From: Bert Clewits
Subject: Sunbeam Owners Club New Zealand Club 25 year tour
Hi Folks,
This is to let you know I enjoyed myself on this very well
organised tour on the New Zealand south Island held february 1st
to 9th.
We started of in Nelson with 50 Sunbeams there were: Sunbeam Alpines
Tigers (mainly US import) Sunbeam Rapiers series 3 to 5 convertibles as
well as fixed heads, Imps, fastback Rapiers, Hunters, a Hillman Wizzard
'36, a Sunbeam Talbot Alpine convertible and a Humber Sceptre.
All the cars were very nicely restored and one of them worked untill
the early hours to get it ready and he did, great !
We were also joined by famous Rootes rallye driver Rosemary Smith from
Ireland, by a group of Aussie Sunbeam maniacs, American Sunbeamers were
there too as were a few dutch and a lonely Englishman who wasn't even a
clubmember or Sunbeam owner but luckily he had a Rapier many years ago.
He was to be my codriver in a lovely Hillman Imp mark I of '64 kindly
supplied by Brian Baylis of Auckland.
(While Brian and Rosemary where driving his lovely Imp sport.)
I think he by now is converted into an Imp freak as well, as he asked me
for a lift to the next Imp international weekend next august !
The route we followed was From Nelson down to the west coast to Westport
through the Buller corge, Hokitika, through the Haast pass to wanaka
into Queenstown over de Cadrona pass with narrow gravel hairpin roads.
From Queenstown we (2 Imps) went up de Skippers Canyon (The grand canyon
of New Zealand).
On Skippers you're not insured and is only allowed for four wheel drives
so you can imagine this was an interesting drive, nevertheless the little
Imp drew attention not by being stuck but by "Chamois" like behaviour.
Sometimes we encountered one lane bridges on their main roads with
railroad track on them as well which is a bit curious to us.
But traffic there is so light that that isn't a problem.
We also saw beautifull maintains, lakes, rivers and waterfalls, dense
rainforests, some rain that too but also some beautifull weather.
We also saw some glaciers like the Fox and the Franz-Joseph and the
amazing glow worms in a sort of cave near Hokitika.
On four days there were regularity parts in which we didn't do too
badly coming 9th overall.
Best picture taken was at the Wanaka Airbirds museum with a pack of
50 Sunbeams and a P51 Mustang fighter in front of it.
Second best was all the Imps at Imp Grotto in the Haast pass.
All the cars made it to the finish in Christchurch, of course there
were a few problems like our Imp had a flat battery one day because
of a faulty control box but at a small township they had the right thing
right on the shelf amazing !!!
Some other cars suffered from worn out brake pads to fuel leakages and
rear axle leaks on the Wizard which was repaired in no time at the hotel
How simple those cars are build and how easy to service !
On the last evening we had a very good dinner pricegiving speeches and
all enjoyed themselves tremendously
Next rallye in 5 years so see you there !?
Bert Clewits
'64 Alpine S IV GT OD moonstone white
And a couple of Imps
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