official bulletin of theauckland4wd.org.nz/downloads/twin_diffs_february_2014.pdfvice president...
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OFFICIAL BULLETIN OF THE
Club Night Club Night Club Night Club Night Club Night Club Night Club Night Club Night
17th February 201417th February 201417th February 201417th February 201417th February 201417th February 201417th February 201417th February 2014 The club meets on the third Monday of the month at the Vintage Car Club Rooms.
39 Fairfax Ave. Penrose Starting at 8pm with tea and coffee to follow.
Postal Address Auckland Four Wheel Drive Club Inc.
P O Box 6712 Wellesley Street, AUCKLAND
www.auckland4wd.org.nz
· Heed all instructions given to you by the Trip Leader. If seatbelt are fitted, they must be worn at all times. · No alcohol to be consumed on club trips. · Convoy procedure - always keep the vehicle behind you in sight, always stop at intersections to ensure the vehicle behind can see you. · Do not leave the trip early without notifying the trip leader. · Leave all gates as found. · Always hold safety in mind – especially during recovery procedures, all spectators are to keep clear. · Never, under any circumstances slip a towrope over a tow ball. · Do not join 2 towropes with a shackle – loop one through the other in a secure knot, then slip a strong piece of wood between the two to ensure that they can be separated after the recovery. · Fire extinguishers are compulsory – minimum of 2kg for forest trips – your extinguisher must be operable with current certification & check the weight. · You must have tow hooks front and back that are securely mounted to the chassis with high tensile bolts. · All vehicles must carry a nylon towrope or strop. · All vehicles must carry a spade. · All vehicles must carry a first aid kit.
What’s On is now being published on the internet, so to keep up to date with those trips, go to www.auckland4wd.org.nz and view the trips as they come to hand.
What’s On?What’s On?
Title Name Phone Cell Phone Email
President Jack Talbot 528 6220 027 2244 215 [email protected]
Vice President Jeremy Walker 533 7385 027 684 1814 [email protected]
Treasurer Dave Broome 0274 924 707 [email protected]
Secretary Peter Vahry 524 0474 0274 310 923 [email protected]
Membership Eileen Austin (09) 420 5066 0274 826 406 [email protected]
Trip Coordinator TBC
Committee Ed Belt 827 8711 021 625 918 [email protected]
Committee Linton Ivicevich 420 8334 0274300623 [email protected]
Committee / Editor Calvin Tyler 833 6262 021 147 3614 [email protected]
Committee Tariq Wasim 624 0071 021 2782747 [email protected]
Disclaimer :
The views and opinions expressed in this publication may not necessarily be those of the executive
or members of the Auckland Four Wheel Drive Club Inc.
A Proud Member
of
Auckland 4WD Club
President’s Report
Hi All,
I’m just back from a few days up at in the bush north of Sydney, where it is still really dry & evidence of recent bushfires way too close to my place – the sand track we normally use to access the farm has become really fine and powdery, which caused havoc with a few heavy trucks bringing materials and equipment onto the site. ;it’s great how a few simple 4WD recovery skills can be put to use in such situations! The weekend before that we were lucky enough to be invited down to spend the weekend with members of the Waikato 4WD Club at their prop-erty at Karakariki, near Whatawhata less than an hour south of the Bom-bays. ;what a fantastic place, with plenty of diverse tracks and enough space to keep everyone happy for a few days of exploring - there were enough trucks for us to split into 2 groups on the first day and we never met the other group all day, but had plenty of varying terrain to keep us busy and made for some stories to tell back at the campfire that night. The formal lease arrangement the Waikato Club has with the current land owner goes back for many years and seems to work well to the benefit of both owner and users. There are several active members of the club who provide their time and equipment to keep the tracks well maintained and have built a base camp called “The Sheraton” which is a perfect base for operations. Apparently we were too spoiled by the dry conditions, which made the tracks “easy” and have been invited back in the wet to really experience what Karakariki has to offer! Don’t forget we have the National Park 4x4 event coming up in a couple of weeks, and I hope to see many of you down there for a totally different kind of 4WDing weekend.
See you in the bush, Jack.
IMPORTANT: To participate in a club trip, please contact the trip
leader no later than the Thursday night before.
Take Note
If you don’t want to or can’t take your vehicle on a particular trip and wish to be a passenger, contact the trip leader and
register your interest.
