“On a Mish” #384 Chilling Out (Part One). Boyle River. St James Conservation Area. 10.8.2023. For some, cold weather is cruel and crippling. Frigid frost forcing you to find your warmest fabric to fight off the freeze. For me the cold gives me an opportunity to test my love of the outdoors. I know that if I can survive I will have the opportunity to see a world much different than the normal one we are used to…
Recently my cousin expanded his business and brought two Suzuki Jimny’s that are now available to rent. One of the vehicles is fully kitted out with overnight gear making the machine the perfect truck / camping kit combo. I have always wanted a Jimny and now for a short amount of time I could!
Over the time that I have been out of the hiking game my cousin Adam has been a massive amount of help for both my physical and mental well being. My climbing and exploring days had to be put on hold after I hurt my hip and back, or so I thought. Starting with an epic battle up the Havelock Valley.
As time has gone on our missions have increased in epicness as time has gone on over the last couple of years, and with each mish I have become a bigger Suzuki Jimny fan. Along with our personal adventures, Adam has also created a community of Jimny owners and at times we have gone on trips with up to 20+ other Jimny’s. The ever growing team of Suzuki lovers always look super happy and every trip has made me want my own little truck.
When Adam asked if I’d like to take one of the rentals for a couple of days, I don’t think he had finished the sentence before I said ‘I’d love to!’.
To break the gear in and see how well everything works I was asked to go ‘On a Mish’, and for added awesomeness I would have Ernie Dog at my side. This is an opportunity that I would very rarely turn down, so with that I had to plan where I would go. After a quick scan of the map I realised that north was my best option, and also one that would take me into parts of the country I had never seen. My plan was to head to the small mountain village of St Arnaud, which is next to the incredible Lake Rotoiti. This is a part of the country I have looked at on maps for a very long time but never had the opportunity to get up there.
My only foray to the top of the island I live in was a chilly visit to Golden Bay. I loved my time up there, however snow on the hills in January wasn’t part of the plan! The sunny shores of Golden Bay weren’t very sunny on my only visit to the area.
Finally I would get a chance to venture north and I would be doing it in a little truck with many extras. To say I was excited about the chance to take a Jimny for a spin would be an understatement!
My excitement levels were brought back in check when I watched the morning news on the first day of my trip. I really wanted to go somewhere and chill out, but I was only meaning in the sense of relaxing at a cool campsite instead of watching ice crystals forming on everything exposed to the freezing fingers of frost. Just like with my excitement levels, to say it was going to be a cold trip would be a massive understatement.
Winter was wreaking havoc on the upper half of the Te Wai Pounamu (The South Island), and snow was looking like it was going to alter my mission…
Visit www.jimny.co.nz to rent your very own Suzuki Jimny!
