Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

International Rally of Whangārei ceremony start

Jaime Lyth
By Jaime Lyth
Multimedia Journalist·Northern Advocate·
13 May, 2022 05:49 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Todd Bawden in his Ford Fiesta R5 Mark II at the International Rally of Whangārei. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Todd Bawden in his Ford Fiesta R5 Mark II at the International Rally of Whangārei. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The roads of Northland become race tracks this week for the International Rally of Whangārei.

The 2022 Rally of Whangārei doubles as a round of the 2022 FIA Asia Pacific Rally
Championship and round 2 of the 2022 New Zealand Rally Championship.

The event spans three days, May 13 - May 15, with the Pohe Island Super Special Stage lighting up the night on Friday 13.

The Shakedown on Pohe Island began at 1pm on Friday with lucky invited guests enjoying the opportunity to sit in the co-driver seat for a high-speed blast around the stage.

Emma Gilmour in her Suzuki Swift AP4 at the International Rally of Whangārei, Pohe Island, Shakedown stage. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Emma Gilmour in her Suzuki Swift AP4 at the International Rally of Whangārei, Pohe Island, Shakedown stage. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Northern Advocate reporter Jaime Lyth got to a passenger seat ride with driver Duncan McCrostie in what was his third time at the event.

"I did it 10 years ago in the old classic rally car, and then I did it last year in this thing," said McCrostie.

Northern Advocate reporter Jaime Lyth gets taken for a hoon by Duncan McCrostie in his Mazda 2AP4. Photo / Jaime Lyth
Northern Advocate reporter Jaime Lyth gets taken for a hoon by Duncan McCrostie in his Mazda 2AP4. Photo / Jaime Lyth

Kiwi star Hayden Paddon races to defend his title at the International Rally of Whangārei this weekend, after winning last year's event.

Paddon is going for his eighth title in Whangārei at the same time he's keen to support a deserving local through his Paddon Project.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Star driver Hayden Paddon in his Hyundai i20 AP4. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Star driver Hayden Paddon in his Hyundai i20 AP4. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Start your engines

About 1000 spectators gathered on and underneath the Te Matau ā Pohe bridge to get a look at the event on Friday night.

All of the cars lined up on the bridge for the Ceremonial Start, which was opened by Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai.

Drivers and co-drivers signed autographs for fans while petrol-heads had the chance to get up close to the cars.

The event is missing international drivers and cars again this year due to the ongoing pandemic but crowds will still see a large number of races.

The Kiwi rally drivers will be racing in number reverse from the last car to the first car.

The new base at Pohe Island has been redeveloped to provide more space, with the ENEOS Service Park and HQ being closer together.

Darren Pace holding the barrier at the International Rally of Whangārei. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Darren Pace holding the barrier at the International Rally of Whangārei. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Darren Pace, 50, is volunteering for the rally over the whole weekend after loving it last year.

"I came last year to watch it on the island and I decided I was going to volunteer this year."

Pace has lived in Northland for two and half years but has been following rally racing since he lived in the UK.

"I'm pleased to see Emma because I follow McLaren."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Emma Gilmour was announced as McLaren Racing's first-ever female racing driver in November 2021.

"My son roots for Hayden because he met Hayden last year, and he goes, that's my mate."

New local Andrew Brown watching the rally shakedown at Pohe Island. Photo / Michael Cunningham
New local Andrew Brown watching the rally shakedown at Pohe Island. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Andrew Brown, 61, bought tickets to the rally and is looking forward to watching it tonight.

Brown only moved to Whangarei two months ago and walked over to the bridge to watch the shakedown after hearing the car noise from his boat.

"It's amazing the technology, they're just so quick.

"I've been sending videos to my kids down south, they are jealous."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Kevin Hill stops to watch the International Rally of Whangārei on Te Matau A Pohe bridge. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Kevin Hill stops to watch the International Rally of Whangārei on Te Matau A Pohe bridge. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Kevin Hill, 70, didn't realise the even was on until he realised the road he was biking down was blocked.

"I saw the dust and thought I'd see what was going on."

Watching the cars was a nice pre-pub break for Hill, who was happy to see events returning to the city.

"It's good to see something happening in Whangārei."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime

Northern Advocate

Two charged with neglect 10 years after 4yo's death in Kaikohe

Northern Advocate

Major water leak forces school closure for urgent repairs


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime
Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime

Business groups in the Far North are uniting to enhance community safety.

17 Jul 04:00 AM
Two charged with neglect 10 years after 4yo's death in Kaikohe
Northern Advocate

Two charged with neglect 10 years after 4yo's death in Kaikohe

17 Jul 02:17 AM
Major water leak forces school closure for urgent repairs
Northern Advocate

Major water leak forces school closure for urgent repairs

17 Jul 01:26 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP