Sydney Australia is still a long ways from New Zealand, but having lived for
twenty years in NZ and also being aware of the events taking place there
this month, maybe a few words about what is happening down there might be
helpful to friends of Dick Buckingham.
If you go to the website www.dunedin-tourism.co.nz/sfos/ you will see a
description of the four-week/four-event "Southern Festival of Speed" that
Dick was taking part in. Sitting next to me as I type this is a copy of the
race programme from the first of those four events held 31 Jan/01 Feb at
Ruapuna Park Raceway which is in Christchurch. In it I see Dick's entry with
a 1967 Brabham BT21C. The programme was brought back to me by a competitor
from here who had been to that event. Evidentally it rained the whole
weekend.
Here I get confused, because the reason this fellow came back was that the
second event, which was to be held at Timaru (Levels Raceway) had been
cancelled, but that appears from the notes to be when Dick had his accident.
It does seem to tie in with the notes in that Timaru is a couple of hours
drive south from Christchurch.
Christchurch's hospital is a well-equpped teaching hospital where I feel
confident the facilities and staff would be of high quality and the
sentiments expressed in the earlier notes about staying there seems sensible
to me.
The friend I mentioned who is also competing is flying back to NZ as I write
this and I have left a message on his mobile to call me if he had any
"first-hand" information.
Wes Dayton (FOT)
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