Ardmore Airport was established in 1943 at the request of the US Airforce as an operational base during WWII. Although construction was not completed until 1945, the Airport served as an important base for training New Zealand pilots for action in the Pacific and as a training centre for returning service members as part of the demobilisation effort after the war.
This will be a spectacular base for the Easter Rally, with its military history, current aircraft restoration work and displays.
We will be at the Air Training Corps (ATC) facility. There, we will be neighbours with Warbirds (historic aircraft hangers), AVSPECS (world leaders in recreating the famous Mosquito fighter bomber) and Pioneer Aero (Kittyhawk restoration experts).
The ATC facility will provide a great central base and gathering point for the essential part of any rally – socialising with other club members you haven’t seen for too long and need to catch up with. There is onsite camping and improvised indoor accommodation available for those who don’t want the usual commercial or Air BnB accommodation alternatives.
Easter Rally is Based at Air Training Corps (ATC) Ardmore Airport.
Friday 7 April
Welcome, Registration: at the social gathering point Ardmore Afternoon run to Otway’s Truck Museum near Waiuku. 6.00 pm: BBQ & Swap meet 7.30 pm: AGM
Saturday 8 April
Waiuku Forest Run. Commercial forest at the Waikato River mouth and adjacent to NZ Steel sand mining site. Afternoon tea at Mavis & Lex Moodie’s on the way back to camp.6.00 pm: BBQ dinner
Sunday 9 April
Run – Ness Valley farm Dinner – catered onsite at Ardmore ATC
Monday 10 April
Morning cuppa and farewells
Accommodation options
Peter Haigh has studied available options. If you have any problems, call Peter on 021320985, and he will help you.
Air Training Corps, Ardmore – Preferred option
Stay outside onsite at ATC Ardmore. There is ample parking for vehicles and space for tents, RVs and caravans. There is a kitchen, toilets and showers available on site.
Stay inside ATC in the classroom spaces. Eight classroom spaces can be utilised as accommodation if you bring your beds/bedding.
Local Accommodation Providers Several folks have already booked accommodation with local providers, ranging from motels and hotels to air BnB.
Double Tree by Hilton 092962002 $240 a night, brand new, just near the Karaka Bloodstock Centre
Homestead Lodge, 09298148 In Drury, looks OK
Dr.ury Motor Lodge, 09294769 In Drury, looks OK. One branch has already been booked here.
Pullman Lodge 0295002 Just 3 or 4 clicks from Ardmore May be booked out
Google Accommodation Papakura, Takanini, Drury. Consider Air BnB as an option.
Fly in / Fly out
Traditionally, support for this key event is based on location because we all know how much fuel, effort and time it takes to travel further afield to an event. Fortunately, because this Rally is in Auckland, fly in/fly out is a viable option. We will pick you up from the airport and you can ride along or borrow an MV for the weekend.
Ardmore during WWII
Welcome to Easter Rally at Ardmore
Hello!
Thanks for deciding to join us for the premier annual club event. The Easter Rally is always a great time to catch up and socialise with other members while enjoying being part of a large group of vehicles setting off into the countryside on manoeuvres!
VENUE
We are based at the Air Training Corp (ATC) facilities at Ardmore Airport. We will be on site from midday Thursday, and you are welcome from that time. The venue is at 150 Harvard Lane. See attached map for directionsfrom the Southern Motorway Takanini interchange.
The airport is private property, and the gates are locked at 7pm each night, so it is reasonably secure. Like all airports, it is illegal to bring dogs on site. The ATC site is adjacent to a NZMCA campsite.
There is ample parking. As well as a large sealed area, there is a lot of grassed areas suitable for camping. Power can be supplied from the building. Although there are limited caravan power points, you can connect to 3 pin plugs through an approved RCD device. There are full bathroom and laundry facilities. There is a full kitchen with pots, pans, plates etc, and we will be providing constant tea and coffee. The large hall is a great place to socialise.
Basic indoor accommodation is available in 7 classroom spaces. Bring stretchers/air beds. Choose your room mates wisely or bring ear plugs! There is no charge for accommodation on site.
Friday there is the opportunity to visit the private Otway truck collection, numbering hundreds of commercial vehicles and a few military ones. This is an astonishing collection of NZ transport history that is not open to the public.
There will be a swap meet at dinner time, so bring your swag of stuff that needs to be rehomed. That will make some great talking points.
Both Friday and Saturday nights we will be supplying a free basic BBQ meal of sausages, burger patties, onions bread and condiments. This is so that you don’t need to go and hunt for dinner. You are also welcome to cook your own gourmet steaks on the BBQ or in the kitchen.
The AGM is held Friday evening at 7.30pm. We welcome your attendance and look forward to input to assist the smooth running of your club. NZMVC will host a supper at 9pm.
MV RUNS
Please start each run with adequate fuel for the day. There are 15 petrol stations in the Takanini to Papakura corridor, so you should be able to find your favourite fuel supplier.
Please bring a radio if you have one, so that you can stay updated while we are on the move in convoy.
You will need to self-cater lunch on both the day runs. Please be prepared for this with retail closures on Good Friday and limited hours on Easter Sunday. Every year, we find that people are surprised that they cannot buy alcohol on Easter Sunday, so plan ahead, people.
The NZMVC Code of Conduct (Attached) has all the information. It includes a Drivers Checklist and information for On-Road and Off-Road Travel. This is the manual that we will be operating from.
YOUR NEEDS
You are welcome to leave your MV at the ATC base if your accommodation is off site. ATC could be a more secure option for open vehicles than some motel carparks. Please let the organisers know if you need a lift from the venue to your accommodation if you are leaving your MV on site at ATC. If you need a ride on the runs in an MV, please look around and ask if you can ride along with others. If this is fruitless, check with the organisers to see how we can accommodate you. We would prefer all participants to ride in MVs than in shineys.
Thursday: Site open from 12pm. Note gates closed at 7pm. Contact Paul Baptist 0273 736 762 for after-hours entry information.
Friday: Welcome, Registration: at the social gathering point 2.00pm: Run to Waiuku – Truck Museum 6.00pm: BBQ dinner available & Swap meet 7.30pm: AGM
Saturday: 8.15am: Flag, Anthem, Briefing. 8.30am 1st gear Run – Waiuku Forest. Self-catered lunch, MVs full fuel tank 1.30pm: Afternoon tea at Mavis & Lex’s – to 3.00pm 4.00pm: Warbirds Hangar visit 6.00pm: BBQ dinner available.
Sunday: 8.15am: Flag, Anthem, Briefing 8.30am 1st Gear – Run – Ness Valley farm. Self-catered lunch, MVs full fuel tank 2.00pm: Visit to Ross Jones and neighbour’s shed. 6.00pm: Dinner – catered on site. Aviation theme. BYO drinks and glassware.
Monday: Morning cuppa and hot cross buns. Final farewells!
Easter Rally Contacts: Registration queries – Mavis Moodie 09 238 6628 Site services and Gate Entry – Paul Baptist 0273 736 762 MV Runs – Peter Haigh 021 320 985 General queries – John Subritzky 0274 976 504 ATC site facilities liaison, local transfers – Peter Burch 0274 968 120 BBQ dinners – Kevin Smith 0210 2900 200 Website: https://nzmvc.org.nz/easter-rally-auckland-2023/ Facebook Group (You can contribute your photos here) https://www.facebook.com/groups/NZMVC
