On-Track 4WD

Once upon a time, Malcolm was an Electronics /communications technician, over the years he has milked cows, operated tractors, bulldozers & and other machinery, shot goats for the NZ Forest Service and chased deer around the bush in many areas of the North Island. He was also a Volunteer Firefighter for 8 years and has spent about 24 years as a volunteer with New Zealand Land Search & Rescue.
On his 13^th birthday, Malcolm and his family shifted to Tokoroa in the North Island. It was not long after that, that he learned to drive the tractor and milk cows on the farm across the road, this was the start of his love for doing things in out of town places.
After leaving school he started an electronics apprentership (which was not to be completed until many years later), becoming restless with being stuck in a workshop in town he left to go back to milking cows. It was not until a couple of years later, while working in Matamata, that he started his hunting interest in the Kaimai's which led on to his short stint in the NZ Forest Service as a hunter.
In the year 2000 Malcolm, worried about the amount of driving he was doing between Otorohanga and Auckland each week, along with the associated risks and the 2 or 3 times that he nearly didn't come home because of other idiots on the road, he and his wife Nancye decided it was time to look for other things to do. After selling his share in his communications company, Malcolm & Nancye, along with 3 of their children shifted to Greymouth on the West Coast of the South Island and started up On-Track 4WD.
We have a DoC concession for guiding 4WD's on most of the main tracks on the West Coast, learnt much about the history of the West Coast and why the tracks are where they are. Malcolm likes to tell about the history and the many interesting stories of the past while 4WDing thru some of the most spectacular rainforest areas in New Zealand.
While completing the requirements for the DoC concession, Malcolm had to develop a Safety Plan for 4WDing and have it audited to OSH requirements. This Safety Plan has now been purchased by a number of other qualified 4WD instructors and 4WD groups around the country and been modified for their own operational use.
In 2002 Malcolm started the NZ 4WD Radio Network, ( NZ 4WD Radio Network )this is similar to the Australian version (VKS737), and provides the communications link required in the Safety Plan as well as helping out with the communications & safety issues with other 4WDers.
Malcolm is also a Driving Instructor as well as a registered Workplace Assessor for the Tranzqual ITO (formally the NZ Road Transport & Logistics ITO).
In June 2003 Malcolm was contracted to the Tai Poutini Polytechnic as a 4WD Instructor. In this role he is delivering NZQA level 4WD industry training & assessment to NZ Land SAR volunteers nationally, selected Police officers in the Tasman/ West Coast Policing District, Dept of Conservation from Kaikoura up to Marlborough and down to Haast, Solid Energy nationally, CRL, MWH, Doug Hood Mining Ltd, Main Power, ABB, Boart Longyear and other agencies and groups throughout the North & South Island when not out guiding and 4WDing.