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The two things Richard Soult of 4x4Explorer likes most about owning a Four-wheel drive are the amazing places you can get to and the amazing people you meet. He ticked both these boxes on a recent trip to lower Northland.
After doing a presentation on 4X4Explorer to Auckland 4WD club, I got a call from a member, Bruce Haycock, asking me if I would like to join him on the Off Limits “Ice Buster” weekend down at Waiouru. I accepted and we had an awesome weekend exploring the Army’s training area. It was a guided tour in a convoy of vehicles and I met some great people, including John and Sara Egan, who had been clients of mine, several years back. We all got on so well we decided we would organise a weekend away with the three vehicles. Bruce suggested a run down to Pouto Lighthouse ( north-west of Auckland – Ed) which we all thought would be great. Bruce was designated trip leader/guide and, after the tides had been checked, a weekend was put in the diary. All living in Auckland, we met at Dairy Flat motorway services, agreed on a UHF channel and headed north to Dargaville for a refuel and quick trip to the supermarket for any overlooked items. We were gutted that the price of fuel in Dargaville was about the same as in Auckland.
How we JAFAs roll!
We weren’t sure if we would find any driftwood so looked for some. We asked a few locals, who all replied, “Don’t you have your own trees in Auckland?” JAFAs... Once we were sorted and chilly bins and fuel tanks full, we headed to Baylys Beach to join the coast. The west coast always amazes me. It was a relatively calm day but the surf was still huge and very impressive. We stopped on the beach to “air down” the tyres. I took the Prado’s down from 36psi to 20psi. John with his Colorado and heavy camping trailer, had to vary the pressures between front and back and the trailer. Once done, we were on our way, heading back down South along an amazing stretch of beach, which went on for miles. On the way south, we saw plenty of seals, some of which were vibrant and alive, but many appeared to have come up on the beach to die. Having never really driven on sand before, the initial sensation is strange but I quickly got used to it. At first, Andrea, my partner, was convinced that all the feeling of swerving around was due to having let too much pressure out of the tyres. I kept the throttle constant and we could feel the truck slow down and speed back up as we went through softer or harder sand. With headlights on, we continued down the beach, conscious of a rising tide and headed to the lighthouse. We lined the trucks up on the beach for a photo and Bruce told us that the next day, we were coming back and would drive up to the lighthouse. Looking up at it from the beach, I must admit that I didn’t think that there was any chance that the Prado would get up the seemingly very steep sand to the top. Anyway that was for the next day...
Base camp
We consulted the GPS and decided to find a campsite in the dunes behind the beach and in the lee of the wind. We found a great spot and while John and Sara were setting up “Base Camp”, Andrea and I headed back to the beach to collect driftwood for the evening campfire. That evening we all used John’s camp kitchen and then sat around the fire with many stories, getting to know each other and experiences shared, such is 4WD camping. The mosquitos were huge in number but with a good dose of spray, none of us got bitten. Sunday, we headed back to climb up to the lighthouse. Bruce led the way in his V8 Grand Cherokee. I went next and John followed behind in the Colorado. We all got up without an issue and I was once again amazed at the capability of a stock standard 1998 Toyota Prado. The lighthouse was built in 1884 and stood watch over the largest, busiest and most treacherous harbour in New Zealand at the time. Apparently there
were 150 ships wrecked over the bar during the Kauri logging peak in the late 1880s. Having achieved our aim, we explored a bit further and then headed back to camp for lunch.
Explore some more
The boys in the group were keen to go and explore some more and try some of the larger dunes, whilst the girls were happy to relight the campfire and relax with a glass of wine. The dunes there are big and I’m sure that there are bigger to be found. And some of the things that I learnt were totally counter intuitive. For instance, driving down a large dune and having the back of the truck trying to overtake the front, already feeling like you’re going too fast, you have to hit the gas to regain steerage. Scary at first, but once you’ve tried it a few times and realise that it works your confidence builds. The area around the lighthouse is truly amazing. I find that it’s not often in the North Island that you get big views and a feeling of space. Believe me, Pouto has all of this and more. The views out over the Kaipara Harbour and its infamous bar are simply stunning!
Fantastic trip
The trip to the lighthouse and back is fantastic and relatively straightforward. If you want to experience driving in sand and seeing what your vehicle is capable of, this is a huge playground with so much to do! We were there for the weekend and I am sure that we barely scratched the surface. Very keen to get back and discover more. People that I have spoken to say that you could spend five weekends there and not drive the same track twice.
4x4Explorer.co.nz
This route will be logged as an Expedition Route on 4X4Explorer, which will provide all the details that you need to undertake it safely. To get to the lighthouse, check the tides, ideally take two vehicles and recovery gear, just in case. If you enjoyed reading this article and want to use your 4WD to get out there and 4X4Explore some amazing places, subscribe to 4x4Explorer on the link below. There is everything from scenic tarmac roads to remote High Country routes. Every route comes complete with downloadable GPX files, detailed route notes, grades and high quality photos. Take the effort out of route planning, 4x4Explorer has done it all for you! www. 4x4explorer.co.nz/?aff= 2818