Rugged landscapes are perfect for Land Rover’s ability.
This article was prepared by NZ Rescue and is being published by the New Zealand Herald as advertorial.
The Coromandel’s rugged landscapes and often challenging road conditions are perfect for the Land Rover’s go-anywhere ability. In 1948 a demonstrator model was shipped to New Zealand, it was the 20th Land Rover made in the historic Jaguar Land Rover Birmingham factory.
Coromandel Helicopter Trusts first chairman now patron and Whitianga resident since 1941, Walter Russell, owned a 1949 model which seems fitting considering the Trusts very first lottery with NZ Rescue is a two-package deal offering a 2025 Land Rover Defender towing a New Age Caravan, and a JB Motorhome.
Walter, whilst a mechanic-engineer was also your typical hunting-shooting-fishing Kiwi bloke. A ‘fix-it-yourself’ owner, who found the straight-forward mechanics of the Land Rover easy to maintain with parts always available. He bought the vehicle off Alf Simpson from Kuaotunu. At the time they both shared an interest in duck shooting on a lake that Walter had to walk an hour in order to be ready by 6am on open morning, compared to Alf who only took 10 minutes driving across streams, through bush and climbing mountains.
Walter was so impressed with the Land Rover, Alf was too, so much so he had another on its way and was happy to sell his older one to Walter, and so the love affair began. Family picnics to remote areas now easily accessible, to the beautiful Waitaia Bay for sacks of mussels and back home with a pig on the front bar.
There were plenty of other Land Rover owners in Whitianga who enjoyed exploring the Coromandel’s bush tracks. Walter and his mates were also keen military enthusiasts and would often head to MOTAT at Western Springs for an open working day. After a decade of hard yakka, and the family now grown, it was time to move on from his off-roading antics.
Walter moved on to other business and became the driving force behind setting up the Coromandel Helicopter Trust formed to establish a base in 2012. The main focus now that the Whitianga Rescue Hub is complete, is fundraising and maintaining the facility for incoming users whether it be Auckland, Waikato, or the Bay of Plenty. Police, Search and Rescue and firefighters also use the base facility when required.
Walter says, the faster and more equipped AW169 helicopter service is now far superior to what once served the Coromandel. What was a ‘taxi’ service to the emergency department is no longer, now ED comes to the site of the event with the specific medical personnel for the job.