Retro revival rocks
Revving engines, smiles, nostalgia reign
Thousands of classic motoring enthusiasts made their way to the Coromandel for the annual Repco Beach Hop Festival.
More than 110,000 people were estimated to have attended the fiveday 1950s and 60s nostalgia-themed event.
Festival organiser Noddy Watts said 2000 vehicles had registered, along with more than 100 classic caravans, making it the biggest gathering of classic caravans ever seen in New Zealand.
After overcoming road closures, natural disasters, and the effects of the pandemic, Watts was thrilled to be celebrating 24 years.
It would be a much-needed boost for the region, given recent events, he said.
“We are relatively happy, the numbers were up on previous years.”
It was the first time organisers had sold out event prgrammes, between 10,000 and 20,000 booklets, he said.
“Our retail shop was absolutely cleared out; we sold out of merchandise.”
The winning draws for a Ford Mustang and Harley Davidson were both claimed.
Watts said it was too early to speculate on how much the event raised for various charities.
The festival was an initiative to help give back to local emergency services - all proceeds raised from the event go back into the community with emergency services benefiting, including Surf Lifesaving NZ, Coastguard, Search and Rescue, St John and others.
“We want to keep the community safe; it has to be a safe place to visit.”
Watts said he was amazed by the number of overseas visitors he came across.
He estimated the event was worth between $8 and $10 million to the local economy.
Rain on Saturday didn’t dampen spirits on the Saturdray, he said.
“There were plenty os smiles, even though there was rain.’
Whangamata¯ couple Rob and Cheryl Manderson had attended every Beach Hop except one.
This year they themed their home Holden on Hetherington in honour of the brand of vehicles they were happy to admit they are “nuts about”.
There is the 1955 FJ Holden Rob bought out of Christchurch 25 years ago, the pride of their four-car Holden fleet.
Then there’s the 1908 Holden Statesman, bought off a good mate in Thames about ten years ago.
Cheryl’s Holden is a 2018 6.2-litre Commodore.
“I bought it for the wife a couple of years ago, it was the last of the Holdens,” Rob said.
“I rang Holden when I heard they
were going out of production, and was told people were looking at it, so I told them I’m on my way, and managed to get it.”
There’s also Rob’s trusty 2015 SV63 Holden Commodore ute.
“It’s cheap on fuel; I’m getting old I stick to the speed limit,’ Rob said.
Rob said his brother also always owned Holdens, as does his son Scott, four Holdens in fact, and now a grandson who has a Holden station wagon.
“We are nuts about Holdens. “I’ve had Holdens all my life,” Rob said.
Cheryl said the event attracts a good crowd, all “well-behaved”. “It’s comradery.”
Further along Hetherington St in Whangamata¯, just down the road from Team Holden on Hetherington, was Chevy Corner.
Again, the property owners Verne and Michelle Russell, also Whangamata¯ residents, had gone to a great effort to theme out their home in honour of the motors they love.
A 1959 Chevrolet Impala was parked on the front lawn.
They had been attending the event for 20 years.
Verne said “it’s a good buzz for the town, good to see cars out of garages”.
Participants had a busy schedule over several days with a variety of themed events, markets, live entertainment, and displays, with Saturday being the big one in Whangamata¯.
Across the weekend, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has advised motorists to expect busy roads.
NZTA said the roading network was in better shape than this time last year, but Andy Oakley, system manager for NZTA in the Waikato, said it was “still working to repair damage caused by the extreme weather events of early 2023”.
Oakley said all chip sealing and resurfacing work was paused on the cruise route for Beach Hop week, to minimise disruption and risk of damage to vehicles, but there were minor patches of loose chip following recent road repairs.
“We wish Coromandel businesses, locals and visitors a very enjoyable Beach Hop and thank you all for your patience while we continue to improve the state highways in the region.”