Trà Sữa Thái Lan HCM

JULY 2015

DISCOVER SWAZILAND! #1 4X4 MAGAZINE IN SA

BAVIAANSKLOOF

The

RICHTERSVELD

Baviaans A new way to explore it!

SWAZILAND

7Richtersveld days in the

HOT TOPIC

Dealing with troublemakers at camp sites!

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:

Things to consider

BOSKOS

R38,00

(VAT included)

91

Other countries R33,33

3 Mouth-watering venison recipes 15091

GEAR

10 Cargo solutions

BUSH DOC

9 771563 130008

JULY 2015 | #91

How to treat snake bites!

WHEELS JEEP RENEGADE DISCOVERY SPORT VW TOUAREG

JACO SAYS THE LOUTS AT LARGE – AND A FEW BEAUTIFUL STORIES TOO

A

few years ago some mates and I went to watch the Junior Boks play at the awesome new Cape Town Stadium. When we started looking for our seats, we found out that a bloke and his son had claimed two of our places for themselves. We kindly pointed out the error and asked him to vacate the two seats. But wow, did he take exception!

He told us that apparently “the organisers” (whoever that was) had said “it’s okay, the spectators can sit where they want.” But the best was yet to come. When we insisted on sitting on our booked seats (the alternative was to look for available places much further back from the action, or chase other people away from their seats…) he told us in an exasperated voice: “Thanks a lot for spoiling it for a little boy – I hope you feel really proud of yourselves!” Huh? Unfortunately, that mentality isn’t limited to rugby spectators. Everyone has heard horror stories of people stopping at their booked camping site somewhere in the bush – only to find a group of three vehicles already occupying the spot.

Should you enquire, the reaction is usually one of the following: “But there was no-one here when we arrived,” “Well, what are you going to do about it, huh?” or “Are you seriously expecting us to vacate this spot – do you know how much it will inconvenience the women and children?!”

The other issue is loud campers. Booze has the known effect of diminishing people’s hearing so that they have to talk louder and louder as the evening progresses. Or it transforms balding, overweight suburban dads into flamboyant DJs. That’s why this month’s Hot Topic is dedicated to the above species and the strategies you can use to deal with them. As you may have noticed, we aren’t busybodies

SENTENCE OF THE MONTH

www.go-southernafrica.com

who are trying to enforce rules, nor do we have ambitions of joining the “fun police”.

In short, as long as you don’t damage the environment or inconvenience others, you can basically do what you want.

But when individuals cross that line with reckless abandon and really start to inconvenience and irritate others, we believe that they should be taken to task. We sincerely hope that this article not only offers handy advice for such sticky situations, but also puts the message out there – loud and clear – that we won’t allow a tiny, rude minority to spoil it for the rest of us.

Jeez, between Evan’s story about his Baviaans excursion and Willem van der Berg’s seven day adventure in the Richtersveld, I can’t quite make up my mind as to which one is the best. Sometimes I feel Willem just pips Evan with a slightly better narrative, but then I realise how good Evan’s photos are, especially if you bear in mind that he travelled alone.

Do yourself a favour and turn the page back to look at the cover. The photo is of him driving through one of the Baviaans’ many drifts. But how did he manage to

take the photo? Well, he put the camera on a tripod, used the timer switch, got into the bakkie and did numerous runs past the camera. You can only imagine how many times he must’ve tried before nailing it.

But then I think of Willem’s genius with words and feelings and remember the lump in my throat when I read the following piece in his Richtersveld feature for the first time: When we hit the road again, leaving Aunty Maria and her dogs behind in the emptiness, I send a prayer for her on the Richtersveld’s cold west wind.

“Be with Aunty Maria. Let the wind blow in the right direction for her. And let it rain down on her now and again. Let her late husband appear to fetch the sheep in her dreams.

Please. Nana.”

I really hope that you find this issue as satisfying to read as I did helping to put it together.

So buckle up and hold on, here we go.

GERRIE DESCRIBES THE GEARBOX IN A NEW TOUAREG ON P 34.

The 8-speed automatic gearbox is as smooth as the tongue of a shady politician.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 3

Contents JULY 2015

50

RICHTERSVELD

Stories from fossil country

FIRST ACT 3 JACO SAYS Camp hooligans and tough choices 6 CONTRIBUTORS There’s a new kid on the block 8 LETTERS Dealing with a bush addiction 12 BULL RUN This American sure ain’t lazy 14 BUSH BULLETIN Bad news about airbags 18 HOT TOPIC Camping etiquette – teach camp clowns

some manners

26

4X4 ACADEMY Drive dunes like a Dakar champ

WHEELS 28 NEWS FLASH Here’s the new Hilux!

31 DISCOVERY SPORT An Evoque in khaki clothes?

4 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

34 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG First class through

the veld

37 JEEP RENEGADE The Yanks’ latest toy has landed 40 HIGH MILEAGE CLUB A Hilux that has everything

DESTINATIONS 42 BAVIAANSKLOOF New ways to tackle an old classic 50 RICHTERSVELD Stories from fossil country 62 SWAZILAND In search of the kingdom’s hidden gems

TECHNICAL SECTION 70 GEAR Get organised for your next trip with these great storage ideas

Plan your 2016 trip!

Grab your diary and plan your next self-drive adventure with Drive Out and Bhejane 4x4 Adventures, p 60.

42 BAVIAANSKLOOF

New ways to tackle an old classic

WIN! Find this icon and win!

See p 9.

COLUMNS

76 NEW GEAR The new Tracks4Africa has arrived!

78 DIY A drawer system like no other

16 4X4 EXPERT

Ride height and braking distances

80 WORKSHOP A beast of a bull bar

23 BUSH DOC

FINALE

104 PHOTO MECHANIC

82 4X4 TRAIL Three Eastern Cape trails to cut your

teeth on

87 READER STORY A drive among the West Coast’s shipwrecks

100 BOSKOS Calling all venison lovers 106

OOPS On your marks, get set… oh no!

www.go-southernafrica.com

Snake bites: This info could save lives

Your best eye shots ever

105 DIRT ROAD TALES

The wrong tools mean trouble

Do you own a Fortuner?

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORY! SEE P14.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 5

Contributors One West Coast traveller, one new face Best bit of travel advice?

Enjoy every moment. You don’t know if you’ll ever get the chance again.

Do you plan your trips in detail or just go with the flow?

I plan every detail. I also research the route – I want to know as much as possible about it.

Annette Smit

SHIPWRECK ROUTE, (P. 87)

Annette Smit and her Namaqualand friends drove the Shipwreck 4x4 Route on the West Coast.

What’s your earliest travel memory?

A trip in 2009 to the Khaudum National Park and the old Caprivi.

The route through thick sand and under teak trees up north was unforgettable.

Where would you like to go next?

I’d love to see Zambia again. Also Mana Pools and the Serengeti.

Do you have a favourite travel writer?

I wouldn’t single anyone out, it’s more about the experience the writer had than the name.

What music do you listen to on the road?

Uplifting instrumental on the open road and nothing in the bush.

What do you always pack for a holiday?

I always take a good book and my Zam-Buk.

Aimee Bishop

AIMEE IS THE NEW SUB-EDITOR FOR DRIVE OUT.

Worst border-crossing ever?

We once intended to drive from Kosi Bay into Mozambique. The GPS tried to take us via Swaziland, which we only realized at 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon. Despite rural roads full of kudus and taxis, we reached the border post at 4:50 – just in time to get through.

What’s your earliest travel memory?

When I was really small, we lived in Johannesburg. My parents would wake us up every December at the crack of dawn for a road trip to Kruger National Park.

Any travel tips?

Go with the flow and always chat to the people you meet on the journey.

Your favourite wilderness destination?

It’s probably a toss-up between Kruger and Sossusvlei.

Any holiday gadgets on your wish list?

One of those UV torches that light up scorpions at night.

6 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

Do you plan a lot before a trip?

I prefer to have at least a basic plan before leaving the house.

THE TEAM EDITOR Jaco Kirsten | jaco@driveout.co.za CONTENT EDITOR Gerda Engelbrecht FEATURES EDITOR Charles Thompson charles.thompson@media24.com COPY EDITOR Aimee Bishop | aimee.bishop@weg.co.za DESIGNER Robin Verhoog | robin.verhoog@media24.com JOURNALISTS Gerrie van Eeden | gerrie@driveout.co.za Evan Naudé | evan.naude@media24.com MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST Annemie Lombard OFFICE MANAGER Donvé Myburgh 021 443 9830 | donve.myburgh@media24.com GENERAL MANAGER: LIFESTYLE Charlene Beukes CFO: LIFESTYLE Raj Lalbahadur GENERAL MANAGER: LEISURE Louise Meny-Gibert PUBLISHER Nerisa Coetzee PUBLISHING & PRODUCTION MANAGER Nadine Thomson FINANCIAL MANAGER Muneeb Adams HEAD: CIRCULATION: Gadija Gamieldien HEAD OF RETAIL: CIRCULATION: Andreline van Tonder CIRCULATION MANAGER Riaan Weyers MARKETING Lea Gerber | lea.gerber@media24.com SHOP QUERIES Monique Russell monique.russell@media24.com

GROUP ADVERTISING

HEAD OF ADVERTISING SALES Yvonne Shaff HEAD: SALES SECTORS Craig Nicholson BUSINESS MANAGER (DBN) Theresa Lavery 031 566 2442 | theresa.lavery@media24.com

DIRECT & CLASSIFIED SALES

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER: TRAVEL & MOTORING Danie Nell | 082 859 0542 | danie.nell@media24.com KEY ACCOUNT MANAGERS Nick Fitzell | 071 430 6311 | nick.fitzell@media24.com Jeanine Kruger | 082 342 2299 | jeanine.kruger@media24.com Sanetha Meintjies | 084 416 5797 sanetha.meintjies@media24.com Lizel Pauw | 082 876 8189 | lizel.pauw@media24.com Sharlene Smith | 083 583 1604 | sharlene.smith@media24.com Thea Thomas | 078 450 7771 | tthomas@media24.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS, RENEWALS AND QUERIES

FOR THE PRINTED MAGAZINE: TEL: 087 740 1037 | FAX: 021 405 1102 | INTERNATIONAL QUERIES: +27 21 065 0033 E-MAIL: driveoutsubs@media24.com SMS: “driveoutsubs” to 32361 (R1 per SMS) WEBSITE: www.my-mags.com CALL CENTRE HOURS: Mon – Fri 8 am – 5 pm, Sat 8 am – 1 pm FOR THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE: TEL: 0861 697 827 | E-MAIL: www.mysubs.co.za/drive-out

Editorial and marketing queries TEL: 021 443 9830 STREET ADDRESS: 4th Floor, Absa Building, 4 Adderley Street, Cape Town, 8001 POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 740, Cape Town, 8000 The August 2015 issue of Drive Out will be on magazine shelves from 29 July 2015. If you cannot find a copy at your local super­market or café, write to us at editor@driveout.co.za so we can do something about it.

Drive Out/WegRy’s audited circulation figure for the period Jan – March 2015 is 36 560. © Copyright Drive Out. All rights reserved. Partial or total reproduction without the written permission of the editor is strictly prohibited.

Drive Out is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa

Printing: Paarl Media Cape All rights reserved

Published by Media24, a division of Naspers, 40 Heerengracht, Cape Town, 8001

Distribution: On the Dot

Briewe LETTERS

SKRYF AAN REDAKTEUR@WEGRY.CO.ZA OF WEGRY, POSBUS 740, 8000.

WRITE TO EDITOR@DRIVEOUT.CO.ZA OR DRIVE OUT, PO KAAPSTAD BOX 740, CAPE TOWN JY KEN DIE STORIE: GEE ASSEBLIEF VOORNAAM, VAN ÉN TUISDORP. 8000. PLEASE PROVIDEJOU YOUR FIRST NAME, SURNAME AND HOME TOWN.

WINNING LETTER

A TICK ON MY BUCKET LIST

It all started with a 4x4.

Years ago, we happened to buy a Nissan Hardbody-4x4 to help us remove garden rubble. That’s how we began traversing our neighbouring countries.

My husband, Con, and son, Drian, each bought themselves a Kawasaki KLR 650 motorbike and dreamed of doing a bike tour together. I was a little bit sulky about it because I also wanted to go to the bush. I thought long and hard about it, and decided that I don’t want to be left behind. That’s why I climbed on the back of my husband’s motorbike. We have just returned home from our two week long trip through Botswana and Namibia.

We had a few hair-raising moments,

INSPIRED BY MABUA

The article “In Search of Lions” in the March 2015 issue of Drive Out convinced us to include Mabuasehube on our itinerary for our trip to Botswana. We camped under the same camel thorn tree on Mpayathutlwa Pan that is visible in the photograph in the article. We have had good luck with lion sightings on previous visits to this camp site, and were not disappointed

but I didn’t complain about anything.

Sometimes I just sommer broke up the bread we had into three parts and cooked wors in a small pan, and at other times we just shared a can of baked beans, eating out of it with a spoon, because we didn’t really have space to ride with food and we didn’t always have much water to wash up the cooking stuff with. Or for bathing! Every now and then we could wash our bodies a little from pools of water that animals were drinking out of. We road through stormy weather and got soaked to the bone. At Maun we flew through the Okavango Delta.

We faced danger on a boat on the Chobe River, and got stuck in the muddy tracks of the pans. We fell into the sand with the motorbike, rode through water and created

unforgettable memories.

I gladly share my experiences with other women who are still uncertain about the 4x4 community. Live your life to the full and enjoy every moment of it with your husband and children. Climb in the vehicle and start your journey.

Do things that you never thought you would do in your life. Don’t hold back.

You’ll be glad one day that you did it.

Believe me, you become addicted to it and its really not as impossible as what you may think. I have ticked another thing off my bucket list! And I’m almost 50...

ROZANNE VAN SCHALKWYK POTCHEFSTROOM

during our visit there earlier this month.

We watched a female cross the pan to a thicket close to the camp. That night a male (possibly the same one from your article) passed through our camp to join the female. He kept us awake, the ground reverberating with each roar.

MARTIN BRIGGS, Onrus River

WIN! Rozanne van Schalkwyk receives a Trappers voucher to the value of R1 500. Trappers sells all the top outdoor clothing ranges available in ­ South Africa, including shoes and accessories, at competitive prices. What’s more, Trappers offers excellent service and expertise. To find out more visit www.trappers.co.za.

8 DRIVE OUT JUNE 2015

PIONEER WILL IMPROVE

GREAT WEEKEND SPOT

I had a great weekend at Thabaphaswa and I thought others might want to hear about this magnificent camp site. This little gem is 15 km on other side of Mokopane, just after Modimolle and Mookgophong.

My wife and I decided on short notice to go camping for the long weekend and she found Thabaphaswa online. It’s a remote, essentials-only camp site. We enjoyed the lack of facilities, just a braai pit and a washing up stand with running water. The showers and toilet have no roof and are really just a few reeds around a concrete pit, with a little basin. Fortunately there is a donkey boiler and the staff is good at lighting this up every morning and evening.

The camp sites are spread out about 50 m apart and you can only see the next one if you walk around and peek through the bushes. I didn’t hear other people and could just lie in bed until I felt like getting up, without being disturbed. There are a few 4x4 trails on the farm, which we enjoyed, along with two mountain bike trails. We also did a few of the hiking trails, which were a good mix of farm roads and mountain paths.

To reach the camp site you will need good ground clearance. I recommend this for 4X4 owners, who want to be in a quieter camp site, who enjoy nice walks and love the sounds of nature.

DAVID COUGHLAN Johannesburg

FIND THIS BULL ICON

& WIN www.go-southernafrica.com

Regarding Peter Baker’s experience at Pioneer Camp just outside Lusaka (Drive Out #88). We appreciate the feedback. I was terribly sorry to hear that they didnt find us friendly, this isn’t a problem we have encountered before but we shall certainly do our best to ensure that everyone experiences a friendly stay here.

Also, regarding his experience of our food. We have a new menu here and also new chefs. Our camp site remains one of the most affordable options around Lusaka, our camping is $10 pp and our

chalets range from $40 - $85 pppn, B&B. This year we celebrate 20 years of Pioneer operating tourism in Zambia, our Safari company has been a huge success and the lodge is also running very well. Over the low season we extended our dining area and made improvements to the chalets. As for now we are very much ready and looking forward to the season ahead.

We look forward to welcoming more readers from Drive Out in the future.

PAUL BARNES Lusaka

GREETINGS FROM YOUR HILUX BRIGHT BREYTENBACH from Heidelberg (Gauteng) bought a new Hilux 3.0 D4 D bakkie in 2007. He recently gave the bakkie to his son, Kobus (18) after it clocked up 260 000 km. The Hilux wrote young Kobus a letter.

Dear Kobus Breytenbach I have been told recently that from now on I will be in your service. I am looking forward to it! I believe that you and I will experience many new places and spend many hours together. I promise I will do everything to get you safely to your destinations and to make your ride a pleasant one.

I just want to ask a few things of you, then I’ll be ready for the next 260 000 km. Your family has always kept me very clean; it was wonderful for me to hear from people in town that I am the neatest bakkie in Heidelberg.

Your dad took me to Autoren Toyota for my service every 10 000 km. After these my lungs are clean and I am full of energy. Your dad also always insists on genuine Toyota parts.

I don’t participate in racing, and no one pulls away in a manner that makes my tyres squeal. That’s not what I was

made for. Although I occasionally towed your family’s caravan, I was never overloaded with people or things. Your family never drove me in a way that would compromise my or their safety. You mustn’t allow anyone who doesn’t have a drivers licence or who doesn’t respect other peoples things to drive me.

I am your servant, and you are my master, but I can only treat you as well as you treat me.

Up until this point I’ve only replaced two headlight bulbs, a roof light, shock absorbers one battery and two tyres. I still feel very fit. Look after me well, then we can start our next 260 000 km together.

Yours truly The Hilux

WIN ONE of 3 Pedders suspension systems worth R21 000 each.

Find the small, round, red Pedders bull hidden somewhere within our editorial and SMS your name and email address, followed by the page number

to 35121.

SMS’s charged at R1,50. Free SMS’s do not apply. Standard Terms and conditions apply, read them at www.go-southernafrica.com

DRIVE OUT JUNE 2015 9

LETTERS CAN SOMEONE MISS A CAR SO MUCH?

I never thought that a hunk of metal would make me so emotional.

My first 4x4 was an old matriarch, a 1987 Hilux that I used to travel across South Africa with.

I bought Obelix, my Land Cruiser station wagon just after we had come back from Ghona. We travelled far and wide on beautiful roads, we faced the Kalahari’s cold and together we listened

to the Namib’s howling wind. We even tasted the strangeness of Angola.

We enjoyed every moment together.

Until one day. The day from hell. It was a rough 4x4 trail. Obelix’s right foot stumbled and the wheel was kaput. In the rear-view mirror, I thought that the white smoke I saw was white dust from the path. Obelix burnt out.

It’s almost a year later. Obelix has been replaced. There is a new companion in my driveway, but for the first time yesterday I went through old photos and felt like I was saying goodbye. I miss that car. Even though it was just a hunk of metal, it was a lekker hunk of metal. Cheers, old Obelix!

CHRIS VAN DER MERWE Polokwane

ON THE WEB

Advice and chit-chat about 4x4 issues.

CAMP FIRE FORUM Which malaria tablets to take?

Eduard Lubbe (EddieL) asks: Lariam or Numal/Malanil? I have used Numal without negative effects, but another doctor prefers Lariam.

Which do you use?

Bos Toe: I don’t use any. If I show any symptoms after my trip, I drink Coartem. I’ve had malaria three times and it klaps it within three days.

Chris van der Merwe: Eddie, doctors

differ on this. I’ve used Doxicycline for many years. It’s not only value-formoney and reliable against malaria, but it can also curb infections on a trip.

Marino4x4: Doxicycline any day. It is definitely the best. If you use it for a long time, your skin can become sensitive. It feels like a light sunburn. Injuries also won’t heal as quickly as usual.

Some of the other medications can give a person depression. Years ago I used another malaria tablet and began feeling ill after three weeks of using it.

DRIVE OUT ON FACEBOOK

We posted a photo of the new Jeep Renegade (article on p 37) and asked you what you thought: Jaap Meyer: Jeep makes good clothes... but they struggle to make cars.

Deon Joubert: Luckily I was never a Jeep fan. Jeep’s t-shirts are good though...

Andre van der Sandt: An expensive Fiat. The salesman told me it’s more reliable that a Jimny. I told him I would show him how much I’ve spent over the last few years on Jeep and Suzuki parts.

Gerhardt Visser: Quite funky. Hehehe.

Wilfred van der Merwe: The biggest toolbox I’ve ever seen.

Drive Out reserves the right to edit letters. Letters sent to Drive Out may also appear in sister publications Weg, Go!, WegSleep and Platteland as well as on our websites. Unfortunately we cannot take responsibility for any material such as photos sent to us, nor can we undertake to return them to you.

NO BULL!

FIND THIS SMALL,

ROUND, RED PEDDERS BULL

&WIN

SMS your name and email address, followed by the page number to 10 WEGRY JUNIE 2015

35121.

SMS’s charged at R1,50. Free SMS’s do not apply. Standard Terms and conditions apply, read them at www.go-southernafrica.com

BULL RUN 2015 And with a car that is named after a famous chef, we decided to name ourselves the Gemaskerde Sopbene. Who can argue with reasoning like that?

What is the car’s history?

Ramsay is a blue 1975 Chev de Ville with a 5.7 litre V8 engine and a three-speed automatic gearbox. It is very fancy, with electric windows (of which only two work, somewhat irregularly), air-conditioning (that worked for the last time back in the 80’s), power steering that only works if you top it up regularly and wood panels (that are all still there).

What do you look forward to the most?

The trip to Vosburg from the north. We are going to take it easy, with many road-side braai’s and lame jokes. It would also be nice to see the guys of the 2014 Bull Run again.

That ffffffrikkin’

Chev Ramsay Each vehicle at the Bull Run has a name and a story. But this Chevrolet de Ville of Sats Oosthuizen and Eben Havenga has some character as well.

A

fter the 2014 Drive Out Bull Run, Sats Oosthuizen, an IT specialist from Krugersdorp, decided to it would be better not compete again with his 1980 Toyota Corolla, Sputnik. And when his dad (his team mate last year) withdrew, he had to start looking for another team mate.

But luck was on Sats’ side.

While he was having a braai on the road in front of the gates to 12 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

Sun City, an old Bull Run friend, Eben Havenga, ran into him.

Eben’s dad is also not taking part this year, and so Team Gemaskerde Sopbene (Masked Soup Bones) was born.

Where did you get the vehicle?

A friend, who also entered the Bull Run, Hannes (The Pirate) Steyn, bought a Chev El Camino on a smallholding outside Sterkfontein. He told

me that there was also a 1975 Chev de Ville. After a few tyre kicks I gave in and bought the De Ville for the Bull Run.

Where do the names come from?

When I told my brother about the Chev, he immediately said its name must be Chev Ramsay, like the famous TV chef that swears a lot.

Eben and I always wanted to wear masks and sunglasses.

What problems does the car have and how will you fix them?

The indicators don’t work if the radiator fan switches on and sometimes switch on when the car thinks you should turn right.

I can’t find the fault, we’ll have to start practicing hand signals.

