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Going adventuring? Then you need to check out our Adventure Kit-Out feature from page 20

NZ4WD SEPTEMBER 2021

L I G H T S, C A E R A , Pl u s A C T I O N ...

We join YouTuber Jono Hitchcox as he t and mate Shannon make a video abou their epic recent trip from Aotuhia to Whangamomona

SEAN WILLMOT TESTS ISUZU’S LATEST D-MAX AT WOODHILL

ÄRICHARD SOULT IS BACK 4X4EXPLORING CENTRAL OTAGO WITH FRIENDS ÄDAVID COXON CHECKS OUT DANNEVIRKE & ENVIRONS

ÄMARK BAKER WRITES ABOUT ’OFF-ROAD RACING -19!’

All roads, tracks and trails led to Wanaka at Easter this year. Kevin Isemonger explains why

OPENING SHOT

As someone born and brought up (well) south of the 45th parallel but who has spent the best part of the past 30 years living and working in Auckland there are a couple of things which trigger an instant nostalgia response, despite their obviously being buried deep within my cerebral cortex. One is the view of fresh snow on the foothills of the Southern Alps from the pits at Christchurch’s Mike Pero Motorsport Park (nee Ruapuna). Another is the ‘ink black’ sky captured perfectly here in all its foreboding glory by 4x4 Explorer.co.nz’s Richard Soult.

Features 24 Jono Hitchcox takes on the Whanga Rd 20 Adventure Kit Out 35 4x4 Ute Kit Out Guide 38 Oxford wows ‘em in Wanaka

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News 06 Ford’s new Everest 09 Maniototo 4WD Muster Regulars 04 From the editor 06 News 14 Towing 16 Close to Home 31 Tested 48 Weekend Drive 51 GeoffZone 52 Vahryous Thoughts 60 Dirt Nation 62 Your4s 64 TorqueTalk

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SEPTEMBER 2021

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FROM THE

EDITOR

NZ4WD Volume 25 No 8. SEPTEMBER 2021

(NOT) THE SAME OLD STORY

EDITOR Ross MacKay EMAIL: editor@nz4wd.co.nz GRAPHIC DESIGNER EMAIL: cherie@adrenalin.co.nz CONTRIBUTORS: Ashley Lucas, Mark Baker, Richard Soult, Aaron Rich, David Coxon, Geoff Anders, Peter Vahry EVENTS MANAGER Ashley Lucas EMAIL: Ashley@nz4wd.co.nz GROUP SALES MANAGER Dan Prestige EMAIL: dan@nz4wd.co.nz NZ4WD ADVERTISING MANAGER Jacqueline Ngatai EMAIL: jacqueline@adrenalin.co.nz PUBLISHER Cathy Parker EMAIL: cathy@adrenalin.co.nz SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER & ENQUIRIES Annette Colbert EMAIL: subs@nz4wd.co.nz Adrenalin Publishing Ltd 720a East Coast Road, Pinehill PO Box 65092 Mairangi Bay, Auckland 0754 Phone: 09 478 4771 Facsimile: 09 478 4779 SUBSCRIPTIONS: NZ4WD magazine is an 11 issue magazine plus one Annual Subscription in NZ $75 (incl GST).

Please call us for overseas rates.

COPYRIGHT: NZ4WD is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Neither editorial opinions expressed nor facts stated in advertisements are necessarily agreed to by the editor or publisher of NZ4WD and, whilst all efforts are made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility will be taken by the publishers for inaccurate information, or for any consequences of reliance on this information.

PRINTING: ImagePrint DISTRIBUTION: Gordon & Gotch ISSN 1175–1827 (Print) ISSN 2253–2773 (Online)

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One of the great privileges of editing an enthusiast’s magazine like NZ4WD is working with the many and varied contributors.

Whether it’s a long-term ‘name’ or ‘familiar face’ all-rounders like Ashley Lucas, Kevin Isemonger, Peter Vahry, David Coxon, Andrew Gee, Bryan Chang and/or Geoff Anders, or (relative) newcomers like Richard Soult, Aaron Rich, Kristen Fellers, Paul Richards, Merv Moodie and (from this issue on) Jono Hitchcox, each adds something unique to the mag, and therefore your (as well as my, don’t forget) enjoyment of it.

As I think (or at least I hope I have said) in previous editorials, ours is a broad church, and for every one grizzled old niche-dwelling veteran who complains that ‘there’s nothing worth reading’ (in the mag anymore) or (this is the one, personally, that I really chuckle over!) that ‘there are too many pictures!,’ there are six to eight ‘recent converts’ who absolutely devour every last word of every story, every ad and yes, even every single page ‘flier’ which comes with every mag we post to you, in an all-out effort to learn as much about 4WDs and 4WDing in as short a time frame as possible.

Yes, I know too, from having various surveys stuffed down my throat over the years that men ‘Apparently ‘neither buy nor read’ magazines. To which my reply has always been, ‘Hang on, I’m a man, and I bought my first magazine (a copy of NZ Hot Rod from Mr Hoffman’s stationery shop in Gore’s Irk St when I was 10 years old and I’m still buying mags (NZ Performance Car & Australian Motorcycle News being the last two) when I fill my car up at a servo to this very day.’ Yet I’ve never been invited to fill in a survey about ‘my’ reading habits!

Also, if that is (or rather, was) the case, who bought all those ‘stick’ mags (you know, the Playboys, Penthouses etc.) through the so-called ‘golden era’ of print magazine publishing (generally acknowledged as being the mid-to-late 1960s then on through the 1970s and into the early 1980s). That’s right, it was a bunch of blokes.

Many, according to legend, bought Playboy for the articles. Though that is arguably more urban myth than anything else. I know for a fact that many of the school-age boys who used to read the motorcycle magazine I edited before my current gig on NZ4WD ‘read the pictures’ before committing to ‘read the rest’ of an article; one of the reasons to this day I try and make sure that every picture we run in any editorial feature (and even every news story) has some sort of indicative caption.

I could, of course, write more of the content myself. As it is though I prefer to work with those in our community who are already ‘out there doing it.’ People, for instance, like arch networker Richard Soult and his ‘YouTuber’ mate Jono Hitchcox.

For someone who – himself – is only a relatively recent convert to the world of 4WDs and 4WDing Richard’s trajectory from newbie to trail guru and guide has been nothing short of spectacular.

It was Richard too, who first alerted us to Queenstown-based Blogger and YouTuber Jono Hitchcox – or more specifically, to the cool little Lost Sheep Adventures videos he had started posting on YouTube (this would have been at least a year ago now).

Like me, Richard enjoys watching a good YouTube vid as much as the next guy. And it would be fair to say that Jono’s are some of the best to come out of our fantastic little country and even smaller 4WD sector yet.

The challenge now for Jono – as I keep telling him – is to develop his storytelling ability – so it was with that in mind that I suggested he supplement his latest Video series on YouTube with a classic old-skool’ ‘write-up’ in NZ4WD magazine.

I think the combination works, and works well. Ultimately though, it’s you who is going to decide. So off you go. I hope you enjoy the ride!

ROSS MACKAY Editor, NZ4WD

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NEWS

Ford is targeting Adventure-seekers with its new Everest Base Camp model.

Special edition Ford Everest BaseCamp comes to New Zealand With more and more New Zealanders exploring the great backroads of the country and choosing off-roading adventures, the Ford Everest makes the perfect companion.

Capable, safe, and comfortable on or off-road, the Everest is the perfect choice for any terrain and New Zealand buyers now have a new model added to the range to choose from – the Special Edition Everest BaseCamp.

“Our travel choices changed during and in the wake of Covid-19,” said Simon Rutherford, Managing Director Ford New Zealand. “We’re taking a lot more road trips and venturing further afield when we do. The Everest offers a smooth, safe ride on everything from the motorway to genuine off-road, off-the-beaten tracks adventures. Now, with the Everest BaseCamp, we’re offering more choice for our customers to take to the roads in vehicles that make discovering our great country fun, easy, safe and comfortable.”

Everest BaseCamp The Everest BaseCamp features bold new styling and a rugged appeal that matches Everest’s outstanding off-road capabilities. The limited run of 50 vehicles offers the 2.0L Bi-Turbo engine, 4WD and comes with a raft of features designed to make discovering the great New Zealand outdoors easier. The Ford Everest BaseCamp Special Edition, priced at an $72,990 + ORC and includes the following: • 76mm diameter black nudge bar.

• Ford licensed LED light bar.

• Ford genuine snorkel.

• Ford genuine tow bar rated to 3,100kg.

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• Cloth seats.

• Seating for up to seven people.

The confident styling includes BaseCamp decals on both front doors, bolder grey painted grill, front bumper skid, rear bumper skid, fender vents and wheels.

Adventure ready with safety in mind The Ford Everest has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, and the BaseCamp continues to offer a substantial suite of safety and Driver Assist Technologyii to customers and their passengers.

Standard equipment on the Everest BaseCamp includes: • Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection.

• Lane Keeping Aid with Driver Alert System.

• Traffic Sign Recognition.

• Automatic High Beam.

• Rear View Camera.

• Rear Parking Sensors.

• Adaptive Cruise Control .

• Electronic Stability Control (DSC) incorporating ABS, Roll Over Mitigation, Traction Control and Trailer Sway Control Peace-of-mind Warranty The Ford Everest BaseCamp comes with Ford’s five-year, unlimited kilometre full factory warranty. Further adding to the ownership experience, Ford Service Benefits also bring Everest owners Roadside Assistance as well as a Service Loan Car and sat-nav mapping updates where available.

NEWS

JAYCO TALKS 2021 SAFETY AND TECH Innovation continues to be a driving force at Jayco, Australasia’s leading RV manufacturer, with a robust portfolio of new features announced in its 2021 range of caravans.

National Sales Manager, Scott Jones, says the 2021 range has been an opportunity for Jayco to forge on with the evolution of the humble caravan with smart innovations.

“Kiwis have embraced the caravanning lifestyle in a big way with the largest market segment increase being families. We’ve seen a giant rise of Kiwis wanting to head away in our most popular family caravan – Jayco Journey 22ft caravan, which has increased by 132 percent year on year.

“We’re always looking for new ways to make the caravanning experience safer and more effortless for our customers.

The new ew smart technology and safety features that we have introduced into our 2021 range gives our customers reassurance, confidence and peace of mind while they travel,” Mr Jones said.

The majority of the new range RVs, for instance, feature Projecta’s Intelli-Jay power management system, designed and built exclusively to meet the lighting and electrical requirements of Jayco RVs. Ken Miller, Jayco Global Sourcing Component Innovation and Technologies Manager, says the system offers a complete power management solution, allowing travellers the freedom to control and monitor lighting, electrical and water systems, from a smart phone or tablet through Bluetooth. “Projecta, one of the biggest brands in automotive and 4WD, custom-designed this system

The Bendix Ultimate 4WD Brake Upgrade Kit with advanced brake pads and rotors, braided lines and a host of ancillary items is the ultimate brake upgrade for the latest 4WD vehicles such as Ranger and Hilux.

This comprehensive kit includes specially compounded ed stopping high performance CERAMIC material brake pads for increase e Rotors power in extreme conditions plus the latest Bendix Ultimate designed and developed specifically for Australia’s demanding conditions.

Find solutions for every brake job at www.bendix.co.nz Or freecall the Bendix Brake Advice Centre on 1800 819 666 Bendix is a trademark of Garrett Advancing Motion Inc.

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A 2021 model Jayco Jay Feather Caravan.

exclusively for Jayco caravans, camper trailers and motorhomes. The new battery management system means customers will be able to check battery levels, view water tank levels and much more – all at the touch of a button.

“Jayco has over 45 years’ experience in the caravanning manufacturing industry and its that knowledge and expertise that continues to shape how we evolve caravanning in Australia and New Zealand. Ultimately, it’s down to providing Jayco customers with the best caravanning experience so they can create lasting and memorable moments with their families and friends whilst being safe and knowing they’re looked after. It’s that simple for Jayco,” says Mr Jones.

NEWS

Getting high on private property.

Maniototo Muster Story by Marion Thomas.

Photos by John McDonald Many months of planning and hundreds of emails came to fruition as the first of the 36 4WD vehicles rolled in to the Ranfurly Holiday Park for the Otago Recreational 4 Wheel Drive Group’s biennial 4WD Muster.

The concept for the Muster was simple. Find somewhere to stay, somewhere to go and someone to feed us. The Holiday Park held all of their accommodation for us, local knowledge meant we were able to get access to private tracks, and the small Catholic school provided all our lunches and three amazing dinners.

The first day saw our group, the Blue Team, climbing up to the Buster Diggings in the Oteake Conservation Park. We drove through fog that obscured the view but the droplets on the tussocks were beautiful. Just as we drove into the Diggings the fog lifted and the white gravel sparkled in the sun.

Our planned 20 min., stop became much longer as we explored the area

on foot. Lunch stop was at Hut Creek hut. A wee stone hut tucked deep in a valley. No vehicle exit from there so a turn around to head for home. No real challenges on this one but one bit was “A bit more 4W driveyish” according to our leader. The school PTA crew came to the Holiday Park and cooked up a barbeque dinner fit for a king. Sitting outside in the sun with friends and a refreshing drink was a great way to wind up the day.

The sun rose before us on the second day with the promise of a clear, hot day.

With permission from the farmer we were able to drive through his property up into the Rock and Pillar range. A highlight on the way was a stone cottage nestled out of the prevailing wind. The ceiling inside was lined with pressed out tin oil cans, some still readable. Lived in off and on, it last had a family of 13 living there in the 1950s.The winters there are harsh with temperatures dropping to minus 20 so they must have cuddled close to keep warm. The Rock and Pillar Range is known for its amazing rock formations.

Lunch this time was at Big Hut, built as a ski hut in the 1940s and restored in recent times. An interesting detour on the way home was a guided tour of the Lammermore Whiskey Distillery where they have been illegally distilling whiskey since 1863. Raw whiskey is harsh on the throat so no worries about over-imbibing! The homemade bread was good, though. A gentle mostly blacktop run up the Maniototo valley to Ranfurly and another yum BBQ dinner.

Each day seemed to be better than the last and today was no exception.

The entire track was on private land and not regularly used so a bit more challenging. A steep climb from the Pig Route took us up to 20 metres from the summit of Mt Pisgah at 1643m above sea level. The track traversed the ridge line with views of the Maniototo on one side and the Waitaki Valley on the other.

