The Centenary re-enactment of the 1917 Parliamentary Tour through Northland will hit Paihia today as more than 40 vintage cars wend their way around the region. The cars, with about 100 drivers and support crew, set off from Devonport on Sunday retracing the steps of the Parliamentary Tour, which brought Parliamentarians north to see the conditions of the region's roads. That tour saw cars bogged down in heavy mud, but the Centennial Tour is likely to be held in glorious sunshine throughout the 10 day tour. The centennial re-enactment tour has been organised by the North Shore branch of the NZ Vintage Car Club, with assistance from the Wellsford-Warkworth, Northland and Far North branches of the club. In January 1917, Kaitaia businessman Colonel Allen Bell managed to persuade Parliamentarians to participate in a car tour to show them the need for road improvements in the "Winterless North".

Source: New Zealand Herald January 31, 2017 18:03 UTC