From city to country

If Thelma and Louise had been driving a Holden Trailblazer when they floored it off that cliff, well, it still wouldn’t have saved them, but the journey to get to the edge would have been a heck of a lot of fun.

There were several Hollywood moments that required driving into the unknown when I was negotiating my way around a very steep and rugged set of hills behind Karioitahi Beach southwest of Auckland in the Trailblazer on a 4WD skills course. It’s definitely unnerving to be perched atop a bank with no clue what lies ahead until you accelerate over the top. From there, it was often a 60-degree drop back down to the flat — and the biggest challenge was to keep your foot well away from the brake and let the SUV’s clever hill descent technology glide you safely down.

This sounds easier than it was — every instinct in your body is shouting at you in CAPS to slam your right foot on the anchors but, as demonstrated by one of the other drivers in front, this can lead to a really big bunny hop. The key thing to remember is this vehicle is smarter than you, and you have to let it do its thing, which it does very well.

The 4WD course — led by specialist Colin Burden from Trackwise4WD — came as part of an afternoon of driving experiences to showcase the iconic car brand’s latest SUV and utility fleet and mark the winter solstice at this beautifully rugged part of Auckland.

Guests had the opportunity to switch between several new Holden models, all of which have the latest technology, including the MyLink infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can pair your smartphone, as well as who-knew-you-needed-it additions such as heated front seats, colour touch screens and reversing cameras. Varying in size and grunt, depending on your needs, each easy-to-drive model moves seamlessly from a city vehicle around town during the week, to a multi-use lifestyle vehicle on the weekend you can fill with half your child’s soccer team, the boys on a fishing trip or maybe a bunch of girlfriends off for a winery lunch on the city outskirts.

But first we need to talk about the 2017 Astra Hatch RS-V, which I was fortunate enough to get to myself for the drive to and from Karioitahi. Named European Car of the Year 2016, beating out entries from BMW, Audi, Volvo, Skoda Jaguar and Mazda, this super-stylish beauty’s lines are modern and sleek and its sporty 1.6L turbocharged engine is full of get-up-and-go, making it a dream to drive.

Holden is in a period of change and growth, symbolised by the dawning of a new day following the winter solstice. This car brand Kiwis have grown up with has set itself the challenge of becoming the most-loved car brand by 2020, and has 24 new models released or in the works. And though the beloved Commodore is an important part of its past — and an equally important part of its future — its diverse vehicle fleet covers off the needs of most, from the zippy little Spark to the big daddy Colorado ute, which can tow up to 3.5 tonnes, and was one of vehicles we put through its paces on the solstice.

So the Astra Hatch stayed in the carpark while we took the seven-seat 2.8L Trailblazer (glamorous and tough), the best-selling Colorado, the Captiva (also a seven-seater, which was the best-selling large SUV last year) and the Trax (a smaller 1.4L SUV that is fun to drive and perfect around town with great visibility thanks to its raised seats) for a ride.

We also heard about two all-new models due for release in coming months, the mid-sized Equinox SUV and slightly bigger Acadia.

Colin led us down on to the expanse of Karioitahi Beach and we drove in single file alongside the crashing surf on the hard-packed black sand, first at 20km/h, then at a daring 60km/h, being careful not to swerve if the waves crashed into us because “that’s when you get stuck”, he cautioned.

Because I was behind the wheel of the 2WD Trax (a very smart burnt orange colour that looked great in the late-afternoon winter sun), I was one of the vehicles that had to stay closest to the water on the densest part of the sand.

Later, after we reached the mouth of the Waikato River and turned back for home base, I moved into the enormous Trailblazer and had a lot more grip, so could stray further from the waves. It was hard to resist the pull of the water though, and I steered the SUV into as many of the beach’s creeks as I could, the wipers coming on automatically when I needed them to.

Colin led us back to a spot looking down to the beach, where a platter of delicious snacks and sundowner cocktails awaited us so we could watch the sun set on the shortest day of the year. And what a sunset it was — weak but glorious, heralding the storm that was on its way but had politely refrained from striking us that afternoon.

We spent the longest night of 2017 at the secluded new Castaways’ glamping village on a hill high above its existing resort. A group of 24 carpeted canvas tents — with ensuites and wi-fi — are situated around a firepit, outdoor bar, wood-fired pizza oven (from which the hosts served up homemade bread), and dining area with a TV and comfy couches.

After a dinner of tomato soup, spit-roasted lamb, baked salmon, salads, and creme brulee, we retired to the gas-operated fire pit with marshmallows, then hunkered down for the night in the super king-sized beds as the waves crashed far below us.

The storm that was supposed to hit during the day arrived during the night but we were toasty and warm — and secure in the knowledge that should the weather really deteriorate, we had the right fleet of vehicles parked outside to get us back to civilisation.

Well, back to the Castaways’ carpark at least, where that lovely Astra Hatch awaited me for one last ride back to the city before I had to reluctantly surrender the keys.

If Thelma and Louise had been driving this little beauty, there’s no way they would have been able to stomach driving her off that cliff — they would have just kept on going.