Off-Site 17 (February/March 2020)

ISSUE 17 FEB/MAR 2020

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!

WIN A PAIR OF

OAKLEY SUNGLASSES PG 17

THE CLASSIC ART OF

LONGBOARDING TRADIE PROFILE

BEN AFEAKI

BOW HUNTING IDAHO BULL ELK

BBQ CHICKEN LOLLIPOPS

KAWASAKI MULE SX XC

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WORK HARD, PLAY HARD! WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!

ROLL-ON SUMMER! WELCOME TO ISSUE SEVENTEEN OF RHEEM OFF-SITE

CONTENTS 04 THE ART OF LONGBOARDING 08 RHEEM – WATSON ON THE WATER 10 TRADIE PROFILE – BEN AFEAKI 14 BOW HUNTING IDAHO BULL ELK 17 OAKLEY WINNERS AND WIN WITH OAKLEY 18 BBQ CHICKEN LOLLIPOPS 20 KAWASAKI MULE SX XC

This awesome edition of Rheem Off-Site is just what you need when putting your feet up after a long, hot day of work or adventuring. We join Steve Dickinson on page four for a summary article on the cruisy pastime of longboarding.

Turn to page 10 to find Nick Jones’s Tradie Profile on Ben Afeaki – All Black, coach, fisherman and freediver. Next cab off the rank is an amazing offshore elk hunting trip report by Ant Niterl.

Kerren Packer then offers up his secrets on barbequing chicken lollipops before the issue is rounded off by a review of the Kawasaki Mule SX XC – a must read for any vehicle lovers!

THE OFF-SITE CREW

Rheem off-Site is published bi-monthly by NZ Fishing Media Ltd. Offices are located at 177B Marua Road, Ellerslie, Auckland, Ph (09) 579 4060.

THE BOSS Grant Blair QS Grant Dixon PROJECT MANAGER Nick Jones ARCHITECT Ricky Harris CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Leah Foxcroft HAMMER HAND (Advertising) Dean Andrew 021 862 579 sales@nzfishingnews.co.nz EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Grant Dixon 0274 925 533 grant@nzfishingnews.co.nz Advertising within this publication is subject to NZ Fishing Media Ltd’s standard advertising terms and conditions, a copy of which is available by emailing grant@nzfishingnews.co.nz or by calling (09) 579 4060

off-Sitenz 12:53 PM

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off-Site

Surfs’ up

THE CLASSIC ART OF LONGBOARDING

By Steve Dickinson

Surfing arrived in New Zealand looking very different to what we see today. A few clubbies were playing with hollow surf skis but not until 1959 did two Americans come to New Zealand and kick alive a revolution and a culture. Steve Dickinson explains further.

S

urfing has always been part of Māori culture. The original practice was called whakahekeheke.

It was carried out using a variety of craft, including boards, or kopapa, and even bags of kelp, but the Christian missionary ‘killjoys’ put a quick stop to that.

Surfing came back into focus following Hawai’ian surfer Duke Kahanamoku’s tour of New Zealand in 1915. He provided surfing demonstrations for the locals at the Lyall Bay Surf Life Saving Club in

Wellington. At that stage, surfing was mainly utilised in the surf lifesaving movement, which used heavy hollow longboards to paddle through the surf and rescue people.

Up until this point, surfing consisted of riding the wave in a straight line directly to the beach. In 1958, two American lifeguards, Bing Copeland and Rick Stoner, came to stay at Piha Surf Lifesaving Club and introduced the concept of surfing across the face of the wave on a smaller board (still at least 9-10ft).

Copeland and Stoner also helped locals make copies of their boards,

introducing modern surfing and surfboards to New Zealand. These new surfing techniques put more emphasis on the surf conditions, causing surfers to go in search of better locations in their hunt for breaking waves that peeled off rather than crashing straight to the beach. Generally speaking, this was the birth of surfing, but it was all still longboarding.

Sure, the shortboard era came and stayed, but in the background, longboarding still managed to tick along. A full resurgence took place in early 1990 as surfers saw the

Generally speaking, this was the birth of surfing, but it was all still longboarding

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value and appeal of the longboard.