The headlights only work for a little while and not at all when the radio is playing. What we are going to do about that is a mystery. If it doesn’t sort itself out, we will only drive by day.

When the power steering pump runs empty (which is often) the steering sticks. This has caused some nervous moments. We will have to fix this.

Then there is one huge sound system which takes up nearly half the boot and weighs a ton.

It must go. Our fuel consumption will improve a lot without this weight and I suspect it’s the cause of many electrical problems. We will replace it with something better (but still loud).

There are also a few rust spots that we may paint over, but the body looks very good, if you squint at it from a distance.

BUSH BULLETIN SEND CLUB NEWS, DIARY DATES, TIPS, INDUSTRY NEWS AND WHATEVER ELSE YOU THINK MIGHT INTEREST OTHER 4X4 ENTHUSIASTS TO EDITOR@DRIVEOUT.CO.ZA

Defective airbags out of Japan More defects in airbags produced by Japanese company Takata have been found in vehicles globally.

Toyota and Nissan announced that there are defects with airbags in 6,5 million of their vehicles. Following an investigation, it was determined that the inflators of the Takata airbags put too much pressure into them, which can cause the airbags to burst.

Toyota SA says that the airbags of Corolla Run X and Yaris models that were manufactured between 2002 – 2007 (a total of 195 630 vehicles) and RAV4, Hilux and Fortuner models that were manufactured between July 2003 – De-

cember 2005 (28 376 vehicles), will be replaced. Toyota asks these owners to please contact their nearest dealer. The replacement of airbags is free of charge. Contact Toyota on 0800 139 111.

Nissan SA says that certain Almeras that were manufactured at the Rosslyn factory in Pretoria between 2004 – 2007, may be affected. Nissan is still conducting an investigation and says that affected vehicle owners will be contacted in order for the replacements to be done. Nissan SA has confirmed that while certain X-Trail models were affected globally, no airbag defects have been found locally.

BRIGHT IDEA

An extra wheel and an extra table!

I have made a spare wheel holder that is bolted to my tow bar. I drew it to scale to be sure that everything would fit. I then bought heavy-duty pipes and readymade corner pipes at the hardware store, and steel pins and a piece of heavy metal sheeting at a scrapyard. I cut through one of the 90° pipes so that I had two of 45°. Then I began to cut up everything, fitted and welded it together. The two nylon bushings on the main hinge pin and one on the lock pin I threaded myself.

The steel was sliced with a blowtorch and finished with an angle grinder. Everything was then painted and put together, and voila! I had an extra number plate made to keep the traffic cops happy.

I also keep a piece of wood around to put on the tyre 14 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

when its folded out, which makes a handy little table.

It all cost about R500.

IZAK GROENEWALD, Groblersdal

Do you own a Toyota Fortuner?

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORY! Have you been on exciting adventures or to interesting places in your Fortuner? If you can answer “yes” to the above, send us your story for inclusion in our Toyota Fortuner #TellBetterStories series.

This is what we need from you: A story of between 600 and 1000 words where you tell us more about your Fortuner.

Please write it in story form, and not short, cryptic telegram-style language.

We also need a minimum of four photos of your Fortuner in action, plus pictures of you/your whole family with the Fortuner. Photos must be high-resolution. You are welcome to send more than four photos.

Tips on how to write your “My Fortuner and I” story in a jiffy: 1. How long have you had your Fortuner?

2. What do you think makes a Fortuner better?

3. Tell us more about how you bought the Fortuner – is it new or second hand? Did any funny or interesting things happen while purchasing it?

4. How did it feel the first time you got into your Fortuner?

5. What have you had done

to your Fortuner? Tell us about all the modifications and why you made them.

6. Where have you been with your Fortuner? What were the best destinations you’ve travelled to? Tell us more about these trips.

How far did you drive?

What did you experience there? How did the Fortuner cope? Were there any funny events that occurred?

7. Does your Fortuner have a name? How was that chosen?

Tell us more about yourself in a separate paragraph with the following important information: 1. Name and surname 2. Where do you live?

3. What is your occupation?

4. What is the odometer reading on your Fortuner, and if you bought it second hand, how many km have you done?

5. What specific model of Fortuner do you drive?

Izak built a mechanism to mount a spare wheel on his vehicle’s tow bar.

Send your story and photos via e-mail to editor@driveout.co.za and mark it clearly as #TellBetterStories.

4x4 EXPERT

BY MIC VAN ZYL

Is your lifted bakkie braking badly?

If you’ve increased your vehicle’s ride height, your brakes could be compromised. MIC VAN ZYL explains what could happen and how to prevent it.

Fill ’em up

When you load your vehicle at the back, the rear suspension and axle obviously carry a lot more weight than usual. The rear wheels now have the ability to use more braking pressure.

To factor this into your braking system, most 4x4’s have a load-sensing valve on the rear axle. This load-sensing valve is typically attached to the chassis with a lever, called a load-sensing valve actuating arm, running down to the axle.

On a vehicle at standard ride height, the arm is in its lowest position when the vehicle is

16 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

not loaded. In this position, the valve limits the amount of brake pressure that goes to the rear wheels. But when the rear suspension is compressed with a load, the arm is pushed upwards. This activates the load-sensing valve and more brake pressure is apportioned to the rear wheels.

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T

he ability of a fourwheel drive vehicle to brake safely and efficiently is affected by several factors. Most importantly, the tyres stop it through the braking system. But besides tyres, two big factors affect the efficiency of the braking system – ride height and load.

Generally, an unmodified fourwheel drive’s braking system is designed to apply more braking pressure to the front wheels than to the rear ones. This is because when you brake, weight gets transferred to the front axle. And with more weight on the front wheels, more braking pressure can be applied to them before they lock up or activate the ABS system.

Conversely, with the transfer of weight away from the rear axle, the rear wheels can only sustain a minimal amount of braking pressure to prevent them from locking up.

Playing interference

Raising the ride height with a suspension lift kit can interfere with the correct working of the load-sensing valve. Let’s say you give your vehicle a typical lift of 40 mm on the rear axle. If the actuating arm isn’t adjusted accordingly, it will be bent past its standard position by the lift.

When you load your vehicle now, the lever will have to travel the first 40 mm upwards without having any effect on the working of the valve. In extreme cases, a vehicle lift could make the loadsensing valve non-operational.

More weight will always put more pressure on your brakes, and if the back brakes are not activated accordingly, that extra strain will go to the front brakes, with no help from the rear. This will lead to longer stopping distances and can also shorten the life span of your brakes.

So, if you do decide to increase your ride height, make sure that the fitment centre that installs the lift kit makes the necessary adjustment to the rear actuation lever; that the valve operates correctly and that safe braking distances are always maintained.

It could save your life.

Mic van Zyl is the general manager of Ironman 4x4 Africa, the sole importer and distributor of Ironman 4x4 products. www.ironman4x4.co.za

HOT TOPIC

CAMP ETIQUETTE

Trouble in the camp site –

WHAT NOW?

R

ichard and Sue Franck wrote a letter in Drive Out #87 about an experience they had at Mabuasehube.

Two vehicles rocked up, without a reservation and wanted to make themselves at home on the Francks’ camp site. They eventually left, after a fight, but the Francks found them only a short while later camping near a watering hole – illegally as well.

These sorts of situations often surface on 4x4 forums and Facebook, especially in the Central Kalahari Game 18 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

Reserve: campers who take sites they didn’t book, food and drinking water that gets stolen, noise makers, litter bugs and 4x4 drivers who drive anywhere they want.

where people put their waste neatly in bag, but forgot to put the bag on their vehicles when it got dark. Hyenas caused chaos during the night and littered the entire campsite.”

Rule your rubbish: Chris

Leave the animals alone! Another problem,

van der Merwe, an experienced camper, mostly camps in small, isolated spots: “The biggest problem we face is people who don’t manage their rubbish well. People don’t always know what to do if there isn’t a rubbish bin around. We recently had a situation in North Gate, Moremi,

says Chris, is people changing animal behaviour. “In places like Third Bridge in Moremi and Savuti, the animals are getting cheekier. And it’s because people don’t get rid of their rubbish well or throw bones and leftovers into the bush. Often it’s just a lack of

knowledge, but it encourages bad animal behaviour. At some camp sites these days, you can hear how the hyenas scatter when someone gets up from their camping chair!”

A reader on 4x4community.co.za who calls himself Stephanoaeatus tells a similar story about Mabuasehube.

“We were there last year and the previous campers left their garbage bags lying around.

There is a very low probability that a rubbish bag will stay unopened for even one night with the hyenas and jackals around,” he writes.

PHOTOS: CHARLES THOMPSON, CHRIS VAN DER MERWE, DALE MORRIS

The way some campers behave makes you wish people could be forced to undergo testing for a camping licence. Charles Thompson takes a look at the etiquette of camping and what to do if you run into a camp clown.

What say the parks people?

Ben van Eeden, tourism manager at the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, says that although they don’t struggle with illegal camping on the South African side, it’s a problem on the Botswana side, especially in places like Mabuasehube.

“Because of the park’s size, there just aren’t enough people to police everything all the time. So people take chances.

It’s really very frustrating.”

Driving habits: Another problem they struggle with, he says, is people’s driving habits. People drive outside demarcated areas and also take chances with night drives.

Remember, the environment takes a long time to recover from your tyre tracks, and it’s an offence to drive outside of the park’s indicated hours.

Rubbish: Rubbish burying is also an issue at Kgalagadi.

“You often spot the loose soil where people buried their garbage because they don’t want to drive around with it.

Animals like jackals smell it, even underground, and they dig it up. And pretty soon the whole place is a mess.”

Electricity theft: Joep Stevens, general manager of strategic tourism services at SanParks, says people often reserve one type of camp site but then set up camp on another, like paying for a stand without electricity but staying on one with power. “Some people reserve a stand without power, but then they plug in their extension cables in the camp kitchen.”

Noisy neighbours: Noise disturbances remain a problem for SanParks. Joep says most South African camping families enjoy game drives during the day, so they go to bed early.

“But then a tour group with a bunch of young foreigners arrives in the camp site and they want to have fun all night.

They might just be talking around the fire, but when the www.go-southernafrica.com

rest of camp is quiet, that noise can be highly irritating.”

What are the parks doing about it?

Good cop/bad cop: Ben says the Kgalagadi has both a fine and an expulsion system.

Depending on the offence, the park will decide whether to fine the person or kick them out.

Ben says visitors often police each other, and so

perform a vital function in the park. “Offenders have a negative influence on everyone else in the park. So take a photo or jot down their registration number and bring it to us.

We’ll stop them as soon as we see them and fine them.”

Joep says SanParks is also harsh with offenders in some instances. Did you know, for example, that your pet could be put down if you get caught

DEATH SENTENCE (top). Putting out food for animals might get you a nice photograph, but the chances are good that the same creature will become a nuisance around camp.

And then the chances are very good that rangers will have to put it down.

LISTEN TO ZIBI (above). If there are bins provided, use them! And if not, store your garbage away from animals and dispose of it properly as soon as you can.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 19

HOT TOPIC with it in a national park?

Joep says people are given a chance to take their animal home first, but adds that they have to be strict about this. “It could have all sorts of consequences, like spreading disease or causing crossbreeding with the animals.”

He says they are equally strict about littering and feeding animals, because these actions have the same result: “It creates bad animal habits and creates dangerous situations for future visitors. We have no mercy with career criminals who continually feed the hyenas – we have to fine them.”

Chancers: Joep says SanParks could also fine people caught on the wrong camp site, but that this would be a last resort. Usually, they’ll be asked to move first.

“Sometimes people book in Skukuza, for example, because Satara is full. But then they go and camp in Satara because they think they’ll see more game there. To prevent this, we have honorary game rangers in our camp sites. They’re a sort of extension of camp management, keeping an eye on the camps and getting rid of any illegal campers.”

He says honorary rangers usually have a flag at their camp sites, and that people should approach them about any camp site problems or emergencies.

What can YOU do?

Ben says the best thing to do is report any troublemakers immediately at the reception office or nearest camp gate.

“But in isolated places, this is easier said than done,” he says. “If you only arrive late in the afternoon at your camp site somewhere in the KAA area and find someone has stolen your camp site, then you have a problem.”

If you have a satellite phone, he says, call the gate or reception office immediately. If not, you basically have two other options: “Get into a fist fight or 20 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

camp somewhere else.”

But to get into a fight with someone while you’re on holiday just makes the whole experience unpleasant. Rather find a patch to camp somewhere else and report the bad apples as soon as possible.

Joep says people could also call the duty telephone number of the place where they’re camping. “You should find it on your permit or at the camp entrance. Save it on your phone when you see it.”

If it so happens that you can’t find the duty number, try the after-hours number or talk to the guard at the gate. He or she will usually have a contact number for the ranger or manager on duty.

SanParks will usually try handling the situation on their own, but will call in law enforcement if necessary, says Joep.

And remember, as one camper remarked: “If you don’t leave the place the way you found it, stay at home. Neither us nor the environment want you there.”

SHOTGUN! (above). Even if you’re camping far away from everything, make sure you don’t take a spot someone else booked months ago.

CAMP ETIQUETTE – THE DO’S AND DON’TS Stay where you’re supposed to.

Only camp where you’ve booked for. Don’t pay for a camp site without electricity and then plug in a lead at the nearest kitchen or bathroom plug. That’s theft.

Drive where you’re allowed to.

Only drive on demarcated routes and only at times stipulated by the park. If you want to take a photograph, stop next to the road, not in the middle of it.

Be a buddy.

Yes, we know your neighbour should’ve brought his own braai grid. But if he comes grovelling, finish up your braai quickly and lend him yours. Good camping neighbours help one another.

Be responsible with rubbish.

If you camp somewhere with no rubbish bins, put all your garbage in bags. Put them on the roof of your vehicle at night, away from hyenas. Lock it up if there are

monkeys or baboons around.

Ask at the entrance if the caretaker or guard takes rubbish.

They usually do when there are no bins provided.

Don’t burn or bury your garbage either. Ben’s advice is simple: “Take out what you took in.”

And remember, containers are often valuable for people who live far from towns or cities. They’ll probably appreciate your empty 2 and 5 litre bottles.

Be fire wise.

Never, ever leave a smouldering fire for the next guy. Put it out completely. And if your cover it with sand, clearly mark the area with rocks.

Don’t feed the animals!

If you feed a monkey for a nice photograph today, he’ll probably have to be put down by next week because he’s become a menace to other visitors.

Noise.

Is it even necessary to still mention this one? No one’s interested in hearing your Club Hits 5 compilation or Barry Hilton jokes for the fifteenth time. Especially not the family two camp sites away.

For a thorough list of do’s and don’ts in SanPark’s camp sites, go to www.sanparks.co.za/ tourism/reservations/forms-andregulations.php When you are camping in Mabuasehube or elsewhere in the Kgalagadi and you find someone else camping in your pre-booked spot, Ben suggests that you try calling the following numbers: Twee Rivieren gate: +267 6530226/6530075 Mabuasehube gate: +267 6530082/81 KAA gate: +267 6530080/79

BUSH DOC

BY DR JACQUES MALAN DANGEROUSLY GREEN (left). The boomslang's poison is haemotoxic.

Symptoms may only show days later.

BITE MANAGEMENT If someone in your group does get bitten, forget all those home remedies and old wives’ tales like cauterisation, bleeding, cutting off a bitten digit or washing the wound with petrol.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS:

Dealing with a

SNAKE BITE

Forget about sucking out snake venom like a cowboy. Snake bites must be treated in very specific ways, or they could have fatal consequences.

I

t is estimated that around 30 to 80 out of every 100 000 people in South Africa are hospitalised because of snake bites annually. If you like the outdoors, your chances of

getting bitten are even bigger.

Prevention is better than cure

The best way to treat a snake bite is to avoid getting it in the

DIFFERENT SNAKES AND THEIR VENOM

PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Venomous snakes in Southern Africa can be divided into 3 broad groups: Cytotoxic Snakes like the puff adder inject their venom just under the skin into the subcutaneous tissue and cause Painful Progressive Swelling (PPS). It affects the immediate area around the wound first and can lead to necrosis, or tissue death. Some cobras, like the Mozambique spitting cobra, spit cytotoxic venom into the eyes. This leads to acute inflammation of the eye area.

Neurotoxic These snakes, like the black mamba and Cape cobra, deliver www.go-southernafrica.com

venom which directly affects the nervous system, causing Progressive Weakness (PW). It can lead to mental instability, muscle weakness, paralysis and respiratory problems.

Haemotoxic venom This is found in snakes like the boomslang, for example. The haemostatic toxic effect hampers the ability of the victim’s blood to clot normally, which leads to irregular bleeding from the nose, blood in the urine and vomit. Its effects are slow, and can take a few days to manifest.

first place. Use these guidelines: Keep your eyes open. Always be on the lookout for snakes in nature and stay as far away from them as possible. Be especially careful when packing up camp – snakes can coil up in small spaces and love warm, dark places.

Stay cool and observe. If you get within a metre of a snake, stand still and watch its reaction. It will likely look for an escape route rather than attack.

If the snake keeps slithering on the ground, it is more likely to move away than strike. But if it rears and flattens its neck to form a hood, it’s likely to strike.

Go slow. If you’ve gone closer than one metre and have accidentally cornered the snake, back away slowly. This way, you are not perceived as a threat and are less likely to be attacked by it.

Get a move on. If you step on a snake, the best thing to do is to move away from it as quickly as you can.

1

Call a medical professional out or get the patient to a medical facility immediately, alerting them ahead of your arrival.

2

Try to identify the snake, but don’t risk further bites. Species diagnosis is important but if the snake is still at large, rather take a picture from a distance!

In the majority of cases, emergency centres will look at the symptoms, laboratory and clinical data – and then make a decision about the appropriate treatment.

3 4

Reassure the victim.

Remove any constricting clothing or jewellery from the bitten area – there could be swelling.

5

Immobilise the patient completely. Movement speeds up the heart rate and could cause the venom to circulate faster.

6

Give analgesia by mouth if required: Paracetamol (acetaminophen) or paracetamol/codeine combinations are best.

7

In cases where the snake has not been identified, I recommend that the patient be admitted to a medical facility for observation for 12-24 hours.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 23

BUSH DOC Bandages

The venom of some snakes, like rinkhals, has both cytotoxic and neurotoxic properties. Think carefully before trying to selfdiagnose and treat a bite from a snake you cannot identify.

In the case of a cobra or mamba bite (neurotoxic), apply a tight crepe bandage over and above the bite. This helps to reduce the speed at which the venom spreads. It’s especially

important if the patient is far from medical help.

Avoid crepe or other bandaging in all cytotoxic bites.

Because of the progressive swelling, you’re likely to cause the patient pain.

Never use a tight arterial tourniquet! It can cause ischemia (a decrease in blood flow due to swelling) and even gangrene if applied for more than about 1½ hours.

NEUROTOXIC VENOM: The pressure-immobilisation technique When a victim has suffered a neurotoxic bite to a limb, do the following:

RAPID REPTILE (above).The black mamba is one of the fastest snakes in the world. It's poison is neurotoxic and attacks the nervous system.

1

Apply pressure, preferably with an elastic bandage. Alternatively, wrap most of the limb with an intact long-sleeved shirt. This is your last resort, though – it’s difficult to apply even pressure with inelastic fabric and one shirt may not be long enough.

2

Begin bandaging 5 to 10 cm above the bite (i.e. between the bite and the heart), winding the bandage around in overlapping turns.

Move up towards the heart and then back down over the bite and past it towards the hand or foot.

3 4

Immobilise the limb and if possible support it with a splint or sling.

5 6

Mark the location of the bite clearly on the outside of the bandages.

Ensure the bandage is as tight as when strapping a sprained ankle.

It must not cut off blood flow, or even be uncomfortable. If it’s uncomfortable, the person will unconsciously flex the limb, defeating the immobilization portion of the therapy.

Don’t panic if you see some peripheral oedema (swelling). It’s a natural consequence of this process.

Never use a tight arterial tourniquet!

It can cause ischemia and even gangrene if applied for more than about 1½ hours.

24 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

DEAD STILL. The puff adder sometimes lies deceptively still and has a cytotoxic poison that can lead to tissue death.

TREATING CYTOTOXIC VENOM Although most local effects of snake bites are caused directly by the cytotoxic venom itself, the bite may introduce bacteria to the wound. The risk of local infections can also greatly increase if the wound has been cut with an unsterile instrument or tampered with in any other way with dirty objects.

1

First, begin by cleaning the affected area and wound with an antiseptic solution.

POISON IN THE EYES Use clean water and wash the person's eyes out until the pain subsides. Get medical help as soon as possible.

2 3

Only open blisters if rupture seems imminent.

Ensure the affected limb is in the most comfortable position but don’t elevate it excessively if there is tense swelling. This increases the risk of ischemia.

4

Don’t apply anti-venom. It’s best given in a medical facility by a physician who can deal with any allergic reactions.

There are fantastic training courses available at www.africansnakebiteinstitute. com as well as an app (Snakebite First Aid in Southern Africa) for the techno-savvy.

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UP AND OVER!

Don’t think you can tackle the Namib dunes just because you’ve driven in a few sandy tracks in the Kalahari. Dune driving requires some special preparation and techniques, says ALAN GOODWAY.

Same rules apply The same vehicle preparation and sand driving techniques discussed in Drive Out #89 and #90 apply to dune driving.

Lower your tyre pressure (up to 50% of your normal pressure but not lower than 0,8 bar) and use low range.

Before you set off, park your vehicle safely (see Drive Out #78) and walk the dune. It’s vital that you assess both sides of this obstacle before driving it.

26 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

The perfect cocktail Dune sand can be very deep and traction is almost nonexistent. For this reason, you need the right mix of momentum and flotation to allow your vehicle to get to the top of the dune.

To get this ‘cocktail’ right, back away from the dune (if possible) and then attack it in second or third gear, low range.

Build up speed on the run-up to the dune and drive to the top in second or third gear.

Dates: Basic Course July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 For queries and bookings, call Alan on

Always ascend (and descend) in a straight line, and stop giving it gas as soon as you reach the crest. This is the trickiest part of the drive. Speeding over the top could send you flying, while too little momentum will grind you to a halt just short of the crest.

And then you’ll probably have to do a tricky reverse down the dune again.

If you do make it to the crest, dont try to turn around at the top. A fatal roll-over is almost guaranteed! Instead, gently go

Gauteng 15 & 19 Jul 12 & 16 Aug 2 & 6 Sep 21 & 25 Oct 25 & 29 Nov 2 & 6 Dec 082 603 8321 or e-mail

Stuck in the middle If you run out of steam halfway up the dune, use the stall start technique (Drive Out #82) to reverse down safely. Don’t let your vehicle slide down the dune by itself. Engage reverse gear and gently accelerate while reversing down the dune.

If you get stuck on the crest, you may have to dig the sand away under the chassis. Once the vehicle is ready and able to descend, gently accelerate (in low range) to avoid sliding down the dune and to maintain your straight steering direction.

Remember, compression braking is key during dune driving, so avoid using the brakes as you descend.

KZN

Western Cape 18 & 19 Jul

1 & 2 Aug 19 & 20 Sep 24 & 25 Oct 21 & 22 Nov 12 & 13 Dec 4x4offroad@mweb.co.za.

In Gauteng, courses are offered at Leriba Lodge in Centurion (theory) and Kungwini 4x4 near Bronkhorstspruit (practical).

