Offroad-Express

Someone should make sure 4WD users are part of the survey:

Story here: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0710/S00050.htm

Official page at: http://www.riversurvey.otago.ac.nz

I have spoken with Dr. Shayne Galloway the Project lead on this. I have asked him to include 4wding as a option on the list but he is unwilling to at this point. He has suggested that if we email him he will listen to our views.

I dont want nasty emails going to this person if possible.

Thanks

I have just sent him a NICE AND POLITE email as a recreational 4wd'er asking him to include motorised access in his survey....

Could we not sign up and choose Other and insert 4wd there? it seem's off 4wd and motorcross have not been included.

No reason why not, but it would be nice to be included

All,

Have spoken to Shayne, the lecturer at Otago who wrote the survey. The survey was designed to look at activities that are inherantly water based. Which includes things like boating, swimming and fishing. So 4wding isn't something he included.

I have discussed 4wding in rivers with him, he encourages people to register. But there are issues with this as he doesn't have a research framework for 4wding in rivers. To assist with this we would need to work out a grading system for river trips, similair to the river grade system for kayakers.

The survey will be open from January to March. So if there are enough registrations he will include 4wding in it.

If it doesn't work out this time, he would be interested in doing a survey specifically for 4wding.

Cheers,

Bill

wjw wrote:The survey will be open from January to March. So if there are enough registrations he will include 4wding in it.

If it doesn't work out this time, he would be interested in doing a survey specifically for 4wding.

Please pause to reflect that the findings from such research can also be employed by those national factions with objective to further restrict 4wd recreation.

One must balance potential gain against potential risk.

Kevin Dougherty
Public Relations Officer
Southern Region
ORE National 4x4 Assoc Inc.

Hello all: My name is Shayne Galloway and I'm conducting a survey or recreational river use in New Zealand.

There has been some interest from 4WD/offroaders in being included in the survey. In order to include this group I need some sort of scale that represents the difficulty or technicallity of the river/route.

Is there such a scale. Can anyone send it to me asap...

The 1-4 system:

* 1. All weather road; 4WD not needed.
o 1-1/2. Graded road; 4WD may be needed in poor weather.
* 2. Unimproved or rarely graded road. 4WD or extra clearance needed at times, with no special driving skills required.
o 2-1/2. Road rarely maintained, 4WD, good clearance, low gears often needed, with some extra care and a bit of driving experience useful.
* 3. Road in difficult terrain, rarely maintained, 4WD, good clearance, and low gears essential, with some driving skill and daring required.
o 3-1/2. Road in difficult terrain, probably maintained only by occasional users. Excellent stock truck or utility vehicle required, with considerable driving skill and daring needed.
* 4. Trail either never bladed or badly eroded. Stock vehicles are in jeopardy. Modifications for improved off-road performance and top driving skills needed.
o 4+. We can hardly improve on the original description written a few years ago by Jack Bickers: "with driving by World Class Yahoo Jeepers not much concerned with vehicle durability or personal safety."

I haven't seen those before, but it seems good. I like the 4+. 4WDrivers use the 1-5 grading system. basically 4 & 5 require considerable driving skill, mud tyres, snorkels and vehicle modifcations. Grade 5 is defin ite panel damage.
Al

Could you email me the whole 5 point scale? shayne.galloway@otago.ac.nz

Thanks!

Shayne, thanks for your interest in recording 4x4 use of river environs. The scale you sourced is of course an American one but equally applicable to NZ. There is no "national"system of grading 4x4 routes in NZ but there are some 4x4 clubs who do use a numerical grading, that may provide an alternative.

I have to say that the deliberate driving up or down in water is not encouraged, unless part of the process of getting across a waterway. River beds in many parts of NZ do present a viable and practical recreational option for 4x4 use and the use of vehicles expands the amenity value of a variety of water courses.

Peter Vahry
NZFWDA northern public relations
UFWDA international vice-president

Here is the scale i propose to use in the river survey. Any thoughts, suggestions, revisions, or other food for thought?

Please indicate the level of difficulty of road/route that you feel you are capable of driving at your current level of skill and ability.

1 All weather road; 4WD not needed.

1.5 Graded road; 4WD may be needed in poor weather.

2 Unimproved or rarely graded road. 4WD or extra clearance needed at times, with no special driving skills required.

2.5 Road rarely maintained, 4WD, good clearance, low gears often needed, with some extra care and a bit of driving experience useful.

3 Road in difficult terrain, rarely maintained, 4WD, good clearance, and low gears essential, with some driving skill and daring required.

3.5 Road in difficult terrain, probably maintained only by occasional users. Excellent stock truck or utility vehicle required, with considerable driving skill and daring needed.

4 Trail either never bladed or badly eroded. Stock vehicles are in jeopardy. Modifications for improved off-road performance and top driving skills needed.

4.5 Requires considerable driving skill, mud tires, snorkels and vehicle modifications - not much concerned with vehicle durability or personal safety.

5 Requires considerable driving skill, mud tires, snorkels and vehicle modifications - - not much concerned with vehicle durability or personal safety. Definite panel damage.

Shayne, my adaptation of your US based system.

1 All weather road; 4WD not needed.

1.5 Graded road; 4WD may be needed in poor weather.

2 Unimproved or rarely graded road. 4WD or extra clearance needed at times, with no special driving skills required.

2.5 Road rarely maintained, 4WD, good clearance, low gears often needed, with some extra care and a bit of driving experience useful.

3 Road in difficult terrain, rarely maintained, 4WD, good clearance, and low gears essential, with some driving skill and daring required.

3.5 Road in difficult terrain, probably maintained only by occasional users. A capable 4WD vehicle required, with considerable driving skill and daring needed.

4 Trail either never bladed or badly eroded. Standard vehicles are in jeopardy. Modifications for improved off-road performance, mud tyres and top driving skills needed.

4.5 Requires considerable driving skill, mud tires, snorkels and vehicle modifications - not much concerned with vehicle durability or personal safety. Panel damage possible.

5 Requires considerable driving skill, mud tires, snorkels and vehicle modifications - - not much concerned with vehicle durability or personal safety. Definite panel damage.

Hello all: It looks like we have been able to include 4WD users in the River Recreation Survey. Its taken quite a bit of effort to work it in as the original purpose was to include only water-based recreation activities.

SO...it would be fantastic if you all put the word out there and get 4WDers to complete the survey. The survey will be live online this week, but people can go to http://www.riversurvey.otago.ac.nz and register.

Shayne

Thanks Shayne for your efforts, it will be interesting to see the effect of including 4x4 recreation. What's the planned duration of the survey?

Peter