What’s On?What’s On?
22-23 February
Possum Palace
Suit tuff truck & shiny. 900 acre property 2.5 hours drive north of Albany. $40 per truck. Camping on-site. Minimum numbers required. Please register interest ASAP
Ed Belt [email protected]
Grade 2-4
1-2 March 4x4 National Park
A 'tag-along event based in National Park and hosted by this club. Check www.4x4nationalpark.co.nz Register now!
17 March Club meeting 8pm, Vintage Car Club rooms, Fairfax Ave, Penrose.
Social
22-23 March
Club winch challenge
Venue to be confirmed
29-30 March
Woodhill Safety Patrol
Your help would be appreciated. Any vehicle is suitable to help out on the patrol. 2014 Safety Patrol calendar
Stephen Reed [email protected]
29-30 March
Kauri Coast 4wd club - Ho-kianga 4x4 Sa-fari
Explore Waimamaku west coast area. Separate club shiny and tuff truck tracks. Base camp at Waiotemarama complex. Fundraiser for North-land Rescue Helicopter
Serena Carran 09 439 0064 or 021 159 2720
6 April Maratoto
Easter 2014 Whangamo-mona
Alan Hejl
27 April Waiuku Forest to be confirmed
24 May NZFWDA AGM Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre (58 Waipuna Rd, Mt Wellington, Auckland)
17 February Club meeting 8pm, Vintage Car Club rooms, Fairfax Ave, Penrose.
Social
DATE TRIP DETAILS CONTACT GRADE
Trip Gradings
A minimum of a first aid kit, 2kg fire extinguisher (or 2 x 1kg), recovery strap and a spade are to be carried on all trips. It is useful
to have a suitably sized block of wood to place under your jack to prevent it sinking in soft ground when changing tyres. If your
spare tyre is under your vehicle it may be handy to secure it safely in the back as you often can’t get it from underneath in 4x4 track
conditions.
Important note: when making ‘snatch recoveries’ ensure you use a ‘snatch strap’ with some stretch and not a ‘tow strap’ with no
stretch and use suitable rated recovery points! Never recover using a tow ball, remove it and attach strap with a rated shackle,
(Shackle to be 3.2 tonne or better, recovery hook to be fastened with 2x 12mm bolts, grade 8.8 or imperial equivalent).
Please note that the grade shown for a track may vary and be slightly easier or harder than description, due to changes in weather
and track conditions since last visited. To avoid disappointment on the day, it is advised that you talk with the trip leader beforehand
to get the latest track update and discuss your vehicle and capabilities.
Grade 1 - Easy (Scenic/social/touring)
• Novice drivers with little or no four wheel driving experience required.
• Easy driving on sealed and unsealed roads, no rough tracks and road or all terrain tyres.
• Minimal chance of paint scratching.
• Good family outing for people wanting to ease their way into four-wheel driving (more of a touring style of driving with a
destination in mind).
Grade 2 - Intermediate
• Drivers with some 4wding experience, that have driven off-road on farms, beaches, etc.
• Easy off-road tracks, some mud, all-terrain tyres or better, Hi and Low range 4wd,rated front and rear recovery points, basic
recovery gear (snatch strap, 2 rated shackles, gloves and spade) and appropriate driver knowledge, as snatch strap recovery may
be necessary. Most obstacles are able to be by-passed if drivers wish too.
• A small chance of light paint scratching.
These are the tracks all standard 4wd’s should be capable of and why you own a 4wd.
Grade 3 - Medium
• Drivers with moderate and sound 4wding knowledge and experience, who are comfortable with slippery driving conditions.
• Steeper terrain, rutted tracks, with close obstacles to manoeuver around. Snatch recovery is likely to be required.
• Mud terrain tyres preferred, road tires are not acceptable (mud terrain tyres for wet weather conditions).
• Rated front and rear recovery points, basic recovery gear (snatch strap, 2 rated shackles, gloves and spade), and appropriate
driver knowledge.
• Some scratching or minor scrapes possible.
• These tracks are ideally suited to those who enjoy 4wding in most conditions, don’t mind the odd scratch and have fitted
mud terrain tyres.
• Winches are not necessary on all vehicles; this will be at the trip leader’s discretion depending on weather conditions.
Grade 4 - Hard
• Confident, experienced drivers in all aspects of 4wding.
