4XJOURNALの Volume 006 の目次

John Kingston is a US-based content creator we stumbled upon through his Our Landers podcast on Spotify. We then connected on Instagram, and have kept in touch ever since. A true four-wheel drive and adventure inspiration,we thought it best to showcase the man behind the lens and the mic. Words: René Vermeer Photos: John Kingston I first came across John Kingston through audio rather than imagery. While searching Spotify for automotive and camping inspiration, I stumbled across Our Landers, a podcast hosted by Jamie Lazoya and Kingston that focuses on overlanding, four wheel drives, and camping culture in the United States. The conversations were long, unpolished, and grounded in real experience. It didn’t take long before I had worked through every episode available at the time. That podcast led me…

WHY THERE’S NO MAGIC NUMBER FOR SAFE EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURES If you’ve spent any time around modified diesel 4x4s, you’ll have heard the question endlessly debated: “What’s a safe EGT?” It’s one of the most common topics on forums, at campsites, and in workshops. Everyone wants a single red-line number they can watch on a gauge and feel safe below. The problem is that no such universal number exists. At Trundles Automotive, we regularly see the consequences of this misconception. Engine failure isn’t driven solely by peak temperature; sustained high exhaust gas temperature (EGT) over time (duty cycle) is just as much of a concern. Temperature vs time: what actually causes damage EGT is an important indicator, but it’s only part of the story. Time at temperature matters just as…

Ryan Hunt’s LN65 Hilux is a Kiwi icon. Built, bashed and driven hard around New Zealand’s alpine landscape. Words: René Vermeer Photos: Bri Woolnough I think most four-wheel drive enthusiasts in New Zealand have owned or have dreamed of owning a classic Toyota of some description. They’re simply iconic in our landscape, and their durability and suitability to our terrain are unmatched by most others. The older models especially, like the LN106 and the mighty LN65, solid-axle Hilux models are what Kiwi dreams are made of. With non-turbo diesel engines and carburetted petrol engines, they were never built for speed, but they were built with a certain engineering prowess that ensured they’d outlive their occupants. A crazy thought. Ryan Hunt is one of those enthusiasts who understood that long before…

Putting the 2026 Defender to work on SF70. Yep, SF70! Words: Aimee Upson Photos: Aimee Upson, Defender, Matthew Hansen Press launches in New Zealand rarely venture far beyond well-graded gravel. That’s why Defender’s decision to base its 2026 update drive programme at SF70, just out of Taupō, raised eyebrows. For those unfamiliar, SF70 isn’t a scenic farm loop. It’s a genuinely technical 4WD track, with steep clay climbs, axle-twisting ruts, deep articulation holes, and sections that will quickly expose poor wheel travel or lazy traction systems. AIR SUSPENSION REMAINS CENTRALTO THE PLATFORM’S CAPABILITY,ALLOWING ADJUSTABLE RIDE HEIGHTAND IMPROVED APPROACH ANDDEPARTURE ANGLES WHEN RAISEDINTO OFF-ROAD MODE It’s the sort of terrain most owners would normally approach with at least mild modifications and decent allterrains. Instead, we were handed the keys to completely…

Our regular contributor, Jade Maloyd, went to Africa for a Suzuki Jimny road trip through Namibia and South Africa’s bush country. Words and photos: Jade Maloyd I’m used to travelling close to home, exploring familiar tracks and wild places not far from my own backyard. This time the map stretched much further. I spent five weeks in the Southern African summer, starting in Cape Town to adjust to the time difference and heat before flying to Windhoek, Namibia. There, I spent two weeks volunteering at N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary, which was my first solo travel experience, and an unforgettable one. At N/a’an ku sê, I worked closely with rescued wildlife, bottle-feeding baby baboons, feeding lions and leopards, tracking protected rhinos, and walking cheetahs. Each day involved travelling by 4WD…

Where desert racing, rock crawling, and organised chaos collide in the Mojave. Words and photos: Tiana Walton How do you explain King of the Hammers to someone who hasn’t been? It is an intricate event and certainly not easy to articulate. The closest comparison I can give is this: imagine taking the concept of Burning Man, blending it with flavours of Mad Max, then layering in some of the most technically advanced off-road racing in the world. Finally, add 80,000 people on a dry lakebed in the California desert in an entirely pop-up town called Hammertown. That is King of the Hammers. This was my third time attending and I know it will not be my last. The racing is world-class and the cars border on ridiculous, but it is…

Snow, rising water, and a one-way crossing in the Havelock headwaters Words and photos: Billy Nunweek The Godley had tested us, humbled us, and ultimately rewarded us. But as we rolled out of the valley with the memory of Maud Glacier fresh in our minds, the adventure was far from over. Ahead lay the Havelock and Rakaia rivers. I had only ever heard stories about them, both renowned for riverbeds that shift with every season. With one image finally secured and a renewed sense of purpose, we pointed our trucks towards Mesopotamia Station, unaware that the next chapter would challenge us in ways the Godley never had.The journey south had already reshaped my understanding of what it meant to chase a photograph. Now it was time to see what the…

Why a humble Hilux earned the same care as a hypercar Words and photos: Bejon Haswell You may look at tech entrepreneur David Dicker and his business, Rodin Cars, and see someone who enjoys driving and building fast cars. But among his stable of more than thirty vehicles (including several multi-million-dollar Ferraris and a McLaren Senna GTR), there is one that stands apart from the rest. That’s his 2000 Toyota Hilux, purchased with just 14 kilometres on the clock from Ashburton Toyota. On paper, the Hilux doesn’t belong in the same conversation as carbon-tubbed hypercars or purpose-built track weapons that share its garage. It doesn’t chase lap times, demand constant attention, or try to impress. Yet, sitting among some of the most focused, intense, and exotic machines imaginable, this humble…

HANKOOK’S OFF-ROAD RANGE Words and photos: 4xJournal Choosing the right tyre is one of the most important decisions a four-wheel driver makes. It influences how a vehicle behaves on the road, how confidently it performs off it, and how well it copes with the long distances and varied terrain that define four-wheel driving in New Zealand. This year, 4XJournal is taking a closer look at that decision through a dedicated tyre testing series, produced in partnership with Hankook. Across the series, we’ll be running Hankook tyres in real-world conditions, on real trips, and over extended periods of use. These reviews are commercially supported, and we’re transparent about that from the outset. What remains central to the project is experience-based testing that reflects how tyres are actually used, from daily driving…