In the Western Cape, the theory and practical are covered in one weekend at Bowtime in Brackenfell and Welgelegen 4x4 near Stellenbosch. In KwaZulu-Natal, it all happens at the Highstakes 4x4 facility in the Shongweni Valley.

PHOTO: LEON JORDAAN

W

hen coming across a dune in your 4x4, simply tackling it at the highest speed possible is the worst thing you can do.

The wind can change a dune’s shape in a matter of hours so that where you recall a gentle downhill slope, there could now be a vertical cliff waiting for you on the other side of the crest.

To avoid vehicle damage, injury or even death, prepare yourself and your vehicle for what you are about to tackle.

over to the other side.

In most cases, the trailing edge, or slip face, at the back of a dune is angled at approximately 43°. Therefore, great care should be taken not to roll over head-over-heels.

You need to build just enough momentum on the leading edge to go across the crest in a straight line (in other words, at 90°), then you slowly “ride” the sand on the trailing edge.

When you get near the foot of the dune, keep using the momentum of the vehicle to accelerate away from the rolling sand near the bottom.

If you can, stop with the nose pointing down. Gravity and the weight of the engine on the wheels will help you pull away more easily.

4x4-akademie 4X4-AKADEMIE

DRIVE OUT 4X4 ACADEMY

ACCREDITED TRAINING THE LEVEL 1 COURSE is a definite must-do for

newbies, covering:

THE DRIVE OUT 4X4 ACADEMY IS ONE OF THE BEST AT DELIVERING QUALITY, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING. With guidance from Alan Goodway and facilities in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, the Drive Out Academy has equipped hundreds of learners across South Africa. As an accredited qualification, this course will make you a better, safer 4x4 driver.

WHY TETA ACCREDITED TRAINING IS BETTER There are currently 2 Unit Standards applicable. SAQA U/S 254135: Apply techniques for operating 4WD vehicles in on-road and off-road conditions and SAQA U/S 254154: Apply advanced techniques for operating 4WD vehicles in on-road and off-road conditions (Vehicle Recovery)

THERE ARE TWO COURSE COMPONENTS THEORY: Taught in a classroom environment, one evening in the week (in GP only-weekend in regions). The theory concludes with a written test and homework assignment.

PRACTICAL: This takes place on an accredited obstacle course with 12 obstacle types, and concludes with a performance assessment, based on the Unit Standard Requirements. Results are submitted to TETA for moderation.

• Introduction to 4x4 vehicle and vehicle dimensions • Safety Equipment and usage • Basic Recovery Equipment Identification • Preparing a vehicle for off-road driving • Drive Train, Suspension, Locks & Hubs • Vehicle Preparation (Internally and Externally) • Assessing & Driving Obstacles (plus obstacle failure recovery) LEVEL 1 TRAINING COSTS

R1 750 per person (Group Training | 6 – 10 learners) R3 650 per person (1-on-1 Training)

THE LEVEL 2 TRAINING requires more experience.

To qualify for this Certificate of Competence, the Level 1 training must be successfully completed.

THE COURSE TYPICALLY COVERS

• A recap of Level 1 • Emergency Equipment, including Recovery Equipment Identifi- cation & Usage • Radio Communication & Correct Radio procedures • Hand Signals (Guiding and Winching) • Brake Track and Sway Track techniques • Advanced Obstacle Driving & Guiding • Vehicle & People Safety in recovery & Vehicle Recovery points • Tyre Repair, Tyre Changing Fundamentals & Safety • Jacking and Winching (including a variety of jacks & winching techniques) • Use of Drag Chains and Recovery Straps (identification, usage & safety) • Recovery Ropes & Snatching (usage, safety and care) • Sand Recovery, Water Recovery, Night Recovery and/or Mud Recovery (Dependent on terrain and availability) LEVEL 2 TRAINING COSTS

R2 750 per person (Group Training | 6 – 10 learners) R4 650 per person (1-on-1 Training)

FOR QUERIES AND BOOKINGS call Alan on 082 603 8321 or e-mail

27 DRIVE OUT JUNE 2015

4x4offroad@mweb.co.za

WHEELS News flash TOYOTA HILUX

The wait is (almost) over After months of speculation about what the new Toyota Hilux will look like, when it will appear and what’s changed under the hood, an answer has finally been given at the vehicle's international launch in Bangkok.

The new Hilux looks completely different. Even though supporters of other manufacturers have already started slinging mud, it looks good to us. The nose and grill look more buff and the headlights are larger, with LED daylight running lights, but it is still, without a doubt, a Toyota Hilux.

All it has in common with the previous generation are the two petrol engines (2.7 VVT-I and the 4 litre V6).

These engines have been spruced up a bit, but remain largely unchanged. There are two new diesel engines of 2.4 and 2.8 litre, a brand new six speed automatic gearbox and a six speed manual gearbox.

The chassis has been changed to accommodate the larger body work and the suspension is aimed at rough terrain. The designers focussed on making the trip more comfortable, with

better fuel efficiency and a cabin that allows less road noise in.

Specification levels for South Africa are not yet known, but what it was launched with in Australia and Bangkok will make bakkie owners sit up and

pay attention. In the new Hilux, for example, keyless entry and a reverse camera come standard. More details on specifications are not available yet, and according to Toyota South Africa it will only arrive on our shores early next year.

RANGE ROVER SPORT SVR

The Range Rover Sport SVR, the first of its kind to wear the SVR emblem, made its debut appearance in South Africa at the Jaguar Simola Hill Climb in Knysna. The SVR badge is what Jaguar and Land Rover will now use to distinguish their top performance models.

It succeeds in living up to the honour of the badge. The SVR’s 5 litre turbo-charged V8 petrol engine develops an impressive 405 kW and 680 Nm, which is 29 kW and

FIT A FULL SET OF PEDDERS TRAKRYDER SUSPENSION TO YOUR TOYOTA HILUX. TrakRyder aftermarket off-road suspension will enhance the ride, control, comfort and off-road ability of your Hilux. TrakRyder suspension kits include all the necessary coils and leaf springs, 28 DRIVE OUT JUNE 2015 as well as the required bushings.

56 Nm more than the V8 in the normal Range Rover Sport.

It's magical how they fit all this speed and power into the vehicle. It is also hard to explain, unless if you have time to talk about finer details like gear shift speed and 25 different driving modes.

The off-road ability of this Range Rover is more of an after-thought, but with all that speed you can drive around the mountain just as fast as you could drive over it.

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WHEELS

DISCO

The new Land Rover Discovery Sport is not just another soft roader. It can roll with the punches – as long as you don’t hit too hard.

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he new Land Rover Discovery Sport is nippy enough to be seen as a small sports utility vehicle, but its engine delivers the kind of performance that would make a few bakkies shiver in fear.

At first glance Even though Land Rover won't admit it, the Discovery Sport essentially replaces the Freelander. And what a capable replacement it is.

It looks like the by-product of the day a rebellious engineer mixed the production lines of the Freelander and the Evoque.

The nose looks almost exactly like the Freelander’s and the roof that slants towards the back is pure Evoque. But it’s

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not unsightly.

On the question of whether the next generation Discovery, to be launched sometime in 2016, will retain its distinctive box shape, the answer is negative. The next Discovery will have more of the design elements and appearance of the Evoque and Discovery Sport to fit in with Land Rover’s new image.

The fact that the Discovery Sport uses the same platform as the Evoque is further proof that they are close relatives.

But it is 200 mm longer and a touch wider. You can also fit another row of seats into the Sport as an optional extra.

There are four different spec levels and two engines to choose from. The list of

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT standard luxuries is quite generous – you get things like the 8-inch colour touch screen and the 5-inch colour info screen for the driver on the instrument cluster and Bluetooth connection in all models. The specification levels that distinguish between the S, SE, HSE and HSE Luxury are actually small things like leather seats, dual zone climate control, load space coverage and a leathercovered steering wheel.

But you can choose whether you want 6, 10 or 11 speakers and if you want the built-in GPS that uses an SD memory

card or not. Of course there is a whole host of optional extras that come at a stiff price, but the base model’s standard equipment is already enough to convince you that you’re not driving a Bull Run jalopy.

Under the hood The two engines in the Discovery Sport have already been used with success in the Evoque. It is a 2.2 litre turbo-diesel engine which develops 110 kW as the TD4, and 140 kW as the SD4. Both produce an impressive 420 Nm of torque.

DRIVE OUT MAY 2014 31

WHEELS NEW The 2 litre petrol engine is also turbo-charged. It is known as the Si4 and produces 177 kW power and 340 Nm torque.

When looking at competitors like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3, the Discovery’s petrol engine produces more power than the German’s, while the BMW produces just as much torque.

When it comes to talking diesel, the Discovery leads the pack with both power and torque when compared to its German competitors.

Both the petrol and diesel models are linked to a 9-speed ZF gearbox, which is becoming quite common these days.

In the Discovery Sport, the gear ratios fit well with the engines and you never feel that there are gears that don’t serve a purpose. Considering the lack of a low range gear box, the lower ratios of the first few gears work well to give the vehicle good traction and offroad capability at low speeds.

Driving it There is no shortage of power in the diesel and petrol engines and you can easily mosey along at brisk cruising speeds.

You also never feel that there is too little oomph to pass heavy vehicles or to accelerate uphill, which is always handy.

Lightweight aluminium parts in the rear suspension, and a few other smart ideas, make the Discovery Sport weigh less, says Land Rover, which helps with fuel consumption.

The suspension is tuned for a more comfortable ride and on gravel roads the Discovery Sport handles well enough

that you still feel safe. The rims differ between 17 and 20 inch, but if you choose the 20 inch option, gravel roads will be more likely to fill you with fear rather than with thrill, because low profile tyres and rocky roads have never been friends.

Four times the fun All of the models have Land Rover’s Terrain Response technology, which allows you to choose between different modes for different terrains.

The full-time four wheel drive system works just like you expect it to – drive is mostly sent to the front wheels and is only diverted to the rear wheels when the on-board electronics sense wheel slip at the front.

The Discovery Sport is designed to tackle ascents of 40° and descents of up to 45°, but like many other vehicles, the lack of wheel articulation counts against it when going through axle twisters or crossaxle situations. The traction control works well enough to get you out of most difficult situations, but it is not really what the Discovery Sport was made for.

Land Rover has built their brand on a couple of things.

Efficiency and capability are a part of it, and even though the Discovery Sport has the ability to conquer the great outdoors, that is not really what it was designed for. It's better to view it as a compact luxury SUV– like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 – but it comes with better off-road capabilities, for the odd occassion when you might need it.

SPORTY (above). The interior of Land Rovers have long since been something of beauty and the Discovery Sport is no exception.

CONNECTED (above). A USB-and-auxuliary-port allows you to connect to all types of media. The SD-slot allows for maps for the GPS.

AND WHEN YOU TURN THIS BUTTON... (above). Like most other Land Rovers, a dial replaces the gear shift lever.

PRICES: TD4 S: R541 900 SD4 S: R590 300 SD4 SE: R632 600 SD4 HSE: R692 300 SD4 HSE Luxury: R731 400 Si4 S: R590 300 Si4 SE: R632 600 Si4 HSE: R692 600 Si4 HSE Luxury: R731 400 32 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

LOAD THEM UP (above). The Discovery Sport has an optional row of seats, but that takes away some of the loading space.

NEW

NEXT LEVEL CHALLENGE REAR AIR CONDITIONER

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WHEELS

RYGOED

DRIVING IMPRESSION

TURBO VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG 3.0 V6 TDi LUXURY

V

olkswagen is, like many other German manufacturers, known for its luxury vehicles.

The new Touareg looks as if its designer was inspired by a Boeing’s business class.

But there is still a bit of tough cookie off-roader under that shiny exterior.

We took the model with the 3 litre V6 turbo-diesel engine for a drive on the Welgelegen 4x4 trail near Stellenbosch.

34 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

On the road The moment you get into the Touareg, you know that you’re now in the world of luxury sports utility vehicles. From the soft leather seats and the beautiful trim, to the balance between luxury sedan and powerful off-roader, you get the impression that this is not just another cross-over.

The Touareg platform was developed in conjunction with Audi and Porsche, so it’s no

surprise that the Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne share the platform and a few engines with the Touareg. The 3 litre V6 turbo-diesel that we drove has one of these shared engines.

In this segment it is only the BMW X5 30d that develops more power and torque out of a six-cylinder turbo-diesel. The Q7, Cayenne and Jeep Grand Cherokee’s figures are all the same as the Touareg’s 180 kW and 550 Nm. The vehicle

accelerates quickly and the 8-speed automatic gearbox is as smooth as the tongue of a shady politician.

No one will blame you if can’t distinguish this model from the previous one. This is only a cosmetic renewal with no mechanical updates.

According to Volkswagen the headlights are bigger and the plastic bumpers at the front and rear are wider, making it appear broader.

PHOTOS: CHARLES THOMPSON

Volkswagen’s Touareg has never been a hard core off-roader, but that doesn’t mean it’s afraid to do a bit of bundu bashing.

KEY STATS

COCKPIT. The Touareg's instruments are easy to use, which makes you appreciate German engineering more.

MAKE MAGIC HAPPEN (above). The air suspension can be raised from 220 mm to 300 mm with the turn of a dial.

HEADSCRATCHER (top left). The space-saver spare wheel inflates to the same size as the full wheel, but where do you store the wheel that you take off?

Engine: 2 967 cc V6 turbodiesel Power: 180 kW@ 4 000 r/min Torque: 550 Nm @ 2 000 – 2 250 r/min Top speed: 218 km/h 0-100 km/h: 7,8 s Transmission: 8-speed automatic gearbox, full-time four-wheel drive, electronic traction control Suspension: Double wishbones front and rear Tyres: 255/55/R18 Fuel tank: 100 litre Fuel consumption: 7,2 litre/100 km Ground clearance: 220 300 mm Approach angle: 22/23° (with raised suspension) Departure angle: 24/25° (With raised suspension) Wading depth: 500/580 mm Weight: 2 043 kg Towing capacity: 3 500 kg (braked trailer) Service interval: 15 000 km Warranty: 3 year/120 000 km Service plan: 5 year/ 100 000 km Price: R808 400 (without optional extras)

ATTACK! (left). The approach angle gets markedly improved with the suspension raised.

If you get behind the wheel, you can feel how the vehicle surrounds you. It may be shorter than its Amarok cousin, but it is only about an inch slimmer, with plenty of leg room on the rear seat.

The difference in length makes it more manoeuvrable than the Amarok. The parking sensors and reverse camera also make it easier to avoid scratches and dings.

The panoramic sunroof is an impressive addition, but the thin material of the sun screen below the sunroof doesn’t stop all the sunlight coming www.go-southernafrica.com

through. On a hot day in the Kalahari, you’ll feel it.

The one thing about the Touareg that really impressed me was the adaptable cruise control (optional extra) which ensures that the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you stays the same.

It works well if you are stuck in traffic, because you can set the speed to 30 km/h and crawl along at a snail’s pace. You just have to keep the vehicle in its lane… and there is a function for that too, which warns the driver if he leaves his lane without indicating.

Off-road We didn’t have the Touareg Escape with the Terrain Tech package, but the model tested had air suspension (optional extra) which can raise the ground clearance from 220 mm to an impressive 300 mm with the turn of a dial.

You can use another dial to select the off-road option.

This adjusts the response of the ABS brakes to offroad driving, and activates the EDS or Elektronische Differenzialsparre, which literally means electronic differential lock.The EDS is

something to get used to. If a wheel loses traction, you have to keep the accelerator at a constant point for quite a while before the computer notices that the vehicle needs traction. In the meantime, the wheel without traction doesn’t move and it feels as if nothing is happening, but after a while the system kicks in.

The off-road function also activates the downhill braking assist, which happens automatically once you drive down a steep decline. All of these functions make the Touareg a formidable offroader that easily crawls over obstacles.

The Touareg doesn’t have a differential lock in the transfer case, but the Torsen differential (a conglomeration of torque and sensing), which automatically locks and unlocks, works well. The same system is used in the Amarok.

So, with 300 mm ground clearance and all this clever technology, what can stop the Touareg? The lack of wheel articulation and the strange way that the traction control works are things to get used to. But that won’t hold it back.

The relatively low profile 18-inch wheels may not be ideal, but if you can change them somewhere for AllTerrain tyres (not an optional extra), you're on the right path.

Something else may be the price. The base price is already R808 400, but with extras like air suspension (R35 700), panoramic sunroof (R13 750) and adaptable cruise control (R17 900) you will easily have to cough up as much as R900 000.

In the end, this is actually all that will prevent you from conquering the bundus with a Touareg. The competitors are not exactly cheaper – the Audi Q7 costs R855 500, the Porsche Cayenne Diesel is R933 000 and the BMW X5 30d costs R890 194. And that’s without a great big list of optional extras.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 35

NEW

WHEELS

Ciao, HOWDY & Guten Tag

T

he Jeep Renegade is a bit like the Godfather because it shares its platform with the Fiat 500X. Now, some might accuse it of being closer to an Italian city-slicker than an American off-roader, but who’s going to blame the Godfather for being soft, just because of his Italian blood, eh?

Just like other recent Jeeps, the Renegade also has a good shot of German influence in its interior, which makes it more stylish than some of the previous Jeeps.

The Renegade is a very good version of a small sports utility vehicle, without using the word “cross-over”. This Jeep is not necessarily aimed at the old, hard-core Jeep

The new Renegade with its German, American and Italian blood is not Jeep’s most hard-core 4x4 yet, but what it does, it does well, says GERRIE VAN EEDEN.

enthusiasts – its goal is to gain a few new Jeep followers– and hopefully it will steal a few from other manufacturers.

At first glance The appearance of the Renegade is everything but conventional and it will take a while to get used to it. In the end it will probably be like a pug – you either find it adorable or damn ugly. I am not sure on which side of the fence I sit.

The iconic grill with the seven slots and the round headlights makes the Renegade unmistakably Jeep if you see it from the front. But I must say, it looks more like a Toyota FJ Cruiser than a Jeep Wrangler – particularly from that angle.

JEEP RENEGADE 1.4 LIMITED Jeep claims that the appearance is a nod in the direction of everyone’s offroading grandpa, the Willys WILLY, IS THAT YOU? The new Jeep Renegade is modelled on the original Willys Jeep from the 1940's. The familly traits are quite clear.

Jeep, and is a mixture of old and new. The tail lights have an X shaped motif in them to remind you of the old jerry cans. This motif is also repeated in a few other places, even when you look at the Renegade from the top.

The Renegade is also not a complete dwarf. Even though it appears rather small, at 4,2 m it is only half a meter shorter than the four-door Wrangler. But don’t try and compare it to the Wrangler too much, it has far fewer offroading capabilities (more on this later).

Inside PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Hard grey plastic and sharp angles have been excluded from Jeep’s design ethos for a long time. This is all thanks to Klaus Busse – the German who traded the offices of Mercedes-Benz in Germany for www.go-southernafrica.com

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 37

WHEELS NEW those of America, in order to bring Jeep's interiors into this century. With Chrysler, Jeep’s parent company, owned by Fiat, you can also add a little Italian style. This gives you an interior that is beautifully designed, with bright yet subtle colours. I believe the city slicker target audience will like the interior a lot.

Even if you wear shorts and carry a comb in your sock, you will be able to tell that this is nicer to look at than your farm bakkie’s dashboard. The large 5-inch touch screen on which you control the radio, Bluetooth connection and optional GPS is smartly placed, for example. It won’t easily be affected by direct sunlight– something that may be an issue with other vehicles.

You can also choose to fit an even larger screen, but of course this will cost you extra, just like the parking sensors, leather seats, sunroof, adaptable cruise control and three extra speakers (extra to the six speakers that come standard).

Under the hood At the international launch, Jeep placed the Renegade’s crosshairs squarely on the Mini Countryman and Countryman S. The Renegade is only available in South Africa with frontwheel drive, so it can only compete with the Countryman and Countryman S. As soon as the four-wheel drive model comes to our shores later this year, it will also compete with the Countryman’s John Cooper Works model. This will include the top of the class Trailhawk version, which has a kind of low-range gearbox, as well as Jeep’s Active Drive off-road system and a bit more ground clearance.

Currently there is only the 1.4 litre turbo-charged petrol engine which Jeep calls the MultiAir II. It develops a respectable 103 kW and

230 Nm, but you still have to work the gears on an uphill if you want to overtake something. The towing capacity of 1000 kg probably won’t put you on top of the list if your buddy wants help towing his ski-boat to Sodwana.

The engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

The later models will also have a nine-speed automatic gearbox.

Jeep took another step away from its traditional hard core off-roaders by using a monocoque chassis with independent suspension at the front and rear. But this is nothing new for Jeep – the second generation Cherokee (XJ) already used a monocoque chassis in the 80’s. I would thus trust them to be successful with this again, rather than to mess it up.

A monocoque chassis is not your best friend when going off-road. And to be honest, with only 175 mm ground clearance and a relatively small engine, you probably won’t be the next Dakar champion.

While it does fall behind when compared to the Countryman S, which produces 140 kW and 240 Nm, it can certainly match up to the Mini Countryman in standard shape. The Renegade does have more ground clearance which definitely puts it in another class.

In a nutshell The Renegade’s trendy design and appearance will probably not float everybody’s boat.

But if you are on the brink of buying a vehicle and this whole off-road thing sounds quite swell, the Jeep Renegade will meet your needs – it is a city car that is not too uncomfortable off-road.

I expect many city slickers with interesting hair styles will be spotted driving one, and that they may start investing in two-tone shirts.

PRICE: Jeep Renegade 1.4 Limited R375 990 38 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

GERMAN FLAIR (above). The interior design has a shot of German style and sophistication thanks to Klaus Busse, who heads up that department.

NOT TOO BIG (above). Because their target market doesn't need a big beefy V8, the Renegade is equipped with a relatively small engine for a Jeep.

LOAD IT IN (above). The load bin can expand from 351 L of cargo space up to quite a respectable 1297 L with the seats folded down.

HERE COMES THE SUN (above). The panoramic sunroof is an optional extra, but for the first 500 sold in South Africa, it comes standard.

HIGH MILEAGE CLUB

Like a spring chicken

His beard might be going a bit grey, but this Hilux still runs like a young athlete.

What do you like about it?

You really can’t beat the packing space, except if you buy a single cab!

And what don’t you like about it?

Nothing, it really is the vehicle for me.

What do you always pack for a long trip?

A pack of mints; it keeps me going until brunch time.

Mark Schubert Toyota Hilux 2.5 D4D 4x4 double cab (2005) What’s the odometer reading, and how many of those kilometres were racked up off-road?

271 586 km. I bought it in 2008 with 125 000 km on it. Above that, I’ve driven a total of 80 000 km while travelling.

Why a Hilux?

I trust Toyota, especially when it comes to finding parts in the rest of Africa.

How many owners?

I’m the second one.

How much did it cost?

R180 000.

Where has it taken you?

Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Angola, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Any breakdowns?

No, none.

How about repairs?

I replaced the clutch at 150 000 km and recently an injector and rear side shaft.

Any modifications?

I’ve replaced the front and rear suspension, fitted rock sliders, front and rear bumpers, two roof racks, an Alu-Canopy, two water tanks and a snorkel. I also chipped it and fitted a new intercooler and two fridges.

