Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i Go! Drive & Camp

We all know that guy who loves to boast. About everything. It might be your neighbour, your colleague or your brother-in-law, but everything he owns, his experiences and achievements are better than yours. If you chat about your car’s fuel consumption, he’ll be quick to point out that his is lighter on diesel than yours. If you mention how much more power your car has now that you’ve chipped it, he’ll tell you that the wrong guy put in the wrong chip. If you feel like bragging a bit about your granddaughter’s report card, he’ll interrupt you with a story about his granddaughter who’s studying to become a doctor. Obviously it’s the same when it comes to talking about holiday plans. You finally got round to booking your stand at…

My dad, Ken, grew up in Pretoria, and then moved to Virginia in the Free State in 1953. Here he established himself as a building contractor, and in later years he built, amongst other things, the Voortrekker Monument in Winburg. I recently looked through old photos of Dad. He must have returned to Pretoria a number of times. Hartbeespoort Dam is in one of the photos; it was taken in 1957 and the area looks untouched, compared to today. Just like with building, Dad didn’t shy away from hard work. On another photo there are old canvas-and-wood camping chairs next to a bakkie – a lot more noticeable than the bakkie itself. On the back of the bakkie is a garden shed, the door of which opens up over the…

“A three- or four-star grading is the safest, and if owners back it up with excellent service, visible and constant maintenance, and friendly staff, success is guaranteed.” In the Bushveld there is a place that brags about its five-star ablution facilities. It’s even proclaimed in a radio ad that’s often broadcast on Bosveld Stereo. But nowhere on the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) website will you find any mention of this particular campsite’s star grading. Which makes me wonder: Is it just excessive bragging – a deliberate misrepresentation – or is it total ignorance of how the star grading system works? It’s probably a bit of both. I also think the TGCSA doesn’t have enough clout to challenge a campsite like this. If someone complains to the TGCSA…

Our tour leader, J.I. de Wet’s 80-series Land Cruiser gained a new nickname. That’s after one of its spotlights conked out the previous day during a deep water crossing: “Camp, camp… come in for the Three-eyed Monster,” he signals over the two-way radio. J.I. is sitting with us at the Matswere Pan where we’re watching a group of ravenous pelicans. It’s roughly 5 km as the crow flies between us and the Khwai Concession from the Magotho public campsite in Botswana. “Stand by,” answers his mom Almarie, who’s sitting underneath a colossal camel thorn tree. This whopper at stand no. 7 has enough shade for four camping trailers. “Eight wild dogs just ran through the campsite!” she shouts. “They ran through one by one, like we weren’t even here.” Under…

Although most of us prefer the bliss of a roaring fire when we take our much-needed camping holidays, few of us leave home without packing our trusty gas bottles. Whether we use it to warm us up on cold winter nights or to cook our bacon and eggs on the skottel braai, gas is an integral part of camping. But, as with most things, it can be extremely dangerous if you’re not careful and responsible. In July this year, two high school buddies from Krugersdorp died tragically after they fell asleep with their gas heater still burning in their dome tent. It’s instances like these that make you sit up and take notice. We thought it would be a good idea to touch base with Kevin Robertson, CEO of the…

CYRIL KLOPPER was previously involved with our sister magazine go! where he oversaw the gear and motoring pages. The Klopper family enjoys travelling and has visited all of our neighbouring countries. One of his fondest memories is of when a pack of wild dogs chased a kudu through their campsite on the Makgadikgadi Pans. He’ll also never pass up an opportunity to visit Namibia. KYLE KOCK is a bona fide petrolhead, and for eight years cut his teeth on one of the leading motoring magazines in the country. He also has a healthy interest in technology. After taking a well-deserved breather for a year, he’s more eager than ever to drive, camp and review all the latest vehicles and gear on the market – all for your benefit.…

Who takes their entire tool kit and who only takes pliers and a piece of wire? We asked our Facebook friends. Johan Hattingh My caravan has its own small tool kit that always travels with. In it are the essentials like pliers, a small hammer, insulation tap, and cable ties. I don’t cart around a load of tools. Jacques Albertyn I take my pocket knife, a flat-head and Torx screw driver, and cable ties. That’s it. Chris and Alida Laing I only take the things I think I might need. Between my own tool kit and my brother-in-law’s one we’ve managed to fix problems like a leaking tyre. We even take pruning shears and a small saw. Anything we don’t need to use while on holiday is a blessing from…

