Highland Fling 2021

By Esther Smith

» Esther Smith and Jean Chalmers with one of the pipers The call had gone out in 2019 that there was going to be an inaugural Highland Fling Rally in Taihape over Anzac Weekend 2020. This event was organised by the BOP branch with Alistair Jones and our delightful North island Club Captain Kaaren Symlie as the organisers. It was open to Veteran and Vintage vehicles only and limited to 100 entries. We duly put in our entry form but as you all know 2020 was cancelled, so when there was talk late last year of the event in 2021 we were in like a robber’s dog. As Taihape is not exactly a tourist centre accommodation was tight. However we managed to get a booking at one of the motels. This event was intended as a North Island version of the infamous South Island’s Irishman’s Rally. The contingent of “Flingers” from the HB Branch consisted of ourselves (1929 Chev), Wayne and Shona Richards (Model A), Allan and Sue Jones (Model A), Alastair and Jean Chalmers (1925 Sunbeam) plus some Auckland escapees Oliver and Nicole Midgley, Waitemata branch members who live just down the road from us in Puketapu (1927 Sunbeam). There were also entrants from CHB . The plan for the Napier Group was to meet at 9am at Fernhill then to travel via the Saddle Road eventually. There were several reasons we choose this route instead of the Taihape Road the first been that the Kuripapango Bridge is currently undergoing repairs and it would close at 9am so we would have had to have left early enough to beat that deadline. The second reason was we got a better offer which enabled a much more civilised departure time, as fellow entrants Glyn and Cathy Clements who live in Kimbolton were good enough to invite us all for lunch. The Chev was duly packed ready for the adventure. It was carrying an injury as when we were away up the Coromandel in March one of the steel hood bows snapped, it was decided to wait until after this event as part of the hood material would have to be detached to get the new piece in. Meanwhile it had a temporary splint. The weather forecast for Taihape was dismal, so I kept asking Graham “are you sure we can still put the hood up if we need to”. I was assured we could. Rally headquarters was the Gretna Hotel in the heart of Taihape. Counting the rally support crew there were probably about 120 vehicles in town - probably the biggest event to come to Taihape for a while. The pub was a tad overwhelmed but they rose to the occasion and looked after us well. Saturday was a 7.30am start complete with Piper, it was amazing to see 100 Vintage/Veteran vehicles assembled and ready to go and what a day it was going to be. First there

» Proof that we made it to Taihape

was a sedate start over some gentle sealed and gravel roads to the early morning tea at the “Collie” club. It took me a while to register it was Collie as in collie dog. After morning tea we headed to the ‘interesting’ part. We turned off into the Kelly Land Company which is owned by the Plimmer family of Wellington (think Plimmer steps). After a couple of miles of a few ups and downs we got to the steep descent, we could see the cars wending their way down way below us. One of the entrants was in a 1922 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost with only rear wheel brakes. As we passed him he was persuading a couple of Model A’s to rope up behind him in a convoy to essentially act as his brakes. We think we heard him say” if it all goes pear shape I”ll take care of it” However it must have worked because they eventually arrived safely at the bottom. I have to add that there were about 25 South Island entrant’s including a few characters who were obviously seasoned Irishman’s entrants and whose vehicles had that ‘just pulled out from under the hedge’ look. One even came complete with tartan roof. They wore their kilts, tam o' shanter’s and had brought their bagpipes. These were the guys who assisted the Rolls Royce. Having got to the bottom we then realised the task ahead of us. There had been a lot of talk about bringing chains if you have them, I thought that was a bit excessive but now the reason was obvious, there was a huge climb out. It had rained lightly and we were faced with a slippery grass track, a sharp turn about a third of the way up then a continuing steep grind to the top. The old hands put their chains on the theory been that they would cut the grass up making it easier for others to follow. It was certainly interesting watching from the bottom - lots of slipping, sliding and retreats. There were three tow vehicles and they were well used. By this time we were getting to the end of the queue, the drying wind had come up and it was suggested we would get up under our own steam. With some last minute instructions from the marshal’s we were off. It was fairly rutted and when rounding the hair pin bend, which was a mess by that stage, it was a matter of just keeping a little power on and keeping going. Finally we climbed to the top and we could look back and see the specks of the other waiting vehicles far below. It was a bit of a drive to the lunch stop at Pukeokahu Hall to a substantial lunch of venison, salads and baking put on by the local school. After the day we had had it really was appreciated. Sunday was Anzac day, a 7.30 am start again. We were welcomed by Alastair and

» The Jones, the Richards and the Smiths about to leave the Kuripapango camping area on the way home having just crossed the bridge under repair

» Co-organiser Alistaire giving morning instructions to the flingers from the Midgley’s Sunbeam

given the days running instructions. We had a minutes silence then the piper played the Pipers Lament, a very moving event. I should say all this happened in the middle of the street; the few cars that were about just went around us. We were issued with some amended instructions they to cut out one part as just been too dangerous - after yesterday’s experience it must have been bad. We were soon heading up into the steep winding country lots of gravel roads and amazing vistas - we were just so high up After coming back to earth we had morning tea complete with Anzac biscuits at the very well appointed Mangaweka Asparagus Co. staff facilities; no need to go hiding behind the bushes. Then the next challenge a paper road to follow. We ventured in a km or so. It was well rutted and muddy but hey we had managed yesterday. We then came up behind a log jam of vehicles. The farmer came along on his quad and told us that there was one short but steep hill that we would not get up without chains. Commonsense reined and the majority found a place to turn around and take the alternative route. We were happily trundling along when there was a sound like a hub cap coming off, the right rear brake had decided to come apart - with all the corrugations it was no wonder, Graham wired it up and we continued back to base. Then when adding another lot of number eight wire he also discovered that the manifold was shaking apart so that got tightened. That afternoon there was a gymkhana where some keen people put their vehicles under more pressure. An early T pick up with wooden spokes collapsed one wheel. Sunday evening was the final dinner the haggis was duly piped in and Robbies Burn’s Ode to the Haggis recited by the haggis bearer with an appropriately thick Scottish accent. It was a weekend to remember, quite a different event with a unique flavour, great company, great to see the cars out and very definitely been used. You would have to think carefully whether you would want to put your vehicles through the rigors of such a rally but the majority did fine or had only superficial war wounds. However Graham is now making a list of what he needs to fix. We had to make a hasty three legged (no RH rear brakes) trip home over the Taihape Road as Graham was going to get advice from a visiting retired Automotive glazier as to how to get the front windscreen into the 35 Snipe, something that had been attempted several times with no luck but that’s another story. Fortunately it was a public holiday so the bridge was open (despite numerous ‘Bridge Closed’ signs).