The art of longboarding is timeless; it is, after all, an art. They say that longboard surfing is a state of mind; an idealised stage of mindfulness.

There are more longboarders in the world than what you might think.

Some of them are not full-time ‘loggers’; they own a respectable ‘quiver’ of boards, and when the surf is smaller and other surfers are

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sitting on the beach, they enjoy the smaller waves on their longboard just as much as they enjoy the more powerful stuff.

The 1990s kicked off the nostalgia period, and the classic longboard shapers started getting back to the old designs. Shapers like Roger Hall from Surfline in Ruakaka, who had never left his roots in longboarding, began a new era of longboarding

“The original riders used to say that the essence of longboarding is style.”

in New Zealand and started to innovate. Currently, he is designing a board with a wing keel that does not require a fin!

There is less rip and tear on a longboard than on a shortboard, but there is still a range of moves to be made and refined – nose riding, tip riding, helicopters, cross-stepping, trimming, turning manoeuvres, tube riding and the classic hang ten. The

original riders used to say that the essence of longboarding is style.

The simple joy of longboarding is that you will catch far more waves than anyone else on a shortboard no matter the size of the surf, but particularly when it is smaller. You get to enjoy the pure essence of surfing just like Duke Kahanamoku and simply enjoy the glide. You will get more days on the water – you

can always find somewhere smaller if it is too big, but you will be having far more fun than anyone else when its small. It is difficult to explain, but when you feel a longboard glide over the water, it is an entirely different feeling – it is ageless and mesmerising.

If you have had an injury or are just getting a few years under your belt, then longboarding is for you

– it is more comfortable to paddle, easier to catch waves with, more straightforward to stand up on and everything is at a slightly slower pace. Longboarding is also an excellent tool for the beginner for all the same reasons and now with the new soft top ranges, wiping out has never been less dangerous.

Every surfer knows what it was like when they caught their first wave and stood up, even if only for a few seconds, and longboarding takes you back to that moment.

It’s not about hassling for waves or shredding waves; it’s about fun.

Think about those images of surfing in the early 60s with six guys on the same wave all having a ball.

But like with all sports, you can cruise or you can push yourself to learn some more extreme manoeuvres, the most thrilling of which is ‘riding the nose’. There is nothing more liberating than having ten toes over the nose of your board – all you can see looking down is water rushing by. If you already surf, get a longboard to enjoy those smaller days. If you don’t surf, get a longboard this summer, go to a beach where the waves are small and simply enjoy the glide!

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WATSON ON THE WATER

Just one of the Coastguard’s fleet in action on the Hauraki Gulf

A lifelong love of the water has taken Paul Watson many

A top bloke who is always keen to help others, Paul has

places around the world and provided lasting memories and

a stockpile of interesting stories from general boating

friendships but it’s his volunteer work for the New Zealand

experiences to volunteering at Coastguard where he has

Coastguard that has taken his love of the ole’ briny full circle.

been involved in a couple of medical call-outs and numerous

After recently celebrating 30 years at Rheem, Watson - the company’s Commercial Sales Manager - knows just about everything there is to know about hot water. A familiar and friendly face within plumbing circles, Paul has also been involved in many industry events including fishing trips to Niue, Lake Tarawera and the popular annual fishing weekend at Motutapu.

Paul’s love of being on the water started in the Marlborough Sounds, and after moving to Auckland, Paul and his family were regular fixtures on the waters around the Hauraki Gulf, Great Barrier and beyond.

tows, jumpstarts and providing general assistance as part of the Coastguard crew around the Hauraki Gulf. As a boatie himself he cannot stress enough to anyone who owns or uses a boat to become a member of the Coastguard, “it provides you cheaper access to call-out services, should they be required” or put simply, it’s the AA for the sea.

Being a member also helps fund the services provided by the Coastguard.

Skippers are responsible for everyone on their boat. As well as knowing what safety equipment to carry and how it functions, how to navigate and comply with rules and

Having spent family holidays in the Whakatane District, Paul felt

regulations, it’s essential to understand boating safety and

compelled to help out where he could when 2017’s Cyclone

what to do if something goes wrong.

