February 2004 may seem a while ago, but the devastating floods that destroyed so much of the southern Tararua District two years ago are still a nightmare memory to local farmers.

Those horrific floods also put paid to the Woodville Lions planned Safari for that year, so when the weather held for the 2006 Te Apiti Wind Farm & Waewaepa Range Adventure, organised by the Lions Club of Woodville, it was smiles all round  and that spirit of cheerful welcome and enthusiasm was to dominate the next two days.

Held over the weekend of February 25 and 26, the safari was to cover around 160kms of farm and river tracks through the Ruahine, Waewaepa and Puketoi ranges, camping overnight in the delightful Kumeroa school grounds.

Saturday morning dawned overcast and breezy but local knowledge pronounced a fine hot day, with wind on the tops and so it proved to be.

Organiser, local garage proprietor and Lions member, Harold Kemp began the morning with a special briefing for his organising team. Key members of the team included fellow Lions Noel Cunningham and Geoff Smith, with assistance from many others including several members of the Manawatu 4WD Club.

It was also good to see hands-on support from the Dannevirke Lions Club, in the form of Brian Wilson who helped set and lead the Sunday section of the safari.

Inter-club cooperation is not always a reality in many organisations, and it was good to see the Tararua clubs working together in this way.

Driver briefing followed, and around 30 vehicles lined up to learn what the day held in store.

Vehicles ranged from the oldest, a lovingly restored 1942 WWII Dodge WC58 scout car (a big jeep really), to the newest, a Mitsubishi Pajero GLS Exceed GDi.

Contrasting with the larger Landcruisers and Patrols was the smallest 4WD, a Suzuki LJ80 now boasting a legendary Datsun 1200 engine (instead of the 800cc engine) and Austin Gypsy cut-down axles.

Then, from the highly modified; a Hilux and Range Rover, to a couple of standard farm utes.

In between the extremes, vehicles of choice included a lone Musso, several Vitaras, Nissan Pathfinders and Toyota Surfs.

Tyres were equally diverse.  At the heavy end were Simex Jungle Trekkers and a set of Skidder recaps, while at the road oriented end of the scale a set of Bridgestone Desert Duellers ATs filled the bill.  A set of Pirelli Scorpion ATs were of added interest.

Underway by 09:30, the convoy headed out of Woodville and up into the Ruahines and the Te Apiti Wind farm.

Three things immediately impressed: Firstly, the number of wind turbines; 55 in all, scattered across the ridges and saddles. Secondly, the wind!  Although why should that impress? You dont farm cows where theres no grass! And third, the enormous support this event receives from local land owners.

Saturday was to see the safari pass through ten farms, with five more on Sunday! Te Apiti Wind Farm is on Grahame Boltons place  Grahame is the proud owner of the Dodge Scout Car.

Grahame not only came along on the Safari, he had even bulldozed a special track down to a hidden natural cave, deep in a gully below the turbines.  Not content with that, Grahams contribution also extended to helping with arrangements to access adjoining farms.

This type of support is one of the highlights of many fundraising safaris, and is not uncommon in these small farming communities; it makes a lie of the myth that land owners are not prepared to allow public access to their land.

From Te Apiti you could catch glimpses of the winding Manawatu Gorge road far below, and high above on the southern face above the gorge the turbines of the Tararua wind farm circled seemingly silent on the horizon.

Grassy tracks were a feature of the day, and although dry and offering remarkably good traction, the occasional steep section created modest challenges from time to time. Watching a vehicle ahead lose traction and slip gently sideways, I was curious to see that it had Savero MTs fitted  until a closer look revealed that it had a couple of other brands as well!

We left Te Apiti on grassy and dusty tracks to visit the cave before dropping down to Broadlands. Then a climb up the pylon track to the summit of Wharite, which, at 920m, is the southernmost peak of the Ruahines.

As usual, the wind was blowing a gale, making life unpleasant on the summit and creating sufficient haze to restrict the normally magnificent views across Woodville and Ashurst.

Lunch was served in what was hoped to be the lee of Wharite but it was still necessary to sit low in the long grass, hoping for protection from the wind.

Food arrangements for the safari were excellent, offering the choice of catered meals, including two lunches, evening roast dinner and full breakfast, or the option to bring your own food along - and for the majority who chose the catered option, the food was excellent and generous.

