Offroad-Express

Hey everyone! I'm a Canadian traveling down under for a year or so. I've been in Australia for a couple months and now its time to come see New Zealand!

A mate back home recommend that I check out ORE. He's from NZ (Wellington area I think) and has been visiting Canada for a bit more than a year. He signed up on my local 4wd forum (http://www.crawlinbc.com) to experience some local Canadian wheeling (and has since bought a rock buggy) so I thought I'd do the same on my journey.

I'm still in Australia (Cairns area), but I'm flying to New Zealand in a week or so and staying for a month or more. I'm planning to fly in to Auckland and work my way down to the South island experiencing as much as I can along the way. I won't have a vehicle, so I'll be backpacking and probably hop on the Kiwi Experience bus tour as I go.

Are there any trips, event or challenges going on in the next while? I'd love get out and experience some real kiwi 4WDriving while I'm here.

I've got a 1980 Toyota hilux back home. '95 fuel injected 22re motor (petrol), 36" tyres, beadlocked, dual transfer cases, locked front and rear, roll cage, etc etc


She's well used and abused, but keeps on going







Cheers!
Aaron

howdy, p.s. doors are over rated

Crash bandicoot wrote:howdy, p.s. doors are over rated

they sure are!

Thanks to some trees & rocks, my doors don't fit anymore - the door jams got peeled open a couple inches wider than stock. My doors are the only straight sheetmetal left - sitting in the corner of my shop

Welcome to the site eh. You will find some good folk to play with when you get here eh.

W

williamhamilton wrote:Welcome to the site eh. You will find some good folk to play with when you get here eh.

W

Thanks. I'm looking forward to it

Help this guy out fellas. Aaron (perm) is good shit!! He has helped me out huge over here in Canada and it sucks that I'm not back home to repay the favour.

Oh and he can drink Yeager and redbull like a champ! Haha

You will have a blast Perm. Hopefully some of the good bastards on this board can get you off the beaten track...

If you get a chance pending on where you are, try and check out a round of the 4x4 nationals, not sure you have anything similar back home

http://www.4x4trials.co.nz/calendar.aspx

DMcCready wrote:Help this guy out fellas. Aaron (perm) is good shit!! He has helped me out huge over here in Canada and it sucks that I'm not back home to repay the favour.

Oh and he can drink Yeager and redbull like a champ! Haha

You will have a blast Perm. Hopefully some of the good bastards on this board can get you off the beaten track...

Thanks David.

And its Jäger not yeager.. Unless you kiwis spell it differently The redbull is optional. On my cruise over to sydney from canada me and a kiwi dude I met on the boat downed a good dozen bottles of jäger on the trip over here (24 days). All straight ice cold shots

Hopefully I can't get out on some tracks with you guys and see the real NZ instead of just all the touristy stuff...

lilpigzuk wrote:If you get a chance pending on where you are, try and check out a round of the 4x4 nationals, not sure you have anything similar back home

http://www.4x4trials.co.nz/calendar.aspx

That sounds pretty cool. Not sure if the timing & locations will work out for me, but I'll see what happens

I fly into Auckland next Saturday 19th in the afternoon so I'll miss round 4, but might be able to catch round 5 in Feb, although I'll probably be on the South island by then... We'll see

well first night do you have a bed, I'm 8 min from airport if you are ok with that,

Ern wrote:
Thanks David.

And its Jäger not yeager.. Unless you kiwis spell it differently The redbull is optional. On my cruise over to sydney from canada me and a kiwi dude I met on the boat downed a good dozen bottles of jäger on the trip over here (24 days). All straight ice cold shots

Hopefully I can't get out on some tracks with you guys and see the real NZ instead of just all the touristy stuff...

Haha guess I can never read the bottle by the time we start drinking it!