Debbie wreaked havoc and caused major flooding throughout Edgecumbe. It was only when he returned home exhausted that he had a chance to reflect on how incredibly satisfying the experience had been that he thought about volunteering. His fate was sealed when his wife Pam read about the Coastguard needing volunteers so Paul signed up at his local branch.

The Coastguard’s 2,300 professional volunteers rescued 7,000 people last year. If you would like more information about volunteering, donating or learning more about safe boating courses go to www.coastguard.nz.

New boost for kiwi population As a supporter of Kiwis for kiwi, Rheem was at the official opening of the Crombie Lockwood Kiwi Burrow located in Wairakei, near Taupo.

The new incubation facility is capable of hatching and brooding around 150 kiwi chicks every year and will nearly double the number of eggs incubated annually in the North Island.

The project is an important milestone for Kiwis for kiwi and is designed to incubate kiwi eggs and hold the chicks until they are released to kohanga kiwi, predator-free sites. These are

Top: A tough day at the office during a recent trip to Niue

usually fenced areas or islands which provide a nursery for the permanent population. The chicks will grow, find a partner, breed and in the future, when the site nears capacity, their offspring will be removed and released to safe places in the wild.

Above: Great Barrier Island is one of Paul’s favourite fishing destinations

Paul’s boatie advice • Have a minimum of 2 forms of communication • Always wear a lifejacket • Make sure you know your boat and what the

Grabb Photography

weather is doing • If you have a large number of passengers, take 5 minutes to do a ‘man overboard’ drill • Always be prepared!

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

off-Site

Tradie Profile

Ben Afeaki Ben Afeaki, or ‘Bigs’ to his mates, is a great bloke who has already achieved a great deal in his life. Nick Jones caught up with the former All Black and discusses his scaffolding business, rugby life, fishing and diving.

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By Nick Jones

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en’s story could have been one of sorrow, with his rugby playing career ending prematurely due to concussion issues.

After one test, eight Maori All Blacks games, 36 Super Rugby matches and 58 provincial matches for North Harbour, he had a nasty head clash with big Brodie Retallick. He spent over a year trying to recover, dealing with fatigue, headaches and memory loss before making the wise decision to retire – with the full support of all involved. It was an emotional exit from the Chiefs team, who paid tribute to Ben with the most passionate haka former Chiefs coach Dave Rennie has ever witnessed.

However, Bigs has a positive attitude, and chose to cherish his time in the game while focussing on new opportunities on the horizon. I asked Ben about his fondest playing memories, and he said winning back-to-back Super Rugby titles with the Chiefs was pretty special – and of course pulling on the black jersey!

During his playing days he welcomed personal development opportunities with open arms, participating in university study and courses on budgeting and career-planning.

Less than four months after retiring from footy, he started a scaffolding business with his former North Harbour teammate James Rodley.

He reckons this venture helped him through a potentially difficult

A proud moment – Ben’s first test match. post-rugby transition, as he set about planning, networking, catching up with mentors and setting new goals. Ben and James weaved many of their team values, culture and camaraderie from their rugby environment into the scaffolding business. The business was a success, with Ben eventually selling out of the company to focus on his current career path – coaching.

Ben currently coaches with the Blues, initially specialising in the familiar art of scrummaging but now moving into a more general assistant role. Two years coaching

with North Harbour evolved into this appointment with the Blues. Former Blues coach Tana Umaga caught his 2011 Chiefs team-mate off-guard when he approached him about coming onboard.

“I was a bit shocked, and I was pretty honest with him and said I didn’t know if I was up for it. But I had a bit of a think about it, and what a great opportunity it is. It’s awesome to be involved in the region I grew up in.

“I love the game, it’s done a lot for me as a person, and I just want to give back and help our boys out and give them the best shot to play the best

“winning backto-back Super Rugby titles with the Chiefs was pretty special – and of course pulling on the black jersey!”

rugby they can and achieve their goals.”