Definitely a more technical track with narrow bits and deep drop offs and some very steep descents. When the leader says go to low/low gear he really means it. The exit on this day was onto the Dansey’s Pass Rd. Very dusty.

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NEWS A refreshing stop at the Dansey’s Pass Pub where we caught up with one of the groups doing the Cavalcade. This is a four-day horse/ heavy wagon/ walk/tramp event held annually in Central Otago. I think I would rather be 4WD than be 1HP. Back to camp and cold ham and salads for dinner.

Bed before the sun set at 2130.

A quieter trip planned for today.

A gentle hop over Rough Ridge to Oturehua, a stop and explore in the old General Store that is noted for retaining its history, and on to Hayes Engineering Works for a guided tour of the works in action. The other group arrived for their tour as we were leaving. A hop up Little Mt Ida then a loop on Mt Ida Station filled up the afternoon and was the closest we got to any mud. Everything so dry. We had a good view of the movie set where Jane Campion was making her latest movie, The Power of the Dog. Dinner tonight at the Ranfurly Lion Pub and a fair bit of teasing about incidents over the week.

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The Buster Diggings in the Oteake Conservation Zone.

The last day and still the sun was shining. Some drivers needing to get on the highway to get home for work (think that a swear word on 4WD trips) so the day was planned to intersect with a main road at lunchtime. We went through En Hakkore. Originally a TB Sanatorium and now a Christian Community. A guided tour down the bedroom corridor where the patients were nursed on balconies in the fresh air gave a few people serious Goosebumps. A paper road through

the historic Hamiltons Diggings led to Highway 87 and the end of the Muster for some. We stopped and waited, twice, for groups of horse riders on the Cavalcade. The afternoon was a scenic loop through another farm property.

No turkeys were harmed this time, but that’s another story! Returned to a quieter camp and all shared food and had a great last night with the BBQ’s hot, the weather hot, and the stories getting hotter with every telling!

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NEWS If you, your club or anyone you know are planning any events, please get in contact with our Event Manager Ashley Lucas. We can assist in promotion of the event and may be able to offer some assistance in other areas. Email Ashley@nz4wd.co.nz SEPTEMBER 18TH

OCTOBER 23RD – 24TH

Off Road Racing North Island Championship: Round 3 Hosted by All Terrain Racing Club. Venue to be confirmed. Short Course. www.oranz.co.nz

Battle of the Palace 2021. Norwest OHV Club is pleased to announce that we are hosting Round 2 of the Force4 ‘Battle of the Palace – Teams Event 2021’ over Labour weekend this October at Possum Palace in Northland. The event is open to drivers who are members of the New Zealand Four Wheel Drive Association (NZFWDA) and is limited to 15 teams. Priority is given to teams that competed in Round 1 up to the earlybird cut-off date 31st August. The early bird entry fee is $300 per team if paid by 31st August, after this date the entry fee is $360 per team.

To qualify to compete for the overall standings teams must have at least 2/3’s of the original team still competing. 3 trucks and 3 drivers make up six parts to the team. Gates open on Friday 22nd Oct and the competition runs over Sat 23rd and Sunday 24th October (Monday 25th is a holiday). Onsite camping with showers and toilets provided, along with an all-day BBQ for competitors. To enter email possumpalace4x4@gmail.com for an entry form. Information and updates https://www.facebook. com/groups/658734787493918

SEPTEMBER 25TH – 26TH Ultra4 New Zealand – Battle in the Bay. Ultra4 event over varying terrain at Tect Park, Bay of Plenty. Enquires email info@ultra4newzealand.com or via Facebook page www.facebook.com/ULTRA4NZ/ SEPTEMBER 26TH Shore4wheelers and Force4 Entry Level Winch Competition. Beginners Winch Challenge at Auckland Off Road Adventure Park. Sponsors prizes and a fun, challenging days 4wdriving. Spaces strictly limited, get your entry in asap or you might miss out. Email shore4wheelers@gmail.com for your entry form. Entry is only guaranteed when entry form is competed, returned and full payment received. Vehicles must meet minimum safety standards as explained in the entry form.

OCTOBER 24TH

OCTOBER 24TH – 30TH 2021

NZFWDA National 4x4 Trial – Round 1.

Hosted by Eastern Bay Twin Diff Club. Round 1 of the 4x4 National Trial 2021/2022 season. Fun day out for the whole family watching extreme 4x4 competition vehicles go head to head. For more details visit; nz4x4trials.co.nz/calendar-and-results/

4x4 Summer Escape series 2021; Central Otago summer escape seven days starting Waimate region. Traverse the spectacular Central Otago Plains. Stay at camping grounds around the region. If you are not into tenting then this is your type of tour.

Expect river crossings, steep inclines, declines, snowfall, ice and cold conditions. Contact Stewart and Graeme on summerescape4x4@gmail.com for details quoting “Central Otago seven day” in title or phone Stewart 0275992633 or Graeme 0292001700 for more details and information pack. www.summerescape.nz

OCTOBER 22ND – 24TH Off Road Racing Championship: Final Hosted

by Otago Offroad Racing Club at Slim’s farm. Short Course and Enduro. www.oranz.co.nz

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TOWING

Isuzu identifies towing as key selling point for all-new D-Max-based MU-X SUV Story by Ross MacKay Photo by Isuzu

The all-new Isuzu MU-X has arrived on New Zealand shores with the local importer already talking up its potential as a rugged yet luxurious rural/urban towing option.

Having identified the need to regularly tow things as one of the main reasons why thousands of Kiwis sought out, tested then went on to actually buy one of the last-generation D-Max-based seven-seat MU-X SUVs, importer Isuzu NZ believes that the all-new MU-X released here in August will be an even better prospect for those with a boat, horse, go-kart or race car, bike or quad bike trailer and the need to regularly load it (the trailer) and tow it from A to B or Z! For the first time in seven years, the seven-seat large SUV has undergone a complete transformation making it the most advanced Isuzu has ever built. It now offers segment-leading

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3500kg towing capacity, a locking rear differential for better off-road ability, an extra 235mm in wading depth (now 800mm), a roomier cabin and advanced safety and technology.

Isuzu Utes New Zealand General Manager Sam Waller says, “The firstgeneration MU-X has always been a favourite amongst families in the rural community given its durability and reliability. It’s also been a popular choice for those that often have something to tow. We’re confident that the improvements in design and engineering instilled in the secondgeneration MU-X will meet – and exceed – the expectations of our customers.”

Available this month from Isuzu Utes New Zealand dealerships, the ruggedly refined MU-X is powered by Isuzu’s new 4JJ3-TCX, 3-litre turbo-diesel engine producing 140kW of power and 450Nm torque – matched with an intuitive sixspeed automatic transmission.

Towing and touring Isuzu engineers have focused on finetuning the drivability and capability of the all-new MU-X for Australasia.

Maximising range, versatility and capacity whilst touring, towing and exploring, without compromising on occupant comfort and safety. Many Isuzu owners use an MU-X to tow their caravans, boats and trailers, making range, efficiency and towing capacity key amongst towing motorists.

The all-new MU-X has the ability to tow 3.5-tonnes, and shares the same

TOWING

ladder-frame chassis constructed extensively of high-tensile steel as its D-Max counterpart – affording it increased strength, rigidity and loadcarrying capacities. This new MU-X also gains stiffer and more robust rear suspension geometry and independent double-wishbone front suspension. All of this translates to improved overall vehicle composure, handling, and dynamics and increases in braked towing capacity to 3.5-tonnes, payload capacity, Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM), Gross Combination Mass (GCM), and front and rear axle loads – ideal for families who don’t pack light.

Fuel range is an important consideration when on the road. The fuel tank capacity has been increased to 80-litres – 23 percent larger than in the previous-generation MU-X and combined-cycle fuel consumption figures returning 8.3-litres/100km.

On the outside, optimal visibility for touring is achieved with Bi-LED headlights with LED daytime running lights (DRL), featuring auto-levelling and automatic high beam control. Inside the cabin, all models feature front row and second and third row roof-mounted air-conditioning vents with dual-zone air-conditioning, and for cooler months, the MU-X adds a touch more comfort with variably controlled heated front seats.

Engine and drivetrain Engineered for touring vast distances and evolved from the famed 4JJ1-TC HI that powered the previous generationMU-X the unique Australasianspecification 4JJ3-TCX three-litre, turbo-diesel engine in the all-new MU-X delivers linear and progressive torque across the entire rev-range. Power and torque outputs have been increased to 140kW and 450Nm – a 10kW and 20Nm improvement over the preceding engine, respectively. Midrange torque has also been further improved – a

benefit to four-wheel drivers who require low-down torque. Power and torque are transferred to the wheels via a re-engineered, smoother and more refined Aisin AWE6B45 II six-speed automatic transmission.

Off-road performance With off-road enthusiasts in mind, the MU-X further benefits from a new, stronger and more efficient 4x4 drivetrain – making shifting into 2WDHigh Range, 4WD-High Range and 4WD-Low Range even easier via the ‘4x4 Terrain Command’ dial.

The MU-X is equipped with an electromagnetic locking rear differential (rear diff-lock) and a new off-road electronic driver aid, ‘Rough Terrain Mode’ – which maximises drivability in technical, slippery and rough conditions. Coupled with a welcomed improvement to the Approach, Departure and Ramp-Over Angle due to the shorter front overhang, Isuzu engineers have also cleverly engineered the engine air intake system – increasing the MU-X’s wading depth to up to 800mm.

Safety and driving convenience Isuzu’s Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS) offers a comprehensive suite of safety and convenience features that complement the driver and dramatically improves the level of safety for all occupants, pedestrians, cyclists and other road users. Standard across all variants, IDAS encompasses the main driving systems, combining Active Safety, Passive Safety and Driver Assistance technology into one complete package.

At the heart of IDAS is a Hitachi 3D Stereo Camera, a binocular camera system that can precisely detect and measure distance, size, velocity and depth of vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and other potential obstacles in front of the MU-X. Mounted high-up at the

top of the windshield – to increase the camera’s range, field-of-view and depth perception – this 3D camera system enables the MU-X to detect more subjects with a lower risk of miss-detection and take the necessary countermeasures. All Isuzu Utes Genuine and Approved accessories have been specifically engineered and calibrated to work perfectly with Isuzu’s IDAS – allowing for seamless integration with provisions to mount an UHF antenna and additional driving lights.

Some of the active safety features that IDAS encompasses include, Adaptive Cruise Control with stop and go traffic functionality, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Departure Prevention, Trailer Sway Control, Misaccelaration Mitigation, alongside other potentially lifesaving technology such as eight-airbags, including a knee and centre airbag.

Interior With a focus on passenger comfort, extra room has been afforded to second and third row passengers. Seats are now trimmed with premium quilted leatheraccented material. The MU-X features variably heated front seats, with eightway power adjustment on the driver’s seat with under-thigh adjustment, power adjustable lumbar support and four-way power adjustment on the passenger’s seat.

With its new levels of refinement, capability and technology, the upgrades are reflected in the retail price of $80,990, including GST +ORC. For the ultimate peace of mind, every Isuzu MU-X comes standard with a comprehensive, bumper-to-bumper three-years/100,000km warranty, and up to three-years or 100,000km of roadside assistance, whichever occurs first.

To book a test drive at your nearest Isuzu dealership, visit www.isuzuutes.co.nz

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CLOSE TO HOME

LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE

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Story and photos by Richard Soult.

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CLOSE TO HOME With about a 90 percent return rate, most of our guests have become lifelong friends and organise between themselves when they are coming back for a trip. A great bunch had done this, so it was more a trip away with friends than a work trip. One of the great things about turning your passion into a business...

The last trip of the season was our Central Otago Gold Trails trip in April and three couples, who had already been with us in January, and a couple of others, decided to drive all the way back from Auckland to join us, meeting in Fairlie on Monday morning The first day of every trip is quite relaxed and nothing more than gravel roads, albeit with some steep climbs, descents, and some reasonable drop-offs.

We like to use the first day to get to know everyone and assess how well they know their vehicle and, most importantly, the gears. Whilst our trips are not a “driving instruction course”, we do give handy hints along the way about how to drive off road, with favourites generally being river crossings and recovery.

So, Monday morning, we all met up and, after a mandatory safety briefing and trip to the famous Fairlie Bakery for pies, we started our journey South to Ranfurly. The first day is excellent, taking in various passes and the Black Forest Station pylon road above Lake Benmore.

There is so much history and I normally designate one passenger to read over the radio from Ray Stone’s excellent book Stories from our back roads. If you haven’t read this book and love getting out exploring, it is a must have! Ray has done so much research into the

3 1: Better-than-any-lowland road pic shows us how lucky we are here in NZ to have access to sub-alpine areas like this.

2: Where ground meets sky… high on the loneliest, loveliest trail.

3: Panning for gold high in the Oteake Conservation Area.

4: Meanwhile, on the first day of Richard’s last 2020/21 tour he and his guests stop to enjoy the west to Lake Benmore and beyond!

history of the legacy of what we have, in terms of tracks and it’s a fascinating read!

I still find it hard to believe that the Mackenzie Country is named after a sheep thief of Scottish origins and not a noble man or politician... You can find the full story in Ray’s book.

That’s a rather large rabbit, Gromit!

The other amazing thing about the drive down to Ranfurly and North of the Waitaki River, is the number of wallabies. The first time

that I drove down that way, I was surprised to see a “super-sized” rabbit dead on the side of the road. When I pulled over and saw the size of its tail, I realised that it wasn’t a rabbit at all...

One of the best road signs that I like is the one driving into Kurow, the home of Ritchie McCaw. The sign reads, welcome to Wallaby country! Brilliant!

Before arriving in Ranfurly, we normally stop at the Danseys Pass pub, which is always a popular place to pop in for a drink and is a

piece of history in itself.

The second day takes us over to Omarama via the saddle, and as most of the guests had already done the trip a few months prior, we changed direction and went up the East branch and back down the West. The Boots and Jandals Pub in Omarama, is always a great place to hang out and have lunch. Sometimes we stop and have a picnic lunch, but most of the time, people are happier going to the pub for a bite. Warning! The portions are very generous, so if

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CLOSE TO HOME

5 you’re not really that hungry, better to go for something light.

As the week continues, the tracks become more challenging. In Central Otago, the number of tracks is huge, and we normally adjust the day’s activities to suit our guests’ capability and level of confidence.

Best of the best The best day of the trip, in my opinion, is the day that we spend in the 6

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Oteake Conservation Area, passing the Mount Buster diggings and heading down Johnstons Creek. The area is vast and is definitely some of the best Overlanding available in New Zealand.

