In April of 2023, something historic occurred. Nestled deep in Northland’s Waitangi was the starting line for the inaugural Cruz’n the Bayz, a 3-day classic car event that drew gearheads from all over the country. It saw an enormous amount of success, with vintage vehicles, muscle cars, and novelty four-wheelers rumbling through towns all over Northland to the delight and excitement of their residents.
With such success, the event took place again in 2024, and now we’re looking ahead to Cruz’n the Bayz 2025. Whether you’ve had the pleasure of attending one of these events before or discovered this haven for car lovers, you’re in the right place. Read on as we break down what to expect from the 2025 event, some tips for any participants or spectators, and a few highlights to prepare yourself for on the day.
What to Expect from Cruz’n the Bayz 2025
Cruz’n the Bayz is known for having a packed itinerary, cramming events around classic cars, bikes, entertainment, and great food into three amazing days. Not only that, but not everything takes place in a single place. Staying true to the vision of organiser Roz Adams, the retinue of vehicles hums through plenty of towns off the beaten track to let those engines tear their way across the country on some rural roads.
For 2025, the route will echo the 2024 route. Starting from Waitangi, the cars will rumble through Kaikohe, Kawakawa, Moerewa, Ōpua, Paihia, Whangaroa, Kāeo, Kerikeri and Russell. This is the ultimate Bay of Islands tour, offering participants and spectators alike the chance to get amongst with some like-minded petrolheads and admire anything and everything that goes vroom.
For 2025, the event will run from Thursday the 27th of February at 5pm all the way to Sunday the 2nd of March at 5pm. Let’s break down some of the most popular events that can be expected.
Highlighting the Popular Events
Per the organisers, here are some of the highlighted events participants and spectators can jump into:
• Meet and Greet: An evening for car enthusiasts to connect over food, live music, a bar, and beautiful views at the Waitangi Golf Course.
• Show & Shine: Participants polish up their vehicles for admiration, photos, and chats with spectators keen to learn about specific models.
• “Burn Out” BBQ: A slow-cook competition featuring local BBQ masters, with prizes for the best meats.
And between all these events are prizegivings for different categories, local market crawls, and of course cruises along relaxing rural roads.
For anyone registering as a spectator, each ticket registers a single vehicle with one driver, but your passengers are free to participate without buying an additional ticket. Remember to register early, as this is the event’s third year, and slots will fill up quickly over the holiday season.
For spectators, there’s no ticket necessary. All you need to do is track the event through its respective towns and turn up on the day to enjoy some gorgeous cars! Keep in mind that if this event is coming to your town, the main road will most likely be shut down for the day to accommodate the many riders coming along to show off their vehicles, so make sure to plan an alternate route to work or school that Thursday or Friday.
At the end of the day, this new event is absolutely gaining momentum. Cruz’n the Bayz 2025 is bound to be even bigger and better than ever, so to all the vehicle enthusiasts out there: get in in the calendar now so you don’t miss out.
