Exciting new trails for jeep jamboree

The slumbering volcanic peak of Mt Ruapehu will once again provide the backdrop for the annual gathering of Jeep owners in New Zealand.

The Jeep Jamboree returns to the central plateau over Waitangi weekend next year, when more than 350 Jeep owners are expected to converge on the base camp at Ohakune.

Now in its ninth year, the four-wheel-drive jamboree has become hugely popular, with numbers over-subscribed for the past two events in Hawkes Bay and Rotorua.

Organisers expect a similar rush for places on the 2006 Jamboree, which has just opened up for registrations.

"The popularity of the jamboree has grown immensely.

"Although we aim to cater for all those who wish to participate, the unfortunate reality is that we are forced to limit numbers in order to run a safe, enjoyable and environmentally friendly event," says Brett Aspden, general manager of Chrysler Jeep.

The jamboree is open to all owners of authentic Jeep-branded vehicles, regardless of the vehicle's age, although all vehicles must have a current warrant of fitness.

In the past it has drawn Jeep vehicles dating back to the birth of the brand during World War II, right up to the latest high-tech models like the new Hemi V8-powered Grand Cherokee.

Old and new, their four-wheel-drive systems are all capable of tackling the tough off-road trails that are the high point of Jeep Jamboree activities.

For 2006, the organisers are promising a number of exciting new trails to test the skills of Jeep owners.

Discussions are being held with the New Zealand Army in the hopes of utilising some of the military training area next to the Desert Road running up to the slopes of Mt Ruapehu.

Other drives will include a mix of forestry, high country farmland, river crossings and native bush tracks.

The jamboree is based on a concept developed after World War II by returning United States servicemen, who bought army-surplus Jeeps to use in civilian life.

They got together to hold the first Jeep Jamboree along the famed Rubicon Trail in Northern California more than 50 years ago.