Day 12- Colin is 60 in Wellington

This day would be a very full day ending up in Wellington in preparation for catching an early ferry to the South Island in the morning. 
Several of the group had already left, when the local Hawera newspaper reporter showed up and asked to do a story and photos  (story published at end of blog). Of course,  the "late risers" lined up on the lawn of the motel for our photo shoot. 

Photo Shoot in Hawera

It was nearly 10 AM before we left Hawera and we were expected near Levin around 11 AM for a Morgan Owner coffee stop. After an hour or so of driving, we passed several of the group who had left early and stopped for breakfast.  

A Nice Driving Day

Shortly after passing them, we pulled over to the side of the road and for some reason (can't remember now), we turned off the engine. Lo and behold, when Philip went to start the engine, it wouldn't start. So he started testing various components of the car and determined it had something to do with the ignition. About that time, the "coffee" group came along and gave us a push to get started.
So we continued on to the Morgan Club owners, Warren and Jan's home, where Philip could let the engine cool and look into  (and hopefully fix) the problem.

Jan had set out some wonderful goodies for us to feast on, including cold water, as it finally was a hot day. 

Coffee at Warren and Jan's near Levin

The guys checked out all the Morgan's while Philip waited for our car to cool. I was very nervous that he would need a part and that somehow we would need to find it. 

Dennis and Nancy

Colin and Callie

Morgans On the Lawn

Morgan Sunroof

Once the engine cooled, Philip was able to do some poking about and discovered that the connecting line from the starter solenoid to the starter had come apart. So the fix was to reconnect it. Thankfully no parts were needed, and I relaxed. 

Morgan Fixed

Roger and Linda

Checking out the Morgans

Lovely Three Wheeler

Nancy and Dennis

Presenting the Plaque to Warren and Jan

 Roger did his wonderful presentation of the very rare MONZA plaque to Warren and Jan thanking them for their wonderful hospitality.

Plaque presentation

This day was a 177 mile drive, so we passed up the Southward Car Museum in order to get to Wellington in time for Colin's Birthday Party. 

Continuing On

 The arrival at the Hotel in Wellington was challenging, but fortunately Nancy had arrived earlier to be certain parking was available for us in the parking garage. 

Arriving in Wellington

The Birthday Dinner was at Shed Five which was on Queen's Wharf, not far from our hotel. We walked over with Patsy and Michael to the restaurant, where the group had a private room

Elaine and Philip Dressed for the Party

Patsy and Michael Dressed for the Party

Someone had brought glue-on Moustaches for the men for the party.

Dressing Colin for HIS Birthday Party 

Moustache Men

The Boys

David

Joan and others at the Dinner Table

The dinner was superb  and the company fun. 

My Dinner- Fish 

A Toast to Colin 

Colin's Speech 

Colin's Birthday Cake

The Greeting   

Roasting Colin

A Joke

We all headed back to the hotel in preparation for departure to the ferry at 7:30 AM the next morning. If was a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Colin and we all enjoyed celebrating it with him.

 Morgan sports cars roar into Hawera

DEENA COSTER Last updated 05:00 25/01/2014
Hawera proved to be a popular pitstop for a touring party of Morgan sports car drivers yesterday.
About 17 couples from Britain, the United States and Belgium, are two weeks into an eight-week tour of New Zealand, taking in the scenery from the comfort of their distinctive vehicles.
The group stayed in Hawera for only one night, but not before taking in a tour along Stratford's Forgotten World Highway.
Keith Parker, accompanied by wife Joan, said all the cars had to be shipped over to New Zealand in preparation for the tour.
He said the costs of shipping worked out to be about the same as it would be to rent a car for the duration of their stay.
Mr Parker, who is from Shropshire, England, said he had a passion for the shape and look of the Morgan motor car.
"It's basic driving but lovable," he said.
One person driving solo on the tour is Northumberland's Fiona Cowley. This tour was her second trip to New Zealand. "I loved it 10 years ago so I came back."
The chance to spend time with her friends was one of the appeals of the trip.
"I'm having a lot of fun and seeing fabulous places," she said.
The party's next stop is Wellington, before heading over to the South Island.
To ship a car overseas for driving tours, a carnet de passage is usually required. The internationally- recognised document allows travellers to temporarily import their vehicle into a country they are visiting.
A safety check is carried out on the vehicle when it arrives to ensure it complies with safety standards.
THE MORGAN MOTOR CAR
The Morgan Motor Company Ltd was established by H F S Morgan in 1909 in Britain. The cars are hand- made at the company's workshop in Malvern, Worcestershire. There are eight cars in the Morgan range, including a three-wheeled model. About 1300 cars are made a year. Prices start from about NZ$66,500 to $172,000, but can vary depending on the model and other optional extras. Source: Morgan Motor Company
- © Fairfax NZ News