Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 30 i Adventure Afrika

ADVOCADO AIRFRYER (THREE) BEAN (SALAD) BROWNIE(S) BUTTER CHOP(S) COFFEE DRY (VENISON SAUSAGE) FORK FRIED (FISH) HADDOCK HAM (AND CHEESE TOASTIE) KNIFE KRUMMEL(PAP) MRS BALLS PEACH CHUTNEY (COOKING) OIL OLIVES PAPTERT PERI PERI POTATOES POTBROOD RICE ROSE (WINE) SALT AND PEPPER SCONES SPICES SPOON TABLESPOONS TARTS TUNA (SALAD) VEGETABLES AXE BACON AND EGGS BEEF BRAAIBROODJIES CAKES CASSEROLE CORIANDER CRAYFISH EGG YOLKS FILLET FRUIT(SALAD) FUDGE HONEY MARINATE MEAT MUSHROOMS MUSTARD ONIONS PADKOS (MEAT) PIE PIZZA POTJIEKOS POTS RYN (RIESLING) SAGO (PUDDING) SKAAPBOUD SOLE STARTERS STEAK TEA TENDER WELL(DONE) WINE (MEAT)BALLS BARBEQUE BRAAIGRID BREYANI CHEESE CHICKEN CURRY (AND RICE) CUSTARD DESSERTS FISH FOIL GARLIC BREAD GAS (BRAAISKOTTEL) INGREDIENTS KAMEELDORING WOOD MILK MINT MUTTON NUTS PAN PAPRIKA PLATES PORK PURE WATER RARE SALADS SALMON SOYA SPEAR(FISH) STEW SUGAR THYME TOMATO WOK WORCHESTER (SAUCE)…

Protect your body heat Patagonia is one of the leading adventure clothing brands in the world, and their Men’s Swiftcurrent Wading Jacket must be one of the most versatile technical jackets on the market. The four-layer, waterproof/breathable H2No performance standard shell is free of perfluorinated chemicals and 100 percent recycled nylon. While it doesn’t come cheap, this jacket boasts some innovative features and will probably outlive you. Made to be durable and water-repellent, it is the perfect fishing companion and features two front-zip pockets to hold some additional kit. The jacket also features zippered handwarmer pockets (ideally positioned for deep wading) and the flap covers for back-of-hand comfort. Additionally, the jacket’s cuffs are adjustable and watertight and – as a bonus for the flyfishing enthusiast – designed to eliminate line…

One-and-a-half million. That’s how many units of Renault’s popular Captur have been sold in 90 countries since 2013. The second generation made its début in 2017 and it has taken six long years for the latest iteration to be introduced locally. Let me tell you, though, it was certainly worth the wait. The new Captur is so much more than a nipped-and-tucked version of its predecessor. It has been reimagined, reinvented and reinvigorated to the point where it is an easy-to-drive, multifunctional and multi-faceted crossover that offers a great balance between innovation and practicality. We drove it in KwaZulu-Natal and it was immediately clear that this is a compelling crossover SUV package for buyers who appreciate distinctive styling, great safety credentials and plenty of tech. Also counting in its favour…

The week-long Defender Trophy started on a leisurely Sunday afternoon at the South Gate Country Lodge near Polokwane. For Team Front Runner (myself, Michael de Bruyn and his son, 13-year-old son Nathan), this required a five-hour drive north from Johannesburg in Michael’s well-cared-for Defender 110 TDCi following a long flight from the United Kingdom, where I now reside. However, the prospect of meeting up with some old Defender Trophy friends made the long haul more than worth the effort. I was not the only one who had travelled from abroad for the event, though. Young James Birkholtz, who works on luxury yachts in Fort Lauderdale, had flown in to join his dad, Tony. At the check-in, we were given all sorts of goodies from the event’s generous sponsors, including a…

It was mid-morning when we arrived in Cape Town to find three Kia Seltos models ready and waiting. I picked the red one and partnered up with Bernie Helberg from TCB Media. We loaded our luggage and headed out of the airport, turning east onto the N2 towards Swellendam. Just after Swellendam we turned north onto the R324 and passed through Suurbraak, a small town seemingly trapped in the past as there are no new buildings, but most of the houses are well looked after. Travelling further north towards Barrydale, we followed the Tradouw River until we reached the Tradouw Pass. It truly is an absolutely stunning route, with a very gradual rise. Once we reached the pass, we stopped for a quick leg stretch and to take in the…