We stop at Mount Buster diggings, which are the highest in New Zealand at around 1600m.

Heaven knows who decided that there was gold up there and getting there and the living conditions must have been horrendous!

I think that we’re all a bit soft these days.

One morning, after a trip to the Waipiata Pub the previous evening, I noticed that there was something blue and rubber cable tied to my exhaust... Sabotage by a competitor?

I pointed it out to one of the guests and she doesn’t have a poker face, so I knew the culprit straight away. As I tend to leave early in the evenings to have a bit of “me time” and catch up on work,

one of my favourite guests, who will remain nameless, had fitted an industrial work glove to my exhaust.

Apparently as I drove away, the whole team was outside the pub filming as the glove expanded until bursting point. They all found it hilarious and, as no damage was done, I found it pretty funny too!

Last Huzza!

The final day of the trip saw us taking on Thomson’s

CLOSE TO HOME

7

Gorge track and the option to head up Mount Moka.

Mount Moka is very short but also very rocky and steep and is really the culmination and final ‘Huzza’ of the trip.

We couldn’t see anything from the top, but the drive up and down was fun!

After that, we headed into Cromwell for a quick cold one and the team dispersed, to return next season I hope...

5: Yes you can still get stuck and require a recovery on high, flat tussock trails.

6: Gorgeous golden tussock has ability to melt even the hardest heartparticularly if a hot, dry nor-west wind blows in to tousle all the heads as one.

7: No view due to fog but appeal of Mt Moka track is in the getting up… and back down again!

8: Team shot at Mt Buster.

8 If you would like to join us on one of our trips, have a look at www.4x4Exploreradventures.co.nz. Also, at https://www.4x4explorer.co.nz/?aff+2818 we have nearly 950 4WD tracks logged. Each track has high quality photos, a detailed description and a downloadable GPS file to make sure that you find the tracks easily and don’t get lost.

We look forward to seeing you out on the trails!

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ADVENTURE KIT OUT GUIDE

How to manage your gadgets while off-roading It wasn’t too long ago that camping was used to disconnect from society and get away from it all. Today, many of us travel with a fridge and some camp lighting, and need to charge camera batteries, phones, tablets, and many other electronic gadgets. However, you need to consider how you will manage your power needs on the road, because if you don’t, keeping that beer cold will be the last of your worries!

We are seeing the electrical system of vehicles become more complex highlighting the importance of providing the right battery charging solution. Investing in a battery management system will ensure your starter battery always has enough power to restart your vehicle but allows your second battery to operate independently. You need a system that will recharge to the correct levels, keep control of the state of charge, but also provide you with information so you can decide when, and how long, you recharge all your gadgets.

The Redarc Manager30 Battery Management System is more than just an auxiliary battery charger. The Manager30 operates like six separate products in one; charging an auxiliary battery from the vehicle while on the move, it’s a 240-volt AC charger, a solar regulator, a battery isolator, a load disconnect controller, all with a remote battery monitor.

The Manager30 can provide you with an alert, days in advance, giving you plenty of time to decide whether you need to get out the solar blanket, temporarily limit your power use, or decide to go on a longer drive the next day. All this

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A Redarc Manager30 Battery Management System installed.

can be viewed, monitored, and altered from a handy remote monitor in real time. The Redarc Manager30 removes all the guess work for trouble-free power management when you’re out on the road.

Ready for all types of common batteries including AGM, GEL, standard lead acid and calcium, the Manager30 also has a charging profile for more efficient Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries. This battery management system has been designed to charge an auxiliary battery from multiple sources simultaneously. And with Green Power Priority, if available it will prioritise solar power over mains or DC vehicle power.

All Redarc products come with a two-year warranty, on top of that, they’re backed up by some of the best tech support in the industry, which is why Redarc is a brand you can trust.

ADVENTURE KIT OUT GUIDE

SkyRise Village at Caravan Park Sexten in the Italian Dolomites.

Yakima takes roof top tent to new heights Every day we realise more and more it’s all about that feeling of boundless freedom.

The ability to look up at the starry sky, detached from all constraints of everyday life. The silhouette of the mountains before your eyes.

And all around, absolute silence. Zip up your tent, fall asleep in harmony with nature – and let the first rays of sunshine tickle you awake in the morning. It’s this experience, here at Yakima, we wish for everyone to experience time and time again.

A Yakima SkyRise HD Roof Top Tent turn cars into motorhomes with little effort.

It’s all about more freedom, more mobility and that ability to experience nature at it’s best and truly immersing yourself in its beauty.

At the beginning of the 2021 European Summer, Yakima took their SkyRise HD roof top tents, and partnered with two camp grounds in Europe and created the very first Yakima SkyRise Villages.

One in the heart of the Italian Dolomites, Caravan Park

Sexten, and one in Germany, not far from the Austrian border in the beautiful Salzach Valley, Camping Seebauer.

The sites are made up of plateaus standing on stilts housing the Yakima SkyRise HD tents. They accommodate two people each with each unit equipped with electricity (eBike friendly), a spacious private terrace and are idyllically nestled in the landscape. It’s the perfect way to truly take in the magic of the surrounds, kick back and take it easy.

Whilst at the moment we have nothing like this in NZ, we do have freedom which is the envy of the world and a ‘stunning country with 1000s of places to visit and stay.

With over 100 Yakima dealers throughout New Zealand, you can also create your own ultimate set up this summer.

Just add Yakima roof racks or a platform, for which we have fits for a majority of vehicles, a SkyRise HD tent, a bike, fishing rod or kayak carrier and turn your wheels into the ultimate adventure mobile.

To find out more information about all our products and fits, visit our website – Yakima.co.nz

Village concept allows those interested to try out a Roof Top Tent with all the comfort of a five-star campsite.

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ADVENTURE 4X4 UTE KI KIT U OUT G I GUIDE

Khaya by Alu-Cab – the roof top tent evolved From humble beginnings – keeping intrepid free campers safe at night from ground-based predators across the vast savannah grasslands of southern Africa from the early 1970s – until here in New Zealand today where they are often fitted as much as an indication of intent as a practical place to sleep while out in the wop wops on your latest 4WD mission, the Roof Top Tent has truly come of age.

Practical, cost-effective and perfect if it is just you and/or a close partner ‘on manoeuvres’ ‘fold-out/fold-backin ’Roof Top Tents make a lot of sense, particularly if your off-road ‘truck of choice’ has a full-length roof – or, in other words, is classed as a ‘station wagon.’

If, however, your modern-day ‘truck of choice’ happens to be one of New Zealand’s top sellers, a 2.0-to 3.2 litre Double Cab Ute, it’s very much a case of ‘not so much!’

Sure, with the correct load rated

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roof rack system you can easily mount a Roof Top Tent to your TD DC Utility. Actually, you don’t even need a canopy, some eager beavers having already welded up simple tubular steel perimeter mounts and second floating floor so that they can mount their Roof Top Tents far enough up ‘in the air’ as it were to allow access to the open storage space underneath.

The problem here, of course is that the space is essentially open….to the elements not to mention prying eyes and light fingers...

There has, in other words, got to be a better way. And fortunately, thanks to specialist South Africa coachbuilder Alu-Cab, (sold here by Avondale, Auckland-based retailer Racer Products under their dedicated 4x4 brand, Mudstuck) there is.

Best of both worlds

It’s called the Khaya Camper and it effectively combines the best of

both worlds – a state-of-the-art Roof Top Tent (also sold separately) and an easy to mount/remove and store lightweight ‘pod’ designed to literally ‘drop-in’ to a typical TD DC ute’s tray.

In doing so, the company has effectively combined sleeping quarters, with kitchen and shower/ laundry facilities in a simple/practical package which can either be packed away when not in use, or parked ready for docking with your typical wellside-tray TD DC utility for when the urge to get away from it all becomes an all-consuming ‘need.’

Access ‘inside’ is via a small centralmounted door at the rear and set of foldaway steps.

Once inside the idea is to fold the ceiling of the pod up into the erected Roof Top Tent, to allow at least two adults to stand up in, and/or access the sleeping area by folding the floor back down to form a double bed mattress 75mm thick.

Featuring Alu-Cab’s rip-lock

ADVENTURE KIT OUT GUIDE

ÃCombination adds yet another string to modern do-anything/go anywhere 4x4 TD DC utility’s bow by turning it into an effective campervan.

technology, the 400g/m2 material the tent itself is made of is both waterproof and UV-resistant and opens easily on gas struts. Unzipping the three openings enables campers to sleep beneath the stars or watch the sunrise, but also to stay safe behind integrated mosquito nets when necessary and the rear window has a taut roofing to provide protection from rain and sunlight.

The Khaya’s appeal isn’t just restricted to what you’ll find inside it, either. With fittings for a wraparound Alu-Cab Shadow 270 awning, Overlanders can still rest, ‘cook up a mean feed,’ or otherwise relax in the open without direct exposure to the sun.

The Khaya also comes complete with a fold-out (warm water) shower.

Also, thanks to an auxiliary battery set-up, the Khaya won’t drain your vehicle’s starter battery while an (optional) roof-mounted solar

panel ensures that as long as the sun shines, so can the lights in the onboard fridge!

An idea whose time has come

With sales of TD DC Utilities still going gangbusters here, Mudstuck’s decision to source, promote and sell Alu-Cab’s two and four person Khaya Campers is an idea whose time has come ‘’The key point for it,” says Racer Products General Manager Gene Rollinson, “is that the Khaya Camper is not just another Roof Top Tent.

Sure, that’s probably the bit you see first. But once you see all the other bits and pieces in the camper unit itself – including the lights, wiring, plumbing, kitchen unit, shower etc you realise that you are basically turning your ute into a compact campervan. The real bonus is that it is not permanently attached to the vehicle so you can remove the

nto

a h t i w

n

unit and use your ute as a daily driver, therefore saving thousands of dollars by negating the need to buy a completely separate vehicle.“ Prices here start at $23,000 incl. GST. For more information head to Mudstuck at 41 Patiki Rd, Avondale, AUCKLAND tel 0800 683 738 or to

www.mudstuck.co.nz

Khaya K Kh h

amper S Save thousands th d b by utilising til your daily driver as your home away from home – and simply remove the Khaya Camper when you need your ute back!

• 2 or 4-sleeper, complete with kitchen kit, LED lights, 220V and DC chargers.

• Shower Cube and 270° Shadow Awning included, optional extras include a Solar Panel and Titan Legs.

• Low overall weight allows off-road adventures while fitted.

• Unique ‘Pop-Top’ design allows standing room inside.

Khaya range starts from $23k incl gst.

Maintain versatility – easy to remove and store.

Official Offi i l NZ Di Distributors t ib b t ffor Al Alu-Cab C b

To find out more phone 0800 683 788 or email: sales@mudstuck.co.nz

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When half a day turns into two Story and photos by Jono Hitchcox.

Queueing up in Picton or Wellington for the Interisland ferry has to mark the beginning of the greatest adventure any Kiwi Overland enthusiast could have. Whether you are driving North or South, the hunt for the unknown and

2

an unforgettable journey has begun.

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Jono Hitchcock runs the Lost Sheep Adventures Youtube channel showcasing 4WD Adventures around New Zealand the trip in this article is covered here https://youtu.be/-vUhT1b-IDA

ADVENTURE

Good mate Shannon and I had wanted to tick off a North Island adventure for years. That day had finally come upon us. With a rough itinerary, lots of driving hours and a plan to tackle some of the more well-known tracks of the North Island, we were off.

Two weeks of gear, recovery kits, tools and spare parts were all loaded into our vehicles, and we hit the road in convoy for the North Island. When we finally docked into Wellington (at 1.00am and a story for another time) we checked into the closest hotel and got some rest before the early start that same day. Vehicles warmed up and coffee in hand, we hit the road for Taranaki. Our goal that day; to complete the Whangamomona Road from Aotuhia to Whangamomona.

A few hours’ drive later, and we are winding our way through the beginning of the Forgotten Highway, edging ever closer to the beginning of the trail.

The road to Aotuhia winds its way through rolling hills, green farmlands and bush covered gullies, but the best sight along the road must be the Makahu tunnel. Originally constructed in 1907 using timber lining, it later collapsed in 1919 closing it for two

years before reconstruction took place using solid concrete pillars, making it one of the most attractive tunnels today due to its perfect shape.

Not long after, we come across the gate to the Whanga Road. As I took a moment to air down our tyres and prep the camera gear to film the trail for my YouTube channel, Lost Sheep Adventures, a local farmer roams past on her quad bike, slows down, stops, and strikes up a conversation with us.

She informs us that the road had been recently cleared and looked after by the local 4WD club, which is always awesome to hear. She still

1: Stuck fast and running out of daylight…. welcome to the North Island lads!

2: Off the ferry late at night and Jono and Shannon pass Government buildings old (to their left) and new (that’s the beehive straight ahead) as they seek out their digs for the remainder of the night.

3: Typical steep, choppy terrain and thick, rich greens mean you could only be in one place in NZ; Taranaki’ remote, Eastern Bloc!

warns us though that rain and winds have more than likely bought down a few trees over the road and kindly lets us know of a few hard lines off the main track. With this new knowledge our eagerness to get the trucks dirty increases.

Originally a bridle track The Whanga-road, as we learned it was known as, was originally a bridle track cut through the hillsides to access remote farming regions. These days the track isn’t used in the same fashion it once was, however, the steel bridges and narrow cut tunnels still stand and the road still carves its way through from town to republic, meaning it can make for an awesome overlanding journey through history or a wicked weekend four-wheeling. For us, it was both.

Shannon and I are both eager fourwheel-drivers who enjoy the serenity of the back country. Growing up in the tramping world we have a heartfelt love for the outdoors and huge respect for it. As we grew older our interest moved into 4WDs but didn’t veer from our love for the outdoors. Today, we enjoy a good hard, technical, and challenging trail which tests both

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ADVENTURE

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driver and vehicle but, in the end, brings us into the back country, away from civilisation and into the heart of New Zealand’s bush.

That’s not to say every trail needs to be hard, no. New Zealand has some amazing scenery and all of it can be accessed with a 4WD and a bit of knowledge.

In the case of the Whanga ‘Road’ the track starts out as a set of worn tyre marks through the farmland, winding along adjacent to, but high above the river. Once clear of the farmland it squeezes between the cliff edge and hillside, where – cut into the mud and dirt it quickly deteriorates from a worn road into a slippery track. As usual, there was one mud hole that ended up being a little trickier than expected.

