epay Silver Fern Rally - The Pinnacle   24 Sep 2014

epay Silver Fern Rally

Media Release

Immediate release

epay Silver Fern Rally - The Pinnacle

Australians are known for not mincing their words so when experienced marathon rally campaigner Keith Callinan of MacKay, Queensland calls the epay Silver Fern Rally the pinnacle of the rallying calendar you know he means it! Callinan and his wife Mary Anne have competed in events all over the world and have just completed the iconic Sydney to London Marathon Rally. "We really shouldn't be doing the Silver Fern this year," says Keith. "The Sydney to London was an unbelievable financial drain. We thought that is our rally for the year but you can't not do the Fern. It is the pinnacle of the rallying calendar and I am sincere when I say that!"

High praise indeed, so what is it that has brought the Callinan's back for every single Silver Fern Rally since it's inception in 2006. "There is no part of the event that isn't great. The roads, the people, our service crew who are all kiwis, even our token Aussie who was born in New Zealand. They do a sensational job."

The Callinan's have competed in all parts of the world. "We have done the La Carrera Panamericana and the NORRA Mexican 1000 on the Baja Peninsula," says Keith. They have also tackled the Sweden to Jordan Marathon, the Midnight to Red Sea and many, many more. "We have done all these things at the expense of other events but the point is we have always got to get back to the Silver Fern."

Famous for rallying a Holden Monaro initially, Callinan has now moved to Ford Escorts. The car in which he did the last epay Silver Fern Rally has now been sold to Tony Quinn from Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell. Quinn is doing the shorter Silver Frond event this time. Meanwhile Callinan has built up a brand new Group 4 Escort, the car he used in the Sydney to London event. "The car will come to New Zealand direct from Wales." Callinan also mentions he crashed on day one of the Sydney to London. Will the damage be repaired before the Silver Fern? "A blind man on a fast horse wouldn't even see the damage. We will do a bit of panel beating. It had a bent cross member and that is straight now. The car is nearly straight. It won't matter on your kiwi roads because they aren't straight anyway." Callinan is full of quips and adds, "I'm hoping Tony Quinn makes me a really good offer on my new car. He's the only bloke who could afford it!"

Callinan hasn't always had the best of luck on the epay Silver Fern Rally. "The last one, I didn't get the car off the line and two years before that I tore it off at the firewall. I've finished a couple but not as many as I've started." However his enthusiasm and passion for the event is evident - "if you are an Australian and you haven't done the epay Silver Fern Rally you need your arse kicked!"

BACKGROUND

The epay Silver Fern Rally 2014 will start from Picton on Saturday 8 November 2014. That night competitors will stay in Blenheim before crossing the island the following day to overnight in Westport on Sunday night. Competitors will then head back across the island on Monday to spend the following evening in Christchurch. Timaru, Dunedin and Invercargill are the destinations for the next three nights before the rally travels into the magnificent southern lakes area with aFriday night stopover in Wanaka. The rally ends on Saturday 15 November in Queenstown.

The epay Silver Fern Rally 2014 consists of the New Zealand Silver Fern Historic Trophy for 2-wheel-drive cars that comply with various historic criteria as listed in the event regulations and the New Zealand Silver Fern Challenge which caters for 2-wheel-drive cars that comply with the Motorsport New Zealand Schedule A safety requirements. Within each of those sections there are various classes.

The rally will cover 1150 kilometres of competitive Special Stages over eight days and organisers are promising some new stages and new locations along with some roads that have been used previously but in differing configurations. The epay Silver Fern Rally provides competitors with a fantastic rally experience amidst some awe inspiring scenery.

The rally enjoys support from epay, Malcove, HiFX, Pure Commerce, Kiwimaps, Christchurch City Council and Brita Safety.


Add a comment

News

Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students

29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more

New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process

7 Mar 2020 News By Rt HON WINSTON PETERS
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more

Business

NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19

17 Mar 2020 Business News By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more

NZ Government announces aviation relief package

19 Mar 2020 Business News By Hon Phil Twyford
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more

Living

Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London

6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall. It was the first... more

Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate

12 Jan 2022 Arts By Charlotte Everett
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...  New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more

Property

Fairer rules for tenants and landlords

17 Nov 2019 Property By Minister Kris Faafoi
17 NOVEMBER 2019 The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more

New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax

17 Apr 2019 Property By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more

Migration

Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued

19 Nov 2019 Migration By Hon Iain Lees-Galloway
19 NOVEMBER 2019 We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more

Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location

18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018 HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more

Travel

Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more

New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas more

Sport

The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners

27 Oct 2019 Cricket By Charlotte Everett
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more

PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final

26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more

Columns

Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade

11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade First published on Werewolf The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more

Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome

10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell   Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more

Kiwi Success

Congratulations to Loder Cup winner

26 Sep 2018 People By Hon Eugenie Sage
25 SEPTEMBER 2018 The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more

Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO

16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO HON JENNY SALESA Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more

Recruitment

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

14 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

22 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more