Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2015 i Caravan and Outdoor Life

The other day, I was listening to someone talk about the process of packing up and leaving, of moving one’s family and all one’s possessions to another country. It’s clearly a difficult experience. Even the basic decision of what to take and what to leave behind leads to much soul searching. The cost of shipping things across the world (and the time this takes) means that it’s often less expensive (and simpler) to sell everything here and buy replacements on the other side. But, your possessions define you. Sure, the TV set has minimal emotional gravity, but something like my toolbox, that battered old timber box with the creaky hinge that I inherited from my father, is a lot more than just a toolbox. To give up such things is…

Nandes Erasmus wins R1 000 from Cara-Sure Nandes nominated Jongensfontein Caravan Park near Stillbay, in the Western Cape. And had this to say about the venue, 'We visited most recently in December last year. The park is virtually on the sea, the closest stands can't be much more than 30 - 40 metres from the beach. But despite this proximity, it's well protected from the wind, and all the stands are well grassed. The 'fontein' flowing from the hill runs through the park, it host eels and is an attraction for the kids. 'One of the biggest benefits is that the park is quiet and peaceful, safe enough for the young ones to walk around on their own. There are two shops, a liquor store, a restaurant and a laundry…

As one of the oldest magazines in SA, Caravan & Outdoor Life has been on the shelves since the early 60s. With 639 issues published over more than five decades, you’d think there wouldn’t be anything left to talk about! But as the South African caravanning industry has developed over the years, so have we. Our new ‘Blast from the Past’ series aims to celebrate years passed and take a closer look at the stories of yesteryear. Our first flashback is to the April 1962 issue of Caravan & Outdoor Life magazine, or as it was then known,‘Caravan’. This black-and-white issue features a variety of articles ranging from a reader’s homebuilt caravan (Some things haven’t changed!), a journey through Jock of the Bushveld country in a Buggy trailer, an article…

HOW BORING... HOW LOVELY In response to Shaun Smith’s letter in the June 2015 issue, Give us stuff to do, about a lack of this in camps, I heartily agree with him. We, too, would love to see a box marked ‘boring,’ because we would look no further before sending off a booking request! We thrive on ‘boring,’ aka peace and quiet. We actively look for small campsites, and, if these are on a farm or private land, so much the better. We search out caravan parks which have fewer than twenty sites, and we never, ever camp over weekends or school holidays. What a pleasure to have to sit and read all day because ‘we have nothing to do’ or be forced to bird-watch at a beautiful dam because…

MEATY TREAT The new Beerbird meatloaf pan is a two-piece set which allows for the easy cooking and easy extraction of your favourite meatloaf dishes. Simply mix your desired meaty ingredients together, form into a loaf, and place in the pan; then place the meatloaf pan inside your covered kettle-braai, gas grill or oven. Within an hour and a quarter, you’ll be enjoying the juiciest, tastiest meatloaf imaginable. The mild-steel non-stick loaf pan and aerated lifting tray come packaged with easy-to-follow preparation and cooking instructions, as well as a very handy meatloaf recipe book. R150 For more information, contact Beer Bird on 011 462 3331, or visit www.beerbird.co.za *** Want one? We’ve got SIX Beerbird meatloaf dishes to give away to lucky readers. Answer the following easy question, and send…

Oztrail was founded in the late 80s to bring high-quality camping products to Australians. 30 years down the line, their products are loved and trusted worldwide for their quality and their fresh, innovative designs. I used the Oztrail Eco Switchback 2, an ultra-lightweight tent which takes just seconds to erect. (Not a unit for Cape winter weather, though.) The two chairs I used, an Oztrail Titan Armchair and an Oztrail Zeus, were both supremely comfortable. I also had the two-litre, eight-cup Oztrail heavy-duty enamel-coated coffee pot, and a heavy-duty Oztrail cast-iron skillet. These camping goodies are definitely made for the long haul.…

You guys must be the best-organised campers there are,’ I said. ‘Wrong!’ said Allan Graham, ‘Completely wrong… wait until you see our friends George and Helen O’Brien. Then you’ll see organised!’ About to set up camp at TO Strand Caravan Park, near Port Edward, I chose a campsite on the banks of the Kuboboyi River; it was a skip and a jump to the long white sandy beach. I quickly realised that the four couples who were already fully set up were mates - the fun and laughter made the camaraderie palpable. When I introduced myself to these four couples, I could see how organised Allan and Heather Graham, Jannie and Dawn Louw, and Colin and Lowel Fourie were. Noël and Margaret Rorke, the fourth couple, were staying in the…

We all get ailments, which (in turn) have symptoms. But many of these symptoms are vague and non-specific. And God forbid that you Google your symptoms, because you’re sure to read that you have some rare and deadly disease! So, of the vast array of symptoms, which indicate a serious condition? Well, firstly, bear in mind that this article is by no means exhaustive, and that medical doctors do not rely solely on symptoms for a definitive diagnosis - they listen to the patient’s history, examine the patients for signs of various diseases and conduct a series of tests, in order to finally reach a diagnosis. At least we hope so, because (as my old ‘varsity Professor Allan used to say,) ‘Diseases don’t read books’. Nevertheless, there are certain symptoms…

