Each year the New Zealand Rocketry Association hold their annual launch day near Taupiri in the North Island of New Zealand. The event is hosted by Arthur Allan Thomas, on his farm - and he's a real nice old chap too...

A number of the Auckland contingent of the MR2 club have rocketed on down there on occasion, and if anything is certain it's that the day is guaranteed to be a blast!

But don't just take my word for it, check out what the NZ Herald had to say about it in this article about a New Zealand altitude record attempt witnessed by a number of the MR2OCNZ.

For a real good idea of what the rockets are all about, check out their videos featured here on the NZRA site.

The drive down is awesome too, taking in some prime Hunua twisties including the legendary Hunua and Ponga roads. Check out the map of the route - and this video to get a taste:

A tiki-tour of the Hunuas on the way there guarantees fun for everyone.  Brilliant roads!

But once we get to the launch-pad the fun factor steps up yet another peg.  In fact, you could say things "really take off".

The kids can have a go at building their own pint-sized rockets:

Or you can leave it to the pros:

Some of them are even bigger:

and no, that's not a Photoshop trick

just a BIG rocket

Of course, sometimes things don't go exactly as planned...

...but it's always guaranteed to be a BLAST!

'ang on a mo, what the...?

Is it a bird...?

Is it a plane...?

No, it's an MR2..

MR2 = Midship Rocket 2 seater...?

#8^)'

Here's the NZ Rocketry Association's own video of the 2010 Rocket day:

Well worth a watch - some out of control rockets, and about 1/2 way through you get a view of Phil Vukovich's two-stage sugar rush rocket, which I think decided it was going to beat him home to Auckland... (the 2nd stage seemed to ignite a bit late by which time it had tipped over a tad in the general direction of the Big Smoke  =)

But man did it go!

See you on the next one.

mu ha ha...!