Northland Family Four Wheelers

Ruapekapeka Fun Day / Run

2011-12-04T20:47:00.001+13:00

20 November, 2011

We all met up at the Hika weighbridge – a good turn out, 10 vehicles. After arriving at Mike’s and unloading the vehicles we decided to head to the quarry and peg some hazards. The new track was a hazard in itself. I took the Lada down first, it was rough, but it carved a trail. Not everyone was keen, but
Rodney, Daniel and Mark soon followed. The others hunted out the alternative way down, not quite as rough but still a challenge. This only got us into the clearing; the track beyond was humps, lumps, and cattle-ruts, a bit of a bone-shaker (especially if you’re in a Lada, and have no power-steering). Then we got onto the quarry track, but the gorse had taken over the track again – too much to crash through (we need to clear these tracks and then come out and use them a bit more often) - we turned around and decided we’d just do a bit of exploring with the new fellas who’d come out for the day. We all had a bit of trouble getting out of the new track as it’s still a bit steep. Once out of there we went out to the dam, which actually had water in it, a novelty celebrated with much spinning of wheels and sliding sideways. It was also a good spot for lunch. After lunch, Rodney went for a hoon into the dam in 2-wheel-drive, gave it heaps, only for his engine to start making funky noises – oops..! Rodney and Kay walked out to get their tow-vehicle and the rest of us went exploring. The ground was so bloody hard and with all the cattle tracks it was hell driving the Lada. On the way back we stopped at the culvert and had a play in the creek. Ian, in his little red Suzuki, was the only one to drive it without getting towed out; and maybe Eugene too, but he had extra clearance being a cruiser with 35” tyres. We went for a nosey up the other track; there was a bit more mud and some hill climbs, some bridge-building, plenty of if-only ideas, and lots of fun had by all.

Thanks all for coming out and making the day enjoyable; it was a great turnout and a good day, different than we planned, but sometimes with 4-wheeling, you just don’t know until you get there. Eugene drove all the way up from Auckland that morning, then had to drive home that night, that’s dedication for you.

- Colin

Pureora Trip - October 2011

2011-11-12T10:49:00.001+13:00

11pm alarm wakes me up, so breakfast and a hot cuppa and in the work car and set off to Wrack Auto, to cruise to net and wait for Mark, Rodney and Kay. After a few hours they all arrived, so with the finishing of the coffees and a quick nosey on you tube we set off in the rising sun (about 2am). Rodney flew off like a cold cat on a hot roof, with myself and Mark in his smoke.
Once I had the rubber band wound up we were traveling fine, till the Brynderwyns 30kph up hill and down the other side with a slow decent, to catch up with Rodney at the bottom with a rather hot we motor so with a bit of cool water and time we set off again heading to the big smoke of Tokoroa where we were to meet up with Paul. Travel down the country was good, not a lot of traffic and Auckland was good for a change only a little traffic but otherwise was good, pulling into Cambridge for some jungle juice for the truck and some lollies and a bite to eat.

Onwards to Tokoroa were we collected Paul and a ton of food, then around to John’s place to leave Pauls car behind and off to Pureora to start our week away.

Found the right track and unloaded the buggys from the trailers and loaded up the junk and stuff, and set off up the track to find some choice little holes that Mark seemed to like sitting in for some reason; first little sticky bit, so seeing I had a good winch (purchased from Wrack Auto) Mark hooked up to a tree and with a bit of yahoo and swearing it pop me out, then we did a bit of diggy diggy and Mark, Rodney & Kay were up and we headed off to the next piece, lots of humps and bumps with sticky bits as there was a light shower hanging around which I thought it might set in and hang around for the week. Mark again fell into a wee hole so with a lift and a tug (the truck not Mark) Rodney pulled him out.

After this we met the Tok boys heading out with some wounded trucks, so after so more diggy diggy we carried on and found more trucks heading out with broken trucks so after a quick chat we inspected the next hazard, with a few long funny looks and with the track being about 2m deep diff marks from trucks running 38” tyres we decided to turn around and find somewhere to set camp.

Camp on the corner of the track traps, buggys and tents we were sorted a feed and somewhere to sleep, with Rodney sawing several logs as the morning approached. Up, breakfast, pull down camp; with this we decided that it would be better to leave the gear in the tow trucks and just do day trips from a base camp so that was the mission we set for the day.

Day 2 we set off after breakfast to unload the buggys and lighten the load. Rodney led us out back to the tow trucks, quick unload and set off the road to a pumice pit where Mark, Kay and Rodney had a tuttoo on some little hazards for a bit, then up the main road looking for another track to explore.