Although Ben never had the opportunity to play in a World Cup, he did get to coach at one – travelling to Japan last year as part of the Samoa coaching team. Now back on home soil and fully focused on the Blues, he reckons the current Blues set-up is looking good for the 2020 season under head-coach Leon McDonald, with a good mix of youthful vigour and experience in the playing roster.

But Ben isn’t only successful in

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WE WANT YOU! the professional world, he’s also a passionate and skilful diver and fisherman. He relishes the chance to get out on the ocean, and his favourite pastime is donning the wetsuit and freediving for kai. He’s shot some big kingfish with the speargun, and is adept at grabbing crayfish, paua and scallops around the NZ coast. One of his favourite haunts is Great Barrier Island, where family in-law live and likely send Ben into the water to reduce the grocery bill when the big man comes to stay!

Ben needs the energy, however,

keeping fit through his coaching role and completing the occasional halfmarathon.

I almost forgot to mention Bigs is also a TV star – having regularly appeared as a guest on Matt Watson’s fishing shows. Ben’s positive attitude is obvious from these episodes – he’s just happy to be out on the water, regardless of whether the fish are biting or not. I’m sure there are many more accomplishments around the corner for Bigs, even if the Blues have another season to forget!

RHEEM OFF-SITE IS ALL ABOUT FEATURING SOME OF THE INTERESTING OUTDOOR STORIES THAT TRADIES HAVE TO TELL – YOUR STORIES! Send us your best hunting, fishing, diving and outdoors images as well - we have a pair of top Oakley sunglasses to be given away each month for the best image.

Tradies, Rheem off-Site is YOUR magazine. Please share your experiences and adventures with us. You don't have to be a Pulitzer prize-winning writer that is our job!

D! D, PLAY HAR !

WORK HAR , PL AY HARD

WORK HARD

ISSUE 17 2020 FEB/MAR

WIN A PAIR OF

OAKLEY PG 17

SUNGLASSES

Ben is currently part of the Blues’ coaching staff – he reckons they’ve got a good shot this year!

ART OF THE CLASSIC

G LONGBOARDIN E

TRADIE PROFIL

BEN AFEAKI

BOW HUNTING ELK IDAHO BULL

BBQ CHICKENPS LOLLIPO

KAWASAKI MULE SX XC

TALK TO US SO WE CAN SHARE YOUR STORIES WITH OTHERS. Ethan Neville 021 176 1366 ethan@nzfishingnews.co.nz

off-Site

Hunting

BOW HUNTING IDAHO BULL ELK

It was September, and Ant Niterl had geared up for what was going to be a mega experience in the wilderness bow hunting bull elk for 12 days in Idaho, United States of America.

W

ith only three months of slamming arrows into homemade targets, I found myself alongside Ben Tuamata in the middle of nowhere with two Yanks who were going to give us some tips for a couple of days, especially in the bugling and cow-calling department – arts which needed more practice than we thought.

We couldn’t write a better script for day one. We rose at 4.30am to the sound of howling coyotes. I barely got a wink of sleep due to the unnerving surroundings of wolf and bear country – and sleeping in the back of the Dodge Ram ute with a glock as protection didn’t do anything to settle the nerves.

We strapped on our packs and each quickly dealt to a long black.

There was an eerie feeling of being consumed by the Idaho pine forest.

It was an incredible experience being in the wild so far away from human contact.

We slowly made our way into the

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“I was trembling as it stood and stared at me for three minutes. I had the arrow in the nock ready to draw back but couldn’t move as it just eyeballed me.”

darkness, stopping to listen and let our bellowing, hearty bugles echo up the valley. A faint reply was heard a few kms away, and with the wind perfectly kissing our face, our hearts started to flutter. We carried on, slowly closing the gap, tiptoeing around dead branches and pine.

This bull was angry; he was reacting to our calls with testosterone and arrogance. We were on his turf and it seemed like we had him cornered in a big open basin.

I looked up about 100m and, peering through the trees, saw about six cows. They were big and completely different from anything I’ve seen in NZ. If these cows were anything to go by, I couldn’t wait to wrap the peepers around this bull.

