The illustrious Melbourne Cup will be making its way to Whakatane next week as part of the 2014 Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour.

The cup is being taking to 34 destinations in Australia and New Zealand ahead of the 2014 Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Joe McGrath on Tuesday in York W.A with race caller Bryan Martin OAM and carriage rider. Photo: Supplied.

Victoria Racing Club racing engagements and cup tour manager Joe McGrath says so far they have visited Perth and Melbourne and will be making its way to New Zealand on July 28.

'It's the early part of the tour. We have 34 destinations and we are onto the second destination, so it's all happening but all going well.

'The cup has been extremely well received. The tour is very much around community engagement and certainly in York it was extremely well received as people had the chance to get up close and get their photo taken with the cup and meet personalities connected with the race.”

Joe says the whole event is based around storytelling and with 154 years of history there are quite a few stories to tell.

Whakatane residents will have the chance to experience first-hand the magic and history of the cup with the opening of a new Rising Fast exhibit in the Museum display at Te koputu a te whanga a Toi, a street parade, and a novelty re-enactment of the 1954 Melbourne Cup on Wednesday.

Rising Fast, owned by Whakatane accountant Leicester Spring remains the only horse in racing history to win the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate in one season.

The street parade starts from outside Radio 1xx at 11.30am and travels along The Strand and Kakahoroa Drive, culminating in the race re-enactment outside Te Koputu, starting at 12.15pm.

Mayor Tony Bonne says the town is extremely proud and excited to be one of the 34 official destinations selected by the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) to host the 2014 Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour.

'We are delighted the Cup is coming to Whakatane because it gives our community an opportunity to discover the remarkable moments of the race that stops two nations, and to especially celebrate our districts unique link via Rising Fast and Leicester Spring.”

During its stay in New Zealand, the cup will visit Wellington, Whakatane and Auckland, before heading to Darwin on August 3.

Now in the 12th year of the tour, the $175,000AUD, 18-carat gold Emirates Melbourne Cup trophy will embark on a 16-week journey accompanied by Melbourne Cup veterans and racing legends who will share their personal stories with communities across New Zealand and Australia.

During the tour, local communities are encouraged to use #PeoplesCup when posting images and comments via social media.

The Cup will return to Melbourne on Monday, October 27, for a week of Melbourne Cup Carnival celebrations ahead of the 154^th Emirates Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November.