Vehicles are well spread out at the start of last year's Dannevegas to Herby 4x4 trek.
Vehicles are well spread out at the start of last year's Dannevegas to Herby 4x4 trek.
Interest in this year's Dannevegas to Herby 4x4 trek is stronger than ever and already organiser Trevor Beale has had more than 100 registrations.
The trek, on Saturday, February 13, starts from the Dannevirke A & P Showgrounds and finishes at Herbertville Beach, a distance of around 120 kilometres.
The trek provides an off-road driving experience that promises spectacular views.
Last year's event attracted 185 drivers and passengers and 88 vehicles.
But so far Beale said around 105 vehicles were registered.
"I'm absolutely amazed at the number of people from Auckland who have registered," Beale said.
"I believe they are coming down here because Covid is stopping people from travelling overseas so they are spending their time travelling to some of the country's more out of the way places."
Beale said there had also been registrations from Hawke's Bay, Manawatū and Wellington.
Beale said interest in the event had been huge with the trek Facebook page receiving thousands of hits.
"This event has got a good name and it gives people the opportunity to visit the district."
This is the ninth time the event has been held. It was started as a fundraiser to build a new rural fire station at Herbertville.
Trek organisers have added a couple more of the popular river crossings into this year's event.
Each year Beale and organising committee member Nigel Scrimshaw come up with a new route and this year's will take the drivers up Mount Tuturewa, out the back of Akitio then across to Herbertville.
In the past a barbecue lunch is served at midday but this year the committee has decided on a rolling lunch.
Lunch packs will be handed out at around noon and drivers will have the choice of either stopping or travelling on to another spot to have their meal.
There'll also be an added convenience on the trek in the form of portable camp toilets that will be available at stopping points at 10am, noon, 2pm and at the finish of the drive.
"Lack of toilet facilities has been a problem all the way through. In the past there has only been a toilet available at the lunch break and that meant long queues waiting so this will cut the waiting time."
Beale said building the four-booth toilet block was made possible through sponsorship.
"We were given $1000 and Tumu ITM donated some of the timber product, Kevin Dassler donated his time to build it and he and Keith Edwards painted it."
Beale said the committee appreciated the sponsorship it received.
"We have some very good sponsors and we appreciate them. The biggest unsung heroes are the farmers who let us use their land. We really appreciate that."
Last year's treat of an ice cream stop will be available again.
Beale said even if the Covid alert level was to change the trek would still go ahead as the committee had contingency plans in place.
"All the vehicles would act as bubbles for the drivers and passengers. The only part that could be affected might be the serving of the meal at the end of the drive. But if that happened we would give out meal packs."
In past years the trek has concluded with a hangi at Herbertville but on some occasions Herbertville's notorious wind had meant a hangi was too risky so the committee has decided to have a barbecue.
Beale praised the work of the committee which included Katrina Jackson, who handled all the paperwork, Wayne Churchouse and Moana Beveridge, who took charge of organising the food, and Delwyn Walker, who was in charge of drinks, while Beale and Scrimshaw set the course.
Last year the committee donated $5000 to both Dannevirke Cactus and St John.
This year, because of the increased number of vehicles, Beale is hoping to raise more than that amount.