Ben and I split up about 50m apart and started ranging different shrubs, rocks and trees while also trying to remember the distances for these shooting lanes.

Bulls can accurately figure out where the bugle is coming from and Zak, our Yank mate, was bugling about 30m behind us. All of a sudden we heard twigs and branches breaking.

From the bottom of the valley, a big 6x6 stumbled into the open on a mission. Ben drew back and fired an arrow at 40 yards, but it skimmed underneath the bull. It then turned and stood right in front of me, only 10 yards away. I have never seen anything so big. It looked like the size of a horse, but built like a rodeo bull with these huge throw-back antlers.

I was trembling as it stood and stared at me for three minutes. I had the arrow in the nock ready to draw back but couldn’t move as it just eyeballed me. It didn’t get spooked and I don’t think it recognised me as a human. He started to let out a thunderous bugle, complete with steam projecting out from his mouth and nostrils. I dropped to one knee to get a better shooting lane, started pulling back my arrow and then… my arrow fell out and I dry

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fired my bow. The bull trotted off into the distance.

After a couple of minutes everybody started nervously laughing and rubbing their heads, still trembling from the experience. There went the best opportunity we would ever get.

It was dead meat right there and we both clammed up and ruined the

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chance. We looked at each other absolutely guttered. How on earth did we put our foot in this? Both the Yanks said that in their 15 years of bow hunting Elk, this was one of the best starts to the season. We knew this was only going to get harder.

And that it did.

10 days of 30km per day under foot

“After a couple of minutes everybody started nervously laughing and rubbing their heads, still trembling from the experience.”

up to elevations of 12,000 feet, and the boys were starting to break.

Our American mates had left Ben and I after four days. To add salt to the wound, Ben shot a brilliant bull.

We tracked his blood trail for 1.5km until it became nothing. We spent the next day grid searching two basins and logging our movements on an app all for it to return nothing – gut wrenching.

With three other opportunities being blown by wind changes or spooking cows, we were staring down the barrel of leaving empty handed. We made a plan on our last morning to go back to a basin where there were three bulls going off their head. We split up – Ben went straight through the pine, up the guts to where the bulls were bugling and I stayed down the bottom in the event he pushed them down. Ben found himself 30 yards away with a shot uphill. He put one straight into the bull’s chest and it bolted off into the pine with the arrow hanging out of the exit wound. With no blood trail at all we began the painful search until Ben spied his big beast curled over in the open.

The boys had done it! Blood, sweat and tears all for this moment of satisfaction. What a beautiful animal and experience. We had carried a lucky beer in our packs for the duration of the 12 days. We sat there, necked it and marveled at how blessed we were to hunt the mighty bull elk in Idaho. After butchering it, we started the pack out of around 200kg of red Idaho gold. It was my best hunting experience ever, as well as the hardest mentally, physically and emotionally.

See Life Differently

asab, Musandam Peter fishing in Kh Straits of Hormuz e th in (Northern Oman) sh, longtail tuna nfi ee qu ’s, GT catching do. ra do d an

Jurie Denysschen caught this Barrier Island on a Christm snapper by Great as work fishing trip.

SEND IN A SHOT OF YOU AND YOUR COPY OF RHEEM OFF-SITE IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS Include a caption of who, what, when and where the picture was taken. You could win one of two Oakley Polarised Caliber Sunglasses valued at $299 per pair. The winners will have their photos published in our next issue of Rheem off-Site..

Post a pic at https://www.facebook.com/offsitenz/ or https://www.offsitenz.co.nz/

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Recipe

BBQ CHICKEN LOLLIPOPS

BBQ chicken lollipops are a simple-to-master crowd pleaser.

Kerren Packer tells us how to whip up these tasty treats.

Method: Difficulty: Novice (experimentation encouraged) Prep time: 20mins Cook time: 60-70mins Serves: 6

Ingredients: • 12 x plump chicken drumsticks (hint: Aussie Butcher) • ¼ cup of honey, golden syrup or maple syrup • Rum & Que Soft Coq meat rub • Rum & Que Meat Juice Sauce • Hot sauce (to taste)

Tools: • Sharp kitchen knife • Kitchen shears • Marinade brush • Meat thermometer Serving options: • Hot fried bread • Fresh coleslaw • Potato salad • BBQed corn on the cob with lashings of melted butter • Icy cold beer.