• Rough tracks, muddy, steep and slippery terrain, rocks, deep water, snatch and winch recovery likely. Rated recovery points
front and rear, mud terrain tyres or better, and a winch along with relevant recovery gear (snatch strap, rated shackles, tree trunk
protector, winch rope dampener, gloves and spade).
• Some vehicle damage may be likely.
• These trips are great for experienced drivers with well-equipped 4wd’sthat have increased ground clearance and vehicle pro-
tection, capable of self-recovery if necessary.
Grade 5 - Extreme
• Very experienced drivers able to handle self-recovery and the harshest conditions, where anything may arise.
• Very steep, deeply rutted tracks or rock hopping will be encountered. Front and rear recovery points (rated), full recovery
gear (snatch strap, rated shackles, tree trunk protector, winch extension, winch rope dampener, drag chain, gloves, spade and
spares), and appropriate driver knowledge.
• Winching will be expected and an electric or motorised winch is compulsory on all vehicles.
• Aggressive mud terrain or Simex style tyres are essential.
• Warning: Vehicle damage is likely to occur.
• These trips are for heavily modified 4wd’s and experienced drivers only. This category describes trips that are at competition
level.
4x4 National Park 1-2 March
Registrations are being accepted now for the 4x4 National Park event
that is based right in National Park and organised by Auckland 4WD
Club. We have access to DoC land and Landcorp properties, providing
some scenic and interesting four wheeling. These events are not in-
tended as ‘tough’ but do usually require some skill. There is a limit of 50
participating vehicles and because it’s farmland, etc., the groups will
travel in convoys.
Check the website at www.4x4nationalpark.co.nz for more information
and to request a registration form email [email protected]
Southern Safari 2013 Part Three !
Monday 4th
November 2013
From Omarama The Land Rovers Owners Club Otago they
took us over the spectacular Omarama Saddle and down
into Naseby. Green rolling hills cattle and sheep some river
crossings and rocky roads. Into The former gold and coal
mining town of St Bathans, formerly named Dunstan Creek
the town lies deep in the heart of the Maniototo in the
Otago region. Mining has long ceased, and it is now a tran-
quil holiday retreat. The preservation and restoration of
many of its historic buildings makes it one of the region's
more visited tourist venues. St Bathans is well known for its
scenic man-made lake with beautiful clay cliffs and attracts
many tourists. Bustling in the late 1800’s where the tailings are still visible
and made a beautiful sidestep to this lovely little township. We stopped
drank coffee and explored.
A varied day from rock roads to dust and high cliffs to meandering through
valleys and rivers.
Finishing in Ranfurly where the weather had packed in and the rain had
started.
Tuesday 5th
November 2013
The Otago Recreational 4wd club were our guides today and they
took us up the walking spur to Mt Buster where Gold was discov-
ered in the Coalpit Gully in 1863. The goldfield, one of many in
Otago, was considered a poor man’s diggings since most claims
yielded payable gold but none were proven to be spectacular. Visit-
ing the old Mt Buster Goldfields, (at 4000 ft above sea level, one of
the highest and richest
in Otago) and follows
the Tailings Creek. Then
loops back to cross spectacular open tussock land. Gold was dis-
covered here in 1863, included claims running from Clarke’s
Gully to Sergeant Garvey’s Cairn and mostly on Kyeburn Station.
Claims were abandoned during the winter months and in the
spring, returning miners were forced to travel
through 2-4 foot of snow to get to their huts
and often had to tunnel through snow to get
to their doors. This was all of great interest to
us to see how hard it must have been for
these individuals. Driving through this rugged
terrain gives you a feeling of how it might
have been for these gold miners the land-
scape tells the tale tussock grasses, rugged
rock deeps crevices and howling winds. Loop-
ing back to Ranfurly for another comfortable
night at the Holiday Park. We have been fortunate with the weather it has cleared and we have blue skies
and it is now a little warmer.
Wednesday 6th
November 2013
Blessed with a beautiful
blue sky and clear views we
were met by The Land Rov-
ers Owners Club Otago
who took us up Thompsons
Rd onto the Ragged Range
where we could see Pisa Range, The Old Man
Range, Lamerlaw Range and round to the Rough
Ridge. The day was so clear we could see Lake
Hawes and Lake Wanaka in all their beauty and
not forgetting Lake Dunstan. We stopped in
Matakanui where there are a few historical
buildings of which we could just peep through windows, we ate a picnic lunch then carried on past the ruins
of yesteryear where goldmine’s had tried their luck and were now just memories in history books to settle in
Cromwell for the three
nights, but alas we could
find accommodation for
only two nights as there
was a race meeting on and
they were expecting liter-
ally thousands to influx that
weekend we will just wait
and see.
