Around 240 people explored Forest Range Station and Mt Grand Station last Sunday (January 10) in the Wanaka and Districts Lions Club’s fourth annual off-road 4WD safari. 

Two groups, each of 40 4WD vehicles each with exhausts fitted with “spark arrestors” made of chicken wire and clamps, to ensure no-one accidentally started a wildfire in the tussock country, set off last Sunday morning an hour apart.

The convoys followed farm tracks to the windblown heights of Forest Range Station, high in Lindis country, and Mt Grand Station where both Lakes Hāwea and Wanaka can be seen, before descending Mt Grand’s steep tracks to return to Hāwea Flat.

The Wanaka App caught up with Wanaka homeowners Charles and Jane Deans who, together with Charles’ sister and brother-in-law, drove the five hour expedition and were thrilled with the experience.

The trip began at Forest Range Station’s woolshed - “easily the most pristine woolshed I’ve ever been in,” Jane Deans said.

Charles said his group of 40 vehicles met at the Forest Range Station woolshed to learn of the history of the station and about high-country merino farming from current station patriarch Russell Emmerson “and that was fantastic”.

Forest Range Station runs about 18,000 merinos, Charles said, but not a single wily sheep was spotted during the two hour, ‘pretty straight-forward drive” to the top where they stopped for lunch.

The climb up Forest Range took the convoy a couple of hours.

The views at the top were stunning, Jane said, but were also accompanied by strong, cold winds so, even though they were dressed in the woolly hats and ski jackets which they had been forewarned to bring, a picnic lunch was hastily eaten in the lee of the vehicles.

The most challenging aspect of this trip though was the descent, Charles said, “a series of switchbacks” down through Mt Grand where the drivers had to stay focused for a long period.

He said at one point they discussed the logistics of what would happen if one of the convoy experienced a puncture.

Although it was sunny, it was also bitterly cold when they stopped for lunch at the top.

“I honestly don’t know what we would have done. It was so steep, and so narrow there was no flat land to change tyres; not to mention blocking 40 vehicles behind us. I suspect we would have just had to keep going and reconcile any problems later,” he said.

Everyone returned safely to the Hāwea back road by 3:30pm, and drove to the Gladstone area beside Lake Hāwea to finish the adventure with a late-afternoon BBQ.

This year’s safari had been delayed a day (originally scheduled for Saturday January 9) due to concerns the rain earlier in the week had made the tracks a little slippery. Charles said it was a wise precaution to take but although there was a little mud all the 4WD vehicles handled the tracks well.

Usually populated by thousands of merinos, nary a woolly hide was spotted in the expansive views.

Wanaka and District Lions safari convenor Steve Richmond said Forest Range and Mt Grand Stations were chosen for this year’s expedition as it was more suitable for drivers with limited 4WD experience than other venues the organisers had investigated.

Previous safaris had visited West Wanaka, Bendigo and Hillend Stations and such is the popularity of these off-road adventures “there’s always a waiting list,” he said

“This was also the first year we have made it mandatory to fit exhaust spark arrestors,” Steve said. “It makes sense to use them given the increasingly dry conditions.”

He said virtually their entire membership of 40 people was involved in some way organising this first visit to Forest Range and Mt Grand and, like previous years, the funds raised would be donated to Wanaka LandSAR.

Charles said the Lions’ organisers were extremely safety conscious and WanakaSAR and Shotover 4WD club vehicles dotted through the convoys provided safety and communication backup. 

Jane and Charles, who had previously experienced the Lion’s off-road 4WD of West Wanaka, said they would definitely want to do another Lions safari. Quite apart from the amazing experience of being able to get into the backcountry it also benefited a very worthy cause.

“How fortunate are we to be able to do this? These events are so much fun. You’re getting to parts of the country Joe Public doesn’t get to see; with interesting people; learning fascinating history as we did at the Emmerson’s woolshed.”

Asked would he recommend the Lions 4WD safaris to others, Charles said no.

“The Lions do a wonderful job coordinating this fundraising event,” he said, “but I’m not going to recommend it to anyone because I’ll have even less chance of getting to drive the next one.”

PHOTOS: Supplied