Good deeds: Dunedin cruising for charity

16 November, 2016

The terms ‘boy racer’ and ‘Skyline’ seem to be synonymous in the eyes of johnny law and the general public. Wanting to shift such outdated attitudes to prove once and for all that such things are untrue, and also do a good deed for his community, Andrew Webster started the Otago Community Hospice Charity Cruise (Dunedin) in 2010.

This year’s Otago Community Hospice Charity Cruise event will be held on Sunday, November 20, at Tahuna Park, St Kilda, Dunedin. It kicks off at 10:00am, but organisers have asked if those entering could arrive earlier to set up — gates open at 8:30am. The one-hour long cruise starts at 1:00pm, before returning back to Tahuna Park before 5:00pm.

The Otago Community Hospice Charity Cruise welcomes all persuasions of cars, be it Japanese, American, British, Australian, or European; modified, classic, muscle, or exotic — you can even bring along your mildly modified daily-driver too. These guys don’t discriminate and it’s all in the name of charity. Trophies and prize packs are awarded for Judges’ Choice of the aforementioned categories. 

Each driver and passenger(s) is asked to donate $5 or more to Hospice (collected at the event), which grants them entry to the show, a place to display their car, and participation in the cruise later in the day.

The inaugural event back in 2010 raised $2235.50 with an impressive 155 cars in attendance on a wet day. This has been topped year on year, with 2015 the best year yet, raising $5100 and seeing 245 cars and motorbikes on display. To date, the events have raised more than $18,000, which all goes directly to Hospice.

At the very least, the Otago Community Hospice Charity Cruise makes for a good excuse to donate a bit of money to a worthy cause and get plenty of enjoyment out of your car — hopefully the weather plays ball!

Head to the Otago Community Hospice Charity Cruise event for further information.

NZ Classic Car magazine, November/December 2026 issue 408, on sale now

Star status for classic Porsche
A long search ends: finding the right car
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, the Porsche 911 heralded an iconic lineage of sports cars, known for their exceptional performance, remarkable racing reliability, and adaptability, second to none.
New Zealand Classic Car, in conjunction with Star Insure, recently conducted a photo competition to find 13 suitably impressive classics to grace the pages of the magazine’s 2027 calendar. A flood of entries showed that Kiwis recognise eye-catching designs and restorations. Many are handy with a camera, too, and have entered some outstanding results.
The choice was not straightforward, with multiple stunning entries, and Geoff Long’s immaculate 1990 Porsche 911 (964 Factory designation) took top honours. Fortunately, Geoff had Ethan Hanlon handy to take the accompanying photos while working in his office.
“I’ve got a young employee who is doing work experience in my office at the moment, and he’s a very avid photographer. So, I said, I’ll buy you breakfast and then why don’t we go and take some photos. He found the right spot, and he spent over an hour photographing.”
Originally sold new in Japan, hence the right-hand drive, the Porsche was resident there for four years before being exported to New Zealand, as Geoff recalls.
“I bought it two-and-a-half years ago, but I looked for it for over two years, because it’s just the colour scheme, interior and exterior I was after. The service file that came with it is extensive; I mean, it’s been beautifully looked after, which is what I wanted to continue, as it does get driven. It doesn’t sit in the garage.”

Classics on the green

Many pretenders vie for the title, but the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance gets my vote as the biggest thing since sliced bread.
The 71st edition of the world’s pre-eminent and best-known concours event featured 28 classes, judged by a 180-strong jury, which also chose the recipients of 26 special awards.
The size of the event, the number of visitors, and, most mind-numbingly, the sheer number of amazing cars, is almost overwhelming. There are so many quality cars to gaze upon, and so many people gazing at those cars, that it is almost impossible to cover everything.
Notable among the many attractions were the centenary celebrations of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an elegant Talbot-Lago Grand Sport, Hermann Graber’s Swiss-bodied cabriolets and coupés, the jewels of Otto Vu Italian V8s, early Alfa Romeos, Lincoln and its centenary, and cars with unorthodox propulsion systems.