Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 19 (May 2022) i Adventure Afrika

My name is Liana, and I’m an adventure newbie. I know this sounds bad, seeing as I’m the editor of what is essentially an adventure magazine. But before you judge, let me explain. When I say adventure, I mean overlanding. Exploring the vast beauty of the African continent. Loading an offroad vehicle to the hilt with food, water and whatever else it is that overlanders need on a trip and heading out into the great unknown. Sure, I’ve done my fair share of off-roading. I can pitch a tent and build a fire with the best of them. I’ve slept in a tent on a salt pan in Botswana. I’ve had to make do without electricity (and no, I‘m not referring to recent times with loadshedding our constant, dark companion)…

RAW 4x4 might be the new kid on the block in the suspension game in South Africa, but it’s no newcomer to other markets. If fact, RAW 4x4 is one of the top brands in the fiercely competitive Australian market. Designed to withstand the toughest and most demanding terrain in the world, the brand is a perfect match for the South African four-wheel drive fraternity. The range consists of various heavy-duty shock absorbers, coil and leaf springs, polyurethane bushes and torsion bars. RAW4x4 is a one-stop shop for all your suspension upgrade needs. Another positive for future customers is the fact that the brand has been brought to South Africa by the well-known GUD Holdings. I’m sure everyone has fitted a GUD or Fram filter to their vehicle at one…

Ultimate Adventures is run by Simon and Desiree Steadman. They offer top quality self-drive adventure tours throughout the continent and beyond, always going the extra mile with top-notch catering, courtesy of a chef on each trip. Their trips are immensely popular and the 2023 calendar is filled with amazing bucket list adventures: Ultimate Botswana Adventure: 8 – 17 February 2023 Iceland Arctic Trucks Experience: 4 – 11 March 2023 Ultimate Kalahari Adventure: 19 – 31 March 2023 North to South Luangwa Expedition: 13 – 30 April 2023 Okavango Delta Adventure: 14 – 25 May 2023 Ulitmate Tanzania Expedition: 10 June – 13 July 2023 Kafue National Park Adventure: 29 July – 10 August 2023 Mana Pools Adventure: 20 August – 2 September 2023 Morocco Sahara Desert Experience: 30 September –…

17 - 24 SEPTEMEBER | R5 450 per person sharing This exclusive eight-day trip will take adventurers along the Orange River and into the heart of the rugged beauty of nothingness. Conjure up a desolate and forbidding landscape, seemingly devoid of life, except for some people dotting the horizon. Upon closer inspection this mirage dissolves into the human-like half-mens (half person) tree and the harsh environment proves to be a treasure-chest containing the world’s richest desert flora. Only five vehicles are allowed on this trip – book today to avoid disappointment! Places on the itinerary: • Richtersveld National Park• Pella• Klein Pella• Ramansdrift• Henkries• Kuboes• Kamgab• Road to hell• Hell’s pass• Hand of God• Old Mines• Goodhouse What you need: • A good reliable, serviced 4x4 vehicle with a fuel…

Last month we shared the trials and turbulations of the first day of this amazing adventure and thought we had experienced all the mud and rain this route had in store … not quite, it turned out! Since the second day of our adventure had even heavier rains forecasted, we opted to move the planned rest day forward and allowed the fearless explorers to sleep a little later. At breakfast time, however, I noticed that the cloud cover was higher than the Sentech towers on Dawid se Kop (2 500m) and thought it was worth the risk of driving up there, before the rain settled in for the day. Despite it being the rest day, we had an almost full turnout for the excursion, with the notable absentee being Marco,…

The Kgalagadi National Park draws travellers and photographers for a variety of reasons. The simplicity of the wide open landscapes, the predators and raptors provide countless photographic opportunities. During the hot summer months, late afternoon thunderstorms, rolling in from the west, create a spectacular show to photograph. The springbuck in the image was on the way to “Marie se gat”. The composition of the springbuck in the riverbed, vegetation and dramatic sky delivered a striking image. Canon EOS R, 24-105mm @56mm | F/11 | 1/500s | ISO-1000. Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld once said: “What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever.” How true is this? With camera in-hand we get to capture a moment to relive it later when the memories start to fade.…

I’m ashamed to admit it, but after three decades as a motoring journalist I’ve become a bit of a car snob. Granted, there are a great number of affordable, attractive and competent vehicles out there, but at my age one appreciates and yearns for the finer, more luxurious (and obviously more expensive) things in life. Electric windows, leather seats, a high-end sound system, premium finishes, plenty of driver aids, comfort features galore, a comfortable ride and good performance… these are the things my middle-aged dreams are made of. As such, I have an affinity for German cars because – let’s be honest – nobody does premium better than the Germans. Audi is a case in point. I have yet to drive an Audi that I didn’t like. They’re always elegant,…

