Innehållsförteckning för Dec/Jan 2023/2024 från Go! Drive & Camp

EDITOR'S LETTER I find myself a tad envious of Mic after reading his column for this issue. He's comfortably positioned at his usual spot in the back of the magazine, and I suggest you read his piece first then circle back here, as I don't want to jump the gun. And no, my envy doesn't stem from the fact that he's turned a hobby into a career. One could level the same charge at the Drive & Camp team… and many have. Nor is it because Mic and co have kitted out a Suzuki Jimny with every 4x4 gadget imaginable and embarked on an overland trek to Zambia, leaving me feeling a shade of green. By the way, Mic took the Jimny on that journey to test if it could…

INBOX I nearly sold my drone, a DJI Spark, a few weeks back. We're moving from Vanderbijlpark to Somerset West and need to clear out quite a bit. I've been storing the drone for a while as I've felt too unsure to fly it, fearing I might damage it. But I've decided to keep it and use it for photos and videos. The time came to drive down to Somerset West – coincidentally, the same weekend as the Jimny gathering in Clarens*. I would have loved to attend as I also own a Jimny, but for this trip, I was using my Duster. On the N1 near Matjiesfontein, we were almost overwhelmed by the floral splendour and looked for a turn-off spot to take some pictures and videos. I put…

Zebra Bush Camp The Zebra Bush Camp is located in Dinokeng, just down the road from the Jabula and Kyleu campsites on Kaallaagte Road. Owners Natanya Bushey and her partner Bryan Booyse established Zebra in 2022. The idea from the start was to set up a bush camp with a few stands, explains Natanya. They bought the land (21 hectares) in 2021, and it was just bush. What counts in this piece of land's favour is that it falls within the Big Five area of Dinokeng. Campers have two choices: you can opt for one of three stands in a space enclosed by an electric fence, or you can pitch your tent outside the fenced area and share nature with the wildlife. The entrance to the fenced area is 250…

The latest Triton was introduced in July 2023 and sales kicked off in September in Thailand, where the bakkie is manufactured. Mitsubishi Motors South Africa has indicated they expect their first shipment of Tritons to arrive sometime in the first half of 2024. It feels like just the other day when the previous Triton landed on our shores, and indeed it's only been six years. We attended its media launch on 23 January 2017, its facelift happened in 2019, and now it's being replaced by a yet another generation. The folks at Mitsubishi sure are in a hurry… The latest Triton employs a new ladder frame chassis composed of high-tensile steel, which according to Mitsubishi, has a 65% larger cross-sectional area that reduces flex and improves torsional stiffness by 40%…

Since olden times, people have been spinning frightful yarns about snakes, something that doesn't sit right with Johan Marais from the African Snakebite Institute. He assures us that snakes are not malevolent creatures seeking to harm humans; they are actually timid and nervous animals that prefer flight over fight. Busy holiday resorts are largely snake-free precisely because these animals are shy, but if you're wild camping in nature, you may come across what is considered by some to be the original enemy. 1 All snakes are venomous There are 176 snake species in Southern Africa, of which only 20 are life-threatening and 30 are relatively dangerous. That leaves us with 126 species that you needn't worry about. 2 Snake venom can be sucked out of a bite We can thank…

INBOX Congratulations to Daisy Visser of Kempton Park who is the lucky winner of the prize in our October-November 2023 issue for a National Luna 72 Legacy Smart fridge/freezer worth R16 600! The Vissers are feeling thoroughly spoiled, as they've always carried a separate fridge specially for their meat. Daisy says she initially wasn't a camper, but things changed 13, 14 years ago when she met her husband, Johan. “Johan just said we're going camping… are you coming along or staying behind?” And so Daisy's camping life started and they found a spot at Dube near Brits. It started with a Jurgens Lite, a trailer with a rooftop tent. They later acquired a Jurgens Rascal, and a few months ago, invested in a Gypsey Romany. “We bought a National Luna…

NEWS The South African women's hockey team is currently on a tour through South Africa, visiting schools and coaching young players. Isuzu Motors South Africa announced during this tour that they will be an official sponsor of the women's hockey team. Ziphindiwe Ngcobo, Marketing Executive of Isuzu Motors South Africa, says the manufacturer is thrilled to support the national women's hockey team on their journey to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “Their dedication and core values of passion, pride, unity and resilience align closely with Isuzu's own ethos, and we believe this partnership will not only boost the team's performance but also inspire aspiring female athletes across the country.” Erin Christie, co-captain of the team, expressed their gratitude for Isuzu's support. “We are honoured to have Isuzu as our…

Stretching from Durban to the Eastern Cape border, the coastline extends over just over 150 km, with campsites practically strung together like sardines. Over the years, we've visited around 20 of them. One such a campsite was Prairie Park in Anerley, which has since changed ownership and is now known as Anerley Garden Park. Here you camp at an elevated position in a tropical garden, and the Blue Flag Southport beach is just a five-minute drive away. Another 5 km later you arrive at Lalanathi, where you set up camp a scant 100 m from the beach. This may well be one of the quietest beaches along this stretch of coastline. It's time to unwind. ANERLEY GARDEN PARK A hillside haven Anerley Garden Park has two entrance gates. When you…

