The heavens opened on Clevedon in the wee small hours of Sunday morning and it pretty much didnt let up all day. What was planned as an exhibition and demonstration of four-wheeling became a necessity for everyone involved, including the unsuspecting public.

While the tough trucks were ready and rearing to go in the mud drags and the 4WD vehicles were up to their own mud challenge, no one had planned on the carpark featuring so prominently in the same way.

For the hundreds of hardy souls who braved the weather to attend, the NZ4WD Show put on a great spectacle and the equally hardy exhibitors and show personnel did their best to keep them informed and entertained, if not entirely dry.

The wet weather did little to dampen spirits and playing in the mud quickly became something that anyone could enjoy, whether in a 4WD or on foot.

Some even ditched their shoes and went barefoot in the mud in their shorts and T-shirts, revelling in the conditions. Others less keen suited up in raincoats and brought their brollies but everyone got wet. After a while it didnt seem to matter and it wasnt really cold.

Up top the exhibitors manned their stands, some better equipped for the weather than others. It seemed those who had the most shelter had the most interest early on but that seemed to matter less and less as the day went on.

For those involved in the mud drags, down below, the participants were largely unaffected other than that they got to shower between runs. See results on page 21.

For the owners and drivers of 4WDs, who wanted to try their vehicles out, there was an excellent course which provided a stream crossing, except at full tide, followed by a short steep water hole for the seriously modified or, alternately, a temporary ramp bridge for standard 4WDs.

The water hole showed clearly the awesome ability gained from fitting long travel suspension, mud tyres and importantly diff-locks. A trip around the course in our project Range Rover was a breeze and the only problem that the water hole presented was that the water was above rear window level as we exited the hole. Yes, some did get in!

Then there was the hill-climb or slippery slope, as it soon became, with a small mud pit, next to the mud drags, and then a cross-axle test, all of which became progressively more challenging as the day, and the rain, went on.

That, in itself, seemed to become the incentive to keep coming back for more. Some drivers continued to try and fail at the slippery slope. One Nissan driver kept coming back for more only to slide down disappointed each time and then was finally towed out of the mud pit after getting stuck there.

Funnily enough, he was still smiling as were lots of others who, successful or not, braved the course and the conditions.

Amongst those who successfully completed the course, albeit wisely avoiding the worst obstacles, was the brand new, as yet to be launched, Hyundai Santa Fe. DK was able to take it for a spin around the course and, even on road tyres, late in the day, it didnt get stuck once.

For the youngsters there was the indoor drive programme, courtesy of the Playstation. It might not have been wet in the NZ4WD tent but some of them did seem to get stuck. Certainly, quite a few of them had to be towed out so that others could have a turn.

Several of the new and modified 4WDs on display completed the drive course and the respective companies even provided chauffeured drives for members of the public, which were thoroughly enjoyed.

Then there were the NZ Army and Waiouru Museum vehicles, which did it fairly easily on the course and the mud drags, except for the tracked M113 armoured personnel carrier. No-one, or so it seemed, could get it to climb the slippery slope.

The 6WD Pinzgauer and the stripped-down special operations vehicle (SOV) version romped through the course providing rides for a lucky few. Also present was the 8WD NZLAVIII Armoured personnel carrier.

At the end of the day Ashley Lucas, NZ4WD Show co-ordinator, took the controls of the M113, grinning from ear to ear. Soon the slippery slope was calling to him and after a couple of practice attempts he finally made it up the hill and then did it again just to prove that it wasnt a fluke.

By this time the rain had stopped but the damage was done and those who had left earlier in the afternoon had made enough mud to prevent any 2WD vehicles from leaving unassisted. All of the 4WD support vehicles had the chance to test their recovery techniques and no-one was left waiting for long.

For many of those needing a tow it just became part of the adventure. Many had no idea where the towing points were on their vehicles or that they even had them. They all came to appreciate how great 4WD is in the mud though.

Well all be back next year but hopefully the rain will stay away..: