TE AROHA CRUISE IN
COME FOR AN HOUR OR STAY THE DAY, THE AROHA CRUISE IN SHOWS OFF NOT JUST PLENTY OF CLASSIC METAL, BUT ONE OF THE COOLEST LITTLE TOWNS THE WAIKATO HAS TO OFFER!
Amazingly, despite the record fuel prices that all car enthusiasts must struggle with at the moment, record numbers of us descended on the small historic spa town of Te Aroha for the annual Aroha Cruise In to park up and display our pride and joy. From humble beginnings a decade or so ago, this event has grown to be an important occasion on the calendar of many car nuts and is often the first event of the season for a lot of us. Held on the first Saturday of October each year, the Cruise In is a wonderful laid-back celebration of classic cars, bikes, and hot rods. It is hosted by the Te Aroha Business Association, the aim being to promote the town while hosting one of the premier car and bike events in country, and the association certainly does it well. With the show scheduled to start at 10am, naturally, the participants were pouring into town many hours before that, with queues seeming to reach for miles if you came in from the Hamilton side of town on State Highway 26; the entry from the Paeroa side of town was not quite as bad. Regardless of where you had travelled from, you could be assured of plenty of parking for all, with a generous portion of the town centre closed off very effectively with Waitoa Haulage truck and trailer units parked across the road. These vehicles also provided the curtain-sider that was used as a stage for the bands. Before long, the closed-off main street and all the side roads were bulging, with the last of the latecomers guided into overflow parking with the caravans in Te Aroha Domain.
This event is a bit unusual in that it is not burdened by the pre-or-post-certain-years rules, the country of origin is irrelevant, and it is not restricted to a certain number of cylinders or motor type, as some events are. As a result, the diversity of the cars that show up is incredible and reveals the depth of the car hobby/lifestyle in New Zealand. Pretty much anyone with an interesting or classic car or bike can bring it along and be part of the day, and this year there were more than 560 of them on display, some of which are quite rare while others, such as the line-up of new Mustangs filling half a block on the main street, not so much.
With about a half-mile of the main road to stroll down, and probably the same distance of side roads to explore, a quick lap of the town would ordinarily take a good hour or more, but, with hundreds of cars and thousands of people wandering along, taking photos or waiting for the clear shot to take some, it was at least a couple of hours per lap. Thankfully, there are some fine food establishments in Te Aroha, and plenty of spots selling refreshments and adult beverages to keep one hydrated on the walk. The side streets further afield were also well worth a nosey, with just as many cool cars belonging to those there to enjoy the day rather than take part.
In among all the usual ’50s and ’60s Chevrolets and Fords were quite a few gems. More and more people are appreciating other makes, as illustrated by all the Cadillacs, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, and Mopars on display. It’s not just the hardtops and convertibles that are popular any more; vehicles with more doors and long-roof wagons were also very prevalent. Perhaps it’s just that the former are becoming harder to find or people are cottoning on to the fact that the rear seats are easier to access with doors of their own; whatever the reason, the increase in the number of sedans and wagons was certainly good to see.
Also on the increase was the number of ’60s and ’70s pickups, which are modern enough to be practical work trucks while being way cooler than modern utes, which can cost twice the money. The difference in cost would certainly cover the
increased gas costs for a few years, and they certainly wouldn’t devalue like the modern stuff. If English cars are your thing, you certainly didn’t miss out either, with BMCs, a wild V8 early Land Rover, and the usual English Fords such as Cortinas, Capris, and Zephyrs/Zodiacs of various vintages — although we suspect that the Aussies can justifiably lay claim to the rare Mk2 utes, of which we spotted two in our wanderings. There was plenty of other Aussie iron about, too, including early Toranas, Commodores, and Falcons, as was apt given Bathurst was on during the same weekend. There was even a good old P76; these seem to be getting more popular — that’s if you can manage to find one. The odd early Japanese car didn’t look out of place, either — although the ’90s Toyota Classic trying to look as if it was a Chrysler Airflow may have been pushing things a bit. There was entertainment aplenty for folk of all ages, with several live bands playing at different spots around town. Jimmy and the Beamers was playing the south end of town prior to the band’s gig that night at The Palace; the group had some great tunes in its repertoire. Various market stalls and street performers added to the fun — among them a very brave lady on scarily tall stilts, who was wandering among the cars and crowd. For the youngsters, there was the usual face painting and event fun, including a bouncy castle that was free of charge — and the kids certainly took advantage of it. They also took advantage of the automotive sculptures that are scattered around Te Aroha; these stood up to their use and abuse far better than Wellington’s expensive wind wand did!
All in all, a fantastic day out and an event well worth attending, so make sure to circle the first Saturday of October on your 2019 calendar and we will see you here in Te Aroha.