28/07/2026
Stagger Hill 2026... what a weekend!
The trip started with a good deed. We picked up a stranded motorcyclist on the side of the motorway, gave him a lift to the next off-ramp... then discovered he'd been helping himself to our chips and drinks in the trailer. 😂 If you're reading this mate, you can keep the chips.
After arriving, we jack-knifed the trailer into a fence on the muddy paddock entrance... somehow without a scratch.
Night stages went well, followed by a few beers around the fire. Then at 5am we were woken by a 5.9 earthquake. I genuinely thought someone was towing the trailer away with us still inside!
The day stages were all about survival. We were battling a dodgy tune after a coolant temp sensor failure and a borrowed ECU, so the buggy was well down on power.
Then I drove up a tree... which resulted in a backflip and us landing on the roof. We were going to self-recover until transmission oil started dripping on my face. That was the end of that stage!
Back on our wheels we carried on, only to snap a coilover and cook the alternator with one stage left. Game over.
The courses were tight... almost like they were designed for side-by-sides. 🤷♂️
No trophies this time, but plenty of laughs with an awesome crew.
The weekend wasn't over yet. The buggy earned its keep by towing our trailer (and Dan's) out of the muddy paddock. Then the Jeep decided it only wanted to drive home in low range... thankfully we convinced it otherwise.
Oh, and to the motorcyclist we rescued... your helmet and glove are waiting for you at the Gull in Hampton Downs.
You can still keep the chips and juice. 😂
A huge thanks to Karz for once again climbing into the muddy co-driver's seat, Grant and Karl for being an epic support crew, and Mikey for marshalling.
Big thanks as well to the Whangarei 4WD Club, and the landowners Bert and Steve for putting on another awesome event. Weekends like these don't happen without a whole lot of people behind the scenes.
We also raised a toast to one bloke who couldn't be there... Max Catty. Thanks for giving us a 5.9 reminder that you're still capable of shaking the ground. Your power was impressive. 🍻
And finally, thanks to Ben for spending hours trying to sort the buggy's tune before we left. I'm pretty sure he'd have preferred to be at the pub, but he stuck with it and gave us the best chance we had.
13/03/2026