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Published: October 28th 2007
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Nelson Speedway
Some of the action under the bright lights at Nelson Speedway With Norma and Graeme in tow we headed out of Reefton for a weekend in Nelson (about 2.5 hours north). The road to the Tasman District winds its way through the Buller Gorge and over the Hope Saddle (emphasis on the winding). Poor old Graeme was riding shotgun and bore the brunt of my overly aggressive mountain driving. I noticed that he was "braking" with his right foot periodically in what I assume was a vain attempt to get the car to slow down. When he started grabbing the seat cushion, I got the hint and slowed down a bit. Everyone expressed their gratitude (with I thought a hint of surprise) when we arrived in Nelson in one piece. We stayed at the Aloha Lodge (where we had stayed previously). They were very accommodating squeezing five comfortably in one of the larger rooms. I highly recommend this very reasonably priced accommodation.
On Saturday, the family browsed through the Nelson Market while Josh and I took the Land Cruiser to get its WoF (Warrant of Fitness) renewed. Kiwis go through this process every 6 months (for cars older than 6 years) at a cost of $40-50. In theory the Wof is a regular check to ensure your car is safe to drive. To me, it seems like a great opportunity to suggest repairs to the vehicle. I initially paid for a WoF in Reefton, but the truck did not pass. Much to his credit the owner of the service station, suggested that I try elsewhere as his mechanic was quite strict. Sure enough, when I used a "drive-thru" WoF station in Nelson, the truck passed. Not only is it illegal to drive with an expired WoF but your insurance is invalidated too. I was therefore quite happy to get the sticker. I won't need another before we leave.
In the afternoon, we went to the World of WearableArt and Classic Cars Museum. Nelson boasts that it is now the firmly established birthplace of the World of WearableArtâ„¢ concept. Presumably true but of dubious value. It is a Nelson must see and while the WearableArt went over my head, everyone else seemed to get a kick out of it. Some of the wearable art included a dress of faux cake icing and spitfire bras. The Classic Cars were much more mainstream. There is a good selection of restored and reproduction cars dating from the late 1800s right thru to a late model Ferrari.
Saturday night, Graeme, Adrianne, Josh and I headed out to the Nelson Speedway. It was the second night of the season and there were hundreds of spectators. We sat on one of the many concrete telephone poles which are used as bleachers. The speedway featured Stockcars, Super Saloons, Production Saloons and Midgets on a dirt track. The dirt routinely flies off the track onto the audience - which explained why the seats closet to the track were the last to fill. Graeme was a champ - holding out for several hours in the cold and rain sitting on a piece of concrete with his bad back - all without complaint. The evening featured a fireworks show, somewhere between a neighborhood display and Canada's Wonderland. We watched from the warmth of the truck. Graeme again showed great restraint by sitting quietly even when a "shortcut" from the parking lot required driving the truck at 40 degree angle through a mud ditch.
On Sunday, we browsed through Pupuri Taonga o Te Tai Ao (Nelson's Provincial Museum). The collection provides a regional social history through pictures, photos and artifacts. It has recently been made over and was well worth an hour or so. We finished off the day just outside Nelson at "Happy Valley Adventures", a 1600 acre farm. We headed up to New Zealand's largest "Flying Fox" on ATVs, stopping to admire Mareikura (Maori for "Noble Lady") - the oldest known matai tree in the world. Standing nearly 40 metres tall and some 2000 years old, she is certainly an impressive sight. The flying fox was great fun but fell somewhat short of the adrenaline rush we have experienced elsewhere. This particular flying fox runs more than 1.5 kms and on the way down we hit speeds of more than 90 km/hr. The best part of the experience is the quiet at the end of the run where you are hanging 100 metres above the canopy with nothing but the sounds of the native birds. We continued on the Bayview Circuit via ATV including a track where you can really open the bike up. Avery was pushing 50 km/hr at times and is now a very confident rider. No doubt a good parent would not have let a 14 year old drive that fast ...
The ride back was uneventful. I pulled back on the accelerator, with the result that there were no complaints of nausea and Graeme used his virtual brake no more than once or twice.
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Ruth
non-member comment
Driving back...
Perhaps you should have let the 14 year old drive back....