Haha good point David

coxsy wrote:well first night do you have a bed, I'm 8 min from airport if you are ok with that,

Nothing planned yet... I was going to find a hostel to stay in. But that would be awesome! I really appreciate the offer I'll pm you to exchange contact info.
Cheers

If ya could try and chuck up an itenarary of where and when you'll be places, folks could possibly hook you up with accommodation or a trip wheelin?

and drinking too it seems (after wheeling is finished thou )

well two pms plus a txt we'll see what happens

niblik wrote:If ya could try and chuck up an itenarary of where and when you'll be places, folks could possibly hook you up with accommodation or a trip wheelin?

The problem is I don't really have an itinerary... No set plans really. Just flying by the seat of my pants going with whatever happens where I'm at when I come across anything interesting.

I'll probably spend a couple days in Auckland then catch the bus heading south. Where my next stop is I don't know yet. What's interesting to do along the way? Any stops you'd recommend? Doesn't have to be all 4wd related... I love the outdoors and keen to take in as much as possible.

Where are some of the best places for wheeling?

Are there any major trips or events planned in any given area? I don't mind bouncing around to get out when/where stuff is going on.

And I assume most 4wd trips are done on saturday or sunday I imagine, eh?


Also, I'm not looking for or expecting a free ride with accommodation and whatnot. Definitely all hugely appreciated, but that wasn't my initial intent signing up here. I was just hoping to experience the real thing and meet some cool locals instead of just doing all the touristy stuff...
I really appreciate the great hospitality & feedback here so far though. Thanks!

badnuz wrote:and drinking too it seems (after wheeling is finished thou )

I definitely enjoy a few cold ones at the end of the day

coxsy wrote:well two pms plus a txt we'll see what happens

Thanks Peter!

Are there any major bush fires to watch out for in NZ? I haven't seen much on the news for NZ, but tons of new south wales is up in flames over here.

I hope everyone is safe

a few around Canterbury at the moment, Middle South Island. But nothing for you to worry about, were a little smaller than Austraya..
Havent spent much time in the North but would recommend heading east from Auckland around the coromandel, beautiful part of NZ. All the South island is worth seeing!

not 4x4 bit women and drinking is close enough.... http://www.4androtary.co.nz/

26th Jan ASB showgrounds
27th Jan Meremere drag strip

I am thinking of heading up for this on Akl if anyone planning let me know.

W

had a thought, can take arron up to woodhill, some of you auckland guys can join us huh

juz wrote:a few around Canterbury at the moment, Middle South Island. But nothing for you to worry about, were a little smaller than Austraya..
Havent spent much time in the North but would recommend heading east from Auckland around the coromandel, beautiful part of NZ. All the South island is worth seeing!

Good to hear

And thanks for the tips on where to go!

williamhamilton wrote:not 4x4 bit women and drinking is close enough.... http://www.4androtary.co.nz/

26th Jan ASB showgrounds
27th Jan Meremere drag strip

I am thinking of heading up for this on Akl if anyone planning let me know.

W

Rotary?! You've got my attention! My daily driver at home is an '83 Mazda rx7 with the 12a rotary. Great fun car & motor
Can't forget the women either

coxsy wrote:had a thought, can take arron up to woodhill, some of you auckland guys can join us huh

That sounds fun!

williamhamilton wrote:not 4x4 bit women and drinking is close enough.... http://www.4androtary.co.nz/

26th Jan ASB showgrounds
27th Jan Meremere drag strip

I am thinking of heading up for this on Akl if anyone planning let me know.

W

Aw shit Aaron I completely forgot about your rotary you have. The 4 and rotary Nats are legit!!! Well worth changeing your plans!

DMcCready wrote:

williamhamilton wrote:not 4x4 bit women and drinking is close enough.... http://www.4androtary.co.nz/

26th Jan ASB showgrounds
27th Jan Meremere drag strip

I am thinking of heading up for this on Akl if anyone planning let me know.

W

Aw shit Aaron I completely forgot about your rotary you have. The 4 and rotary Nats are legit!!! Well worth changeing your plans!

I definitely want to check that out. Shouldn't have to change my plans too much. That's only a week after I fly in. So I'll just have to find some stuff to see & do in Auckland or to the north (doesn't have to be 4wd related)

have him here, picked him up a 3pm