Overland 4WD Rentals - New Zealand
Brad Harris goes off the road in New Zealand.
I selected low range for the last part of the climb up the rutted track, and crawled over the crest to be met by one of those ‘only in New Zealand’ river scenes. Descending the few hundred metres to the grassy valley we took our time to soak in the views and found a flat spot just metres from the river bank.
Our 7-month old was still asleep in the car seat, so we quietly emptied the back of the Prado and set up our tent, sleeping mats, some folding chairs and a table, and got the cooker going for a cuppa. Well, Lilly did… I was rigging a rod.
So, what’s remarkable about all this? Only the fact that we had flown into Christchurch just hours before, and this was a hire car. We were met at the airport by Tony, the owner of Overland 4WD Rentals, and dropped him off at his home on the outskirts of Christchurch, conveniently just a short detour from the main route south. Conversation for the whole journey was about fishing. Tony had just spent a week fly fishing around Queenstown. He’s as obsessed as you and I are.
The diesel Prado had been supplied with everything you could need for a camping holiday. All we had to bring was our sleeping bags. There was also the option of getting a Tramping kit, including packs, but with a baby in tow, we figured we would take the softer car-based option this time. We also could have hired a cell phone, GPS or 2-way radios. A didymo cleaning kit is standard.
There are no restrictions as to which roads you can take the vehicle on (as there are with the mainstream hire companies) and Overland follow the guide that ‘if it can be polished out, it’s not considered damage.’
The vehicles aren’t new—ours had done 220,000 km—but they run really well, and are obviously well-kept. If a Prado seems like overkill for your trip there are RAV4s, Mazda Tributes and Subaru-style AWD vehicles too.
The freedom to drive down farm tracks, fire-trails and back roads was a god-send on a family fishing trip. Obviously these vehicles cost a bit more than a Corolla from Hertz, but when you’re fishing the backcountry hours after getting off the plane, you’ll realise it’s worth every cent.
Phone +64 3 317 8008 for details. www.overland.co.nz