On an overcast late August Sunday morning, a fair few South Canterbury car enthusiasts were out in force at Caroline Bay in support of the Cancer Society with the annual Daffodil Day run.
With a number of vehicles awaking from winter hibernation, and with COVID-19 curtailing the last two years proceedings, this was a chance for many to blow out the cobwebs, and power through the gears through the scenic back-blocks of South Canterbury. There were a wide variety present of ages and sizes of vehicle – a mix of standard and modified, a fair few from various local clubs, the raffle sellers doing a roaring trade.
With a briefing held to the crowd by several of our members, cars hit the road before 11am, this author armed with phone-camera filming the procession leaving the bay it was a trip through Timaru Central and out through to the rolling hills of Fairview – encountering Munro’s Ford Model A towing the SCVCC portable sound system – and Taiko, and onto Clelands Hill, Opihi and Pleasant Point regions.
Pleasant Point was a compulsory stop for many, with the lure of petrol-pumps, pies and ice-creams from the dairy and a new empty shed awaiting a fire appliance display. After ‘Point’ it was a trip into Richard Pearce country, Waitohi before reaching Geraldine and Woodbury – the cafe there doing a roaring trade. Travelling a criss-cross of local roads, our venue, Tripp Settlement / Orari Gorge Station was soon reached, Marion Foster handing out a printed history of the venue to participants as they arrived for picnics in the gardens.
As it was, Tripp Settlement, nestled in bush to the north-west of Geraldine had quite a history – Charles Tripp setting up a successful high country sheep farm run in the 1860s – the 19th century homestead still in all its glory with a garden capably able to swallow up participants and their vehicles – further gardens across a creek, and above the homestead, historic farm sheds and machinery adjacent to working farm station, currently running a mix of cows, deer and sheep.
A talk was had about Tripp Settlement, and raffles were drawn outside the homestead – the property keeping many of us entertained for hours. Overall an enjoyable run, and we thank those who made it happen.
Shannon Stevenson