Thursday 7th
November 2013
We met again at the Chalets holiday Park where the majority of
truckers were staying. From Cromwell the second day we got
to drive up toward Old Man Range to the Obelisk first visiting
the Mitchell’s cottage where they raised a large family we were
able to enter the cottage and out buildings and imagine what it
would have been like. The impression was that this family
were quite comfortably off with a stone cottage and what we
would have called mod cons for the day. The conditions with
the howling wind and
snow during winter
months would have been difficult. Andrew Mitchell was a stonemason
and therefore this cottage was a fine example of his work etched in his-
tory. Often the range is impassable if weather is not good but we made
it to the top but not past that point because the road was in fact closed
and we were told in bad condition, we were to find a little further this
in fact had proved to be quite a drama for our younger members who
had planned a more extensive trip and found it almost impassable hav-
ing to winch and tow each other through.
Old Man Range where you looked down on
everything north to the Dunstan Mountains
and Raggedy Range and east to the Knobby Range, Rough Ridge and Rock and Pillar Range just spectacular
but we did encounter wind and it was very cold despite the clear blue sky. South there is nothing higher un-
til the mountains of the Antarctic, and if a southerly is blowing they say you will know all about it obviously
we were not experiencing a southerly. The biggest Old Man Rock is 26.8m high and gives the range its
name. Maori legend has it that the rock is the petrified form of the giant Kopuwai, who lived nearby with his
10 two headed dogs. In retribution for his having captured a young girl from the Te Rapuiwi tribe, a warrior
party trapped Kopuwai and clubbed him to death, nice happy story. His dogs were transformed into stone
formations along the Clutha River. Past signs that reminded us of the unexploded ordinance signs we saw in
European countries but this time for poison laid. We could see Lake Hawes and Lake Wanaka in all their
beauty and of course Lake Dunstan, travelling along her bank for some time. We felt the scenery would
never end and it didn’t disappoint once.
Peter and Linda Stopforth, one more episode to go !
Far North
I’ve always wanted to get up to the top of the North Island and see
Cape Reinga, so we decided to do a bit of a road trip to the top of the
north island for my birthday, and then come back home down the
west coast. So we left Helensville on Friday and drove all the way up
to Te Paki Stream, which vehicles and tour buses use to access 90
Mile Beach. For those who have not driven down Te Paki Stream, it’s
a great shiny trip which I think is well worth doing, and it is easily
driven in the summer months in most vehicles although 4wds are
preferable.
When we arrived at Te Paki Stream we found it had only a small
amount of water flowing, and it was a very easy drive for the Nissan
down the stream and onto the beach. However although the stream was mostly shallow, Linton still hap-
pened to find the only deep patch in the stream which was head light depth, where he conveniently did a
good job of washing out the head lights and motor, which I had thoroughly filled/covered with mud on a
previous trip. Also, along the edge of Te Paki Stream there were massive sand dunes which many enthusias-
tic people were walking up to the top of and tobogganing down. Linton and I ended up driving down Te Paki
Stream and onto 90 mile beach initially, and on the way back up the stream we stopped to take some pho-
tos and we also climbed to the top of the dunes to enjoy the great views of the beach, river and other sur-
rounding dunes.
After driving down and back up Te Paki Stream we then car-
ried on up to Cape Reinga. On the way up there were many
places to stop and admire the spectacular scenery and
coastal views. One place we stopped at had a really good
view out to Cape Maria Van Dieman. Pretty soon we arrived
at Cape Reinga and we walked down the path to the light-
house. It’s about a 5-10 minute walk out to the lighthouse if
you don’t read all the information signs along the way. Once
at the lighthouse we got a good view out to sea and from the
lighthouse you can also look back down the coast and once
again see some pretty spectacular views.
