Rob and Margitta Roodnat with their vehicle which got stuck. Photo / Supplied
Rob and Margitta Roodnat with their vehicle which got stuck. Photo / Supplied
Crossing a river naked with his wife in the middle of nowhere was memorable for all the wrong reasons, Rob Roodnat says.
He and his wife Margitta decided to take a four-wheel-drive day trip over Danseys Pass near Oamaru on Sunday, but the couple's Toyota Prado got bogged down about halfway along the pass, leaving them stranded.
"The road was very, very muddy and wet. I tried to bypass a big puddle and then we got stuck," Mr Roodnat said.
"It was about 4.30pm, so right then and there, I knew that we were never going to make it out in one go."
They spent about two hours trying to dig the vehicle out, using a shovel and boards, but to no avail.
At dawn, the couple started walking back down the track to Tailings Hut, which was about four hours' walk.
"Along the way, we had to cross a river, which we did fully naked to make sure our clothes didn't get fully wet.
"It was freezing — memorable for all the wrong reasons."
They spent about two hours trying to dig the vehicle out, but to no avail. Photo / Supplied
Before they reached the hut, they came across a motorcyclist from Wellington, who rode to an area where he could alert emergency services to their predicament.
"We were very lucky to have met him because he provided us with some food and some water.
"We were getting pretty hungry."
The couple carried on to the hut to shelter from the cold wind and waited for a police Land Search and Rescue team to arrive.
About 7pm on Monday a LandSAR team arrived at the hut, he said.
"They were lovely. They helped us get the truck out and followed us back out to Naseby, and then we went our separate ways," Mr Roodnat said.
