The celebrated Silver Fern Rally New Zealand will again combine the Land of the Long White Cloud and its magical attractions, with the best global gravel roads, to make it 'rally heaven, and for 2026 it is moving back to the North Island and the Bay of Plenty Region around Rotorua, and beyond, for seven days and 2700 kms, including 43 special stages, a genuine rally endurance adventure. 

The area is renowned for its challenging and scenic rally roads, including the infamous Motu Road Stage which was indelibly stamped into rally folklore by 1995 World Rally Champion Colin McRae as he obliterated the opposition in 1993 to go on to take his first ever World Rally Championship win. McRae won the WRC NZ three times as motorsport celebrates 30 years since he took the world title. 

From the World Rally Championship to the Ultimate Rally Group's Targa Rotorua and Rally Rotorua when it was part of the Asia Pacific Championship, the roads are blessed by the rally gods as they provide an absolute rally challenge over the finest variety of gravel special stages anywhere in the world. Set in in the green hills and forests of the North Island, sometimes with lush tropical vegetation as the backdrop, this is the challenging rally territory where teams entered for Silver Fern 2026 will be following in the wheel tracks of Colin and Alistair McRae, Carlos Sainz, Possum Bourne and Hayden Paddon. It's not just the special stages that pack a punch, the region is as high octane as the fuel in the rally cars with its adrenalin filled white water rafting and high wire skylinezips. 

The rally start and finish city of Rotorua, is set on its namesake crystal clear lake on New Zealand's North Island, renowned for its geothermal activity and M?ori culture. There are bubbling mud pools and the 30m-tall Pohutu Geyser, which erupts many times daily. The area boasts green mountains, the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, the Redwoods and Whakarewarewa Forest, all in thriving native bushlands. There will be an official test and shakedown for the Silver Fern Rally, then documentation on Friday 27th November. Following the Saturday ceremonial start the rally will head into the classic stages of the Bay of Plenty area and overnight in Rotorua. On Sunday 29th the rally will move to Gisborne, the first town in New Zealand to see the sun each day, and overnight there after plenty of special stage action. 

Napier, another classic rally area is next before crews will roar over Monday's stages, the best roads the east coast has to offer, then return to Gisborne for a second overnight. On Tuesday 1st December the rally turns south to some fabulous special stages following a path to Palmerston North for the night. The next day, in keeping with the great central gravel roads of New Zealand, the rally competitors will be able to savour some great special stages from the past on the way to the overnight halt at the Ski Town of Ohakune. The final day, Friday 4th December may well prove to be the sting in the tail as teams encounter the last special stages which organisers promise will maintain the challenge of the 'World's Best Marathan Gravel Rally,' before the finish and prize giving back in Rotorua. 

James Ford (GB) and Neil Shanks (GB) have won the last two Silver Fern Rallies in their Ford Escort RS1800 but were pushed hard towards the end of the 2024 rally by the Escort of New Zealand crew Robbie and Amy Stokes. The British crews of Robert Gough and Jez Rogers enjoyed a great battle 12,000 miles from England with fellow UK neighbours and farmers from just 20 miles away at home, Roger Chilman Junior and Patrick Walsh, both in RS 1800 Ford Escorts. Gough got the verdict for the final podium position ahead of Chilman Jnr with Austrian Kris Rosenberger and German Nicola Janushke-Bleicher fifth in their Porsche 911.A truly great 2024 international entry included the first visit by a rally Lancia Stratos to New Zealand shores. Piloted by racer Philip Kadoorie with Ryan Champion in the hot seat, the duo rolled the wedge shaped 70s supercar before half distance. 

Demonstrating that the Silver Fern version of 'SuperRally' works well, they were repaired and rejoined the rally to finish an excellent 17th overall in the Historics. Once the stage had cleared, but before the team trailer even arrived, the chase service crew were quickly with the inverted rally machine changing the struts whilst it was still upside down! Ultimate Rally Group Managing Director Peter Martin commented; "We enjoyed having Antipodean crews here together with top European teams in 2024 such as Tuthill Porsche, Viking Motorsport, Dansport and Wales Motorsport who added real depth to make it a such a high-quality international entry.

 

We have already received a healthy number of 'Expressions of Interest,' but with the announcement of the return to the North Island and historic rally stages from the WRC and Asia Pacific, we anticipate high interest from around the world. I urge 'would be' entrants to visit our new Silver Fern Rally website and register their expressions of interest as soon as possible - November 2026 will come round quickly!” Ends For further information please contact the Ultimate Rally Group: info@urg.co.nz +64 92988322 For the Silver Fern Rally website please click on the link below: https://www.silverfernrally.co.nz/ For rights free pictures please click the link below and if used, kindly credit Jeff Ridder.