There’s a huge number of New Zealanders who remember either the original Goodbye Pork Pie movie, released in 1981, or the remake from 2017. Not many know that every two years, there is a drive from the Far North of New Zealand all the way to Invercargill, just like the movie. And the rule is, if you want to do the run, you must do it in a Mini.
Well, not quite all of that is true. Due to logistics around the number of people who do the run – 50 Minis maximum, so up to around 100 people – the event now starts in Paihia. But it still runs all the way to Invercargill, and you still must be driving a Mini (or a MINI, if you are in a newer model).
For 2025, MINI New Zealand invited DriveLife along to the event, to travel with the participants for the entire 2,300km route. Since we need to drive up from Auckland to Paihia, and then return the MINIs to Dunedin, we’d be driving closer to 3,000km over 6 days. We wouldn’t be registered participants, so unofficially, for 2025 there would be more than 50 Minis doing the run.
The organisers are careful not to call this event a rally; its focus is a charity drive, and to date, the event has raised over $2M for their selected charity, KidsCan. So, this is not a timed event, and it’s not a competition – it’s a celebration of the movie, the cars, the people – and just happens to raise a lot of cash for a very worthy cause.
We picked up a new MINI Countryman SE (EV) in Auckland on a horrendously wet Thursday for the trip to Paihia, some 230km away. We’d be the only EV doing the entire trip, although we’d be swapping to a Countryman S (petrol) in Picton, to do the South Island leg. At the end of the trip, we’ll add up the costs for both models to compare, and see how the EV version does against the petrol version.
On getting to Paihia and checking in, we still had 150km of range left, so a quick top-up for 40 minutes at a local fast charger would easily see us topped back up to 100%, ready for tomorrow’s long drive to National Park.
I grabbed Kevin Hollamby for a chat. Kevin is one of the organisers and has been since 2017. Kevin is from Rotorua and brought two Minis up; one is a modern (BMW) MINI, and the other is something special; it’s a Mini he and a few friends altered to look pretty much like the Mini used in the movie, right down to the missing doors. Its registration number is P PIE and it’s become the face of the event.
“We kind of inherited doing the organising of the run in 2015, and have done it since,” he says. There is a lot of work in organising such an event, and the prework for the next (2027) run started 3 months ago. Logistics around so many people and vehicles and food and accommodation is a mammoth task.
You would think doing the same route each time would be easy to organise – but it’s not the same route. “We do vary it,” Kevin says, “for example, we used to go through Taupo quite a bit but now we follow the movie route a bit closer, and so go through the back roads of Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti, and National Park.”
Accommodation is always an issue with so many people, and the organisers like to keep everyone in the same hotel. “We try and keep everyone together, as the event is really about the people that do the run. It’s important we keep them together.”
While the rule is a general ‘you must drive a Mini’, this isn’t always possible. One team was heading to Paihia and their Mini blew its engine, so now one Mini has become a Suzuki Jimny. There is ad-hoc support for all attendees, but it is not organised and so people need to also fend for themselves. “We don’t have specific garages set up along the way to assist people, but many of those that attend will carry spare parts that can be used across multiple vehicles,” he says.
Lessons learnt from previous runs show that not enough people do basic tuning on their older ‘classic’ Minis, while many modern MINI owners don’t get their cars serviced before the event, and that’s not best practice. Accidents have been rare to date, with nothing major occurring during any of the biennial runs.
It costs $3,200 for a team of two to go on the Pork Pie Charity Run, and this covers some accommodation and some meals, the ferry cost – basically everything from the morning when we leave the hotel to the end, so that’s breakfast every day, for example. Participants still need to cover things like their own fuel and insurance.
The run has been happening since 2009, and surprisingly there are 40% new registrants for 2025, while the rest have done at least one run previously, with two teams on the 2025 run having done every single one. Why are they still getting such a high number of new participants, when you would think it would be “repeat offenders” (as Kevin calls them) going to every one? “For a lot of people, it’s been on their bucket list for years, with many trying year after year to get on the list. When registrations opened for 2025, the list of 50 was sold out in 2.5 minutes.”
As mentioned, KidsCan is the charity supported by the event, with fundraising happening well in advance – this is the opposite of previous runs where participants were given buckets and went out collecting cash. Registrations go live 9 months before the actual event, and teams must indicate what they will do to raise funds for KidsCan. Each team has to raise at least $1,000 for KidsCan, with one team sitting on $40,000 before the event even started.
For 2025, there’s a mix of 75% classic Minis and so 25% of modern MINIs.
We went along to the one-hour driver’s briefing, that included things like describing Passport Control, where participants need to get it stamped at certain locations.
