VW beetles and Kombis shine at Mount Maunganui

The ‘Show and Shine’ held on Saturday at Coronation Park (VIdeo & Photos: Rosalie Liddle Crawford)

The weather was perfect for this year's ‘Run to the Sun' weekend event held in Mount Maunganui.

Volkswagen owners from around New Zealand motored their way to the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park at the foot of Mauao on Friday for a slice of paradise at this classic Kiwi summer hotspot.

Seventy-five spaces were reserved on the port side of the camping ground, creating a spectacular line up of VW Kombi vans and cars in a range of colours. This is 'the fourth year of this rad event at the raddest location” read the group's Facebook page.

Some VW owners brought three-meter long flag poles to fly flags next to their vehicles, and the sticker created for this year's event was coloured green to honour the Riding for the Disabled charity which the group fundraised for.

The weekend kicked off with the traditional welcome barbecue, this year sponsored by Adlam Painters of Rotorua, followed by a box car competition by for the ‘young Dubbers', a drive-in movie and a fire dance performance.

On Saturday morning, the vehicles lined up in Coronation Park for their annual ‘Show and Shine' event, sponsored by Qualitat European Motors Ltd (Auckland). Open to the public, the event ran alongside the Picnic in the Park event organised by The Little Big Markets, with pony rides, animal petting, live music and food stalls available.

'We had to move to Coronation Park this year for the Show and Shine,” says one of the organisers Jeremy Longman. 'We used to have it in the Phoenix Carpark, but the Council have now turned that into a bit of a theme lifestyle area.

'This year we choose for our charity Riding for the Disabled, a local charity in Tauranga, and that's why you'll see a few small Shetland ponies walking around, and people with buckets hoping to collect gold coin donations.

Jeremy Longman with his Kombi Wolkswagen van

'And the other car we've got is a brand new black Volkswagen Amarok.”

The classic car event day wrapped up with dinner and the traditional Saturday night prize-giving at Mexicali.

On Sunday, a convoy of VWs headed to Te Puna Quarry Park for a family fun day and picnic, with the vehicles first lining up along Totara Street at 10.30am before setting off.

The Run to the Sun weekend was sponsored by Farmer Volkswagen.

Andrew and Heather Bayliss from Auckland with their 1966 VW Westfalia

Elliot Noble and Summer Kivits

Elliot Noble with his classic car

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