The rally will be held over three days (13 – 15 April 2007) and uses well known forestry and public road stages to the south of Dunedin. There will be 15 stages with a total competitive distance of approx 248km
The event kicks off on Friday the 13th of April with reconnaissance in the morning and at night, the now familiar rally show and demonstration runs around the Forbury Park Trotting Track. Every competitor will be given the chance to take part in the Friday night demonstration.
The rally itself commences on Saturday morning with the start outside the Scenic Circle Southern Cross hotel in central Dunedin. Then it’s off to the very popular Whare Flat (13km) stage on the outskirts of Dunedin – run in the same direction as 2006 with a couple of tricky fords near the finish.
Mclaren Gully (15km) greets the drivers next. This stage has been made famous by several competitors over the last few years who have fallen off at the infamous “Joes Corner”.
McIntosh Road (8km) with its “big dip” is before the first service at Waihola. After service a new configuration of the Berwick (44km) stage will be followed by Waipori Gorge (13km) running in reverse (downhill) from the 2006 version.
After the second service of the day it’s off to Corkscrew Road (16km) and Breakneck Road (20km). These public road stages haven’t been used for the past few years but are of such magnificent quality we just had to bring them back for the 2007 edition.
After the final service it’s off to the 2km Tarmac Super Special stage to conclude the first day of the Otago Rally Festival.
Sunday’s stages start off with the ever popular Kuri Bush (15km) with its demanding and never-ending series of brows and then heads south along the coast for a 30km blast through the Akatore Coast Forest (Akatore 1) before service at Waihola.
Fort Hill – Berwick (27km) starts off in the Berwick forest and uses last year’s Fort Hill in reverse, followed by Akatore West (14km), a new stage for 2007 that will test both car and driver. After service crews tackle Taieri Beach (10km) and another 30km blast through the Akatore Coast Forest (Akatore 2), the last of the forest stages before the competitors contest the final Forbury Park Super Special stage.
As has been the case in recent years, the rally prizegiving and dinner will be held in the Dunedin Town Hall where over 500 people are expected to attend for a great finish to the event.
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