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Chicken lollipops, while delicious, are also fairly straight forward to master. They are a great beginner option for those wanting to dip their toes into BBQ life, taking the heat off newbies worried about potentially wrecking an expensive BBQ cut of beef or pork early on in their career.

First things first, pre-heat your chosen BBQ to 175°C. I used a Traeger Pallet Grill for this example, but also get great results from my ProQ Charcoal Kettle. You can get reasonable results from a basic hooded gas BBQ with a smoke adapter.

Right, on with creating your BBQ chicken lollipops. Use drumsticks that have been given a chance to get to “room temperature” rather than using cold chicken directly from the fridge. With a sharp knife or kitchen shears, start by making a cut all of the way around (effectively ‘ring barking’) at the location where the leg muscle meets the bone.

Once the skin and tendons have been cut, push the superfluous skin, sinew and tendons up and over the knuckle to expose the bone. This can prove a little tricky to begin with, but once you have the knack it’s a 30 second job max per drumstick.

Then, using kitchen shears remove the thin bone that runs up the length of the main bone, and trim away any further exposed

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cook/smoke for 40-50mins.

While the BBQ is going about its business, gently heat through, simmer and reduce a cup or two of your favourite BBQ sauce in a pot to use as the base. From there, go ahead and get creative “to taste” – add a knob of butter, extra hot sauce, chilli flakes, brown sugar, garlic salt, pepper, soy sauce or anything else you enjoy (keep an eye on the sugars burning while rummaging through the pantry though). For those fussy eaters, a more basic “plain jane” option may suit. For a vibrant red toffee apple look, experiment with red food colouring.

Select the plumpest lollipop and using a meat thermometer check the internal temp is 75°C (food safe). Remove lollipops from BBQ and set aside in an oven tray or similar.

Increase the BBQ temperature to 205°C. Remove the tinfoil and dip the chicken lollipops into the pot of reduced BBQ sauce. Coat the chicken liberally using a marinade brush and then put back on the oven tray. Once all lollipops are sufficiently sauced, place all lollipops back on to the BBQ at the same time for an even finish.

BBQ for a further 10mins or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 80°C. Check regularly to ensure the glaze is not burning.

When ready, the BBQ chicken lollipops should have a toffee apple sheen due to the caramelisation of the sugars in the glaze and definitely should not fall off the bone but allow for bite-through skin – judges in BBQ competitions place a lot of weighting on the skin being crispy rather than rubbery.

And you’re done! Serve hot as a meal or take chilled to the picnic. A seriously cool way to do something a bit special with the humble chicken drumstick – get stuck in!

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tendons. Pull the loose skin up over the exposed meat and around the exposed bone – this helps prevent the lollipops from drying out.

At this stage test that your lollipops stand-up vertically unassisted on a flat surface. If not, you may need square them up by shaving off some of the bone from the bases of the drumsticks. Now your “lollipops” are starting to take shape.

In a microwave or stove top, warm up the honey, golden syrup or maple syrup (organic if you can get it) until runny, then apply a light coating on to the chicken skin with a marinade brush – this allows the BBQ rub in the next stage to coat and stick better.

Sprinkle your favourite meat rub on to the chicken skin. If I don’t have time to make my own

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rub, I use an “off the shelf” New Zealand product called Soft Coq made by the award-winning BBQ pit master team – Rum & Que. It has an amazing flavour profile punctuated with “sweet-heat” accents. Soft Coq is perfect for chicken lollipops and available online or from selected retailers.

Before the BBQing commences, some folk like to shield the exposed bone with tinfoil to prevent discoloration and burning. This improves the overall aesthetic and is a must for competition BBQ, so well worth the extra effort.

