A 4WD adventure

Heart racing, blowing hard, my soft office hands hold the log splitter in a death-grip.

A cloud of mosquitos’ feast on my legs and bush-clad mountains tower overhead. The scream of a chainsaw drowns out the rushing Leatham River nearby.

With a manly grunt I swing the axe – it’s a glancing blow. It was the knottiest round from the freshly felled tree – I swear.

The Marlborough 4WD Club has taken me as far as you can go along the Leatham River, in the excellent DOC-managed hunting and tramping playground, the Leatham Conservation Area.

It’s their annual trip up the valley with a three-fold mission: ripping out wilding pines, paying respects to a former member, and while they’re there, replenishing the wood stockpile at the DOC camping huts.

Marlborough 4WD Club captain Tony Ashworth pulled up in front of my house bright and early on a fine Saturday morning. The forecast was a sun with a cloud in front of it – perfect conditions.

Tony came to New Zealand on holiday, from the UK, in 2018 and fell in love with Marlborough.

“It’s the ultimate playground,” he says. “Hunt, walk, sail, 4WD.

“It’s got everything here.”

Tony’s Range Rover was in the shop, so was his Discovery, and his competition truck was a bit overkill for the Grade 1 track, so for this trip his old work truck, a Nissan Safari, would be getting a workout.

With a straight-six 4.2L diesel, it had more than enough grunt to take on the Leatham.

I was graciously given the opportunity to ride along in three of the members vehicles, some luxurious, others bouncing around like a popcorn kernel in a hot pan.

We met up with the rest of the crew at the turn off to Lake Argyle, up the Wairau Valley.

About nine trucks turned up for the annual trip, including a custom Jeep that I was told was only one of ten in New Zealand.

After a thermos cuppa, a peek under a few bonnets, a bit of a yarn and a catch up, as well as the obligatory safety briefing, the convoy set off.

My notes from the day are a mess – it’s hard to keep both pen and notebook steady when bouncing along 4WD tracks. The scenery was a bit distracting as well. So, I apologise to the 4WD club for any misquotes.

Originally from Durham, Tony says he’s been in the 4WD Club pretty much since he moved here.

A builder-by-trade in Picton, he has a colourful background; formerly an aircraft mechanic in the Royal Navy, he also had a stint as a gamekeeper in the UK.

He says one of the best things about the club is the local knowledge and memories of the region.

“One of our older members grew up in the Pukaka Valley. We went on a trip up there and she knew the area like the back of her hand.

“A lot of it is reconnecting older members with what they’ve grown up with,” he says.

The club has about 50 members, of all ages. It’s a family-friendly hobby, he says.

Club member Richard Gifford would agree; his son, William, has been on the 4WD trips since he was old enough to be in a car seat.

“William is second generation 4WDer,” he says.

“There’s a few of them. It’s pretty cool.”

Not long into the trip, the group splits. Those with the shinier vehicles go for the direct route to Spaniard Flat.

The rest turn off for Boulder Hut – it’s a bit of a scratchier track, not ideal for the trucks with mostly straight panels, or so I’m told.

Unfortunately, recent floods had washed away a big portion of the road. A not insurmountable obstacle, I’m told, but not in the scope of today’s trip.

A few of the guys got a closer look, and after a few head scratches, reckon a temporary path is doable. They’ll run that past DOC, though, and hopefully save the department several thousands in earth moving costs.

The convoy backtracks to meet up with the rest of the group, stopping every so often to deal with a patch of wilding pines with chains and saws.

I clamber into the lap of luxury that is Richard’s 1980-something Land Rover.

In the club for 26 years, Richard says he’s on his fifth vehicle.

“It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” he says. “It will do the mambo when it needs to.

“Mostly, it’s nice to drive.”

He has another 12 Land Rovers in various states of repair.

“I lift the bonnet – poke things. There’s always somebody with a bit of knowledge,” he says.

“Not me – I just carry all the tools.”

Richard says modern vehicles, fitted with fancy electrics and computers, aren’t as common in 4WD circles.

“A lot of newer vehicles can’t be modified to do what we want to do, so you see a lot of older vehicles.

“Having water around your feet isn’t all that uncommon. If you get hung up on a rock during a decent river crossing.

“That’s why we grade trips.”

4WD trips are graded from one, an easy trip a Rav4 could conceivably complete, to five – where every truck needs all the toys, including a winch.

Club members Trev Jamie and Grant Watson used to co-drive in 4WD competitions.

“We built a truck together,” Trev says. “A real piece of shit Toyota Hilux.

“We used to switch seats during competitions, which was pretty unique. No one else did that.”

They’ve been involved with the wilding pine effort since day dot. Spaniard Flat is now largely pine free thanks to the effort of the club.

The initiative was begun by David Selby, who passed several years ago.

He had a strong relationship with DOC, Trev explains.

“He’s a pretty special guy.”

Now, a memorial to Dave graces the flat. It’s a special place for the club.

From Spaniard Flat the crew crosses rivers and climbs hills until we reach the end of the line – Bottom Gordon Hut.

The road used to continue further past the DOC hut, but flooding years back ruined the track and club members say it was easier for the department to just put some rocks in the way than to fix.

A chain from Trev’s Land Rover is attached to a felled tree and pulled into the clearing.

It’s a big bit of wood but the Discovery doesn’t miss a beat – it’s a beast.

The club does another good deed for the day, splitting wood to keep winter trampers warm at the small hut.

Many jokes are made about the size of stomachs, the preparedness of drivers and the unreliability of vehicles.

Richard says a large part of being in the club, which usually does a trip a month, is socialising.

“We think we have a pretty good group. A lot of ribbing goes on.”

Tony says they always show a tread-lightly approach.

“At the end of the day, it’s our backyard. I love it.

“It’s the family I choose.”