The 90 was packed with camping gear, mountain bikes, and tramping stuff. Unfortunately most of it was stolen when we overnighted in Wellington the day before the ferry! We replaced all the essentials in a frantic day of shopping, lodged an insurance claim, and carried on, determined not to let it ruin our holidays. Later, I got the locks replaced and an Alpine car alarm fitted.

We were by ourselves, so we didn't go anywhere too radical in 4WD terms, but we did go a lot of places, and some that were a bit dicey. We started by taking an easy 4WD track to Nelson (from Pelorus bridge), then spent some great days at the top of the Marlborough sounds at a DOC administered farm at Titirangi.

Then we went up around the base of Farewell Spit and down the coast to the Anatori river and beyond. Great campsites, amazing place.

Central Otago was great, some fantastic tracks and secret campsites. We took one ridge track which turned into quite a steep downhill. There was snow about and the ground was slushy. After sliding down one ridge and seeing the next downhill was even steeper we decided that the best option was retreat. It took everything we had to get back to the top and out to the road! Could have been a cold campsite otherwise.

We camped at the top of Skippers Canyon and mountain biked the area. Harriet got sick and we headed for Queenstown. While she recovered, the folks at Central 4WD gave the 90 its best tune-up ever - it just purred. If you're ever in the area, give them a try. (They also work on Toy*tas.)

Later we saw some photos of vehicles stuck for months in the same area when a big slip closed the road. By the time the slip was opened by a bulldozer the vehicles had been picked to bits by thieves who didn't mind the walk.

In the whole three months the 90 ran like clockwork. The only hassle was tyres - we ruined two and damaged one so badly I binned it when we got back.

Economy wasn't too bad either. Cruising at 100km in 5th helps keep the mileage reasonable.

 
South Island 4WD tracks

There is a guidebook out for South Island 4WD tracks. We took it with us but it wasn't as helpful as we would have hoped.

It seems as if many of the tracks that have been listed in the book are now heavily used, and locals are getting upset with the increased use. We asked permission from landowners and were generally OK, but the best tracks we found and used weren't in the book.

If you want a good South Island trip it might pay to contact 4WD clubs in the area and also get in touch with landowners well in advance. Topo maps are great too.

There are also tours operating on some of the stations where you pay to use their land but get accommodation and guide notes. We didn't do any of those, but I've talked to people who really enjoyed them. They may be useful if you have a short time to spend in the area and want to get into some really nice country without all the hassles.