Evenly space the chicken lollipops either directly on the grill (keep away from any direct exposure to flames) for infusing more smoke flavours or in an oven/ muffin tray with a small knob of butter to prevent sticking, then let

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off-Site

Review

By Josh Rudd

KAWASAKI

MULE SX X XC Big climbs and descends are no trouble for the Mule.

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Anyone that manages a property of notable size needs an accomplice of some sort – a ride or die companion that gets the job done day in and day out. Some use quad bikes, others tractors, dogs or even horses. Josh Rudd, however, reviews another type of vehicle which appears to be able to do it all: the new Kawasaki Mule.

A

fter spending a few days with a Mule, I am sold. Not to be confused with a mule of the biblical sense (even though their work rates aren’t too dissimilar), I am of course referring to the Kawasaki Mule SX XC, commonly referred to as ‘Bigfoot’.

The all new Kawasaki Mule SX XC Bigfoot is Kawasaki’s new sideby-side vehicle that is a dedicated farmhand. This machine’s wheelbase has a spread of 1,780mm which is only slightly bigger than your average quad bike. However, the bigfoot’s capabilities set it apart from similar sized vehicles. Firstly, it looks good. This year’s model comes in forest green and features an aggressive looking front bumper for added protection up front.

Inside, the cockpit area comfortably accommodates two grown men.

When I say “comfortably”, I’m not exaggerating – you get a roof over your head, a dash setup that is reminiscent of a car, comfortable seats with seatbelts and plenty of space between you and your comrade. There is also a heap of storage space at arm’s reach from the driver’s seat. So it passes the amenities test with flying colours, but how does it perform?

The bigfoot runs a 401cc, 4 stroke petrol engine that uses one cylinder, but don’t let the size of the engine fool you. It has all the power you need and can put it to the ground capably. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not winning the 0-100km/h sprint anytime soon, but it doesn’t need to. The top speed that it does boast is reached at the same rate every time, with absolute disregard for any terrain put in front of it. The bigfoot crawls, creeps, climbs and catapults itself over any obstacle

Only 1,355mm in width, the Mule fits through narrow passages with ease.

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Apply the handbrake and jump out in any situation. that has the misfortune of getting in its way. The drivetrain is war ready also. You have the options of 2WD or 4WD, high or low gear ratios and an open or locked differential.

Should your bigfoot meet an uphill slope made up of loose gravel and miscellaneous bush debris, simply engage 4WD, chuck it in ‘low’ gear, lock the diff (all done on their respective levers at arm’s reach) and the Mule will scale said slope with no qualms. Needless to say, the bigfoot punches well above its

The Bigfoot is at home in the bush.

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Rheem off-Site

weight as far as farm utilities go, and it definitely lives up to its title as a ‘Mule’.

The versatility of the Bigfoot means it will also serve a purpose on smaller, less maintenance-heavy properties. It’s width of 1,355mm puts it at only 175mm wider than Kawasaki’s biggest quad bike, and it weighs in at under half a ton. This makes for a very nimble, manoeuvrable product which certainly has a place on your lifestyle blocks or vineyards as well as

your larger scale farms. When the Bigfoot was rigorously put through its paces at a lifestyle block south of Auckland, it managed to weave between cars on the driveway, tiptoe alongside gardens without crushing them and leave a footprint light enough not to rip up the front lawn. Inheriting the Kawasaki brand’s reliability gene, it’s also likely to start every morning for those trips to the letterbox. After all is said and done, however, you’ve still got a half ton towing capacity and a bed which can accommodate 181kg. The bed is flat, which makes placing your load a simple process that can take place on three sides. It tips as well!

The Mule SX XC Bigfoot is the swiss army knife that all property owners should consider adding to their arsenal. Kawasaki have been innovative in creating a niche product that meets the user’s requirements at a reasonable price point. If the quad bike isn’t quite hacking the workload, but you can’t quite justify the purchase of a big side-by-side farm vehicle, the Bigfoot is for you. Capably fulfilling the roles of both these vehicles, it will tackle the big dirty jobs with ease while also serving as a comfortable and competent chariot which will whisk you across land acre by acre. After my time using this vehicle, I am confident that the Kawasaki Mule SX XC Bigfoot is at the head of the herd.