The mud here seems slipperier than it is in the south (welcome Jono, to Papa Rock, aka Grease Mud. Ed). It’s not often we encounter clay and so even Shannon’s GQ Patrol (known as ‘Yeti’) was struggling to clamber out.

Front and rear lockers in, turbo whistling it eventually was able to find

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2

enough traction to haul its 3.5 tonne weight outta’ the mud. Me however, with my smaller tyres and no lockers, had a couple of attempts by bouncing it on the limiter but eventually folded to the whim of the mud and threw

1: Typical ‘driver’s eye view of main highway through area.

2: That would be Shannon (left) and Jono (right) waiting for the kettle to boil.

ADVENTURE

down a set of MaxTrax Xtremes to get me through.

Long way down Back when the track had first been built and upgraded, the council invested a bit of money into constructing multiple bridges that cross the steep ravines cut through the hillsides here. On the Jonathan Hitchcox North Island – Whanga Road 1/4/2021 Youtube vid, the first bridge crossing we made, the bush was so overgrown around it that it was difficult to establish the drop beneath us. We could hear the distant sound of a trickle of water running through the rocks beneath us and caught glimpses of moss-covered canyon walls but no idea on distance.

The next bridge was of solid steel construction; large beams crisscrossed each other on either side supporting the weight of our trucks.

This time the ravine was far wider and less overgrown, and we could see the creek beneath us now. A sheer 30m drop fell away beneath the old bridge making my heart skip a beat. I edged my truck across the wooden platform listening to the creaks and moans emanating from the old timber. It felt good to hit solid ground on the other

side. The local farmer had told us of ‘tough tracks’ just off the main track.

So far along our journey we hadn’t encountered any, although we weren’t even halfway yet.

In saying that, not long after finding a perfect campsite and marking it down on my topo-maps we did, indeed, find a ‘tough track’. It dropped muddily down from the main road into a creek bed where the water had eroded away at the rock creating a flat platform for the river to run over and a 2ft tall rock step to clamber up. This led into a narrow, rutted muddy track that dug back up to the main road. This was the challenge we had been waiting for, with Shannon bringing Yeti down first.

With low gearing and the big diesel, it crawled down the muddy slope with ease and into the creek bed. This was a rather tight trail, however, and his is a rather large rig, so Shannon made a couple of three point turns and lined his truck up with the step. Slowly creeping forward his 37” tyres were able to grip the step and pull the front up with ease. A few stamps on the throttle but the rear refused to follow.

The added weight of a week trip was probably holding him back.

A little bit of track building though

and some MaxTrax laid down he was able to bring his hefty truck up the step. Not that he got much further along the rutted gully before all four wheels were spinning and going nowhere. Cue my turn to kick into action, quickly running the winch line out and shackling it to a nearby tree, before slinging the winch dampener over the line, standing well back as winching begins and Shannon is able to slowly drag his truck up this very narrow track, both sides scraping as it went.

As it turned out, however, this was just the beginning of our dramas that afternoon/evening.

‘Ppssshhhh.’ We both knew what that sound was. But never before had we had to deal with a tyre coming off the bead; particularly not at around 6.00pm in the middle of a track in the middle of the North Island. Fortunately, we both decided that it was as good a time and place as any to learn.

3: Yep they did make it out – proof is in this shot of mudsplattered trucks parked outside Whangamomona Hotel.

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ADVENTURE

1:Parts of Forgotten Highway are actually sealed..

2: Vlogger Jono filming Shannon’s winch recovery for his YouTube channel, Lost Sheep Adventures 3: Absolute, incontrovertible evidence that there is..light at the end of this particular tunnel!!!

4: You first! Jono leads the way as he and Shannon enter one of the many tunnels in the area.

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ADVENTURE

When the going gets tough, etc.

So, we relined the winch for a straight on pull and continued to haul him up the track. Without much choice on where to go we had to continue forward.

Then, suddenly, our ears pick up another ‘Ppssshhhh.’ We both sighed… that’s both rear tyres now off their rims.

Time to take the fastdeteriorating situation seriously.

Double lining the winch as well as hooking my truck up in a snatch recovery, we are able to finally haul him up and out onto flat ground. We could now assess the damage. Both rear tyres had come off their rims, the wheels full of clay and mud and it is getting dark. We grab the jack out and Shannon goes about replacing with his spare while I reseat the bead, then replace the second. Before long its 9:30pm, it’s dark and we are both tired from a day of travel and four-wheeling.

Luckily, I had previously marked a nice looking camp spot on my topomaps. We lock that in as our destination and hit the track back for camp. The swags are rolled out and we crash for the evening, resting up for another big day come the morning.

1

1: Tunnels on tracks like this can prove the undoing of the unwary as Papa Clay (aka Grease Rock) can make entrance ad it points extra slippery.

2: Lights on and Jono and Shannon are definitely at home as they prepare to entre yet another tunnel.

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TESTED ISUZU D-MAX

Taking to D trees in a new D-Max

Story and photos by Sean Willmot

First off, a day out at Fieldays with an off-road demonstration, then a few hours during the working week in a purpose-built playground on Auckland’s wild west coast a week later, oh yes, this is D-life!

Our weapon of choice was not the all-singing, alldancing X-Terrain top-ofthe-line Isuzu D-Max, we’ve already tested that one.

Rather, we wanted to try a D-Max which serves as the backbone of D-Max sales, a regular round town 4x4, which is what New Zealand has come to know the D-Max for.

And thus, we ended up with the LS-M 4x4 double cabber – not quite the top and a fair way from the bottom as far as Isuzu is concerned.

As readers will know, there have been some subtle external changes to this model and the one preceding it. We say subtle because there is only so much one can do to change a ute and still retain its basic brand identifiers.

So yes, it helps to be a trainspotter, in essence, though, what we are seeing is a more sophisticated treatment in the front single width grille, some aerodynamic body diffusers to split the new dual lower light clusters and a few

sculpted lines down the body.

See? Subtle. As to the inside, well it’s a little more dramatic in here but in peculiar ways. For instance, the silver chrome surrounds on the previous model’s spotlights can now be found adorning the A/C vents of today’s model.

The cyclopean central controller of the prior model – quite a point of difference – has now given way to some extremely functional and chunky knobs and a rather dated directional lever

for in/out cabin airflow.

New features What is a significant upgrade is the new touchscreen, which is larger and has greater functionality than before, aiding the connectivity Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto and Bluetooth along with the increased features of the new model line-up.

Increased features like the IDAS (Intelligent Driver Assistance System) safety suite as detailed in a previous edition and the

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TESTED ISUZU D-MAX

1

Page 31 Obviously there’s no shortage of water on the forest floor at the moment.

1: Simple switches adjacent gear lever to engage Hill Descent Control and electronic locking diff.

2: Steep, sandy downhill provides excellent opportunity to showcase rear wheel articulation.

3: Isuzu LS-M 4x4 TD DC has a current RRP of $63,990.

2 SPECIFICATIONS

Isuzu D-Max LS-M auto BODY TYPE: 4-door DC Utility DRIVE Part time 4x4 with rear diff lock and 6-speed sequential auto ENGINE TYPE 4-cylinder, turbodiesel ENGINE CAPACITY 3000cc MAX POWER 140kW MAX TORQUE 450Nm L/100KM (COMBINED) 8.0 CO2 EMISSIONS 207 g/km TOW CAPACITY 3500kg ANCAP RATING 5 Star PRICE $63,990

(more crucial) electronic diff lock and hill descent control which the previous model did not have.

While the top-of-the-line X-Terrain is oddly, at its best on the road, the LS-M by comparison is quite severe in its road manners.

Even making allowances for an empty tray and the omission of a +1000kg payload, the Dunlop AT tyres seemed particularly sensitive to our roads and there was more than expected unwanted noise in cabin.

Given Isuzu’s partnership

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with Mazda – a brand known for its refinement – for the 2021 model, it would be fair to assume the D-Max would benefit from Mazda’s input and have the ‘corners rounded off’ as the X-Terrain does.

Not so much for the other models it would seem, and while a few days tarmac trailing did allow us to see the eight L/100km fuel figure Isuzu reckons is do-able, there was still a sense of ‘this could be better’ as we threaded through the concrete canyons of the city.

TESTED ISUZU D-MAX

Then we went off-road.

And the D-Max changed – for the better.

We knew the new D-Max copes well with sand, and it’s pretty handy on gravel but how would it go in 4WD Nirvana? Aka Auckland Off Road Adventure Park?

All good!

Bloody well, as it happens.

Once we got some mud on the tyres, going through the potholed forestry roads, our coarse-riding ute suddenly took on a new lease of life, like a kid in a sandpit.

The change was nothing short of extraordinary. It was as if someone had come along and switched out the entire suspension setup for something ideally suited to off road work.

Unusually, Roger decided it would be a good plan to escort us around personally, which came as a relief to me.

At least we weren’t going anywhere Roger thought I might get into trouble…

We went off the muddy gravel and sandy roads the forestry trucks use, and we headed off into the pines by way of some clay trails and some ‘easy’ rut work. Easy from Roger’s perspective anyway, I had a touch of lost license plate anxiety on some of those approaches.

Roger on the other hand, was smiling as we negotiated the first round of “Cripes!

That’s deeper on the right than the left” and “Really?

You want me to climb that?” tracks and trails.

The D-Max was taking it all in stride and the precision of its steering on clay resembling owl snot (a bit yuck, but you get the point) was truly remarkable; this was more an Isuzu Dancer than D-Max. It was all going so well, I

made the comment to Roger that the ute wasn’t being challenged at all, which is kind of like tapping a hungry shark on the nose. Roger’s wolfish smile should have been a warning to me…

We came to the top of a decent cutting – again on clay with some sizeable and variable ruts, perfect for photos and visually, not terribly threatening. What worried me was Roger going for a little stroll around the bend at the bottom to ‘make sure we had somewhere to go.’

Returning with a big thumbs up, Roger clambered into the left seat, the photographer bailed, and I engaged the hill descent control, checked we were in 4WD high and proceeded to slide the D-Max into the wet and slick trenches, to showboat our way down the hill.

The D-Max performed like a champ, and we ended up comfortably in a decent turnaround mud-pit where after a little doughnut or two,

Roger calmly directed me to an uphill trail.

Step up Near the top Roger had me stop to evaluate the next obstacle: it was about a two-foot vertical step which would involve careful front wheel placement and a helluva lot of torque to power pull the D-Max up and over it while the muppet behind the wheel tried to steer around a rather angry looking tree on the right.

I was a bit unsettled with the route, but Roger – with his 40-plus years of off roading experience – was as calm as a cucumber. “Put your diff lock in and make sure you’re 4WD is engaged properly. You’ll need some gas for this one,” and that was all the advice I got.

I tested out bumper clearance somewhat gingerly, because it really didn’t look good, but no, everything was fine for my first run.

I backed up, gunned it, and proceeded to spit

mud everywhere, most significantly from the front right. Got stuck, so I had to back out again. Tried it again, this time with a little more gusto. Nearly.

Back out and the – slightly disappointed – word from Roger was, “I don’t think she’ll have it,” but I gave it one last attempt and with more than a minute’s scrabbling and spitting mud, the D-Max clawed its way up, over, and out.

And as we came up on to solid unrutted ground, Roger laconically said it all: “OK, I’m impressed.”

Roger had often looked at tackling that obstacle with his own – older model D-Max but without diff lock, knew it was going to be a waste of time. “To be honest,” he admitted, “I didn’t know if this one was going to make it either.” I wasn’t quite sure how to take that, but it seemed Roger was quite happy to take the D-Max at face value – namely a hardcore 4WD that can do the business.

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TESTED ISUZU D-MAX

Auckland 4WD Adventure Park A place to play and spend the day!

Park Master and experienced 4WDer Roger Winslade has recently done some extensive work at the Auckland 4WD Adventure Park so we thought it right and proper to visit and let Roger show us what’s new.

Playing in the park is what Roger’s customers do. Roger works there, and cares for the land while providing a family-friendly, drive-it-yourself 4WD experience with tracks suitable for all levels of experience.

The land is renewable forest, which Roger caretakes in cooperation with New Zealand Forestry and the local Iwi, constantly improving the venue for everyone to enjoy responsibly.

Roger also conducts approved training days for organisations requiring such, and he is making the park available to off-road vehicle manufacturers as a demonstration environment and as a competition course for offroad vehicles.

Access to the Park is still off Rimmer Road (north-west of Auckland, Ed) but like as not Roger will direct you to where we came in, at a gated road access which will ultimately be a significant parking area for competition events, a parc ferme if you will, and a spectator’s area complete with campsite facilities

That’s tester Sean.

for multi-day events.

A spectators area suggests there will be something for people to watch, and this year the Woodhill 100 will be held at the park, which has meant Roger has had to do quite a bit of siteworks and improvements.

The Woodhill 100 is dominated more by side-by-sides and buggies and as such, Roger has had to develop suitable tracks through harvested forests.

Accordingly, there are great big ‘sand highways’ skirting the forestry roads and the forest itself

Sean using the car wash at Auckland 4WD Adventure Park.

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which means there is plenty of space for ‘’off road grand prix’’ driving at the park now too.

For the most part however, the Park is designed for 4WD enthusiasts of all skill levels to experience their vehicles in a setting designed to demonstrate and educate while at the same time, enjoy themselves on a family day out.

Roger has been widening tracks and creating more ‘shiny-friendly’ environments, routes, and cuttings in the heart of the forest.

And if the forest is a little too close for your taste, you can take a drive along the ridge ‘roads’ with expansive views out to the Tasman for your passengers while you as the driver, look for a suitable sand trail to get you back down to sea level and scare the pants of your fellow travellers with a stunning sand hill descent.

The Auckland 4WD Adventure Park has now become the 4WD family fun park it has been building up to be, though Roger will cheerfully say his work is never done as he curates a living playground.

4X4 UTE KIT OUT GUIDE

SUPERCHIPS NZ LTD Superchips NZ specialises in tuning petrol and diesels.

With 25 years’ experience in NZ, Australia and Europe they specialise in optimising your vehicles performance.

Since the mid-1980s, engines have been controlled by the engine control unit (ECU). This controls the ignition timing, fuelling, boost pressure and other engine functions.

After extensive development and testing, they fine tune the settings for your make and model. Each remap is as individual as the software inside your ECU, safely eliminating those ‘performance compromises’. The new remap is based on the original manufacturer’s programme.

