GrumpyGel
Well-Known Member
- Posts
- 27,213
- Location
- Christchurch, New Zealand
I haven't posted in the posh forum much, but today I got a lift in a P38 on a drive from/through Mesopotonia Station to Growler Hut up in the high country here in the South Island of NZ.
It really is a fantastic part of the world, very much "Lord of the Rings" country remote, harsh and inspiring. Its a drive up the (braided) Rangitata River bed. There is a 'track' of sorts, but most of the time it is indistinguishable from the rest of the river bed - just rocks, gravel, a bit of gorse and water. It constantly criss crosses the braids of the river - some with water, others dry - they change with each flood.
I'll put a map up showing where the road stops at the Station and the hut. My Freelander got about as far as Black Birch Creek, when it became obvious its ground clearance just wasn't up to the job - I was trashing the car, and I knew at least one place I would not be able to get back up on the return. So I left the Freelander - literally just stopped and got out - and jumped in a P38.
What a ride it was - an awesome machine. I believe it was pretty standard spec - definitely the suspension was cos I asked. He's decatted it and stuck something in the system so it sounds fabulous and shod it with GT Radial MT tyres. Maybe just cos I was a passenger and didn't need to worry about navigation or whether I was going to break something - but the drive was superb
15km up the river and it probably could have taken any route it was pointed at Its the 'POOMMYD' car in this pic...
There were about 25 cars on the trip, including a Hilux and Bighorn, but the rest were Land Rovers.
So, credit where credit is due - the P38 was freeking awesome. My Freelander is more freeking awesome of course - just not over boulders
(Mesopotania Station towards bottom center, Growler Hut towards top left).
It really is a fantastic part of the world, very much "Lord of the Rings" country remote, harsh and inspiring. Its a drive up the (braided) Rangitata River bed. There is a 'track' of sorts, but most of the time it is indistinguishable from the rest of the river bed - just rocks, gravel, a bit of gorse and water. It constantly criss crosses the braids of the river - some with water, others dry - they change with each flood.
I'll put a map up showing where the road stops at the Station and the hut. My Freelander got about as far as Black Birch Creek, when it became obvious its ground clearance just wasn't up to the job - I was trashing the car, and I knew at least one place I would not be able to get back up on the return. So I left the Freelander - literally just stopped and got out - and jumped in a P38.
What a ride it was - an awesome machine. I believe it was pretty standard spec - definitely the suspension was cos I asked. He's decatted it and stuck something in the system so it sounds fabulous and shod it with GT Radial MT tyres. Maybe just cos I was a passenger and didn't need to worry about navigation or whether I was going to break something - but the drive was superb
15km up the river and it probably could have taken any route it was pointed at Its the 'POOMMYD' car in this pic...There were about 25 cars on the trip, including a Hilux and Bighorn, but the rest were Land Rovers.
So, credit where credit is due - the P38 was freeking awesome. My Freelander is more freeking awesome of course - just not over boulders
(Mesopotania Station towards bottom center, Growler Hut towards top left).
