New Zealand Adventures: Four Wheelin' in the Bush

Monday, January 30, 2012

As part of my research on what to see and do in New Zealand, I connected with Trip Advisor of New Zealand, a website outfit which sorts out various places and makes recommendations based on user feedback and reviews. I was looking at activities near Turangi, where we are staying for a week. Near the top of the list in recommendations was Tongariro Quads. They were rated second by reviewers to an ancient tree somewhere north of Auckland. (The tree is the largest and one of the oldest in NZ and apparently there are moonlight hikes out to see it.)

So we made a date with the Quads online and yesterday the date came up. We can now commend it to others.

We drove about 30 km out from Turangi, headed into the Tongariro National Park. Our drive took us up to a viewpoint where we got a look at Lake Taupo and the surrounding territory. As they frequently say here, “Fantastic!” (In the U.S. they would probably say “Amazing!”) The accompanying photo gives some idea of the volcanic nature of this area of the island.

We arrived at a rural school and drove around to the back where Malcolm and Jason greeted us. Four others signed up for the trek and 8 Honda Four Wheel Quads (that’s redundant, I know) were lined up and ready to go. After introductions and a safety talk from Malcolm, we donned our helmets, revved up the motors (basically turned them on) and set out like baby ducklings following single file behind their mother. Jason brought up the rear, somewhere back behind me. (We were advised not to turn around and look behind us because that would throw off steering our own vehicle.)

Things started out pretty calm on a gravel road and I practiced shifting up and down the range of five gears. We were told that we could probably drive without ever using the handbrakes if we learned to downshift properly. I found that to be pretty accurate. Otherwise, driving was pretty much like a motorcycle or a moped which Danny and I used to drive around Wahiawa delivering newspapers.

The difference in terrain soon made quad-riding more challenging. Malcolm led his ducklings into the bush. The area we traversed had been logged many years ago and the trails were old logging roads, now overgrown with low bushes and small trees. It was now a narrow path worn down regularly by Tongariro Quads. There were various trails leading off the main one but Malcolm dropped cones to keep us on the right path. We also tried to keep up with the person in front of us. Guess who I was following? You got it, and she was tough to follow. Many times I lost sight of her red Honda as she blazed through the bush.

The fun came as we negotiated various streams and mudholes along the path. Several times one or more of the quads got stuck and needed either Malcolm or Jason or both of them to rock and roll and push the quad out of the muck. Then the next guy had a better idea of where to drive his rig to avoid the same plight.

There were also some obstacles in the path. Downed trees, major roots, rocks and deep ruts in the trail made things interesting. The trail was often sloped one way or the other and we were told to shift our bodies to remain upright and keep control. Malcolm had advised us not to stick out our foot and if all else failed to jump off the quad. On this day, no one resorted to that. I do remember watching Sandra’s quad catch some air once as she flew over a big bump in the trail.

We were equipped with helmets and I can see why. There were low hanging tree limbs and I was constantly ducking to stay beneath them. We went to through marshy areas where tufted grasses grow and the fronds overhung the trail. Bugs, flying insects, and even honeybees weren’t much of a problem as we breezed past.

We rode around for about four hours and somewhere at about the three hour mark we stopped for tea, coffee and milo along with some muffins and cookies. Malcolm provided and we enjoyed. He told us about some of his unappreciative clients, others whose expectations were not met, and a few funny stories about ladies falling or jumping off. Tourism is down in NZ and people are spending less money on adventures such as his, so things are tough. He takes groups out all year long and needs about 12 customers per week to make it. Had it not been for the World Rugby Championship last year, he might have gone under. His Trip Advisor ratings have also given him a boost.

Our trip back to camp took us through another stream and past the honeybee hives. This rider didn’t get his feet wet and didn’t get stuck in any mud hole. Those who did returned with wet shoes, pants and more. I guess I was in the right position to learn from their mistakes.

A fun day and one more adventure checked off the list!