News and General

Gold in the hills
Wednesday, 20 January 2016
We met up with the rest of the group on Mt Buster Road, aired down and had a briefing. The plan was to travel along Long Ridge Track, having lunch at a musterer’s hut before dropping down to Tailings...
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World famous in New Zealand
Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Marketing is as much an art as a science. Take the world-wide social media phenomenon of the Land-Rover world in 2015, the story of four ex Otago Uni students and the Series 1 Land Rover they bought...
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Added value
Wednesday, 20 January 2016
As a former winner of our 4WD Station Wagon of The Year title Isuzu’s MU-X seven-seater remains highly rated by NZ4WD magazine staffers.
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SUV Buyer’s Guide 2016
Wednesday, 09 December 2015
Talk about storming the barricades. In what seems like the blink of an eye SUVs and Utes have taken over from big (think Holden Commodore) and small (think Toyota Corolla) cars as the most popular...
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Off-road driver training
Wednesday, 09 December 2015
We met one beautiful, crisp spring morning at Colin Burden’s Auckland ‘office’ in the old Woodhill Forestry building on Restall Rd between Kumeu and Helensville. 
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SUV Comparison test
Wednesday, 09 December 2015
The Coromandel Peninsula is a quintessential slice of Kiwi, from the laid-back olde-worlde charm of Coromandel town itself to the chic architect-designed excess of man-made beach ‘burbs like Pauanui...
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Project 12K – Wheels & tyres
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
Because the Project 12K Jeep will be used as much on road as off tarmac, we needed a tyre with reasonable road manners as well as one which provided good characteristics and traction off-road.
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Load carrying
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
Cottle Motors & Auto Electrix Ltd occupies a prime site on the corner of Highway 16 and Access Rd in Kumeu in Auckland’s north-west.
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Weekend drive
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
The three tracks along the ridgeline on either side of the Manawatu Gorge are all public roads rated as quite easy 4WD trips. However any track in such an exposed area needs to be treated with...
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Camping
Monday, 05 October 2015
We all know that there are major differences between the Australian and New Zealand 4WD markets.
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Winches and winching
Monday, 05 October 2015
There are exceptions but for those chasing mud at some point a winch will normally become a requirement.
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Project 12K – Suspension upgrade
Monday, 05 October 2015
Jeep suspension upgrades are big business in ‘The States with so many options available; Rugged Ridge, Iron Rock, Rough Country, just to mention a few. In fact it was hard to try and select what...
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Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac 4x4 tyre
Wednesday, 16 September 2015
In its new Wrangler DuraTrac, Goodyear has come up with an all-terrain tyre which combines an aggressive look with features which tick all the various performance requirements boxes on as well as off...
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Destinations – The Molesworth
Wednesday, 12 August 2015
After missing out on a South Island trip due to not booking soon enough I decided that we would do the Molesworth trip run by the Molesworth Tour Company.
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Destinations - Australia
Wednesday, 12 August 2015
Want to plan an epic Australian 4WD adventure and need to convince the wife you actually know what you are doing?
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Weekend drive - Ruahine Roads
Wednesday, 15 July 2015
The loose plan was to head up from Ashhurst and follow the road that skirts the foothills of the Ruahine Ranges to the top of the Pohangina Valley before taking on a couple of loop roads...
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Suspension - Popular options
Wednesday, 15 July 2015
One of the great things about owning a 4WD is the almost limitless range of upgrade options you have.
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Ease on to Eskdale
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
We're easing on to Eskdale because that's how you travel in a Series One Land Rover, content with eating up the road miles at just 80 km/h.
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LEDs - The light fantastic
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Light emitting diode (LED) light bars are the latest ‘must-have’ accessory for the 4WD owner looking to personalise their vehicle, with a number of key advantages over traditional bulb-based options.
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Tips for self-recovery
Monday, 20 April 2015
Once stuck don’t spin the wheels as this will only dig you deeper. Get out and assess the situation as a little spade work taking off a knob or making a ‘track’ for the wheels...
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Protecting your assets
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
While some people look at accessories just for their styling and ‘cool’ factor most are fitted because they have a purpose to fulfil.
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Great Aussie 4WD Adventure Pt 3
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
After some much-needed repairs to the camper and a service for the FJ it was time to tackle one of Australia’s more famous outback adventures, the Gibb River Road, an old cattle route that runs...
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South by south-east
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
The main safety briefing was given by the Wairarapa 4WD Club, who were providing the 4WD support for the day, and this was followed by acknowledgements from Masterton South Rotary Fundraising.
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Testing times in the south
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
If we are being absolutely truthful with ourselves, New Zealand is a very small player in the world of 4WDs and off-road tyres. 
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The High Road
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
For a number of years I have been visiting Takapari Rd, out of Ashhurst, to get some photos of the sub-alpine scenery and expansive views from the top of the Ruahine Ranges. 
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