Rodney drove past a couple of overgrown tracks to find one we had done the year before, which was a good little track till there was no track as a wash out had removed most of it. So more diggy diggy and we had a state highway crossing (thanks to Paul) almost had white lines if only we had the paint.

Rodney made it look easy over the other side to stop and have some lunch after a long diggy diggy. We were all refreshed and ready for the next bit.

Now for the rest of the trip you will have to watch the videos that Rodney has...

Cheers and thanks to: Paul, Mark, Rodney and Kay for a great weekend.

- Brett

Working Bee at Ruapekapeka

2011-10-10T20:37:00.002+13:00

Sunday, 18 September, 2011

An early text from Brett to let us know he’s already there, getting into the ti-tree on daylight to chop it and haul it out for his daughter’s 1st birthday hangi the next weekend. The rest of us sauntered on out there, parked in the paddock, a little after 8:30 – Rodney in his Mistral, Colin & I in the Rocky, and Luke in his Rugger. By the time we’d sorted out where we were going and what we were taking, Brett turned up with another load of ‘logs’ chained up behind the back of his wagon
; duly loaded onto his trailer and back he went into the scrub for more. While Brett’s mission was two-fold, ours was driven by the single-minded intent (mostly Colin’s) to clear the track so it joined up in the swampy clearing at the bottom with the track coming into it from the other side.... (it makes sense when he tells it......). So Rodney and Luke attacked it from the top, and Colin and I went in further to work back towards them, each crew chopping (chainsawing) and stacking as we went. Rodney’s saw gave up first, stalling out and being tricky to restart. There was plenty of bushy grand-daddy gorse, so there was easy space gained for not too much chopping. Colin’s saw threw a chain, so that was the signal for a coffee break (any excuse, eh...). Unfortunately, coffee was at the top of the hill in the Rocky, so not being needed to tend to the chainsaw I volunteered to go. As I came out of the bush, I noticed the sky was dark and threatening; by the time I got the key in the lock of the back door, the rain began, and quickly became heavy, so I tucked myself into the back of the vehicle and sat it out....I peeked out a couple of times to see was it easing or getting worse, since being under the trees as well it was a bit hard to tell. Eventually it eased enough for me to venture back down the hill, where I was greeted by the comment “Didn’t you want to walk down the hill in the hail.....!?” So, after the coffee was down and the new chain on, we wandered further around the track and felled some more trees, thoughtfully leaving a few strategic ‘obstacles’ as we went. We made it so there’s a way clear down the track – perhaps a wee bit of bashing required to get started – into the clearing, plenty of room to play, lots of fun to be had. Still some trees for Colin to hit, and if the conditions are right, somewhere to get stuck! And talking of getting stuck...... after the downpour, Luke decided it would be a good idea to turn the Rugger around, so he drove down the hill a bit, got stuck, tried to back up..... not good.....let the tyres down.....way better! Given that the weather wasn’t improving, and both chainsaws were stuffed for the day, we decided we’d done enough, so the trusty Rugger carted most of the gear up the hill (we picked a few bits up along the way, those of us travelling on foot behind it). Brett was back from carting his trailer load of wood home, so that made it lunchtime, after which Colin and I went home and the others went for a 4x4 wander out the back to ‘look for a number plate’...

August 2011 - Brett's Run

2011-08-29T20:59:00.001+12:00

Sunday 21st August 2011

What a fantastic morning as I pulled up to the Hikurangi weigh bridge, a fine foggy morning with a soft wind chilling past the hairs on your legs, I waited for everyone to arrive. As I walked around the trailer marvelling at the piece of crap (rover) on it I noticed the front right tyre of the trailer was a bit low
, so out with my trusty foot pump and in no time it was full of air and ready to go flat again.

As the coffee cooled down Grant arrived and we started to talk crap about 4x4 as you do, and then the rest of the tribe arrived and finally Colin & Nat turned up in the rocky.

So 8.30am we set off into the rising sun to find to more chaps awaiting our arrival , continued down this lovely gravel road to a gate, through this gate we did go, and to yet another gate we found, every one let down the tyres and unloaded the 4x4, Colin & Nat had already gone in to the paddock and started to sort out the first two hazards, a bit of a wiggle sidling, good start to the day , second hazard a good hazard - had to cross a wee ditch and then round the bend to go back over the ditch and up a wee bump, which Kane & Eugene made look easy. After this Colin & I had a look at yet another crossing of a drain with a rather large but easy turn. We all gave it a go even Colin got into my heap and tried to smoke my P/S belt (I think he forgot it was a rover).We then carried on up the hill to my hazard, a simple straight hill climb.

End of the day results were in, so was lunch, Mark with glory of the day winning 80 points, Grant DNF after blowing a CV joint.