On our way back from Cape Reinga we drove into Tapotupotu Bay for a look, which is just down from Cape
Reinga on the east coast, and it has camping by the estuary. We then decided to drive down to Spirits Bay
where we camped for the night. We found Spirits Bay had a lovely beach and lagoon, although it had hun-
dreds of not so lovely but very large mosquitos! We also had some very loud music that was played right
though to 4am, which on the plus side drowned out the sound
of all the mosquitos swarming around the tent!
On Saturday we decided to drive from Spirits Bay back down to
Te Paki Stream again and onto 90 mile beach. From there we
drove down 90 Mile Beach to Ahipara rather than driving down
the highway to Ahipara. On our way back down Te Paki Stream
Linton also had another play in the deep patch of water that he
had found the previous day. This was much to the amusement
of our spectators, a bus load of tourists coming up the stream.
Luckily the bus bypassed the deep patch we had just driven
through, as if it had tried driving through, it would have most cer-
tainly gotten stuck.
Once we were on 90 Mile Beach and driving south we saw the tide
was out and we realised there was plenty of room for us to drive on
the flat, hard beach. As we drove down the beach we passed quite a
few 4wds, vans, and the odd car. About halfway down 90 Mile Beach
we came across one of the locals and a dead whale, so we stopped
and had a bit of a chat to the guy and he said that he was in the proc-
ess of removing the whale’s
jaw bone. He also mentioned that he had already removed the am-
bergris from the whale’s intestines with a trusty chainsaw! Appar-
ently the chunk of ambergris was quite big and to extract the amber-
gris they had to use a 4wd to pull the ambergris out of the whale!
The guy also told us that his share of the ambergris was between 50-
60 thousand dollars!! Wow!! For those who don’t know what amber-
gris is, it is a highly sought after waxy rock like substance that comes
from sperm whales and it is used to make perfume.
After our whale experience we continued on down 90 Mile Beach to
Maunganui Bluff Reserve, which when the tide is in, the reserve would become an island. After a few photos
we drove the remaining part of 90 Mile Beach and we were soon at Ahipara. Once at Ahipara we drove off
the beach and we had a bit of a drive around where we saw Shipwreck Bay and the old gum fields, before
finding our camp ground for the night.
On Sunday our plan was to drive from Ahipara back up 90
Mile Beach to Waipapakauri, and then drive inland to Sweet
Water, Lake Ngatu and Awanui. On our way though, as we
made our way onto the beach at Ahipara we came across a
tourist in a car who had become stuck in the soft sand while
trying to get off the beach. So Linton gave him a quick tow
backwards out of the soft sand and a local then told the tour-
ist to drive further down the beach and get off the beach us-
ing one of the more car friendly exits. However the tourist
misunderstood the directions and he tried to drive off the
beach again using the same exit he had just used, but despite his trying, the end result was he became stuck
again. Luckily for the tourist we hadn’t yet driven off up the beach, so Linton gave him another tow, this
time right off the beach.
Later in the day after seeing Sweet Water, Lake Ngatu and Awanui we drove through Herekino and visited
Rangi Point, before making our way to the ferry which took us across to Rawene. While we were on the ferry
we were approached by one of the crew who runs the Hokianga 4x4 fundraiser, and he eagerly told us about
their upcoming safari and encouraged us to come. From what he described the safari sounds like it could be
a good trip with the plan being to explore the Waimamaku west coast area and to drive over farms, rivers
and muddy tracks. Apparently the safari is also going to be good for families, although there will be tracks to
keep the more adventurous entertained as well. For those interested in the safari, it is in March, and you can
contact Serena on 439 0064 or 021 159 2720 for more in-
formation and to book.
For the last day of our road trip we drove down through
Opononi, we stopped to see Tane Mahuta and Kai Iwi Lakes,
and we drove out to and onto various west coast beaches
including Maunganui Bluff, Bayly’s Beach, Omamari Beach
and Ripiro Beach before finally making our way out to
Kelly’s Bay. As Kelly’s Bay was reasonably close to Pouto, we
decided to drive out to Pouto and onto the beach. Once on
the beach we carefully drove a little way round the point
due to the VERY soft sand. Maybe next time if we have another 4wd
with us we will drive around the point more to the lighthouse. It cer-
tainly wasn’t worth the risk trying to drive around the point on an
incoming tide, on our own in the evening and knowing Pouto has
VERY deep patches of soft sand.
