Maidstone Rally driver Louise Cook achieved her mission of competing in New Zealand at the weekend.

Cook (pictured) faced a challenge to raise enough funds to compete at the World Rally of New Zealand - one of the mandatory long-haul events she had to enter.

But after a mammoth effort, which included selling her trophies, she succeeded on entering and finishing the race along with co-driver Stefan Davis.

Although the pair finished a long way behind main event winner Sebastien Loeb they did perform well in Production class.

Cook finished sixth in the Production Car world championship section of the Acropolis Rally last month but borrowed a car and a team of mechanics for the long trek to New Zealand.

She completed the event in the Fiesta ST 27th overall, from a field of 35, and sixth in the Production Class and second in 2WD. She sits seventh in the Production WRC standings after now completing three events.