The long and proud history of Land Rover bears little repeating. Inspired by the wartime Jeep MB, it revolutionised farming in New Zealand and can be said to have created 4WD recreation in this country.

The Series One took the place of draft horses on the farm, the Series Two marked the vehicle’s breakout into family adventuring; hunting and fishing being key activities. The Series Three added significant comfort to the very basic but slowly evolving ‘farmer’s friend’ and was able to hold its own in a market that now also offered Toyota’s six-cylinder 40 Series.

Lacking power and torque until the arrival of the Defender versions, the ‘Landie’ was nonetheless beloved by generations of outdoorsy Kiwis. One of the finest as the Defender range arrived in the 1990s was the long wheelbase ‘110’ Defender wagon with its turbodiesel engine and carry-all convenience for farm and family outings alike.

Hamilton’s Chris Polglase owns a 1994 Defender 110 that is fully kitted for overlanding adventures, and it has regularly taken him, his family and dog on some epic trips.

Chris says he first got into 4WDing through friends who took him along on trips.

“I got hooked on the ability to explore new parts of the country and being able to take your gear with you,” he said.

After plenty of backpack camping and hiking trips it was time to get more comfortable.

“I started out with a Holden Rodeo ute, moved to a Colorado and after seeing what the Defenders my friends Dave and his brother-in-law Pete had were capable of, I bit the bullet in 2013 and bought a stock standard 110 Defender.”

Chris says he is grateful for the knowledge and help provided by Dave and Pete, Dave being a mechanic and Pete having extensive experience and knowledge.

Without them, he says, he would not have been very keen to buy, modify or maintain the Defender.

“Land Rover – proudly turning owners into mechanics since 1948!”

Having a strong and decent-sized 4WD has enabled Chris to evolve its setup as his lifestyle changed.

Since 2013 the Defender has undergone a number of small and big changes. First, all the back seats were removed and a sleeping platform was built in the back for mainly solo trips.

“When my daughter was born, I added a third seat and a fibreglass hard-shell rooftop tent, and after a few versions and a change in relationship I have had to change to the set up I have today with five seats, the Alu-Cab Icarus roof conversion and room for the dog.”

The main changes were the roof conversion which has completely changed the way the family camps, with the ability to raise the roof and the bed to stand up inside the truck.

“I have added the gullwing doors, an Alu-Cab shadow awning and shower cube.”

The engine is relatively stock with a few tweaks to the fuel pump, and plenty of maintenance on it over the years. Other mods include the rock sliders, rear wheel carrier and the chequer plate fender protection.

The Defender sits on 255/85/16 KM2 BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tyres.

Chris says the current set-up was created in 2020 after the installation of the roof conversion. That was relatively simple with the original roof unbolted and the conversion bolted back on. It took about four hours to complete the exchange, and the cabinetry took Chris a couple of weeks to build.

Through the build phase, Chris says, suppliers Wild Roaming have been instrumental.

But the big question, and one most 4WDers will have been asked: is it finished?

“I don’t think it will ever be finished completely! There is always plenty of maintenance to do on it, and I am always thinking of new ideas or ways to reorganise or rebuild the interior. I’d like to paint it another colour one day, and I’m already planning another interior rebuild to lose a bit of weight and simplify a few things but otherwise I’m happy with how it is at the moment. The missus loves the pull-out kitchen so that will have to stay!”

In any build of this type, there’s a blend of DIY and ‘DIFM’ (Do It For Me). In this case, Chris has been very much DIY, fitting accessories from reputable aftermarket suppliers.

“Most of the mods on the truck I have built myself such as the interior cabinetry and drawers. The roof conversion, awning, shower cube and the gullwings, were DIY installations with some help from friends. I have a diesel heater for the colder trips and secondary battery system with fridge. Youtube has been very handy to learn how to install or fix things.”

The Polglase family have done some big treks into spectacular country. Chris says South Island trips of up to five weeks are an annual highlight, offset by plenty of shorter trips around the North Island.

“I love the vast open areas and stunning scenery around the south with plenty of challenging tracks to explore, so I love going back there.”

Plans for the future are to venture into the far north and east cape of the North Island, areas he has not yet ticked off the list.

“The end goal is to do a full strip down and rebuild of the Defender, and take it around the world. Hopefully that dream comes true one day.”