Innehållsförteckning för Feb/Mar 2024 från Go! Drive & Camp

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…

According to vehicle financier WesBank, new vehicle sales in November 2023 reached a new low point. This was the company's worst month since the beginning of 2021 when the market started to recover after the COVID-19 lockdown. Figures released by Naamsa show that new vehicle sales year-on-year fell by a significant 9,8% to 45 075 units in November 2023 – 4 911 fewer than in November 2022. This marked the sixth month of declining sales and the fourth consecutive month of negative growth. Vehicle manufacturers could take solace in the fact that November is traditionally not an outstanding month. For example, 385 fewer units were sold than in October 2023. However, the problem lies in the fact that year-to-date growth has significantly decreased to 0,8% due to the economic challenges…

The Ranger Tremor employs the same 2 ℓ twin-turbo diesel engine producing 154 kW and 500 Nm of torque, combined with full-time all-wheel drive and the TrailTurn Assist feature from the Wildtrak X, allowing the bakkie to make sharp turns (More on this later). Additionally, theTremor boasts Pro Trailer Backup Assist, which assists when reversing with a trailer hitched. This electronic aid comes standard on theTremor andWildtrak X, as well as on the upcoming Ranger Platinum and Ranger Raptor. “The new Ranger raised the bar for comfort, practicality, performance and safety, and we are broadening both its appeal and capability even further with the addition of the Ranger Tremor,” says Doreen Mashinini, General Manager for Marketing at Ford South Africa. “Tremor is aimed at customers who require enhanced capability and…

DESTINATION A big thank you to CMH Ford Ballito for the use of a Ford Ranger XL 4×4 double-cab bakkie.We hitched a Stealth Cub Overlander (tare weight 840 kg, GVM 1 500 kg) and covered 326,2 km along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.We towed for most of the distance, though we also drove around without the trailer. The Ranger provided a decent fuel consumption of 11,36 ℓ /100 km (8,8 km/ ℓ) as a combined figure. The towbar is optional on the standard vehicle, and the bakkie itself has a towing capacity of 3 500 kg. The XL is more basic compared to other double-cab models*, but does cater for towing with a number of extras. The main reason is the computer system behind the scenes. The reverse camera's screen has…

Mobi Lodge's new Mobi XL boasts the same top-class finishes and luxuries as the popular Continental model, but in a smaller and more compact version. Setting up When setting up, you first need to swing down the rear corner steadies before pulling out the slide-out cupboard. If you don't do this, the weight of the slide-out and spare wheel at the back of the caravan will press down to the ground. The caravan has corner steadies at the rear only, but it's quite stable nonetheless. The jockey wheel's shaft arm is attached to the caravan. The wheel first drops down, and then the inner part of the arm swings down to the ground. The spirit level on the A-frame helps you level the caravan. Four clips secure the slide-out in…

LK'S CHAMPAGNE FLUTE SET Bottoms up! Steel is a good conductor of heat, and according to the second law of thermodynamics, heat spontaneously flows from a warm medium (your hand) to a cold one (your drink). This glass, made of stainless steel, should have been a bad idea scientifically speaking, but LK's was smart and gave the glass a double wall. There's air between the outer and inner walls – a poor conductor of heat – so your sparkling wine stays colder for longer, especially if you also throw in an ice ball (see below). (Cyril, you need to stop putting ice in your bubbly – Ed.) The glass also has a lid with a spout for sipping. It prevents your Method Cap Classique from spilling when your speedboat is…

German vehicle manufacturer ElectricBrands announced in 2022 that they were going to build a compact battery-powered van.This vehicle is now finally available to the public, and by the time you read this, there should be a bunch of them buzzing around Europe. There are nine variants, including the camper van version you see here as well as single- and double-cab bakkie variants. All four wheels are driven by electric motors, and the standard 15 kWh battery provides a range of 200 km. However, there is provision for three batteries, totalling 45 kWh taking you as far as 600 km on a single charge. The dimensions of the Xbus are 3 945 × 1 633 mm, and it stands 1 970 mm tall. Its ground clearance is an impressive 299 mm,…

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…

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…

NEWS Volvo South Africa has confirmed the arrival of the new fully electric EX30, with the country's first shipment already en route – by the time you're reading this, they should be rolling off the ship in Durban. The EX30 is set to be one of the most affordable electric vehicles (EVs) in South Africa, starting at R775 900. Since September 2023, Volvo has received over 150 pre-orders for this compact Swedish luxury SUV. Greg Maruszewski, managing director of Volvo South Africa, highlights that the country is among the first globally, outside Sweden, to receive the EX30. “Typically, South Africa isn't in the first wave of a new model's global launch. However, this has changed with the EX30, meaning we'll see them on local roads simultaneously with major markets in…