In many cases, this remapped program is installed through the car’s diagnostic port, so no replacement chip and we don’t touch the ECU. However, some models can only be done directly to the ECU. They also offer a self-programming option using a POWERGATE handheld programmer. If you’re not happy with the upgrade,

they will alter the map to suit your needs or offer a refund guarantee.

Although they specialise in TDI & Turbo petrol, non-turbos can also be upgraded, but with lower gains. Typically, you can expect increases of 25-35 percent for a turbo diesel, 2025 percent for a turbo petrol and up to 10 percent, with much better throttle response, for a normally aspirated petrol.

On some TDIs they can delete the DPF and EGR. Power and torque come in lower down the rev range and last longer. Hence there is less need to rev so hard and change gear to get in the power band. Our tunes improve throttle response, power, torque, plus give fuel savings on turbo diesels. There may also be fuel savings for petrol engines due to less gear changing.

È Superchips NZ ‘fine-tunes’ your vehicle’s ECU to optimise the engine’s ability to produce more power, torque, and improved economy.

For further information, contact on 021 222 9074, jason@aspacsolutions.com or peter@superchips.co.nz or check out www.superchips.co.nz

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4X4 UTE KIT OUT GUID

Don’t settle for the same old bull(bar) AFN founded its Portugal operation in 1995 to supply vehicle protection equipment for their military and the United Nations. From this base the brand has grown and expanded its market to the point where it is one of the best-equipped manufacturers dedicated to the production and commercialisation of protection accessories for offroad vehicles anywhere in the world.

In turn AFN 4×4 Australia has worked tirelessly with AFN Portugal to produce a range of premium products that are particularly suited to the Australian and New Zealand markets. Every AFN Bullbar is tested to meet all ADR (Australian Design Rules are national standards for vehicle safety) requirements. This same approach is carried through to their rear bars, side steps, guard bars and unique aluminium underbody protection plates.

deserves; that’s right, there’s no outdated, traditional ‘one style fits all’ products in the AFN range. The four-wheeldrive market has been crying out for something different and new, and AFN has seen this gap in the marketplace and filled it with vehicle specific, cutting-edge modern products.

AFN also knows that getting to the front takes a lot of investment, and as such it is important to ensure the latest manufacturing techniques are utilised. From full 3D vehicle scanning to complex tooling, AFN is dedicated to ensuring it stays aligned with the demands of modern vehicle manufacturing techniques. This, together with a desire to combine aesthetics with functionality has resulted in a product range that will ultimately change the way front and rear protection systems are seen, especially in the New Zealand market.

A cut above

These days, of course, there are all sorts of companies making and selling bullbars but not many apply the design philosophy AFN does. A well-designed bar is a fine balance between strength, overhung weight and aesthetics and AFN puts a lot of effort into getting this balance correct.

For instance, the company’s European trained automotive engineers take into consideration the natural lines of the vehicle to give it a look and feel it so rightly

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SEPTEMBER 2021

Key products

Key protection products AFN manufactures and sells include full looped bullbars, loopless bullbars, rear step bars, side steps and side rails plus aluminium underbody protection plates. All are ADR-compliant and as well as constituting full bumper replacement front and rear, all AFN Bullbars come with full GVM-rated recovery points and with LED sequential indicators & daytime running

4X4 UTE KIT OUT GUIDE

It’s AFN’s passion for good design which sets the company’s 4x4 protection products apart.

lights included in the purchase price (where applicable).

Vehicles covered include VW Amarok, Ford Ranger 2015+, Isuzu D-Max and Mu-X, Toyota Prado 2014+, Toyota Land Cruiser 70 & 200 Series, Toyota Hilux 2015+, Nissan Navara 2015+, Suzuki Jimny 2019+ and Mitsubishi’s MQ Triton.

AFN New Zealand is a division of Kaizen Works, a Wellington-based 4x4 shop with a special interest in 4WDs and the NZ 4WD scene. As well as AFN’s full bumper replacement and bar range, the company also

supplies and fits the premium Safari range of snorkels and products, EFS suspension and Feldon Shelter rooftop tents. To find out more head to the company’s website at www.afn4x4accessories.co.nz , Instagram (afn_4x4_new_ zealand_) or Facebook page (\facebook.com/AFN4x4NZ page or simply get on the phone – 04-568 2796 – or the email – to sales@afn4x4accesoreis.co.nz – and ask!

AFN 4x4 New Zealand. Unit 6/141 Hutt Park Rd, Gracefield, Lower Hutt 5010

4X4 NEW ZEALAND NZ agent for the range of PREMIUM AFN 4x4 accessories ÄFull looped bulbars ÄLoopless bulbars ÄRear step bars ÄSide steps

ÄSide rails ÄAluminium underbody protection plates ÄFull bumper replacements

ÄGVM rated recovery points ÄADR compliant ÄLED sequential indicators & daytime running lights included

CRAFTED LIKE NO OTHER! EHICLES CO E ED

Safari Snorkel supplier and installer

Ford VW Niss

AFN 4x4 New Zeal Find us on Instagram and Facebook

70 & 200 Series

568 2796

Rooftop tent supplier and installer

sories.co.nz

www.afn4x4accessories.co.nz W W W. N Z 4 W D . C O . N Z

37

ADVENTURE

Story and photos by Kevin Isemonger.

PART 3

THE ‘OXFORD IN NZ’ FILES...

Wheels at Wanaka 38 NZ4WD

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ADVENTURE

Having immersed himself in promoting the presence of the reborn and repurposed Series 1 Land Rover, known as Oxford, Auckland-based marque stalwart Kevin Isemonger wasn’t really looking forward to making the long haul south for the iconic vehicle’s ‘last hurrah’ here, at the big Wheels at Wanaka motor show over the Easter weekend. His attitude changed, however, when he heard that mates from the Land Rover Series 1 Enthusiasts were planning a return trip back up the West Coast.

This is the story of what turned out to be a truly epic 10 days of 4WDing old and new from Auckland in the North to Wanaka in the south and a hell of a lot of random points in between.

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And so, after a veritable flurry of emails (and credit card transactions) I was booked ad ready, leaving my home at Clevedon, southeast of Auckland at 9:00am on Saturday March 21, reaching Wellington at 4:30pm and changing my car-ferry ticket from Sunday morning to Early Sunday morning which landed me in Picton at 06:30am – in heavy rain.

Unfortunately, I had accidently left the fridge on overnight, which drained the Defender’s battery to nothing, which was not

a good start to what was a massive day on the road. Compulsory stops every two hours works for me, however, and I made Wanaka in time for Dinner at Rod and Anne Corbett’s place on Sunday evening.

Monday 29 March Due to the methodology for transporting Oxford around the country, I had not had time to really give it a good look over – but today was the day and I finally got to do so in Rod Corbett’s shed in Wanaka. What

ÃHuge traction engines were crowd favourites with young and old alike.

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ADVENTURE

1

1: On the first of three separate Safari days organised by Rod and Anne Corbett ahead of the Wheels at Wanaka show over the Easter weekend, Oxford was chaperoned up to the Snow Farm then out along the Pisa Range.

2: Rod and Anne Corbett presenting Wanaka Search and Rescue chairperson Aaron Nicholson with the $4,500 collected over the three different Safari events.

3: The third and final Land Rover Safari provided those who entered it with stunning views from Hillend all the way to Wanaka and points east, west, and northwards.

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a dream come true to have the privilege of working on the most famous Land Rover in the world!

First up I had a play with the steering. It was really heavy, so I popped the ball-joint on the drag link and checked the load with just the steering box on the steering relay.

Realigned the linkages which made quite a big difference. Checked and filled the swivel joints. Stripped all the brakes out finding a seized wheel cylinder which was replaced.

Greased everything – checked and topped up everything. Set up the timing, as that was out.

Oxford and I then went for a ‘curbside crawl’ down to the Wanaka waterfront for a quick photo session – in the dark.

Tuesday 30 March This was event registration day, the day we would get to see the fruits of our work over the past 12 months. Would we get the support from the Land Rover community we had hoped? The answer was a resounding ‘Hell yeah’ – in spades.

Rod had negotiated with local businessman and avid collector, Allan Dippie, to utilise his ‘Tractor shed 2’ for the Land Rover Rally registrations which I must say went really well – great bunch of people. Caught up with

heaps of old mates and met some new ones, like... Gemma Nott – daughter of Oxford’s ‘First-Overland’ mechanic – Henry Nott.

Gemma now lives at Lake Hawea, just over the hill from Wanaka, and it was an absolute fluke that Oxford’s owner Adam Bennett contacted Gemma asking if she knew Oxford was in New Zealand. Gemma initially contacted me asking if Oxford was coming down south and when I told her it was actually in Wanaka she came over that night to the Registration. As it transpired, Gemma had heard all about Oxford for most of her life, but that ‘this is the first time I have actually seen it’.

Rod Corbett and Allan Dippie were very keen for the Land Rover folk to have a dry run with the Parade procedures. The ‘Wheels at Wanaka’ is not a static display. There are continuous parades all day – for the two days of the show. Each parade is designed to last 15 minutes – so each group has about 10 minutes to all file into the parade grounds – park up and then get the hell out before the next lot of tractors started to pull in. Being the first off the block on Saturday morning – so any delay would have a domino effect throughout the day and would be hard to catch up.

ADVENTURE

The biggest jam was then getting out of the shed, but once lined up, the actual practice went really (READ: Surprisingly) well, and afforded us the chance to grab some photos from the adjacent hill.

Wednesday 31 March Today was the first of three trips Rod and Anne Corbett had organized for the ‘Oxford Land Rover Rally’ based in and around Wanaka. We all met at the top car park at the ‘Snow Farm’ – off the Cardrona Road,

2

high up on the Pisa Range, before heading off across the tops to Mt. Pisa. Although very cold with only a slight breeze, for the time of year, we were exceptionally lucky. At 1,963m (6,440’) this alpine plateau is extremely exposed, and as the name suggests, is known for its extreme weather conditions.

We travelled some distance south along the Pisa Range – which, by the way, was used for the first Land Rover Discovery commercial in the late 1980s before descending into Lowburn by Lake Dunstan just north of Cromwell.

Thursday 01 April On Day two of the ‘Oxford Land Rover Rally’ we had a frosty and early start with a good drive from Wanaka down alongside the Clutha River and east to Tarras – then north to head up towards the Lindis Pass and turned into Forest Range Station.

We all met in the Forest Range woolshed for a presentation on the genetic breeding program that Forest Range Station started several decades earlier, to achieve some of the finest merino wool fibre in the world – before heading back out to the vehicles to start the steady climb from around 600m straight up to around 1,100m at the back of 3

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ADVENTURE

1 1: Proud moment. Kev and Oxford lead the Land Rovers into the stadium.

2: ...and leads the way ahead of the official entrance.

3: Safari at Snow Farm on day one.

4: Returning down river to Arrowtown later in the day.

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Forest Range Station before heading to the highest point of 1,398m of the appropriately named Mt. Grandview for lunch.

Rod stopped the convoy on the arching bend on the lee of Mt. Grandview so we could walk up to the summit as well as grab some photos of the convoy snaking its way around the mountainside.

Following a good break, we then engaged an extra low gear to commence

the extremely steep decent down to the valley floor before heading for a ‘postimplementation’ report at the Hawea Pub. Friday 02 April Day three of the ‘Oxford Land Rover Rally’ and the morning broke with the predicted wet weather coming through from the south.

The track today was the traverse up and

ADVENTURE

2 over ‘Hillend Station’ – climbing up from the Cardrona Road, past the Cell and UHF Towers (785m) to the highest point (1,199m) along the same ridge line as ‘Roys Peak’ – but turning north carrying on across the razor-back ridge, and then down the zigzag, to exit at the back of Wanaka township, which was the track featured on ‘Seven Sharp’ that screened on TVNZ the

previous night (01 April).

Unfortunately, due to the damp conditions it was considered too dangerous as the zigzag section requires traversing a grassy area that was considered too treacherous to cross, so it was a stop off close to the highest point where we could safely turn the vehicles around and descend back down the same route.

Saturday 03 April Today was officially ‘SHOWTIME;’ Welcome to ‘Wheels at Wanaka;’ A day that should have been the ‘taking-iteasy’ day for us organisers, as all the hard work was done – but the stress levels were still right up there.

06:40am – We stood an EZ-Up using the headlights from the Defender – making ready for the big day.

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ADVENTURE

1 By 07:30am the coffee had worn off as more Land Rovers continued to line up in their respective areas we had laid out the previous day. The idea was to try and get the Series vehicles organised in rough date order.... well, that was the idea anyway.

Oxford at the start – chassis number 20 (R860020) next – then HUE166 – and so on down the years.

1: Huge 8WD ex US military truck is a former mobile ground-to-air missilelaunching platform which last saw action in the Gulf War. 2: Day 2 saw at least 70 Land Rovers head east to Tarras and Forest Range Station.

3: Early crawler tractor was not going anywhere fast.

Like herding cats!

Rods instructions were clear.

“All line up behind Oxford before 09:00am.

Kevin, you’re driving Oxford. Queue up in front of Gate 1. When they want you to enter – the gates will open. Enter the Highland

4: Steam-powered was this early delivery truck, now used as a promotional vehicle by boutique Dunedin brewery Emerson’s.

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arena and turn left and follow the grass line of the centre of the parade grounds – and keep going around until all the Land Rovers have entered the parade grounds. I will be in the commentary box – so I will be able to see all the vehicles are coming in. When they are all in – I will contact you on the PRS and you turn right onto the centre grass area and park up at the far left and all the Land Rovers will line up alongside Oxford facing the Grandstand. Once they are all parked up – I will call you again and they will open Gate 2 opposite you – and you can all file out through there.

“This is a moving show – so there are parades every 15 minutes throughout the

ADVENTURE day – so since we are first up, if we (aka – you) stuff this up, it will domino the times throughout the day, so we have 15 minutes to get in – parade – park up – and get out before the Tractors need to enter the grounds – so don’t F@#k it up.”

Right – got it!

Oxford started – good start! Into the parade grounds – and around we go – and around – and around – and around... I could hear the commentary going on – but due to the sound proofing in Oxford i.e. (none) – I could not hear what was being said.

Until the radio squawks into life – it’s Rod; “We are out of time – get out of the parade grounds quick” By this time, I was on the home straight – there were about 90 Land Rovers driving around the grass square and I was four lanes deep in the centre with all of them following me as more were still filing in through gate 1.

Indicator on – shift left – at the point where all the military armoured Land Rovers were moving into the loop and (trying) to turn left – little, old Oxford is doing an Auckland ‘lane-merge’ – and by now heading towards gate 2 with two ladies frantically waving yellow flags to get someone’s attention to get the hell out!

