Offroad-Express

Hi everybody,

I'm new to this forum and I want to introduce myself shortly:
First of all - sorry for my bad english - I've had my last english lessons in the last century...

My name is Matthias and I am 29 years old.
I'm from Germany (I live near Heidelberg) and I own a Jeep CJ-7 which I've completely teared down and rebuilt from 1999 through 2005.
I've also had a Jeep Cherokee XJ 4.0 (it was a '89 three door with manual trans) for about three years.
For some pictures you can have a look at http://www.jeepthing.de (the text is in german unfortunately - but the pictures are international look at "Projekt-Tagebuch" or "89er XJ" for some recent pictures)

I will travel to New Zealand in January 2007 for a time out of the everyday life - to get my mind free of all the stuff - just travelling around for about 12 months (maybe more - maybe less). And I've decided to do that in a Jeep Cherokee... Yeah, I know that I'm crazy...

So presumably I will have a bunch of questions regarding jeeping in NZ... and I hope you can help me finding some answers...

Thank you in advance and keep the rubber side down...

Welcome Matthias
I have 3 jeeps, a KJ Cherokee (Liberty in USA, Cherokee in NZ) My wife drives a Wrangler, and I have a 1980 CJ7 seriously modified, (35 inch tyres, Teraflex Coil kit, V8 lockers etc) but it now spends most time retired in my garage as I have had over 10 years fun with it and decided to retire it off and my usual 4WD vehicle is now a Land Rover 90 TD5i

There is a very active Jeep Club here in Christchurch NZ The web address is http://www.canterbury-jeep.co.nz/ and contact e-mail is info@canterbury-jeep.co.nz

Paul

(ANOTHER JEEPER, GOD LOVES ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Hey Matthais,

Presumably you'll be flying into Auckland. I'm 1.5 hours south, in Hamilton. I'm more than happy to find a spare bed for you and get the BBQ going!!!!

If you yearn for home I have two friends here you can contact, one is fluent in German and the other has been here for about 2 years, from Hamburg i think.

I am sure you will enjoy yourself in our happy little country.

Regards

Mark

Hi Matthais,

Welcome to the site. You will make a lot of contacts off this site and plenty of tour guides when you get here to show you the non tourist places NZ has to offer

You may be interested to know this site was born in a town called Rosenheim, Southern Bavaria about 6 hours drive from you

Make sure you look us up when in christchurch and we'll show you the local tracks and play grounds

Mike

Wow! Thank you very much for the warm welcome!

@access4WD: It's interesting that the KJ is sold as "Cherokee" in NZ too - I always thougt it's named "Cherokee" in Europe only...

Do you have some pictures of your CJ?
CJs are very rare in NZ, aren't they?

@xj: You're right - I will arrive in Auckland.
Thank you very much for your invitation - maybe we can arrange something when I'm there.

@mike: Rosenheim... well, the world ist small...

Thanks a lot an see you...

hey dude welcome

i must say though i am a little dissappointed you live in a country which makes the most capable 4x4s in the world and you own a jeep

have fun when you come over i'm sure your accomodation will be pretty much covered on this site from one end of the country to the other

cheers jase

McFly, you're more than welcome

Hi McFly ( Matthias ), my name is Kevin and I live with my partner Karen in a quiet suburb 10 minutes from the center of Christchurch (South Island) New Zealand. We have a large 4 bedroom house ( families have left home ) for two of us and our Dog (a Spoodle ). I would like to extend an invitation to you and a travelling companion( if any ) to share our home while you are in Christchurch. We live 5 minutes from Worsley track, a good 4WD track and 3 hours from the West Coast, arguably the best 4WDing in New Zealand. I'm sure that the South Island members of this site would jump at the chance of guiding you through some of the best scenery in the world.
Keep in touch,
FITZY

McFly wrote:Wow! Thank you very much for the warm welcome!


Do you have some pictures of your CJ?
CJs are very rare in NZ, aren't they?

Thanks a lot an see you...

Yes I have some pics of my jeep and I will try and find them and put them up,
CJ series are quite rare in NZ and especially CJ7. Two key reasons and that is getting them in Right Hand drive and also there was never really a good importer in NZ until about 1996, and of course by then we had moved into TJ Wranglers.
Paul

@mercutio: You've got a Mercedes G series, right?
Well, I like them a lot - but they are quite expensive here, even the older years...

When I bought my Jeep CJ7 in 1999, I didn't have any idea of offroading or offroad capabilities of the different vehicles. I just liked the look of this type of car.
And still I judge cars by emotions - not only by technical capabilities.
Well, I'm just a dreamer...

@SMOKEY: Thank you very much Kevin. I would be very glad to come for a visit.

I am really looking forward to coming to NZ.

Here are a few shots of my CJ7
http://www.canterbury-jeep.co.nz/Photo% ... ve%205.htm
PS the Blue Wrangler in the river is My wife's Jeep, with her at the controls, but the jeepee in the middle shot is not one of mine.
Plus another http://www.canterbury-jeep.co.nz/pahau_ ... %20014.jpg
Paul