Weekender, April 3, 2021

SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2021 ‘Awesome day’ BRAND NEW: Manutuke Their race cars have top speeds of 200kmh-plus and their drivers never die nor injure Eco Retreat now boasts its own RC track alongside themselves in the cars. The Radio Control Car Club is proving that size does not matter. the water to host race events. Sporting a new track at Manutuke Eco Retreat, the club had its first championship event Picture by Ben Cowper bringing racers from around Gisborne to tear up the track in the hope of glory. Reporter Jack Marshall was there and spoke with club organiser Matt Spackman. ars smashed into each other at It can only mean one thing. with their cars and discussed technical race organiser Matt Spackman said. full force, flipping into the ditch, Radio Control Car Club. details, with plenty chomping on sausages on Korbin Wigglesworth took 1st place in the Cyet miraculously, there was not Cars, trucks and boats, all radio-controlled buttered white bread. under-12s junior section; Dylan Saywell and a single driver injured at the (RC) from a distance, tore up the track and “Everyone who came out had an awesome Chris Bennett took the top places for the inaugural Manutuke champs. water last Sunday at Manutuke Eco Retreat. day — everyone had fun, there were no two-wheel-drive races and Shaun O’Connor Not even the Speedway has this many Around 100 people attended the champs injuries, no deaths, although one car did go snatched the win for the four-wheel-drive pile-ups. with some 50 cars on track. Racers tinkered up in smoke,” Radio Control Car Club and section. Continued on page 2 You have probably heard it before – “It’s my life, my funeral.” So shouldn’t you have some say in it? A “goodbye” doesn’t have to be a fuss, doesn’t have to be big, it just needs to be meaningful. Covid-19 has highlighted the importance and value of a meaningful goodbye. Give us a call to discuss livestreaming and virtual funerals where your loved ones can participate in your farewell from abroad. Start the conversation — talk about your ideas and wishes with family and give yourselves the gift of peace of mind. Goodbye is as important as hello. A meaningful Evans Funeral Services Ltd Ph 06 867 9150 Fax 06 868 5312 funeral supports healthy grieving. 171 Ormond Road, Gisborne Email offi [email protected] 33889-01 2 THE GISBORNE HERALD LEAD SPEED DEMONS: Cars take turns flying over the jumps with cars reaching 70kmh and wheels designed for extra grip on the rough track. Picture by roOm Photographics A TEAM: Manutuke Eco Retreat owner Richard Clark (right) with Radio Control Car Club and race ROCK AND ROLL: Around 50 cars hit the track for the race day, with only one car organiser Matt Spackman. Picture by Jack Marshall knocked out of action and no injured drivers. Picture by Jack Marshall. Top RC cars can reach speeds of 200kmh From page 1 the large section of Barwicks Auction Mart because as it gets rutted out from all the specialising in everything RC: top of the 1983 dedicated to new RC cars and parts. cars going round and round, the inside line line race cars, entry-level off-roaders, The track was built from scratch to host “Then more dudes got cars, then a couple would’ve been the fastest at the start of the replacement axles, wires, cables, know-how the event at Manutuke Eco Retreat which more dudes got cars, and then it escalated day but slowest by the end of the day,” said and can-do. has a hill track and lake to race RC boats on. and we got racing and here we are today.” Matt. “It’s a hell of a lot cheaper than racing Retreat owner Richard Clark is a keen driver Iain Hickling is one of those dudes. The top speed of the vehicles has more Speedway cars,” said Matt. himself, a club supporter and donated prize “I went to Matt’s house and had a turn. to do with track length than specifications. A plastic rear axle might only cost a few money for the champs. It’s just fun, you know,” said Iain. Top RC road cars can reach speeds of dollars to replace or closer to $70 if you Non-racers were plentiful on the day “The first thing that happens is you see 200kmh — on the right stretch of track — want aluminium. making the most of the retreat’s walk someone driving one and you want to have with regular RC cars able to do around half RC addicts with computer skills can even around the wetland and hill track for a go — you feel like a kid again. of that. print 3D parts. trampers to explore. “I had an RC car when I was young, but On the Manutuke Eco Retreat track, the With the extra parts come infinite ways RC cars have been around since the early they’ve improved over the years — they are cars reached maximum speeds of about owners can customise cars with prices 1970s but have moved from model cars to faster and stronger. 70kmh down the straight but the tight varying wildly. performance vehicles in the mid-80s. “You get the fun of racing with them and corners and jumps meant it was more Entry-level cars start at $350 and go Matt grew up with radio-controlled cars tinkering with them. technical racing, which reduced the speed. all the way up to $4000 for a decked-out but drifted away from them as he grew “There’s a competitive side where you Even though the cars are small, they sure monster-truck RC vehicle. older. want to win, the social side of things when can move quickly. “The best car is the one you can afford,” But when the ligament in one of his knees you have a couple of beers and hang out “It feels like you’re going really fast. It said Matt. had to be replaced a couple of years back he with your mates — it’s just a good time would be the equivalent of driving a car at Matt thanked Richard Clark from was more or less removed from all physical out,” said Iain. 300kmh,” said Iain. Manutuke Eco Retreat who hosted the sports. No surfing, skateboard or running The cars are around one-tenth the scale of With speed comes crashes . but it’s only event and donated the prize money, and about. your everyday car but the same principles of the cars that take damage. More likely it’s Jason Allen from Barwicks for his van and So he bought an RC car to have a burn racing-physics apply to them as to full-size broken parts and bruised egos. assistance, and to everyone who came along about in his backyard. cars, said Matt. While Matt cannot do much for the to the event and helped on the day. “I had a big back lawn and then I mowed “You’ve got to be consistent, patient and bruised egos, he can certainly help with “The No.1 thing for us is getting outdoors a track out of that and it pretty much find the lines . I used to race motocross damaged goods. with friends and family and having a bit of snowballed to here,” said Matt gesturing to and being able to read the track is huge, Inside Barwicks is a shop-in-a-shop fun,” said Matt. SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2021 3 PROFILE IN OREN’S CORNER CAFFEINE AMBULANCE: 911 Coff ee Co on He’s a character, a showman — hand him a microphone and he’ll take over. Oren Ormond Road has the coolest back story as to why this small business was created. Oren Tibble, 22 next week, is an awesome drummer and makes a mean mocha. Sophie Tibble and his foster mum Aimee Lloyd are the people behind the coff ee. Rishworth visited 911 Coff ee Co on Wednesday to meet Oren. Picture by Liam CLayton round 7.30 each morning, Oren his own space. ere’s a bedroom and his special needs I’d just like to add,” says Aimee. Tibble opens up the 911 Coff ee own lounge area complete with drum kit. But as Oren approached 21, with the cart business outside his home on But often you’ll fi nd Oren sitting outside in school routine about to go, Aimee’s thoughts AOrmond Road. one of the cars parked out the back. He loves turned to, “What am I going to do? ere’s He sets up the table and chairs. If it’s not everything about cars — street stock ones nothing for Oren here, for people like Oren.” too busy he makes coff ee, serves at the especially. Oren loves fi re trucks, police cars And Aimee knows hundreds of them till, chats with customers and knows some and ambulances too, which is why when an around Gisborne — often hiding in corners. regular orders by heart. ambulance became available you could make She was scared Oren would end up at home After about an hour Oren then does coff ee out of, it was “perfect”. with nothing to do. something else. His attention span is short. Looking back, Aimee says she did think, en lockdown hit, and they were all at Yesterday, April 2, was World Autism “what have I done?” when Oren fi rst moved home with nothing to do. But from that Awareness Day and Oren is one of hundreds in.

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