We then cruised up the track over the slip and to the top with a beauty view, then down the other side which was a bit steep and then add a tree and a large stump under the rear axle, Luke & Dan through it look quite impressive, I with the bum up off the ground dancing around (the vehicle not me) every one descended with great care and caution; we continued up and around the track where Kane had to have the tree that had fallen over the track removed so he could get up the track as he was taller than the tree/track with the tree gone. On they trundled along the top ridge down to the bottom where the track had been washed out so back track and down the face which was a bit steep as I had to catch the flask bag passing through the front hoop of the roll cage while hanging in my harness, whereas everyone else took a far easy angle down.

Gave Rodney a little charge as his alternator wasn’t playing the game, whit this Mark followed me (I was walking up the track) up the track to the top where it was over cut by another track; after a few attempts he was over and clear, well done Mark. Dan you can’t go where the big boys go until you have roll cage O.K. Rodney also had a crack but not quite enough travel yet but close with a little goofy footing.

Then for the big drive out the back to see the other side of the farm, and for that well you should have come with us, or someone else might write a story about that end of the day...

Cheers
Brett

Hard Luck Trophy goes to Grant, for breaking his CV joint
Dipstick Trophy goes to Rodney for not tightening up his rear brake calliper pipe
Regal Trophy goes to Mark for winning the day.

Well done to all ..

Brass Monkey? aah, not quite...

2010-09-26T09:48:00.001+13:00

As it turned out, we were a vehicle short for a full “Brass monkey” which the way the forecast was heading was not such a bad thing. But then Saturday turned out to be one of those brilliant Northland winterless days, and Brett and Syd just couldn’t sit around with their vehicles loaded and nowhere to go.
So they headed north to Mike’s place so they could take their vehicles off the trailers, wander along the tracks and give Syd’s chainsaw a bit of a workout. Apparently it was near on dark when they got their vehicles back to the trailers and loaded up for home. Sunday saw the vehicle count up to three, the chainsaw count to two, and the monkey count now four, with Colin & Nat joining in Syd and Brett’s game of ti-tree bashing…

Not much time spent in the vehicles, and not alot of distance travelled; Syd and Colin with the chainsaws that invariably ran out of fuel or slipped a chain – always just in time for a coffee break or in time to move the vehicles up 100 metres or so – and Brett and Nat cleaning up behind, shifting the entanglement of ti-tree from the middle of the track to somewhere that should resemble the side of the track for the next few months or six until we get back in there to have another go. Fairly monotonous work, apart from the odd time Colin got himself tangled up in his own cutting path and ended up felling the matchstick forest onto his head (laughing quality only, no harm done here).

There was a bit of diffidence – caution even – about whether we should go down the hill we were clearing due to the steepness of it and the reality that we’d have to get back up it to head out for home. But after a relaxing lunch the optimism took over and all three vehicles tottered on down and along the track a bit more until the trees got closer together and harder to bash with the vehicles and more frustrating to move by hand. So Colin took the land rover for a real good BASH! At first the trees moved reasonably well, but then they all ganged up on the old land rover and wouldn’t move much at all. Colin took ages to turn around, bouncing both bumpers off the stick forest, but finally he got there and parked up on the track headed the right way. Nat spotted a washer amongst the debris on the track; it turned out to be a shock washer off the landy. Then Colin checked under the bonnet and pulled off a slightly stretched power steering belt; after a couple of attempts at a make-shift belt out of roofing string, he decided to go back to standard steering. We headed for home, and all made it up the ‘steep’ part of the track, only Brett having a bit of trouble because he didn’t have his normal tyres on and couldn’t crawl up like he’s got used to.

It wasn’t the kind of weekend we thought we were going have, but there was some productive track clearing; next time we’re aiming to make it to the kauri tree….

Fun Day - at Colin's 20 June 2010

2010-07-07T21:32:00.001+12:00

A typical wet-weathered start to the day, but all that did was put the slick on the grassy starts of the first few hazards; it did nothing to help chop up the usually swampy, usually muddy run by the dam. DAM! there's no mud was more the cry to be heard. The only stuck vehicle in the morning was Trent's cruiser
- still with springs in the front, he did not fair well coming out of the short but steep downhill halfway through hazard 3 - the springs dug in and the more he tried to steer out, the more they dug - Colin's land rover gave a series of smoky tugs from the back, and soon enough, Trent was back in the running. The only other mishaps of the day were Trent's encounter with a puriri in the afternoon session - not sure how Gavin (dad) was going to react to the damage: mainly panels (bonnet) but something might have shifted in the engine bay too (oops!). Plus there was Kate's dilemma of being a tad to short in the legs to comfortably operate Bert's vehicle - the block of wood tied to the accelerator helped for a little bit, but the situation was not ideal for Kate and she bailed out gracefully. The lada awaits you, Kate.... Here are some snapshots of what we got up to -