Overall not a bad trip, with lots of spectacular scenery and awesome
places I’d like to visit again sometime soon, and having a 4wd al-
lowed us to access many beaches and see places people without a
4wd could not. Also the Kauri Coast 4 Wheel Drive Club’s Hokianga
Safari looks like it could be a bit of fun and possibly on the cards next
month… so what do you reckon Linton?... Auckland 4wd members?
And for those who can’t make the Hokianga Safari there is always
our club’s National Park Fundraising trip in March, which has some
new tracks to use and explore. Hence two great upcoming fundraiser
trips. Come along and support two good causes and see some more
great NZ scenery.
Sarah Ivicevich
4x4 National Park check
On Waitangi Day, Linton and Sarah Ivicevich and I drove to National Park to
check out the options for our event on 1-2 March. By 1.00pm we were on
the farm and heading towards the Department of Conservation (DoC) land
that they’ve given permission for the club to access for this event. We lo-
cated a track last used about five years ago and before a couple of culverts
collapsed. Along the way we trimmed the vegetation and a couple of fallen
trees across the track. It was those trees that allowed us to bridge the
trickiest culvert crossing, as we towed the logs along the track and rolled
them into place. (Of course about 3 hours later on another part of the farm,
we found a collapsed timber bridge with ideal planks that would have made
the task much easier!)
We located an old hut that is listed as a ‘heritage’ building that we’ve been
aware of for a few years, but never found in the bush and it was well dis-
guised, but only a short walk from where we’ve driven past many times.
We spent all of Friday researching and mapping the one property, along
with completing the trimming of Thurs-
day’s track.
The task now is to pore over the maps
to link up all the new routes with others, to create an entertaining day’s driving.
The Landcorp farm manager suggested that we look at a block of land that we’ve
never visited before on the Taurewa block and although it appeared to be almost
flat; it is quite challenging to drive with many gullies to cross.
There is still space on this event as registrations this year
have been a bit slow. That might be because of an apparent
lack of accommodation, but if you are interested, check with
the Park Hotel Ruapehu and they’ve said they’ll try to help
by liaising with other motels and lodges. There’s even a DoC
campsite a few kilometres towards the Ruapehu turnoff.
The event website is www.4x4nationalpark.co.nz
Peter Vahry
Waitawheta trip
After rebuilding the front wheel hub on my Surf and finishing
few other mods (one was to improve truck steering) I was look-
ing forward Waitawheta trip to test my truck.
Last week before the trip I was nervous, but I was trying to calm
down myself by telling that there is nothing to wary about – truck
is quite capable, so everything should be fine.
On the day before the trip I finally managed to mount my toolbox
on the truck’s deck and put there all recovery gear and tools. Also
I adjusted rear brakes, charged the batteries, pumped up the tyres and checked all fastening and fluid levels. I
started feeling more confident as I thought that I was prepared to anything.
That was my first trip to that area and when I came to the gorge I turned and crossed the river in the wrong
place. Fortunately for me Fritz (he was following me from Paeroa) saw it and turned as well to tell me that the
right bridge was a bit further down the road.
I followed Fritz truck and we’ve got to the meeting point on time. Two Nissans were already there and few
minutes later Jeremy joined us on his Hilux. We also were expecting, but Steve suggested that Dave was al-
ready waiting us at the track entrance.
When we reached the entrance Dave wasn’t there, but there were a few trucks and trailers from another club. I
was surprised to see the Jeep sticker on the bonnet of a Nissan that was parked there, but later I understood the
meaning of the sticker. Everyone starter preparing to the trip - I unhooked my Surf from Landcruiser and low-
ered pressure in all tyres.
On quick briefing we decided that we would go through the loop in anticlockwise direction and Jeremy would
be leading followed by 3 Nissans then my Surf and the last would be Dave (who came to the entrance by that
time) on his Suzuki.
We started our journey and first half an hour was easy driving. Despite that I found place to stuck and test my
winch. By the time I’ve got myself out of the bog the leading 4 trucks were far ahead of me.
After that I was driving probably for half an hour down the hill on very rutted track quite often using diff
lockers and I was wondering how many 4weelers were adventurous enough to get through the track in oppo-
site direction and how many winch-hours it took them to get to the top of that hill.
In about an hour I managed to catch up with the team. All trucks were lined up, but I couldn’t see anyone - I
was curious where they were. I walked further down the track and found all of them standing next to the place
with quite a tricky drop down, watching how another club was tackling the obstacle on their Jeeps (and then I
understood why the Jeep sticker was on a Nissan truck).
