In March 2002, members of the Tauranga Classic Motor Cycle Club joined the final stage of a re-enactment of the historic mail journey from Whanganui to Napier. The specially franked letters travelled by river steamer, road and across Lake Taupō before being entrusted to a motorcycle and sidecar for the run to Hawke’s Bay.
Our archive account, signed “Wattie”, captures the weekend with all the familiar ingredients: old bikes, good company, a little friendly rivalry and a roadside repair.
Wattie was a well-known TCMCC member with an extraordinary memory for roads and routes. On his rides, few of the following crew always knew quite where they were, or where they were heading. Wattie, though, was comfortable with his directions, and the riders trusted him to lead them on another memorable journey.
Wattie’s mount was a 350 Ariel, transported to Taupō behind the support crew’s 1954 Dodge. By Saturday morning, the motor camp was filling with motorcycles of every description. His Ariel looked rather scruffy beside some of the polished restorations, but he had complete confidence in it.
“I knew it would start when we were ready! (Which it did.)”
— Wattie
The ceremonial handover took place at De Bretts. The mailbag had arrived aboard the steam launch Alice, then been brought up from the boat harbour by horse and gig. After the speeches, the riders set off towards Napier at roughly one-minute intervals.
Stops at Rangitaiki, Tarawera and Te Pohue gave everyone time for tea, lunch and conversation. At Tarawera, Barrie Alderdice’s leaking fuel tap briefly interrupted proceedings. With a finger over the tank outlet and some help tightening the cork seal, the problem was soon fixed.
Meanwhile, Wattie was enjoying a friendly contest with a couple of Indian riders. They passed him on the flat; his Ariel found its legs on the hills. There was plenty to discuss over lunch.
Behind the fun lay a reminder of how much effort once went into getting a letter across the country. Around the turn of the twentieth century, riverboats and connecting coaches linked Whanganui with the central plateau. Steamers crossed Lake Taupō, while the Napier–Taupō mail coach took two days, stopping overnight at Tarawera.
Even carrier pigeons played a part. Lake skipper Thomas “Darby” Ryan used them to tell Tokaanu hotels and the connecting coach driver how many travellers to expect. During the 2002 re-enactment, pigeons were again released from Alice.
The riders reached Marine Parade in brilliant sunshine, where the mailbag was handed to a representative of Napier’s mayor. Nine Ariels made an impressive showing among the assembled machines.
That evening brought dinner and prizegiving. Harry Strang’s 1955 500 Ariel won the best-restored-bike award, while Grant Antram received a special prize for completing the journey on his James without a hitch.
The weekend ended with club members singing Happy Birthday to Barrie before he headed home. The mail had arrived, the bikes had done their job, and another story had found its way into the club archives.
The Mail Run lives on
The Mail Run continues today with the regular guidance and promotion of Jim Lord of the Hawke’s Bay Classic Motorcycle Club. Each March, he encourages riders to bring their older motorcycles out and test their reliability on the journey between Taupō and Napier — keeping both the machines and the tradition on the road.