During the Driver’s Briefing, Alex Brockhoff, General Manager of MINI New Zealand and Australia, spoke about the brand’s commitment to all things MINI, and how excited he was to be at the event. “When I got the job, I realised then I would finally get to do the Goodbye Pork Pie rally.” The key parts of Alec’s talk were that the MINI brand is nothing without the people behind it, and events such as this one are what keeps the brand alive.
Adam Shaver, Managing Director for BMW Group in New Zealand spoke next and went on to say that when staff move internally from MINI to BMW, it’s known as “transitioning to the Dark Side.” As you can imagine, that got a lot of laughs.
DAY 1: PAIHIA TO NATIONAL PARK, 550km
The first official day of the event started with rain from the previous day not letting up, pounding the roof of the Scenic Hotel right through the night. Simply getting to breakfast meant getting drenched.
Talking to others during breakfast, most were surprised and some outright shocked that I was going to drive the MINI EV. Blank looks and wide eyes were a common response. It took a bit of convincing to get classic Mini owners to understand that it wasn’t that big of a deal, and no, I wouldn’t hold them up and I sure wouldn’t miss out on anything.
I spotted one couple in their wedding outfits, two Beetlejuices and one Elvis. It was a sign of the crazy things to come.
The rain was so heavy, the organisers dropped the idea of flagging everyone off from 7am, and instead people were told to leave when ready.
Our first official stop would be at Pokeno at the CBD Café, where MINI New Zealand had put on a lunch spread. We could drive any way we wanted to get there, although with this being the longest driving day at 550km, most people would be taking the shortest route.
The rain continued to pour all the way to Auckland, and happily I spotted no broken-down Minis at the side of the road. With not too much time to spare, it was disappointing to sit for over 20 minutes at roadworks south of Kawakawa, but I got to Pokeno just in time and plugged the MINI Countryman EV SE in for a quick top-up while eating. It was a one-minute walk to lunch, so that was easy.
The weather bomb continued right through lunch, so Hampton Downs made the decision to cancel the time that was going to be on their track. Understandable, but still disappointing.
In a random chain of events, the owner of Roofing Industries in Hamilton told one of the teams that he would donate $1,000 to their team if they “got some Minis here”. It was not hard to entice around 30 teams to drive to Te Rapa and park their cars inside Roofing Industries. In fact, this would be the first opportunity for any sort of decent photos without rain. Hats off to Roofing Industries for stumping up the cash, and it must be said they were pretty happy with the turnout.
After that, teams took their own route to get to National Park, tonight’s destination. We took it easy and went the back road through Te Awamutu and Otorohanga to get to National Park. Our 550km first day was over.
So far, the Countryman SE EV is doing very well in adverse conditions. With all-wheel drive, it sure feels sure-footed on the road, and going through lots of standing water is drama-free. I’m liking the new model too; it has many worthy improvements, such as the new screen that finally takes up the entire circle, rather than just a rectangle.
MINI PROFILE: DANIEL GOLDSWORTHY (‘PLUMBER DAN’) & DAVID MACBETH – TEAM MAVERICK MANIACS
Due to the weather of that first day, these guys have to be talked about first. I passed them a few times, in torrential rain, both still grinning. Daniel brought a wetsuit and had it on, while David (his uncle) waited until Te Awamutu and then decided yes, he needed a wetsuit too. Why? “Even with the diesel heater, my top half gets so freaking cold,” says David.
It’s not hard to see why. This isn’t a convertible, it’s a roofless Mini, or as Dan calls it, a ‘Mini Mini’. They have a diesel heater inside to try and stay warm and admittedly, you can really feel the heat from it, “but it’s no fun when you feel that cold rain run down your back,” he says. I note the fake grass on the floor; carpets would rot, I suppose, so why not fake grass in its place?
The Mini was owned by a friend of Dan’s and had been “worked on” for nine years and stayed unfinished. Obviously it was worked on very slowly, and the previous owner’s wife was sick of it in the garage. Dan just happened to be there one day, when he made an offer, and bought the Mini. “I got the previous owner to help me finish it, and it took two months. He was happy to see it finished but also unhappy it got done so quickly.
The original story is that the car was rusty in the roof and other places, so the owner started to cut the rust out, until there was not much left. This led to shortening the car and leaving it roofless. It’s completely certified and legal for the road.
This is the third time that the pair have been on the Pork Pie run; the first time was in a stretched V6 Mini, that Daniel sold – with all proceeds going to KidsCan.
They’ve had no issues with Mini Mini on the run, and although they don’t wear crash helmets, they do carry them. The car is fitted with a stock-standard 1,000cc Mini engine. Will they be back in 2027? “We always say ‘no’,” says Daniel, “and we always come back.”
While some teams are shipping their cars back, not so Mini Mini. “We’ll be driving all the way back from Invercargill,” says David. Daniel lives in Whanganui, so all the way from Paihia and back is a lot to ask of a 50-year old Mini with no roof.
