Amputees enjoy a back country adventure

Members of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Amputees Society team up with the Taupō 4WD Club for a memorable day out. Photo / Supplied

When Matt Bryson lost his lower leg in an “horrendous” farm accident nine years ago, it changed his life forever, but it hasn’t slowed him down too much.

He was one of a group of amputees who were out four-wheel-driving on the weekend, in the mountains and the bush south of Lake Taupō - the first of what organisers hope will be many such 4WD excursions into the Kiwi back country.

As president of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Amputees Society, Bryson has been involved in more than a few “cool trips” organised for amputees so when Anton Romirer from the Taupō 4WD Club contacted him to offer a back country trip, he was happy to get a group together.

Romirer said the back country DoC estate is for everyone, but not everyone could physically get there.

“The NZ 4WD Association is really excited for this community initiative and the first group we have taken out is amputees. But what we want it for is not just amputees, the whole premise is mobility-hindered folk who cannot get into the back blocks of NZ.

“Basically what we are doing is saying we have a way now, using four-wheel drive clubs to get mobility-hindered people into the DoC estate for purposes of New Zealanders seeing New Zealand.”

The first trip on April 1, saw the group of amputees, their support people and families head in convoy off the Desert Rd, up powerline tracks, along rugged roads, through gravel pits and across streams to a picnic spot in a basic DoC campground.

“Every time we did a crossing, the guys would just stop and watch and cheer each other on. It wasn’t extreme or hard yakka, these people had just never seen a vehicle go through that much water. They were just buzzing about it.”

He said they had to choose the route wisely because some of the amputees have underlying health conditions, like diabetes, and could require medicaI assistance at short notice.

“We gave the illusion that we were miles off the Desert Rd in the middle of nowhere, when in actual fact at any one time we were about five minutes from the highway.”

After retracing their route they then headed up Tukino Access Rd on Mt Ruapheu.

The weather wasn’t great but that didn’t seem to matter.

“They never noticed the rain but the thing I noticed was the smiles on everyone and it was nice to create the environment for everyone.”

Food was donated by Bakers Delight and Mobil NZ generously offered to supply all the fuel for the trucks, but Romirer said the drivers decided they would donate their time and vehicles for free and pay for their own fuel.

Bryson said trips like these were about more than just experiencing something new, it was also a major social event for many people.

“Sometimes being an amputee can be extremely challenging, so this can bring us together as well.”

Bryson, 39, lost his lower leg in 2018 after it got caught in an auger at the bottom of a maize storage pit.

He said he hadn’t been into the back country since he was a child, when the family were members of a 4WD club, so he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

“What I like about four-wheel drive is that it is accessible even for those in a wheelchair.”

Romirer said another trip was planned for August and would involve snow next time.