Yes, we picked the right time to leave, it started to rain just as we left camp and continued quite heavily till back at Queenstown then on and off all the way home.
As for scratches, there were some very minor marks but nothing a quick polish with Nu Finish didn’t fix.
One of the advantages of purchasing cars second hand is that generally they come pre scratched so you tend to not worry quite as much.
As I remarked in one of the videos, Craig’s LDV ute was brand new, only purchased a week before the trip. He got a few marks from bush bashing in a couple of spots but I’m sure they are all polished out by now.