DAY TWO: NATIONAL PARK TO WELLINGTON, 325km
Breakfast today saw our wedding couple back in their full wedding gear, and they have committed to wearing it every day of the run. There were also pirates, two Where’s Wallys, police uniforms, two Gerry Austins, and all manner of other get-ups. It’s fair to say that normal clothes are outnumbered by outfits for this event. I felt out of place in jeans and a tee-shirt.
The KidsCan team did an update on fundraising; incredibly, it’s sitting on $408,000. That’s four hundred and eight thousand dollars. In the times of a high cost of living for most people, that’s mind-blowing, and Kids Can are obviously very appreciative of all the different fund-raising efforts.
Post the driver’s briefing, it was a 30-minute drive to Horopito Wreckers, a.k.a Smash Palace. On the way there, more torrential rain ensued. It was not looking good for photos, and there was the potential that Smash Palace might just ‘no’ the visit and drive-through. On arriving, the rain cleared just long enough to get everything done there that needed to be done.
It didn’t look quite as bad as herding cats, but eventually all cars were lined up to drive right through the wrecker’s yard. It was a cool experience, seeing Minis new and old driving among the wrecked cars, some going back to the 1940s.
If you have not been to Smash Palace, well it’s amazing. It’s like going back in time, and now they have a very small car museum (where I was a little shocked to see an E-Type Jaguar) and there is even now a coffee cart – that is a big improvement.
One highlight of Horopito Wreckers’ yard is the yellow Mini body tucked under the boot of an AP5 Valiant. The boot isn’t moving and how I wish Colin from Horopito Wreckers would put a wiper motor or something in there to make it go up and down. But that might not count.
All Pork Pie participants seemed to enjoy driving around the yard and after two drives through, could stop wherever they wanted to, to either get photos of their car amongst the wrecks, or just walk around and check the place out.
After our drive-through, the rain started again and all teams headed south to Whanganui. This meant going over the Paraparas, and that is a Mini road if ever there was one. Not quite The Italian Job road, but a damn fine driving road. The Countryman SE revelled in these roads, with its low centre of gravity and all-wheel drive, it chewed them up and spat them out. Those who might think a MINI EV is no fun, need to drive this car. It’s still fun and has good steering feedback. There is more body roll than I expected, but I was pushing it quite hard. The EV’s instant torque out of the corners makes it easy to carve up corners smoothly.
After Whanganui, it was that boring drive all the way to Wellington, where all teams were staying for the night.
MINI PROFILE: ALEX BROCKHOFF, GENERAL MANAGER, MINI AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND
Although MINI New Zealand has sponsored the event since its inception, 2025 would be the first time that representatives from MINI would be attending.
According to the statistics, each time the Pork Pie Charity Run happens, someone on the run – and normally it’s more than one – will buy a new MINI. Perhaps it’s those classic Mini owners who, after driving through heavy rain, decide they’d like some creature comforts like aircon, heated seats, and reliable windscreen wipers.
So, the event is definitely a great way for MINI to sell more cars, but is that what it’s about for the company? Absolutely not, says Alex. “I think the main ‘why’ is that the movie from the 80s is helped make MINI what it is in New Zealand. You can compare Goodbye Pork Pie to The Italian Job, where that movie helped sales in Europe. But again, it’s much more than selling cars. The whole community feel of this event, let alone the incredible amount of money they raise for KidsCan, all that lines up with the ethos of the MINI brand. It is nothing without the people, and that’s why we support this event.
“That’s why we’ve been involved since the beginning, in 2009. It’s a great combination between the cars, the movie, and the charity.”
Alex is from Germany, so had he heard about the movie before moving to Australia? “Yes – a friend in Munich who is a Kiwi was talking about it, and we watched it together. I watched the recent remake as well, so when I got this role, I had to do this run.”
He adds, “It is about the cars too, and it’s great to see so many classic Minis on the run. I’m not sure people realise a lot of those classic Mini owners also own a modern MINI.” On talking to many on the run, this was proven time and again.
From a sponsorship point of view, MINI New Zealand loans some cars to KidsCan each year, so they can go on the rally too, and they cover the lunch on the first day. Alex is confident other opportunities to support the event will come up in the future.
DAY THREE: WELLINGTON TO KAIKOURA, 165km
A short day today, grab the Bluebridge ferry to Picton and drive to Kaikoura. An early start with check in at 6:30am, but 50 Minis managed to get there in time, with one team pulling out for medical reasons. On talking to one of the organisers, it’s rare that someone misses the ferry; they’re all aware that if they miss it, they must pay to get on another ferry, and that’s a great incentive.
