Christmas 09

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Many thanks to all those that helped with the Christmas Party - what a great turnout of club members.

The man himself with his little helper.

Heading North

If you've never been to the Far North of New Zealand, it's well past time you did. A group of us were up there as recently as Easter, and it was that trip that got me thinking over the last few weeks about getting the club there.

Last trip (as with most of the visits to the north) was based out of the Top Ten Camp ground near the southern end of 90 Mile Beach. Hot showers, powered sites, flushing loos are all well and good, but is it camping? What I wanted to try was to get the camping trailer to the bottom of the sand dunes and find a sheltered spot to make camp. This would allow a much longer time to play in the dunes and the tides wouldn't have so much of an impact on what time of the day I could get back to Ahipara round the point via Shipwreck Bay.

Of course Murphy visited and made a damn nuisance of himself before we had got even close to leaving. The zip on the tent cover split and with three weeks to go I dropped it off at Deans canvas. Despite a promise that it would be done, after two and a half weeks nothing had been started and so amid more and more excuses I grabbed my cover and walked out in disgust. Thanks to the guys at Design Upholstery in White St, Rotorua who managed to get the zip replaced in time to leave when we had planned.

During all this I managed to pick up a set of BFG all terrains. Ripper! Perfect chance to save some wear on the muds and fit them in time for the trip north. First fit and balance saw the rims and tyres on the truck balancer at Beaurepairs. This has worked lovely in the past and saw 35" mud terrains run nicley on the road with very little feedback through the steering wheel. Hmm, not this time it would seem. Back down a week later and onto the car wheel balancer. Better, but still yukky. Visit Mamaku and after a chat with Marcel I headed back to Beaurepairs with a Range Rover hub. The hub fitted to the balancer perfectly! Fit rim and tyre to the hub, fit hub to the balancer and there you go, an almost perfect balance. Gotta give Gary at Beaurepairs kudos for humouring me and trying it. Now all I've got to do is keep the weights on the rim. . .

So, friday morning saw us screaming north aiming for our first night stop of Opononi by late afternoon. Let's ignore the bit about stopping in Auckland for fuel and last items of food and getting well and truly snarled up in the traffic shall we, and concentrate on turning off SH1 and onto SH12. The west coast of this country is spectacular and the trip through Dargaville to Opononi is no exception. There are almost too many places to turn off and explore and just about every corner heard another exclamation of something to look at. Some of the towns and areas you drive through could almost be turn of the century (and not the last turn either), locals on horses, sports games, almost colonial looking scenes and more. If you're brave enough to leave your gear unattended, the forest giant Tane Mahuta is on this road. Eventually though it was a very tired pair that pulled into Opononi. Opo the dolphin is long dead of course but the area's spectacular beauty is more than a draw card.

Next day was glorious and the crossing from Rawene on the ferry was really the start of our far north adventure. Into Ahipara and up onto the Gumfields road, stop at the gate, koha paid and onto the track to the beach. This is just one of the old kauri gum digger tracks that criss-cross the area through the low scrub that looks like it should be on the central plateau instead of this close to the beach. Over the years there has been a huge amount of erosion and much of this track has been scoured out by both nature and man and present a few challenges on the way. Slow and steady with a few pounds out of the tyres is the way. There's not a lot of mud to be had but with exposed rocks and shelves to negotiate there is still more than enough to keep one happy.

Eventually we head up through some pines and after a steep sandy climb suddenly emerge at the top of an enormous dune network. This is where the fun is to be had! On past trips quads, motorbikes and various breeds of dune buggies and four wheel drives had been roaring up and down these steep grades. And I joined them. This time however we spent a bit of time cruising the beach looking for good campsites and just relaxing. There were plenty of sites to be found too; on the beach itself, tucked away in small bays and nestled in the secluded grassy areas behind the beach. You'd get a couple of trucks in there. Perfect for a club trip I reckon.

Sunday turned a bit sour with early morning drizzle and so once the tides were right we scuttled off round the point towards the Top 10 Camp and a trip to Te Paki. I guess if there's one thing you can be sure of in spring it's that the weather will do whatever the hell it likes. And that's exactly what it did because it fined up enough for the return trip to camp to have the roof down and fish and chips on the beach. Gotta love spring I guess.

So there you go. Whaddaya reckon? In for a trip to the Far North, a play in the sand dunes, a bit of history and a spot of camping?

Let me know at the next meeting.

WooHoo!

