Whakatāne is to feature as a lunch and rest stop on the second leg of The Great British Car Rally next month.

More than 200 British-manufactured vehicles, old and new, are expected to take part in the rally, which begins in Auckland on 17 February and ends in Christchurch on 22 February. Day 2 (Monday 18 February) will see participants travel from Tauranga to Gisborne, with a two-hour stop scheduled in Whakatāne from noon till 2.00pm.

The Whakatāne District Council’s Kakahoroa Drive Car Park (to the east of The Warehouse and between the rear of The Strand and Kakahoroa Drive) will be closed for the day to accommodate the rally participants and support vehicles.

Mayor Tony Bonne says the Council realises that the car park closure will cause some inconvenience for regular users, but the area is the only viable location for the event. “We have to be able to park more than 200 vehicles in the CBD, so that participants can access the town’s cafes, restaurants and retail opportunities,” he explains. “Being included as a stop-off is a very positive development for the District and the Council and the Eastern Bay of Plenty Chamber of Commerce are fully supportive of this high-profile event.”

Mr Bonne says a welcome is being planned for rally participants, who will also be encouraged to visit the Molly Morpeth Canaday Art Award exhibition at Te Kōputu – the Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre – or take in the visitor experience provided at the Mataatua Wharenui.

“We will be asking people who normally use the Kakahoroa Drive Car Park to utilise the all-day parking facilities available at the McAlister Street, Pyne Street and Clifton Road Car Parks. Parking time restrictions on The Strand will be unchanged, but elsewhere in the CBD, we will be relaxing the normal time allowances for the day.”

The Council will publicise alternative parking arrangements in the lead-up to the event.