Mt Tiger - Feb 2010

2010-05-06T20:08:00.001+12:00

Getting in while it was dry was the condition of entry for a day at Mt Tiger - you don't get much drier than a Northland drought. Everywhere the mud was meant to be, it was dry! Still, plenty of drains were found
to play in. Bert's wagon encountered enough hard ground to cause a broken tie-rod end, so off to the shed he went for Robin's welder and Rodney's welding rods, a quick repair and he was soon back underway. Eventually mud was discovered, and pretty soon after that everything and everyone was covered! The day was filled with plenty of playing, plenty of getting stuck, towed out, stuck again... and Colin, once again, broke the tie rod arm in the landy...

A day at Waiotu

2010-03-11T15:51:00.001+13:00

In a 1000 acre paddock we managed to negatiate the boundary tracks with relative ease - not counting the odd side-track reconnaisance cut short by some uncharacteristic displays of good sense (they were STEEP!). As usual, because we are persistent,
we found enough mud to play and get stuck in; and, after several minutes of laughing and pointing, the teamwork kicked in and vehicles were recovered for more time tiki-touring. This was a great day out for our full mixture of vehicles, from the shiney's to the roughies, plenty of exploring, a good time playing, and a property we hope to get back to in the future..

Christmas at Ruapekapeka

2010-01-12T19:10:00.001+13:00

Santa followed us to Ruapekapeka…but despite the raindaince on Saturday night he forgot to deliver the mud for our fun day. The hazards were challenging and there were soon problems with
vehicles. The landrover's starter was playing up (this is the replacement for the one that got bent at Pureora), so it was being parked strategically on the hills. That didn’t really matter much after Colin sideswiped a totara in the next hazard and didn’t ‘glance off it’ like he ‘normally does’; it dragged all the panels back and the radiator met the fan which is never a good outcome. Too many holes resulted from the impact, so the landy was out. The next vehicle to show signs of fatigue was Syd’s ‘pup’. Colin had jumped in to have a go on the timed section, because it was so much fun, but the pup ran out of go about 5 metres from the finish. Some 13 minutes later, back up and running, pegs already gone from the hazard, we stopped the clock.

Soon after lunch, Brooke decided to take a somewhat traditional line on the national-like sidling (set up by Colin), fell into a hole, rolled off the sidling, popped a tyre off the bead and spent the next wee-while hooked up to Brett’s rover-jack. All that sorted, the day then finished smoothly, those with slightly shinier vehicles – Trent and Kevin – opting out where the need arose, Kevin earning his keep with the winch running on the last hazard to pull pretty much every vehicle out of the creek.

Labour Weekend at Pureora

2009-12-16T20:24:00.001+13:00

Our annual pilgrimage to make the most of the unknown, the unexpected, the as-you-find-them tracks of Pureora. This year we took 6 vehicles up the track on Saturday - 2 made it back to camp about 9:30 that night.
The rest, we patched up and hauled out on Sunday - against a stream of 13+ other vehicles who took advantage of our prestigious track-clearing and highway-making - some of who had no regard for what we were trying to achieve - their spades and axes were still shiney in their holders!

That aside, we had an awesome weekend where everyone pulled together as a matter of course. Thanks to our guests from Tokoroa who stuck with us on the Sunday to help pull our 4 casualties from the bush. Monday was a play day for those that were still mobile (or could keep being patched up enough to be...). It's not about how far you travel, and how quick you get there, it's about what you achieve on the way - and there's more to 4-wheeling than just driving your vehicle up a track.

Club Fun Day, May 2009

2009-06-09T22:06:00.001+12:00

We had 3 vehicles and 4 drivers, with 10 pegged hazards to test us (including an ungraded sidling - Colin thinks he's still at the Nationals!). The hazard by hazard results were a mixed bag, with everyone trying their own thing
; as usual, when it didn't work it was the vehicle's fault - there is no such thing as driver error... Some things happened way too fast to catch on camera, especially Colin felling the punga tree into the mud run at the end of the day. Here's a glimpse of what we got up to:

The boys' day out

2009-06-09T21:53:00.001+12:00

The photos were limited, but the fun was not - the boys went for a bit of a roam around the farm and found some good spots to play in
. This was the first outing for Brett's new "Rover" and new boy Trent brought his Suzuki out to even up things up:

New Years Day 2009 - play day:

2009-06-09T21:29:00.001+12:00

This was an impromptu day, set up on a whim to show Nick and his family (visiting from Darwin) how we do our 4x4. There were plenty of trips for the kids, over the hills and through the mud
; there were the usual unscheduled breakdowns, and some long waits for a tow out of the mud, but it turned out to be a fantastic day for everyone.