CAT'S 4WD UNIMOG

Our Mercedes Unimog started its life as a New Zealand Army vehicle and served with the defence force until the mid 1990’s, where upon it was sold to a forestry company in Gisborne and was used for contract work for a number of years.

It’s at this point that the story gets a little more interesting!
Peter Jackson’s film company, Three Foot Six, then purchased the mog and used it for the duration of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ film trilogy for moving the heavy film equipment, cast and crew around the country.
It was also used to recover less able vehicles out of various rivers in the South Island during filming activities.

Once Three Foot Six had finished filming and no longer needed the Unimog, it was put on the open market. This is where Dave and Anna from CAT Tours come into the picture! They snapped up the vehicle and proceeded to spend several years modifying and building until they finished with the awesome truck you see today.

The rear compartment is essentially a large roll cage that has been fully certified and inspected to provide maximum protection for our clients. Dave spent many hours testing and adjusting the seating and window arrangements to provide the highest possible comfort and viewing opportunities that can be enjoyed today.

The rear cabin has air conditioning and an amazing stereo system that is also used to provide commentary by the guide or driver. The rear speakers can also be clipped onto the outside of the truck to provide music during stops. There is also a computer with flat screen display monitor onboard which can be used for slide shows, presentations, short videos of stories about the area and local history. As you can see in the pictures, there was a lot of dedication and thought involved in designing and building Dave’s dream Unimog!