Coromandel Caper

KIRITA BAY
November 2009

Thanks to Lynn and Jenny for yet another great few days of fun, frolic and relaxation. Thanks also to Rowan and Janice Bell, David and Marilyn Clark who supplied boats for our entertainment and to Lynn for extracting the dinghy from the boat shed. Thanks Mike and Kathy for the kayak experience, single paddle for the perky people or joined together and motorized for the intrepid traveller.

We were really lucky with the weather considering what has been dished out lately. Those fishing tried their luck near the mussel beds then ventured out and around to the Manaia Harbour area. They returned with a reasonable and varied catch, more than enough for everyone. Salt and brown sugar emerged and the smokers were quickly under way for the bigger ones. No luck with the set net but fun trying.

The tame eels were again great entertainment value. After collecting Ray Russock and feeding the eels [with dead herrings] we headed to Te Mata. We drove through a large rather odd and for the most part barren subdivision behind Te Mata itself before we headed into the hills, through a locked gate and into Te Mata Station. Much of it was regenerating grasslands with some pine forest areas and views to Firth and Gulf. The usual stops while Ray gave us some interesting snippets of information. I think two or three tows were required in some sticky places. Ray took us to a nice creek sporting a water hole for lunch. As cold as the water was some of the kids enjoyed a quick dip. We returned to camp in time for a run up to the air strip before tea. The view from the top is amazing.

A great time was had by all, walking; fishing, kayaking, reading and relaxing and evenings of general banter and story telling!!! Thanks also to the Landowners for allowing us the privilege of enjoying their properties and thanks to the whole group for being such good company.

Have a Merry Christmas - Trevor & Jan Collins

Kirita Bay - Smugglers Cove from Headland

Arriving Smugglers Homestead

Driving TeMata Farm

Farm Track back to Smugglers

Snatch recovery of a different kind

Fisherpersons returning with light catch

Men Of Steel - November 09

Son Of A Gun

Do you think Mum will let us park this one in the driveway?

Greetings From LandyTown - UK

Greetings from the UK to all fellow Land Rover nuts in New Zealand!

I’m writing to invite you to take a look at our brand-new forum – LandyTown – and to join the equally brand-new LandyTown Association.

We are a club of like-minded people who have come together through a British Land Rover magazine forum to set up our own independent group. Although we do, admittedly, spend a lot of time online chatting, there’s more to LandyTown than that. Our regional groups organise all kinds of activities, from green-laning to overseas trips, from visiting pay-and-play sites to sitting around in pubs and – yes! – chatting. We’re already planning our stand at major Land Rover shows throughout the year.

The Forum is open (and free) to anyone who cares to drop in. Here you can make new friends, swap news and gossip or find someone to offer help and advice with your Land Rover problems.

Our members already come from all four corners of the British Isles, as well as Europe. We’re still growing and we especially welcome visitors from overseas.

Click on www.landytown.com/forum and say hi.

With warmest good wishes – and hope to meet you soon!

Patricia Stoner

Life In The Slow Lane

Sometimes there's more to this wonderful four wheel driving life than hitting the hardest tracks you can find in the (sometimes vain) hope of getting through the impassable. After a childhood of growing up camping, hunting and the great outdoors I suppose it was inevitable that a four wheel drive would feature as another way of getting out and seeing as much of the natural magnificence that we call NZ as possible.

Late September saw Karen and I running away from life for a few days and heading to the central plateau. Sightseeing, Army Museum and peace and quiet high on the list. We decided early on to visit Waiouru (my home for five years) and then return north checking out Tukino before settling in a night of (relative) luxury at Tokaanu. The real adventure would start the next day with trekking south, camping trailer in tow, in search of the perfect winter campsite. We found it early and there we stayed, nestled in the lee of the mighty Kaimanawa Ranges.


Too much food, almost enough wine by the fire, dead to the world sleep, late rises and absolutely nothing to do but enjoy the solitude (in great company of course) and recharge.

Was it perfect? I think so. The photos say it all.




Cloud shrouding Ngaruhoe as seen from the Tukino Ski field road. The view from the mountain was spectacular despite the atrocious weather in Waiouru and north to the Three Sisters.


The mighty Waikato Falls at the outlet of the underground water race that has it's beginnings at the southern end of the Moawhangao Dam in the Army training area. We turned off SH1 towards the Pillars Of Hercules and just followed our nose. This is the jumping in point for many kayakers and rafters.




I think Robert Frost would be happy to call this 'the road less travelled'. The whole area is criss-crossed with roads and tracks originally put in to build and then service the hydro schemes constructed by immigrant Italian workers last century. Pity you can't hear the bird and animal life in the background.