What’s your best memory in it?

That’s a tough one. I guess it would be Lake Malawi and the Angolan side of the Cunene River.

Would you drive through Africa with it?

Without a doubt.

What’s your dream destination?

Kenya, and I’d love to see the wildebeest migration.

With R10 000...

I’d definitely make the vehicle lighter by replacing some of the steel components with aluminium components.

Because weight is evil!

If you have a 4x4 that has more than 250 000 km on the clock, tell us about it. Send your story to editor@driveout.co.za and include a photo of the vehicle and a head-and-shoulders photo of yourself.

Do you own a Toyota Fortuner?

DON'T FORGET to send us your Fortuner Stories, see p 14.

40 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

E H T ORE

N E T A BE

EXPL

UN K C A TR

245/70R16 • 265/70R16 265/75R16 • 265/65R17 265/70R17 • 285/70R17

www.achillestyres.co.za

Desert Hawk X-MT

42 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

A Different view of

Baviaans There is much more to explore in the Baviaanskloof than just the main route between Willowmore and Patensie. EVAN NAUDÉ went in search of a few lesserknown passes in the kloof of baboons.

I

PHOTOS: EVAN NAUDÉ

t is Sunday morning in Kareedouw and apart from a group of motorcyclists on a breakfast run there’s hardly any movement in town. I was hoping to grab a coffee before I set off into the mountains, but the coffee shops are closed. Maybe it’s just too early still, because I get the feeling this is the kind of place where people first go to church before they open up shop.

I settle on a couple of cool drinks and a packet of biltong from the fuel station before I head east on the R62 out of town.

Just outside Kareedouw I turn left onto the Assegaaibos gravel road and cross the Krom River.

The more gravel roads I travel in South Africa, the more old train stations I encounter; signs of a bygone era when people could travel to places which were otherwise impossible for the average Joe to get to, just like I am doing now in a 4x4.

Assegaaibos was originally a farm that was turned into a trading post in 1866 and a train station was also built here.

Interestingly enough, in its heyday the Assegaaibos train station formed part of the world’s longest narrow gauge railway, which ran between Port Elizabeth and Avontuur. Unfortunately the 245 km long route is no longer in use and on the other side of the river I cross the abandoned and overgrown train tracks.

Here we go

The road immediately climbs up the Kouga mountains and Kareedouw becomes a speck in my rear-view mirror. A comfortable gravel road winds its way for 16 km through the mountains to the crossing of the Kouga River.

Here you’ll find braai spots and a wooden walkway that climbs up a rock formation for a view over the river. From the top I see two fishermen looking for a nice spot along the banks and I hear the voices of two women in a canoe echo from

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DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 43

DESTINATION BAVIAANSKLOOF THE HOLGAT PASS is narrow and the trail climbs high to reward you with breath-taking views across the CAPTION Baviaanskloof, butilit, you drive carefully (Aximil et must rentempos sumqui over the omnihillor broken cement tracks. sundus, susape con pellabo ritatin reptaqui iuscillorro comnihi cipisto restem sunt iliscipsamus milis aut aut rae vollit ulparchit aut ellenimpor sam exped quew

across the water.

I have the urge to have a quick braai and a swim, but it will have to wait for another time – I still have a few rough kilometres on my schedule for today.

Diesel-driven mountaineering

ART THAT ROCKS (above). Near the Doringkloof bush camp there is a rock formation with a large collection of Bushmen paintings, like this group of figures, that come to life when the rock is wet.

SIGHT SEEING (below). Theo van der Berg is developing mountain biking trails on his farm which will take you through a section of the Baviaanskloof that would be otherwise inaccessible.

44 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

North of the Kouga River, the road rises until I’m surrounded on all sides by the folds of the mountain, as far as I can see.

It’s about 23 km to the start of the Rus en Vrede 4x4 trail which will take me into the Baviaanskloof.

The further north I travel, the more the road narrows until it becomes a track.

At times it is so narrow that the bushes touch the sides of the vehicle. I can see it must have rained recently because there are a lot of water puddles, but at least there’s no slippery mud.

On a particularly narrow section I round a corner and brake just in time for a tractor parked at an angle in the road.

“The alternator is broken,” says Byron Le Roux, a farm boy from Baviaans Lodge, from the other side of the tractor. The tractor stalled and can only start with jumper cables, he explains. Neither Byron nor I have jumper cables with us and there is no cell phone signal here in the

mountains. The thick bushes tower above our heads on either side of the road, so how am I to get past the tractor? “My dad will come past here at some point,” says Byron and we decide to try and clear a path through the bushes in the meantime.

We struggle for nearly an hour to break and bend branches out of the way and even uproot a tree stump, until we’re satisfied that there is enough space to pass.

We wait a while still, but there is no sign of any other vehicles coming this way, so I decide to inch forward, slowly but surely, past the tractor while Byron gives directions from the front.

I crawl forward – there is just enough space on the right-hand side, but it is difficult to see my line on the left with all the bushes and the uneven ground. Byron indicates that I’m still good, so I keep going until it’s only the load bin that still needs to get past the back wheel of the tractor.

I push over a patch of uneven ground under the left front wheel and the bakkie shifts a fraction to the right. I can tell by Byron’s scrunched up nose and the “sss” sound of the air he sucks through his clenched teeth that something is wrong before I feel it: the load bin came to rest against the tractor’s back wheel. There are

DESTINATION BAVIAANSKLOOF few things that give you a worse sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach than damaging your vehicle, especially if it belongs to someone else… suffice to say I can’t repeat my choice words of disappointment here.

There’s nothing to do but drive forward and scrape the bakkie even more. At least I am free of the tractor and can continue my journey. I say farewell to Byron and follow the trail past the turn-off to the Baviaans Lodge, where I find a gate and a sign indicating that I am now entering the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve.

It is here where the 35 km long Rus en Vrede trail starts. It is the longest of five routes on the property of Doringkloof, my accommodation for the night. The route is officially a Grade 2, but with its narrow and rocky jeep track it is still technical and challenging enough to tickle your sense of adventure.

Apparently it’s possible to conquer the trail in roughly three hours, but it takes me nearly all day. My progress is slow over the rocky up-and-down hills and I stop at least a dozen times to open and close gates. But I’m not in a hurry and I make regular stops to take photographs.

Besides, you can’t help but linger every now and again at a spectacular viewpoint, and there are loads of them in these parts.

The beautiful, unspoilt nature and the road that looks like a twin track hiking trail, remind me of places I’ve only been able to reach by hiking for a couple of days into the mountain with a heavy rucksack on my back. Isn’t mountaineering in a 4x4 just a wonderful thing?

“You arrived at the right time,” says Barend Lamprecht, co-owner of Doringkloof, as he shakes my hand.

They immediately shove a cold beer and a piece of braaied meat in my hand and just like that, I am part of a typical Sunday afternoon braai in the Baviaanskloof. Dogs play around our feet and one of the children, Frankie Louw, proudly shows me the fish he caught in the dam.

One of the men at the braai, Theo van der Berg, promises to take me for a drive on his farm the next morning so I can “see a different part of the Baviaans”.

Later the men line up one by one for a clipper haircut. Luckily Theresa Louw, a local doctor, says she wants to show me some Bushmen paintings nearby. I grab

the opportunity to escape the gathering before my locks become endangered as well. (I think you could’ve benefitted from a proper haircut – Jaco.)

The Bushmen paintings are not far, but we have to drive there. Theresa is behind the wheel of the Land Cruiser bakkie that piggybacks a group of us to the paintings.

I sit with the group on the back and it is a wild ride. We hold on for dear life and duck for the low branches that whip past us, because this doctor lets fly. Look, she can drive, but I just hope she’s gentler in the consulting room!

We stop and Theresa leads us to a rock face with a smooth surface. At first glance it doesn’t look like there is much to see, but when she empties a bottle of water

If this is the foot of a mountain, then it is here that the green giant buries its toes in the earth.

Braai meat, bundu bashing and Bushmen paintings

From the peak of Graskop I can see the Baviaanskloof Mountains in the distance and I start to slowly descend into the valley. As I approach Klein-Kommandokloof, the valley and the mountain range unfold before me. The valley is as flat as a table top, but where it meets the mountain, the landscape has dramatic folds in it that reach up to the sky. If this is the foot of a mountain, then it is here that the green giant buries its toes in the earth.

The route ends where it meets the R332, the main route through the Baviaanskloof. I turn left in the direction of Willowmore and drive a couple of kilometres down the road to the Doringkloof bush camp. The road snakes around under lush trees and past a dam in the camp site, where I meet a group of people gathered around a braai. www.go-southernafrica.com

STARRY, STARRY NIGHT. Doringkloof’s camp sites and chalets are next to a small dam. On a night without a moon, you can light a fire and stretch out under a canvas of stars.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 45

DESTINATION BAVIAANSKLOOF over the rock, dozens of paintings appear.

The artwork is in great condition and the details are clearly visible. It’s worth having a look at these centuries-old artworks, so ask the camp staff to show you where you can find them.

When we return, the rest of the people are packing up. We say our farewells and Barend shows me where I can rest my head for the night.

Wild country, peaceful lifestyle

The next morning I drink a cup of coffee on Theo’s patio before we go for a drive on his farm, Kleinpoort. As I enjoy some home-made rusks, I ask him about life and the people of the valley.

“I’ll tell you what, there’s not a lot of opportunity to eat out, see a movie or go to a performance like you do in the city,” he says. “Here the people like to visit each other and braai. And that’s why I live here. I prefer this sort of lifestyle.”

We get in the bakkie and he shows me part of a 125 km long mountain biking trail he is busy developing on the farm.

It’s a beautiful part of the valley you wouldn’t get to see otherwise.

Mountain biking trails are gaining popularity and the number of trails in the Baviaanskloof is also increasing. If trail riding is your hobby, you can bring your bike along for a unique experience.

After the excursion, I head east on

the R332 in the direction of Patensie.

Between me and the town, however, lies the so-called “wild” part of the Baviaanskloof – the part of the road between the two gates of the nature reserve.

The comfortable gravel road soon turns quite rough and you’re not going to win without a 4x4. Indeed, when I enter the gate at the reserve and pay the conservation fee, the staff make sure that I have a suitable vehicle and warn me about the road conditions ahead.

The distance between the two gates of the reserve is about 70 km, but it takes me a good six hours to cover it (granted, I did stop quite a lot). The Grasnek Pass is the first of the day’s three big passes and although the road gets narrow fairly quickly, it is still in a fair condition.

It goes without saying, but remember your camera, since the views here are difficult to describe in words. On the other side of the pass I drive through Apieskloof which lives up to its name with all the vervet monkeys and baboons I see at the side of the road. The bush is thick and every few hundred meters I drive through large pools of water on the road. Water crossings are synonymous with the Baviaanskloof, and for the better part of the day the bakkie’s wheels are wet. At least the water is not deep and the ground underneath is hard, so I pass through easily.

For the next few kilometres the road

The Grasnek Pass is the first of the day’s three passes and it is still in a fair condition.

46 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

DESTINATION BAVIAANSKLOOF

runs down the bottom of the valley, along the Kouga River. At Smitskraal, Rooihoek and Doodsklip there are lovely picnic and camping spots by the water. Also keep an eye out for wildlife – through the course of the day I saw kudus, red hartebeest, klipspringers and even a caracal. I was, however, warned at the gate that I shouldn’t get out of the bakkie just anywhere, because apparently there are a few grumpy wildebeest around too.

On the next pass, the Holgat Pass, the road climbs sharply with many bends and it runs very close to the cliff face. It is quite an exciting 4x4 experience, but you need to keep your wits about you on the cement track in front of you. It is badly deteriorated, and in its current condiwww.go-southernafrica.com

tion it would probably have been easier to drive the pass without it. It has sharp edges everywhere, around which you have to carefully steer your tyres to avoid sidewall punctures. At times I hold my breath and hope another vehicle doesn’t approach from the front, because it gets very narrow. And very high.

WET WHEELS (above). If you’re going to tackle the Baviaans, be prepared to drive through lots of rivers and water crossings. Luckily most have a solid rock or cement bottom.

THE WORLD AT YOUR FEET (left). The road in the Cockscomb section of the Baviaanskloof conservation area leads to Groot River. The pass that leads to the river is just as spectacular as those inside the kloof.

The plain of what?

The Holgat Pass is connected to the Combrink’s Pass by a plateau called the Pisgoedvlakte, which roughly translates to “Pissing Stuff Plain”. Apparently the plain got its name from a type of euphorbia plant that grows here and adversely affects the bladders of livestock.

Descending Combrink’s Pass, the DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 47

world unfolds in front of me. The pass is just as spectacular (and narrow!) as the Holgat Pass, but without the cement track, which makes it easier to drive.

On the other side of Poortjies the road becomes decent again as I approach “civilization” and at Komdomo I exit the reserve. Shortly after this, the gravel road meets the R331 tar road to Patensie.

I spend the night in the calm Ripple Hill Hotel in Patensie. It is a Monday and apart from three young people in the bar, who seem to be recovering from a big weekend, the place is dead quiet. I ask about the road I’m taking to Steytlerville in the morning. I should be fine, they say, as long as it doesn’t rain. Not exactly what you want to hear about a road you’ve never driven before, but I have confidence in the Ford Ranger.

The next day I leave Patensie, heading back towards the Baviaans again, but just outside of town I turn right onto the Elands River road. The road runs in a northern direction to the Groot Winterhoek Mountains and for the first 15 km it is a comfortable gravel road.

At the road sign that indicates Grootrivier Poort, I turn left onto a jeep track that leads to the Cockscomb part of the Baviaanskloof conservation area.

The next 20 km to the river is the roughest stretch of road I’ve driven in the past three days. There are a lot of erosion trenches, muddy sections and

48 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

loose rocks, but the pass that descends on the northern slopes of the Baviaanskloof Mountains definitely equals those you encounter in the valley itself.

Getting wet once more

GREAT GRANDPA (top). This 1955 Willys Jeep is a forerunner of modern 4x4’s, and can be seen at the Pegasus Early Motoring Museum in Steytlerville.

HELLO THERE (above). There is plenty of game to be seen in the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, so drive slowly to spot them between the thick bushes.

From a distance I can already tell the Groot River’s low crossing is overflowing, but when I stop at the water, I can’t tell how deep it is or what the bottom is like.

There’s nothing for it but to take off my shoes and walk through it.

With a long stick I feel the bottom as I walk through the river and discover that the water comes up to my rear end. At least it is not flowing very strongly and there is a concrete slab underneath. Good news! What’s more, the yellow poles (which serve as depth markers) are still above the water, which means I should be able to pass through.

With a wet bottom I jump back in the bakkie, switch over to low range and push through. It is easier than expected. Later that night in Steytlerville I would find out that a Land Cruiser washed away here the weekend before. So make sure about the conditions before you attempt to drive through. A wet backside is decidedly better than a drowned bakkie.

On the other side of the river, the road climbs up the Groot Winterhoek Mountains and since a new water pipeline was built here recently, the road has been nicely restored. It doesn’t take long to

DESTINATION BAVIAANSKLOOF I WANT TO GO TOO!

THE LAST GRAVEL ROAD. With the mountain passes of the Baviaans in the rear-view mirror, the Hottentotspoort road leads you through the last bit of untouched wilderness to Steytlerville. www.go-southernafrica.com

Note: The road outlined in white indicates the route.

Steytlerville

Groo

t

Doringkloof Bush Camp

Rus-en-Vrede 4x4

ds k

G Sm ras n D oo itsk ek Co rn raa pa lip m br kr l ss a ink Ho al sp lga as tp s as s

R332

Do o

Best time of the year? All year round, but find out ahead of time if it has been raining.

Some parts of the route may be washed away.

What did you drive? The Ford Ranger Wildtrak. You definitely need a 4x4 with good ground clearance. If it is very wet, low range and diff lock would be essential.

Where can I fill up? Kareedouw, Patensie, Steytlerville and Willowmore all have fuel stations (with 50 ppm diesel), but there are none in the valley itself.

Where can I order a nice steak? Most of the accommodation in the Baviaanskloof is self-catering, so bring a cooler with supplies.

If you organise ahead of time, you could buy things like ice, braai packs and wood at some places. At Babe se Winkel and the Kleinpoort general dealer there are small stocks of basic goods. You’ll, find delicious steak on the menu at the Ripple Hill Hotel in Patensie and the Royal Hotel in Steytlerville!

Cash or card? Bring enough cash for your expenses in the Baviaans – there are no ATM’s or card facilities here. It costs R20 per person to enter the nature reserve if you don’t have a Wildcard. The Rus en Vrede 4x4 route costs R100 per vehicle and R10 per passenger.

Where can I sleep? Doringkloof bush camp has a guest house or you can stay in one of the cottages for R200 per person. Camping costs R80 per adult and R40 for children under 13. There’s no cell phone reception, but Wi-Fi is available and a radio with a doctor on standby for emergencies. Contact 049 839 1160, 4x4@baviaans.co.za or www.doringkloof4x4.co.za.

A room at the Ripple Hill Hotel in Patensie costs R300 per night for a single person and R200 per person sharing. Children under 10 years old stay for free if accompanied by their parents. Contact 042 283 0625 or ripple@telkomsa.net.

Rooms in the Royal Hotel in Steytlerville are R350 for a single person and R290 for two sharing. A self-catering unit with a capacity of six people is R700 per night. Contact 049 835 0385 or royal@dieseli.co.za.

Dirt Tar Dirt track

Komdomo

Baviaans Lodge Kou

Patensie

Ko

ug

a

Hankey

ga

Assegaaibos Kareedouw

drive the 18 km to the Steytlerville/Cockscomb fork. Here I keep right and drive through Hottentotspoort to reach my next and final destination, Steytlerville.

The forbears of the Ford

Steytlerville might be the end of my journey, but there is more to this town than just a place to sleep over before you head home. Wherever there is a Royal Hotel in a countryside town, you’re guaranteed to meet a few interesting people.

I chat to Johan Trollip at the hotel about the people of Steytlerville. “There is a man here with a collection of more than 300 clocks, and outside of town a farmer from back in the day painted all the different flags of South Africa through the years on a rock,” he says. “Have you visited the old car museum?”

We chat about the history of Steytlerville – the family crests on the flags in the main road, the poet A.G. Visser who used to conduct the church choir and Danie Craven who married his sweetheart here.

But it’s the old cars that pique my interest, so I go in search of the Pegasus Early Motoring Museum.

I meet Jurie Prinsloo behind the Verandah Coffee Shop in the main road, where his car collection is displayed between a host of vehicle-related memorabilia. As I walk between the cars, I notice a pattern

Krom

– I see a Ford Fairlane 500, a Cortina, an Anglia, a GT40 and even a Model C. “In the old days there were two types of guys, Ford guys or Chev guys. My grandfather was a Ford man, but my dad was a Chev man,” says Jurie. “I take after my grandfather.”

Then a 1955 Willys Jeep catches my eye. “It is in the same condition I found it in after it sat in storage for 30 years and still needs to be restored,” says Jurie.

“The interior and the engine are very basic, but the body panels are almost as strong as a tank. It’s a straight six petrol engine with Hurricane side pipes. The whole system is still the original 6 volt and it even has low range,” he explains.

The Willys sticks in my mind as I climb back into the Wildtrak (with a nod of approval from the Ford man). Sure, the Bluetooth radio automatically connects to my phone, I just push a button for low range and if my rear end gets chilly there is a button to solve that problem too. But vehicles like that Willys laid the groundwork for me in my modern 4x4 today.

The sense of adventure and the excitement of discovering new places hasn’t changed. It’s been part of the human experience all along.

I wonder if someone will be collecting “classic” Ford Rangers, Amaroks and Hiluxes when I am an old man.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 49

days des in a

50 WEGRY JULIE 2015

sert

that

rocks PHOTOS: WILLEM VAN DER BERG

The Richtersveld and its people are so different from the rest of South Africa, it might as well be another planet, reckons WILLEM VAN DER BERG.

www.wegry.co.za

WEGRY JULIE 2015 51

T

he lady in Springbok looks worriedly at me and my friend Pieter when we tell her that we are en route to the Richtersveld. “Are you going with a guide?” she asks. Her eyes widen and she draws in a breath, holding it there when she hears that we are going it alone. “You’re going into the Richtersveld without a guide?”

“You do know that the roads are not marked, don’t you? And it’s rough driving, there is no phone signal or water or people there. If something happens to you while you’re out there, days will go by before someone finds you; maybe no one will find you at all.”

I try to reassure her, explaining that I have done a lot of research ahead of time and that we have proper maps and a GPS with us. But she still looks sceptical and unimpressed with our plans.

“And what are you driving with?” I point to our blue-green Chev Trailblazer, which is full of wood, jerry cans, tents and a hard-core cooler box that I found to keep our food and drinks cold for the coming seven days.

“I don’t know, maybe you’ll be alright.

I just hope that I hear from you guys again.” So here then, is the story of our journey through the Richtersveld.

Without a guide.

“Komaan, rain” (Day 1)

The Anenous Pass, not far from Steinkopf, in the direction of Port Nolloth, takes us to the sandy veld. A few kilometres further is Rooidam se Koppe, where we leave the tar and swing northwest on a narrow gravel road.

The mountains are blue and foggy in the distance, and between them lie beautiful, red plains. It’s dry. Bone dry, to tell the truth. There is no sign of life as we scan the vista of dark, burnt bushes and stumps. Soon, a homestead with a few trees and a windmill emerges blurrily out of the horizon.

A while later we come across a faded blue sign on which the yellow words 52 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (previous page). It’s full moon at a spot between Vioolsdrift and Goodhouse in the K­ oa Valley. The quiver tree is king there.

TAKE A TURN (above). With all the twists and turns this path takes, it looks like it was made by a lizard, hence the name Akkedis Pass.

“and Annetjie” are painted. Whoever was here with Annetjie, their name is now nothing more than blotches of paint on the faded sign board.

The narrow gravel road becomes two sandy tracks. According to my map, this trail leads to a smallholding with the name “Komaan”. We stop there and meet Aunty Maria Cloete and her dogs, next to her small white house. Komaan is a farm and Aunty Maria has lived here for 30 years, ten of those alone, since the death of her husband. The name is actually Nana Komaan, she explains to us.

Nana is a Nama word. “It is to plead,” she says. Please, I beg you, Komaan.

Komaan, please.

“It’s because we’re always looking out for the wind here and waiting for the rain. You see how dry it is. God knows, nothing happens here.”

But at the same time, she wouldn’t consider living anywhere else. The “bus-

tle of the town” would drive her mad.

Aunty Maria lights her cheap cigarette of rolled newspaper and tobacco and through the clouds of smoke, maybe she sees a coming thunderstorm. Or perhaps her late husband with a herd of sheep.

“No, I’ll stay here. This is the best place for me.”

When we hit the road again, leaving Aunty Maria and her dogs behind in the emptiness, I send a prayer for her on the Richtersveld’s cold west wind.

“Be with Aunty Maria. Let the wind blow in the right direction for her. And let it rain down on her now and again.

Let her late husband appear to fetch the sheep in her dreams. Please. Nana.”

The singing streams

From Komaan we take a jeep track north. We drive past Klaarkop, which sits and bakes like a dark parasite in the sun.

To the east, the Skimmelberg is watching

DESTINATION RICHTERSVELD PLAY NICELY (top). These little girls from Lekkersing have unique names: Amorial, Meldine and Dusi.

