Street Rod Nationals a hit in Gisborne city centre; polo teams compete

By Chris Taewa

Gisborne Herald·

20 Jan, 2025 01:32 AM2 mins to read

This stunning 1951 Studebaker Starlite Coupe drew plenty of interest at the Street Rods Nationals Show N Shine on Saturday. Cars were crammed into the block between Grey St and Palmerston Rd and the public turned out in big numbers to admire the vehicles and talk with their passionate owners.

Horsepower of the four-legged and four-wheeled kind was on display in Gisborne over the weekend.

The 2025 Street Rod Nationals Show N Shine event in the centre of town proved a huge hit as large numbers of the public took the chance to get up close and personal with well over 200 superbly presented machines.

There was no missing this bright orange 1939 Plymouth coupe in front of the Gear Meat Pie Shop.

Those involved in the nationals took the time to show off their cars at their finest before heading back to Showgrounds Park for activities that included a “grasskhana” and games.

Gisborne was a hive of street rod activity over the weekend before the visiting participants headed home following a Surf Rod and Custom Club-hosted breakfast on Monday morning.

This metallic olive 1955 Buick Super Riviera impressed the many who headed to the city centre on Saturday to check out the Show N Shine event as part of the Street Rod Nationals held in Gisborne.

Not far out of town, the thunder of hooves could be heard as 10 polo teams converged on the Bushmere grounds for the annual Poverty Bay Polo Open.

Eight of the teams were in the Wilencote 0-goal section while two teams contested the Eastland Vets six-goal division.

It's a stick-up and a sword fight in a Poverty Bay Polo Open six-goal game between Hawke's Bay A and Poverty Bay Harvest Transport. From left are Poverty Bay's Scott McNeil, Hawke's Bay's Harrison Patrick and PB's Cody Clark. Hawke's Bay won Sunday's final 8-7. Photo / Paul Rickard

The beach side of the city was also busy as rising surf lifesaving stars competed in the Gisborne junior championships aT Midway Beach while down the road at the Sound Shell, a variety of acts, including ever-popular roots reggae band Katchafire, had the crowd pumping at the fourth annual Summer Frequencies concert.