In a next half an hour all Jeeps went through and our trucks started moving forward. Jeremy was the first, but
he approached not the best way and had to winch himself out trying to avoid panels damage against a big
rock. Winching wasn’t very successful as he ended up with a tree falling down across the track. After sorting
out problem with a fallen tree he got to the bottom of that drop and drove through it easily (or perhaps it
looked like that). All 3 Nissans had some issues with going through and required winching.
I was encouraged by Jeremy’s example and thought that I could do the same trick on my light Surf, but unfor-
tunately it didn’t work for me the same way as it did for Jeremy
and I ended up in a rut behind Steve’s Nissan. Steve tried to
avoid the deep rut and drove too far away struggling to get his
truck back on track. He asked me to winch him backwards and
to the side while he was winching himself forward. Initially it
didn’t work and instead of pulling Steve’s Nissan I pulled my
truck forward and end up in the deeper rut (where previously
Fritz stuck on his Nissan) which Steve was trying to avoid.
Steve asked Dave to hook to my truck trying to hold it from fur-
ther moving forward. Dave was keen to do it as it helped him to
pull his Suzuki from very soft spot back on solid ground. After
this Steve managed to get his Nissan back on track, but I ended
up with winch cable jammed between the roller and the housing of fair lead (and that was the moment where
my troubles started).
Then we further advanced through the track and in approximately an hour our team could catch up with the
Jeepers after crossing a small stream with quite a deep bog.
I made mistake going through the valley before that crossing and stuck in the front of a tree that I was sup-
posed to drive around. I couldn’t move backwards as truck wasn’t going strait backwards but instead was
leaning towards the boggy area on the right side of the track. The only way out was winching to the left – lit-
erally dragging truck without moving too much forward. When I tried to do it the winch cable jammed few
times between the roller and fair lead housing and finally snapped.
Jeremy and Nathan helped me to temporally fix the cable and at the same time I unbolted the fair lead and
swapped sides around to make sure that the properly working roller could be used during the winching. With
Jeremy instructions and assistance I successfully recovered my truck and few minutes later joined the rest of
the team after another winching across the stream through the mud puddle.
I was happy to get myself out, but I’ve lost the winch. After that we had few more places where absence of
Simex tires and experience made me to stuck and ask for help. Jeremy was very kind to winch me out and
snatch me few times.
We were approaching the last serious obstacle – stream crossing with a sharp turn to the left and steep incline
on the rocks. I turned my lockers on, but only managed to get half way through. I was going to do another at-
tempt, but Jeremy suggested snatching instead. He hooked me up to his truck and started pulling me while I
was trying to drive and – it happened in fraction of second – my truck moved to the left and blocked the left
front wheel against the bank, then SNAP – my CV broke. I forgot to turn the front locker off and brutal force
of Holden V6 engine destroyed CV like it was made of glass. As result of that accident my steering was par-
tially compromised and I couldn’t turn properly to the right. Fortunately there were nothing serious after that
and half an hour later we all came out of the bush.
One thing was for sure at that point – Stadia were out of limits for me.
Most of guys said that for sake of safety the broken CV should have been removed, but Fritz suggested trying
driving without removing it and seeing how it goes. He wasn’t going to the Stadia either and he was keen to
stay with me and help.
I connected my Surf to the Cruiser by A-frame and was ready to go.
By that time everyone except Fritz left and few minutes later we took off and
drove towards SH2. At some point going down the hill and turning slightly to
the right I felt like Surf started pushing the rear of my Landcruiser off the road
to the left. My spontaneous reaction was hitting the brakes, but it was wrong
with very bad consequences – my truck lost traction on gravel road as soon as I
started braking but Surf continuing moving forward easily dragged the rear of
my truck and turned it by 90 degrees. When both trucks stopped - Landcruiser
was across the road perpendicular to the Surf that was facing forward still cou-
pled by A-frame to the Cruiser. Fritz stopped behind me and helped by pulling
Surf backwards and in the same time I was manoeuvring my Landcruiser moving little bit forward and little
bit backwards a few times. Few minutes later we managed to line up my trucks and were ready to move to-
wards SH2. At that point I decided that removing broken CV wasn’t a question anymore but necessity that
had to be done as soon as possible. There were no more issues on our way to
Paeroa and when I parked my car on the side road next to the RV parking it
was around 4:00pm. In next few hours I removed CV (to be more precise –
what left from CV) and was ready to go back home. I was very happy that I
mounted a tool box and brought all my tools with me.
