Goldrush Rally returns to the Coromandel in August

The routes and timings for the Goldrush Rally of Coromandel have been announced for the weekend of 16/17 August, when about 70 cars are expected to take part in round five of the New Zealand Rally Championship.

See below for the full list of road closures and race timings.

“A big thanks to the Rally NZ organisers for holding this event again in our district,” says our Mayor Sandra Goudie. “The event really charges up the winter calendar in a quiet time for the Coromandel and brings some valuable visitor spending.”

“The rally gets extensive national and international television coverage, so it provides a great showcase for our good old Coromandel hospitality and our stunning scenery – you can’t put a price on that,” Mayor Sandra says.

“The rally organisers have added a new initiative – a beach clean-up on the Sunday. Meet at the Whitianga Wharf at 10am. The rally teams and all members of the public who want to pitch in can show up to help clean up the beach around there,” says Mayor Sandra.

The fun revs up on Friday evening with a street party in Whitianga. Albert Street will be closed from Monk St to Lee St from 4-7:30pm for people to have a look at the assembled rally cars. There will be food stalls, late night shopping and meet and greet sessions with the drivers.

Also on Friday the rally cars will be conducting a reconnaissance of the stage routes. The vehicles will be clearly marked and travel in a convoy. The reconnaissance does not involve road closures. Letters have been sent to residents along the routes.

The rally headquarters will be at the Mercury Bay Multisports Park on Moewai Park Road in Whitianga (off South Highway), where on Saturday 17 August people are welcome to visit the rally pits and enjoy the food stalls.

On Saturday afternoon there will be the ITM Kopu Super Special Stage on Moewai Rd and Abrahamson and Dakato Drs, which like the other stages is open for the public to watch, beginning at 4:39pm.

The rally racing takes place through Saturday on four routes, with the finish at Blacksmith Lane, Whitianga, which will be closed from Albert St to the Esplanade from 4-8pm.

For children, there is also a colouring competition to take part in. Download the drawing here and colour it in. All entries should be dropped off to the Mercury Bay Informer no later than noon on Thursday 15 August. The winner will be announced live on Coromandel More FM on Friday morning.

Full list of road closures and timings for the Saturday racing:

Download this map to see the full routes and timings of road closures.

Kennedy Bay Road, Tuateawa Road, Waikawau Beach Road and Port Charles Road.
Kennedy Bay Road from house number 1424 to Tuateawa Road.
Including all of Tuateawa Road to the intersection of Waikawai Beach Road.
Including all of Waikawai Beach Road to the intersection of Port Charles Road.
And including Port Charles Road from the intersection with Waikawau Beach Road to the intersection of Colville Road.
The period of the closure: 6 hours from 7:00am to 1:00pm.
Cars will be travelling from Kennedy Bay to Port Charles.

309 Road
From the Waterworks gate to House 1715.
The period of the closure: 9 hours from 9:30am to 6:30pm.
Cars will be travelling from the Waterworks towards Whitianga.

Tapu-Coroglen Road
From the intersection of SH25 at Coroglen to house number 436 Tapu-Coroglen Road.
The period of the closure: 7.5 hours from 11:00am to 6:30pm
Cars will be travelling from Coroglen to Tapu.

Dakota Drive, Abrahamson Drive, Moewai Road
Moewai Road from the intersection of SH25 to the intersection of Abrahamson Drive. All of Abrahamson Drive and Dakota Drive.
The period of the closure: 4.25 hours from 2:45pm to 7:00pm.

Blacksmith Lane
From the intersection of Albert Street to the Esplanade.
The period of the closure: 4:00pm to 8:00pm.

For more information go to the Rally NZ website.
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