Mud rush

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Bryan Gilchrist and Alan Harrison try to free Alan's 4WD

Bryan Gilchrist gives his vehicle hell going through a "Sticky Bog"

Taking a nose dive

Four wheel driving club "Hard Yakka" day. Club secretary Trev Jamie in his old 4WD gets amongst the wet and muddy conditions

Alan Harrison blasts out of a deep water hole

Peter Selby empties out a lot of water from his vehicle after being pulled from a deep water hole

Bryan Gilchrist helps Peter Selby who is stuck in a water hole.

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BLAIR ENSOR

BALLAST: David price and Alan Harrison help Trev Jamie through a difficult section

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Jack of all trades in the pub Bit of a garden bar... Etched in the memory It started with a bulging blue bag 24-hour troubleshooters Tourism business has knack for variety Shared skills fit the bill On the clean-up's front line Building that business edge Holiday cut short to help clear huge slip

Boys and their toys pitted themselves against mud and steep inclines at the Marlborough Four Wheel Drive Club's annual "Hard Yakka" day on Sunday.

Up to 18 vehicles from Marlborough and Nelson took part in the event near Okaramio, which allowed drivers to push their vehicles to the limit.

"You've got to be willing to accept a bit of panel damage," said club secretary Trev Jamie. "You spend about as much time in the garage fixing them as you do driving them."

By lunchtime, three vehicles had met their match with problems to their differentials.

"It's bloody good fun. I haven't had the adrenalin flowing, so we can't have been going hard enough," said former club captain and committee member Mike Holmes. "The wives all come along until we scare them, and then it takes a while for them to come back."

The club has 60 members, who take part in two events locally every month.

Mr Holmes said "shinys"  people who preferred to keep their vehicles clean and free of damage  took part in more scenic, family-oriented trips, held mainly in summer. In winter, the focus switched to "more hardcore stuff".

The ground was damper, so driving was tougher, he said.

As well as local events, the club makes three or four trips each year to places like Kaikoura and the West Coast.

It also hosts clubs from out of town, who "love it because of the different variety", Mr Holmes said. "It's all on our doorstep. We're a bit lucky, really."

It's not all fun and games. The club also has five Search and Rescue members, who hone their practical skills through club activities, and in the past members have helped emergency services.

"It's pretty technical, and there are so many ways of getting trucks out. We don't want to damage them more."

Mr Holmes said anyone could join the club as long as they had a four-wheel-drive vehicle and the required safety equipment, which included a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, a spark arrester, and a tow strop and hooks.

- The Marlborough Express