Our brand new Mazda BT-50 3.2 4x4 SLE bakkie (double cab, automatic) is steadily becoming a formidable overlander ready to take on any off-road adventure, thanks to our monthly Bakkie Project. We’ve already equipped this long-term test vehicle with a set of gnarly BF Goodrich T/A tyres, a steel rear bumper, bullbar and winch, and now it’s time to protect the underbody against the bumps and bruises the vehicle will invariably receive off-road. This month we make a fourth off-road modification to the Mazda and explain, as per usual, the importance of this specific modification. We also discuss how and why it was done, and how much it costs. Bulletproof vest Your 4x4 has a few things on the underbody that you definitely want to protect – especially if you’re…

1 Tau Roara Lodge, North West Tau Roara means “place where the lion roars” – yes, even here on open plains. In fact, if you open Google Maps and search for Tau Roara Lodge you’ll see the faint outlines of an old golf course in the shape of a lion. Right next to the “grass lion” there are a few cages containing the real McCoy. These are laid out in an L-shape, right around the corner of the campsite. You camp on these beasts’ doorstep and you couldn’t ask for better “guard dogs”. You can walk the 150 m between the cages under supervision. At one of the cages a sign suggest to rather keep your hands to yourself if you want to keep all 10 digits. The older lions…

SUNDAY LUNCH For the potjie Make this juicy chicken in a flat-bottom potjie with a few coals on top of the lid. Ingredients (enough for 6) 1 large onion 4 carrots 3 celery ribbons 5 large garlic cloves 1 whole chicken of 2,5 kg 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon dried oreganum Salt and ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons butter 2 clementines or naartjies (“soft citrus”) Here’s how 1 Cut the onion, celery and garlic in large pieces and stuff the chicken with as much of this as possible. Rub the chicken with the mustard, oreganum, salt and pepper, and butter. 2 Put the remaining vegetables at the bottom of a flat-bottom potjie and place the chicken on top. 3 Place the pot over medium coals – it…

ABBREVIATIONS AWD All-wheel drive 4WD Four-wheel drive FWD Front-wheel drive (also Four Wheel Drive Auto Co.) RWD Rear-wheel drive 4x4 An activity in which a 4WD vehicle participates 2H Two out of four wheels driven with high range gearing 4H All four wheels driven by high range gearing 4L All four wheels driven by low range gearing 4Hlc All four wheels driven by high range gearing and locked differentials 4Llc All four wheels driven by low range gearing and locked differentials Regular family sedans are generally driven by just two of its four wheels. Sometimes it’s the front pair and sometimes the rear. As you’d expect, four-wheel drive vehicles are driven in all four wheels. Why? For the same reason that it is easier to climb up a rock using…

Look how cheap it is overseas In earlier years I travelled across the country and also visited some of our neighbouring countries. I was, therefore, up to speed with accommodation costs, as well as camping tariffs. Today I’m retired and you look at costs differently. A month or three ago my wife, Tina, and I bought a travel package to Thailand. Accommodation was a week in a fancy hotel, and with the flights it cost R8 200 p.p. We decided to stay a bit longer and found a spot in a small, neat hotel at R165 p.d. We explored the area on a scooter that cost only R80 p.d. Even eating out wasn’t expensive compared to prices at home. We’ve camped all over, from Jeffreys Bay to Saldanha Bay. The…

“ABS, vehicle stability and traction control systems, and airbags should feature on the very top of the standard-feature list for any vehicle.” The popularity of double cab bakkies is at an all-time high. The choice of which one to spend your hard-earned cash on has become rather difficult. I have found this to be true when discussing this topic with a number of people. There is a high level of brand loyalty from current bakkie owners. This is cemented by the fact that these vehicles seem to just get better and better with every new generation. There is, however, a large segment of prospective first-time double cab buyers coming from brands which do not offer this type of vehicle in their ranges. Brand loyalty doesn’t feature in their decision-making process.…

To own a resort with a mineral hot spring is like being born with the proverbial silver spoon in your mouth. With the luxury of a inexhaustible source of hot water, the battle many resort owners face is half won. That’s not to say that all hot spring resorts were created equal. The three Western Cape campsites we visited each has a character of its own, and there’s something for every type of camper. At The Baths near Citrusdal you feel at one with nature as you camp beneath big shade trees, and even though the campsite is jam-packed, there’s still plenty privacy. The ATKV’s Goudini Spa is the polar opposite and is geared for a large number of visitors. It’s about 5 km from Rawsonville and just the right…

Some people take it very seriously, others do it to relax, and some do it to shed those unwanted kilograms before heading to Amanzimtoti in December. We’re talking about cycling of course. It seems like everybody’s doing it these days. Everywhere you see bike racks on the back of vehicles, meaning more and more people are taking their bikes when they go on a weekend getaway or holiday. But not all campsites are geared for cycling, especially if you want to pound the pedals for exercise. Your kids might be able to knock about in the campsite, but if you and your significant other want to burn a few kilojoules, you usually have to head for the highway. Mankele Mountain Biking is known in cycling circles for its superb mountain-biking…