57 Marine Parade
Westport
Official Notice of Race for South Island Open ; Link Here
Plan your journey now!!!! –
New Zealand’s Premier Blokarting Event for 2023
South Island Open & New Zealand Open
South Island Open – 6th (reg. and practice), 7th & 8th October at Carters Beach, Westland
NZ Open – 11th (reg. and practice), 12th to 15th October, Wigram Air Museum, Christchurch
For your travel plans – We would like you to be there Friday morning at about 9:00 on the 6th and 6:00 pm Sunday the 15th is the formal Dinner in Riccarton.
About the Venues, and where you can stay:
Carters Beach is located 5km’s southwest of Westport. The beach is 9km long and at low tide there can be up 150 metres of hard sailing surface between the water and high tide mark. Additionally, the beach has a slight crescent shape that gives opportunities for different courses. The predominant wind in October is from the southwest – a Windward leeward course is possible!!!
Carters Beach, midway looking Access to the beach directly opposite the Top 10 Holiday Park
west to Cape Foul Wind.
Westport and Carters Beach offer many accommodation options. However, BAI and the Canterbury Blokart Club encourage participants to book and stay at the Top 10 Holiday Park. The owners of the Top 10 Holiday Park, Carl & Chrissy Alfeld, are generously allowing us to utilize their facilities in the running of the event and the best vehicular access to the beach is directly opposite the holiday park. Sundays prizegiving will be held at the Top 10 Holiday Park. There will be lots of opportunities for socializing while we stay there.
Dining room beside BBQ Area at Top 10 Kitchen Top 10
There are other beaches nearby where racing may be scheduled if wind conditions preclude Carters.
Around Westport, there are many short or long day trips including:
- Denniston Plateaux with bike & walking tracks steeped in history from the coal mining area
- Kawatiri Coastal Trail which is a bike/walking track that runs from Westport to Cape Foulwind via Carters Beach
- Karamea and a visit to the Fenian Caves and the start of the Heaphy Track
Leading up to the SIO or for the two and a half days between the SIO and The NZO registration, there are two routes people can utilize between Christchurch and Carters Beach which both offer attractions and points of interest:
The Lewis Pass (Approx 4.5 hours) offers:
- Reefton is an old coal mining with plenty of history and cafes to check.
- Mauruia Springs with Japanese Hot Baths, motel & camping sites.
- Hanmer Springs with the hot pools, walking, and bike tracks, and offering a great selection of restaurants & accommodation.
Or
Greymouth and Arthurs Pass (5.5 hours) – Watch out for the Keas!:
- Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks)
- Lake Brunner
- Greymouth
For the New Zealand Open at Wigram, this part of Christchurch is full of motels and motor home facilities, with a vast range of restaurants, supermarkets and other shops close by. Popular for past events is Bush Inn in the Upper Riccarton area. The closest holiday park for campers/caravans is Alpine View Holiday Park 4.7 km from the Air Force Museum.
Meals will not be available at the event, but there are many lunch bar choices at “The Hub” in Hornby, a bakery at the Sockburn roundabout, and the Air Force Museum has a great café for your coffee fix as well.
Cruising the Taxiway Tight turn at the top mark
The track at Wigram is well suited to most wind directions and speeds – October should see some better breezes and fast racing down the taxiway where most races are won or lost. Regretfully the large apron area directly in front of the hangers has been reduced due to the Air Force Museum operational requirements. This withstanding, the Wigram track offers plenty of sailing space requiring a tactical approach making for a competitive event.
NZBAI will publish official Notices of Race and the entry process will be available online before the end of July