As a tour guide in Africa, I am often asked if and why Zimbabwe is worth visiting. And my answer is always yes, a thousand times yes! Zimbabwe is a country rich in history, culture, and natural beauty, making it an ideal destination for overlanding and 4x4 tourists. Despite its complex political history, the country has emerged as an incredible destination, famous for its unique landscapes, impressive wildlife reserves, vibrant cities, and friendly people. One of Zimbabwe’s best-known and most alluring destinations is Victoria Falls, one of the world’s most majestic natural wonders. Also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (which translates to ‘the smoke that thunders’), this breathtaking waterfall is located on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. While it is neither the widest nor the highest waterfall in the world, it…

TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION: Camping or a lodge stay (rooms are fully catered). NEAREST TOWN: Lydenburg (23.3km) STANDS: Five (maximum of four people per stand) SHOP: Yes (at the lodge, offering ice, fishing equipment and some refreshments. Firewood is provided by the lodge. PET FRIENDLY: Yes FISHING: Yes (rods and flies available to rent) CELL PHONE RECEPTION: No (WiFi available at the lodge) ACCESSIBILITY: Gravel (the lodge is accessible for most vehicles, but road cars and caravans won’t be able to reach the campsite due to water crossings – for this, vehicles and trailers with higher ground clearance is required) Rates: R1500perpersonsharing, with R1 800 per person single supplement. Children under 12 pay R750 per person. Includes meals and fishing. R230perpersonwith children under 12 paying R180 per person. This…

Yong – the author explains this term that was coined by a Baltic-German zoologist, Jakob von Uexkull. The roots of the word are German and translated it means ‘environment’, but the way this zoologist used umwelt blew my mind. Thanks Zach and Em! Umwelt was used by Jakob to refer to the surroundings of a specific animal, but particularly the things it can sense and experience… its ‘perceptual world’. What a thought! To think that the annoying buzz of a fly around our heads excites and triggers a bird into action in the hopes of catching its next meal! The way in which everything natural that we interact with either brings us joy, sadness or irritation might just do the exact opposite for another organism in the immediate surroundings! I…

SPOON STARTERS STEAK STEW There are very few things in life that can compete with enjoying a cup of fresh coffee as you overlook our continent’s beautiful scenery. With Protea Coffee, getting that coffee-shop aroma and filter-coffee taste is now feasible, even if you are out in the bush. It is available in espresso, supreme and breakfast blends, as well as a lovely decaf option. With every edition, we give away a hamper filled with Protea goodies to the value of R500 for reader contributions (these can be stories, letters or questions). *For more information: www.proteacoffee.co.za This month our winner is Christien Nesser, who shares an epic adventure to Iceland on page 28. Send your contributions to info@4x4afrika.com…

What’s in the bag? My mom taught me that you can’t buy happiness… but you can buy a bag – and that’s kind of the same thing (according to my sisters, at least!) And happiness is what you will find when strolling through the bag aisle at Tentco. They have storage or carry solutions for all your needs, including some you haven’t even considered yet! Our personal favourites for moms include the bathroom vanity bag, which is more of a portable vanity case. It features an adjustable hardened packing shelf, two mesh pockets and a large mirror, transforming any portable shower cubicle into a convenient bathroom space. Best of all, it folds flat when not in use, so it hardly takes up any room! Partner it with the deluxe toiletry…

Late last year I attended the launch of the double cab next-generation Ford Ranger. I drove the mid-range XLT Bi-turbo variants and the top-of-the-range Wildtrak 3.0 V6 models and was impressed by the good-looking, well-kitted products filled with all the latest tech and features Ford has to offer. The Ford Ranger has always enjoyed a considerable market share in the double cab segment, especially at the higher end of the spectrum, but the brand seemed to struggle to find a footing in the super and single cab segments. So, the question is: can Ford give us a proper workhorse? Getting the job done Many people might see single and super cabs as mere commercial tools and for the most part, they’d be correct. However, such derivatives have emerged as attractive…

