Report by John Cagney. Photos from John, Colin, Keith and Tim.
We were very lucky with the weather during the Nevis Valley Trip. The day before, had a heavy storm come through the area, causing disruptions and leading to flight cancellations at Queenstown Airport. Dave had to pull out as Trip Leader with a dose of the ‘Rona. Kevin stepped in to be Trip Leader and Colin volunteered as Tail-end Charlie.
On the day luck was on our side as the storm cleared up just in time for our excursion. We couldn't have asked for better conditions, with clear skies, pleasant temperatures and great scenery.
Twenty-one of us all up in nine vehicles set off up the Carricktown Track and through the Nevis Valley, .Kevin with Tim in a Prado, Sean in his G wagon, Jo and Jens in their Jimny, Johnny and Belle in a Hilux, Soren and Jade with Alfred (not yet 1) and Olivia (nearly 3) in Jade’s Prado, Keith with Lois, Sue and Grant in his Pajero Sport, Michael with Kerri, Rachel and Kurt in his ‘Cruiser, John in his Jeep and Colin in the Triton.
We had a good mix of members participating, It was great to see families enjoying the days adventure. Shortly after starting off, I was struggling with a steep muddy climb - after a few failed attempts , the helpful owner of the Mercedes truck (Sean) suggested I check if I was in 4WD ....to my embarrassment it wasn't!
Just before lunch break, two guys (father and son) from Invercargill had unfortunately got their vehicle stuck in the mud. They had been walking for about 1.5 hours to get help. Kevin, along with Keith and Soren drove ahead to rescue their very stuck truck ...while the rest of us enjoyed our lunch break.
The afternoon drive continued to impress with great open scenery and regular water crossings. The trip took about 8.5 hours 4WD driving , plus approximately 1.5 hour round trip back to Cromwell.
Finally I learned a couple of valuable lessons from my first trip with the club.....Not to be late ,as you get to write the report 😄 ... and to obviously check that you're in 4WD !!! A successful and enjoyable drive and a memorable first-time trip for me.
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