New Zealand has to be one of the most picturesque places on planet Earth. It’s got everything. It’s the place that brought Tolkein’s ring thing to life.
But more than that, at least as far as we’re concerned, it’s a place with unbelievable roads and stunning backdrops. I know we’re more than a week down the road since the World Rally Championship departed Auckland, but there’s still time for this.
Being so photogenic, as you can imagine it’s a land that’s loved by photographers.
Ross Hyde – Roscoe – has grown up looking down the lens at rally cars in this stunning nation in the South Pacific.
Being the diamond that he is, Roscoe agreed to take us on a tour of Rally New Zealand through his own eyes.
“I photographed my first rally when I was 18,” he said. “The only thing I knew about it was that I needed a map. But after that rally I was hooked, and the passion for rallying and capturing these cars and their drivers has not dimmed.
“The New Zealand national championship in the 1970s and ’80s was quite strong and a great place to learn. It was exhilarating to shoot a rally, drive home with one’s bag of exposed films, so exciting pulling them out of the canister and seeing your successes and, of course, your failures.”
One of his earlier visits to Rally New Zealand came in 1979, when he landed this stunning shot of Hannu Mikkola’s Ford Escort RS1800.
“This was taken south of Te Kuiti,” said Hyde. “I was up a tree. Even in my reckless youth, I realized that there wasn’t much space on the side of the road. This was my first rally using the medium format Mamiya 645. The tube-like appearance of the lights is caused by rear curtain synchronization of the flash unit.”
For Hyde, there’s way more to the job than pushing the button – preparation and location are vital.
“In the mid-’80s I began using helicopters to follow rallies,” he said. “This was the start of driving over the stages to find the best photo locations, and since then I have photo recced every rally I have done.
“I love the detailed work of driving the stages to find the right location. The ultimate is to find a location that gives dynamic rally action within a beautiful landscape. Rallies are run in some of the most picturesque places on earth and incorporating the landscape into the image is always something I strive to do.”
Using a helicopter to chase a rally usually means you’re never far from being in the right place at the right time.
“We were following Hannu Mikkola in a helicopter when he rolled on the Manawahe Road stage,” said Hyde. “We landed just behind the Audi mechanics’ helicopter. Mikkola, [Audi technical director] Roland Gumpert and the mechanics were trying to put an engine fire out.
“The car went on to finish the rally and, if I am correct in remembering, the car stayed in New Zealand and was purchased by Malcolm Stewart and then later Brian Green.”
Ask Roscoe the inevitable question about his favorite picture and he’s stumped.
“People ask me that a lot,” he said. “I always say there is no best image. You can always improve, hone your photographic skills and develop your style.
“But, you also need to bear in mind that there is often a certain amount of luck involved with the light and the weather, that kind of thing.
“Having said that, it is the search to find that elusive best image that still drives me.”
In place of a favourite, he did come up with a picture that shouted Rally New Zealand.
“This one,” he said, “really says NZ to me. It’s taken at the iconic Swamp Road bridge jump, with the crowd, the NZ flag, the toi tois (New Zealand grass) in the background and the photographers, of course. This was Mikko Hirvonen in the Citroën in 2012.”
There’s plenty more photos in Roscoe’s archive spanning decades of Rally New Zealand history. For us, he’s picked out the best of the bunch. Sit back, swipe away and admire one of the world’s most picturesque rallies through his lens below.
1992: Ross Dunkerton on the Opupata Rd stage. This stage always provided great light with Mount Pirongia in the background.
2007: Mikko Hirvonen. Another iconic image of rallying in NZ and the lovely Waikato countryside.
1984: Markku Alén driving the beautiful Lancia 037 on the Manawhae stage. In the image you can see the tight, precise line Alén is taking compared to the other lines which were probably made by an Audi Quattro A2.
1995: Juha Kankkunen’s face of concentration and his Toyota Celica GT-Four are illuminated by the low, setting sun.
2007: Federico Villagra driving for the unusually named Munchi’s World Rally Team. He finished 11th, but sure looked good driving through the cabbage trees on Te Akau.
1993: Carlos Saniz and Luis Moya kicking up the dust on a dry 1993 event. Rothmans and Marlboro… remember those days?
1980: Hannu Mikkola in the Mercedes 500 SLC. It was fascinating to see these huge cars being thrown around the roads of the South Island. I stood at scrutineering staring at the biggest rally cars I had ever seen, and wondered how they were going to perform on our roads. Mikkola certainly looks like he has taken a tight apex on this corner.
1984: Björn Waldegård looking over the shoulders of his mechanics. This is a roadside service, something that no longer exists in rallying these days. Roadside servicing is much missed by some of the older aficionados of rallying, but a change in regulations put paid to this. Centralized service makes more sense to rally organisers and the manufactures’ demands… but it has diluted the sense of adventure.
2000: François Delecour’s Peugeot 206 WRC on the famous Whaanga Coast road – but run in the opposite direction. It was only run this way a few times.
2007: Whaanga Coast Road the right way around with Henning Solberg. This is a great location that’s been photographed to within an inch of its life. It’s hard to beat it...
1980: Fiat sent one Fiat Abarth 131 for Walter Röhrl to battle against Mercedes' four-car entry. Röhrl finished second. Which Merc won? Er, none of them. Timo Salonen scored his second career WRC win and his first in a Datsun 160J.
2004: Marcus Grönholm rolled his Peugeot 307WRC coming off the Hella bridge. The car was quickly righted by spectators and he continued. Timo Rautiainen’s not letting go of those pace notes!
1991: Parc fermé. Rotorua Travelodge. The sunrise, the lake and geothermal activity all add to this picture. You can almost smell the hydrogen sulphide.
2002: World champion Richard Burns on the Te Papatapu Road stage.
2012: Nice cut from Jari-Matti Latvala in the Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
1980: Paul Adams and Jim Scott in the NZ GM Dealer Team Vauxhall Chevette. I like the way this image shows distinctive Dunlop A2 tire tread.
1980: Ingvar Carlsson could teach Latvala a thing or two about cutting a corner. The Mercedes-Benz 280 CE is seriously shortening this corner on the final stage of leg one on the outskirts of Nelson. I couldn’t see the cars coming into the corner from this position – he gave me one heck of a fright!
1978: I think this one’s 1978… it’s Jim Donald and Kevin Lancaster in ol’ HP780. The Masport Ford Escort Team produced really good cars. In reality they were a semi-works team. This was my first attempt at remote flash, using a triggering device that picked up the flash from my on-camera unit.
1995: Hard-chargers Colin McRae and Derek Ringer head towards a third successive Rally New Zealand win in their Subaru Impreza 555. Not sure how comfortable the spectator is in the top-left – but at least his mate’s enjoying his apple.
2001: Didier Auriol’s Peugeot 206 WRC in Maramarua forest.
1988: Opel’s service area shot with Widelux camera.
1985: “I don’t think we'll bother with the jacks tonight, Ivan…” The works Lada team certainly approached service with a policy of lateral thinking. Looks like a gearbox change.
1997: The great Possum Bourne takes flight with Craig Vincent.
1988: An unexpected maiden WRC win for Sepp Haider in the little Opel. This was a wet day in the Manawahe stage.
2012: Petter Solberg warms himself and his factory Ford Fiesta RS WRC up at shakedown a decade ago.
1977: This was my second year of taking pictures and this negative is definitely showing its age. It’s 45 this year! Simo Lampinen’s enjoying the Maramarua sunshine on the final day of a week-long Rally New Zealand.
