SLR Club run 14th March Kaikoura inland route.

[KiwiBirkin]

Im organising the SLR club run for March 14th and we are heading to Kaikora via the inland scenic route for lunch at Donegals Irish pub, start time is still TBA but it will be around 10am from the north side of Christchurch, if you are interested in coming along just add your name here.

http://www.donegalhouse.co.nz/index.html

Cheers Stephen

[KiwiBirkin]

If anyone is interested in coming along on this trip here are the details

Meeting point : Pine Acres Holiday Park at the end of the northern motorway and before woodend.
Time : between 9.15 and 9.30am (we leave at 9.30am)
Route: Up to Amberly and on to Culverdon and on through Waiau and then on the inland scenic route to Kaikoura with a expected time of arrival in Kaikoura of 12pm, on to Donegal House Irish pub for lunch and then back via state HWY1 to Kaiapoi stopping at Pukeko Junction for a last coffee.

[KiwiBirkin]

Start time has changed for this to 10am and the weather forcast is for the showers to die out Sat and fine weather on Sunday if anyone coming.

[KiwiBirkin]

Well what a day for a drive it was heading for the hottest day so far for March and Christchurch was at 18 deg and no wind at 9.30am when me & Marg headed out to meet up with any other SLR club members that would show up for the trip. The plan was to head to Kaikoura via the inland scenic route for lunch at Donegal House which is a Irish pub just 2km north of Kaiakoura and at the base of Mt Fyffe where we would meet up with 2 other SLR club members who would make there way south from Picton & Blenheim.

By 10am only 4 other SLR club members showed up and all were in Lotus 7 type cars all the drivers were pretty keen people so I knew we were in for a good fast trip on one of the South Island best roads for a clubman based car. We headed off in 20deg weather and were on our way, by the time we hit Waiau it was hitting 25 deg and a quick stop to remove the polar fleeces we were gone again and into the great road that is the inland kaikoura road this road consist of some of the tightest blind corners I have come across with many 25km sign posted corners becoming tighter as you got into them there were many elevation changes too and as each km of the 80kms to Kaikoura passed under us it just got better and better with lots of sweeping corners & fast short straights before another set of corners would come upon us.

Evantually we arrived at Kaikoura 20mins early than expected and by 12.30pm we were sitting at Donegal House for lunch & refreshments with our friends from up North who came down in a series 1 elan and series 2 Elise, it was a great place for lunch and if you ever in kaikoura I would recommend it as a place to eat.

After lunch we all headed off and the plan was for the 4 lotus 7s to head back via the normal HWY 1 route with a short stop for coffe & tea at a bach in Goose Bay owned by a SLR club member. The trip back proved to be a lot slower than the inland route due to traffic but was still fun and we ended back at Amberly by about 5pm where 2 cars shot off home and 2 of us went to the historic Leithfield pub for a drink as it was such a nice evening. In all a great trip even with 4 cars (smallest field yet from the SLR club).

I would highly recommend the inland Kaikoura route road if you are in a seven or any other car as it is well worth the trip either way the road is in pretty good nick but it can be icy in winter, either way you pass 2 great places for lunch the Waiau pub and Lyford Ski area lodge.

Here are some pics, they are abit over exposed as Marg was playing with the camera settings. I also have 2 hours of 720p Go Pro HD footage which i hope to make s short video from and then upload to YouTube.

Lunch