Over the past week, 30 Bentleys, all
built in the 1920s and 1930s, have been driven from
Christchurch to Nelson and down the West Coast.
Even a small collision has not dampened the enthusiasm
of a group touring the South Island. Members of the
Bentley Drivers Club International were halfway through
the New Zealand Vintage Bentley Tour 2008 of the South
Island, organiser Adrian Cook said.
Christchurch Bentley owner and tour engineer Frank Renwick
came to grief on Monday when his 1925 3-litre Bentley's
brakes failed while he was trying to give way on a one-lane
bridge. No-one was injured and the car is repairable
but out of the tour.
As well as experiencing the grandeur of the South Island
there were plenty of hijinks. "We've had a lot
of boat tours and most of the cars arrived by boat so
we are having a pirate theme," he said.
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The Bentley girls...
Jenny Cook, of Arrowtown, and Bentley Drivers Club
International chairwoman Jenny Ford, from England,
with their 4.5 litre Bentleys.
Photo by Felicity Wolfe |
But parrots on shoulders cannot overshadow the South
Island's scenery. "Coming through the Gates of
Haast was a magical experience even with the rain,"
club chairwoman Jenny Ford, of England, said.
"There was mist and waterfalls appearing and the
rivers were in full flow. And then there was an Otago
summer waiting for us."
Like most of the drivers, Mrs Ford and her husband Richard
travelled from England - bringing their Bentley with
them.
"People ask how do we get them here," she
said. "We say we put them in a box and mail them,
which is basically what happens. You drive them into
a container, then they are shipped over."
Tour organiser Adrian Cook said every Bentley from 10
countries had been registered and warranted for New
Zealand roads.
All more than 70 years old, they have plenty of miles
on the clock, with members taking them on drives from
England to Russia and a club tour of Canada and Alaska
planned.
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From Layton & Jana's travel
log |
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However, the 5000km around the South Island is not
for the faint-hearted. Mrs Ford said many of the drivers
were in their 70s and were "true adventurers".
Driving the "very physical cars" through extremes
of cold and heat took strength, she said. "You
can feel it in your shoulders at the end of the day."
Together, the 30 cars are estimated to be worth $25
million but the organisers were reluctant to divulge
the cost of the tour.
"You can't put a price on a good time," Mr
Cook said.
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