KOMAAN (middle). “It’s been so long since any money came in that we’re all bankrupt, “ says Aunty Maria Cloete.

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT (below left). Annetjie is all alone in the Richtersveld’s sandy land west of Steinkopf.

SMALL BEGINNINGS (below right). ­Shops are hard to come by in the Richtersveld, but the one or two that are there, like the Kleinbegin Shop in Kuboes, stock everything from Milo to brake fluid.

sounded like singing, though it’s silent and dry when we drive through here. In front of the United Reformed Church a “Richtersveld Chihuahua” runs past. In Cloete Street we meet three little girls who immediately want to know if I’m an actor from 7de Laan.

From Lekkersing we drive northwards, following the large gravel road which takes you to Sendelingsdrift. Here there is a border post into Namibia (you cross over the Orange River on a pont) as well as the entrance to the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. On the south side of the park border is the Richtersveld World Heritage Site, which includes the communities of Lekkersing, Eksteenfontein and Kuboes. The Tierhoek camp site is in this southern section too, and we pull in during the late afternoon.

There is a deep cavern in the Ploegberg where you can pitch your tent amidst the huge rocks. We hope that the few rocks that look like they’ve rolled halfway down the mountain side will stay where they are. We also hope that the tiger of “Tierhoek” is actually a harmless member of the species that prefers bushes to meat.

The mysterious character (Day 2)

over us until later, we come to stop in a large sandy plain by Soetwater. It looks like something went horribly wrong here.

The two cement dams are completely dry. Of the house and surrounding buildings, there are just a few ruined walls left. And the world is littered with charred stumps that protrude from the sand like old sun-baked skeletons. It’s as if a mass grave was blown open here. www.go-southernafrica.com

Alongside the tracks we’ve followed, lies the carcass of a karakul sheep. Its mouth is slightly open as if, perhaps in its last moments, it tried to cry out.

Lekkersing’s people can apparently do as the town’s name suggests: sing nicely.

But this settlement between the lime hills is so named because of a spring in the area. This water source bubbled so beautifully in earlier years that it

Just after we pass the burnt out wreck of a car and a sign with a large red exclamation mark indicating caution, the gravel road suddenly dips sharply and takes a few wild and sharp turns. They call this section Doodskloof. We come out living on the other side and make a quick stop in Kuboes.

The bright, white church of the town immediately grabs your attention, even from far off. In 1844 the evangelist and teacher, Johan Hein, came here to live and work. The Nama people were, at that time, living a nomadic existence but eventually came to settle in Kuboes so DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 53

PHOTOGRAPHERS DREAM (above). Quiver trees, massive rocks and unbelievable lighting. Make sure your memory card has enough space on it if you get to Kokerboomkloof, because you’ll definitely be trigger happy here.

Don’t know if you’re on Facebook, but if you are, send us a friend request. And if you’re ever in Bloemfontein, drop by.

Regards Willem van der Berg and Pieter Steyn PS.We’ve left a beer for you in the shadow of the fence.

MORE THAN JUST ROCK (right). The Richtersveld is a rocky area, but the rocks here reveal that they have a life of their own HOLIDAY VETERANS (below right). Anthony and Vaness Fassbender with their holiday vehicle. This Hilux only drives through wild terrains. Back home it stands still, waiting for the next adventure.

that they could be part of Hein’s church and school.

By the Kleinbegin Store we meet Thaairah Aslam. She and her husband came all the way here from Pretoria a few years ago to take over the shop. “It was a very good business opportunity,” is how she explains the unusual move.

Yes well, Kuboes is apparently the place to be, since 1844.

The mystical Heitsi Eibib, as named by the Nama people, lives quite close to Kuboes. Allegedly, this guy has risen from the dead a few times already. According to legend, he lives in a 40 m deep sink hole that has been named the Wondergat (Wonder Hole).

We want to meet this god, trickster and magician, as the Khoi Khoi described him, and decide to stop over at 54 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

the sink hole. A deterring wire fence has been erected around it. We look in and we call to him, but we get no answer.

The sun is beating down on us and we decide to leave a note: Dear Heitsi.

We would have liked to meet you.We’ve heard so many interesting things about you.

From Sendelingsdrift we drive along a stony trail to the De Hoop camp site, where we spend the night sleeping alongside the Orange River. The following day, we drive through Swartpoort and Halfmens Pass to where the Hand of God is imprinted onto a rock face. It’s the image of a massive hand that looks like its high-fiving or waving hello. I suppose everyone must decide for themselves what the hand is saying to them.

We zigzag over Penkop and Akkedis Pass. Then we take the Klein Kook River path and drive straight through the Rooiberg to a sandy embankment on the Orange River. Here at De Hoop there are neat ablution blocks with cold bracken water, and you can choose your own camp site on the embankment. It’s wonderful to sit alongside this wide body of water and watch it snake between the surrounding arid mountains. The sun’s last light turns the sky a pink-blue and sets the mountains on fire. Next to us,

DESTINATION RICHTERSVELD the sound of the rushing river running through the desert makes for beautiful and calming background music.

Res rugby and brazen monkeys (Day 3)

There is a trail on the embankment of the Orange river which leads all the way to the Richtersberg, our next camp site.

The two tracks sometimes disappear in the deep, powdery sand, creating huge dust clouds – and it is here where our path crosses with that of a blue 2.2 Toyota Hilux. We stop to chat to Anthony and Vaness Fassbender from Durbanville in the Western Cape.

It seems he was in an infamous Kovsie residence, along with André Joubert, the Springbok rugby player who was also

known as “the Rolls-Royce of fullbacks.”

“He played well all through the years.

Look, you weren’t actually allowed in that residence if you couldn’t play rugby.

It was our trademark. We were never particularly bothered with our studies or cultural activities,” says Anthony.

The Fassbenders tell us about how their first day in the park went horribly wrong thanks to the vervet monkeys of the Potjiespram camp site. “They took everything out of our tent and ate it.

Even my wife’s hormone stuff,” says Anthony. “And my chill pills,” adds Vaness.

South of the Richtersberg we spot a family of klipspringers, mom, dad and baby. They may be small and timid, but these bokkies move over the roughest rocks like ballerinas. We ride over the

It’s as if the rock formations are piano keys, and the light is like long, thin, wellpractised fingers.

back of the Tatasberg, which looks like it belongs on a distant planet. There is not a scrap of life here, only rocks.

Down on the plains we stop right under the only tree that we can see, a shepherds tree, or Witgatboom. I’ve often thought that these trees should be called hardegatbome instead, because they can endure the waterless heat and dry rock of this landscape. Our lunch is leftover sosaties and smoked tuna on Salticrax.

Surf and turf.

Out of the Springbok plains, we turn north towards Kokerboomkloof. On the way we turn off to go to a lookout point. You stop at a massive slab of rock and when you climb to the top, the view takes your breath away.

The heaven’s keyboard

Below us lies the Secret Valley, also called “River of Sand”. Perhaps it should be called sea of sand, which gathers in the far western side against the black mountains. Temperatures of up to 60˚C have been measured here and the sand itself can reach up to 80˚C. At Kokerboomkloof there is a forest of dry quiver trees and incredible rocks.

THE SLOW LIFE. At De Hoop you can choose between a shower of cold bracken water or the Orange River. www.go-southernafrica.com

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 55

DESTINATION RICHTERSVELD It’s a beautiful place to camp. There are also neat ablution blocks here for the demarcated camp sites, but there is only water for the toilets. At the showers you’ll have to make your own plan. During the late afternoon we drive back the way that we came to watch the sun set behind the Paradys and Noemees mountains as we sit under a big quiver tree.

The Springbok plains lie wide and flat below us. On the other side of them is the Rosyntjieberg, Mount Terror and Gorgon’s Head which stand out from the landscape like rotting molars.

The sun doesn’t just go down in the Richtersveld. Instead, it performs a

spectacular send-off. It’s as if the rock formations are piano keys and the light is like long, thin, well-practised fingers.

The heavens reverberate with the silent symphony of the light. When you look again, everything is suddenly orange, and you’re standing there in awe, like an alien on a foreign planet.

Rumours of rain (Day 4)

I’m awake before dawn and sitting at the Kokerboomkloof rocks, where I wait to see the sunrise over the Nababerg. The sky is a deep blue and out of the southwest are fine fluffy clouds, marching in our direction. This place is magnificent,

and next time I’ll definitely stay here longer. Today we are taking a long drive through the middle of the park before we come to the south side and to Gannakouriep, where we will spend the night.

Near Claim Peak we drive through a strange dark plain with pitch black outcrops around us. Then we take the Abiekwa River track to where the path goes up to Maerpoort or down to Richtersberg. The part to the Richtersberg is closed because half of it collapsed after heavy rain. Yes rain, can you believe it?

After Maerpoort Pass we are in the Klein Kook River’s thick sand for a long time before we can reach and conquer the heights of Domorogh Pass.

Gannakouriep is called a wilderness camp. But there are quaint stone houses here with canvas roofs and windows, so you still get that camping-feeling. But the biggest luxury is having a hot shower and a fridge with a freezer; it helped that we could freeze our meat properly.

The cottages are well hidden and you are completely surrounded by mountains. Just in front of our small house is a rocky peak, which is covered in sharp pointed stones from the top to the bottom, almost like the scales on a dragon.

We climb to the top and sit with a cold beer and warm red wine watching how the sun transforms the Van der Ster, Tswaïes and Oemsberg mountains into similar orange reptiles.

The town that once stank (Day 5) NEWS FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD (above). His blue radio gets RSG, KFM and NFM (Nama FM), says Johan Pieters. But he likes to hear the news, so he only listens to RSG.

A ROARING TRADE (above). Dave Basson says that years ago, after much arguing, the church let him open a liquor store on the town’s corner. “Little did they know that the main road would later run right past my shop.”

56 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

Just before we leave the park, Helskloof shows us the umbrella-like quiver trees in bloom. Clear yellow flowers blossom and the small, grey Karoo prinias (karoolangstertjies) flutter between them, seeking insects that are hunting nectare.

We then see thousands of Pearson aloes.

This is the only area in the world where the pale red aloe is found.

Taking the large gravel road, we go back past the Wondergat, Kuboes, through Doodskloof, past Tierhoek to where we turn east to Eksteenfontein. A long time before we even catch sight of the small town, the gravel road becomes very bad and it’s a struggle through dongas, over stones and rises.

Eksteenfontein was originally known as Stinkfontein, because the reek of bodies from battles between the Namas and the San hung in the air around here.

In the 1940’s in the region of the farm Bo-sluis, near Bushmanland, a group of Basters became tired of not having land of their own.

DESTINATION RICHTERSVELD

THE BARE MINIMUM. There is no traffic, cell phone signal, no electricity or political parties, no snobs or inflation, no badly played rugby, 7de Laan, speed cops or any other evil around the Koisabis plains.

They pray about it regularly.

But I don’t know if you can ask God to do your dirty work for you.

They became known as the Bosluis Basters, and a pastor by the name of Pieter Eksteen helped them to finally get their own land, here at Stinkfontein. Later, the name was changed from Stinkfontein to Eksteenfontein.

We aim north to head towards the border of the park and the World Heritage site at Rosynebos, where we will camp tonight. Just a short way after Eksteenfontein, we come across a massive herd of sheep and goats that are walking on the twin tracks. Behind them follows a man with a wide brimmed hat on his head and a thin greyhound at his side. I go to say hello, and thus am introduced to Johan Pieters and his dog Piedie. Johan says it’s his uncle’s herd of livestock and he watches it for him during the day. www.go-southernafrica.com

Radio without borders

“I walk with them over the plains in search of something to eat. It’s as dry as dust here. These animals will eat any dry sticks they can find.” He carries a small radio with him, and only listens to RSG. “It’s crackly, but it sounds better with headphones. I like RSG because that’s how I get my news about the outside world and what is happening overseas, so I know what’s going on there. I find it very sad when I hear about serious floods in some places; that must be something terrifying.”

Later, when we drive in a narrow river bed, the sun is sinking in the west, while a golden full moon rises before us over the cliffs. It’s already pitch black by the time we are finally in the vicinity of

Rosynebos. We can’t figure out where the actual camp site is and decide to follow the Bak River course for a while, which will take us to the Orange River. We cast anchor and decide to set up camp in a beautiful open spot under high cliffs.

The devil is in the drink (Day 6)

The following morning we meet Dave Basson in Eksteenfontein’s liquor store.

He is the owner, and we’re looking to buy a few beers for this evening. While we are standing around there, I see a big white cardboard sign which berates people – “No alcohol will be sold to people: that are already drunk; that are rowdy; that are selling it illegally; that are pregnant or breast feeding. Alcohol may not be opened or consumed on the premises.

We thank you for your cooperation. DPJ Basson: Owner.”

Dave tells us that he’s had his hands full with the church, which constantly tries to close his shop. “They pray about it regularly. But I don’t know if you can ask God to do your dirty work for you.”

A jeep track takes us from Eksteenfontein to Vioolsdrift. We climb over DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 57

another Helskloof Pass and just before the Orange River we drive past a large black rock jutting out of the flat plains, on which is carved the ancient petroglyphs of the San people.

We don’t waste much time at Vioolsdrift and cover about 20 km by taking the N7, before we turn off onto two dull tracks on a lonely, sandy plain. A short descent takes us down the side of a mountain. After more twists and turns in a river bed and over more rocky crags, we are spit out onto a big open space.

It’s naked and flat and right in the middle of nothing is a massive old quiver tree. It’s as if it was planted there for us 200 years ago so that we could sleep under it tonight. To say thank you, we celebrate in the full moon and under the light of shooting stars, until it’s midnight and the fire has burned down low.

DUSTY THINKING (top). Stand for a long time here and take in the view, because when you’re back in the office you’ll wish you were driving in the Rivers of Sand.

SPA-TREATMENT (right). Riemvasmaak’s hot springs is the right spot to end your Richtersveld tour. Here you can refresh your body and scrub it clean again.

58 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

Stay on course – well, that’s the plan (Day 7)

Its day seven of our Richtersveld expedition, and our last. The radio briefly picks up RSG and we hear what is going on in the outside world, just like Johan Pieters said. But it doesn’t sound good.

It’s a constant struggle to live with each other out there in “civilisation”.

We descend between high cliffs, disappearing in their shadows. The Oernoep River bed takes us down to the Orange River. The further we go, the rougher it gets. This means we have to pack rocks,

DESTINATION RICHTERSVELD dig ourselves out of sand and with much gesticulation, Pieter shows me where to drive and we try not to rip up the Trailblazer’s belly on the on the sharp rocks.

Here and there the gaps are so narrow that the running boards and tyres just scrape by. It takes us two hours to do the 10 km to the river. I think that my map shows a path from here along the river to Goodhouse, and looking for it costs us a lot more time. After driving back and forth, I think perhaps we aren’t where I

thought we were on the map.

We drive east in the direction of Pofadder. Between the GPS and the map, I work out that the road which goes through Dabenoris to Poffadder must be north of us. As there are just endless sand plains around us and no fences, we push through. A few kilometres further, two straight tracks appear in front of us, and the GPS says “take them”. A bit further we join the gravel road and an hour later, we’re in Pofadder.

I WANT TO GO TOO!

www.go-southernafrica.com

Note: The roads outlined in white indicate the route.

Ai-Ais / Richtersveld Transfrontier Park De Hoop Camp site Or Maerpoort pass ang e Richtersberg Domorogh pass Kokerboomkloof

Hand of God Sendelingsdrift Halfmens pass Penkop pass

Fish

Helskloof pass

NAMIBIA

Gannakouriep Wondergat Kuboes Richtersveld National Park Rosynebos

B1

Orange

Best time of year?

The summer can get very hot. The springtime is mild and the plants begin to bloom.

Autumn is also lekker and in May all the quiver trees usually flower. In the winter it can get very cold in the evening.

Do I need a 4x4?

You can get very far with a 4x2 bakkie, but there are places where you will struggle and there are one or two places that you probably won’t be able to get to.

Is there cell phone reception?

There was weak Vodacom signal in Lekkersing. It was a bit better in Eksteenfontein. There was good signal in Kuboes, Vioolsdrift and Sendelingsdrift. With roaming on, you can pick up Namibia’s cell phone signal in some places.

Fuel?

There is 50ppm diesel and lead-free petrol in Sendelingsdrift and also at Vioolsdrift.

But it is not a bad idea to take a jerry can with you.

Where can I stay?

In the park you can choose between camp sites and cottages at two wilderness camps.

Camp site: R195 per site.

Wilderness camps: R710 for a cottage which sleeps two people.

Contact sanparks.co.za/parks/richtersveld.

In the World Heritage Site there are a few camp sites.

Contact Kuboes information centre 027 831 1041 or Eksteenfontein information centre 027 851 7108; richtersveld-conservancy.org.

Mountain Valley Chalets are neat cottages at Kuboes for R200 p.p.p.n Contact Jacobus Obies 083 997 7943 or 027 831 104.

Cat Nap has very neat rooms in an old house in Springbok from R230 p.p.p.n Contact 027 718 1905.

Dirt Tar Dirt track

It’s late, but we want to end our tour at Riemvasmaak’s hot springs, 70 km north of Kakamas. With the Trailblazer at a good gallop, we get there just as the sun is setting. Later, as the full moon sheds its light through the crevices and with its large eye watches us swim in the water, I re-live all the highlights of the trip. I think it’s good to wash off the dust in these waters, the outside world doesn’t deserve to be touched by the sand of such a holy place.

Tierhoek

Vioolsdrift Helskloof Kokerboomkamp

Eksteenfontein

Lekkersing

SOUTH AFRICA

N7

Soetwater

Komaan Anenous pass

Port Nolloth

Steinkopf R382

N7 N14

Springbok

Goegab Nature Reserve

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 59

PLAN YOUR

2016

adventure!

Grab your diary and plan your next self-drive adventure with Drive Out and Bhejane 4x4 Adventures.

KALAHARI/KGALAGADI

1 TRANSFRONTIER PARK WHEN? 29 January - 5 February 2016 Accommodation: Tents Cost: R10 950 per person Visit the 4 million hectare Mabenyani a Kalahari in Botswana and Mabuasehube in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Track lions with a Bushman-tracker and search for the Kgalagadi’s resident eagles, such as the Martial, Tawny and Bateleur.

2

LESOTHO LANDMARKS

WHEN? 28 February - 4 March 2016 Accommodation: Lodge and guest house Cost: R7 550 per person This 6-day mountain adventure traverses Lesotho from east to west. You’ll drive on the highest gravel roads, including the incredible Sani Pass, see the biggest dam and highest single-drop waterfall in Southern Africa and visit the birth place of the Basotho nation.

THREE COUNTRIES:

3 KRUGER, SWAZI KINGDOM

& MOZAMBIQUE COAST

WHEN? 5 - 12 February 2016 Accommodation: Tents & beach lodge Cost: R10 450

This diverse safari begins at a private camp site in southwestern Kruger Park. After a two night stay, including a day on the Pretoriuskop 4X4 route, we head into Swaziland.

We spend 2 nights camping in the western highlands, exploring the Malolotja Nature Reserve and some historic and cultural sites. Then we head to Ponta Malongane, Mozambique. We stay in a beach lodge for 3 nights, boating, snorkeling and enjoying east African seafood.

TRANS-BOTSWANA:

4 CAPRIVI, CHOBE,

VICTORIA FALLS

WHEN? 18 - 28 March 2016, 24 June 4 July 2016, 5 - 15 August 2016, 11 - 21 October 2016 Accommodation: Tents Cost: R12 650 per person We start in Lethlakane, southern Botswana, and end at Kasane in the north. It’s a journey of geological intrigue, from what was once the deepest part of a great lake at the Makgadikgadi Pan, around the south of the Okavango Delta and Okavango River into the Zambezi Strip (Caprivi) via the Tsodilo Hills. From here we visit the Chobe River and Victoria Falls.

PROMOTION READER OFFER ZIMBABWE - THE WILD

5

NAMIBIA’S DESERT RIVERS

9 PARADISE OF AFRICA

WHEN? 20 - 31 March 2016 Accommodation: Tents Cost: R13 650 per person

WHEN? 6 - 18 June 2016 Accommodation: Tents Cost: R16 850 per person

The desert rivers of Kaokoland are a unique part of northwest Namibia, home to the elusive desert elephants and many more animals, large and small. Kaokoland is full of surprises, with a rich treasure of unique beauty and wildlife.

Our journey begins at the Plumtree border post, shared with Botswana, and takes us into the majestic Matopos National Park with its spectacular granite outcrops. Then we visit the ancient Zimbabwe Ruins, Mana Pools, the man-made lake Kariba and Hwange National Park.

6

PONDOLAND PARADISE

WHEN? 7 - 11 May 2016 Accommodation: En suite tents Cost: R6 450 per person A trip down the rugged and untamed coastline of the Transkei. The area is very rural and traditional. We use the basic road network and many kilometres of legal jeep tracks to explore the rugged coastline, shipwrecks, pristine estuaries and crystal waterfalls.

ZULULAND CONSERVATION

7 MIRACLE

WHEN? 21 - 29 May 2016 Accommodation: Tents Cost: R10 650 per person This epic tour follows in the footsteps of King Shaka Zulu. We travel from Umfolozi Game Reserve, the oldest protected area in Africa, to the Isimangaliso Wetland Park, the largest estuary system in Africa and a Natural World Heritage Site.

8

ETOSHA: DAMARALAND &

10 SKELETON COAST

WHEN? 1 - 12 September 2016 Accommodation: Tents Cost: R12 650 per person Our adventure starts in the historic town of Swakopmund, where we enjoy some adventure activities. Then we head north to the spectacular Brandberg, drive through the Skeleton Coast National Park, spend time in the rock desert of Damaraland and do some game viewing in Etosha National Park.

THE KINGDOM OF

11 SWAZILAND

WHEN? 6 - 12 November 2016 Accommodation: Tents Cost: R7 950 per person Experience the heartbeat, culture and rhythm of the Kingdom of Swaziland, from the Ezulwini Valley (“place of heaven”), through the Lowveld region of Hlane to the mountains surrounding Phophonyane. This Swaziland

tour offers rapid scenery changes, breathtaking views and heart-warming culture.

ZAMBIA: LIUWA PLAINS

12 WILDEBEEST MIGRATION WHEN? 4 - 13 November 2016 Accommodation: Tents Cost: R13 250 per person Our route starts and ends in Katima Mulilo, Namibia. Following the course of the Zambezi past Sioma Falls (Ngonye), we cross the Barotse Floodplains and go through the town of Kalabo in western Zambia. From Kalabo, we enter the Liuwa Plains National Park and experience the second biggest wildebeest migration in Africa.

SECRETS OF THE KNYSNA

13 FOREST

WHEN? Every day of the year, except Christmas Day, but please book beforehand.

Cost: Adults R400, students R200, scholars R100 This highly protected ecosystem has been off-limits to anybody other than those prepared to hike or mountain bike the area. But Bhejane 4X4 Adventures recently obtained permission to explore this forest world. We invite you to join us on a professionally guided 4X4 self-drive exploration and unlock some of the forest’s best kept secrets.

* Children under 10 get a 50% discount on all prices.