TAUNG TEMBISA There are very few things in life that can compete with enjoying a cup ULUNDI of fresh coffee as you overlook UMLAZI our continent’s beautiful scenery. With WELLINGTON Protea Coffee, getting that WHITE coffee-shop RIVER aroma and filter-coffee taste is now feasible, even if you are out in the bush. It is brewed by Cape Town-based coffee roasters in espresso, supreme and breakfast blends, and is now also available in a lovely decaf option. Our reader of the month wins a gift pack from Protea worth R500. www.proteacoffee.co.za…

Hidden away in Namibia’s north-eastern Kavango Region along the Caprivi Strip, the Khaudum National Park is not to be taken lightly. One of five national parks located in this region of the country, it covers an extensive area of 3 842km². The other parks include Bwabwata National Park, Mudumu National Park, Mangetti National Park, and Nkasa Lupala National Park – all must-see visits during your Caprivi trip. Rarely visited, Khaudum is remote and unspoiled, very large, extremely wild and with only a rudimentary tourist infrastructure. It could be described as Namibia’s forgotten wilderness. You will most probably see more elephants than people – which, of course, makes it perfect for us! A visit to the Khaudum National Park is all about adventure, discovering a true African wilderness and perhaps experiencing…

This is just nuts, I thought, stuffing jalapeños into yet another sterilised jar. It’s midnight; I have to be up at sparrow’s to get to the airport and here I was trying to make something of the mound of produce – chillies, green beans, and granadillas – our garden has suddenly coughed up. We were going to be away for three weeks, so this had to happen now, or all the nurturing will go to waste. That’s how it began. The bigger picture is that my wife and I, Capetonians, had scheduled a long-postponed trip to include a few days in Gauteng and then to hit the road to the Kruger. It would be a real mixed bag of experiences, from exploring the city to navigating country roads and later,…

Utopia in Swellendam is undoubtedly in a class of its own and we are already making plans to return for a longer stay! The campsite is located on a working farm and offers a peaceful farm atmosphere in stunning natural scenery and tranquility. All nine stands are surrounded by high natural windbreakers (trees and shrubs) to not only ensure privacy at your stand, but also provide more than enough shade. Some of the sites have shade all day, but despite this the lawns are beautifully green and healthy. When we arrived at our stand, I summarily kicked off my shoes – the thick green grass (which reminds me of a luxurious Persian partner) under my feet was such a treat! I only put my shoes back on when we had…

If you’re a Fast and Furious fan, you’ll probably recognise the Eclipse nomenclature. It is that sexy green coupé driven by the movie’s protagonist, Brian (which he then blows up after its first race). The cameo of the Eclipse in this action movie may have been short-lived, but it did cement it as a proper enthusiast’s car in the years to come. Now, with the Eclipse Cross, Mitsubishi has revived this legendary name. However, it isn’t a sexy sports coupé but rather a sensible family crossover SUV. As a result, many people myself included, wrote it off as just a large corporation trying to trick us into making a nostalgic purchase rather than producing a suitable product. Well, I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong. The Eclipse…

Verneuk is the Afrikaans word for mislead or swindle. Verneukpan, on the other hand, is a dry salt pan south of Kenhardt in the Northern Cape where a friend of my dad’s – in the 1970’s – was once prospecting. While we’re still wondering whether he ever struck gold, he did find a gem of another sort when he happened upon a Willys CJ2A Jeep and promptly started negotiations with the owner, who was a farmer in the area. As the story goes, the negotiations lasted a good hour or more over a few tin cups of straight brandewyn and the “verneuk’ed” price for the Jeep was settled at R250 (yes – that is only three digits!), which was a rather hefty sum in those days for what essentially was…

Hitting the three-Chery jackpot Chery has been rather busy of late, embarking on an aggressive model onslaught that has already seen the local introduction of the Tiggo 4 Pro and its bigger sibling, the Tiggo 8 Pro. The latest addition to the local line-up is the Tiggo 7 Pro, which slots in between the two and offers technology, luxury and a modern design. With two models on offer – Distinctive and Executive – the newcomer boasts five seats and will compete in the upper-midrange SUV segment of the market. This “middle child” of the Chery family shares many of the design cues of the Tiggo 4 Pro and the Tiggo 8 Pro. Notable features in the front include a hexagonal grille with three-dimensional diamond-shaped brightwork, elongated front lights that run…