I glanced in the rear vision mirror and could see Sean Marr in his mint 1949 Series 1 – windscreen full of eyeballs – also trying to merge left through the 101 Gun tractors – as Defenders 3

took evasive action to avoid squashing vintage Series 1s faithfully following the idiot (me) in front...

Rod comes over radio; “That was fantastic...” but I was looking for a cuppa tea and a nice lie down as the tractors rumbled their way into the arena.

In saying that, due to the tractors being slower – and some stalling and refusing to start, they were still trying to get their act together 30 minutes later....

Get back in Oxford: ”Gemma – did you catch all that”?

“Catch what”?

“They want to interview you.”

Gemma freaks out. But it worked like clockwork. Time for another cuppa...

Sunday 04 April Another early start at the ‘Wheels at Wanaka’ show.

All hell broke loose overnight.

Hurricane winds came through, wreaking havoc to the EZ-Up and less substantial tents and display boards.

The St. Johns Ambulance tent was found as a crumpled mess high up on the security fencing to the west of the show grounds – with the deformed and crumpled remains of another spotted tangled up in the tractors. Rod said he missed a call at about 2:30am, when they attempted to call all the committee members down to help secure the site.

When I arrived just before 7am, Rod was running around tying tents and display boards down as the strong pre-dawn winds started to pick up the dust and sand blast everything in their path. Despite this less-than-ideal start the day’s first parade went very smoothly. No changes – no interviews.

We all filed in – lined up – and moved out easy within the 15-minute time frame as the windbourne dust and sand continued to be blown across the grounds.

The only change to the second

Second parade 1:00pm.

Rod: “Right – new plan: Enter the parade ground – but only go around twice – then head to the centre and park up. Everyone follows Oxford. Kev – you have a passenger, Gemma Nott.”

“Cool – got it.”

Just as we are about to move off, the radio squawks again: “Kev – new plan.

Drive around and pull over outside the Grandstand – the commentator wants to interview Gemma.”

I jump out of Oxford and run back to Sean Marr behind; “New plan, mate – don’t follow me. I have to stop outside the Grandstand – they want to interview Gemma. You carry on – but only twice around – then pull up and park in the centre off to the south end.”

Sean – “Right got it.”

I run back to the next vehicle to tell them to follow Sean – and not Oxford – just as Anne Corbett runs over: “Rod said that you have to stop outside the Grandstand.” “Yep – got it” 4

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ADVENTURE

1

1: Line-up included this genuine Garrett steam-powered charabanc.

2: Oxford joins local Series line-up on display at Wheels at Wanaka event.

parade of the day, was to face the east side of the arena – so the many spectators could try and see the front of the vehicles through the dust...

Monday 05 April The long way home My original plan was to fly into Queenstown – attend the Wheels at Wanaka show, and fly out on the Sunday night – but when I heard that all my mates from the Land Rover Series 1 Enthusiasts team were driving down – and back up the west coast, it would have been rude not to tag along with them.

Monday – we were all supposed to be heading out of Wanaka and over the Haast Pass, to explore down the southern west coast for the day – but someone said that the Otago Land Rover Enthusiasts were heading into Macetown – and plans changed – once again!

My Defender had been parked up at the ‘Wheels at Wanaka’, as I was driving Oxford for the parades, so it was good to take it out for a run with the Series 1 team – and it had been about 36 years since I last went into Macetown with the Otago Land Rover Owners Club during the Bannockburn Jamboree in the 1980s.

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My daughter and her partner, Myles Naley were in town – but Steph had come down with a cold, so Myles was keen to jump in and go and have a look at Macetown. So, after over a week in the same motel – everything was packed up into the Defender and we headed south out of Wanaka. Meeting point was on the Cardrona Road at 08:00am – but was changed to 07:3 shady sections holding their misty breath in light blue before bursting out into a bright sun as we snaked our way up and over the Crown Range and down into the Kawarau valley heading to Arrowtown and the Arrow River.

The Arrow River was also holding its breath in light blue shades as we bunched up and tested the depth.

Myles was very happy with his heated seat in the Defender as we watched the Series 1’s bump across the deep river crossings with their frosty breathed occupants peering out over their little green bonnets. We were barely a kilometre up the Arrow River where we crossed again and commenced an ascent up the road out of the river, when Steve Stant in his 1952 Series 1 started to bump-steer across the track.

A diagnosis after jacking the back off the ground, was that the diff had cracked a tooth off a spider gear.

A very long day for Steve Steve opted to stay with his vehicle until our return – which made for a very long day for Steve – which turned into an even longer day than anyone envisaged. In true ‘Top Gear’ spirit we left Steve behind and pressed on up the valley stopping to admire some of the many sluiced out areas on the way.

We stopped for lunch near some of the remaining Macetown village buildings. It was great to see that these old schist and mud buildings had been looked after and restored, unlike the many forlorn, isolated skeletal remains that can be seen out the back of the Dunstan Road and Old Man Range telling a silent story of unimaginable hardship in a treeless landscape in the coldest temperatures regularly recorded in New Zealand in the area.

Tummies filled and tea sloshed, we packed up and headed back out, following the old pack-horse route with its stacked shist slabbed retaining walls and eventually following Arrowtown’s water pipe as it snakes its way down the river, bouncing off cliff faces and perching on unbelievably flimsy looking supports!

There was no other way we could sneak out – so we had to pick up Steve on the way through (LOL – just kidding Steve – (valued subscriber to the NZ4WD magazine as he is). Steve manged to get most of the way out in 2WD, with just a couple of tows required by the Defender to get him

ADVENTURE out. The load on a single working diff can result in secondary breakages, so we had to be careful. Since there was no Cellphone coverage up the valley, I used my satellite in-reach to message Rod Corbett to see if he could score a series diff around Wanaka, and he did.

Back at Rods place, we set about gutting the back end out of Steve vehicle, only to discover it was a snapped short axle. Game over.

Meantime, Rod said, “Grab your camera” and we all piled into Oxford to make a presentation outside the Wanaka Search and Rescue HQ to Aaron Nicholson, Chairperson of the Wanaka SaR with $4,500 being the proceeds raised through the Land Rover Safaris held on the three days

prior to Wheels at Wanaka.

When we got back up to Rod’s place, we looked at various options – but Steve took the failure of axle quite hard, and simply wanted to get home. Most of our crew had pressed on to Haast, where we had all booked in for the night – while we were still at least two hours’ drive away from a beer and a feed 150km away on the west coast.

We shook hands, wished Steve the best – and pressed on into the night.

Postscript: I texted Steve the next morning to see how far he had got – and he was just on the outskirts of Picton having driven right through the night – right across the Mackenzie Country and up the Kaikoura Coast – in a soft top 80” Series 1. Tough bastard!

Taking stock It is hard to know where to start to thank people who helped out along the way. But here goes.

Special mention must go to Rod and Anne Corbett, without their drive and determination the Oxford New Zealand journey may not have gone ahead.

Adam Bennett for sending Oxford to New Zealand.

Jaguar Land Rover for transporting Oxford and the Land Rover Dealerships for hosting Oxford.

Joanne Smith and Star Insurance for covering Oxford in New Zealand.

‘Wheels at Wanaka’ for their support and assistance with the administration of the Land Rover Rally.

Philip and Gillian Avery for hosting the Land Rover Series 1 Enthusiasts run in Whanganui.

Mark Warren, Nick Stewart, Andrew, and Julia Thomas at Toronui Station for the Hereworth 0.5.

Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago Land Rover Owners & Enthusiast Clubs for hosting Oxford events in their areas.

The (estimated) over 300 Land Rover owners that got in behind the tour.

Oxford’s trip continued Meanwhile, Oxford’s extraordinary trip also continued, being loaded onto a truck on Wednesday 07 April for transporting to Armstrong Prestige Land Rover Dealership in Dunedin for the remainder of the week before being taken on the tour of the area by the Otago Land Rover clubs.

The following week Oxford was then transported back up to Christchurch while shipping arrangements are organised for the continuation of his journey onto Australia. While in Christchurch, Rod and Anne Corbett took Oxford on the Akaroa Peninsula Amble 15 & 16 May which was very well attended – again, by the local Land Rover clubs.

I have also been contacted by a few people asking about the statistics of the Land Rover Rally. Rod Corbett provided the following: Wheels at Wanaka stats for Landy’s registered up until Thursday 1 April only. Does not include Land Rovers that turned up to display vehicles without registering on-line, as no statistics were added from public gate entries.

• Registered Landy Owners = 126 (Doesn’t include partners, family etc who were included with their entry.)

• Registered Landys = 144 (Again, doesn’t include those that just turned up, so probably 150+ Landy’s were displayed on Saturday at least).

• Composition: Series 1 = 46, Series 2 = 21, Series 3 = 20, Defenders = 28, Rangies = 9, Discos = 13, Special purpose = 7 (incl. fire engines, ambulances etc) and military at a guess about 10.

• Safaris: All safaris were fully booked for 80 vehicles, or thereabouts. In reality, we averaged about 70 vehicles on each Safari raising $4,500 for Wanaka Search & Rescue.

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WEEKEND DRIVE

Exploring the Northern Wairarapa A couple of spare autumn days were a good opportunity to get in another overnight trip before the winter weather closed in.

We also decided to make it a camping trip but, expecting cooler evenings, we wanted to pick a campground with a good mix of peaceful surroundings and a communal area where we could escape the weather if necessary. The Dannevirke campground, which is located on the edge of a bush reserve and deer park, was an ideal choice and became our base for our two-night stay.

To fit in with other commitments the trip to Dannevirke was, unusually for us, just a steady run up SH2 with no back-roading at all. With beautiful calm, fine weather when we arrived in camp, we enjoyed the afternoon sun and a peaceful dinner before the cooling evening called for an early retreat to our tent. I was woken up just after midnight by a noisy gust of wind, and immediately thought of the awning that I had put up but not pegged down. A quick check of the weather forecast on the phone advised of rising winds, with a severe wind warning from mid-morning, and

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Story and photos by David Coxon

necessitated a quick exit to firmly peg down the awning.

By morning there was a very strong, noisy wind in the tall trees around the camp, but we were quite sheltered at ground level. There was, however, no dawn chorus. Maybe the birds were too busy hanging on. I took a walk around the park, enjoying the early morning light and watching the horses and deer starting their day of grazing, before a leisurely breakfast on the sunny and sheltered kitchen deck.

A golden rain of leaves from above while breakfasting made for a memorable experience. Our planned route for the day finally was to start with a run from just north of Dannevirke out to the coast near Porangahau via as many back roads as we could find, with the return route to be decided later.

Enjoying the isolation The first section of our trip was on good gravel roads as we wound our way through the hills, enjoying the eroded

2

1: There were some interesting shapes in the hills..

2: Our idyllic campsite in the eqarly morning light.

3: Not much water in the falls this time.

4: Our group looking very small next to the placename.

5: A well-groomed gravel road made for an easy trip.

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and folded landscape and the isolation of being away from civilisation. It was an interesting experience when we reached one of the council boundaries, and the road instantly changed from well-groomed, smooth gravel to a narrow and at times grassy track that was obviously due for some maintenance. Obviously different councils have different funding priorities. With the strong winds, our hunt for somewhere for a morning tea stop took so long that when we did finally find a nice clearing on a corner in a 4 pine plantation, with the sun filtering through the trees, we made it a lunch stop. It was still a little cool and breezy, so we kept moving our chairs to stay in the sun as it moved, finally moving on when we lost the sun completely.

During the lunch break, we only saw one vehicle come through – we really were away from it all. The road gradually improved as we came out of the hills and back onto sealed roads for the final run into Porangahau where we parked up while we discussed our next destination.

Eventually we decided to backtrack slightly and take the unsealed and no exit Cooks Tooth Rd over the ranges and down to the beach at the small coastal settlement of Whangaehu. This was an easy and scenic run, if somewhat exposed in places, and a walk along the beach certainly blew 5 the cobwebs away – and replaced them with piles of sand!

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WEEKEND DRIVE

Whangaehu beach was a pleasant, if windy, break.

The whole beach surface was drifting in the wind and we were wearing it. Leaving the beach, we noticed a totally unexpected café sign on the side of the road and saw a small gathering of people sitting on a deck outside what looked like a farm building. With a less windswept coffee in mind we dropped in and found that the venue was actually a church group’s retreat, and that the café had just closed.

However, we were made very welcome and they even offered to open up again for us.

Rather than putting them to that much trouble, we opted for cleaning them out of ice creams and had a very friendly chat with the church members while we enjoyed their hospitality. After this pleasant and informative chance encounter, we returned to the main highway, stopping only to photograph some interesting fungi that Gillian had spotted as we came in.

Sign of the times Back on the highway we decided to take the easiest way back to Dannevirke, following Wimbleton Rd past the sign for Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu to Wimbleton, then Route 52 to the Weber turnoff, which took us back to Dannevirke. With cloudier and cooler weather than our first night, I decided not to set up the awning, and we used the camp kitchen for dinner and another pleasant, social evening. May was a bit worried about the wind buffeting the tent but it kept us warm and comfortable all night, again proving the value of

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having a four-season, mountain-rated tent.

Packing up the next morning was made a bit more challenging by the wind, but was soon accomplished, and over breakfast we decided to head for Pahiatua via Waihi Falls, giving Ashley the chance to revisit a route he planned to use for a 4WD club touring trip a few weeks later. The run down from Dannevirke to Waihi Falls was largely sealed and an easy run. We had a pleasant walk down to the waterfall, but our planned coffee break was abandoned since we couldn’t even get water from the thermos to cup without most of it blowing away!

From here we took the unsealed road over the Puketoi Ranges and down the Makuri Valley to our final destination at Pahiatua. This was a pleasant trip with the road carpeted in pine needles in places, and as expected the winds were seriously strong on the top of the ranges. So strong in fact that when I got out of the vehicle to take a photo, I had real trouble holding the door open to get out, and even more trouble getting back in. I finally had to wind the window down to reduce the wind force on the door enough to let me hold it while I climbed in. We managed a quick and relatively sheltered lunch at the Pipinui Falls pull-off area and had a quick walk the 200m to the falls before the clouds closed in with drizzle, making it time to move on.

We were soon out onto the plains, on a sealed road, and at the end of another adventure, with only the two-hour run back home to go.

COLUMN GEOFFZONE BY GEOFF ANDERS

SPRING HAS SPRUNG ‘Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where my snatch strap iz?’

(With apologies to Spike Milligan).