While this road trip was great, the Kia Seltos was the true star of the show. It behaved very well on all surfaces, but it was its prowess on gravel roads that really impressed me. Honestly, the Seltos is one of my favourite crossovers in a market segment that is practically bursting at the seams. Apart from the fact that is is a real looker, it is extremely comfortable and offers great fuel consumption to boot. It’s so much more than a pretty face, though, boasting many superb qualities to make it a stand-out. When it was first launched in 2019, Kia wanted to cover as much of the market as possible, and as a result, it offered a multitude of trim options, engines and powertrains. On this trip, we…

The Adventure Afrika team recently received a brand-new set of General Grabbers AT3’s to test. However, before taking these awesome tyres onto the road, we needed to balance them properly. So, we headed to our nearest Best Drive fitment shop to have the tyres and wheels balanced, using the Hunter Roadforce® System. What is Road Force? Balancing a tyre is an essential part of the tyre fitment process as it allows you to eliminate vibrations caused by imbalances in the vehicle’s tyres and wheels. However, traditional balancing has its limits. One noticeable shortcoming of traditional balancing is that it cannot measure the force a tyre produces while in motion and weighed down by the vehicle. This is where the Hunter Roadforce® system comes into play. The system is designed to…

Gauteng is the smallest of South Africa’s provinces geographically, but it has a dense population and is also the seat of economic power. The province was established on the rich gold reefs initially discovered in the Johannesburg area and led to a massive sprawling network of towns and cities covering a vast area, which does not have much in terms of significant mountain ranges. Consequently (other than the Magaliesberg Mountains), there are few official mountain passes in this province. Horn’s Nek The gently graded, tarred Horn’s Nek Pass (M17) cuts through the picturesque Magaliesberg Mountains just west of Pretoria. At 3.8km in distance, it rises at a moderate gradient of 1:20 from 1 312m to 1 452m above sea level, but there are some steeper sections near the summit at…

Citroën resembles the French national rugby team in many ways. At times they can be nearly unstoppable, and the one constant seems to be the ability to surprise or frustrate their fans as their game is anything but predictable. Similarly, Citroën has, at times, been a true pioneer and innovator within the automotive industry – however, the brand has also been known to be entirely all over the place and seemingly without a game plan when it comes to design and performance. But, like the French rugby team, it sometimes strikes that perfect blend of weird wonderfulness. And I think that analogy fits the Citroën C5 Aircross to a tee! Styling and Interior Citroën’s goal for the C5 Aircross facelift was to move the brand into more of an upmarket…

Build you own Landy There’s no denying that the Land Rover Defender 90 is one of the most iconic overlanding and adventure vehicles of all time. Admittedly, owning one of these legends isn’t within everyone’s reach (or budget), but that doesn’t have to mean the end of the dream. In celebration of 75 years of Land Rover, the Lego Group has created the new Lego Icons Classic Land Rover Defender 90. The 2 336-piece set has a two-in-one format, allowing builders to create an everyday road-ready model or customise it for adventures, complete with accessories for an off-road expedition. The Defender has racked up 75 years of all-terrain expeditions and is instantly recognisable around the world. Thanks to brand ambassadors such as Kingsley Holgate, it also has a unique record…

I’ve always had a soft spot for Toyota’s Fortuner. Yes, yes, I know! I’m supposed to be impartial, but I just can’t help myself. I’ve always wanted one, even before SUV’s became cool. In my world – considering the size of our family and our recreational habits – it would be as close to the perfect vehicle as I can get. The only part of my world that it doesn’t gel with is my budget. The Fortuner has undergone a bit of a makeover for 2023 and now flaunts a bolder new look. The interior has also received some attention that includes an all-new interior colour palette for flagship models. Looking the part Toyota’s marketing material on the Fortuner makes reference to the catamaran-inspired elements. Honestly, I don’t see it.…

