The fact that rally special stages are held on (closed) public roads or on private roads (typically in forestry blocks) means the route of an event can be reasonably easily changed from year-to-year. However, on the Otago Rally there are some special stages that are so good the event includes them almost every year. This cache highlights one of them: Taieri Beach.
This special stage takes competitors from the coast at Taieri Mouth and over the hills to Waihola. Where the stage reaches Finlayson Road it usually turns onto a private forestry road (sorry, can’t go there!) before re-emerging further down the hill towards Waihola.
Small snaplock. BYOP.
Words of caution:
There’s a good reason why this road is used for rallying- it’s challenging! Take care and remember to keep as far to the left on corners as possible.
Poaching (illegal hunting) and rustling (stealing livestock) is sadly on the increase in NZ. Consequently, you can’t really blame rural folk for being alert to suspicious behaviour near their farms and forest blocks. And you can’t get much more suspicious-looking than geocaching! Take care not to attract attention to yourself in this area, especially if caching at night.
Rally Facts: Since the start of the NZ National Rally Championship in 1977 (and up to 2014) the most successful car has been the Subaru Impreza WRX which has been driven by the national champion in ten seasons. Subaru’s Legacy model has been the national champion’s car of choice during four seasons so Subaru really has a stranglehold on the NZ championship. Runner-up car is the Mitsubishi Lancer in its various “Evolutions” with nine national champions choosing to drive it in their title-winning years. The Ford Escort RS1800 was driven by the national champion for six straight seasons between 1978 and 1983 and again in 1985.
Since the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers began in 1973 (and up to 2014) the most successful car maker has been Lancia (10 times champion). Next most successful has been Citroen (8 - and most of those thanks to Sebastian Loeb’s incredible nine drivers championships in successive seasons), Peugeot (5), Toyota, Subaru, Ford and Fiat (3 each), Audi and Volkswagen (2 each) and Mitsubishi, Talbot and Alpine-Renault (one apiece).