NZ Silver Fern Rally — FAQs

The NZ Silver Fern Rally is a seven-day, multi-venue marathon gravel rally widely regarded as “The World’s Best Marathon Gravel Rally”. It combines long special stages on closed gravel roads with touring (liaison) sections between stages and overnight towns.

Run biennially, it attracts 60–100 entrants from around the globe who share a passion for classic rallying, modern 2WD and 4WD competition, and precision time-trialling on some of New Zealand’s most iconic rally roads.

The 2026 edition runs from 27 November – 4 December 2026, based in the North Island of New Zealand.

Key locations:

• Rotorua — Documentation on Friday 27 November, start and finish town.
• Bay of Plenty — Scenic, iconic gravel stages on Day 1.
• Gisborne — First city to see the sun; overnight and surrounding stages.
• Napier — Classic East Coast gravel stages en route south.
• Palmerston North — Central North Island stages and service.
• Ohakune — Ski town stopover via famous historic rally stages.

The final day returns competitors to Rotorua for the finish and prize-giving.

In simple terms, the Silver Fern Rally is a true endurance event:

• Special Stages: approximately 1054.1 km (about 632.5 miles).
• Touring: approximately 1648.74 km (about 989.1 miles).

Expect early starts, long days in the car, and a packed schedule of touring, rallying, fuelling, and servicing — all while taking in constantly changing scenery and road character.

The NZ Silver Fern Rally offers four main ways to take part:

Full class and eligibility details are confirmed in the Event Regulations for each edition.

The Historic Competition is what the NZ Silver Fern Rally was created for: pre-1985 rally cars on New Zealand’s great gravel roads. Think Ford Escorts, Toyota AE85s and Starlets, Mazda RX-2/RX-7, Toyota Corollas, Mitsubishi Lancers and Starions, BMW E30s, Porsche 911s and more — even a Lancia Stratos has featured.

Key eligibility points:

• Vehicle must have been in production before 1985.
• Must comply with FIA Historic regulations or hold a Motorsport New Zealand Certificate of Description (CoD) (or equivalent documentation).

The Historic Competition is divided into four sub-classes (true CC capacity, 1.5mm overbore allowance; forced induction x1.7, rotary x1.8):

• Class A: Up to 1300cc
• Class B: 1301–1600cc
• Class C: 1601–2000cc
• Class D: Over 2001cc

The winner of the Historic Competition is recognised as the overall rally winner.

The Challenge Trophy is for modern 2WD rally cars. It mirrors the route and format of the Historic Competition, but allows you to benefit from modern reliability, safety and parts availability.

In many cases, it is now more cost-effective to build a modern 2WD rally car than to construct a pre-1985 car to CoD standard.

Sub-classes (true CC capacity, 1.5mm overbore; forced induction x1.7, rotary x1.8):

• Class E: Up to 1300cc
• Class F: 1301–1600cc
• Class G: 1601–2000cc
• Class H: Over 2001cc

As with Historic, the class runs within the main event and shares the same camaraderie, support and epic gravel roads.

The Classic 4WD class, introduced in 2022 and growing strongly by 2024, is for pre-1996 four-wheel-drive rally cars. It brings the early era of 4WD rallying to New Zealand’s iconic gravel stages.

Key points:

• Eligible cars are pre-1996 4WD models (e.g. Audi, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Toyota, etc.).
• No modern, fire-breathing WRC cars — the focus is on earlier generation machinery.
• Only one class: Pre-1996 4WD.
• Forced induction vehicles must run a 36mm restrictor.

On stage, the Classic 4WD experience is identical to the Historic Competition — just with all four wheels pulling you along.

The Silver Fern Time-Trial is billed as “The World’s Longest Precision Driving Test”. Rather than outright speed, you aim to match a specified stage time based on an average speed.

Key features:

• Vehicles start at one-minute intervals.
• Speed is monitored via the RallySafe GPS system, with a maximum speed of 130kph on stage.
• Runs on the same great gravel stages, but at a more controlled pace.

It offers outstanding bang-for-buck and is ideal for those wanting the full seven-day, 1000km marathon experience without building a full-spec competition car. Some vehicle preparation and safety gear is still required.

Final requirements are confirmed in the Event Regulations, but as a guide:

Competition classes (Historic, Challenge Trophy, Classic 4WD) typically require:

• Certified roll cage
• FIA seats and FIA belts
• Fire extinguisher
• 2 x safety triangles
• First aid kit
• Window breakers / belt cutters
• RallySafe wiring kit and installation
• Tow rope

Time-Trial entries generally require:

• Fire extinguisher
• Safety triangle
• First aid kit
• Window breakers / belt cutters
• RallySafe wiring kit and installation
• Tow rope
• Helmets for driver and co-driver

A strongly recommended item for all divisions is a quality intercom unit.

For Competition classes, you should expect to require:

• FIA fire retardant race suit
• Fire retardant underwear and balaclava
• Fire retardant race boots
• Helmet with head restraint posts
• HANS device (or similar approved head restraint)
• Driver: fire retardant gloves

Exact standards and whether some or all of this is required for Time-Trial entries will be clarified in the published regulations for the event.

Days start bright and early — usually with the sun coming up as you fuel yourself, check the car, and review the road book. Then it’s off to the start line for a full day of:

• Touring between stages
• Special stages on closed gravel roads
• Service stops for fuel, tyres and checks
• Banter with fellow competitors and crews

After the final stage, you’ll typically visit a community car wash, then head to Parc Fermé. If your service crew hasn’t already dealt with repairs, you’ll address them there, prep the car for the next day, and plan notes and communication with your co-driver.

Evenings are generally free of formal functions on most competition nights, giving you time to maintain the car, review stages, or share a meal and a yarn with others.

A dedicated service crew is strongly recommended for Competition entries, and very helpful for Time-Trial entrants over a seven-day marathon.

One of the defining features of the NZ Silver Fern Rally is the supportive community. Competitors and crews regularly help each other with:

• Practical advice and stage tips
• Spare parts or tools where available
• Encouraging words and camaraderie in service areas

It’s a rally where collaboration and passion for the sport sit alongside competition.

Yes — many entrants are stepping up to their first week-long gravel marathon. The key is choosing the right division and preparing properly.

The Time-Trial and Challenge Trophy are popular with first-timers looking for strong value and modern reliability, while those with period-correct cars naturally gravitate to the Historic Competition.

Remember, this is a full seven-day, 1000km+ challenge. A car straight off the lot is unlikely to enjoy it — a level of preparation is essential to ensure your “shopping-cart” doesn’t fall apart along the way.

Absolutely. Volunteers are a vital part of delivering “The World’s Best Marathon Gravel Rally”. If you are interested in roles such as marshalling, timekeeping, service park support or general event assistance, we’d love to hear from you.

Please get in touch via the contact details below and let us know your background, availability and any relevant experience.

If you’re interested in the NZ Silver Fern Rally, want to enter, or have questions about classes, eligibility, volunteering or logistics, please contact the Ultimate Rally Group:

• Email: [email protected]
• NZ Freephone: 0800 827427
• International: +64 9 298 8322

The team will be happy to discuss the best way for you to be part of “The World’s Best Marathon Gravel Rally”.