and icebergs floating around in the murky water:

The adventure continues in “Part 2″ - please click here