Citroens from Australia and Europe will visit Whanganui on New Zealand 'raid'

Citroens at Uluru (Ayers Rock) during the 2016 Australian rally. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

A group of well-travelled Citroen cars - and their owners - will be visiting Whanganui in March.

The 17 Citroens from Australia and Europe will be carrying out a 37-day, 6500km-long "raid" in New Zealand in February and March, arriving in Whanganui on the evening of March 11.

Organiser David Rogers said "raid" is the name Citroen gave in the 1970s to the rallies it organised. Hundreds of Citroen owners would take their cars for a trek across Europe, Africa or Asia.

"Raids are still held in Europe," Mr Rogers said. "We hold one in Australia every four years; but this year we've decided to hold our first one in New Zealand."

The cars on the raid are mostly 600cc Citroen 2CVs - a car Mr Rogers described as "a motorbike engine on four wheels". Citroen began making them in 1943, and production finished in 1990.

"They are very tough little cars. They will go anywhere a 4-wheel drive will go, except deep water."

The cars will arrive by sea in Lyttelton, and from there the raid will take a circuitous journey to Auckland.

"We'll be visiting all the tourist hot spots, but let's just say we're taking the back route," Mr Rogers said.

For example, the raid will leave Masterton to travel to Whanganui - and will make the trip via Castlepoint.

The group will stay at the Whanganui Top 10 holiday park. From Whanganui they'll travel to National Park, where they'll spend several days.

For more information about the raid, visit the website.