Ruapehu from the bush up behind Waikato Falls. Despite the isolation there is a Vodafone tower nearby. Blimmin cell phones! Turn 'em off.

Tongariro River long before it hits the Waikato. Plenty of flood damage along the bed and banks showed that a campsite up away from the river might be the best option. . . .

. . . . and that's what we found. Five star accommodation in Paradise!

And people pay money for this? In the lee of the Kaimanawa Ranges. Stopped the weather nicely. . . .


. . . . but it couldn't stop the frost. -4 degrees in the tent on the last morning. That first cup of coffee was about as close to heaven as we could get I reckon, . . Oh and the french toast, bacon, bananas and maple syrup for breakfast of course, all served up with a helping of sunshine.

The worst part of any trip? Heading home of course! But with more adventures to be had, and more of this awesome country to explore, it just whets the appetite.

WooHoo!

Video - Colin Oops

Video - Marcel towing a log

Minginui Recce October 2009

Sunday the 11th of October saw what felt like the first fine day this year and so four intrepid souls hit the tracks (banks, stumps, trees and rocks) in Minginui to explore and possibly re-open a few routes for future club trips into this awesome area.

Along with Colin, Marcel and Griff was a prospective new member, Trent and family.

To say Sunday was one out of the box would be an understatement; bright sunshine, no wind and cold enough to chisel chunks out of. Perfick! A convoy of land rovers is a marvellous sight at the best of times and this day was no exception all the way to the first track.

The plan was to explore a few rumours and hopefully find some new tracks. Initially we hit a few side tracks running off the main Old Te Whaiti Road which, although leading nowhere were obviously old benched routes that may well have been logging and access roads in times past.

Old Te Whaiti Road leads into Minginui from the Murupara side but is blocked by a gate at the far end. Times must have been hard in the morning because most of the group found it necessary to attempt to scale a long abandoned (and rotten) log pile with varying level of success.

After perhaps the tenth turnaround the call was made to check the condition of the usual tracks and we headed out towards Hydro Access via the Cathedral and a few more possible routes.

Lunch was highlighted with the news that Griff had proposed to Karen and in a fit of dementia she had accepted.

A not long re-opened track was followed through pine, gum and bush that ended back up at the lunch spot, nice.

Since the last visit about a month ago, another club had been in the area and while some digging had been done there was still much fun to be had. By the time 4pm had rolled around though and with; plenty of track to do, school the next morning, and travel home yet to be done, the call was made to turn around.

And of course the fun then began. Griff got himself well and truly in the wrong spot and then after being winched out by Colin, the cable wouldn't wind back in. Half five and we're finally ready to hit the road back out! Murphy is a toe rag sometimes.

But at the end, all four trucks wandered out, back into a convoy and home to Vegas and beyond.

Good day, good company, good tracks and no real damage.

WooHoo!

Daniel's Project - Vinnie

Daniel's Series 1 LandRover is up and running, well more like crawling really. The chassis has had major repairs thanks to Marcel and has been galvanised. Then it was up to Daniel and myself to find the bits to put it to together. We fitted the axles, springs and steering then on to the trailer and up to Marcel's one wet Saturday to fit the engine, gearbox, brakepipes and other little bits and pieces. Another very big thank you to Marcel. Back home again we have fitted more parts now its all go from here, hopefully. Here are a few pics for starters.

This is where it all started - Vinnie being collected from Marcels.

Day 4 - Daniel was at this stage!

Hmmm - what's next, I'm sure there were more bits than this when we took it apart?


I'm ready to go, but I think we should change the seats before the WOF.

Hey Dad are you sure that's how a dash board goes on?

Keep watching this article for further progress!

Oops photos

These pictures are my favorites oops moments! The top one is of Marcel and Vicki. We came up a hill and there was a vehicle at the top. Marcel opted to go to the left and park beside it. Little did he know there was a big rutt there. Notice you can only just see him at the rear end of his vehicle as he couldn't get out quick enough (didn't want to get photographed). Mean while leaving me in the vehicle with my feet on the dash holding myself up.

The second picture is of Brent. We were doing river crossings and he tried to get up the bank and couldn't quite make it. After the third attemp I think it jumped out of gear. We sent Marcel in to hook the tow rope on. Mean while Brent was busily stacking up his seat squabs up to keep them dry. Lucky for him there were no open windows in the back because his wallet was floating around in the back. After draining the water from his fuel tank etc his Landy was up and going again.