“On a Mish” #367 Ssssssh, It’s a Secret (Part One). Jimny Country. Canterbury. 19.2.2023. Big beautiful blocks of earth standing in silence and so, so spectacular to stare at. It is no secret that Aotearoa has some of the most stunning scenery on the planet, and tourism is something this country does well. With that being said there are still plenty of places tucked away from the public eye. Along with the well known areas that have been declared national parks and conservation areas, we also have private farmlands that border the wild beyond….
There is a small Japanese truck that has an ever growing cult-like following, and cousin Adam is quickly becoming a legend on the Suzuki Jimny scene. His company NzJimny has supplied Jimny parts for a few years now and this has meant he has met many like-minded people who love to go into the mountains. It was only a matter of time before he formed a truck gang, and now the numbers have swollen and we have gone on some rather epic missions.
From the high country to the deep valleys we have seen the parts of Aotearoa that are usually just reserved for the owner or aircraft. All thanks to my cousin’s persistent drive for more mish. It is good to be related / mates with a fellow wilderness addict like myself!
A couple of these ‘Jimny Club’ trips have been into private land, and some of the owners of the farms have wanted to keep the areas on the downlow. From first hand experience I can understand why farmers / land owners wouldn’t want tons of 4wd traffic through their farms, as some reckless folk can create damage and chaos. Deep trenches up steep banks, bottles and rubbish, plus gates left open are all reasons why some farmers say no to people driving through.
After a lot of effort my cousin managed to get permission to venture through a farm with the club, but only on the condition that the location wasn’t blurted all over the internet.
So for this story we will be driving though farm ‘A’ and farm ‘B’.
An early-ish start was needed as we had some ground to cover before we arrived at firstly the meeting point, then secondly the drive into the mountains to the location of farm A.
The day trip started with a gathering of the masses, and there were many in this mass of motorised mayhem. Paul, one of the club’s most enthusiastic members, had rounded up the troops from the north and they all drove to meet us and the southern group on the side of ‘the road to paradise’.
It didn’t take long before an unassuming roadside pullover was alive with the sound of Suzuki’s and the odd other truck, which was more than welcome on this exclusive secret mish.
Now 24 strong (19 of them Jimnys) an ‘unnamed’ road was going to become a rumble of dust and excitement as we all made our way to the secret property’s perimeter…