Spring – a time of freshening rivers, floods, rain, and wind! Just after we’ve recovered from midwinter. A time to freshen the 4WD and explore as temperatures rise and days gain equinox length. Don’t forget your shovel, gummies, and parka just yet though. Hopefully, too, you’ll have another 4WD along for mutual support.

Many districts have already suffered serious flooding this year with inevitable photos of well submerged vehicles, farms, roads, even golf courses. Kiwis drown, and it’s not only the feathered ones.

F’rinstance So, spring is a good time to do an annual audit of the recovery gear we all should carry with us in our truck at all times. F’rinstance, when you eventually find your snatch strap or tow rope have a good look at its condition.

Is it dirty, frayed, nicked? Are the eyes getting thin and stretched? All are signs of weakness and potential danger.

Broken under stress, they can damage a vehicle, injure, or kill a person. Clean them after use.

It’s also a good idea at this juncture to check tow points front and rear. Are they secure and accessible? Are ALL the bolts tight? Try and rattle them, give them a tap with a hammer, see if they move – they shouldn’t! And please, please, please, never use a tow ball for snatch recoveries!

They are not rated for such loads and can break off and become a missile.

Something else worth noting is that some snatch straps are rated at an eight-tonne breaking strain. It’s difficult on many 4WDs to be able to mount tow hooks to stand that much load. In my book eight tonne is too much. Its less dangerous to break a strap or rope than to pull off a hook or tow ball.

I’ve had a broken window, a door with an impressed rope pattern and a broken handle from an overenthusiastic snatch job. I’ve also got friends who had a shackle enter through a rear windscreen and leave via the front one, luckily missing all occupants on the way.

Seriously folks, these risks are real!

Ditch the bravado Also, when attempting a Snatch recovery ditch the bravado. Tows should be begun gently. If they need greater effort build it gradually and think of the forces involved. Check the stuck vehicle isn’t snared on a stump

or something. Get the shovel out and clear the wheels and suspension. If the motor is dead is the tranny in neutral (‘N’) and handbrake off?

If possible, do a ‘power tow’ – add another tow vehicle out front and use more power, less snatch. Or, if there’s room at the sides but not ahead try it alongside on another rope, (if possible, to a different tow hook). Either may offer better traction. If traction is poor add another vehicle – power tows are usually much safer than hardout snatches that break things.

Good co-ordination is paramount with power tows as, if uncoordinated they can produce a series of hard shock loads that don’t achieve any progress, so use clear communications. Use radios if at all possible and elect one person to be leader. A knowledgeable bystander using hand signals is often the best for this job but position them (and other personnel) clear of danger from gear breakage.

No bystander, no radios? Use a horn, one toot to go, toot, toot or one long one to stop!

Finally, make sure the stuck driver is ready to power-on as the ropes take up. And never, ever, run over a rope or strop.

And before I go...

I often see vehicles with only one headlight working.

Same could be said for signal and brake lights. They are easy to check – headlights will reflect on the rear of a vehicle ahead. They will be most obvious on a flat rear panel at the same spacing as on their parent vehicle. If the panel ahead is convex the images may only become apparent when following closely. At distance they may be tiny spots close together that will get bigger and move apart as you get closer. It’s a good check when in city traffic.

Tail, brake-lights, blinkers and reversing lights can be checked by their reflections in shop or fuel station windows or when backed close to a wall.

Most headlamps and signal lamps have readily available replacement bulbs. Find out how to replace them. Later vehicles use LEDs that should last ‘forever’.

Please fix dead lamps quickly. A friend’s son, and others, died in a head-on. The driver of the other vehicle was playing chicken, swerving into oncoming traffic, and escaping just in time. However, his car had only one headlight working! The young innocent driver of the other car thought it was a motorbike drifting across his lane so braked and headed right to miss it...

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COLUMN VAHRYOUS THOUGHTS BY PETER VAHRY

LIMITS TO BEACH ACCESS ON THE HORIZON Those signs of spring are well underway and four-wheeling thoughts will possibly be looking ahead to the summer and maybe some beach driving; a recreational pastime that is starting to draw considerable scrutiny from local authorities as the numbers of vehicles heading onto beaches continue to grow.

Unfortunately, it is not always just the numbers of vehicles that create problems, but it is often the anti-social behaviour of a few that raise the ire of other beach users and local residents. It got to the point at Auckland’s Muriwai beach where the community and the Council rangers called for drastic measures to ‘manage’ vehicle access to the beach. One option tabled was a total ban on vehicles on the beach and another was the use of gates and paid permits to activate the gates.

Several public meetings ensued, with a couple being quite rowdy, but eventually a group was convened made up of ‘locals’ and recreation representatives that was chaired by a senior council ranger. The aim was to try to find a consensus that might allow ongoing vehicle use to be included in a draft vehicle management plan for the beach that is to be presented to the Auckland Council in September.

Even the recreation representatives had to agree that behaviours needed changing, especially of those drivers who continue to ‘hoon’ into the dunes and beyond. The gate idea has hopefully been deflected for the moment, however only on the basis that there will be an attempt to somehow ‘educate’ the vehicle users that the beach has boundaries and rules. The first proposed move is to create a paid permit to be clearly displayed on all vehicles entering the beach area. The existing ‘permit’ system is based on a free online process and printing a document that you simply need to have in the vehicle, and it is impossible to know who actually has a permit. Signs and maps will be created too.

All this effort could yet be disregarded by the Auckland Council meeting!

The threat of Muriwai being closed and vehicles heading to other regions has Councils in Northland examining their rules around vehicle use on beaches. Sadly, it seems that as populations increase, along with the availability of capable vehicles, there will be more and more limitations on vehicle access to beaches.

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Beach clean-up time at Muriwai, west of Auckland.

Not alone We are not alone with this dilemma, as many Australian beaches near population centres are being ‘managed’ for vehicle access, either with total bans or gated with paid permit systems in place. In July the US environment advocacy group Pew Charitable Trust published an article titled The Era of Beach Driving May Be Coming to a Close which concluded that most beaches in the USA will soon have rules in place restricting vehicle use. Maybe this quotation from that article sounds familiar…

“States must balance the demands of short-term tourism that supports local economies with the desires of permanent residents, many of whom don’t want cars or partygoers to interfere with their view or their enjoyment of a quiet walk along the ocean. There are also the competing needs of working fishers and shellfish harvesters, as well as the environmental stress of cars on nesting turtles, birds and other marine life.

“And driving itself can damage dunes and other natural formations that protect coastal communities from storms. Many states, particularly those on the East Coast with fragile sea turtle populations, have faced legal challenges from conservation groups over the environmental damage caused in part by beach driving.”

At the Cape Hatteras National Seashore of the Outer Banks last year, the National Park Service sold 48,000 offroad vehicle permits, which cost $120 for an annual pass or $50 for a 10-day permit. To obtain a permit, drivers must say they watched a safety video.

Love it… or lose it!

Hopefully those Auckland Council members don’t read this article before their September meeting as those permit costs sound rather higher than I think most NZ four-wheelers would agree to and any paid permit scheme that is ‘honour’ based would need to be realistic, or it would just be flouted.

There’s a plan proposed for the ‘northern’ 4WD clubs to put together a mobile information sign that would be used as an ‘education’ display in the areas around the vehicle access points onto Muriwai Beach as a part of demonstrating the intention of the clubs to advocate better behaviour by all vehicle users. One of the local residents on the working group reckoned he’s been wanting to get a sign put up saying “Love it or Lose It” which probably says it all for most of our beaches.

Mark Baker on what’s happening in the world of off-road racing here in NZ. RFC’s new Russian initiative.

All the action from the latest series round.

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ETITION

Off-road racing resurgence gathers pace

1 Story by Mark Baker.

Photos by Darren Stanley and Mark Baker.

The long shadow of Covid-19 stopped New Zealand off-road racing in its tracks last year. Clubs cancelled events, drivers cancelled vehicle builds, uncertainty reigned.

Without access to funds that have helped MotorSport New Zealandaffiliated clubs and events recover from lockdown offroad racing’s recovery is taking measurably longer.

Grids at events are reduced, volunteer support is down, one club has had to hand off a round of the national championship to a club able to run at a different venue, and some non-championship events have simply not gone ahead.

Weather has also upset event plans.

The endurance championship at Nelson had to be cancelled when a massive storm doubled the height of streams that cross the course, and other events have run in abysmal conditions that have dissuaded drivers from racing.

The Woodhill 100 was to have run as

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a stand-alone race this year but lost its traditional Queen’s Birthday Weekend date in confused circumstances and instead has run two months later but been stepped back up to championship status.

The Good News starts here!

The good news in this environment has been at the start of the year, where the stadium championship on the new track at Manukau drew a cumulative total of almost 130 entries across its 2

COMPETITION

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1: The youth Kiwitruck classes are booming in north where Kenna Baker (background) leads M class and Holly Russell (foreground) leads ST1 class.

2: Bruce McKeown (#843) takes the low line leaving fellow Class 8 truck runner Leigh Bishop (#863) the high.

3: UTV class action from Tect Park as Scott Bishop (U72 SxS) heads Boston MorganHoran in one of the new single-seat versions (U89).

two dates even though the second round was delayed by a partial Covid lockdown of Auckland.

Without doubt the best developed track in New Zealand, it has a sealed car park capable of holding upwards of 800 spectator cars, massive underground stormwater drain network, and terraformed spectator viewing sites offering full-track viewing.

For its inaugural championship event, it was also blessed with two fine-weather weekends.

The organisers of the stadium championship event have since announced that they will resurrect the New Zealand Offroad Grand Prix – which last ran in the late 1980s – as

a one-weekend event in November.

There are further plans in place to run an international stadium series once borders re-open, and several US and Australian teams have expressed strong interest in making the trip downunder.

Southern titles run and won The southern championship – three rounds, two held at West Melton near Christchurch and one in forest near Nelson – have been run and won, with Nelson’s Dan Fisher taking the outright southern title driving a Chev LS-engined Razorback race car.

The northern championship has only completed one round, held at the TECT Park near Tauranga. drivers have maximum points: Brendon Old (class three for cars up to 1.6-litres); Rob Cresswell (class four for sport utes and 4WDs); Bradley Scott (class five for cars up to 1.3-litres); Brooklyn Horan (class seven for cars with 1.2 litre VW engines for 1.0-litre Toyota ‘waterpumpers’); and Matthew Bishop (Challenger class for cars with 1.6-litre VW engines).

The youth Kiwitruck classes attract massive grids in the north; not so much

in the south where Riley Parkes won J class and Kadin Thomason won M class. In the northern championship after one of three rounds Asher Morgan leads J class; Kenna Baker leads M class and Holly Russell leads ST1 class.

The north’s remaining point-bearing rounds will be the Woodhill and TECT Park.

Plans for national final well advanced Meanwhile, plans for the final round of the national championship are well progressed. Hosted by the Otago club, it will run over two days on Slim Slee’s massive farm at Kurow in the South Island’s Waitaki Valley.

There is an ongoing question of class in the sport – the traditional classes that once attracted grids of ten or more cars are now struggling to field entries that will fill the post-event podiums.

Challenger, class four, class five, class seven are all suffering, while the sport has responded to depleting fields in class two (production) and class six (for former winch challenge trucks) Continued Ä

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ETITION

1 and reshuffled the truck and 4WD classes into justt class cla s fou f r (modified smaller-engin ined ‘chassis’ truc cks) and class eight cla ght (unlimited-class tru ucks, both bo RW RWD and 4WD). The Cha allengers rs and cl class seven cars have tradiitionally be een re regarded as entry-level, el but the sc carcity ty off VW Beetle Be tle tra transmission and a part is no ow pushing thesse suspension parts cars up toward that o of a class three car. Competitive cla ass three cars are ne des design e with essentially a class one th a four cylinder 1.6-litre engine n capacity limit: with imported American cars now dominating.

Where the growth is…

The UTV classes, U and S, remain strongly supported in both islands; there are hints that the current three brands of UTV may be joined by others in the near future. The speed of these small 4WD racer cars does come at a price – a winning Can Am, Polaris or Yamaha can top $80,000 though midfield cars are half that. The UTVs are all built locally from new vehicles and

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offer con n o e the convenience of off-the-shelf parts p availability.

The ‘big banger’ classes, meanwhile, are in robust health, with strong grids at every v event. In both class one for offroad race cars and class 8 for the big trucks, V8 engines are strongly dominant and the ubiquitous Chev LS is the weapon of choice. Strong, on n powerful and backed by the Chevrolet performance development programme, the LS adapts well to off-road racing and offers very affordable fo power.

There are numerous new driver-car combinations looming, some involving race trucks imported from overseas.

Build costs for local cars with racewinning potential can top $150,000.

Joel Giddy has imported an American Pro4 truck; Aucklander Leigh Bishop has been running a class eight truck. Both have stepped into their trucks from competitive UTVs. Hawke’s Bay driver Shayne Huxtable is developing the selfbuilt race truck he first brought out to win the class at the opening round of the 2020 championship. There are also

two or more race trucks currently on the water from the USA – a ProLite rear wheel drive truck like that of defending class 8 championship winner Nick Hall and a Pro 2 rear-wheel-drive.

Name rings a bell!

Rally driver Andrew Hawkeswood has powered his new truck into the class 8 lead up north. He has dabbled in offroad racing several times, briefly running a truck at Woodhill and later sharing Neville Smith’s Cougar Honda Turbo at a Taupo 1000.

In Christchurch, Mark Brown has been steadily developing his class one single-seater, another import from the US of A. While Nevil Basalaj’s Chev V6 engined Jimco, a former championship-winner, has been sold and will reappear in new hands for 2022.

The dates and venues for the 2022 national championship will be confirmed at the Offroad racing Association of New Zealand’s annual general meeting in November.

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ON UM A COMPETITION

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South Island Championship 2

Top 10 after all three rounds 1. Dan Fisher 2. Brendon Old 3. Slim Slee 4. Brian Rutgers 5. Keegan Terrell 6. Steven Boyd, 7. Alex Bright 8. Donald McMillan 9= Dale McKenzie, Charlotte van der Meys

213 pts 186 pts 164 pts 154 pts 149 pts 142 pts 135 pts 108 pts 106 pts

North Island Championship 3

Top 10 after one round of three 1= Brendon Old, Rob Cresswell, Bradley Scott, Brooklyn Horan, Matthew Bishop, all on 6 Andrew Hawkeswood 7 Brad Harvey 8= Jon Sarten, Joel Giddy 10= Connor Nicklin, Harry Hodgson, Dion Edgecombe

72 pts 70 pts 68 pts 66pts 64 pts

1: Rally driver Andrew Hawkeswood has powered his new truck into the class 8 lead in the north.