Dropping down from Wharite the track allowed wide vista views of the Manawatu River as it escapes from the confines of the gorge far below.

Approaching the wind farm again, the fierce wind across the track conveniently cleared the dust from the vehicles ahead, but in the process sand blasted the side of your own vehicle.

More dry farm tracks took us to a woolshed, complete with yesterdays clip still on the floor, for a planned toilet stop. Originally scheduled for 2pm, delays, breakdowns and photo opportunities meant it was 4pm at the woolshed and the queue, for ladies in particular, was quick to form. 

Try standing inline with your legs crossed while moving from one foot to the other! However the shearers choice of floral patterned toilet paper seemed to make it all worthwhile.

By now it was time to come down out of the hills and head for camp.

It had been a full and busy day with good driving conditions and interesting stops. Tracks were generally wide dry and firm, with one very short and shallow water crossing to dampen the tyres, and a few rocks to negotiate as the convoy made its way down to camp at Kumeroa school.

One overheated auto transmission on the Wharite climb that only needed time to cool, and a broken engine that necessitated a tow, were the only incidents of the day.

Best of all, the only public roads were a short final section to the summit of Wharite and the last few kilometres to Kumeroa.

With only half the convoy camping overnight; the rest being locals or just doing the Saturday section, camp was quickly set up in the charming Kumeroa school grounds.

A quick beer and a chat and it was time for that roast dinner in the Kumeroa Hall, the second of the two buildings that make up this small but strong rural community.

One of the strengths of community fund raising safaris is that they appeal to a diverse and interesting mix of participants, and what better way to enjoy this company than in camp and over an enjoyable meal.

Young families, couples, three guys from three different towns and even three generations of one family (grandfather, father and son); all were enjoying the experience, the company and the camaraderie.

But soon it was time for bed.

Day two and campers were woken early by chortling Kumeroa magpies. With breakfast over it was time to break camp and assemble for briefing, which was preceded by a minute silence.

Mike Poulton, a well-known local identity, was to join the safari but sadly passed away only days earlier  his family property would form part of the days route.

Leaving Kumeroa, the route climbed into the Waewaepa foothills, where scattered Totara stumps and heads spoke silently of early pioneering logging and land clearance.

Hidden rocks and tomos were a feature of the morning, with scattered outcrops of rocks lying in wait for a misplaced wheel.  The risk of dropping into a tomo  an underground cavern covered by a crust of earth and invisible until the weight of a vehicle causes it to collapse - is a feature of this country.

Stories of lost stock and farming equipment are the stuff of local legend  scary! In tomo country, stay on the track!

As the track wound up into the Waewaepa high country, we stopped to inspect the sad remains of the old historic rabbit fence that once stretched from the Manawatu River to Herbertville on the coast. 

Built in the mid 1880s, and now just an undistinguished rusty fence half hidden amongst the pepperwood, this once remarkable structure snaked across 52 miles (83km) of rugged, often bush covered, country.

Every mile of it offered enormous challenge to those early fencing contractors. Unfortunately, the fence didnt deliver on its promise, and the rabbits won.

Leaving the rabbit fence, the route wound down to the Mangatoro valley, cradled between the Waewaepa and Puketoi Ranges, to follow the river bed for several kilometres to a lunch stop on its banks.

The river section was an opportunity to have a play and that was not lost on Michelle in her Mitsubishi Pajero Exceed, while during lunch Dwaine entertained in his highly modified Range Rover, shod with skidder patterned recaps.

Lunch over, it was up onto the top ridges of the Puketoi Ranges via an extremely steep and loose track that terminated on a saddle, in the lee of Oporae.  At 753m, Oporae peak defines the northern extremes of the Puketoi Ranges and from here the views on a clear day stretch to both coasts  blurred today by wind and heat haze.

From the saddle where the convoy assembled, it was just a short walk to the summit where a single fence post is the gathering point for the boundary fences of seven properties that radiate out from the post like enormous slices of pie.

A circuitous route down off the ranges and across rocky and dry farm tracks ended at a roadside clearing on the outskirts of Dannevirke, where tyre pressure were restored and final farewells and promises to return next year were exchanged with old and new friends..: