Great day to get down and dirty
WHILE more cautious souls stayed indoors, Land Rover Owners Club members revelled in gloriously wet ‘‘pigs’ heaven’’ conditions at the annual Mud Plug Rally at Waitati.
One of the event organisers, Russell Quin, said Saturday’s conditions were the wettest and muddiest he could recall in the 20 years he had been involved with the Land Rover Owners Club Otago rally.
One onlooker termed the slippery mudbath conditions ‘‘pigs’ heaven’’.
‘‘It was pretty tough, but it was a great day,’’ Mr Quin added.
In the past it had often rained before the annual mud rally, but in this case rain continued falling throughout the event, at the club’s rally course, at Cedar Creek, Waitati.
‘‘It makes it harder to get through what they’re trying to achieve.
‘‘But it’s what these people do.
‘‘It was very successful.
‘‘They all thought good,’’ he said.
Fifteen obstacles had initially been planned but this was cut to 10 as a safety precaution, given the condi
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was tions, which made it hard even to reach some of the planned obstacles.
The prospect of wet weather meant only 18 fourwheeldrive vehicles took part, down from 30 last year, and in the tough conditions, only six contestants completed the whole event.
Others retired with a range of problems, including electrical issues.
Contestant Mike McCarthy’s 4WD seemed almost buried in one muddy water hazard, but he survived, and won the winching section.
Driver Alistair Robbie and codriver Barry Dodd also encountered a lot of mud, a wave of muddy water pouring out when Mr Robbie opened his door, at one stage.
Mechanical problems meant he had to eventually pull out.