HIDDEN GEMS OF NAMIBIA

WHEN? 1 - 11 August 2016 Accommodation: Tents Cost: R12 650 per person We’ll travel through Bushmanland to the emerald waters of the Okavango Delta and Linyanti Swamps. En route we go on a game walk with Africa’s oldest inhabitants – the San, and visit the Khaudum, Bwabwata and Mamili national parks. We also drive through the Zambezi strip (Caprivi) with its awesome game viewing.

Yes, I want to go!

To book, call Dennis on 044 535 9257 or e-mail info@bhejane.com. Find out more at www.bhejane.com.

In King’s

country

Only three hours from Gauteng lies a country where a king rules with an iron fist and where you have to watch out for the crocodiles.

CHARLES THOMPSON visited the Kingdom of Swaziland.

PHOTOS: CHARLES THOMPSON

62 WEGRY JULIE 2015

A

white Land Cruiser with big BF Mud-Terrains stops in front of me in O.R. Tambo’s pickup area. It looks about as comfortable in the row of shiny German sedans as a big man in khaki clothes does in a boardroom full of suits. I soon realise these Joburg roads aren’t exactly the driver, Riaan Haasbroek’s, home ground either. I decide to leave him in the company of his GPS for now. Five days in Swaziland lie ahead of us – plenty of time for chit-chat.

We soon reach the Oshoek border post and come out the other side in a flash – the officials are friendly and no one tries to bribe you.

Riaan is putting together a new tour for Bhejane 4x4 Adventures and I’ve come along for the ride. We’re heading for Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary outside the capital, Mbabane, where we will camp tonight. In the distance lie two well-known hills called Sheba’s Breasts, and under them is a yellow and green carpet of land with houses and large patches of trees planted on it. A signpost for a Nedbank ATM reminds me

DESTINATION SWAZILAND that we’re not far from home, but we’re exploring a completely different world here – an absolute monarchy which is still ruled by a king.

Holy ground

Ezulwini means “place of heaven” in Swati and the Ezulwini Valley has a rich cultural heritage. We drive past huge grounds where the annual reed dance takes place, and above it see another historical site – Execution Rock.

When we stop at the sanctuary’s gate, Riaan explains that Mlilwane means “small fires” in Swati. The area is known for lightning and veld fires, but it’s also where a different kind of fire was once kindled. It is here where a conservationist called Ted Riley began his groundbreaking work.

In the camping area, under a corrugated-iron roof, among scores of animal skulls, stands a beaten-up old Land Rover. Her name is Jezebel. This Series I model was one of the vehicles Riley used to transport game from all over Swaziland to Mlilwane.

Apparently, Riley was famous for driving in the veld with one hand, sometimes at speeds of up to 80 km/h, while darting animals with a rifle in the other. He

This is one of the great things about Swaziland, you never drive very far.

and his team would bring game from as far as 200 km away to the safety of the reserve. In one of the posters above the vehicle, Riley sits behind the wheel, dart gun held high, with bushes flying in a blur past the vehicle.

His pioneering conservation work helped save 22 species from local extinction, and the last rhino poaching incident in Swaziland was in 2013.

Death row

With our camp erected, we head for Execution Rock just before sunset. Here, death-row convicts had to jump to their end from a steep cliff. If they didn’t, they were “helped” into the next world.

The road up the hill from Mlilwane’s camp site is a nasty one, and we’re soon grunting along in first gear, low range. When we reach the parking area at the top, a small signpost shows us a 1 km route to the cliff’s edge. The sun is touching the horizon already but we didn’t drive this far just to turn back.

We chuck two beers into a backpack and start walking.

It feels like more than a kilometre to the cliff, but it’s worth it. As I peer over the edge, I realise I probably also would’ve needed some “help” jumping. But these grizzly thoughts are soon forgotten when I kick back with my first, ice-cold Sibebe beer. The view over the green Ezulwini Valley is to die for, luckily not literally anymore!

We dine on impala stew in the reserve’s open-air restaurant and watch a traditional dance before going to bed.

The only sounds that occasionally wake me are a few bush babies and a night jar.

We’re up at 05:30 the next morning and soon Riaan is shouting out the day’s itinerary over a shower wall. We only have 120 km to kill before reaching our next destination – Hlane National Park.

On the way, we’ll visit a local village. I would discover during the trip that this is one of the great things about Swaziland – you never have to drive very far.

After a game drive that provided lots of antelope, hippos and a fat croc, as

PAIN KILLER (far left). It’s a rough road to the parking area below Execution Rock, but this view is the best medicine for a sore behind.

LIKE KRUGER PARK IN PRETORIA (left). Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary is so close to the Swazi capital Mbabane, you can drive there for lunch, but past the park entrance, it’s nature all the way.

www.go-southernafrica.com

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 63

well as plenty bird sightings, we break up camp and drive to Mlilwane’s entrance to await our guide for the village visit.

The man who approaches on his bicycle has a bright red cloth around his shoulders with King Mswati III’s face on it. It looks like the two men are competing to see who can show the most teeth.

“Stew,” he introduces himself. “Like chicken stew.”

He leads the way to the chief ’s umphakatsi, explaining that she is called Inkhosikati, and is the widow of the king’s brother. Her husband use to be the chief, but when he died, Inkhosikati had to take over.

A female chief is rare, but on arrival we learn that she’s not home. Riaan and I are led to a tree trunk by two village women who join Stew in teaching us about Swati customs and language.

Grinding maize is apparently a chore performed by women and unmarried men. And since I’m not wearing my wedding band, I soon find myself on my knees in front of a grinding stone.

After the “hard work,” I’m invited to rest on a traditional bed of impala hides with a tiny wooden bench as a pillow.

The bench is also covered in soft hide and the simple bed is remarkably comfortable. I could’ve fallen asleep, had it not been for the giggling kids behind me.

Into the wild

On the way to Hlane National Park, we visit a few arts and crafts shops at Malandela’s as well as Swazi Candles. While we stroll around, appreciating the art and seeing how things like batik material

and hand-made candles are created, I’m again impressed by this little country.

It’s a poor agricultural economy, and certainly not the kind of place you could expect to buy your bread and milk at the corner café at 10:00 pm. But the road infrastructure is good and there are enough shops and filling stations so that you don’t have to bring along a month’s worth of supplies for your trip.

While driving through Manzini, Riaan tells me that the seat of government used to be here. “But they decided it’s too hot and moved the whole shebang to Mbabane!”

A few drops are falling by the time we reach Hlane and I quietly pray for a proper storm. Because here, only 2 hours from the lush Ezulwini Valley, we’ve arrived in the Swazi Lowveld – a flat, dry landscape of red earth and thorn trees.

Hlane means “wilderness,” but the

BACK TO BASICS (middle left). Not even the GPS knew where The Gap was, where the Komati River disappears into the earth.

Here, Bhejane guide Riaan reads directions in a local paper.

TORTURE VICTIM (left). This Landy, called Jezebel, was used by conservation legend Ted Riley. It looks like she earned her keep.

64 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

DESTINATION SWAZILAND

SPOT THE ANGELS? (far left). Swaziland’s Ezulwini Valley doesn’t mean “Place of Heaven” for nothing.

HOWZIT FABIO (top). Lions like this one, who looks like he’s just combed his hair, are easy to spot in Mlilwane’s lion camp.

STANDING TALL (bottom left). Hlane’s rhinos can regularly be found close to camp and you see them often during your visit.

Soon after our tents are up, the lions start roaring a few hundred meters away.

reserve is neatly divided into camps and managed almost like a game farm. The game is separated into different camps and you can see animals everywhere.

Soon after our tents are up, the lions start roaring a few hundred metres away – luckily in a different camp!

Apart from lions, you can also see elephants, rhinos, and the largest flock of white-backed vultures in the world.

Later, at the Mahlindza watering hole, we see an entire tree full of them. They share the dead branches with a flock of marabou storks, and in the blood-red sunset these unsightly creatures look like they could star in a cowboy movie.

The sun has already set when we reach camp but we make a quick detour to the www.go-southernafrica.com

watering hole beyond the restaurant.

When we arrive, three rhinos are lying just beyond the fence. They’re so close we can smell them. We spend a long time just watching these strange, prehistoric creatures while we listen to their snorting breathes.

Another night ends around the campfire. “A bit of nature, a bit of beer, a fire and lots of wildlife. What more could you need?!” exclaims Riaan. I think he’s finally arrived on his home ground.

In lion country

We’re up long before the sun, because we’re going into the lion camp today.

The only thing breaking the silence is a herd of impalas snorting somewhere.

A game-drive vehicle picks us up just before 06:00 and we drive up and down the lion camp, with no lions in sight. Our guide, Senzo Silenge, is starting to look tense. I suppose he dreads the thought of sending paying guests home with

empty memory cards. But then we see a beautiful male lying in the grass, his dark mane shining in the morning light. He’s so close we can smell him.

We break up camp and start heading to Maguga Dam. On the way, Riaan wants to look for a place called The Gap. It’s one of Swaziland’s hidden gems, a place where the Komati River is said to disappear dramatically down a huge natural crevice.

Leaving Hlane, we stop at the gate for a few photographs of two long rows of wire traps hanging from tall poles. I saw similar “monuments” to poaching at Mlilwane, where a notice said more than 20 000 of these traps were removed from the Swazi veld in just 10 years. At Hlane, game rangers also display poachers’ clothing and shoes. It’s a strangely humanizing element in the display.

“There must be thousands of kilograms of metal here!” Riaan sighs. We continue much of the way in silence.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 65

DESTINATION SWAZILAND Sugar high

From the Swazi Lowveld we suddenly find ourselves in sugarcane country. To the right lie the Lebombo Mountains and sugarcane plantations stretch far and wide.

Riaan plotted a route to The Gap on Tracks4Africa, but when he wanted to transfer it from his notebook to his GPS last night, the computer’s battery croaked. Nonetheless, T4A shows a route to a point of interest called The Gap car park, so we’re pretty confident we’ll get there.

At one point, the GPS shows our route turning to the left, but Riaan has a Kingsley Holgate moment and turns right to go and explore the hills instead.

We soon find ourselves on rough bush track. I’m in and out of the Cruiser taking photographs and the only other tracks I see belong to a horse! The Cruiser wrestles through mud and over rocks until we reach the top of a hill at 1100 m above sea level. Up here, we suddenly find ourselves in grassland, after fighting our way through dense mountain forests.

We unpack a table and enjoy lunch with green, flowing hills all around us. There isn’t another soul in sight, unless you believe that cows go to heaven.

With lunch behind us, we start our descent on a road littered with rocks and dongas. We pass numerous tiny settle-

ments and every now and then a wave and a “Sanibonani” reaches our vehicle.

But the GPS is having a hard time leading us to the parking area it so confidently displays. Every time we get close, the pink route on the screen is either a narrow animal track or no track at all.

The Cruiser growls through bushes and ditches, branches screech as they claw the sides of the vehicle.

At one point, we follow a cattle path that looks like it’s going in the right direction. But the further we drive, the slower we go.

It’s already late afternoon when we

BUNDU BASHER (far right). The “road” to The Gap was often just a footpath, probably used by animals and the odd human.

TRAPPED TRAPS (right). Thousands of animal traps found by rangers are displayed at Mlilwane and Hlane (pictured here).

DAM IMPRESSIVE (below). The wall of the Maguga dam is almost a kilometre long and the water below it over 100 m deep.

66 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

finally decide to give up for the day. We still have to drive to Maguga Dam, and we agree to pick up the search again tomorrow.

Dam lucky

About an hour later, we stop at Maguga Lodge on the Maguga Dam. This is an engineering miracle on the Komati River – 115 metres deep with a dam wall that stretches for almost a kilometre.

We set up camp in the dark, but with the promise of a beautiful view at sunrise. Just like everywhere else we’ve been in Swaziland, birdlife is abundant. We

DESTINATION SWAZILAND

www.go-southernafrica.com

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 67

DESTINATION SWAZILAND Gap, we find a large pool of cool, fresh water in one of the potholes connected to the river. It only takes a few seconds before both of us are in, congratulating ourselves on finding such a special place.

hear three different owls and the list of the species we’ve seen today includes a martial eagle, rare greater painted-snipe and a woolly-necked stork.

The next morning at 08:30, we’re up and ready to look for The Gap again. Riaan does a quick “gear check” before we get into the Cruiser to begin the search.

“Right,” he says, “Let’s see: Water, camera, and a sense of adventure!”

We retrace our steps back to where we gave up yesterday and check Google Maps and Tracks4Africa. We even check directions I discovered in a local newspaper, and finally decide to try the cattle path again. The spot where we turned back yesterday is a narrow gap between a huge rock and a tree. A branch hangs low over the trail, but Riaan manages to coax the Cruiser through.

By this time, we can hear the river rumbling through the thicket. We stop, and armed with Riaan’s cell phone, we follow the map, climbing over huge rocks to a set of potholes. I know from the newspaper article that we’re very close now. We jump over a few holes and hit a dead end at some huge gaps in the rock, but then we see it.

On a line where tectonic forces cracked the earth, the granite rock gapes open. The tear is about 2 metres wide and at the top end, a funnel has formed that swallows the entire Komati River down its throat. The water disappears in a white mass down the dark crevice and only surfaces again many metres downstream.

By now we’re sweating like rugby players in a test match. Upstream from The Dirt Tar Dirt track Phophonyane Falls R40

Kom

SOUTH AFRICA N17

Malolotja Nature Reserve

It’s our last day in Swaziland and we do a quick morning hike to Phophonyane Falls at an ecolodge of the same name near Pigg’s Peak. Around midday,

MOZAMBIQUE MR6

MR2 MR3

The Gap

MR1

MR3

This is the end

Note: The roads outlined in white indicate the route.

Maguga-dam

ati

It’s late afternoon when we reach Maguga Lodge again, but we have time for a boat cruise on the dam. A jolly of group Swazis are on the cruise with us, and one catches my eye. He’s dressed in traditional attire – a red cloth with the king’s face on it and an animal hide around his loins, just like Stew.

A hand appears from beneath the king’s face and the man introduces himself as Prince Derrick Jele from Mbabane. Wow, I think, we’re on a cruise with royalty! The prince’s followers, some of them a few beers ahead of the rest, fuss around him like waiters at a fancy restaurant. It’s not long before they offer us some of their home-made marula beer. With pomp and flashing cameras we drink with Prince Jele from a blue, plastic calabash.

This continues for most of the cruise and by the time we get off, we feel properly honoured to have had the experience. But when I ask to write his name in my notebook, he whispers softly: “Just don’t write that I’m a prince, hey. It’s not really true!”

MR1

Piggs Peak

Josefsdal Songimvelo Game Reserve

A royal mistake

Mlawula Ndzindza Nature Reserve

MR5

SWAZILAND

Hlane Nature Reserve

Mbabane Ezulwini-vallei Mlilwane Nature Reserve

MR3

Manzini Swazi Candles 68 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

MR8

the Cruiser lumbers up the high hills on its journey back to Joburg. Everywhere we look, people are gathering next to the roadside. Sunday is soccer day here and they’re getting ready to watch today’s matches.

As we are heading home, my thoughts return to “prince” Jele. I wonder if his entourage is giving him a hard time on their way back to Mbabane because one of them accidentally overheard his whisper.

I WANT TO GO TOO! Accommodation: Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary R95 p.p.p.n. (with electricity); +268 2528 3943; reservations@biggameparks.org.

Hlane National Park – R85 p.p.p.n. (with electricity); +268 2528 3943/4; reservations@biggameparks.org.

Maguga Lodge – R135 p.p.p.n. (with electricity); info@magugalodge.com; +68 2437 3975/6.

We camped, but all of these have other accommodation options too.

Best time of year: Expect rain any time of the year on the Highveld, but mild summers. The Lowveld gets a lot hotter and drier. Summer is the rainy season there, but the thunderstorms are quick and it doesn’t get freezing cold.

What did you travel in? Toyota Land Cruiser 4.2 diesel.

Fuel consumption? About 18 litre/100 km.

Road conditions: Tar roads are mostly in a good condition and you can reach the reserves in a sedan. The roads to The Gap and Execution Rock are for 4x4’s only. You’ll find lots of routes where you can get your AT tyres dirty.

Cell phone reception: South African phones generally don’t work in Swaziland.

Only Phophonyane Falls Ecolodge advertised that they do.

Best places to see game? Mlilwane and Hlane.

Fuel? You can fill up in Mbabane, Manzini and Piggs Peak.

Visas, currency and documents: South Africans get a visa at the border (free) and rands are widely accepted. Declare expensive items at the border. Oshoek is a commercial border post and Riaan has been searched there more than once. *If you would like to join Bhejane Adventures on a Swaziland tour, contact Dennis Carlisle on 044 535 9257 (phone and fax); info@bhejane.com;

The four signs of reliability, service & workmanship.

With over 60 franchise dealerships country-wide, we have the workshop facilities, quality auto-electrical products and the professional expertise to guarantee both our parts and labour, nationwide. www.motolek.co.za

AUTO-ELECTRICAL SPECIALISTS

Diesel fuel injection is our business. With over 40 franchise dealerships nationally, we supply, fit and service the world’s leading diesel product ranges, complete with manufacturer’s warranty.

www.adco.co.za

DIESEL FUEL INJECTION SPECIALISTS

At all our CBS outlets country-wide, our professional staff are experienced in the repair and maintenance of all light, medium and heavy-duty applications for both fleet and individual customers.

CLUTCH & BRAKE SPECIALISTS

www.cbsclutch.co.za

Battery Hub offers a wide range of sealed maintenance free, heavy-duty, leisure & conventional battery brands with national guarantees.

BATTERY EXPERTS

www.batteryhub.co.za

Here when you need us most For your nearest branch, call 011 879 6000 or visit www.motolek.co.za | www.adco.co.za | www.cbsclutch.co.za | www.batteryhub.co.za For franchise enquiries, please call Riaan Lloyd on 011 879 6000

CH4267

Workmanship

Workmanship Golden Guarantee Agriculture

Heavy Duty

Utility

Sedan

GEAR

ALL THAT

& a bag of

chips

The pride of each man is his ability to get everything packed in for the holidays. And with these camping containers that will be much easier.

I

f you realise, as many travellers do, that after a holiday in Botswana Junior’s wet suit did not see water, you’re probably still touring with unnecessary gear.

If you cut down the gear and the luggage so much that you have to share a coffee cup – and the luggage pile is still huge – it’s time to make a better plan.

PLAY TETRIS IN YOUR CRUISER It's nearly impossible to stack a pile of soccer balls on top of each other in the back of your boot, in the load bin or on the roof rack.

It’s the same with a heap of different sized luggage. It wastes space and makes packing difficult. The smart solution is to pack it in a box or crate and then into the vehicle.

If you can’t afford a drawer system, or if you use your load bin between trips, a few sturdy crates are your best friend.

Crates are popular because their rectangular shape allows them to fit easily on top of each other.

The humble ammo box will solve many of your packing conundrums, but we also looked at a system of steel cases and a variety of boxes. Some of these boxes and crates are also good options to store your camping and travelling gear neatly in your garage until your next holiday. Here are a few good ideas.

70 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

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AMMO BOXES

WHAT WORKS FOR THE ARMY...

The size and shape of ammo boxes make them one of the most popular boxes around. They're small enough to handle and the design allows for a few to be stacked on top of each other easily.

But don’t try to cross our neighbour’s borders with boxes that look like you stole them out of an army truck. Border officials might think that it’s really military equipment, then you'll be in hot water.

LOW-LID AMMO BOX

Everybody’s best friend

This normal ammo box, which you can buy at any outdoor store, is sturdy and easy to carry around. Yes, everybody knows the lid’s latches are not that strong, but if you use it carefully you’ll be able to use it until the Currie Cup ends up in the Free State again.

PRICE: R175 (Echo 4x4); R235 (Safari Centre Menlyn); R169 (Safari Centre Cape Town).

CONTACT: Echo 4x4 Centurion 012 345 3333; Echo 4x4 Cape Town 021 910 3737; Safari Centre Menlyn 012 348 3253; Safari Centre Cape Town 021 595 3910.

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HI-LID AMMO BOX

Head and shoulders

3

This ammo box has the same design as the low-lid version, but as the name suggests, the lid is slightly higher. It is ideal for those things that are just too tall to stand upright in a normal ammo box. You can still stack other crates on top of them, and they are just as sturdy as their shorter brothers.

4

PRICE: R315 (Voetspore 4x4 Megaworld); R288 (Safari Centre Menlyn); R199 (Safari Centre Cape Town).

CONTACT: Voetspore 4x4 Megaworld 012 940 8999; Safari Centre Menlyn 012 348 3253; Safari Centre Cape Town 021 595 3910.

3

CANVAS BAG

Cover up

These canvas bags are ideal for ammo boxes that are going to be transported on a roof rack. The bags from the

www.go-southernafrica.com

different brands don’t differ much. They are all waterproof to a point, and completely dust proof. But rather pack the ammo box containing the toilet paper in the load bin.

Everything you transport on your roof will get wet sooner or later. You can get bags to fit two or three boxes.

PRICE: R545 Howling Moon 3 Up Canvas Bag (Safari Centre Cape Town); R390 (Safari Centre Menlyn); R519 Tentco 3 Up Wolfpack (Voetspore 4x4 Megaworld); R550 Echo 4x4 2 Box Wolfpack (Echo 4x4); R600 Camp Cover Ammo Box Cover 3 Up (Outdoor Warehouse).

CONTACT: Echo 4x4 Centurion 012 345 3333; Echo 4x4 Cape Town 021 910 3737; Safari Centre Menlyn 012 348 3253; Safari Centre Cape Town 021 595 3910; Voetspore 4x4 Megaworld 012 940 8999; Outdoor Warehouse 0800 007 261.

CAMP COVER DELUXE-KITCHEN ORGANISER

4

The kitchen sink

If your better half’s left eye starts twitching when she finds the cutlery packed in next to the firelighters, then this canvas bag would be a good investment for you. It fits neatly into your ammo box and it has different sections and pouches for different kitchenware. Depending on how much of a Jamie Oliver you are in the bundus, one should be enough, but two also won’t take up too much space in your vehicle.

PRICE: R360 (Safari Centre Cape Town); R330 (Outdoor Warehouse).

CONTACT: Safari Centre Cape Town 021 595 3910; Outdoor Warehouse 0800 007 261.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 71

5

SECURITY BOX

The safe alternative

If ammo boxes are not versatile enough for you, you can consider this option. These come in various sizes. The box’s lid folds into itself like a shark’s teeth, with a hole to fit a lock. They are relatively sturdy and still manageable, depending on what you pack in it, of course.

1

PRICE: Medium: R225 (Voetspore 4x4 Megaworld); R210 (Safari Centre Cape Town). Large: R325 (Voetspore 4x4 Megaworld); R335 (Safari Centre Cape Town).

CONTACT: Voetspore 4x4 Megaworld 012 940 8999; Safari Centre Cape Town 021 595 3910.

5

3

ADDIS PLASTIC BOXES

A CRATE FOR EVERY TASTE

If you are looking for a plastic box or crate, chances are that Addis has something for you on their shelves. They have shapes and sizes for nearly anything that you want to pack. Except if you want to put your high lift jack in a box!

72 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

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ADDIS CLEAR STORAGE

2

ADDIS ROUGHTOTE

Seeing clearly

Ol’ toughy

PRICE: R175 (28 litre); R190 (56 litre). Other sizes available.

CONTACT: Outdoor Warehouse 0800 007 261.

