Same guy (Glen Jones), different coupe at Nongataha hillclimb Rotorua, now that was a good challenge, tarseal and tight corners. Later years Glen put the Valiant over the side at top of climb, he had fun in that Valiant.
Same guy (Glen Jones), different coupe at Nongataha hillclimb Rotorua, now that was a good challenge, tarseal and tight corners. Later years Glen put the Valiant over the side at top of climb, he had fun in that Valiant.
What a pity that the spread of surbubia and straightening of roads has destroyed so many hillclimb venues. Those Gold Star hillclimbs used to be major events. All sorts of people travelled to them. Jim Boyd Lycoming. Steve Boreham Cooper BSA then Vincent. Ken Sager,
John Warring Terrapin and McLaren M4. Tom Donavan(?) Formula Pacific. Murray Firth. The Millens and so an. Wairarapa Car Club members used to billet visiting drivers and some long lasting friendships were made. Admiral hill in the Wairarapa is still just as it was 50 years ago. Although they run a longer course now. Anything under 40 secs was a pretty good time. Great times, some great characters and a lot of fun.
Admiral Road was the first hillclimb I attended (November 1960) and rarely missed an event for the next few years, even after moving to Wellington. Some great memories
The Northern Sports Car Club ran hillclimbs here in the late '50's and 1960's. Now you wouldn't recognise it, large Chicken Farming operation or similar and tarsealed road. But fun at the time. At least you can still get your mouthful of dust on Rally stages today.
Red Dawson I believe, and a spinning Daimler
Chicken farming or ostrich farming?
John Richards was a bit of an ace in a black SP250 - the car's a bit far away to identify
Admiral Road was also my first hillclimb. In a 1939 Ford 10, It fell over at the hairpin, still wasn't the slowest car in the event.Originally Posted by David McKinney
I was down closer to that corner on that day ,yes it would have been Johnny Richards,I remember after he got going after that spin that the rear tyres were spinning so much that it just sounded like a saw cutting through wood
Remember early 70s leaving North Shore (Auck) on a Friday about lunch time and heading for Admiral Rd Masterton with one buggy on A-frame behind XY ute with petrol cans and few spares and wheels on back with 3 across the bench seat. You had to be mates or it did not work on these trips. ute was followed by Rod Millen in his buggy (not for long) and off we went. Arrived at Masterton about 9.30 Friday night and meet by friendly club members, paper work done a couple of beers and off to their place for a sleep. Up morning feed and taken to hill climb. Great dice all day long with Warring and then back to club for prizegiving. At about 8 pm Millen ask's how much you guys had to drink. "oh a couple" then he says "we might as well head up ah, theres a hillclimb at Bald Hill tomorrow". So we thank everyone and off we go. Well the lights were real neat on the buggy "TUI YEA RIGHT" any way i rode with Rod to Waiurou. it was quite cosy around legs with heat from radiator sweeping past legs but the ears were cold even with full balaclava. We were going to swap the buggys over on the A frame and just un hooked PJ"s buggy when a E-Type Jag goes past. This is red rag a to bull with Millen and he looks, smiles and says come on PJ lets play. They take off and Shorty and myself head off up the Desert Rd towards Turangi in the ute. We get to the Service Station at Turangi turn off and here is the guy in the E-Type chatting away to Rod and PJ. As the story goes he said he saw some dim lights coming and he thought well i'm getting along alright wonder what that is, and did not believe it when the buggy's past him. So off he went and said it was not too bad until the twisty stuff and the climbs out of those valleys. Next he saw the guy's was at the Service Station and looked in back behind seat and could not believe a V6 could be in there. Any way after a quick refuel Rods buggy on A frame and change of drivers so others could have nap, off to Bald Hill. we made it for day and PJ let me have a drive for the day. I think i was 3rd behind Rod and Doug Bremner. Then off home, unload, sleep very well and off to work Monday. Alot off us used to do this in "the good old days" But those peolpe at Masterton were great and we meet them lots more over the Daybreaker Rally trips.
Originally Ostrich farming in the 1880's or so by Swiss settlers who presumably set up nearby community of 'Helvetia'. L D Nathan's also had ostrich farms in the Auckland area. They were catering for the then current fad of ostrich feathers for ladies' hats. For some unaccountable reason it didn't last, and in a few years the only trace was the road name, Ostrich Farm Rd, off Ostrich Road, Patumahoe or Paerata or whatever.
Latest enterprise definitely looks like raising chickens(not ostriches) for meat.
Bob you may be able fill this one in. I found it in one of my old folders. It did have Goodwin written under it but not sure.
Rod,
Yes I can remember Goody driving that weapon a couple of times ,I can't quite pin down where that photo is taken ,but I will try to have a look and see where it might have been
Peter Parnell had a Fiat 500 with a much larger motor stuffed in the back. VW or Corvair, I can't remember which. Old age is a bugger. Don"t think it was him though. David will probably know if it is.
No, I think that's a northern venue
And I can't remember what engine Peter Parnell used either
A few years earlier John Mines (of JRM sportscar fame) had a Fiat 500 with an A-Type BMC engine
No I am pretty sure that is Noel Goodwin,I remember the car,I can't quite place the venue at the moment ,but I did see another photo of it just recently ,I will keep looking
[ATTACH][/ATTACH]Here's a venue with a punga fern tree - Ararimu Road, Paparimu. Presume it's a Pukekohe Car Club event. MG is unknown but V8 could be Trevor Horncy - Viewed from under some trees as the rain set in. Visited a friend out here last year and took my photos with me, but couldn't get my bearings at all. I think the winding part of the hill has been realigned out of existence, and the scrub on hills is now pine plantation. And it was only about 45 years ago!
Hi Bob, David etc,
John Mines car was for sale in a Lower Hutt car sales in the late 70's - had a purple custom paint and supposedly a 970S engine in it. It was later seen less engine and maybe was wrecked for the parts - it had Cooper S discs. I think Parnells was a 600 rather than a 500. He works in the Hutt these days on exotics. There was a VW powered 600 in Wainui in the late 70's too - not sure it was Parnells one. Also was a tatty yellow ex race car 600 for sale in Raumati about the same time. And yet another in the Ohau wreckers together with a cool Mini 850 powered Isetta.
Graeme
Bagnall-Jaguar car at the Palmer Road Hill Climb, Breaker Bay, Wellington, 1964
Herb Gilroy, Austin A40 Special
http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/hcwg.htm
complete list of Hillclimb winners up to 1949 - NewZealand included
got any pics of the katipo Bri
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