Apparently one year, a Mini broke down on the way to the terminal and had to be towed there. Bluebridge won’t accept a car that can’t be driven under its own power, so it was all hands on deck and in 30 minutes, the car was running. Not well, but good enough to drive on.
Getting on to the ferry was quick and easy, and as a treat, once onboard some of us managed to wangle checking out the bridge. The captain was open and friendly, answering every question thrown at him. Since the ship was running on autopilot, he was free to walk around and show us everything.
His spotter was there too, looking out for other craft, which made us all feel a bit safer. The electronic systems are nice, but having an actual person on lookout is great, too. After a few minutes, a replacement spotter came on to the bridge and swapped out the other guy; they do 30 minutes at a time, to ensure fatigue is kept at bay. It was sort of cool when the spotter who was coming off duty went to the captain to report he had been replaced. It all felt very military.
The ship runs on diesel and uses around 7,000 litres per crossing “on a good day,” says the captain. If the weather is harsh or the captain “puts the hammer down”, that goes up to around 9,500 litres on a crossing. They can last a few weeks before needing to refill with up to 450,000 litres of diesel. That must happen in Wellington and can take a while. I did ask if he got Airpoints for that fill up, but he said his credit card doesn’t have that sort of limit.
Off the ferry, it was a simple drive down to Kaikoura for the night. A huge bonus and an uplifting moment for all teams were the people of Picton – young and old – lining the streets, waving out to all the Minis. They knew we were in town and turned out in force. Good on you, Picton.
If fact, all the way down the coast to Kaikoura, people (locals?) were parked at the sides of the road, waiting, waving and taking photos.
MINI PROFILE: AMY LANGFIELD & SHAW ELMSLY – TEAM BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ON HONEYMOON
The 2025 Pork Pie Charity Run is the actual honeymoon for newlyweds, Amy & Shaw. They got married in January this year, and decided the Pork Pie run was “as much fun as we could have as a couple,” says Amy, “this is our honeymoon.” They didn’t plan for the wedding to be in the same year as the Pork Pie Charity run, but it just worked out that way.
They own 4 Minis, a mixture of classic and modern MINIs. For 2025, they brought their 1978 Clubman Estate – a white Mini, which is quite fitting with the whole wedding theme. They were going to bring their pink, turbocharged Riley Elf ute, but it didn’t get finished in time. In two years when the next run happens, they will bring the Riley – assuming they can get on the list of participants.
On the whole, their Clubman has behaved itself so far, although the damp start the morning of the ferry meant it chugged a bit to get to the ferry – but it made it. In Paihia at the start of the run, they had no heater blower, no rear lights, and some other electrical items had gone. It turned out to be a blown fuse, overloaded by all the demands of driving in wet weather.
The 2025 run is the third for Amy, and the second for Shaw. To date for this year’s run, this team has raised over $4,000 for KidsCan. “When it came to deciding what we wanted for wedding presents, instead of asking for toasters etc we asked for donations to KidsCan,” says Shaw.
People are surprised to see them in a wedding dress and tuxedo, and they are wearing them every single day of the run. That’s commitment. Amy is quick to point out it’s not her actual wedding dress, it’s a $30 op-shop one. “We don’t normally do fancy dress,” Amy says, “but this year with the wedding only a few months ago, we thought ‘why not?’, and here we are.”
Like others on the run, they will be back in two years to do it all again, assuming they can get a spot on the list.
DAY 4: KAIKOURA TO HOKITIKA, 370km
I’ve swapped from the MINI Countryman SE (EV) to the MINI Countryman S (petrol) today. It will be interesting to compare the two models, and since both cars are doing the entire Paihia to Invercargill trip, also to compare running costs on a very long journey. One big bonus that isn’t common between EV and equivalent petrol models from other brands, is that both the EV and petrol versions of the Countryman are identical, except for badging. So no funky changes at the front to identify the car as an EV, and that’s welcome.
The hotel carpark was busy early in the morning, mainly it was due to one team having a blown head gasket. But with the right tools, knowledge and spare parts about, the team didn’t think they’d be delayed too long. The teddy bear helping to fix the car would surely get it fixed more quickly?
The sunrise in Kaikoura was stunning, but we heard at the driver’s briefing that we should expect heavy rain in Hokitika – that was hard to believe. Some teams were talking about dipping a toe in the water outside the hotel, and then doing the same in Hokitika, effectively (they claimed) they would be doing the ‘Coast to Coast’. Maybe not the same, but in name at least.
During the briefing, someone offered a single jandal as an emergency repair tool. Apparently during the previous day, they used the jandal’s twin to repair an electrical fault in their Mini. Who knew?
KidsCan did an update on fundraising, with the total now sitting on an impressive $417,000. They support 8 schools on the West Coast, where we’re heading today.
