All-terrain buggy opens outdoor life
BEING QUADRIPLEGIC has not stopped Northland man Kevin Griffiths from hiking rugged terrain or wading through mangroves to fish.
That’s thanks to a stroke of Kiwi ingenuity by his fitter-and-turner brother, Dave.
For the past decade Griffiths has been able to traverse his ‘‘neighbourhood’’, Ninety Mile Beach, frequenting his favourite fishing spots to haul in hoards of snapper.
And trekking through Abel Tasman National Park is a piece of cake with his all-terrain, six-wheeldrive electric wheelchair.
‘‘You can go all the places that aren’t accessible by wheelchairs. On bush walks, rail trails, you’re basically limitless.’’
Griffiths lost use of his arms, hands and legs when he broke his neck diving into a swimming pool at age 14. For the 25 years that followed, the well-regarded mouth painter was desperate to get outdoors.
‘‘There are lots of off-road chairs on the market, I bought one but it wasn’t very good. So my brother and I played around to create something more suitable for the conditions here and we’re really happy with it.’’
With its tank- like appearance and boasting solid tyres, a suspension seat, four point harness, rustproof aluminium stainless steel frame, roll bar and weatherproof canopy, the 6x6 Explorer is an adventurer’s dream.
It’s little wonder
business
is booming. ‘‘ It’s growing, we’ve been going eight or nine years in the business and we’re still here.
‘‘ We’ve expanded to Australia, we have a dealer in Sydney.’’
Not surprisingly, the custommade chairs cost a pretty penny – $24,500 in fact, the price of a Ford Fiesta. Many are funded by the Accident Compensation Corporation. And they are worth every dollar, Griffiths said.
‘‘Farmers who have been partially paralysed by strokes and need to access their properties are our biggest customers. Many are people who have had accidents and want to get to the beach.’’
But perhaps the biggest fan is Griffiths himself. ‘‘It’s a labour of love,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve been able to catch 20-pound snapper off the beach.’’