“The V8 under the hood of Nico Stockoff's Toyota Hilux double cab roars so loudly that people in Fouriesburg across the border can probably hear it“ There is nothing in this world that one's body and soul cannot adapt given a little time, a wise man once wrote. But this wise guy clearly spent too much time in his study and never dared to tackle the Letele Pass in Lesotho. The pass is only 6 km long, and it's essentially simply a general direction in which man, beast and vehicle navigate through the gorge and then aim uphill. In the olden days, the pass apparently led to the Letele gold mine, and even at its best, it was rough going. Since then, the mine has built a new gravel road…

WEEKEND BREAK The Nooitgedacht Trout Lodge lies in the mountains of the Mount Anderson catchment area, a 200 km2 private reserve established in 1989. Nooitgedacht's bush camp is one of the best-kept camping secrets in the country. Apart from a Facebook page, there isn't much information available online. Even the lodge's website doesn't mention the camp. From the turnoff at the Finbury road marker on the R36 (S25.034209 E30.481168), it's a 16 km dirt road (10 km of which is within the reserve) to Nooitgedacht. You open the reserve's gate (S25.052269 E30.524963) with the code sent by manager Arabel Hunter. For the next 10 km, the road winds over hills and through valleys to Nooitgedacht's main gate. The road is mostly a single-track with a few steep hills and numerous…

The Van Stadens believe our country has too many beautiful places for us to sit at home and complain. Yes, unfortunately, there's always concern about your safety when hitting the road, but with careful planning and using your head, they say you can still travel wonderfully and camp safely. These two pensioners have travelled quite a bit recently, camping at various places and driving on many a bad road. However, they never really felt unsafe, threatened or stranded. They drive short distances each day and usually travel outside of the holiday season. They do make a few phone calls in advance, but even without prior reservations, they have never had trouble finding suitable camping spots. They adjust their travel plan as they go, and after 20 000 km over a…

As we wrote in the OctoberNovember 2023 issue, Leefek has ceased all caravan manufacturing. This affects models such as the Exclusive, Classique, Penta, Splash, Sprint, Swing, and various Tourer and XT trailer models. Leefek has, however, committed to fulfilling its warranty responsibilities. We spoke with most Leefek dealers (see list on p 93). A notable example was Eben Grobler, owner of Eastern Cape Caravans & Safari Centre, who shared his experience of recently completing repairs on a caravan still under warranty. The caravan came in for its six-month service, requiring a part repair. They were smoothly assisted by Leefek. At the time of writing this article, several new Leefek caravans were still available at about half of the dealerships. The end of the road The end of Leefek also signifies…

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…

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…

DESTINATION It's not every day that you discover a campsite in the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast for a first-time visit. This is particularly true for us at Drive & Camp, as over the years we've checked out nearly every one of the resorts along this popular coastline. It was therefore an unexpected experience to pitch our tent at Mtwalumi and River Valley. Not only was it our first time at both resorts; they are also places we can wholeheartedly recommend. Mtwalumi is near Mtwalume, about 90 km south of Durban, and shares its name with the river that flows into the sea on its northern side. The campsite is perched on a hill, 450 m from the river mouth as the crow flies. Moreover, Mtwalume's beach is just 100 m along.…

TRAIL GUIDE Watching the impala and waterbuck nervously navigate their way around the crocs to get to the waterholes in the Shingwedzi riverbed in the Kruger National Park, you might be wondering where along this river the beautiful Shingwedzi Cliffs you've heard about are. Dig out a map and you'll find the cliffs are a mere 40 km southeast as the crow flies, about 20 km on the other side of the border with Mozambique. And, after being moth-balled during the COVID pandemic, the wild campsites in the Limpopo National Park are open again. The Shingwedzi Cliffs are accessible via a 4×4 track of 30 km, which should take you around just 2,5 hours from the Giriyondo border post with Mozambique. Of course, you can't fly as a crow, but…

The iconic three-door Suzuki Jimny has achieved cult status over the years as an unbeatable off-roader that won't break the bank. Its short wheelbase, AllGrip 4×4 system with a low-range transfer case, and a ladder-frame chassis that barely tips the scales at a tonne have given the little car's owners quite a confident swagger when it comes to off-roading. I know, because I have an olive-green one in my garage. While the Jimny's off-road prowess is unquestionable, its engine has its shortcomings. The 1,5-litre engine has you strategising extensively when attempting to overtake a convoy of lorries on the N1 between Beaufort-Wes and Laingsburg. In a strong southeast wind, it feels as if you're the skipper of a sailboat rather than a driver. Its cabin space is modest, with the…

LEON'S STORY As children, we blindly believed our parents: if you drink too much coffee, you'll get fleas in your stomach; if you swallow chewing gum, your intestines will knot up; and, yes, if you play with fire, you'll wet your bed. Today, we know these were just stories to scare us, although we still understand that you should indeed not play with fire. But a fire remains a revered thing … especially at the campsite. You could consider the campfire as the cornerstone of the camping world – and this applies to young and old alike. Which child hasn't asked to light the braai at the campsite? Here I sit today, decades later, having lit more campfires than the number of summers anybody will see in a lifetime. Just…