Re: UK Kiwis back in NZ!

[daved]

I'm so glad you are having a great time! Are you still ex-pat New Zealanders or ex-pat Brits............I'm confused

Now all this mention of pics and tottie in the same thread and all we get are pics of old cars. C'mon Dave, get your act together

Sorry to hear about the poor old B. Maybe you should bring it back to the UK and have it as a project car

Continue to have a great time won't you!

[uk kiwis]

Thanks Dave

Now I have had a chance to drive the B and look her over. Well, it does not seem to bad at all. We went to the club last night but on the way back the ignition ligt came on so a new alternator I guess. Did the mid week run today. No takers for the write up so guess who said ok......?

Will send this ASAP and save double dipping.

See what I can do Dave to spice up your life.....ha will have to use a telephoto lens
as I am a bit shy..ha ha...

ps: don,t want to get my face slapped!

[Rich]

The MG Marque of Friendship was never more in evidence to two returning Kiwis to Aotearoa as on this midweek journey through Auckland’s stunning rural countryside the vivid blue of the roadside Agapanthis gave another welcome. Sadly, daughter’s 1965 MGB which had been laid up for a couple of years and now back on the road after an overhaul still showed her age with a faulty alternator. It was non-runner for this trip.

Bill and Raywyn Tutty met all for a briefing at the Botanical Gardens. The visitors entrance hall and surrounds up to a very high International standard and presentation. We chattered to Danish Rassmussen and could have been anywhere in Europe at this point. The rally run was plotted to include Alfriston, Ardmore, Hunua, past Camp Adair, a pleasant memory for countless young New Zealanders then on through Ramarama and the quaint rural outpost that is Patumahoe. The market gardens we passed along the way smelling of wholesome goodness. New Zealand’s fresh food has no other equal.

Our first of two destinations was Wright’s Water Gardens. We paid the reduced fee of seven dollars ( there is some advantage to being retired, everything is cheaper. Except surgery that is!) Situated at the site of the Mauku Waterfall. Years ago at the top of the waterfall a water wheel provided power for a flax mill, dismantled in 1869. With the area covered in native bush it was a wonderful picnic and courting spot for local people who had made a home here. The hard rock quarry left an ideal landscape for today’s pleasant paths, water pools and extensive Water Lilly collection. An Oasis for little Guppy fish, eels and frogs. The wonderful Dragonfly flit about. There is a large café and tourist shop, we marvelled at the hidden beauty of a Paua shell, who would believe such vivid colours lying beneath its crust?

Our final visit was to Neville Thompson and his Alpaca farm. Neville owns a 1987 MGB. The fine Alpaca with their proud and attractive nobel heads come from Chile and Peru and date back 4,000 years. It has been only six years since the farm was begun with a single ram and wether, now the holding has thirty-four animals. It has not been easy and on one occasion a vet had to be flown to Chile from Australia to check a proposed import to New Zealand. It was a four-day journey by lorry to the port in Chile then a flight or ship to Australia more vets fees and Quarantine then finally to New Zealand. Expensive!

When a ewe becomes pregnant she arranges a ‘Spit Off’; that is to say she spits at the male for a time (now that must be more amicable than a divorce). There is a ram on the farm but if all else fails ‘Squeals on Wheels’ are willing to step in with a mating service. Civilised is the Alpaca!
The male looks to be on the outer but consider this: Females five hundred dollars, males up to seventy thousand. Well! The fine wool fibre is hollow and thirty micron a contrast is the human hair at seventy micron.

Rawe Haere (Nice trip)

Text and photos copyright © 2010 Dave & Carole Walker

Dave Walker

[uk kiwis]

Would like to add, that the Water Garden article was written as a report for the Auckland MGCC magazine so naturally has a NZ flavour.

Since then we have picked up the B. It is a challenging experience to drive and one has to remember to keep plenty of distance in front. Rather like driving a lorry after the F but oh so enjoyable. The gear wirrings and transmission noise (natural with the 'B') make music to the ears, lovely.

We have also visited a friend who has a vast collection of Automobilia in a purpose built double story garage so this along with Hampton Downs visit will appear ASAP

Am, spending quite a bit of spare time tidying up the MG as you can imagine, after two or three years idle.

[puds121]

Great news that the B is back on the road.....let's be having some pics of it and you guys!!!....happy NZ motoring

[uk kiwis]

Thanks......previous blog Puds..

We are due to attend a beach noggin at a city location tonight but I have to tell you the weather has broken although still warm and humid. Hope to take a few shots of 'Mossie' as daughter calls the 'B' then.

[uk kiwis]

Must say the weather has been rather hot here, it is strange how we live in one world but the seasons are so different?

Still involved to a greater extent with motoring events. I mentioned the Scimitar city beach meet. Well, that went very nicely and many old friends and past members turned up in our honour. One guy brought the only Sabre existing in the Southern hemisphere, a six cylinder Zephyr motored example. He also owns a rare Scimitar roadster but keeps that in Australia where they winter over. We watched the ferries depart for Aucklands various Islands and a couple of cruise ships slip by. Some of us cooked a BBQ tea. Tamaki Drive is a pretty waterfront road that travels out to the 'Posh' suburbs past a Maori Marae as some of their land that has been handed back to them, well, this beach is on that road two miles from the city.

