The man behind NZ 4x4 Treks, Steve Beston, learned his 4WD skills the hard way, here and around the world!

Some of my most valuable 4WD experience, he says, was gained when working as a young Civil Engineer in Thailand and Indonesia.

Surveying 140km of proposed highway across the plains of central Thailand entailed driving across harvested paddy fields , having to work our way over numerous paddy bunds and bogs where the water table was still close to the surface.

This taught us very quickly how to tackle such hazards with minimum suspension damage and minimizing recoveries out of bogs which could be exhausting work in Thailand’s 40 degree heat.

In direct contrast the project in Indonesia was in the mountainous jungle region  of West Sumatra, dominated by the 3048m (10,000ft) high mountain Gunung Merapi. We used Series 2 Land Rovers which weren’t noted for their power or reliability.

The jungle tracks we used were walking tracks originally , widened to accommodate the local buffalo and carts used by the farmers; a 60km trip would take all day barring breakdowns.

The track surface was mostly clay, it rained regularly and heavily from 4.00 pm every afternoon in the monsoon so the track surface was incredibly slippery and where vehicles were regularly stuck in bogs and the locals had dug them out of the mud the bog holes were as deep as the Land Rover’s roof height.

The area was so remote there was still an amazing abundance of wildlife including the Sumatran Tiger and after deciding to abandon the Land Rover in a particularly deep bog after a long day we walked several km into the local village to find accommodation for the night.

Walking back up the track early next morning we saw tiger tracks in the mud and realized we’d been stalked as we headed for the village the previous evening.

Later working in the construction industry building bridges , tunnels , laying a pipeline across the Hong Kong Harbour and Changi airport construction gave me access to all kinds of magic machinery to try my hand at and satiate my appetite for anything with an internal combustion engine, preferably the bigger the better.

Our transport on construction sites was 4WD and all the machinery was diesel providing invaluable experience on how to repair and maintain diesels and 4WDs.

Returning from Asia to settle back in New Zealand saw the deregulation of vehicle importation and so started a new career importing 4WDs from Japan which ultimately spanned 20 years.

A natural progression from the import, sale, and servicing of the operation was to offer clients the chance to use the 4WDs to explore the truly amazing tracks and landscapes in the South Island.

For many years I had taken my family to the South Island for an annual holiday but the places we accessed in those first two years of 4WDing for me were an absolute revelation, nothing can prepare you for the impact that exploring the South Island High Country has on mind and soul.

Australia was next and a cheeky email to a 4WD Tour operator there resulted in a great friendship and some amazing trips working with Vic, most notably driving the 2,000 km from Sydney to Port Augusta to pick up a group and embark on a unique crossing of the Simpson Desert following the famous explorer Cecil Madigan’s route from Mt Dare to Birdsville.

Later, a chance encounter with a fellow traveler returning from a trip to Kashmir and the western Himalayas started me dreaming about the possibility of exploring the Himalayas by 4WD.

A meeting with a young Civil Engineer who had migrated to New Zealand from the Jammu and Kashmir Region was the catalyst that started two years of planning to make the expedition a reality.

Contacts were established by email in Delhi where we would pick up the 4WDs and equipment fora month long trip . Also by email we were able to arrange a company based in the Himalayas to provide a guide, cook, helper and camping equipment for our foray into one of the most remote regions, the Zanskar Valley.

I’ve lived, worked and driven myself in some of the biggest and busiest Asian cities such as Tokyo, Bangkok and Jakarta but nothing prepared me for the driving conditions we encountered in India.

The four-day drive to Srinagar were probably the toughest of the trip, we made it with only three minor scrapes on our brand new Toyota  Fortunas which was a miracle, nowadays we fly from Delhi to Leh!

Our first mountain pass, the Zoji La just north of Sonamarg at 4572m (15,000ft) with massive drop offs, local traffic to be negotiated and a snow storm thrown in just as we started our ascent confirmed that our adventure had well and truly commenced.

During the next three weeks we would cross 16 passes over 4500m (15,000ft), the Khardung La being the world’s highest at 5593m (18,350ft) we would have breakfast with the Dalai Lama’s brother (yes he is also a Monk ), we would get unique introduction to how life is made bearable during winter in some of the most hostile conditions on earth , we would get up close and personal with the abundant wildlife , meet some amazing people and experience landscapes whose beauty almost defies description.

To be standing at 4572m (15,000ft) on top of the Penzi La Pass, right beside a very pretty mountain lake  with Marmots and a Yak grazing around its shores, looking down on the mighty Suru riverbed which is at the same altitude as Mt. Cook , a mountain the size of Ruapehu rising up from the far river bank , the Drang Drung Glacier soaring up into peaks as high as 7315, (24,000ft) and one of the world’s highest valleys stretching away to the East will give you some idea of this majestic land.

For more information on trips Steve organizes check out the ad in the Trading Post section of this month’s mag, go to www.4wdtours.co.nz or telephone him on 021 924 427.

To read every story in the September 2017 issue of NZ4WD go to Zinio.com (August 18) or purchase your own hard copy at the Adrenalin store.