There are three route options to get to Hokitika, but most teams have chosen to go over the Lewis Pass. It’s an amazing road and has stunning scenery, so that’s just fine with me. The weather is still brilliantly fine, so we are all struggling to believe it’s going to be wet anytime soon.
Leaving Kaikoura, and it feels almost strange in the Countryman S. It’s hard to describe, but the petrol and EV versions of the Countryman are very different, but also alike. One thing I do like about the S is the engine noise; wind it out when passing other cars, and the sound is glorious. While the SE makes a fake sort of engine noise, the actual noise in the S is superb. There is also that huge bonus that the S actually gives you a sense of speed, say when passing slower traffic. In the EV version, it’s just put your foot down and rocket forward. I’m not saying that’s bad, but it’s different.
About half the convoy stopped in Reefton and basically took over the town. The main street is littered with Minis and MINIs, and participants are buying food, fuel, coffee, and souvenirs. A local comes up to me and says the town had no idea we were driving through there today, otherwise they would have got their town celebrity – Alun Bollinger – to come out and greet everyone. It turns out Alun was the cinematographer for the original Goodbye Pork Pie movie, as well as others such as Heavenly Creatures. We promise that the next time the run comes through Reefton there will be advance warning, and the teams can hopefully meet the man behind the camera.
After Reefton, it was an easy 90-minute drive to Hokitika, our location for the night. As predicted, the rain hit early and it was memories of the start in Pahia, 4 days ago – torrential rain. Tomorrow isn’t looking much better for our run through to Cromwell.
MINI PROFILE: KEVIN HOLLAMBY & PETER BJARNESON – TEAM TWO OLD FARTS
Kevin owns P Pie, which both he and Peter spent 18 months building. Why build it in the first place? “Peter and I had just completed the 2013 Pork Pie Charity Run, and a member of the public came up and asked us if there was a car like the one in the Pork Pie movie,” says Kevin. “We looked at each other and thought, why not?”
The donor car was a 1983 Mini City, in reasonably good condition. The team started deconstructing the car, including removing the doors. They then found out that LVV didn’t like that and so began a long and expensive process to have something that could be certified. “We designed doors made from glass instead, it’s very thick but it’s legal and meets the specs required. We did have to install side intrusion bars, and that actually helped as we then got arm rests and coffee cup holders attached to the bars.”
That’s all very nice, but honestly, who’s idea was the coffee machine between the seats? “We had a stop in 2013 in Reefton and went into the coffee shop, and the lady was out cold on the counter. She was asleep. We ended up giving up on our coffee that day, as the queue was so long,” says Peter. “Not too long after that, we had P Pie on display at an AMP show and the stand next to us was selling coffee machines, so we grabbed one – and it fitted. Problem solved.”
To power the coffee machine, P Pie has a 2kW inverter in behind the seats, along with a huge air tank and air compressor for the truck air horn on the roof.
And the sound bar in the back? “I’m a Temu addict,” says Kevin. “It just sort of turned up one day.” They use the sound bar to try and drown out some of the drone from the engine, at certain speeds.
P Pie runs a 1275cc Mini engine, has a 266 cam and 1.5 rocker rollers but everything else like pistons are standard. That’s a few nice mods, so it must go well? “It goes very well,” Peter answers.
You would think with no boot lid, guards, and doors – the car would weigh far less than a standard Mini but it actually weighs 30Kg more due to the extra welding and the weight of the glass doors. No doubt the inverter and coffee machine are helping with the extra weight.
It’s fair to say P Pie gets a lot of reaction from the pubic, all of it positive. Kevin says it just puts a smile on anyone’s face, even if they are too young to know the movie exists.
The car has been to the UK to join in on the 2019 International Mini Meet in Bristol, along with two other Minis from New Zealand – and around 5,000 other Minis from around the world. You would think that people from most other countries would have no idea about the movie either, but that wasn’t the case. Kevin recalls talking to a guy at the meet, who said “I’ve been waiting to see this car! I love Pork Pie.” He knew the movie to the point where the guy took his shirt off to reveal the Goodbye Pork Pie tattoo over his back. Now that’s commitment.
While they were travelling in England, people kept trying to give them donations, as they still had all the charity stickers over the car. Kevin says they tried to explain to people but, in the end, they took the donations and handed it over to a children’s charity in London before they left.
After chatting to the guys, they asked if I would like to take P Pie for a drive? With no hesitation, we were out in the parking lot. Peter says they don’t give just anyone the keys to drive the car. “It’s old, and it needs to be driven well,” he says. The gearbox is English, so there’s plenty of play between the gears, and the clutch has a very short throw. Regardless, we both get in and I fumble with the key. It had been a long time since I’ve driven a classic Mini, so was sure not used to it. Out in the streets, people were pointing and staring – this is not a car for introverts.