South Africans got their first taste of the all-new Suzuki Grand Vitara at the 2022 Festival of Motoring, held in August last year. Even then it was clear that it boasted plenty of tech, loads of luxury, and great styling to boot. It’s been a while since we’ve had the Grand Vitara nomen-clature in South Africa. Sure, we’ve had the Vitara and the Vitara Brezza, but now the Big Daddy is back in town and it’s a real treat! The newcomer is available with the choice of two different drivetrain options, including the first-ever mild hybrid petrol-electric powertrain from Suzuki Auto South Africa, three gearbox options and a choice between two- and four-wheel drive. Yes, the Grand Vitara is the newest model from the partnership between Suzuki and Toyota for…

The problem with life is that by the time one has the time and the money to go on a 4x4 trip in a foreign country, one should consider a gentle cruise instead. But age is just a number to this group of Viking off-spring. Oh yes, we all believe we have that special link to our Viking ancestors. The group of baby boomers, aptly called the Veteran Vikings, set off from sunny South Africa for an eight-day, seven-night tour of Iceland. Our tour operators from Ultimate Adventures, Simon and Desiree Steadman, promised it would be the adventure of a lifetime. And was it? Let’s start at the very beginning… A day at leisure in Reykjavik A day to acclimatise is recommended, especially in winter. The cold came as a…

After crossing through Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Rwanda, this intrepid group of explorers were well on their way to completing their epic trip to the ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill in the United Kingdom (that is, of course, from Chartwell in South Africa). They still had a long way to go to get to Chartwell House in the UK, though. Uganda Crossing over from Rwanda to Uganda was a relatively hassle-free experience and the group met up at the sailing club in Entebbe. They spent a few days in the city as three of the vehicles needed servicing and repairs. A kind-hearted workshop owner allowed the guys to use his facilities, staff and equipment to carry out the repairs while the girls relaxed at the Protea Hotel. Some…

Overlanding requires you to kit your vehicle with aftermarket products that sometimes could run into the hundreds of thousands of rands, and although some fitment centres offer credit for these fitments, it can be a hefty amount of money to fork out. As such, its imperative to make the right decisions from the get-go. First up is of course your choice of vehicle and boy, are there many options to choose from! Quite the underrated option is the GWM P-Series, which has been around for almost two years now. While it’s still not a real threat to the big guns when it comes to sales, it is moving along nicely, selling 400 to 500 units a month. Its biggest selling point is its price, coupled to a very impressive list…

Regular readers might recognise the name Nooitgedacht Trout Lodge & Hatchery. This camping spot has previously played host to the now famous Bush Run events we regularly cover, and our Landy-loving friends encouraged us to visit this beautiful destination over Easter. The campsite is only three hours east of Johannesburg in the province of the rising sun, Mpumalanga, and sits in a valley at the precipice of South Africa’s Great Escarpment. The surrounding mountains makes you feel as if you’re trapped in a beautiful oil painting, complimented by the Spekboom River running through the valley past Nooitgedacht. The river is the water source for the other leg of the enterprise, the trout hatchery. In fact, Nooitgedacht is one of the best flyfishing destinations in the country. Whether fishing in the…

Yes, I know. These easy recipes are meant to be the outdoorsy kind… things that can be braai-ed or can be served with a braai. Let’s just say I had a sign. It all started on a recent new model launch in the Karoo. I was tired and irritated and hungry… never a good combination. In fact, I was ‘hangry’ – a dangerous combination of hungry and angry. I also needed to use the bathroom badly, so I forced my driving partner to stop at a small little building resembling a farmstall in the middle of nowhere. As I walked closer to enquire about their ablution facilities, I noticed bold black lettering painted on either side of the entrance. It spoke to me in more ways than one. I’m not…

How cute is this car? Honestly it was love at first sight when the Fiat 500X was dropped off for our test period, which saw me driving it to Middelburg after Easter Weekend, but mostly consisted of in-town driving to and from the local shopping mall and the odd visit to the rest of the family. It’s a pity I didn’t get to flaunt it somewhere exciting, because the Fiat 500X is a car that deserves to be admired. The ‘regular’ Fiat 500 is an iconic vehicle in itself, but the 500X takes things to a whole new level in terms of design, comfort, technology and safety. It kept everything that is cool about the 500 and mixed in a few key features to cater for the ever-growing trend towards…