The MGCC held a country display of cars just outside of Auckland where we attended a small food, wine and music gathering. The food here changes all the time with immigrants arriving. So there was paella cooking in those huge fry pans also Italian food, Kiwi nosh and several other foreign offerings, nice that.

We took our lunch in the adjacent log cabin tea rooms and again had Italian food, Antipasto, of a very high standard. This area is also exclusive and has Aucklands only Polo ground.
A good selection of MG's attended and we chatted to several ex pat Uk folk who are now happily living here.

A friend of mine has a newish house in a bush suburb here and as he has collected a large amount of auto memorabilia housed in a purpose built two storied garage come museum alongside the house. It is packed with various overalls, helmets and photos of the past and several interesting cars. His interest is speedway and pride of place is taken up with 76, an Offenhauser engined midget racing car that first saw the light of day in the USA in 1949. It was then brought to New Zealand and raced with huge success for years.

This weekend sees us at Ellerslie. This is the premier concours event of the year and brings out some stunning cars, some of them in the Master class. Ellerslie is a horse racing track right in the middle of Auckland and of the garden and flower variety so the cars look fantastic when on display beneath the impressive Grand stands.

[Rich]

Good to hear from you again... Keep the blog running!

Rich

[Rich]

And HERE are the pics as requested! Dave has been busy... Far too many to post here, hence the link instead!

Rich




PS Dave, I'm not sure if you're getting my return emails. I've replied to you twice now but your last message said you hadn't heard from me!

[uk kiwis]

Hallo Richard/All

No...have received no replies. Wondered what is\was going on?

Use my whitfield(number) hotmail address. I am sending from Another computer
that I cannot check replies on, that may be the problem.

[Rich]

... Use my whitfield(number) hotmail address. I am sending from Another computer
that I cannot check replies on, that may be the problem.

I am! I'm just replying to your emails that are coming from that address. I copied myself in on replies too so I know they are being sent... Strange. Perhaps your computer is blocking them. Check your junk email filter...

Rich

[uk kiwis]

Hey...yes we are still here. I hear the winter in the UK has been the worst for many a year (30?) So, honestly, we did not know that was going to happen when we came back to NZ! Sunny every day, very nice thank you but then it is summer. Hasn't always been like this but like UK I think the gobal weather has changed.

Had an interesting second Scimitar meeting at that city beach I told you about. Many past club members came along to say hallo which was nice. One guy brought his seventeen year old son who is now rebuilding an SE5A Scimmy. We last saw him when a very young child. Time moves on. Also there was Andy, a former ships chief engineer on the Auckland Sanfrancisco run. They were in NZ to join the Queen Mary for a world tour back to Southampton. Fourty thousand pounds worth...wow. We used to meet him on board his freighter from time to time. The Queen Mary is too large to fit in at the overseas terminal so had to berth at the commercial container wharf. 'Oh No' tough! Andy resides in Devon and now builds nine cylinder radial engines for third scale flying model first world war planes. All from block steel. Wonderful. cleaver man.

Went out to a private estate in the country for a steam enthusiast meeting. It has been in the family for a hundred years and specialises in 100 year old steam river boats.
Marvelous to ride in one on the nearby river. Lots of NZ history of the rural timber and freight to Auckland kind. A couple of small manmade lakes were ideal for model steam boats and sailing yachts to sail on. Great day.

Attended the MGCC Auckland club meet again this month. Good lecture from a chap who had done a bit of the Tour of France bike ride, that is to say a leisure company tour after the race had gone through. Took hours to cycle a few miles they do in minutes, mostly up hill he said.

Been searching, talking and gathering information for an overdrive for the MGB. Would be good to have it for the South Island National MG meet but too rushed. Have some good prospects and offers of help to install one next time we return here when ever that maybe.

This weekend we are attending another Scimitar run and will again take a fourty minute cruise on a hundred year old paddle boat that has been restored down country. Cooked breakfast at the 'Pokeno" Poke..en..o bacon factory, will be the starting point for this one. $10 about three pound eighty in your money and has all the trimmings..Full New Zealand you might say!

Oh yes, we went to the Top Gear show. What happened was this. Several shows during Clarkson and Captain Slows visit. Too many probably as not all the tickets sold. Guess what? two hundred diamond tickets were gifted ($170.00 each) to the sports car club as the organisers did not want them sold on Trademe (Ebay like site young guy developed and sold for millions here B......sd) or discounted. Result was I got one ..lucky.. I know. Anyway at the pre show hall was a new craze, probably American, 'Toaster racing'. Picture a contained track 100 foot long. Small chassis, chain saw wheels, toaster body and drill motor and casing and an electric cord to stretch the length of the track. Pile of saw dust shavings to arrest it at the end. Well, they blast off at a huge rate with accompianing noise. Almost faster than you can see, like a jet fighter doing a run past, woosh and its over. Absolutely spectacular, real crowd pleaser, well for the guys anyway. Took your breath away.