I struggle to find third gear a couple of times, and then do slow, deliberate changes, the gearbox obeys. While it might weigh more than a ‘normal’ Mini, the performance of P Pie is excellent, and the feeling of driving a go-kart is ever-present. You are so close to the road, that’s what it feels like, and the glass doors, only make it feel more that way.
The unboosted drum brakes are easier to use than I thought they would be, and I’ve got to say, I am grinning driving this car – it’s a blast to get behind the wheel of it. We head back to the hotel and I am hooked on this tiny little car – I can see the addictiveness of driving it.
DAY 5: HOKITIKA TO CROMWELL, 470km
The day started with the sight of a classic Mini under the portico at the hotel – apparently having an engine mount replaced. Since it was raining heavily (again), who could blame them.
I gassed the Countryman up early today, ready for our 470km run. The car showed 844km of range when full, an excellent number and not an amount I expect to be able to use before we get to Invercargill.
Our driver’s briefing today started with another update from KidsCan; the latest total fundraising amount is sitting on $430,000; a new record, and it’s not the final amount – that will be revealed at the dinner on Wednesday night.
We got told that even though the drive at Hampton Downs racetrack was cancelled because of bad weather, Highlands Park in Cromwell – the town where we are staying tonight – have said we can do some casual laps on their track at 4pm – and that got a lot of good feedback.
But it’s bucketing outside while the driver’s briefing is happening, and forecasts of a fine afternoon are met with doubt. We’ll just have to see.
On leaving, it’s an hour’s drive to Hari Hari, and around 7 hours to Cromwell. Each time the Pork Pie Charity Run takes this route, they stop in Hari Hari and visit the café there. It’s the same café that was in the movie, where the characters stopped for a cup of tea, and ended up making tea for a couple of tourists as well. The owner of the store mentions he’s been there over 30 years and has made changes but can neither confirm nor deny that the counter by the till is in exactly the same place. It looks like it is, and that’s good enough for me.
Once drivers and passengers of 50 Minis have had coffee and food, people leave at their own leisure to head to Cromwell. There’s a suggested stop at Franz Joseph for lunch, but participants can pretty much do whatever they want.
Today would be a day of mind-blowing scenery. Mile after mile, I can absolutely see why tourists are so taken with New Zealand. Especially once running along Lake Hawea (where parts of Goodbye Pork Pie were filmed – the police chase scenes), the scenery is outstanding.
We all arrive at Highlands Park at different times, but eventually 33 Mini drivers are given a briefing, and we head out to the track – following one of the Highlands Park ‘taxis’, of course.
It’s a fairly leisurely drive around the track as the taxi driver has to cater for all skill levels, so there are no timed laps – but whoever wants to turn down an opportunity to get onto any racetrack? No one.
After track time, we headed back to the hotel, and dinner. The next driver’s briefing will be the last, and already so many are saying they don’t want the trip to end at all. It’s been a blast for all, and a huge boost for KidsCan.
MINI PROFILE: CHRIS WESTLAKE AND NORMA-JEAN (NJ) LIM – TEAM MINIMACK AND THE BEARS
Chris and NJ travelled from Dargaville to Paihia to start this trip and will drive MiniMack all the way back to Dargaville, from Invercargill.
MiniMack is one Mini that gets a lot of attention. So, just what started it off? “I always wanted to have a little Mini truck, and I got the bulldog hood ornament first, then went from there,” says Chris. “I got the bulldog two years before I got the Mini ute, then went to work on it.” Chris is a truck driver by day, so a MiniMack seems pretty appropriate.
Chris started with a Mini ute and then went on with the trailer build after that. This Pork Pie run is the 4th that MiniMack has done. Chris and NJ’s Mini ute is not an original one, but a modified Mini turned into a ute. The truck airhorns on the roof work (and are pretty loud at that) but the exhaust stacks on the back are just for show – although Chris is thinking about putting some smoke bombs inside them for when they are driving through Christmas parades.
MiniMack runs a stock-standard 1275cc Mini engine; Chris says he wants reliability, and standard is the best way to make that happen, although with the strong headwinds on this Pork Pie run, they had to remove the grille at one point, as MiniMack was overheating a bit. Pulling a 360kg trailer along can tax the engine, especially when there’s a headwind.
He had to replace two gearboxes, so went to an MED racing gearbox instead, with straight-cut gears. This does mean double-clutching everywhere, but as a truck driver, this is par for the course for Chris.
The trailer has no brakes, and also no suspension. I did follow their trailer the day before and saw it bouncing along around a roundabout. He does run lower tyre pressures to try and help it along. ”In hindsight, we should have put some small airbags on the trailer,” he says.
