AKL 2 Manfield & back again. 22 & 24 Nov 2019

[mickeyduck]

MR2OCNZ 25th Anniversary Nationals at Manfield eh? Can't miss that one!

I'm looking forward to the trip there and back just as much as the track time. Cos there are some seriously twisted roads between Auckland and Fielding. Mu ha ha...!

If you're planning to hit the track at Manfield and you're rocking down on Friday 22nd November, or if you're heading north from there on the 24th, feel free to tag along.

For the trip down we JAFAs (Just AWesome Freakin' Aucklanders) will roll from the usual place in the car park at BP on SH1 Drury.
We need to avoid the worst of the Auckland traffic madness so I'm thinking we leave BP about 7am.
That means anyone coming from the North Shore, and the Westies like myself should hit the motorway about 6am or thereabouts to ensure we get to BP in time.

LEAVING BP SH1 DRURY 7am Friday 22nd Nov 2019.

It takes about 2 hours to get to BP in Cambridge so let's call it a 9am meet for the Mooloo crew.
Any BOPers wishing to tag along might want to meet us there too?

Meeting MOOLOOS & BOPers at Cambridge BP around 9am Friday 22nd Nov 2019

We should get to Mangakino around 11am. Turangi BP between noon and 1pm. Fielding by 3 or 4pm.

That way we'll have 2 or 3 hours of daylight to work on the cars down there if needs be. (Never know eh). And it gives us breathing space on the way down in case anyone's vehicle has a hiccup. That said, be sure to have your car as SWeet as possible before hitting the road cos this isn't a SH1 cruise. It's a back-road blast!

The trip back on the Sunday will take a slightly different route so we get to take in a fresh dose of spectacular scenery and AWesome roads.

There are a few places on each route where we'll stop for 5 minutes to stretch our legs and snap a few pics. Cos there are some simply brilliant spots for photo ops.

And there are plenty of gas stations too. I have BP stations lined up the whole way there and back. Be sure to fill the tank at every opportunity though. Few things annoy the crew more than some clown running out of gas! Don't be that guy.

OK here's a glimpse at the route from AKL to Fielding:

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And here's a look at the return trip. Subtly different so we get to enjoy the best roads and scenery both ways.

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I could tease you with some photos from past trips along these roads but that would just spoil it for you. Trust me there is some epic scenery.

And your time behind the wheel is guaranteed to ensure your trip is not boring! Mu ha ha...!

Catcha!

[tw2]

Awesome, I will be there, looks fantastic.

[THR4SHER007]

Yep, will definitely be road tripping with everyone, see you at Cambridge BP

[Rosscar]

A suggestion of a variation on your route down and one I enjoy when Im up north is to take Cambridge Rd from Cambridge down to Kihikihi and thence to Mangakino via Owairaka valley and Waipapa Rd. This avoids SH1 and is an excellent scenic route with no traffic and fast straights with a few nice twisties at the Mangakino end. Another variation a lot further south is to take the scenic turnoff just before Mangaweka to Fielding via Rangiwahia and Kimbolton -once again no traffic and some nice twisties followed by long straights. Enjoy!

[motorheadsw20]

I'll be there too guys .

Only little thing is i'll be driving waaay out at the back since my missus gets a wee bit motion sickness through the twisties. The alternative is me being driven by the missus through the twisties (though i'll need dark color undies if she's driving me ) ... happy wife happy life


Any ideas if there's BP 98 Octane on the way down there ? I'll top up at Drury ... but still about 450km down to Manfield which is roughly what my 2 does on a full tank

[mknz]

It's alright, we'll be stopping for me to get gas often enough

[psyguy]

It's alright, we'll be stopping for me to get gas often enough

Yeah, but... your car can pretty much run on anything while some of our cars are sensitive to anything less than 98 (which isn't as readily available).



(tongue in cheek...)

[mickeyduck]

A suggestion of a variation on your route down and one I enjoy when Im up north is to take Cambridge Rd from Cambridge down to Kihikihi and thence to Mangakino via Owairaka valley and Waipapa Rd. This avoids SH1 and is an excellent scenic route with no traffic and fast straights with a few nice twisties at the Mangakino end. Another variation a lot further south is to take the scenic turnoff just before Mangaweka to Fielding via Rangiwahia and Kimbolton -once again no traffic and some nice twisties followed by long straights. Enjoy!

It would appear you haven't studied, or driven all of my route down to Fielding. But that's OK as I'm not posting the map in enough detail to zoom right in. And the bits you have driven, we clearly agree are great.

Trust me when I say there is b.a. state highway and LOTS of very scenic twisty back roads. Tarmac rally stages included.

And we do take the scenic route from Mangaweka.

Don't get me wrong though - thanks for your suggestions. Always appreciated! Local knowledge is gold.

As I said earlier too, there are plenty of BP gas stations on the way. More than enough for Michael's AW. Which I drove while leading runs how many times mate? (30 or so stickers under the lid...) And I never managed to get more than 270km from a tank of gas! Usually about 240. Other run attendees would tell me they got nearer 400km a tank. Of course at the time I just thought it was my driving style, keeping it in the power band at all times... I was hugely surprised to score a 500hp SW and find it was more economical on road trips.

It's going to be great to have you guys all tag along, you'll have a blast.

Ivan, if we end up having a BBQ in Fielding, you're cooking!

[simonaszakra]

facebook event is up
https://www.facebook.com/events/481158866066510/

[motorheadsw20]

Booked into the South street west motel so happy to be on BBQ duty

[mickeyduck]

Booked into the South street west motel so happy to be on BBQ duty

Excellent!

[Speedhog]

Man that car on the extreme left of the Event photo looks Mad as!

With much sorrow and regret, I am not gonna make it as tail-ender/Mr2-hastener

Enjoy the drive boys and girls! I'm jealous of all those twisties you will get to enjoy, especially after Taihape on the way down. Love those roads!

[mickeyduck]

Man that car on the extreme left of the Event photo looks Mad as!

A bit like its driver...

You will be missed as always Rodney.

But past experience suggests to me you'll have other stuff to do that's plenty intense...

I'll look forward to catching up again some time mate.

[mickeyduck]

Hoping to do a wee test run next Sunday to ensure the car is up to speed...

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=15537

If you're in Auckland, feel free to join me if you want to ensure your '2 is ready to rock'n'roll.

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[mickeyduck]

Just doing the maths for our budget. If you're wondering, the trip there and back taking this epic scenic route is around 1090km. That's 555km on the way there, 535km on the way back.