• Matt Turnwald, Repco Takapuna Rocks organiser, near the site of his event in Takapuna with 'Maria’ his 1963 (63.5) Ford Galaxie. The event takes place on Saturday October 26th.

Classic cars and family fun in Takapuna

Repco Takapuna Rocks 2019 is on in Takapuna on the Saturday of Labour Weekend (October 26th)

An exciting new event – Repco Takapuna Rocks 2019 ­– is coming to Takapuna on the Saturday of Labour Weekend (October 26th) and the team at Channel Magazine is part of the action as supporters and sponsors. At the heart of the event are classic cars, but the day will also include a vintage market, pin-up competition and live rock 'n' roll music creating a really festive family atmosphere. It is expected that Repco Takapuna Rocks 2019 will draw classic car, classic bike and hot rod enthusiasts from the length and breadth of the country and is a family fun day and community fundraiser.
It is being organised by local North Shore residents Matt Turnwald – who is no newcomer to these type of events – and Sue Stanaway, a well-known local North Shore identity, who also happens to be Matt's mum.
For the last five years Matt has been a director of Rockabilly Show and Shine events in Christchurch. Channel Magazine's Aidan Bennett put some questions to Matt during June about this exciting new event for the North shore and Takapuna.

Aidan Bennett: Congratulations Matt on bringing this new event to Takapuna. You must be thrilled to have a great line-up of sponsors and particularly having Repco as the lead sponsor? It’s a great fit.
Matt Turnwald:
 Thanks Aidan, we certainly are very excited to have Repco as our Platinum naming rights sponsor as they are the perfect fit for the event and are eager to help us to make this a real success. We also have eight Gold sponsors who are enthusiastic about supporting the event including the Takapuna Beach Business Association and the Devonport/Takapuna Local Board. Takapuna is such an world class venue to hold an event like this and with the success of events like the Beach Hop in Whangamata – where they get thousands of entries and draw huge crowds – we feel this is something special for the region and hope that this years’ event will be a great day for our exhibitors and the public to view these original and restored vehicles from a bygone era.

AB: Tell us about how you got into organising these type of events?
MT:
 My passion for classic cars started when I was very young and I have always loved car shows and been attracted to the older style cars. As soon as I could I bought my first classic. I enjoy the good old-fashioned atmosphere, the music, the camaraderie and the enthusiasm that classic car owners have for their prized vehicles.

AB: How many classic cars are you hoping to have for the event?
MT:
 Thanks to your team, who designed our great new website, we opened registrations for vehicles on July 1st and hope to get in excess of 300 classic cars, bikes and hot rods at the show. Anyone who has an interest in being part of the show can find us online at www.takapunarocks.co.nz. We already have a commitment  from owners of some of the country's most admired cars and bikes to join the line-up on the day and expect that with the calibre of vehicles and the music from our live bands – Boom Boom Deluxe and The Recliners Rockers – there will be plenty to see and do for the whole family.

AB: Do you have a favourite Classic Car of your own – that you own or you would love to own?
MT:
I currently have a 63.5’ Ford Galaxie, fondly known as ‘Maria’, and previously had a 69 XW Falcon, so it's fair to say that Fords are my favourites. The exciting thing is that there is a huge following for classic vehicles in New Zealand and many enthusiasts like me bring in our cars from America and lovingly restore them.

AB: As the name suggests, Repco Takapuna Rocks 2019, it’s not just cars is it? Music and other things as well. What do you have planned for the day?
MT:
 The action starts at 10am in The Strand when the show opens to the public and our MC Shane Cortese will introduce the first of our rock 'n' roll bands on the main stage. There will also be a Vintage Market with quality vintage wares, food and refreshment vendors and the many local cafes and restaurants and the ever popular playground for the kids. During the day we have the pin-up competition where we judge entries for the best in old-fashioned glamour and crown Miss Repco Takapuna Rocks 2019. At 4.30pm we have the prizegiving for the vehicles and the show concludes at 5pm. Local businesses are also being encouraged to participate in a window display competition for the week to bring the theme to the whole area.

AB: Is this going to be an annual event?
MT:
 We specifically chose Labour Weekend Saturday as we plan that this will be an annual event and so have the possibility to extend to the Sunday in future years. We hope this will become a highlight on the New Zealand Classic Car Show calendar and will become a real reason for people to choose to come to the region every Labour Weekend.

AB: Why did you choose Takapuna Beach as the venue?
MT:
 With the fantastic beach-side setting, the reserve in The Strand and the ample surrounding parking spaces to display the cars it is a perfect venue for the event and the beach offers an amazing backdrop for the show. We love the area and wanted to support local business and the charities by bringing a community fundraising highlight to Takapuna.

AB: So who can enter their vehicle in the event? What sort of vehicles can we expect to see?
MT:
 We are looking for both original and restored pre-’72 classic cars, bikes and hot rods from all around the country. We hope the event will attract a wide range of V8s, classic bikes, hot rods and rat rods and is a real opportunity for people to introduce their kids to cars from yesteryear and reminisce on vehicles from their past.

AB: Are you still looking for operators keen to have a stall at the vintage market?
MT:
 We have limited numbers of stalls available and we are really looking for quality over quantity with the vintage markets and so we welcome applications online through the website, or potential stallholders can contact us on info@takapunarocks.co.nz. The vintage markets will be set up on the reserve for the day and will offer show goers an opportunity to find collectables and retro treasures.

AB: Who can enter the pin-up competition?
MT:
We will be looking for the best retro or 50/60s look and will be crowning our first Miss Repco Takapuna Rocks and will have some great prizes for our winners. We encourage and look forward to entries from a diverse mix of young and old.

AB: Is there a cost for the public for this event or is it free?
MT:
  Entry for the public to enjoy this day is FREE and the registration fees for the vehicles go to our charities. We will have volunteers with donation buckets collecting for our two chosen charities in the hope we can raise money to help them to help young people in our region.

AB: Proceeds are going to charity as well. Who are the benefitting organisations?
MT:
 The two charities we have chosen as recipients from the event are Yes Disability, which runs a variety of programmes and services on the Shore to support disabled people and their families and Make-A-Wish New Zealand, which grants that one true wish to Kiwi kids with a life threatening illness. Both these charities are dear to our hearts and we hope to be able to assist them to make a difference with the great work they do in our community.

AB: Complete the following… Visitors to Repco Takapuna Rocks 2019 will be blown away by the...
MT:
...atmosphere, music , family fun and being transported back in time to the good old days of the rock 'n' roll era. We hope locals and visitors will join us on Saturday October 26th to be part of Repco Takapuna Rocks 2019.

For more information visit: www.takapunarocks.co.nz