Whangamatā was a petrolhead's heaven this weekend.
Repco Beach Hop 2023 brought much-needed economic energy back to the Coromandel over the weekend as thousands, in the mood to party like it was 1959, steamed into towns from Waihī to Whangamatā, creating a major boost for the coffers of the peninsula’s small businesses.
The Repco Beach Hop is an annual nostalgia festival that celebrates the zeitgeist of the ‘50s and ‘60s through car parades, live music, food and fashion shows.
The event ran for the second time in five months after the 2022 event was delayed until November on the back of historic planning issues related to Covid.
Concerns had been raised prior to the event about how the Coromandel’s beleaguered roading network could support the weight of thousands of cars making their way around the district to the various events.
Damage to State Highway 25 between Whangamatā & Waihī - plus the recent slip between Whangamatā and Hikuai - had caused consternation with event organisers, but the festival was given the green light to proceed by Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency and police.
The precarious state of Thames’ roads made them unsafe for a large convoy to travel to the town, which necessitated a change to the traditional itinerary, with the Repco Power Cruise the Loop tour (Whangamatā-Waihī-Paeroa-Thames-Coromandel-Whitianga-Tairua-Whangamatā) created to replace the stop in Thames.
The Waihī warm-up party Undie 500 kicked things off on Wednesday, followed by the loop on Thursday and the Castrol Thunder Cruise to Onemana on Friday, before drivers made their way to the event’s headquarters in Whangamatā.
The coastal town swelled in numbers as punters enjoyed themselves in local bars and restaurants, also patronising a number of pop-up hospitality providers. Local retailers enjoyed a boon from the increased sales.
Bands, buskers and rock and roll dancing added to the carnival atmosphere. A new addition to this year’s Beach Hop was the King of the Hop Elvis tribute competition, in which 15 contestants belted out the King’s tunes in their blue suede shoes, competing to win $10,000 in prize money.
Saturday morning held the eagerly awaited Grand Parade down Port Road.
It was not just the rumble of muscle and vintage cars that got the crowd’s collective engines running - the Hop Retro caravan display at the Whangamatā Area School was also well-attended.
The weekend concluded with the Beach Hop Nostalgia Fair. Beach Hop organiser Graeme Noddy Watts said: “We are very happy with how it went based on the things we organised.”
Long lines of traffic streamed out of Whangamatā on Sunday morning, with a queue stretching from Waihī back to Whiritoa as weary revellers negotiated the one-lane bridge.
Police have been asked for information on crowd behaviour, and whether any improvements have been made after last’s year’s event was blighted by public disorder offences.
In a statement, police said they issued 74 infringement notices for breaches of the liquor ban, 20 drivers were processed for excess breath alcohol and 12 people were arrested on Saturday night for various disorder offences.
Police Acting Senior Sergeant Niwha Jones said it was “unacceptable and disappointing” in a media statement.
“We know that intoxication increases the chance of causing harm on the road, and despite a strong police presence, some motorists still decided to take that risk.”