Music rally puts Tapawera on the map
The annual ‘‘Music in the Mountains’’ Rally run by the Nelson/Tasman MCA (Motor Caravan Association) has once again put the small rural community of Tapawera on the national map.
In the top of the South Island, Tapawera Area School, nestled near the upper reaches of Motueka River and in the shadow of Mt Arthur in Kahurangi National Park, once again opened itself by hosting the annual ‘‘Music in the Mountains Rally.’’
This Rally has been going for 12 years now and each year it grows in size and reputation.
The huge attraction has always been the music. This year the feature act for Friday was Ally Cook and the Sou’Westers. On Saturday it was The Great Pretenders who were back by special request, by themselves.
The Sunday night was Remedy Show Band. All the acts performed well-known songs that were well received by everyone and had the audience singing and dancing along too.
Other points of interest at this rally; are the annual Walk Up Concert, Peter Gordan spoke on the history of Music in the Mountain Rally and the Sunday Market where people from the community and motorhomes sold produce.
The Tapawera community had some other events on that coincided with the weekend, the annual VAST Art Show, the Top of the South Tapawera Shearing Competition and speed shearing.
When it first started in 2007 there were about one hundred motorhomes in attendance. All situated on the Tapawera Area School grounds, overflowing onto other nearby Community grounds.
The area in use is four rugby fields and again this year Brent Hodgkinson, a local farmer, supported the rally by cutting a hole in the fence so that overflow could be catered for.
Some 592 vehicles were there and close to 1200 people attended. All the motorhomes lined up with precision by management, rows upon rows showing off all the various motorhomes.
The Nelson/Tasman MCA Area 70 Committee, under the leadership of its new Chairperson, Dave Miller and his hardcore colleagues have been instrumental in getting this annual event underway this year.
‘‘I was a bit nervous at the beginning about how things were going to unfold but with a strong supportive committee, we worked well together as a team. There was invaluable support given from volunteers, so everything fell into place.
‘‘Planning for the 2019 Rally even has commenced. Many people who were in attendance at this rally unanimously agree that it was an efficiently organised rally, run by an extremely capable, and hardworking committee,’’ he said.
The reliability of the weather has also been a big drawcard to the event. It’s never rained in all the years that this event has been going. Temperatures these last few days were all in their late 30’s. The new residents were flocking to the school pool while others sought out the local Motueka River to find some relief. Ice creams sold well.
People from associations all over New Zealand and Australia attend. The local Nelson/Tasman Association had 240 campervans and caravans in attendance. There were 47 first- timers.
The local Tapawera Community have got in behind this event in a big way. For a few of these groups and organisations, this is their main fundraiser for the year.