The Mini ute weighs in at 780kg, but the car does have disc-front brakes and they are boosted. With no brakes on the trailer, does that mean he has problems going down wet hills with the trailer on? “It’s old school,” says Chris. That means driving very carefully when needed. “You are constantly monitoring the trailer,” he says, “to keep an eye on what it’s doing.” For the Pork Pie run, Chris and NJ carry spare parts and tools in the trailer – which any participant needing parts on the run very much appreciates.
The reaction from people is priceless, says Chris. “It’s all about making people smile.”
The interior is interesting; Chris has managed to adapt a Roadranger shifter (complete with a splitter) into the Mini, so it really looks the part. Of course there is also a CB radio.
When I spoke to NJ & Chris, they had raised $8,000 for KidsCan to date.
DAY 6: CROMWELL TO INVERCARGILL, 450km
It’s a full 3 degrees outside this morning, and our MINI Countryman is covered in ice. I pity those Pork Pie teams like ToyCar that are out in the elements. Still, it’s a stunning blue-sky day so no one is complaining about that.
Today’s driver’s briefing started out with an update from KidsCan, with the current fundraising total sitting on $445,000. We’re hoping to crack $450K by the end of the day.
Another fundraising effort by some of the ladies in the different teams, is a car wash while wearing bikinis (the ladies are wearing the bikinis). This has apparently become a bit of a tradition, with a donation paid by the teams getting their cars washed, at the Invercargill hotel. Men are reminded that while their cars are being washed, to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times; this statement was met with much laughter.
Each day, people are told where they can buy 98 fuel, and those with local knowledge chip in with updates. At the end of the driver’s briefing, we are told, “take your bloody car to Invercargill”. I expect this is also a tradition on the last day, and it’s a welcome one.
On leaving the hotel, the temperature has dropped down to 2 degrees, and I’ll admit to having the heated steering wheel and heated seats on in my Countryman. I’d like to suffer with the others, but I didn’t.
It’s a 450km drive to Invercargill today, with our first official stop at the Octagon, in Dunedin. There, we will park all the Minis we can, and the public can come take a look, and ask questions.
It’s a stunning drive through to Dunedin, with teams all taking different routes. I love the road through Lauder, and the corners after that. The Countryman eats up the long sweepers, and I find you can really push this car through the bends, and the all-wheel drive system is perfect for this road.
At the Octagon, many Minis and MINIs park up and tour buses arrive to drop off visitors to Dunedin, and naturally they all see the cars and come to see what’s going on. At one point, a Mini arrives with a broken windscreen, and so our teddy bear (Chris from Team MiniMack) is back on the job, replacing it. A local Mini fanatic has a spare one at home, so it’s quick work to get the old one replaced. It’s that sort of camaraderie that has really shone through on this entire event.
From the Octagon, I head up into the hills of Dunedin to find the house and garage from the movie, where Blondini drove into with the pushbike on the roof, and it gets ripped off. Other stuff in the movie happens here too, so it’s a worthy photo location and just five minutes from the Octagon.
From Dunedin, it’s an easy drive to Dunedin down SH1 and to Invercargill. Most teams stop at the sign on the north side of town, for an obligatory photo:
Sadly, there’s only a few more events and things to do before the day ends. The first is a group photo at the hotel, and while many are still missing, the herding of cats gets most teams in one place for a photo.
The last thing is a dinner and awards evening, hosted by the How-To-Dad guy, Jordan Watson. We get chatting to the others at our table, and find out two of the teams sitting with us both entered first, and then when they got their entry approved, went out and bought Minis, since they didn’t actually own one. To their credit, both teams bought Classic Minis.
The awards get called out, one couple (who were both Where’s Wally earlier in the week) win the award for best outfits, since they were dressed as different characters every day of the week. That’s a tough act to follow, but one of the most impressive awards is for the team that’s raised the highest amount – $43,000. Incredible.
The spokesperson for KidsCan declares that at the end of today, the total amount raised is $450,608.
MINI PROFILE: MARY & ALLAN BULL – TEAM MINIBULL
Mary & Allan are one of only two teams who have done every Pork Pie Charity Run, since 2009. What’s their secret of getting a golden ticket to attend? “You just gotta be quick,” says Allan.
What keeps them coming back, every two years? “Well, a good start is that he loves his Minis,” Mary says. “If I own a Mini, why don’t I use it as much as I can?” Allan adds. “And really, the Pork Pie Charity Run is a good excuse to use the car. Not only that, but we’ve met friends here who have now become lifelong friends.”
Their Mini isn’t the same one they’ve used for every run, since they have “3 or 4” Minis at home.
Like they are mandated to do, Allan and Mary have been raising money for KidsCan, but are surprised at just how generous everyone has been. “We thought it was going to be a lot harder this year, with the recession, but we’ve managed to raise $10,000,” Mary says.
