Wheels carnival enthusiasm grows

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 575, 28 February 1995, Page 3

Wheels carnival enthusiasm grows

TheOhakune 'Carnival of Wheels' nextmonth is assured of success if the enthusiasm of the group formed to co-ordinate the event is any indication. The group, consisting of Robert Horne (Mainstreet chairman), Bruce Rollinson (Ruapehu District Council marketing manager), Katie Bramwell (Ruapehu Information Centre), Rick Lowe (Ohakune Hotel), Ellen Gould (Ohakune Primary School principal), Bob Norling (MTRO president), Ben Goddard (Waimarino Community Board and Ohakune Volunteer Fire Brigade), Sue Allomes (RSBA chairperson and Mainstreet co-ordinator), Phil Abel (RSB A committee member), Glyn Hubbard (Waimarino Sports Education and Development Trust), Ian Harrison (NZ Police), Dennis Beytagh (Ruapehu Bulletin), Terry Wood (Dominion Breweries) and Kevin Aiken (NZ Liquor) met last week under the joint chairmanship of Warrick Funnell (president, Wanganui Cycle

Club) and Bruce Rollinson in the Ruapehu District Council' s Ohakune Service Centre. The Carnival of Wheels willrun from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 March. Featured on the programme are a wide variety of events all of which are associated with 'wheels' in some way from go-kart wheels to train wheels, farm bike wheels to bicycle wheels. The weekend starts on Friday afternoon with train rides and a static roller-racing event in the Ohakune Hotel' s Cleches Bar. These two events are mainly for 'locals' and should be great fun according to Bob Norling and Warrick Funnel. On Saturday the downtown events will be accompanied by music provided by various bands playing on a rotational basis throughout the day in and around the 'Start' and 'Finish' stages in Clyde Street. Following Saturday' s feature bicycle racing programme which starts at 10am - the programme has been devised to cater for all levels

of ability from children and 'just-for-fun' rides to professional and semi-professional - the prize giving will take place between 3.30pm and 4pm. Xents, marquees and stalls will be provided by the Ohakune Primary School (who are to be the major beneficiaries of the Carnival of Wheels weekend) on the vacant 'Cedar Court' site opposite the Ohakune Hotel. Also on Saturday, but later in the day so as not to conflict with bike and go-kart events in 'downtown' Ohakune, MTRO will be running steam train trips to Horopito Vintage Car Museum. Two 'Champagne and Steam' trips are planned, one at 3pm, the other at 6pm. On Sunday all the action moves up to the Junction where there will be more go-kart and bike racing as well as further short-distance steam train rides every hour on the hour from 10am.