WAIHI — DAY ONE
REPCO BEACH HOP 18 STARTED WITH A BANG AT WAIHI
If you think about it, Waihi is the perfect place for the warm-up party to kick Beach Hop off — and not just because it is on the way to Whangamata. Waihi is a great destination in its own right, and the whole town really gets behind this crazy event. Waihi also seems to have a deal going with the weather gods, as, while the weather forecasts are not always the best, Waihi always seems to turn the sunshine on. Clear skies again welcomed the early morning revellers who turned up for this year’s Go Waihi Warm Up Party before the streets had even been officially closed. The commercial traders were also in early, with the Ajay’s team onsite by 6am, closely followed by Repco, Classic Cover Insurance, and many others who were keen to get their wares on display to catch the early crowd before the main cruise arrived from Whangamata. They were well rewarded, as the early birds certainly arrived in force. As with previous years, many of those heading to Repco Beach Hop 18 planned their week to kick off in Waihi on early Wednesday. Before long, every park within half a mile or so of town was occupied, and the market traders and fundraisers were out in their hoards, too, with probably 80-odd peddling their wares along Rosemont Road and the side streets. Before long, the cars also began arriving, and the Beach Hop volunteer crew was working overtime to fit the ever-increasing number of cars into town. The team seem to get a bit more innovative every year, and, with the main street bulging at the seams, the parking stretched up beyond it to the edges of the open-cast mine and around the old Cornish Pumphouse, which sits majestically above Martha Mine and the Waihi township. What you may not realize about this piece of history is that it was actually moved from its original location about half a mile away some years back to allow the mine expansion — quite a feat, moving a
concrete structure that’s more than 100 years old! For a town that could be considered a bit sleepy for much of the year, this is one day when it is certainly alive — and, boy, do the locals love the Go Waihi Warm Up Party, throwing themselves at it. The schools close so that the kids can enjoy the day, the store owners get into the spirit by dressing up their shops, and many store staff put on a fantastic day for all who attend. Let’s not kid ourselves, though — we were there for the cars. For car lovers, Waihi was the first chance to check out the many debuting cars. There is always something new to see, and this year stayed true to that tradition. No matter where in town you were, you were given a taste of what Beach Hop is about, with hot cars and bikes everywhere, while the rock ’n’ roll music belted out across town. The fashion was another sight to behold, with so many of the lovely ladies dressed to the nines in their retro attire, a few sharp-dressed men, and a handful of Elvises strutting the streets just adding to the occasion. Come midday, however, and anything as prosaic as dress sense and decorum disappeared quicker than a cold VB on a hot day when the teams turned up for the annual Drag Race. Not to be confused with anything automotive, this event is
pure entertainment, with teams of men dressed (badly) as women partaking in a relay race up and down the main street of Waihi. Add a mid-run hula-hoop display to the debacle, along with the usual pushing, shoving, and inevitable wardrobe malfunctions, and the event was, as always, nothing short of hilarious. Probably the most astonishing thing was that most of the ‘boys’ involved did this while sober, which made you wonder what kind of behaviour could be expected later in the week when they had a few beverages on board. This year’s winner was the Waihi Beach Bakery Hot Cross Bunnies, which narrowly beat the Undertrained and Overconfident team of Waihi College students. Last team home, and the worst hula hoopers, were the Mitre 10 Waihi Mustang Sallies, who turn up every year despite their lack of speed and talent! Mid-afternoon heralded a formal prize-giving, with Go Waihi’s Brian Gentil on the mic, ably assisted by Noddy Watts, presenting awards to Sean Williams for Best Hot Rod, Justin Walker for Best Classic Car, Mike Jacobs for Best Dressed Man, Sandra Strickland for Best Dressed Lady, Lewis Lehmann for Best Dressed Boy, and Olivia Keightley for Best Dressed Girl. Once the formalities were finished, the music carried on, and many stayed in town to enjoy the day or catch up with old mates or make a few new ones before the drive back to Whangamata for a bit more cruising before the entertainment that only Beach Hop can provide.