Zombies on Wheels!

The small coastal town of Kawakawa was awoken early one Saturday morning in August by 60 strange looking cars driven by what looked like a horde of zombies. The scene unfolding at Whitford Point Reserve could only mean one thing. The next Gumboot Rally was underway.

The Gumboot Rally is an automotive themed scavenger hunt that takes competitors across the country via some of the best but often forgotten back roads New Zealand has to offer. This one took competitors from Kawakawa bay in Auckland through to Rotorua on day one, then finished in Hamilton on day two, however with over 700km travelled over the weekend it’s obvious the Gumboot Rally isn’t about taking the most direct route.

It is not a race, there is no speeding involved and anyone who is caught breaking the law is disqualified, everybody is well warned of this by a tall, friendly looking guy with a microphone at a driver’s briefing at the start of each event. To win a Gumboot Rally you must solve puzzles, find clues to answer questions and complete challenges along the way. There is also a highly contested ‘best theme award’ which encourages competitors to dress both themselves and their car up for each event. Prizes, supplied by the loyal sponsors of Gumboot Rally are on offer for this if any further encouragement was needed!

This brings us back to the tall friendly looking guy with a microphone standing in the centre of a horde of zombies in Kawakawa Bay. The weather drew in with cold showers and low hanging cloud cover a fitting background really, as zombies, zombie hunters, and scientists all listened with excitement as Andy announced the start of the eighth Gumboot Rally.

The run took us down the Hauraki coast and across the plains looking for clues along the way. The first town we went through was Te Aroha, locals getting the fright of their lives as zombies stopped by local real estate agencies looking for a remote low priced property suitable for a safe house during an outbreak and answering question #5

The pack had spread out by the time we headed up and over the misty Kaimai’s. We then cut through the scenic Mclaren Falls roads for a couple of photo missions before a lunch stop in Pyes Pa. The organisers do a great job of taking you through interesting and beautiful parts of the country you may never get to see if you stay to the beaten tracks. It was obvious how well they had thought out the route as we approached lake Rotorua from the Northern side, on a small rural road that winds through and down the hills providing stunning views of the lake.

The last clues of the day were out of the cars and into some action packed fun at Rotorua’s Motion Entertainment Centre. There was a Zombie themed simulator and a round of mini golf at Lumberjacks, one of the event sponsors that teams had to complete as local kids watched, some behind their parents backs, others full of questions as the dressed up Zombies invaded Motion Entertainment.

Day one finished at the Sudima Hotel, where accommodation was organized. It was a chance for teams to catch up on a fun day on the road before dinner and prize giving. The best theme is announced at the end of day one and several spot prizes awarded.

Day two saw the Gumboot Rally leave Sulpher Point and head south of Rotorua, taking the backroads toward Tokoroa and down to the many dams over the Waikato River through Atiamuri, Whakamaru and Mangakino. A stop at Rosies Takeaways in Mangakino had competitors eating ‘Zombie Brains’ a specially prepared, green coloured, deep dried morsel dripping with red tomato sauce. It was great to see small local businesses getting involved and having a laugh at our expense!

The roads got even more remote as we headed west through the forestry areas, teams had the choice of taking optional gravel detours, heaps of fun if you have a suitable car and you don’t mind getting it dirty. Both gravel and tarmac routes are planned in the mission pack so you end up back with the pack regardless of which route you take. There’s something awesome about convoying in a group of the various cool cars that Gumboot Rally brings out, and it is a very diverse group. People bring along classics, modern performance cars, luxury cars, any pride and joy they may have tucked away in the shed or the reliable and comfortable daily driver. Any car is welcome.

The Rally took us as far west as Waitomo, visiting the old and apparently haunted motel for another photo mission before heading North and winding its way back to the finish line in Hamilton. it is common for competitors to be spread out over a couple of hours by the end of day two when teams arrive at the finish line. Answer score sheets are handed in on arrival, drinks and food are ordered and laughs are shared over stories of the weekend adventures.

It takes Andy’s microphone to silence the excited crowd after the scores are counted up and the winners are announced. The rounds of applause keep coming for the winners, the organisers and the sponsors all who make the event possible, and when it finally does tail off the night is left hanging on a exciting high as the theme and date are announced for the next event.

This is the atmosphere the rally is all about. Great mates with a passion for cars sharing some of New Zealand’s best roads on a mission around our beautiful country.

Gumboot Rally started with three mates wanting to do a bit of a road trip through the forgotten highway and inviting a close group of friends along, turning it into a scavenger hunt. Gumboot Rally has grown with a loyal group of sponsors and an even more loyal group of enthusiastic entrants known as the Gumboot Family that keep coming back, twice each year for the last 4 years.

The 10th Gumboot Rally will be held around September 2018 and having done five Gumboots now and seeing the effort that the same three organisers, Andy, Mike and Gator who started it all have put into each one I’m sure they have something big planned for their 10th.

I’ll see you at the start line.