Rally of the North to support flood damaged areas
This year’s edition of the Tanoa Hotel Paihia Rally of the North will be an important one for the recently flood damaged
Far North area as the event looks to continue to bring large benefits to the communities that have supported the event
for many years.
The Far North region suffered some of the worst flooding the region has seen in decades when storms hit the region in
early July. Conditions saw houses and the water supplies damaged, flooding, slips and in excess of 30 road closures due
to damage caused by the flooding.
Rally of the North is based out of the tourist town of Paihia and brings thousands of dollars to local businesses during
the quieter winter months by way of accommodation, meals and plenty of other expenses. As well as that, the event
travels as far north as Kaitaia, again bringing as many as 70 teams plus officials to communities scattered throughout
the Far North district.
The proposed route will see competitors tackle a range of stages from tight and twisty to flat out blasts on more than
180km of competitive special stages. The route sees a mixture of stages used in recent years and those not having been
used for close to ten years. The organising team will be checking the route in the coming weeks to ensure roads are
still in a usable condition for the event.
“We have a good relationship with the Far North district and it really hurts us to see some of the devastating pictures
of the damage to the area,” says head of the event orgainising committee, Anita Greenland. “That motivates us more than
ever to put on a great event and bring as much back into the local economy as we can in October.”
The Tanoa Hotel Paihia Rally of the North will run on October 11, based from the tourist town of Paihia. As well as
Tanoa Hotel Paihia, the event acknowledges its support from MRT Construction, Belair Mitsubishi Wreckers, Hynds Pipes,
Manukau Auto Centre and RCK Contractors/Support Jethro Morrow.
ENDS