This track has been on my bucket list for many years and yesterday I finally did it !.
With five other trucks, 2 Nissan's, 2 Toyota's and one Zuk we set out at just after 9am Saturday morning. It was overcast and a little wet under foot.
The trip up to the lookout was un eventful. We bared left and it wasn't long before we were into our first winch.. Nothing too hard just a little greasy hill. Our lead vehicle drove some of the obstacles while the rest just managed to scramble the noses up so our winch men could reach the hooks.
This went on for the next 3 ish hours till we turned a bend and found ourselves at the bomb site. An open area with a series of large bog holes and few trees to winch off in near proximity. Monstr who was my winch man came prepared with a loooong winch extension which was put to good use. So after a bite to eat our lead vehicle went down the guts winching off the only tree but ended up breaking a rope. This didn't look too good for the rest of us. However while he sorted that out and with a little encouraging I dropped the Prado into the mud and went down the right hand side....
Using this line and the winch extension the pto quietly whirred away and pulled me thru at a steady rate. Pausing only for one of the others to hook a rope on and use me to winch upto. The next vehicle doing the same till we had a series of trucks in various bogs inching our way across. And in what seemed only a few minutes (think it was about an hour) we were all across and only our leader was stuck in no mans land. A quick winch from me and we had him up with us for the remainder of the trek out to Katikati.
The winching didn't stop...We still had a few to do and also a rescue of a local who had rolled his 40 series off the track and sheared his pins on the pto and a turfor while extracting himself. Needless to say we pulled him up onto the track and escorted him out.
Behind us on the track were a group of 8 from Blenheim and they caught us at the bomb site. However once we exited the track and did some running repairs they never came thru.. So we aren't sure if they even made it out... Time will tell...
Funny thing is it took longer to drive home than doing the track...hehehe A few of the team developed overheating issues (Nissan's) what with all the mud caked fronts and also an alternator swap in a Toyota.
So I had a great time. Tested the truck fully... The winch went hard all day with no issues.. Think we did at least 14 to 15 good winch sessions.
Many thanks to the guys and gal... Especially Monstr (Steve)
Now onto some photo's. These were taken by our only female member on the trip, Sarah so big thanks to her for recording the day.....
Note: I have picked ones with mostly me in it so as not to publish other members trucks without their permission...Or is it to not show them in compromising positions....
Here is a google maps link showing the track...Its only 14.4 k's long (the off road bit).
http://goo.gl/maps/KnPwV
Photo's below...
That just puts in perspective what this track can do to man and truck !
Our Zuk member was on 32's..And got just as far as us 