I have a problem, a major problem! And it’s all due to Kevin Louw! His white Toyota FJ Cruiser probably has a lot to do with it too! Actually, it’s a great story to tell. It’s a tale about family fun and games in the rolling white sand dunes of Atlantis, some 45 minutes from Cape Town. It’s about an event called the RAW 4x4 Atlantis Fun Day. But I’m battling to write this story. I have writer’s block on steroids. And it’s completely Kevin Louw’s fault! You see, he’s the one who sent me full tilt down the four-wheel drive YouTube wormhole (www.4wd247.com). But wait, perhaps I’d better explain? I was covering the Atlantis event for Adventure Afrika magazine. I had contacted Dries du Toit, who oversees business development…

Britain’s foremost writer on African wildlife safaris, Brian Jackman, once said: “Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on earth – once you have been, you will never be the same.” This rings especially true for Tanzania – and while I have been here many times before, I leave changed every single time. As we awoke at Utengule Coffee Lodge and looked out over the Great Rift Valley, one could smell the excitement in the air and feel the buzz amongst the group for what lay ahead of us. The previous day’s border shenanigans were already low on the conversation list as we sat around the breakfast table, enjoying a delicious full English breakfast washed down with numerous cups of Utengule’s award-winning coffee. After a short briefing on what to expect…

Mabuasehube – loosely translating to “Red Earth” from the local San language – is one of the last truly wild places in Africa. When overlanders hear “Mabua”, encounters of the close kind with the king of the jungle comes to mind, with images on social media often showing a pride of lions taking over the campsite. Pure magic! Mabuasehube is on the Botswana side of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and is situated in southwest Botswana. This is Kalahari in its purest form. If you’re looking for solitude, look no further. This is one of those places you can literally hear your soul breathe a sigh of relief. The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa was established in July 1931 and seven years later, in 1938, the Botswana Gemsbok National Park…

I’m not a regular driver of vehicles the size and scale of the Nissan Navara. My own car is a city-bound soft SUV. From this perspective then, there were several features that really stood out on the trip we undertook. The Navara’s rugged styling really stood out. It attracted looks and interest wherever we stopped, from petrol stations to traffic lights. Part of the reason may be its bed height as well as redesigned bumper, grille, headlights and bonnet. Signature C-shaped LED headlights with projector headlamps certainly helped too. Luggage was no problem. A two-channel four-cleat Utilitrack system helped keep loads safe, out of sight and in place, plus there’s a built-in bumper step for easy access. Gaining entry is a novelty, but a very useful one. The Navara uses…

In South Africa there are several cobra species, plus one subspecies. These snakes are all well adapted and occur in thick coastal forests in the east, into bushveld and throughout the dry regions of the west. The cobras of South Africa are large snakes, ranging from 1.5m to 2.7m in length, the largest species being the Forest Cobra (Naja subfulva). Cobras have smooth scales, which are shiny in some species such as the Spitting Cobras and Forest Cobra, but duller in the Snouted Cobra. All cobras lay elongated eggs, which measure up to 6cm in length. The egg clutches vary from 8 to 33 eggs and are laid in mid-summer, usually in hollows of trees, under rocks or in underground burrows. The young hatch after about three months and measure…

Outdoor activity enthusiasts often need to buy lots of gear to enjoy their hobby safely. Regardless of whether your passion is camping, hiking, backpacking, or hunting, your tent is one of the most important pieces of gear you will buy. It is also a piece of equipment that requires a large outlay compared to many other pieces of kit and as such it is essential that you make the right choice. Tents have been with us for an unfathomably long time, as people throughout history have sought shelter in all sorts of situations, from the permanent and semi-permanent dwellings of various cultures to the nomadic shelters of explorers and hunters around the world. An impressive variety of materials have been used to make these tents over the ages, but for…

Send yours to us on: info@4x4afrika.com (Subject: My Ride & I) Rip Wyma 2008 Toyota Fortuner 3.0 D-4D “There is something special about getting out of town and exploring this beautiful country of ours. My Fortuner never ceases to impress me – when you get to that part of the route where you have to gear down, this machine is phenomenal. So many people don’t use these 3.0 D4-D Fortuners for overlanding, which is pity because they make for a great adventure companion. Every experience I’ve had with my Fortuner – called Goldie – has been special and I particularly enjoy traveling to rocky and mountaineous areas. Our Skeleton Coast trip was incredibly scenic, but my favourite must be the first one alongside my wive to the Eastern Cape highlands and…