Mike Harman's Journal

Well it finally happened the Brits at the Beadh Rally held in Whangamata NZ.This rally has been going for a few years now but this is the first time for me.The weather stayed fine for most of the time which was lucky as cyclone Gaberial was due to hit NZ which it did on the last day . We went up from Papamoa Beach to Whangamata on Thursday which was a two hour drive 107 Kms very windy roads in NZ booked into the motel and then went to registration.
Friday morning saw us up at 5.45 coffee and back on the road this was the first day of the rally and also the inaugral run up the Coromandal and around the top and then back down the other side of the peninsular.
the first part of the run went from Whangamata to Thames but as the quick route had been washed out by a storm we had togo the long way which was about two hours drive then when we got to Thames we had breakfast on the old historic fridge. This bridge used to open up in the centre so that the sailing ships could go up river with their cargo. once we had our breakfast we then drove up the Thames coast to Coromandal a nice little village but isolated this was about 1 1/2 hours drive around some very tight bends. Here we had lunch and also
Here I also met up with another MG EXP member Geoff James who lives away up in the Coromandal.
After lunch we followed Geoff over a steep high hill that had plenty of twists and turns also we struck rain at the top which lasted all the way down to a place called Whitianga on the opposite coast to where we had started, from here we made that due to the roads being very full of tight bends and hills took us 81/2 hours to drive and that was not hanging around. It was a very enjoyable drive and I am sure Lil Blue enjoyed her legs being stretched.
Well that was just getting to the start and day one Day 2 tomorrow.