2: ORANZ championship veteran Tony McCall is the man behind Auckland’s new Stadium events at Colin Dale Park.

3: Neill Hook #3NZ. 4: Nice crisp shot of Connor Nicklin in his class 3 buggy.

4

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COMPETITION

RFC RUSSIA REVS UP IN THE FAR EAST

The PrimRing, the motorsports hub of Russia’s Asia Pacific region (think Vladivostok.

Ed), hosted the first round of a new-look, 2021 RFC Russia series in May.

Story by RFC International, Photos courtesy RFC Russia Russia could hardly have provided a better venue for the first round of the RFC Global Series (RFCGS) than the Primring Sports & Technical Centre (PSTC), home of major local, regional, and international motorsport in the vast country’s Far East.

Situated at Artem near the airport and seaport of Vladivostok in the region of Primorsky Krai, the PSTC offered a mix of everything RFC competitors have come to expect from an RFC event.

RFC Russia (RFCRU) has also been reorganised and authorised for 2021-2025 to handle all RFC events across this vast country.

While it was no surprise to see that the seasoned teams in R1 (Prototype) like Roman Kulbak (three-time RFC champion) and the Panyushkin brothers (aka The Terrible Twins) were ready to be tested in 4x4 supremacy, it was also heartening to see the others in R2 (Modified Production) and newcomers in R3 (Standard) eager to start the action, making up a total of 25 teams.

From the word ‘Go’ it was full adrenaline rush as every team tried their best in driving and recovery skills to overcome the Special Stages (SS). It was tough for everyone as only right Special Stages (SS) could be completed out of the 10 planned; nothing strange for the racers, after all the RFC is not known among the Top Five Toughest Offroad Races for nothing.

From here, RFCRU events will spread across Russia from north, east, south, and west (northern Caucasus region, Siberian regions of Sakha, Baikal, Sakhalin, western region of Smolensk, Khanty Mansi in Nord, Ural Mountains at Chelyabinsk and Primorye Tiger Trail) for 2021 and expand into more regions from 2022-2025.

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COMPETITION

Results: Top Guns in R1 (Prototype/Hard) Roman Kulblak/Duzhev The ‘Terrible Twins’ (Panyushkin bros) Poddubny/Yakovenko.

Top Guns in R2 (Mod Prod/Medium) Nikita/Pavel (aka the Katsura bros) Daniil Solovyov/Roman Aynutdinov Pototsky/Pyatnitsa.

Top Guns in R3 (Standard) Alexei Tsygankov/Oleg Oparin Dmitry & Anastasia Ryadnovykh Shahpakov/Shapakov.

Thanks to: Partners: Primring Sports & Technical Centre (PSTC) & Prim-X. Sponsors: blokirovka. Ru & Raptor.

Organizer: Sports & Technical Club Rubezh 4x4

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COLUMN

DIRT NATION WITH BRYAN CHANG

SPREADING THE WORD It’s the climb. Oh, and the rallysprint. And that always sets the adrenalin flowing. It also makes people wonder why offroad racing and rallying stand poles apart when the disciplines are so similar.

One of the pure joys of running the old and new Chang trucks is that I have been able to ‘cross dress’ out into other disciplines and do some ‘evangelism’ on behalf of the sport. Over the years that has given me the privilege of competing alongside some of the biggest names in rallying The stand-out for years was the amazing Silverstone Race to the Sky (up the Snow Farm access road in the Cardrona Valley, approx. halfway between Queenstown and Wanaka. Ed) organised by rally and race identity Grant Aitken. So many corners, so much altitude, so much sideways time. Even when the drops off the side of that road are huge, it’s hard not to love the oversteer stance that an offroad race truck will hold. People may say sideways isn’t the quickest line, but I’d dispute that. And it’s much more fun, as editor Ross would attest.

Then in the same period and enduring on right to the present day is the Ashley Forest Rallysprint. Though the Falcon and now the Chev are not compliant with MotorSport New Zealand rules, we take our truck to places like Ashley Forest for the challenge of running as a demo in between the regular entries. Because it’s a full-on rallysprint we can’t run as a formal entry, but the organisers always extend the invite to come and do these demo (full speed) runs.

In terms of times, we won’t trouble the rally guys: they all see the minute as a slow run! In fact 20 years ago Possum Bourne did it in 56 frantic seconds; Kim Austin did it in that mad V8 4WD Mitsubishi Starion in 56.57 and Hayden Paddon now holds the new record on 52.77.

Likewise, Hayden Paddon’s own epic Hillclimb in the Nevis Valley last year was special. It had a specific class for offroaders and was a fairly exciting bit of road – my son Owen and I both ran there, and the sound of the Jimco going up that hill was really something. Huge fun and it’s always cool to race in front of a crowd.

Then of course there’s Rod and Shelley Millen’s Leadfoot out at Coromandel, a very exciting tarmac hillclimb with a bespoke separate climb course for the offroaders – because we know our rigs love air and tarmac hillclimbers don’t.

In fact before we switched out the colours on the Chev I made a photographer’s life very exciting when I dropped in for a chat halfway through a Leadfoot run. As the old saying goes, he discovered that adrenalin is brown that day.

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Bryan Chang, off-road racing ambassador, spreading the word at an early Race to The Sky Hillclimb.

Finally, there’s the ‘one that got away’ – Andrew Hawkeswood’s Battle of Jack’s Ridge, where the offroaders (including Mad Mike Whiddett and Andrew himself) are invited to put in a time just like the rally guys. The Giti Chev hasn’t got there – yet – thanks to broken bits. But Andrew has confirmed the battle is on again and even better it will stand alone from the rally, where last year the events were on the same weekend. Anyone who watched the inaugural event on TV will agree it’s a superb day out.

The point of doing this is as much to get to meet a whole heap of folk who’ve never seen an offroad race truck. The level of interest at hillclimbs is intense and I’m always happy to talk offroad racing in the pits as many will have noted. So with the actual offroad racing championship all done down here and the endurance championship washed out by horrible weather at Nelson, our thoughts turn to other things, and specifically to getting the Yellow Peril together.

That puts the Ashley Forest event square in our sights along with Tony McCall’s resurrection of the New Zealand Offroad Grand Prix in November at Manukau. Covid-willing, those are real prospects for us and the Ashley Forest course is a personal favourite. It’s such a classic, and so much a drive of ‘two halves’ – how to go fast both up and down that unforgiving narrower ribbon of gravel is a puzzle some of the best in motorsport have worked at year after year for more than three decades.

The rallymen have always been strong there of course – Hayden Paddon, Neil Allport, Possum Bourne, Reg Cook, the Owen Brothers, Kim Austin, even Rod Millen himself all had shots at glory there and it’s an honour to be offered the chance to drive in their wheel tracks.

Ashley Forest Rallysprint happens 18-19 September. It’s a ‘resurgence’ event after Covid forced the cancellation of the sprint in 2020. So for many rally people it’s going to be a big day (weekend) out. For me it will be the perfect reset after a difficult year blighted by mechanical woes. And once more a chance to say gidday to the big wide world of motorsport outside the off-road fraternity.

“I have raced on other brands of tyres but haven’t found anything else that can offer as much traction as the GT Radial Komodo. Whether racing, going off-road or simply from A to B give them a go, you won’t be disappointed.”

Bryan Chang

GT Savero Komodo Extreme

www Photo taken by Mark Baker

GT Sav aver ver ero o Ko Komo modo mo do MT

T Ad Adve vent ve ntur nt uro ur o AT

itii it

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YOUR4S

SEPTEMBER WINNER John McDonald John’s pics arrived very much unheralded – as is the way these days – but because they were well labeled I immediately recognised that they were to go with a story by another correspondent… and promptly forgot about them; until I realised that I didn’t have any suitable Your4s pics this month. Remembering John’s emails I retrieved them.. and from that point on realised that my only problem was going be trimming my choice down to four.

N I W KUMHO 4X4

Your

4s YOU ARE NOW ENTERED TO WIN A GRAND PRIZE OF FOUR KUMHO 4X4 TYRES TO BE ANNOUNCED IN THE NZ4WD ANNUAL ISSUE.

Our monthly feature showcases 4WDs doing just about anything except rolling over or burning! We will award a grand prize of a set of four Kumho 4x4 tyres in the NZ4WD Annual issue. This contest is open to all readers who are not professional photographers.

IMPORTANT: Photographs must have been taken by the person entering them, or have the photographer’s written permission.

Email your digital images and a detailed caption to: editor@NZ4WD.co.nz Send your prints and detailed captions to: Your4s with Kumho, PO Box 65-092, Mairangi Bay, Auckland 0754.

Be sure to include your postal address!

Submitting photos The basics: as with any photo, there’s no substitute for an image that’s sharp – in focus and free of camera shake. It should be well-exposed.

Size and type The ideal submission would be a beautiful 300dpi TIFF of 10Mb or more, sent to us on a CD. However, in the real world we’re more than happy with JPEGs (.jpg) at 72dpi and as close to 2,240x1,680 as you can get. High-end cameras will be able to do better, but 2,240 suits our needs quite well.

Two DON’TS Do not send us photos embedded in Word documents. We will not use them. Do not send prints from digital images made on cheap inkjet printers on ordinary paper. The quality is just not good enough. However, if you have a high-end inkjet capable of photo-quality prints on glossy paper, we’re happy to see them. Good luck!

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TORQUETALK BY ASHLEY LUCAS

WHEN LIGHT ISN’T ALWAYS RIGHT! We all like to accessorise our vehicles, some more than others and while some of our first upgrades used to be mud tyres and suspension lifts the growing trend seems to be lighting, in particular LED light bars. Over the last couple of years it seems to be the norm amongst those on certain social media sites that having a light bar ensures you won’t get stuck off road!

OK, it has become a standing sarcastic remark but it came about because people were splashing out on a 42-inch light bar to mount on their ‘new’ 4WD ute before anything else. I am not sure why but I certainly don’t find these modern light bars a ‘cool’ looking accessory. Probably because the market is so saturated with cheap Chinese versions that at times don’t meet NZ WoF lighting standards.

Quite often there is a real need to upgrade the lighting on vehicles for various reason such as fog lights which give a wide spread of light, mounted low, for driving in fog prone areas, or spotlights with their pencil beam on rural roads, mounted higher to avoid making potholes look like craters.

Somewhere in between these two are driving lights which is arguably the most useful when set up right.

It was always possible to upgrade headlight and driving lights through fitting of brighter bulbs or high intensity discharge (HID) lamps and in some cases fitting LED upgrade bulbs but in the latter case many weren’t designed to work with filament type reflectors and won’t produce a beam pattern that will pass a WoF. One of the reasons LEDs have become so popular is their low current draw compared to the halogen and HID lights that came before them which had a tendency to draw so much battery power. This is also a reason why electric vehicles are now fitted entirely with LED lighting, but again I digress.

Light bars can be a combination of these aforementioned lighting options with one light bar manufacturer quoting their 22-inch light bar as having a three-part beam with a massive 165 percent increase in lux performance. The bar “features 40 LEDs, selected for their high luminous flux and perfectly matched optical properties, made up of eight flood and 24 spot, plus eight flood reflector distribution forms, providing a remarkable beam that pushes the wide beam out at 50° and spot beam at 5.8° all the way to staggering 1 lux @ 663m”.

Sounds very impressive but how useful is it overall? For instance, can it be used on the roads without blinding oncoming traffic, and how often are you out in the bush that you need such bright lights blinding others (competition vehicles excluded)?

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My own experience driving a vehicle at night on country roads with LED driving lights was interesting at the time.

With the twin LED spotlights the road was so lit up that the large yellow road signs would often reflect back almost blinding me with my own lights. The other problem was due to so much light it was hard to detect the lights of oncoming vehicles until they were actually in view and their driver being blinded by the LED spotlights. On one occasion on a straight piece of road with a dip, I didn’t realise there was a vehicle approaching in the dip until he ‘popped’ out of the dip in front of me because I hadn’t been able to pick up the lights in the dip.

One reason for failure under our VIRM manual (WoF inspection) for lighting is “it is illegal to fit an HID or LED conversion kits into headlamps as they produce poor beam patterns and a light that is often far too bright to be safe.”

Yes, a vehicle can fail a WoF for having lights too bright.

Another paragraph concluded with “or any other light source such as LED strips or non-OEM angel eyes”. I am not sure but is the reference to ‘LED strips’ also referring to LED light bars? Possibly as it seems light bars are wired up as ‘work lights’ and thus should not and cannot be used on the road legally.

You can however replace the complete headlamp unit with a complete HID or LED headlamp unit provided they meet approved safety standards for headlights. Do your research first.

So what is it with all these LED light bars? Yes I know generally we need better lighting on our vehicles, especially off road if we get caught out on that last track as we often variably do but I am not so sure a 40-inch or full width light bar is the answer. On my Land Rover 90 which originally came out with sealed beam lights I eventually replaced them with halogen units and bulbs for better lights but have never gone for any additional spot or driving lights.

Although I have questioned myself over the change as sealed beam lights were never affected by water and mud getting into the lights like the halogen lamps.

Are LED light bars a worthwhile investment 4WD? Speaking strictly personally here, my answer is, … I don’t think so; I’d rather be putting my money into better tyres, or a decent winch like the Warn 8274. Do they provide too much light to be legal? Some, possibly. All I know is that they are fitted to nearly every 4WD ute out there atm, and it might be a standing joke about not getting stuck if you have a light bar, but because of that mentality and sarcasm I now dislike, no, I distinctly loathe them, because of what they have come to represent.

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We join YouTuber Jono Hitchcox as he and mate Shannon make a video about their epic recent trip from Aotuhia to Whangamomona

ÄRICHARD SOU LT IS BACK 4X4EXP LORING CENTRAL OTAGO WIT H FRIENDS ÄDAVID COXON CHECKS OUT DANNEVIRKE & ENV IRONS

ÄMARK BAKER WRITES ABOUT ’OFF-ROAD RACING …IN THE TIME OF COVID-19!’

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N WILLMOT TESTS ISUZU’S EST D-MAX AT WO ODHILL

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Over the last twenty yearrs Milo, my now retire O i ed 40 Ser e ies an and I h racc e up er a milillili kill et ra e ress acro ross s som me off the mos o t re remo mote te and rugg gged tracks Australia could d di dish sh out ut..

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