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Well. Since my last update earlier this month, a lot has happened. Namely, both containers have finally arrived in Christchurch . All the cars and contents are now safe and sound. WHEW! Update #4 told you about the snafu on the second container and how "the pros from Denver" (Phil and Bob) had run out to LA and rescue the damn thing. What went unsaid in that missive was that the first container, which left Denver 30 days prior to #2 was, for all practical purposes, lost. We'll not exactly lost — it was just that our Denver freight agent couldn't really tell us for sure where it was or when it would actually arrive in NZ. Pretty scary, actually. As it turns out container #1 took the REALLY LONG way to NZ, via Asia and Australia thus meaning took FAR longer to get there than any of us had ever anticipated. Thanks to some great efforts by Larry Detrich and a new-found agent in Auckland, they finally located Ye Ol' #1 container and determined that it would be getting there just before Christmas, but not in time to get it thru customs and unloaded before the Holidays when everything sort of comes to a halt for a couple of weeks. While the delay in #1 was OK from our standpoint (Cars not needed in NZ until late January), what wasn't realized is that Larry and Kay had a bunch of Christmas presents in the first container. Ya, a real bummer! They really got the short end of that stick! We'll make it up to them somehow. Then the second container (the one Phil & I reloaded in LA) did arrive last week, only a few days later than originally planned. So, both containers are now safely at the Ruapuna race track in Christchurch. Container #1 with my and Diane's cars has been unloaded and those cars are safely tucked away in John Crawford's nice race shop at the track. Larry's newly-acquired Lola F-5000 race car is also safely ensconced in Crawford's shop. And container #2 is now on the ground at the race shop and will be unloaded within a week or so. No rush. Importantly, everything is there and in good order, apparently non the worse for wear during the long journey. Diane and I have decided to leave on Wednesday the 21st, less that two weeks from today (the 9th). We're really getting excited now that it's becoming a reality. The pictures from Larry in NZ make it all very real (see below for for pics.) Due to losing a day from passing the international dateline, we will get there either late that Friday (the 23rd) or early Saturday AM (NZ local day). This is a full week before we actually start racing, but I wanted to get there early, get acclimated, do a little shopping, get the cars cleaned and prepped, and hopefully get a day of track time for some test & tune and track familiarization. Going to a track for the first time and racing right out of the box is to be avoided, if at all possible. We should be able to do this in that week. And, as a bonus, the weekend we arrive, a national Formula Ford race is taking place at the track and we'll be able to watch it. Should be great fun. The rest of the "NZ or Bust" crowd, Terry Hefty, Dean Meiling, Paul Morgan, and Phil Shires, Bob Hildreth and spouses PLUS Diane's sister, Elaine, all plan on arriving that following week, about the 28th. They too hope to get in some track time on Friday before the racing beings on the 31st (Saturday). Heck, maybe we can even get Elaine in a race car for a ride. That's about it for now. The laptop is all set to go so the next Update will probably be sent to you from the road. |
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