When I came back home and was parking Surf in the garage I noticed that de-
spite I removed broken CV the steering was still restricted to one side – proba-
bly another CV was also broken.
Damage analysis – broken winch rope and fair lead, broken CV (or 2), dam-
aged A-frame and Landcruiser rear bumper, flat tyre. Isn’t it too much fun for
one day?
Lesson learnt – drive to conditions (never brake suddenly on gravel road and
especially when you tow), know the limits of your truck and never ever engage
front lockers when your truck is snatched, And for god’s sake - buy Simex
tyres. Serge Onishchuk
Papakura Mufflers and Performance Exhaust.
27 Elliot St, Papakura
Contact Peter Brown
298 6853
15% off all parts.
NZ 4WD Parts and Accessories.
Unit 1 46 Hobill Ave, Manukau City
0800 287 278
20% off all products.
Cookes Ropes and Lifting Equipment.
6-10 Greenmount Drive, East Tamaki
274 4299
5-20% off depending on product
Must show Membership Card.
Chain and Rigging Supplies Ltd.
136 Captain Springs Road, Onehunga
636 4775
20% off all products.
Must show Membership card.
Actron Fire Services
101 Beaumont Street Ph: 64-9-357 6767
Westhaven Fax: 64-9-357 6769
Auckland email: [email protected]
New Zealand Post: P O Box 15095 New Lynn
Contact Brett Neilsen
Autoclutch Limited
20 Morningside Drive, Kingsland 849 3737
Offering a 20% discount structure on all parts and services sup-
plied as standard off the shelf. Membership card required.
4x4 SUZUKI PARTS
10% to 20% discount on Suzuki parts..
Limited models, SJ410, SJ413 and Samurai’s
Call Henry van Vugt on 833 5478 or 0274 860 400.
BE Car Parts
aka Brit-Euro Car parts and Braxton Car Lights.
12 Moa St, Otahuhu
Contact: Jonty Cooper
Tel: 276 7841
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.becarparts.co.nz
20-30% off all products
Head & taillights, Bumpers, Guards, Bonnets, Boot lids, Body
panels, Wheel covers, Grilles
Bearing Supplies Ltd
40% discount on all bearings and oil seals. Sizes to suit all ap-
plications
5A Clemway Place
Henderson
Ph: 09-837 5777
Fax: 09-837 3820
Japanese Diesel Parts Ltd
Exclusive discount to club members on proof of membership.
We can supply Japanese diesel engine parts , new piston kits
which are Tiekin , NPR ring sets, cylinder liners and Taiho
bearing sets, these are good quality and carry an ISO standard .
We have a huge selection of used parts. We also carry stock of
new and used cylinder heads; some are reconditioned and we
also carry a range of gasket kits, short blocks new and recondi-
tioned
www.japanesedieselparts.co.nz
86 Falsgrave Street
Waltham
Christchurch
New Zealand
Phone NZ 03 365 6318
Fax 0800 116 111 ( NZ ONLY)
Wurth NZ Ltd
www.wurth.co.nz .
There is an E catalogue to view the product range.
Club members must show NZFWDA Membership card.
Discount varies depending on product.
Contact Adam or Jason.
Wurth NZ Ltd
42 Hobill Ave
Manukau
Ph 262 3040
Nu Life Batteries Ltd
Ray Greer
Discount varies, Membership card to be shown.
Unit 3,
254 Gt. Sth. Rd.
Takanini
09 298 4994
021 958-039
www.nulifebatteries.co.nz
Papamoa Beach Holiday Resort
www.papamoabeach.co.nz
Ph 0800 232 243
Apex Auto Center
www.apexautocentre.co.nz
Brake and clutch parts / manufacture, hoses and cables.
10% Discount off retail price, mention being a club member
with job. Contact Evan Woods
Ph 0800 102739
4WDBits
www.4wdbits.co.nz
Various 4x4 parts and accessories including tyres, suspension
components and electrical accessories.
Competitive rates and discounts available to club members.
Contact Warren
ph 9632923 or 027 4783234
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