PRICE: R170 (110 litre); R85 (45 litre). Other sizes available.

CONTACT: Outdoor Warehouse 0800 007 261.

These Addis boxes may not be as hardy as others when it comes to off-road travelling, but they are ideal to use in your garage because the boxes allow you to see inside.

The lid closes with latches and they are easy to carry.

These crates are a bit more resilient when it comes to taking the hits of travelling and are made from recycled plastic.

The larger one’s lid latches on at the handles, while the smaller one closes like an ice cream tub. So make sure the lid is on properly.

METAL BOXES AND SYSTEMS

A SHORT COURSE

You don’t need a degree in physics to know that a steel trunk is stronger than a plastic one. You also do not need to be a chemical engineer to realise that aluminium is even better because it doesn’t rust. And you don’t need to be an auditor to know that better quality usually comes at a higher price.

CASBRO 24” STEEL TRUNK

1

2

Grandpa Gus’ steel trunk

The Casbro is a steel trunk with a latch to close the lid and two steel handles to carry it around. There are different sizes available – from 20 inch to 38 inch – and they work well in a vehicle, on the back of your bakkie or in your garage.

But just make sure it fits inside your vehicle before buying it.

PRICE: R430 CONTACT: Outdoor Warehouse 0800 007 261.

2

DESERT ALU BOX

Aluminium or alumaximum?

These aluminium boxes from 4x4 Megaworld are the company’s own product and are manufactured for a variety of applications in different sizes.

For example, if you already have an aluminium canopy and you want a box behind one of the hatches, there is one made for this. The difference in price is determined by the size and how intricate the design is. The cheapest one costs R895.

PRICE: R2 975 CONTACT: 4x4 Megaworld Cape Town 021 511 3311; 4x4 Megaworld Menlyn 012 348 0826.

3

ECHO 4X4BAKKIE BOX

A starter drawer system

Drawer systems can be useful for organising your whole kit when you are travelling. If you want a drawer system, but you are still not sure if you are willing to drill holes into the load bin of your vehicle, this is just the thing for you.

You have two options: two drawers of similar size that can each take two ammo boxes, or one drawer for ammo boxes and two smaller drawers for things like canned food and cutlery. The drawers can also be equipped with high density foam to ensure your cups and plates don’t mix with your knives and forks.

PRICE: R4 250 CONTACT: Echo 4x4 Centurion 012 345 3333; Echo 4x4 Cape Town 021 910 3737

2 3

ADDIS CARGO TRUNK

The wagon box

The volume of this trunk may not be as much as that of others in the range, but it is tough in its own class. The metal clasps and bright yellow handles are not the only features. It also has wheels on the one side to make loading and unloading it easier. Who needs a drawer system?

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3

PRICE: R370 (89 litre) CONTACT: Outdoor Warehouse

0800 007 261.

www.go-southernafrica.com

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 73

CARGO NETS

1

SAFETY NET

A cargo net might not be necessary if you drive a bakkie and your luggage is stored in the load bin. But in any station wagon-type vehicle where the luggage is in the cab with you, it can be vitally important. If the worst happens and your vehicle rolls, a net over the luggage will prevent heavy loose items from injuring the passengers more.

The purpose of a cargo net over the luggage on your roof rack is obvious – it prevents your ammo box from falling onto the Uno behind you just outside Harrismith.

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SECURETECH CARGO NET

Jolly green giant

This cargo net is made from sturdy webbing and it covers 1.1 m x 0.9 m. The fasteners can be adjusted to ensure a tight fit. The plastic fasteners have a breaking strength of 200 kg, more than enough for a spare wheel and an ammo box or two on your roof rack.

PRICE: R545 (Safari Centre Menlyn); R595 (Safari Centre Cape Town).

CONTACT: Safari Centre Menlyn 012 348 3253; Safari Centre Cape Town 021 595 3910.

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DESERT SUNSET HEAVY DUTY CARGO NET

To the desert and back

This is also a product range from 4x4 Megaworld. The size of this net allows you to put it over your entire bakkie and canopy. With the strong webbing, straps and buckles with steel hooks, you can tie it on to your vehicle properly.

2

PRICE: R519 CONTACT: 4x4 Megaworld Cape Town 021 511 3311; 4x4 Megaworld Menlyn 012 348 0826.

HAVE YOU

SPOTTED THIS BULL YET?

FIND THE SMALL, ROUND, RED PEDDERS BULL HIDDEN SOMEWHERE within our editorial and SMS your name and email address, followed by the page number TO 35121 .

SMS’s charged at R1,50. Free SMS’s do not apply. Standard Terms and conditions apply, read them at www.go-southernafrica.com

Selfdoen GEAR NEW TEKS PIET VAN HEERDE FOTO’S JAMES GARAGHTY

Look what we found!

DRIVE OUT LEATHERMAN SIDE-KICK

As tough as...

TRACKS4AFRICA 15.05

More roads to explore The latest version of Tracsk4Africa has been released. If you expect there to be millions of kilometres of new roads added, then maybe you don’t realise just how thoroughly the previous versions already charted Africa’s roads.

The new T4A contains 867 974 km of roads – 3% more than the previous version (14.10). The points of interest have gone up to 134 452 (2% more than before), and there are 10 273 accommodation options (1% more than before).

But there are slightly fewer camp sites to choose from –

as camp sites that have closed down have been taken off the system. But that is the point of new T4A maps: they ensure that you do not arrive to find everything closed up.

The Western and Northern Cape’s data has grown the most, with more accommodation options and access roads to parks and better street coverage for Cape Town.

Everyone knows that a Leatherman is indispensable when you go to the bush. Although the Sidekick is not necessarily one of Leatherman’s most popular models, it makes a great gift, coming with a couple of handy tools in one. The lucky receiver of this leatherman gets a knife, pliers, file, saw, screwdrivers… the list is long.

Because the blade is on the outside of the handle, you can use it without opening the whole contraption. The same counts for the saw blade on the other side. And the handle is rounded, which makes it a lot softer on your hands when you want to grip something with the pliers.

It is made of stainless steel and won’t break easily – but you do get a 25 year guarantee anyway. It also has the Drive Out logo engraved on the handle, just, in case you forget what your favourite off-road magazine is.

PRICE: R840 visit

http://winkel.weg.co.za/

PRICE: R790 CONTACT: Tracks4Africa 0861 553 322; sales@tracks4africa.co.za; https://tracks4africa.co.za/

Take the whole braai along Not everybody is interested in a compact, portable braai. But if you are looking for one that can take the punches and that won’t turn to rust if you leave it outside for a night, this is just the thing.

The MadKon Braai opens up in a jiffy (the manufacturers say 2 seconds) and closes almost as fast. This is, of course, after it has cooled down.

The braai – which is made of metal 1,2 mm thick – has no loose parts, except for the grid. The chances are slim that you will forget a piece of it lying around somewhere.

76 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

There are three sizes; the Mini (which is scarcely bigger than a shoebox), the Ammo Box (which fits in an ammo box) and the 600S which is large enough for the whole family's chops and boerewors.

The MadKon is perfect for charcoal and braai wood, but you will probably struggle with a thick kameeldoring stump.

PRICE: Mini R2 300, Ammo Box R2 550, 600S R3 000 CONTACT: MadKon 084 254 8212; braaiinfo@gmail.com; www.madkon.co.za

DO IT YOURSELF

A fridge that

SLIDES THE

OTHER

WAY

With a packed off-road trailer behind your vehicle and the fridge in the back, it’s not easy to grab a drink. But what if your fridge can be opened from inside the vehicle?

Words: Evan Naudé Photos: Thinus Kruger

W

hen Thinus Kruger from Kempton Park travels, he travels far.

For that reason he needed his Toyota Fortuner to be kitted out properly with a drawer system.

His system, however, differs from others in one aspect: the fridge slides forward, on the inside of the vehicle. “My whole life I’ve been the kind of guy who prefers to design and build things myself,” he says.

Thinus already had a fridge on a slide rail and a dual battery 78 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

system with an inverter and so he decided to design his drawer system to incorporate these elements.

“We rarely stay in one place for longer than two nights and we tow 90% of the time. A fridge that slides to the back isn’t much use, because it’s impossible to open the hatch while the Conqueror is hitched,” explains Thinus.

With his design he can tilt the left back seat forward so the fridge can slide out. “This way you have access to it from the

left back door and you don’t have to struggle with a lid that pushes against the roof!” according to Thinus.

Thinus’ double-battery system is also built into the framework and provides power to the fridge via an inverter.

“I also made provisions for power points and a shallow drawer on top of the fridge.This allows for the iPad, cameras and cell phones to be charged without falling around in the car while we are driving,” he explains.

YOU NEED • About 14 metres of 25 x 5 x 2 mm aluminium square tubing for the main frame.

• About 2 metres of 20 x 40 x 3 mm aluminium angle iron for supports.

• One 2 mm thick aluminium sheet (1000 x 2000 mm) for the drawer and the box around the fridge.

• One sheet (1000 x 2000 mm) 20 mm thickness hardboard for the top.

• Two metres of 3 x 20 mm aluminium strips for rounding off edges.

• Four double roller catches (the kind used in kitchen cupboards).

• Two cargo strips.

• A handle for the drawer.

• Nuts and bolts.

TOTAL COST:

R3 500

Apart from the fridge, what else do you store in the drawer system?

I use it mainly for emergency stuff – canned food and water, a spare recovery rope and a tyre repair kit.

How long did it take you to build?

Four days. My wife picked the colour of the carpet to match the interior of the car.

What is the advantage of doing it yourself?

It’s nice to stand back and say you built it yourself and it looks different from the rest.

Have you toured with this system, and how did it go?

STEP BY STEP

Yes, we went to Marakele and Kei Mouth and it worked great.

1 Framework. Weld a frame according to the Fortuner’s measurements with space for the fridge, battery box and a drawer.

Tools

A measuring tape, carpenter’s square, drill, jigsaw, screw drivers and spanners, a small grinder and an arc welder.

Do this

• Thinus first drew his idea on paper and took measurements of the interior of the Fortuner to estimate how much material he’d need.

• Remove the backmost seats.

• Weld a base frame for the drawer system according to the measurements between the wheel arches.

Thinus made three compartments: one according to the measurements of the fridge, one big enough for the dual battery system and one for a big drawer.

• The floor of the Fortuner is

slightly lower underneath the seats than in the boot space, so Thinus welded three feet to the front of the frame so the drawer system sits level.

• Build a second frame for the top of the drawer system.

This frame is wider than the bottom one in order to fit over the wheel arches, but it does not extend over the space where the fridge sits.

• Weld the frames together with the 250 mm long aluminium support struts.

• Bolt or screw the slide rails for the drawer to the struts, do the same for the fridge’s rails.

• Cut the hardboard to fit on top of the frame. Thinus cut the corners and sides to match the shape of the Fortuner’s interior so it fits snugly.

It is important to divide the

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

2 Snug fit. Weld a second frame, wider than the bottom one, for the top of the drawer system so it fits snugly. Then weld them together with support struts.

3 On top. Cut the hardboard to the shape of the vehicle’s interior.

Divide it in two so the system is removable.

4 Keeping it cool. Bolt the sides and the shallow drawer together to form a box around the fridge.

5 Aesthetics. Cut and mount two aluminium plates for finishing touches. Cover everything in carpet tiles and attach the cargo and aluminium strips.

6 In its place. The drawer can now be put in place and the electrical components screwed in place.

7 Plug it in. The lid of the battery system clips into place with four double roller catches.

8 Slide to the inside. The back left seat flips forward to allow the fridge to slide out inside the vehicle.

www.go-southernafrica.com

board in two before bolting it to the frame so that it is possible to remove the drawer system from the vehicle.

• Bend and weld a shallow drawer (30 mm) that fits on top of the fridge. Cut two pieces of aluminium which, together with the drawer, will form a box around the fridge.

Bolt these side pieces to the frame and the drawer to the top of them. Thinus also put a support strut between the wheel arch and the drawer.

The height of the box is flush with that of the back seats.

• Thinus cut an aluminium strip to which he can mount his electrical components on top of the box. Remember to drill holes in the box and hardboard where you need to mount these components.

• Cut and mount an aluminium plate for the front of the battery box and the gap on the right hand side of the large drawer.

• Thinus had the drawer (950 x 600 x 250 mm) made from aluminium at a small engineering firm. The front face has a rough finish and a handle attached to it.

• Cover the whole drawer system and the inside of the drawer with carpet. Thinus used carpet tiles since they are easier to work with, rather than a roll. He installed two cargo strips on top of the hardboard so he can strap extra luggage to it and gave the front edges a neat finish by attaching aluminium strips.

• Attach four double roller catches under the lid of the battery system’s box so it can clip securely in place.

• Mount the fridge, battery box and the electrical components. Thinus installed a 1 500 W inverter, a multiplug, two 12 V sockets and a battery monitor.

• The whole drawer system bolts to the floor of the vehicle. Thinus used four of the back seats’ mounting points for this purpose.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 79

WORKSHOP

Check out that

LANDY

The Land Rover Defender is probably the most iconic off-roader in Africa. And if you want to give it some extra attitude, consider this bull bar.

Text and pictures: Gerrie van Eeden

O

ne of the advantages of a Land Rover Defender is that the design has hardly changed in almost 30 years. The Defender that you buy today looks the same as those made in the 80’s, and the chassis is also similar.

Pon Steyn Motors in the Strand makes Land Rover bull bars. And whether you are driving an old or a new Defender, their products will fit your Landy.

We went to check out how their bull bars are made.

The start of a design This bull bar is comparable to a European product, but it is made and sold at a considerably cheaper price.

80 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

A good bull bar shouldn’t affect your vehicle’s approach angle or appearance. That’s why this bull bar is much smaller and more compact than those that are commonly imported from Australia, which are aimed at double cab bakkies and SUV’s.

But there is still space for a winch, spotlights and sturdy recovery points.

What is it made of?

The bull bar’s design is minimalistic and it weighs much less than most steel bull bars. There is a 60 mm steel pipe that runs the breadth of the bull bar. Then a boxed section comprising of a 4 mm steel plate which will house the roller fairleads of the winch and the mounts and is

also where the pipe rests. Lastly there is another 60 mm steel pipe fitted to the cross-pipe.

This serves as a nudge bar on top off the bull bar.

Clever thinking Getting all the parts together can be a bit of a struggle. Pon has a clever solution for this: There is a workbench in the workshop with the front end of a Defender chassis mounted on it. Remember that the mounting holes for the bull bar are standard across all Defender chassis.

The parts of the bull bar that will be bolted onto the chassis once the bull bar is finished, are bolted onto the workbench chassis. Then the rest of the parts are tack welded onto it. This way, Pon ensures that everything lines up perfectly and nothing warps before it is properly welded.

Recovery points To make it possible for sturdy recovery points to be directly relayed from the chassis, there

are two larger holes at the side under the cross-pipe, directly in line with the chassis. Steel hoops that are bolted onto the chassis, can protrude through these points and serve as recovery points on the bull bar.

Options You can choose a bull bar with or without a nudge bar and with or without space for a winch or holes for recovery points. It can also be adapted with some small modifications for use on a Discovery I or II.

Finished The bull bar is painted with a rust protector and black paint.

You can also have it galvanised.

The price of the painted bull bar is R3 500 (VAT excluded) and if galvanised it costs R4 000 (VAT excluded). You can buy directly from Pon Steyn in the Strand, or it can be couriered anywhere in the country. Almost any workshop will be able to install it. Contact Pon Steyn Motors at 021 858 1740.

TRAILS GLENMORE GLENMORE

TRAILS

Visit www.tracks4africa.co.za/ wegrydriveout.asp for more details.

A SHARP PLACE TO

CUT YOUR TEETH Glenmore in the Eastern Cape has three trails perfect for a soft-roader or that brand new 4x4 that you don’t want to put through hell just yet.

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BRUCE JENKINSON HEADING EAST (top). Glenmore is situated in the Grootrivier Mountains behind the Baviaanskloof EASY RIDING. (below) Glenmore is perfect destination for any newbies to off-roading.

82 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

T

he night before we were due to drive the routes at Glenmore 4x4, we got pummelled by some 50 mm rain within an hour. We were camping in the area around Willowmore, and what fell was nothing less than a torrential downpour. It was the kind of rain that would make almost any camper pack up their tent and head back home. But we didn’t complain. Many of the perennial rivers in this part of the Eastern Cape had gone completely dry and the area desperately needed the rain.

Let’s talk routes

The next day, after travelling some 37 km from Willowmore, we were greeted by some weary-looking, sun-beaten signage. It read “Glenmore”. Sadly for us, the signpost was also a reflection of some things to come – the routes were not in a very good condition.

In the owner’s defence, he had warned us that our visit was untimely, as the farm was still dry and in need of some maintenance. With all the rain that fell in such a short period, our experience of pools of water and wet, muddy roads and track conditions was

probably also an unusual one. He also told us that the routes were due to be upgraded soon.

Glenmore 4x4 is situated in the Grootrivier Valley, in the peaceful Karoo, outside Willowmore. Be warned – it’s not one of those places where you can just pitch up. It needs to be booked at least 3 days in advance.

Glenmore’s routes are essentially farm tracks and there’s nothing to thrill the hardened off-roader. However, this is the perfect place if you have a new 4x4 and you want to take it where you can be guaranteed that the route is unlikely to do any damage to your vehicle.

The routes are short and not too technical – great for beginners to cut their teeth on. They are good examples of Grade 1 routes, meaning they’re suitable for vehicles without a diff-lock or for 4x4 soft-roaders.

The Kudu trail was almost certainly built as a hunters’ track, since the terrain looks like kudu country. The vegetation is sparse but you do see thorn trees scattered around the landscape, as well as trees like the karee, spekboom, ghwarrie and wild plum among the grass and Karoo bushes. The brick-sized rocks at the beginning of the trail abate after about 2 km and become smaller, pebble-sized ones. With this change in surface, the ride also becomes a bit more comfortable.

Shortly after starting, look out for a stone marked “Tree”. A short walk from there takes you to a giant spekboom, which is supposedly some 700-800 years old. I don’t know that for sure, but the size of the thick tree trunk certainly suggests that it’s very old.

Since we were on the Kudu trail, we kept a look out for them and any other

Kudu trail (3,6 km, 30 minutes)

animals for that matter. The terrain looked like a buck could jump out in front of us at any time, but we didn’t catch sight of any game. Apparently, the animals tend to stay higher up in the mountains because of the rain.

This trail starts on the Grootrivier road towards Willowmore, some 2,4 km from the farm entrance, or 400 m beyond the camp site entrance, depending on where you set off from. After you’ve passed through the farm gate and entered the Kudu trail, I suggest you deflate your tyres. The track is lined with brick-sized rocks and a little less pressure in your tyres makes the ride more bearable. If you drive a soft-roader or something like a new Land Rover Discovery with low-profile tyres, be aware that it’s not wise to deflate your tyres too much. www.go-southernafrica.com

Springbok trail (6,5 km, 45 mins)

The Springbok trail starts just past the farmhouse entrance on the Grootrivier road towards Steytlerville. Turning left, you enter the trail via a farm gate. The route starts with an uphill climb and then continues as a farm track. It’s not a very long trail, and you can finish it

MAKE A SPLASH (left). Water is normally scarce in this part of the world.

LIGHT IT UP (top). The camp site has adequate braai facilities.

ALOE THERE (middle). Aloes thrive in this part of the Karoo.

ROCKY ROAD (below). The track is lined with bricksized rocks.

SPRING CLEANING (bottom). A nanny goat cleans the afterbirth from her new-born kid.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 83

TRAILS

GLENMORE

in an hour, but it’s a fun ride. The landscape is similar to the Kudu trail, but the Springbok trail isn’t as rocky.

It’s a good track with decent traction for most of the time, but don’t lose concentration towards the end. For the last 500 m or so, the track becomes sandy and there’s a middelmannetjie for a couple of hundred meters. Check the sand, and if it looks very soft, deflate your tyres a bit more.

Duiker trail (13,3 km, 1½ hours)

The Duiker trail, also starts close to the farm house. You turn left beyond the farm house where you see some blue gum trees. You need to enter through a set of high game gates, pass through the causeway and cross over the Groot River. Remember to always walk the water crossing first to determine the depth of the river, unless the owner has verified the depth for you and has already confirmed that the crossing is safe.

Like the other trails, this one is not much more than a good farm track.

There’s good traction and its easy going almost all the way. The only obstacles are some sand mounds built for water retention and to prevent flooding.

The track forks shortly after crossing the river. We kept right at the fork and 1,4 km from the start of the trail, we found a turn-off to the right that leads to a viewpoint. There is another turnoff at 3,1 km from the start of the trail where there is a track up the mountain to a picnic spot.

When you reach the most westerly end of this trail, you will find a dam and shortly after that the track turns south.

Follow this to the ruins of an old building where you can take some pictures.

The trail then circles back to a fork where you join the track that led you in and it takes you back to the causeway where you crossed the Groot River.

A quick note on camping

The Glenmore camp site has basic facilities. The ground is sparsely grassed with some trees, and you’ll find partial shade for your tent or bush trailer.

There aren’t electrical points, but the campsite has braai facilities. The ablution facilities are very basic but adequate, with hot water and flush toilets. Since they don’t get used often, it’s essential to book in advance so that the owners can make sure the facilities are clean when you arrive.

84 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

RAIN AT LAST. The welcome downpour that was long overdue turned the access roads on the farm into waterfilled obstacles..

WHY SHOULD I GO? It’s a quiet country destination, with peaceful mornings and evenings, lots of birds at the camp site and short, easy routes that are perfect for beginners.

ON THE TRAIL Trail distances: Kudu trail: 3,6 km, 30 minutes; Springbok trail: 6,5 km, 45 minutes; Duiker trail, 13,3 km, 1½ hours.

How long will I be driving: About 3 hours in total.

Maximum number of vehicles: 6.

Do I get a map? Yes. Will my car get scratched? No. Should I remove my running boards? No. Should I take a compressor? Yes. Can we have a braai en route? No, but you can at the camp site.

Can I see game? Yes, but you have to look carefully. There are 100 identified bird species on the property and numerous plant species.

Should I take anything special? Mosquito repellent.

AROUND THE TRAIL Best time to go: March to May, October and November.

Can I take my family along? Yes. Just for the day or the weekend? You can

definitely make a weekend of it.

Is the route open for day visitors? Yes, but booking 3 days in advance is essential Are there ablution facilities for day visitors? Yes What else can I do there? There are some short hikes into the mountains.

The nearest town and filling station? Willowmore – 37 km.

How do I get there? Heading northeast on the N9 past Willowmore, turn right onto the R329 to Steytlerville, some 700 m after the second Willowmore exit. After 1 km turn, left onto a dirt road sign-posted “Grootrivier”.

Follow the dirt road for some 35 km until you see the Glenmore signboard.

GPS co-ordinates: S13.177768 E23.69667.

RATES Self-catering: R180 p.p.p.n. (6 beds); Camping: R100 p.p.p.n.; Wendy house: R120 p.p.p.n. (4 beds) Trail: R100 per vehicle but free if you’re sleeping over.

CONTACT Stephen and Thelani Moore: 082 834 9219; 044 923 1177 (office hours); 044 923 1863 (farm).

READER STORY

Between the

West Coast’s Shipwrecks Many ships have met their end on the West Coast.

