Expand your horizons
With a background in bikes and off-road riding, one of the things which first struck me when I took on this NZ4WD gig was how self-contained ‘ the scene’ here was. Sure, guys like Greg Paul play the ‘exception that proves the rule’ game by putting together his trademark ‘ trans-global’ tours, but by and large Kiwi 4WDers seem content playing in their own sandpit. Our closet neighbour, Australia, for instance, might as well be on the other side of the globe. It was for this reason that I jumped at Gary Cooper’s offer of a series of stories on a trip he and wife Carolyn took before they returned ‘home’ after a spell working in ‘ The Lucky Country.’ And for the same reason I have asked Gary to pen a three-part ‘how-to’ series which kicks off this month in our Destinations feature. As the old tourism saying goes there really isn’t a better time ( than now) to cross the Tasman. OK, in terms of the exchange rate you would have been better taking the plunge earlier this year. But you know what I mean. Speaking strictly personally here, I think the various operators in the industry could do a lot more to promote their offerings. Most have decent enough websites, but websites are only as good as the people who find them. And even then they are essentially a passive medium. What’s needed is an active campaign, targeted ( in this case) at active, adventurous Kiwis. You know, like you and I. In the absence of that you are very much on your own…. which is why ( I hope anyway) you will find Gary’s series an inspiration to follow in his and Carolyn’s wheel tracks. Australia really is a different world, despite the fact that the place was colonised about the same time as our own lit tle piece of paradise. And – by and large – the locals speak the same language and observe the same ( OK, similar!) social conventions. Here there are subtle differences between ‘ the scenes’ in the North and South Islands, but nothing like those across the ditch. It’s not as if ‘ The Outback’ is the only game in town, either. Even within ‘ The Outback’ there are a kaleidoscope of differences, again, as Gary highlighted in his original series. Closer to home we supplement our Aussie coverage with a yarn from regular reader Ivan Hyslop on a guided tour through the mighty Molesworth, plus we take an in-depth look at Land Rover’s new Discovery Sport. The idea, again, is to sow a seed. And if that seed germinates and you do make the effort, perhaps you’d like to share your experiences with your fellow readers. I’m always looking for good ‘ first person’ stories and photographs from fellow 4WDers.