Air Race Offers National Exposure for Northland Brand

Northland’s brand is about to begin a nationwide, airborne tour of the country.

Northlander Roger De Bray – the chief executive of Top Energy – is leading a three-member team in the Round New Zealand Air Race, and the Northland Naturally logo is displayed proudly on their aircraft. The team will also be carrying Northland Visitor Guides to distribute along their journey.

Both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters are competing in the air race, which has attracted up to 60 entries, from as far afield as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. It begins at Whenuapai on Monday March 29 and travels first to Northland, with entrants flying around Cape Reinga before landing at Kerikeri at about midday.

Over the following 10 days, the race will visit another 18 locations throughout New Zealand, dipping around Stewart Island before it finishes at Queenstown.
“We saw this as an opportunity to take the Northland regional brand to the rest of the country,” said Enterprise Northland chief executive officer Brian Roberts. “The air race attracts a great deal of interest wherever it touches down, especially from local media, and a number of mayors at the stopover points will be starting race legs from their local airfields.

“Let’s hope the positioning statement ‘First Region of New Zealand’ translates into a good result for the Northland team.”

Flying with Mr De Bray will be his wife, Ruth, with Jim Fraser as the third member of the team.

Their plane, a four-seater French-made Socata Tobago, is described as a good cross-country aeroplane.

It is the first time Mr De Bray has competed in the Round New Zealand Air Race, although he has previously taken part in three-day events.

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