Annette Smit and a group of friends went to see these coastal skeletons on the Shipwreck 4x4 Route.

O

nce a Namaqualander, always a Namaqualander.

Just like supporting the Bulls or the Stormers, this isn’t something that can change overnight.

That’s how it is with us and the plains of the Namaqualand. We’re passionate about this coast, and if we get the chance, we will explore the land in our 4x4’s.

Easter weekend was one such occasion. We have a group of friends who we regularly travel with, having toured through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia together. Normally our group is quite large, but this particular weekend there were just ten of us: Albé and Suzie Bakker from Clanwilliam with a MercedesBenz Sprinter 4x4 Caravan, Christal and Hannie Brand from Vredendal with a Toyota Fortuner 3 litre D4D 4x4, Bernard and Lanette Lamprecht from Vredendal in a Toyota Hilux 4 litre petrol 4x4, Schalk and Liesie Strauss from Aranos in Namibia with their Ford Ranger 3.2 TDCi 4x4, and me and my husband Willem, also in a Toyota Hilux 3 litre D4D 4x4. www.wegry.co.za

We took the N7 north, and about 8 km on the other side of Garies we turned-off to Hondeklipbaai and Koingnaas.

It’s indescribable, swapping the tar road for the gravel road.

You forget about high fuel prices, the weak rand, crime and load-shedding. The moment that you drive over that first embankment, you get a toe-tapping itch in your feet that makes you want to dance to the West Coast kwêla! We were on route to the Shipwreck 4x4 trail between Koingnaas and Kleinzee. The distance between the turn-off and the next town, Hondeklipbaai, is about 80 km, but we were in no rush. We decided to take a little detour, as we had planned to spend our first night staying with Gert and Hestelle Engelbrecht.

Gert is one of Namaqualand’s famous authors. He and Hestelle live on the farm, Sarrisam, from which he takes his penname, Gert Sarrisam. We stayed at their guest house and Gert and his wife joined us for a visit. We stayed up until the early hours, swapping stories while braaing lekker lamb tails.

WEGRY JULIE 2015 87

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED The gravel road between the N7 and Hondeklipbaai runs for about 88 km. The turn-off to Hondeklipbaai is 8 km north of Garies.

It’s indescribable, swapping the tar road for the gravel road.You forget about high fuel prices, the weak rand, crime and load-shedding.

Name: Annette Smit Hometown: Vredendal Occupation: Station manager at Radio Namaqualand Favourite places: Namibia, probably because I was born there, and Botswana My next trip in Africa: I’m planning to go to Chobe and Moremi National Parks, the Zambezi Strip (Caprivi), and the Kgalagadi

THE ROAD TO THE SHIP GRAVEYARD

We had to rouse ourselves early the next day because we had to meet our guide, Rodville Adams, and the other members of the exploration party at 09:00 at the

gate of the Noup camp site, where the Shipwreck tour begins.

We raced north to cover the 22 km to Koingnaas, which is just before Hondeklipbaai. This is diamond mining land, and you have to report to a security checkpoint before you can drive the last 14 km to Noup’s entrance.

The tour stretches over 37 km and takes about 5 to 6 hours to complete.

The trail runs all the way along the coast and is made up of deep sand and rocky areas. Make sure that your 4x4 has good ground clearance and a lowrange gear box.

Before we started, we had to deflate

our tyres for the sand that lay ahead.

We unhitched our camping trailers and caravans and left them at the entrance, because the trail isn’t suitable for trailers. We also had to leave the Sprinter behind for the same reason.

This is one of the most unspoilt parts of the West Coast, and we breathed in every moment of the tranquility next to the sea. Of course, I got excited as we approached the first shipwreck, because I’m a budding photographer. According to Rodville, this wreck was named The Piratiny. She was a Brazilian steamer of 5000 tonnes which ran aground on the rocks near Schulp Point, 32 km north

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READER STORY WEST COAST of Hondeklipbaai, in June 1943. At that time, she was 22 years old, and on her last voyage from Brazil to Cape Town when she met her watery end here.

The crew all survived, and Globe Engineering Works and the North Bay Canning Company in Hondeklipbaai saved three quarters of her cargo, including shoes, clothes, rolls of fabric and tins of sardines. Bad weather ensured that the ship broke up within a matter of weeks and the beach was strewn with material and other cargo that couldn’t be saved. Rumour has it that the church congregations of surrounding towns were all sporting new clothes at the next communion service.

On the trail we came across the wreck of The Surveyor, a smaller diamond boat that was stranded here in 1994.

Apparently workers failed to secure her properly one evening. As fate would have it, that night the sea was wild and rough, and the ocean took hold of her. Shortly after that The Surveyor was spat back out and stranded on the beach.

IF THE WALLS COULD TALK

Wrecks aren’t all that there is to see on the Shipwreck 4x4 trail. Rodville also took us to see The Kliphuis, on the Zwart Duine farm, which makes up part of the route.

The Kliphuis was built in 1926 by a farmer, Jan Kotze. Zwart Duine is very close to the sea, but Jan came across an underground fresh water source right next to the ocean. They dug two wells which provided fresh water for his family, workers and animals. The artery is apparently still part of the underground fresh water source which provides this life-giving resource to Kleinzee and Koingnaas.

After Jan’s death, a family named Agenbach lived in The Kliphuis until 1976. Today, all that is left of the farm house is a ruin, but it is a ruin that tells a story of the day the Agenbach family’s two daughters accidently consumed poison meant for animals. Their parents had to rush the 120 km to Springbok to get them to the nearest doctor. One of the girls died on the way.

It is stories like this one that make

WIN!

RUSTED BUCKET (top). The Piratiny was shipwrecked on the rocks during bad weather in 1943.

GETTING PERSPECTIVE (middle). Vehicles on the route, seen through the rusted wreck of The Piratiny.

Annette Smit wins a Mad Rhino MRO-3072 Light Bar worth R2 329. MRO has a complete range of LED lights for all applications, which come with a two year warranty. Opposite Lock is the exclusive distributor of Mad Rhino-LED lighting.

Opposite Lock stocks award-winning 4x4 accessories and equipment including Tough Dog suspension systems, Lightforce spot lights, OL-bumpers, VRS-winches, recovery gear and more.

READER STORY WEST COAST me wish there was someone sitting on the doorstep of every ruin that I come across. Just think about what kind of tales you could hear of the people who once lived there, what their circumstances were, how they lived back then and what led to the building becoming the ruin that it is now.

A few kilometres further north is the impressive wreck of The Border.

This 285 tonne British coastal boat ran aground near Naas Naas Point, south of Kleinzee, on 1 April 1947.

Previously known as The Albion, this 20 year old ship was under the command of Captain RC Armitage. He and his crew were sailing between Cape Town and Port Nolloth with a cargo of 200 tonnes, made up of fuel, dynamite and general items for the copper mines in Namaqualand.

Thick mist caused the ship to go offcourse and it was shipwrecked during the night at high tide. Attempts to save the ship were unsuccessful. The Border ran aground on the beach, where the wind and weather wore away at it over time, until it became the rusted skeleton you can see today.

Lucky for me, our guide decided to let us stop here for lunch, because The Border is any photographer’s dream! The rusted and weathered frame allows for so many great photo opportunities and I got more than enough time to take loads of pictures. I wished that they could just leave me there and only come fetch me much, much later. The wind was cold and we were pretty hungry, polishing off our leftover braai meat and braaibroodjies from the night before. This was just the trick to fight off the cold, along with a cup of comforting, hot coffee.

ON TO MCDOUGALL’S BAY

We came to the end of the Shipwreck 4x4 trail. I was a bit disappointed that it only spanned 37 km, but I was glad that it wasn’t the end of our weekend.

We had planned to spend the night at McDougall’s Bay before we headed home. We drove back to the gate where we left our caravans and trailers, hitched them once again to our vehicles and travelled the rest of the 65 km tar road between Koingnaas and Kleinzee’s security gate.

Our route took us further north until we joined the tar road between Steinkopf and Port Nolloth. Although the road is generally in a good state, this is not always the case. Over the years, 90 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

many lives have been lost on this stretch due to the poor road conditions. At the junction we turned towards the coast and our destination, McDougall’s Bay caravan park. In total it is 61 km from Kleinzee to the caravan park and it took us less than an hour to get there.

The camp site itself is kept in a neat condition and the staff is friendly and helpful, but there were a few things that put us off. The ablution block isn’t up to scratch. At times the lights didn’t work, sometimes there wasn’t hot water and some of the showers were mouldy.

Despite of the circumstances, we had such a lekker time camping there that we ended up staying for three nights, even though we had only booked for one. It wasn’t just the camp site that made for

such a great camping experience, but also the fact that it’s right next to the sea in a beautifully sheltered bay, with a natural reef which makes swimming safe. It’s an ideal camp site for any family that enjoys water sports. There are also neat moorings for people who want to take their boats along and go have some fun on the sea.

On our last day the water was so calm, just like a dam, and we were sad that we had to start our homeward journey on such a beautiful day. We could easily have stayed there for another week, care-free on the West Coast!

Extra information sourced from Diamond Coast Forever Namaqualand.

WARMING UP (top). Willem Smit, Christal Brand (hidden), Bernard Lamprecht, Albé Bakker and Schalk Strauss.

I WANT TO GO TOO! Do I need to book? You need to book at least one week in advance if you want to do the Shipwreck 4x4 tour, and you need to bring along the ID documents of everyone in the vehicle with you. Contact the Kleinzee tourism office on 027 877 0028 Best time of to go? From February until April the climate is most mild, and between July and October, the world here is full of flowers!

Where can I buy fuel? There is a small filling station in Koingnaas, but it doesn’t have 50ppm diesel. Rather fill up your vehicle in Port

Nolloth, Garies, Springbok, Kleinzee or Lutzville.

Can I pay by card? Here and there, but most places only accept cash, and ATM’s are quite scarce here. South of Port Nolloth you won’t find an ATM. Accommodation? McDougall’s Bay caravan park, just outside Port Nolloth, costs R140 per camp site. A key for the ablution block is R30 and there is a tap and power point at each camp site. Cottage prices vary between R440 to R580. Contact: 027 851 1110 / 1111 or info@richtersveld.gov.za.

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Boskos

BOSKOSBY LISE BEYERS

Healthy and

tasty venison Photos: Piet van Wyk

If you think game is only good enough for biltong and droÍwors, you’re missing out on some of the most lekker meat that there is. Let us show you how to master the art of preparing venison.

BOSKOS

H

unters around the country are busy participating in the annual hunting season. The guns are oiled and sighted and the knives have been sharpened. After all the years I’ve been involved with hunting, the food which results is still my favourite.

My mouth waters just thinking about the first night when we serve the liver of a gemsbok, which was hunted that same afternoon, fried in a bit of oil on a skottel or done over the coals.

In my opinion, it is a meat that can’t be cooked medium. You can cook it completely, as with a dish full of off-cuts for a hearty pie, or you just sear the meat, as with fillet – browned on the outside and pink on the inside. Game is also ideal for Carpaccio!

DUMPLINGS INGREDIENTS • 10 ml baking powder • 5 ml salt • 500 g flour • grated Pecorino cheese (to taste) • 100 g butter • 250 ml cold water

METHOD Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix in the butter, using your fingertips to make crumbs. Slowly add water until a soft dough forms. Break small pieces of dough off, about half the size of your thumb, and let them float in the sauce of the pot. Put the lid back on and cook for 20 minutes.

SPRINGBOK SHANK PARCELS (4 TO 6 PORTIONS) With this recipe, each hunter gets their own neat, saucy package on a plate.

All that you need to serve it with is beautiful fresh bread to slurp up the sauce.

INGREDIENTS: • 1 springbok shank per person • small mushrooms • peeled baby onions • baby tomatoes • fresh garlic cloves with the skin still on • Cape Ruby (port) • butter • fresh rosemary leaves (dried also works) • salt and freshly ground black pepper • heavy-duty tin foil

METHOD Make a foil parcel for each shank by double-folding a large piece of foil. Rub the shanks well with salt and pepper and put one shank in the middle of one foil envelope. Fold the sides of the foil around the shank so none of the liquid can run out.

Pack three baby onions around the shank and the same number of baby tomatoes, mushrooms, two garlic cloves and a piece of rosemary. Add a good dash of Port and a tablespoon of butter on each shank.

Fold the parcels closed neatly so that it almost looks like a little carry-bag. There must still be space inside the parcel for the steam, but the outside must be nicely sealed so that no sauce runs out.

Put the parcels on a braai above relatively hot coals for the first ten minutes. Now they can simmer evenly and slowly for another two hours. At this point, the coals should be just warm enough that you can hear the hiss of the cooking process in the parcels every now and then. www.go-southernafrica.com

WHOLE SPRINGBOK NECK HOTPOT (4 TO 6 PORTIONS) This meal makes a delicious sauce. If the pot looks dry during the cooking process, add a small bit of water.

INGREDIENTS • 1,5 kg whole springbok neck • flour • olive oil • 1 onion, roughly chopped • 2 leeks, thinly sliced • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped • 1 stalk of celery, roughly chopped • 2 carrots, thinly sliced • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste • 1 fresh piece of rosemary

• 250 ml good red wine, warmed • 1 can dark beer (e.g. Guinness)

METHOD Sprinkle the meat lightly with the flour and braai it in a heavy pot or potjie in olive oil until golden brown. Add the onion, leaks, celery, carrots and garlic and braai until the onion is see-through.

Now add the salt, pepper and rosemary and the red wine and beer, mix it well and put the lid on. Simmer on a low heat for about 2½ hours until the meat falls off the bone. If you want to add dumplings (recipe above) do so in the last 20 minutes of the cooking process.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 101

BOSKOS

The meat should be medium rare when Gasskokbrekers sal you’re finished – then temperature van oor die 100°C bereik, wat VERDER it’s at its best.

OPGESTOOT KAN WORD DEUR DIE GRONDTEMPERature.

METHOD

SPRINGBOK SADDLE IN BUTTERMILK Venison dries out quickly. Take care not to overcook this saddle. The meat should be medium rare when you’re finished – then it’s at its best.

INGREDIENTS: • 1 springbok saddle • 500 ml buttermilk 102 DRIVE OUT JULY 2015

• 250 ml olive oil • 2 tablespoons crushed garlic • 125 ml red wine • 10 ml mustard powder • 1 tablespoon dry thyme • 10 ml freshly ground black pepper

Using a very sharp knife, remove any excess skin, fat and sinew from the meat.

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together and marinade the meat for at least 24 hours. Turn it several times during the marinating process. Remove the meat from the marinade and wipe it dry.

Braai the whole saddle, first on the meat side over warm coals for 5 minutes to seal it. Turn it onto the leg side and reduce the heat. Braai it for about 15 minutes on this side, with a piece of foil loosely placed over it. Turn it again and braai for 5 minutes and then another 15 minutes on the leg side.

Take the saddle off the coals and put it in a skottel with foil over it. Let the meat rest for 15 minutes before you slice it up.

Now cut the saddle into thick slices and braai it further, while regularly turning the slices and drizzling them with the marinade.

This cooking process should take about 10-12 minutes, depending on how hot the coals are. When it is done, the meat should be slightly pink on the inside.

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PHOTO MECHANIC

BY VILLIERS STEYN

Keep your eyes

on the prize

If it’s a human or an animal, few things grab as much attention as a beautiful pair of eyes. And on top of that, if you can capture a sunbeam in them, you’re halfway to an outstanding wildlife photo. ‑

PHOTO OF THE MONTH WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?

Bob de Villiers

Canon 1D Mk IV and Canon 600 mm f/4 lens (settings: f/6.3, 1/640 sec, ISO 400) “In December 2014, I went by myself to the Kgalagadi, specifically to take animal photos. I shot this pride of 13 lions, of which nine were cubs, on the day after Christmas when I came across them at Marie se Gat, near Nossob. There was a buzz around the waterhole as the cubs were fascinated by their own reflection. I don’t know who was more entertained, them or me! I had my camera on IA Servo and set it to Continuous Shooting, which allowed me to take dozens of photos of the same scene. This just goes to show that the Kgalagadi lions are still the most beautiful in Africa!”

Villiers says

cession –a tactic that will definitely give you a better chance to get at least one or two photos from the right angle.

Bob has submitted a photo for Photo Mechanic before with his picture of a barn owl in flight. This time around, he again managed to capture an unforgettable moment in nature on film. What separates this specific photo from the rest (Bob also sent me a few of the other lion photos) is the eyes of the cub on the left hand side of the frame.

It doesn’t matter how many times you look at the photo, your eye always jumps back to the cub’s each time. Without a doubt, his eyes draw the most attention in the photo. Naturally it helps that his brothers and sisters (or are they cousins?) are looking down at the water.

Watch out for the wink

Reflections work!

It’s not neccessarily the fact that the cub’s eyes are wide open that makes Bob’s photo so striking, but rather the fact that there is a reflection in both of his eyes. You only capture a reflection like this if you take the picture of the animal from the right hand corner.

And so it’s important to carefully watch the eyes of birds and animals you’re trying to shoot.Press the shutter button the moment

that the animal turns it’s head in this way, so that the reflection or sunbeam shows. It occurs more regularly in animals with dark eyes, like this kudu bull.

Bob took a bunch of photos in quick suc-

Deel gerus jou Krugerwildtuinfoto’s met ons op die WegRy Kampvuur-forum by

Another reason to activate your camera’s Continuous Shooting mode is to make sure that you don’t take the photo while the animal is blinking.Birds blink particularly often, but unlike us, they don’t close their eyes entirely.

They have a thin, see-through layer under the eyelid that keeps their eyes clean. When they blink it happens lightning fast, and normally you only see it when you’re loading your photo’s onto your computer. If you take a quick series of photos of the same bird instead, you increase your chances of catching at least one image where it’s eyes are open.

http://wegryforum.weg.co.za/forum.php

If you want to take better wildlife photos, download Villiers’ wild photography smartphone app. Search for: “Learn by Example Wildlife Photography” in the App Store, and “LBE Wildlife Photography” in the Google Play Store.

104 WEGRY JUNIE 2015

A tough nut

DIRT ROAD TALES

to crack

JOHAN VAN ZYL learnt a tough lesson the day he tried to tinker with a Land Rover using the wrong tools.

I

ILLUSTRATION: FRED MOUTON

f there’s one proverb that rings true, it’s that hindsight is 20/20.

But we’re not all born with the wisdom that foresight brings. I had to learn the meaning of that saying the hard way.

An old friend of mine, Piet, drives a Land Rover. Now, the engine starter is one way that the British Revenge has proudly been turning its owners into grease monkey’s since 1948.

One Saturday during a braai at Piet’s, he mentioned in passing that his Landy was out of action because the starter wasn’t working. Why didn’t he say something sooner? I asked. We’re old friends and often go off-roading together.

Let me pause here to insert a warning: The smoke from the fire (definitely not the beers around it) can sometimes lead to a lack of oxygen, which can make you brag about things that you should maybe rather keep quiet about.

A case in point: We decided right then that he should come to my place the next morning so that we could fix the problem: After all, it’s not really a huge job to take out and fix an engine starter.

I invited Piet to come early so that we could go play in the mud with our wheels once the vehicle was fixed.

Easier said than done.

Early the next day the phone rang.

It was Piet, and he was waiting at the gate. Still wiping the sleep from my eyes and shuffling to the door, I opened up, wondering why he was bothering me so early on the weekend. Then he reminded me about the starter which needed repairing. My memory was a bit hazy and I had forgotten about the plan, but tried my best not to show it.

Piet further explained that he was all packed and ready to go so that we could go driving and then have some brunch in

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the veld afterwards.

I quickly got our workspace ready and we began. Now, I must just add that Piet himself is pretty handy with a spanner, despite being a pencil pusher during the week (you have to be, if you own a car like a Land Rover).

Soon the Landy was on the ramp, the battery was disconnected and we started to fiddle. We had all the spanners neatly lined up in a row for easy reach when we might need them. At that time, I had only ever driven Japanese, so all my tools were designed for Japanese-made vehicles.

In a matter of minutes, the wires were loosened and the two bottom bolts were out. But then, suddenly, we were screwed, or rather unscrewed: the top nut wouldn’t budge. Those in the know don’t call it “the nut from hell” without reason. It’s near-impossible to reach it. Even if you can get hold of it, loosening the nut can be a task of epic proportions, especially if it is damaged.

We swore and we sweated but that tough nut would not crack. The sun marched on, and our brunch in the veld was long forgotten. We had made no progress with the nut, which meant that we couldn’t even get the engine starter out, let alone fix it.

The clock struck 12, but there was no sign of the nut moving. It was Sunday, and the few spare parts dealers that

might be open wouldn’t be open for much longer. But if we couldn’t find the problem, we couldn’t buy parts to fix it.

After hours of toiling, we managed to get the nut loose, just in time to see what was causing the trouble. We rushed to the shop and got the parts that we needed.

While there, we bumped into another friend who owns the same model Land Rover as Piet. He warned us that you can’t work on a Land Rover with just any old tools, especially not those used for tinkering with a Japanese 4x4.

After our quarrel with the nut, we were more than open to suggestions. We immediately bought the “right” spanners and sockets to take home with us.

Back with the Landy, we quickly fixed the starter. With the correct tools, the mammoth task became so simple that we could hardly believe it!

That day, we didn’t even get close to sniffing a 4x4 trail. In fact, we were barely lucky enough to finish this tough job in time for dinner.

Wisdom comes at a high price, but the knowledge I gained that day came in handy when I bought my own Landy.

I learned two valuable things that weekend: Never mess with a Landy with the wrong tools, and the real meaning of the phrase “a tough nut to crack”.

DRIVE OUT JULY 2015 105

OOPS!

First time out, first time

stuck

When you start taking your bakkie out for some proper off-roading, getting stuck is inevitable. So you might as well get it out of the way on the first outing.

Breaking stuck in s it in! Carlo Fourie o g for him, h me river sand on ot his brand new its very fi Tr elp was a rst outing iton t hand. . Lucky

O

n Saturday 8 March this year I set-off from my hometown, Polokwane, for what was to be the first 4x4 adventure in my new Mitsubishi Triton.

I was with my father-in-law Dawie and two friends, Francois and Riaan.

We drove the 30 km or so to the Matlala River, where we were planning a day of 4x4 fun in the riverbed, hopefully without any unforeseen incidents.

WIN!

When we got there, we immediately brought down our tyre pressure to 1,2 bar, then I put the Triton in low range and a day of horsing around in the river began.

We drove until about 10 am, made breakfast and started again around 11 am.

The area was very wet in some places, but quite dry in others. At one point, I was driving in front when suddenly my bakkie got stuck in some extremely wet river sand. It wouldn’t move!

Lucky for me, my friend Francois was there with his Triton as well, and he was able to recover my vehicle for me. And so it was that I got stuck and had to be recovered on my very first outing with my brand new 4x4.

In spite of that, we still had a lot of fun and a few good laughs!

CARLO FOURIE, Polokwane

Carlo Fourie wins a 4x4 Equip Combo Shovel from Opposite Lock, valued at R999. This top-quality three-piece shovel, designed in Australia, is durable, versatile and easy to store. To change the shovel into a short spade, you simply unscrew the long handle at the threaded joint and attach the D-handle. Call Opposite Lock on 011 697 0001, e-mail info@oppositelock.co.za or visit www.oppositelock.co.za