Official Rally New Zealand spectator tour with Rally Tours NZ
Tuesday 20 April 2010, 10:10AM
By Rally New Zealand
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Rally fans from seven different countries will enjoy the sights and sounds of Rally New Zealand this year with all the comforts of a top-class guided tour.
When World Rally Championship competitors get into action on rounds to the north and south of Auckland during Rally New Zealand on 6 May, the select group of fans will enjoy yet another expert rally tour from Rally Tours NZ Ltd.
“Our tour guests come from seven different countries and we’ve got regulars coming back to New Zealand for the third and fourth time,” says Rally Tours’ director Greg Paul. “In fact, one client has been on every single Rally New Zealand tour we’ve done since we started 14 years ago.”
Rally Tours NZ has a unique relationship with Rally New Zealand, with the organisation allowing the tour company exclusive access to a limited number of spectator points.
“This exclusive access, combined with qualified drivers and knowledgeable rally guides, makes our ‘gold’ four-day tour a truly world-standard way to see the world’s best drivers in action during Rally New Zealand,” says Paul. “We also arrange special visits with WRC teams and driver forums, so our guests enjoy a level of access not normally available to a rally fan.
“Top Kiwi driver Hayden Paddon will be participating in our driver forum on Thursday, before the rally starts, and this will be a fantastic opportunity to talk to this fast-rising star of world rallying.”
This year, Paul says the guests confirmed for Rally New Zealand include a number of South Islanders as well as international visitors. “Our ten-seater mini coaches offer a comfortable, fun way to see the whole rally. No worries about driving or parking, selected meals provided and all your rally passes, programme and a souvenir shirt included.”
A day tour option is also available from Auckland, although four-day tour bookings have preference if space becomes limited. The day tour is priced at $440 and the four-day tour from $1,650. See rallytours.co.nz for full details. Paul urges bookings are made as soon as possible to facilitate their final planning and preparation.
Rally New Zealand is based in Auckland in 2010, with the rally stages taking competitors through the Whangarei, Kaipara, Franklin, North Waikato and Raglan districts. A first for the event in 2010 is the Hampton Downs super special carnival with a spectacular day of action at the new Hampton Downs Motorsport Park on Saturday 8 May. More information is available on www.rallynz.org.nz.
Rally Tours NZ runs similar guided tours for other events in New Zealand such as the Silver Fern Rally and Targa New Zealand. Overseas events vary depending on international calendars. Rally Tours NZ heads to the World Rally Championship round in Finland later this year, then WRC Argentina in April 2011.
Paul also leads an exhilarating Peking to Paris overland expedition from July to September this year with tour participants driving their own 4WD vehicles through 12 countries. More information is available from the Rally Tours NZ website, www.rallytours.co.nz.