Kaikoura exploration trip

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:28 pm

Oh, and the wee bit of damage in the Kowhai, with dented 1/4 panels, bent running boards, bent exhaust, something bent in the steering which I have yet to confirm, and my rear diff plug working itself loose enough to get torn out on a rock, which has buggered the plug and thread in the diff :roll:

Post by **mike** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:21 pm

DaveM wrote:Oh, and the wee bit of damage in the Kowhai, with dented 1/4 panels, bent running boards, bent exhaust, something bent in the steering which I have yet to confirm, and my rear diff plug working itself loose enough to get torn out on a rock, which has buggered the plug and thread in the diff

using the same themed response as all nissan owners ........ buy a toyota :lol:

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:16 am

mike wrote:using the same themed response as all nissan owners ........ buy a toyota

your so cruel :cry:

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:34 pm

Can't seem to be able to make an album, so here are a couple of pics....

hiriklux · Post by **hiriklux** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 5:24 pm

cheers dave

turoa · Post by **turoa** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 5:33 pm

DaveM wrote:

Nice front flex rik

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:55 pm

Few more pics here:
http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k231/ ... ?start=all

albundy · Post by **albundy** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:27 pm

You would have hated the Hapuku Dave :wink:

Rik and I both suffered panel damage, I bent a lower rear trailing arm, big dent in fuel tank, and dent in front diff. Had shit loads of fun though

. Got stuck once but managed to self recover. Rik and I plan on doing this again next year, same time. We think we can get further up both the Kowhai and Hapuku. Book your spots :lol:

Al

coxsy · Post by **coxsy** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:52 pm

My wife wants to being ourselves and the safari to vist the south again your pics are a good way to show her i need bigger tyres , and a lift or two ,to make driving down there a bit easier,

Disco-Blue · Post by **Disco-Blue** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:57 pm

Seeing this makes me think I should move/remove the factory installed CD changer that is mounted under my drivers seat

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:59 pm

coxsy wrote:My wife wants to being ourselves and the safari to vist the south again your pics are a good way to show her i need bigger tyres , and a lift or two ,to make driving down there a bit easier,

I'm now looking at a bodylift, 35's, and one day a turbo.
Riks hilux is an absolute weapon, and together with the mad driver, it sure goes some places.
It's times like these that I wish I had a lwb so I can lift it high enough for those river trips :roll:

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:01 pm

Disco-Blue wrote:Seeing this makes me think I should move/remove the factory installed CD changer that is mounted under my drivers seat

And thats with a lift and running 35's.....oh, and it was a VERY dry trip into Lake Daniels :shock:

rokhound · Post by **rokhound** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:34 pm

Any decent rocks up there Rik (you know what I'm looking for :twisted:

) or is it all just river bed bashing stuff :?:

hiriklux · Post by **hiriklux** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:09 pm

yeh it has its plus points rok theres some mean stuff in there too :wink:

PR · Post by PR » Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:16 pm

Sweet pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :twisted:

Makes me want to go and buy a safari

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:08 pm

PR wrote:Sweet pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Makes me want to go and buy a safari

albundy · Post by **albundy** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:51 pm

We already penciled you in rok :wink:

. Next time we are taking the diamond tipped petrol powered rock cutter, sledge hammer, wedges and one big crowbar

. Interested yet as this what we need to go further

I am already pricing up more of a suspenson lift, oh and a new fuel tank made out of stainless and strong as shit :lol:

Al

PR · Post by PR » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:35 pm

Count me in toooooo, Just picked up that safari I showed you the other day :twisted:

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:39 pm

PR wrote:Count me in toooooo, Just picked up that safari I showed you the other day

Tell me more...............

PR · Post by PR » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:45 pm

I put it on the link below but cant see where its gone

http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/modules ... pic&t=5201

SKR · Post by **SKR** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:54 pm

No offence, but how far did you guys get to???
Did you drive up from the bottom of the Kowhai???
The pic's on this thread seem to be before the foothills and way before the first gorge, I've seen tyre tracks above the first gorge and I think past the second, well done to whom ever laid those down!!

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:14 pm

The locals say you can get well past the first gorge, but it depends on how far up the dozers etc have been up there clearing.

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:22 pm

May be able to get a small group up the back of the Clarence if anyone is interested, have to watch the weather though as the river can get deep rather quickly.

Spoke to a guy in Kaikoura today who said he found the river too deep to cross on one occassion, so they put his landy on the back of the cockies unimog to get it accross.
He was standing on the mogs deck, and still got wet gumboots :shock:

albundy · Post by **albundy** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:18 pm

We got up to where rokomaiwhaea creek enters the kowahi. we think we can get further with more gear and trucks. we didn't go further because of a damaged vehicle. keen to try again. the hapuku we got inside the gorge past where the walking track heads up the spur to get around it. again we think we can go further as we ran out of time and had to head back to chch.
al
as for heading down the clarence, defnitely count me in on that one. talk to some of the cockies to fnd out when the river is lowest, I suspect juy/august

hiriklux · Post by **hiriklux** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 10:50 pm

ill give it a shot dave sounds fun :wink:

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:49 am

Had pretty much put you both down for the trip. Saw some photo's and it looks pretty spectacular up there, with huts everywhere.

Will get hold of these guys next week and start putting something together

PR · Post by PR » Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:06 am

Count me in :twisted:

SKR · Post by **SKR** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 4:06 pm

Here's a website with river flow data to check the Clarence at Archeron confluence, I think, bear in my the feeder area for the Clarence is f***ing massive. Just navigate through the area's, Enviroment Canterbury also has a river flow chart on their site, check it out.

http://www.rivers.org.nz/

The cocky at the Kekerengu, if your heading north, normally charges $75 per vehicle :shock:

!!!!!!!!!! That is for people climbing Mt Tapi though.
Don't know much about the southern part.

In respect to Hapuku, I've seen tyre marks at the waterfall where the track starts in the gorge, but that could have been the local fulla with the unimog. Not to sure, it pretty messed up at the moment.

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 4:27 pm

Thanks for the info.

Not really keen on paying to get through the Kekerengu side, there's 60 odd gates and 6hrs driving I'm told, but the same distance at the other end is around 2hrs.

Might look at doing a trip right through later if I can talk the cockies into letting a trip go through for a fundraiser for the local school or similar.

Kaikoura exploration trip

south

Re: south