March Hare revs up
Thousands of bikers are expected to converge on Waimate this weekend for a well-known rally, and a hot shower and cooked breakfast are on offer this year as part of a fundraising effort.
Organisers said the March Hare Motorcycle Rally, described as one of the best in the southern hemsphere, would attract up to 2000 bikers.
For 33 years, bike enthusiasts have attended the rally, coming from as far afield as Australia and the North Island to experience the tug of war, bike show, tattoo competitions and live entertainment.
Rally president Graeme Lane said he was expecting between 1500 and 2000 bikers to travel to the Waimate Showgrounds on Hakataramea Highway (SH82) over the weekend.
The event officially kicks off at 5pm today and wraps up about noon on Sunday.
Last year, about 300 fewer riders than 2017 turned out, with organisers blaming the weather forecast for putting potential attendees off. However, organisers said the forecast looked more promising this year.
A new addition to this year’s lineup will be a breakfast and hot shower combo for $20 as the Southern Canterbury A & P Association is on board to raise $3000 for an acoustic ceiling it wants to build in the $800,000 Waimate Shears Pavilion on the showgrounds site. Southern Canterbury A & P Association manager Reto Oswald said the organisation was keen to look after the bikers, and raise some funds at the same time.
Lane said the event was also an opportunity for local stall holders, artists and crafts people to make money, with some to go to charity.
This year, as in the past 30-plus years, Waimate artist Bill Scott will be painting a mural, to be raffled, with all proceeds going to Waimate’s St John ambulance service.
Scott recently worked on Waimate’s massive mural project, painting giant images of Margaret Cruickshank, World War II hero Eric Batchelor, Chief Te Huruhuru, Michael Studholme and former Prime Minister Norman Kirk on the town’s giant silos. He said the subject of his creation would be kept under wraps until the weekend.
‘‘It will obviously have a motorcycle theme,’’ he said.