Negotiating steep razor back sand dunes and dodging four wheel drives of every description that travel in all directions through the harsh desert environment - Dubais annual overnight fun run is a real test of drivers skills  and patience.

For me, the thought of driving through the desert with 750 other vehicles was a daunting concept and, as we arrived at the check-in area, my thoughts were compounded as four wheel drives of all makes and sizes were queued for miles awaiting the 1.00pm kick off.

The fun run was hatched 25 years ago by a group of friends going into the desert to have a bit of fun driving on the dunes, camping out and having a BBQ dinner.  After that initial gathering it stirred the interest of others and the number of cars increased from five, to forty the following year and now 750.

After registration was completed and we had collected our goodie bags (sponsors give-aways), we headed off in our hired GMC Yukon 5.3 litre V8. Groups of 30 vehicles were sent off at timed intervals, with a marshals car front and rear of the group. Right from the onset, this was to be a well-oiled event. 

With this number of vehicles roaring through the desert, organisers try to keep the damage to the environment to a minimum, so where possible the route is over tracks, or Bedouin highways, that were used in the days of the camel trains and even today are used by local farmers and travellers.

Occasionally the route goes off track but usually in areas where potential damage to the environment is low and any disturbance is quickly remedied by nature itself.

Route director, Jum Ali Khan says, The route is challenging enough to keep the experienced off-roaders from going to sleep, yet easy enough to allow the newcomers to off-roading to get to the finish  or near to it!

On day one, with four in our vehicle, I chose to observe from the passenger seat taking in all the action that was unfolding around me.  With vehicles screaming in all directions through the soft sand, it wasnt long before the marshals were put to work digging or towing out those that were getting a bit too cocky.

The marshals that donate their time for this event do an outstanding job and early into this day we needed their help on more than one occasion!  On making an attempt on our first dune, a friendly (female) marshal, using hand signals from afar, helped my fellow driver to negotiate it. Later, at the hands of a different driver, we were left high and dry atop a dune and were towed off.

Later that afternoon I had the chance to ride with one of the marshals in his new 3.5-litre Hummer! Mitchell Perera, whose father Chris was one of the original founding members of the event, knows the desert like the back of his hand. 

It was quite an experience to share a few hours in his vehicle blasting up or down steep dunes and watching as he pulled vehicles out of sand-pits. A wrong move can end with disastrous results for either drivers or vehicles, as we were later to discover!

After about four hours of driving we arrived in the dark, thirsty and hungry at the overnight lahbab (campsite).  This was a sight to behold. 

On driving into camp there was a Toyota sponsored workshop for any repairs that were needed, hundreds of tents of various shapes and sizes erected and people of all ages wandering around the site.

But the most impressive sight for me was the food area. Registration entitled you to dinner and breakfast at the campsite. Jebel Ali (one of Dubais top hotels) provided the food and the quality and quantity of the food was exceptional as was the service. 

The experience of the five-star dining in the desert alone was worth the effort of being bounced around for two days. To entertain the multitudes there was a laser show, fireworks display and a band; others simply made their own entertainment. 

With an event of this scale it was also a pleasure to see so many toilet and shower blocks that were constantly maintained, to cater for the 3000 plus people.

After a chilly night and a more than adequate breakfast, day two saw a delay in the starting time due to fog in the desert.

Even though the limit for the fun run is 750 vehicles there are as many as 100 gate-crashers that join in the fun without registering. These are the guys that one should try to avoid while driving, as they are mad as hatters.

Dubai is a very wealthy emirate, so it is a common sight to see the latest in fashion, architecture and cars. It is nothing for some of the locals or expatriates to go out and buy the latest V8 Turbo Porches or the VW Touareg or any other type of 4WD just to thrash it through the dunes - not even knowing how to put the vehicle into four-wheel drive!

I started driving first on day two, as I figured the longer I left it the less likely I would be to have the courage to get behind the wheel. Even though there were wives and girlfriends on the rally, woman drivers are not usually the norm, except for some of the marshals, so that in itself caused a bit of interest.

With Arabic music blasting through the Yukons Boise stereo we headed out following Chris in his Toyota marshals vehicle. Having eyes in the front, side and back of my head, after a very short time I relaxed and actually enjoyed this stuff.  With a few basic instructions being thrown at me from my co-pilot, the powerful Yukon just ploughed through the soft sand and Yeeha! Im into it. 

Knowing you have the power to blast your way through soft sand is very comforting and I wondered if I am really a petrol head at heart.

Up and down heart stopping near vertical dunes, travelling along bumpy Bedouin highways, I was having a ball, so was disappointed when I had to surrender my drivers seat to others in the car.

However, it was a long day so another chance of a drive was quickly accepted. My next stint behind the wheel saw us all nearly four inches shorter and wearing the latest in food fashion.

To get up a very steep rutted highway, I had to put pedal to the metal. Unfortunately, we hit a wee hole, which dropped the nose of the Yukon straight into it, throwing us out the other side.  The four of us bounced heavily in our seats as our boxed lunches hit the roof, sending lettuce, ham and egg sandwiches flying through the air leaving us a smorgasbord of mess all over the back seat, ceiling and floor.

We were on a mission, however, so there was no time to stop and do the housework.

After nearly 200 kilometres, the fun run finished at a hotel near Abu Dhabi, where another great BBQ meal was awaiting.

Organisers have thought of every contingency, so with registration each vehicle is given a number that must be stuck on both sides of the car and a large red dot sticker on the roof, so that the vehicle can be spotted from the air by the events air-marshal.

There are numerous checkpoints along the way and vehicles are checked off, as they pass through. If a vehicle arrives outside the cut-off time at that particular checkpoint they are given a short cut route to take them to the next checkpoint, so that no one is left behind. If the vehicle is damaged and unable to be driven, there is a recovery truck to tow it out.

A Route Notes booklet, given out with the registration pack, contains all necessary information about the fun run and phone numbers to contact should one succumb to the desert, or another driver.

This fun run, through sponsorship of various companiaes, is an extremely well planned, well-executed event and well worth the experience. Organisers ensure that the desert is returned to its natural state after the event and all rubbish is collected and taken away.

The fun run is usually held each December and Emirates Airlines have numerous flights from New Zealand to Dubai.

For the record, I did not need the marshals assistance while driving and the damage suffered to our vehicle was at the hands of a fellow driver!