The world around Ceres and Tulbagh in the Western Cape shares one thing: mountains that soar into the sky. And where there are mountains, people want to ascend them. If you're up for the challenge of a steep dirt road at the base of the Witzenberg, do consider Noah's campsite near Wolseley, almost halfway between Ceres and Tulbagh. Besides the steep climb, there are a few other essential bits to note: there is no electricity, and you must take all your rubbish back home with you. A minimum rate applies, making it worth it for groups. So, invite a bunch of friends and family along. In exchange, you get to choose between four private stands with five-star facilities. And your bonus is the most beautiful view over the valley. THE…

CARAVAN TEST The Nayela Okapi model already finds itself in esteemed company in the caravan world, but the Okapi X gives the model an additional boost. The standard model's 15-inch wheels are replaced by 16-inch versions, which necessarily means it stands a bit taller: the roof is 56 mm higher (2,15 m versus 2,094 m) with a ground clearance of 305 mm – that's 55 mm higher than the standard model. Furthermore, the weight has been adjusted. Where the regular Okapi has a GVM of 1 750 kg, the Okapi X's is 1 900 kg. This weight determines the towing vehicle's weight, but the 150 kg difference has little impact on your typical towing vehicle for this type of caravan. Take, for example, the very basic Isuzu mu-X with a…

BRANDO MEN'S WALLET Take note This wallet made of genuine leather is a great gift for the man in your life. This one is slim enough to not be too conspicuous in Dad's trouser pocket. Lined with khaki material, it boasts eight card slots and two compartments for bank notes. There's no coin pocket, otherwise it would be a purse. It also has a window slot for your driving licence or ID card. The wallet blocks RFID, which means nobody can scan the chip on Dad's credit card while it's in the wallet. Dimensions: 11 x 8,5 x 0,9 cm. Price R699 at Outdoor Warehouse BUSHNELL POWERVIEW 2 10X25 BINOCULARS Game viewer Good binoculars are never cheap, and this pair by Bushnell is probably the best you can get for…

5 fm's radio presenter announces through a public address system that everyone should head to their vehicles in preparation for the main event. Jimny owners, young and old, jog among rows of vehicles. Occasionally, someone pauses, and scan uncertainly where they had parked. It's not just the owners’ ages that vary, but also that of the vehicles. The oldest Jimny in attendance – a military variant of a 1973 model LJ20 – is proudly parked front and centre. The latest Jimny – a brand new five-door model – stands a few Jimnys away from its progenitor. The number plates on the masses of Suzukis indicate that all nine provinces are represented at the gathering. Those from Cape Town probably had the longest drive, over 1 300 km to get here,…

Sutherland is known as South Africa's coldest town. Although it doesn't hold the record for the coldest temperature ever – that belongs to the Buffelsfontein farm in the Eastern Cape at -20 °C – the mercury in Sutherland regularly drops below -15 °C. Enough to make it on average the coldest town. Sutherland offers numerous accommodation choices from camping to hotel rooms because South Africans flock to this Karoo town to watch snow and stars. If you'd rather be driving around, tackle this loop that will take you over six official mountain passes. The route starts in Sutherland's main road. Head north on the tarred Williston road (R354) and after 9 km you'll hit a fork in the road. Left goes to Calvinia and right to Williston. Choose the latter.…

Double-cab bakkies and towing go together like love and marriage. That's why Ford keeps its Ranger XLT range up to date with the latest technology. Choose between four XLT models, divided into two groups: the single-turbo and the bi-turbo. Both are available in 4x2 or 4x4, and a tow bar is standard across the board – the same goes for sway control, the towing lights test, and a towing mode you select depending on the road. Broadly speaking, the Ranger comes in four different versions: a basic model, the XL, XLT and Wildtrak. We got behind the wheel of the XLT with a twinturbo engine and 4x4 drive. Setting the tow bar high Ford has reached new heights, as we saw with the Everest Platinum in our previous issue. The…

WORD FOR WORD 145 298 The total number of words in the past year's Drive & Camp magazines. This spans from issue #52 (December 2022-January 2023) to #57 (October-November 2023). 24 216 The average number of words per issue. There are six Drive & Camp issues per year. That's how many minutes (one hour and 47 minutes) it would take to read a Drive & Camp at an average reading speed. (According to irisreading.com, adults read at a speed of 200-250 words per minute – our calculation is done with an average of 225 words per minute). CARAVANS GALORE The number of caravans we personally hitched and tested this year. These were the Bushwakka Evolution 3 (R536 354), Leefek Tourer SX Enduro (R497 109), Tonga (R184 000), Armadillo's XTR312 (R540…

FORD CAPRI PERANA (1970) The Capri Perana was famed for its domination in South Africa's Group 5 racing, especially during the 1970 season. Bobby Olthoff, with his Capri Perana V8, won 13 out of the 14 races that year. The Capri Perana is unique in that it is the only factoryapproved Capri ever equipped with a V8 engine. Here, the 5.0-litre “Windsor” V8 from a Mustang dealt knock-out blows to the competition. You could identify a Capri Perana V8 by its larger wheels, dual exhaust pipes, and distinctive body paint colours: Bright Yellow or Piri Piri Red. The Perana weighed a mere 1 100 kg, and its 210kW and 407Nm tore up the racetrack. And that's also why it was so popular with the regular man on the street. Basil…