Once again, the Canterbury A&P Showgrounds played host to the annual Paul Kelly Twin Rivers Motoring Extravaganza on March 20. Open to anything automotive — from classic and vintage, to hot rods and muscle cars — the grounds were full, while the beautiful, hot, sunny day brought out a huge crowd.
The event brings out such a variety of vehicles; it’s great to see the passion that people have for their cars. There were Mazdas parked next to Studebakers, ’55 Chevs next to Toranas, and even a Camaro parked beside a McLaren.
Run by the Rotary Club of Avonhead, the 2016 event saw the introduction of some big rigs lined up for the crowd to view. A number of local companies had their amazing rigs set up so that people could get a close-up look at these machines.
As well as the massive display of cars on show, there was a live band, engine-building contests, electric cars to test drive, and the usual food and drink stalls.
The large number of vehicles on show certainly surpassed other years, maybe due to the great weather, or maybe it was the fact that the cruise had been reintroduced, having been stopped some years earlier due to the state of Christchurch’s roads.
In fact, the event was so popular that additional parking had to be opened up to take the overflow of cars.
All proceeds from the 2016 event went to the Child Cancer Foundation.