“Our worst experience was breaking down in Hunterville once, but we did manage to keep going and caught up again,” adds Allan. “Another year, they had overheating problems, so instead of wasting time trying to fix it, it was faster to go home and grab another Mini to do the run in.”
So, will they be back in 2027? “If I still have my license,” Allan says. “We weren’t going to do this one, and yet here we are.” Why are they back? Basically, peer pressure. “We got told by too many people, ‘don’t you dare not come’.” It doesn’t sound like it took too much convincing.
2025 PORK PIE CHARITY RUN: KIDSCAN CEO & FOUNDER, DAME JULIE CHAPMAN
For a charity founded in 2005 and run from Julie’s garage, KidsCan has gone from tiny to titanic. This charity is all about supplying, food, jackets and shoes to kids who don’t have them, and this is specifically why the Pork Pie Charity Run happens every two years.
KidsCan now supports 1,100 schools and Early Childhood Centres in New Zealand, and money raised from this run will directly go to support children who need support.
“It’s very easy to work out the impact of the Pork Pie Charity Run,” says Julie. “For example, it costs us $2.20 to supply a healthy lunch to a child under 5 that needs it, so $450,000 raised means around 202,000 lunches. It’s an incredible achievement.”
The Pork Pie Charity Run is KidsCan’s second biggest fundraiser, but not by fair. Julie suggests that by the time the donations officially close off at the end of April, the Pork Pie Charity Run could become their biggest fundraising event, in dollar terms.
This year is the sixth time that KidsCan have been the recipient of money raised from this event. “It’s one of the best events that we have ever been involved with,” says Julie. “The KidsCan team absolutely love it, love being involved with it. It’s so well run, and the camaraderie built up over the week is amazing – let alone the money raised for children.”
At over $450,000 raised on the Pork Pie Charity Run for 2025, that is a “significant” amount raised for KidsCan, says Julie. There is only one other fundraising event she can think of that raises more, however once the final numbers for the Pork Pie run come in, it may well come out on top as the biggest fundraiser for the charity.
2025 PORK PIE CHARITY RUN: RETURN TO DUNEDIN
Post all the hype, it was time to head back to Dunedin to return the petrol and EV MINI Countrymans. One thing that hit home today was the roads in the South Island; they are so much better than those in the North Island, by a huge margin. Potholes are almost non-existent, and the general condition of the roads is superb.
Helping this is the lack of traffic. At one point today, the Countryman’s SatNav sent me off SH1 onto some decent side roads, and I saw 3 cars in twenty minutes. That side road had some incredible corners, and the petrol-powered Countryman ate them up, and it was fun. The steering provides good feedback to the driver, and the car’s grip is excellent.
It’s a close call, but I think the petrol Countryman handles better than the EV version. The EV version, with its low-down weight of the battery pack, should handle better, but I felt more confident pushing the petrol Countryman harder on those tasty roads. This was definitely one place where the all-wheel drive system helped for traction out of the bends, but both the EV and petrol version are all-wheel drive.
On those backroads, I did use the MINI’s ‘experiences’ – or drive modes. I switched the car to Go Kart mode, and the change in responsiveness of the gearbox was a lot of help when accelerating out of bends. The MINI’s dual-clutch automatic is good most of the time, but it does still have some lag at times, especially at low speeds when accelerating away from a stop. I found this same issue when I tested the BMW 120 M Sport recently.
After 2,900km of driving from the (almost) top of the north to the (almost) bottom of the south, how did the EV go in costs, against the petrol car? The petrol Countryman averaged 7.0L/100km, which is excellent for a 2.0-litre, turbocharged car, and it averaged 725km per tank of gas. The EV averaged 19.4kWh/100km, which is very average, if a little high.
In regard to the costs of running both cars, the petrol Countryman used $387 of fuel, while the EV Countryman used $382 of electricity. That’s pretty damn close. Add in Road User Charges (RUCs) of $228, and the EV cost $610 to do the same trip as the petrol car. That’s not the only factor to consider; we had to charge the EV 16 times, compared to 4 fill-ups of fuel for the petrol Countryman.
However, we’ve said it many times before; charging your EV at home is far more cost-effective than a petrol car, even allowing for RUCs. It’s when you are away from home that they cost more to run.
2025 PORK PIE CHARITY RUN: THIS ONE COUNTED
At the last driver’s briefing, everyone was told about post-Pork Pie withdrawal that all would go through – we would wake up and realise it was all over for another two years.
This event was everything I thought it would be, and so much more. I thought perhaps at best they might raise $100K for KidsCan. The total of over $450,000 is outstanding in these days of high costs of living.
There’s also the friendships made, and the absolute sense of camaraderie that shone through all day, every single day. I can appreciate why those teams that didn’t even own a Mini just wanted to go on the event. Long story short: add the Pork Pie Charity Run to your Bucket List.
