An icy torrent of cold air streamed in through the missing drivers window. Keith was smiling with his thick bike gloves on, while I hovered over the stream of warm air from the heater, that was failing to make a dent in the breezy cabin. 'Landee power' on a frosty Saturday morning in the rural green of the coastal Rangitikei.
By Rick Coleman
When we arrived at the school, the lineup of 'shinies' was already huge, and swelling. Last year 87 vehicles took part, this year Jim Terpstra, the trek organiser, was expecting 100+. He wasn't disappointed, the spectacular day was guaranteed to get a good turn out and 108 participants, from all over the lower North Island of New Zealand, lined up, signed up and listened up, to hear the pre departure briefing.
As we returned to the '65 Landrover, some bloke cast us a glance. "Didn't know they still used those things" he offered.
The South Makirikiri School to Sea 4WD trek this year, promised a stunningly sunny midwinter day of swampy mud holes, pine forest trails, driftwood hopping, beach driving, and some very testing sand dune climbs. Just the thing to test the capabilities of the huge array of machines and different driving abilities, sort the men from the lads, the ladies from the lasses.
It didn't take long, and as they left the tarseal at Lake Alice to trek across the farm land, Thursday's heavy downpour, became quickly apparent. Tow ropes and team work was quickly needed, as the head of the enormous convoy broke the grassy crust, to reveal the dark and sandy, slippery mud beneath.
A queue formed at the beginning of a paddock of winter feed. Skirting round the outside of the paddock, the track crossed a grassy untilled depression that looked suspiciously like a spring to me. Sure enough, as the first 40-50 participants crossed through, with some near misses of the farmers fence, and took in the vista from the hilltop, chaos was erupting down below. Tires dug into the wet soft tilth of the turnips and brassicas, making deep ruts, until it wasn't just the spring causing grief. And it was only 10.30.
There was still a long way to go, and in the end, common sense prevailed, with the remainder returning to the highway and catching up to the party at the end of Trickers road, before entering the pine forests which Santoft is famous for.
Avenues of pruned pines and gravelled tracks were interrupted with interesting diversions to climb a few pine needled dunes, ford water holes, and a healthy looking concrete culvert that had a 'detour' sign blocking access.
After the family picnic lunch at Santoft, when the BBQ plates had cooled down, the convoy, that was beginning to resemble an army manoeuvre, took to the dunes and were greeted at the beach by a stunning vista, and a chance for lunch to settle as they let loose on the broad flat sandy surface beneath them.
Heading south, an orange and white wooden observation tower, and some discrete signs warning about live firing, marked the entrance to the Ohakea Air Base Bombing range. Soft grey sand, orange native grasses and fresh plantings of the ubiquitous marram grass, were a distraction from the small bomb craters on both sides of the route. A steep sand dune, needing a long run up, provided plenty of entertainment. The ruts getting deeper and deeper as the afternoon progressed. A bit of speed, and plenty of momentum the keys to success. The rewards, the stunning view of the coast, bathed in sunshine as the convoy returned to the beach through a deep and wide, sandy gully.
A spectacular cruise south down the beach, led to yet more testing manoeuvres, in the form of driftwood hopping. After driving back into the forest and through dense plantings of macrocarpa along the coastline, access back to the beach was impeded by a huge swathe of driftwood, washed up at the outlet of a small creek. Jim directed a willing team of volunteers, and excited children, to rearrange the wood heap, to minimalise damage to the vehicles bouncing over the top.
The beach began to resemble an enormous car park, and as the procession pulled away on mass, to trek north, images from a Mad Max film began to appear. Some probably thought they were on the home stretch, charging up the sun drenched expanse of sand.
Back over the dunes, into some swampy forest tracks were testing for some, nearing the end of a long day. CB radio's reflected the chaos that ensued, as the party separated and become lost and entangled in the forest and afternoon light, near Koitaita beach.
With a crimson Ruapehu mountain on the horizon, we followed the masses to Turakina township Church hall, and a massive spread, put on by a hard working team of helpers.
The Manawatu 4WD Club, South Makirikiri School to Sea 4WD Trek, was a stunning success again this year, with families and their 4WD's experiencing country and terrain seldom travelled in this more regulated and closed off country we live in. Planning is already underway on next years trek, and with even more fine tuning, is guaranteed to be another great day out.
(c)Rick Coleman.1999.
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