Napier Mayor Bill Dalton had a quick catch-up with an old friend last week.
He was reintroduced to a Mini he owned 16 years ago, which has been restored by Hastings couple Steve and Helen Burgiss. They and the restored Mini will be setting off from Kaitaia today - alongside 59 other Minis from all over New Zealand and their keen, albeit cramped, drivers and passengers to take part in the Pork Pie Charity Run - tracing the Kaitaia-to-Invercargill journey depicted in the Kiwi movie Goodbye Pork Pie.
The Burgisses are one of two Hawke's Bay couples to be making the epic journey, the first leg of which goes from Kaitaia to Taupo.
"It takes up to 10 hours," says Helen. "Last time we spent five hours in heavy traffic on the Auckland motorway."
That's just one of the challenges to meet to be involved in the Pork Pie run.
"With such a small car, we can only take a small bag of clothes, which has to include a suit and evening dress for the black-tie dinner at the finish of the event."
It's worth it though, says Helen, to be part of the event that will raise thousands for the charity KidsCan, which provides food, clothing and basic health care in schools, for disadvantaged Kiwi children.
"The run is held every second year - this is the second time we have done it - and each time it raises funds for a different charity. Last time we raised $188,000 for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand."
The Minis travel in small groups, rather than in a convoy, to avoid disrupting other road users. They gather en masse in each town as they travel, stopping off to gather donations and let people enjoy the classic cars.
"We take up a whole deck on the Cook Strait ferry - it's quite a sight. We get smiles wherever we go. No one can resist a Mini. "
Helen and Steve have found it hard to resist Minis as well. They have, over the last few years, "rescued" and restored more than 50 of the small cars.
"That's why our car is sign-written with 'Team Mini Rescue'. We save them from the scrap-heap. If people don't save them they will be gone forever. But they are coming back into fashion as retro becomes more popular.
"I think Minis are in my blood. Initially our kids thought we were crazy, then they all wanted one. Now we are getting requests from the grandkids."
You can follow the Pork
Pie Charity Run online, at:
porkpie.co.nz