The vast majority of readers using this free service report success in selling/buying items, but occasionally, scams or attempted scams do arise. As there is no way for us to verify each and every advertisement placed here, the responsibility rests with you to be vigilant. Please let us know if you see something suspicious. The best way to avoid such problems is to see the items and make/receive payment, face-to-face with the buyer/seller. Be wary of sending your items before receiving the money, and conversely, be careful of making payment before seeing/acquiring the items. And, bear in mind that payment services like Money Gram, Bidpay and Western Union have been favoured by fraudsters in the past. Above all, use your common sense; if it sounds too good to be true,…

MOTHER NATURE’S FACT FILE CHEETAH The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus is the world’s fastest land animal. Cheetahs can reach speeds of up to 110 km/h - almost as fast as cars drive on the highway! They can reach this top speed in just three seconds. When cheetahs are running at full speed, their stride is between six and seven metres long – and their feet touch the ground only twice between each stride. Cheetahs have distinctive ‘teardrop’ marks starting from the inside corners of the eyes and going down to the outside edges of the mouth. These marks help to reflect the sun’s glare when they’re out hunting during the day. The black marks also work like the sights on a rifle: they help the cheetah aim and stay focused when…

Australian physicist Bruce Candy was working as an academic in the early ¹80s when he was visited by a gold prospector and a lawyer. They asked me if it was possible to design a better metal detector, Candy says. The answer was oh, yes. The answer is always oh, yes to that kind of question. Candy soon forgot about the meeting, but a couple of months later the pair turned up again. They said, "Oh we've raised the money," Candy remembers. They'd thought I was going to work for them. I kind of got dragged into it, really. That was the beginning of Minelab, now a worldleader in hand-held metal-detection for consumer, humanitarian, demining and military needs. For more information, visit www.minelab.co.za. A review of the detector which I used,…

I invited Les and Pat Stockman, who also own an Xcape X3, to accompany me and my wife, Teresa, on an adventure to Botswana’s Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). After all, two Xcape X3s would be better than one - but we hadn’t anticipated that the vehicles, caravans and travellers would be put through their paces in some severe conditions. It all began well. The only hiccup was when Les forgot to lock his kitchen door and it flew open, bending the hinges - a problem quickly repaired on the roadside. We spent the first night at Seekoeigat just outside Groblersdal. This is an ideal overnight spot, run by Ferdie Pretorius, that offers lovely grassed sites and electrical points. The second overnight spot was Big Fig Inn, some four kilometres…

Ouma’s homemade chicken pie What you’ll need 1 tbs. olive oil 2 tsp. butter 3 leeks, chopped ½ onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 200 g button mushrooms, sliced Spinach 2 cups chicken stock ½ cup cream 5 chicken breasts, cubed Puff pastry How to make it 1. Cook the olive oil, butter, chopped leeks, chopped onion and crushed garlic over medium heat until softened. 2. Add the cubed chicken breasts. 3. Once the chicken has been cooked through, add sliced mushrooms and spinach, and fry until the mushrooms are golden. 4. Add chicken stock, and simmer for 10 minutes. 5. Stir in cream. 6. Remove from heat, and spoon the cooked contents into a large ovenproof dish or Dutch oven. 7. Top with a sheet of puff pastry, folding…

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR FREE TEXT AD Besides the description of the item you want to sell, your email must contain your name, contact number and the province in which you reside. Then, simply email all this information to classifieds@caravansa.co.za. If you wish to display an image with your ad, your text is limited to 40 words, and such an ad will cost you R456 - email the address above for more details on how to go about placing such an ad. We reserve the right to withhold any ad or to edit the text supplied to fit the space available. Free text ads are published on a first-come-first-served basis, and must be resubmitted every month that your item remains unsold. 2013 Venter Mozzie trailer. Nosecone, spacious OZ-Trail pop-up tent,…

WHEEL BEARING FAILURE I own a ‘10 Jurgens Fleetline which has been serviced by a dealership annually since new. One of the many service items requires greasing (repacking) the wheel bearings. It appears that it’s standard practice in the caravan service industry to remove the bearings, wash them out with some sort of solvent, carry out a visual inspection and repack them with new grease. During my previous service, I queried the practice of washing out bearings prior to repacking with new grease, with the workshop staff. I have a maintenance engineering background (though now retired) and we were trained (by FAG & SKF) not to wash out bearings. It is my understanding that this is a risky practice, since rotating or spinning a dry bearing (often with compressed air)…

ILALA PALM CARAVAN PARK CELEBRATIONS On a recent visit to see Jorrie and Adri, owners of Ilala Palm Caravan Park, they told us that in December this year, they would be celebrating the 10th anniversary of their caravan park - built on a sand forest. So it was, in December 2005, that Jorrie and Adri welcomed their first guests to their camping and caravan park and we’ve seen the park grow over the years. This 'park with the feel of Africa' is situated in the heart of northern Zululand, near Mbazwana. The venue now boasts six private campsites, each with its own ablutions, scullery, hot water, 220 V power, braai and a birdbath which brings rare and exotic birds to your doorstep. There’s also a small swimming pool for cooling…