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President’s Report

COVID Playing HAVOC with Events Calendar

Club events during this reporting period have been subdued due to Alert Levels 4 and 3 lockdowns throughout August and September, as we are unable to physically meet and run Club events. 

Luckily for everywhere but Auckland, the lockdown period was brief with these regions quickly dropping to Alert Level 2. I have enjoyed seeing photos and stories of Drive Your Porsche Day (DYPD) events posted on Facebook. At the time of writing, the southern region will be packing their cars for the Southern Weekend of the Year (SWOTY) and I wish them a fantastic time.

Sadly, for the Auckland region no actual events have been run this period, with a planned track day, DYPD and lunch run cancelled. We are anticipating a pent-up demand for northern events and have pencil booked DYPD to Woodlands, Gordonton on 10th October, and a Ron’s Run for the 7th November 2021.

“Don’t Leave Town Till You’ve Seen the Country”
This slogan is taken from an early 80’s Tourism NZ TV ad but given we can’t do winter escapes to warmer places, I find myself taking more weekends away in the fun cars. A recent trip was a boy’s weekend to the winterless Northland (refer photo essay in this Spiel), and on this trip I discovered Mauresses Bay, wow what a beach! And a place I would have unlikely visited but for the weekend away with PCNZ mates and the friendship these cars bring. Another club I belong to is planning an ‘Island Holiday’ (Waiheke Island), with a weekend of internationally inspired restaurants (Greek, Italian) etc, for lunches and dinners. I think this is a clever idea and we could look to use this as inspiration for a Club weekend. Closer to PCNZ home, the southern region has a few weekends planned in early 2022 with SWOTY 25-28 Feb 2022, and a Southern Autumn Tour 5-10 Apr 2022 (with 28 cars booked already). Note for both southern events you don’t need a Porsche (remember nothing handles like a rental car?)

New Club Rooms
We have recently surrendered the lease to our Club rooms in Birkenhead, following the change in ways of working that many organisations adopted post COVID, we realised the Club rooms weren’t needed for monthly meetings and Teresa our office manager can easily work remotely. The Club’s physical possessions are now officially stored in Kennards Storage on the North Shore, achieving a ballpark saving of $10K P/A. 

Club Membership at new Highs
Club membership has recently hit a new all-time high; currently at approx. 860 members and surpassing last year’s record of 832, and with three months of the membership year to go. Speaking of new members, I wish to welcome good friends David and Tracey Wingate who recently purchased Alan and Penny Woods 993 Cab, and an old friend from Uni days, Gavin and Bonnie Brannigan, who have a 992 and Macan GTS’s landing soon. 

BOP Regional Chapter
With Graham Lister recently returning to Auckland, I wish to welcome Bill and Michele Fisher who are taking up the regional coordinator role for the Bay of Plenty area. As someone who regularly spends weekends in Tauranga, I look forward to attending a few of these social events.

End of Caffeine & Classics
I would say Caffeine and Classics at Smales Farm was the start of the Cars and Coffee culture in New Zealand, for several years I have enjoyed attending on the last Sunday of the month, often with 200 or so other cars, ranging from American muscle cars, European sports cars to the Mini club. Inside construction industry gossip informs me there are new buildings due to be constructed at Smales Farm and the carpark will become a construction site soon. Hopefully a new regular event re-emerges in a slightly different location. For those still needing a Sunday morning car fix, Caffeine and Gasoline at Hampton Downs is a similar format. 

Well here’s to hoping we will be rid of lockdowns in the very near future and able to get back to business as usual, especially with our Porsche’s. 

 

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Editor's Report

For the love of Boxster

This year marks the twenty fifth Anniversary of the launch of the Porsche Boxster, a concept and design that has been one of the marque’s success stories.  Boxster enthusiasm is an easy addiction to succumb to. 

Where do I start telling you of my enthusiasm for my Boxster? The modern streamlined curves with more than a hint of the successful 550 and the 718 race cars of the 1950s. Beautiful!

The mid-engine balance feels just right when cruising along the highway following the Buller River from Lake Rotoiti to Westport. I am sure members have found their own perfect cruising routes. 

The Boxster was engineered to be a cabriolet so that roof down driving is perfect for me. I am comfortable in the cockpit that has all the controls at my fingertips, that has fresh air above, a flat six burbling behind my back and winding road ahead.

I would use the words “beautiful, balanced cabriolet” to summarise my Boxster addiction.

Record Porsche arrivals in New Zealand September/October 1997 Spiel 85. 

The people at Porsche were aware of the keen demand in New Zealand and they worked hard to satisfy a large number with a special shipment. It certainly made an impressive sight with ten new Porsche Boxsters lined up on the wharf at Auckland and we were very glad to see them.  

There are more than 700 members so there will be many more tales to be told. Accept my challenge and please flood my inbox. spiel@porsche.org.nz

 

SPIEL Issue # 213 Contents

Porsche to Present Its Future-Driven Mission R Concept Study
The Super 75
By Sue and Kip Colvey   VIEW STORY
Progress Report on the Neville 1954 Bent Screen 356
Photos by Michelle Neville
PCNZ to Host Ellerslie Car Show and Concours d’Elegance  By Chris king
Concours’ Corner  By Ash Powell
From the Navigator’s Seat
By Jan Furness
Down The Rabbit Hole
By Ross Moultrie
Lunch Run to The Old Forge Café
By Jeff Hancock
Update #2: The Boxster Build Starts 
By Noel Simpson 
Central Region Go-Kart Series
By Gavin Nauschutz
Central Region Tirohana Cellars Lunch Drive    By Gavin Nauschutz
Air-cooled Bug Replaces Spyder’s Bite   By Stuart Matthews 
My first Porsche Journey – ‘71 911T
By Nigel Aston Samuel
Riwaka Pub Lunch Via Some New Roads  By Andrew Anderson
PCNZ Driver Training Day Levels, Timaru   By Mike Harris
Transaxle Projects Part One: Mirror Wiring Repairs   By Andrew Anderson
Seeing the World From My Lens   By Cruz Belcourt
The Winterless North
By Paul Miller
Central Drive Your Porsche Day
By Dan Reeves
DYPD Canterbury 2021
By Graeme Lindsay 
Drive Your Porsche Day
By Richard Rutherford
South Canterbury Drive Your Porsche Day   By Roger Carter
Drive Your Porsche Top of the South  
By Andrew Anderson
Drive Your Porsche Day – Meeting at The Shire’s Rest   By James Nimmo
Bottom of the South DYPD
By Larry and Luci Greene
Geoff Ridder PPRS Photographer
Kiwi Gladiators at the “Ring”  
By Stu Owers

 

Committee Members

The Club’s affairs are managed by a Committee of volunteers elected each year at our annual general meeting. As all Committee Members are volunteers email is our preferred method of communication. Private phone numbers are not listed on this website for privacy reasons. Members are welcome to contact the Committee - a Contact Directory is published in Spiel Magazine.

President Paul Miller
Vice President Ashley Powell
Treasurer Michelle Neville
Secretary Gavin Nauschutz
Spiel Editor Peter Stewart
Club Administrator Teresa Conway
Committee Andrew Anderson
Committee Chris Barendreat
Committee Roger Carter
Committee Russell Jones
Committee Chris King
Committee Graeme Linsay
Committee Dan Reeves
Committee Steve Protheroe