Epay Silver Fern Rally Draws Near
Scenery such as this is prevalent during the epay Silver Fern Rally. A full international entry will contest this year’s
event which runs from 8-15 November in the South Island - please credit Geoff Ridder
If you live in the South Island it is entirely possible that the epay Silver Fern Rally is coming your way early next
month. So what exactly is the Silver Fern? The event is an international rally, a marathon event, rallying the way it
used to be. It runs for eight days with 49 high speed Special Stages comprising 1,145 kilometres of testing terrain
linked together by 2,470 kilometres of touring stages on public roads where competitors must adhere to normal road
rules.
The event is highly regarded throughout the world and accordingly it has attracted a truly international mix of
competitors with drivers from England, Scotland, Ireland, Kenya, Australia, and of course New Zealand. Many of them are
former champions of the sport, competing in some of the most prestigious events around the world including this one, and
many of them still feature at the highest level around the globe.
There are three parts to the event – the Historic Trophy where spectators can enjoy iconic rally cars such as a
multitude of Ford Escort’s, a Nissan 240RS, Porsche 911’s, BMW’s, Toyota’s and even a Skoda. The Challenge features
2-wheel-drive cars of a more modern era including Honda’s, Suzuki and even a Holden Commodore while the final part of
the event is the Silver Frond, a shorter event which starts in Dunedin on the third to last day of the event.
The event will start in Picton on Saturday 8 November and traverse the Marlborough region before heading to Westport on
the West Coast. It then crosses the island to Christchurch where competitors will overnight on Day 3, Monday 10
November. Over the next few days the action will travel down the South Island through Canterbury, South Canterbury,
Otago and Southland before reaching into Central Otago and the Southern Lakes region before finishing in Queenstown on
Saturday 15 November.
As well as taking the opportunity to watch the cars being driven in anger on the Special Stages the public can also see
the cars at Service Parks throughout the event. The Service Parks are in easily accessible sites and there is no charge
for the public to see the cars close up as they are being serviced.
Full details of the rally route and maps are available on the event website – www.silverfernrally.co.nz
ENDS