Go! Drive & Camp Feb/Mar 2024

My phone pings beside me, and I see it's a message from my good friend Gareth. He's sent me a photo of their dome tent pitched next to a rocky outcrop, on what looks like a beautiful patch of land. Seconds later, my phone pings again… “Remind me what pics you want?” he asks. Gareth and I worked together about 15 years ago at a popular sports magazine and quickly became friends. He's quite a bit younger than me, but thanks to a bunch of shared interests, similar views on various aspects of our everyday lives, and his sense of humor, we continued to hang out even after we stopped working together. He'll be the first to admit that he was late to catch the camping bug. In fact, he…

The cover photo of the OctoberNovember 2023 Drive & Camp, featuring the Volkswagen Amarok on the Eselbank Pass, takes me back to a Sunday in 2007. We had driven from Kromrivier to Clanwilliam and back. At the top of the pass, I engaged low gear in third and let my Isuzu KB300 descend the steep slope using the engine's compression. I had to brake frequently to prevent the Isuzu from running away. Some way down the hill, the roof of a vehicle appeared, and we heard the high revs of a screaming engine as it slowly climbed the pass. We pulled over and waited. Eventually, the vehicle emerged, its struggling engine in first gear, smoke billowing from the exhaust pipe. It was an earlyeighties Mazda 323. The occupants appeared to…

INBOX For those of us lucky enough to live in Africa, any journey on the continent is special, but today I reminisce about a 1994 trip to Malawi with my wife Sue. We flew into Lilongwe, the capital located in the central part of the country, near the Zambian and Mozambican borders. An interesting piece of history not widely known is that the then-president, Hastings Banda, studied medicine in America and reportedly had a relationship with a woman named French. (According to newworldencyclopedia.org, Banda was quite controversial: Some viewed him as a hero, while others called him a political tyrant. He died in 1997 in South Africa, while the penniless Ms French passed away in 1976. – Ed). We wanted to camp at Cape Maclear, where the Livingstonia mission station was…

NEWS LYLIUS Nestled in the Cederberg region, Lylius stands as one of its best-kept secrets – a must-visit for any camping enthusiast. If you've ever camped at Algeria in Cederberg, you were probably unknowingly close to Lylius, situated between Citrusdal and Clanwilliam, just 4,7 km off the N7. Spanning 1 700 hectares, the farm Krieberg is home to Corné and Lydia van der Westhuizen, who cultivate rooibos and buchu. The secluded Forest Camp, suitable for tents, contrasts with Taaibos, set on higher ground overlooking other stands collectively known as Grassfields. These consist of four separate stands. Forest was completed in 2019, with the others following post-pandemic, the last one in 2022. Despite there being only six sites, they accommodate numerous families, with each one designed for multiple groups, though you…

NEWS Despite a challenging 2023 for the automotive industry in South Africa, Suzuki South Africa experienced the opposite, introducing several new models, including one of the country's most affordable commercial vehicles, and setting multiple new sales records. They even broke a new Guinness world record! Brendon Carpenter, Marketing Manager of Suzuki South Africa, said,“This was definitely the busiest year ever for Suzuki Auto since we opened our doors in South Africa in 2008.” The year's successes began early with the launch of the Suzuki Eeco panel van. Joining the Super Carry, the Eeco stands as one of South Africa's most affordable commercial vehicles in terms of purchase price, maintenance costs, and fuel consumption. It boasts reliability and low fuel consumption with a 1,2-litre petrol engine, ABS brakes with EBD, ESP…

Over the past three and a half decades, more than 2,7 million kilometres have been covered inVolkswagens in the fight against rhino poaching. Additionally,Volkswagen has enabled over 67 000 vulnerable youngsters to experience nature and has provided humanitarian aid benefiting over 500 households. This record was highlighted by the Wilderness Foundation Africa (WFA) in reference to its vehicle fleet sponsored by Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA). VWSA has been collaborating with the WFA since 1988, starting when the company first supplied vehicles to theWFA's sister organisation, theWilderness Leadership School, under the guidance of the late Dr Ian Player. Since 1995, theWFA has been receiving Volkswagens for its social programmes. In 2015,VWSA provided Kombis and Caddys to support theWFA's youth development programme. “We are incredibly grateful for 35 years of partnership with…