About D&E Outdoors

D&E Outdoors has been serving Mid Canterbury and beyond from our Ashburton base, supplying New Zealanders with the gear they need to get out and explore. We’re a family-owned business with deep roots in the outdoors – and we sell what we genuinely believe in.

What We Do

We’re your local dealer for Cub Caravans, Offroad Grit RV, Polaris ATVs, Flyfin, Highfield, and Active boats, Honda Marine outboards, and Gripsport bike racks. Alongside our retail range, we run a fully equipped workshop servicing everything from quad bikes to caravans to boats.

Why It Matters

The Canterbury high country, the West Coast, Fiordland – New Zealand’s best places aren’t easily reached. We think the right gear makes the difference between a good trip and an unforgettable one. That’s what gets us up in the morning.

Meet The Team

Dave has been with the wider D&E company for over 30 years. During that time, he has completed a Level 4 Heavy Diesel qualification and 14 years as a technician, has worked 11 years in John Deere parts, 2 years in JD Service Admin, and the last 3+ years steering the ship at D&E Outdoors as the Branch Manager, there’s not a lot he hasn’t been involved in.

When he’s not working: He spends a lot of the winter months chasing his daughters around the country Target Shooting. During the Summer, loves a blast on the road bike, a cruise in the car, or long weekends away in the caravan with the family.

Dave
Branch Manager

Simon Carter is an experienced sales and marketing professional with over 20 years of commercial leadership across multinational corporations and New Zealand businesses.

Simon is passionate about helping customers find the right solution for their lifestyle or business. His focus on exceptional service, strong supplier partnerships, and long-term customer relationships.

When he's not working: He enjoys spending time on their family's "lifestyle" property and occasionally making too much noise with his Technics 1210's/XDJ's.

Simon
Sales Manager

Bob has been part of the D&E team for over 2½ years and has a wealth of knowledge across our whole range. Whether you're looking for your next adventure vehicle or need expert advice, Bob is always happy to help point you in the right direction.

Outside of D&E, Bob and his wife have successfully owned and operated Health 2000 for the past 35 years - a testament to their commitment to great customer service.

When he's not working: You'll likely find him hunting or honing his skills at the shooting range.

Bob
Sales Consultant

Nigel has been with D&E for 18 years and brings an impressive 46 years of mechanical experience to the role. As a Gold Certified Polaris Technician, he has an exceptional depth of knowledge covering Polaris vehicles, caravans, automotive repairs, and general mechanical troubleshooting.

If you have a question, Nigel is often the person to ask—there’s not much he hasn’t seen, fixed, or figured out over the years.

When he’s not working: He’s either tearing around on his Polaris RZR or enjoying a quieter pace by the river or lake with a fishing rod in hand.

Nigel
Service Manager

Anna has been an integral part of the D&E team for 12 years. She supports both the workshop and parts departments while managing the administration that keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes.

If you've called to make a booking, there’s a good chance Anna has been the friendly voice on the other end of the phone, helping to make the process easy and efficient.

When she’s not working: Anna enjoys hunting in the high country and taking in the vast landscapes that most people never get to see from the road.

Anna
Administration

With more than 35 years of experience in parts and product support, Duane is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. Throughout his career, he has worked with major brands including Honda, Yamaha, Toyota, Nissan, John Deere, and many more.

If there’s a part you need, chances are Duane knows exactly where to find it—or at least where to start looking.

When he’s not working: He enjoys exploring the countryside in his campervan and discovering new places off the beaten track.

Duane
Parts Specialist

Shanon is a highly skilled and qualified technician with expertise across a wide range of industries. His qualifications include Honda and Yamaha Marine Technician certifications, MasterCraft and Nautique marine servicing, WOF certification, and petrol and diesel vehicle technician qualifications.

With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to quality workmanship, Shanon helps keep our customers on the water and on the road

When he’s not working: He’s usually perfecting his lawns—some could say it’s one mower stripe away from hosting a bowls championship.

Shanon
Technician

Will is a Gold Certified Polaris Technician and a fully qualified motorcycle mechanic. Having been with D&E for five years, he has built a strong reputation for quality workmanship and customer service.

Will is also our mobile service specialist, travelling directly to customers’ properties to carry out motorcycle servicing and repairs, making maintenance as convenient as possible.

When he’s not working: He enjoys spending time with his daughter and making the most of the open road on his motorbike.

Will
Technician

Lee is our skilled Caravan Technician, specialising in caravan servicing, repairs, and self-containment certifications. With five years at D&E Outdoors, he has become a valued member of the team, known for his attention to detail and commitment to quality workmanship.

Originally from the UK, Lee is a qualified plumber and gas engineer, bringing a wealth of technical expertise and experience to his role.

When he's not at work: Lee enjoys spending time with his daughter and, whenever he gets the chance, heading out for a day of fishing.

Lee
Caravan Technician

Chris is one of our highly experienced technicians, specialising in motorcycles and small engines. Having been with D&E Outdoors for more than 20 years, he has built strong, lasting relationships with our customers through his knowledge, reliability, and exceptional service.

Chris takes great pride in his work, and his strong work ethic is evident in everything he does, whether servicing motorcycles or tackling more complex mechanical repairs.

When he's not at work: Chris enjoys making the most of the outdoors. You'll often find him fishing from his kayak or exploring the hills while tramping and hunting.

Chris
Technician

D&E Outdoors is a prominent Ashburton-based outdoor recreation and equipment retailer. Located at 153 Moore Street, Ashburton, this family-owned division of Drummond & Etheridge specialises in off-road, marine, caravans and caravan equipment.

Our central location puts us in close proximity to hills, rivers, lakes, snow and surf – an adventurer’s paradise. We are home of Off Road Grit RV Caravans, Cub Campers, Flyfin, Active and Highfield Boats, Polaris Utility Vehicles and Honda Marine. We also offer extensive service and repair options for all things automotive, cars, motorhomes, caravans, boats and more.

Derived from parent company Drummond & Etheridge, D&E Outdoors has been built on the same reputation of talking straight with customers and providing quality service long after the initial sale. It’s a simple, honest approach, which has seen us around for over 95 years.

Today, still a family owned and operated company, we sell and service industry leading products and technology within the Lifestyle and Adventure/Recreation sectors.

We are proud of what we have achieved as a business; attracting some of the most talented people in the industry, delivering even higher levels of customer service, investing in state-of-the-art servicing technology, providing trained Technicians and parts support, leveraging finance packages for customers, and attracting quality brands to our stable of franchises.