Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2016 i Caravan and Outdoor Life

FEELING LIGHT-HEADED Don’t be left in the dark! Bring your campsite to light this holiday with the Petzl Tikkina headlamp, available from Trappers. The headlamp has two modes – one favouring burn time and the other brightness. A simple push of a button switches between the lighting modes. The headband is adjustable and also completely washable. R249 For more information, visit www.trappers.co.za and also find your nearest Trappers store. Prices are subject to change without notice. May not be available at all Trappers stores. TABLE MATTERS Whether you are preparing food next to the braai, playing board games with the kids or having a drink under the trees, you need a portable table. The Anywhere Bifold Table made by AfriTrail is made from steel tubes to be sturdy on any…

It might not be an official condition, but I definitely have “back road fever”. No matter where I am travelling, I always feel the need to take the lesser-known routes to get to my destination. This was once again the case when I got to tour freely around the Garden Route, cruising from Knysna through the Tsitsikamma, and further up the coast through the St Francis Bay almost all the way to PE. The waters of the Bay are warmed by the Mozambique and Agulhas Currents, and are a great attraction for winter campers – especially surfers, who flock to Jeffreys Bay to ride waves that break up to half a kilometre long. The Garden Route is a must-see for everyone. With gentle all-year rain, the countryside is always green.…

Nestled in a valley at the southern end of the Drakensberg lies a resort which boasts that it is a ‘one-of-a-kind retreat for guests to reconnect, relax and unwind’. The Drakensberg Gardens Golf & Spa Resort is situated in a scenic 860 hectare World Heritage site, and between the hotel, self-catering units, golf course, spa, bowling lawns, swimming pools and conference venues, there’s also a caravan park. This resort really has something for everyone. If you are into nature and the outdoors, there are beautiful hiking trails, mountain bike tracks, and fishing. For sports enthusiasts, there are tennis courts, lawn bowls, putt-putt, archery, snooker tables, cricket nets, 18-hole golf, and squash. For water lovers there are swimming pools, hot pools and boating on the river. Animal lovers can go for…

Driving up the road to Ongegund wine farm at the feet of the Hottentots Holland Mountains, we are greeted by a brand new, custom-built Mercedes-Benz-based motorhome. Parked under the tall oak trees, the latest unit from AC Motorhomes looks ready for any adventure. It’s an impressive sight. Owner Alwyn (AJ) van Pittius runs various businesses including Ongegund, a popular destination for weddings. The farm’s old Cape buildings, row upon neat row of vines, dams, oak trees and the accommodation blend in with this wonderful lifestyle! All this is reflected in the very special motorhome he had built for himself and his wife Marietta. ‘My wife and I both dream, and we do what we dream,’ says AJ. ‘We had a motorhome before and we knew what we wanted in this…

Four days, 260 kilometres, one world heritage site – this is the iSimangaliso 4 Day MTB ride coming later this year. Riders get to travel from the mountains to the sea, heading through eight interlinking ecosystems on tracks made by animals in the wild, far off the normal tourist routes. At night, you get to sleep at some of the areas most luxurious resorts, or (if you’re a camping fan) you can enjoy nature in a tent. The event slogan is ‘lose yourself, find yourself’ it’s a soul escape, and seasoned mountain biker Jacques Marais described last year’s race as ‘mountain biking nirvana’. Jacques said: ‘We rode from dawn till dusk, navigating dusty tracks through Big 5 game reserves, slept in safari-style tents and bush lodges, protein-binged around the night…

Braaied mielies with chilli and basil butter Ingredients 4 large ears of corn 125g butter 1 large chilli 5 large basil leaves 1 clove of garlic, crushed Salt and pepper, to taste String for tying Instructions 1. Peel back the husks from the corn and discard. Remove all the silky hair from the corn and discard. 2. Blend the remaining ingredients in a food processor and use this as a basting for the corn. 3. Make sure the fire is hot and place the corn on the grid over the fire to cook. 4. Serve with more of the delicious butter on the side! Here’s how to make the perfect steak with only three ingredients and without a rooster, grill, pot, pan or any tool. That’s right, we’re going to…

A BRIDGE TOO FAR Firstly, thanks for a wonderful monthly magazine. I hope you can shed some light on a very disturbing rumour. What is this about the government now wanting caravans and bush trailers to stop and be weighed at each weighbridge on our national roads? Do they really know what is going to happen? I do not think that they care about the bigger picture; all they see is money, and it is not going to be used to upgrade our deteriorating roads. Are they going to build separate weigh stations for us caravanners? NO! I have heard officials joking about us camping in the long line waiting for the trucks to be weighed. The caravan business will be a re-sale desaster. We will not be able to…

About an hour and a half ’s drive from Cape Town lies the little town of Tulbagh, and the Fynbos Guest Farm. It’s a beautiful 133km drive that takes you through winelands and fynbos. It’s been almost four years since we last visit the campsite nestled in the heart of the Witzenberg Valley, owned by Peter Nel and Maurice Lancaster, so we were very excited to see the changes. Arriving we were greeted by Annie, the very friendly and welcoming housekeeper, who took us to reception – the farmhouse where Peter and Maurice stay since buying the property in 2008. Around the house there are a number of different species of bird, from black swans and peacocks to chickens, roosters and turkeys. Not to mention the pet hadeda and loves…

If“location, location, location” is important when buying property, then surely “reputation, reputation, reputation” is equally important when buying a vehicle. Toyota’s Hilux has been a top-selling bakkie since day one; and not only because of its sturdy workhorse ability, but also for it’s recreational use. It’s available in rear wheel drive or go-anywhere 4x4, with high and low gearing, in single cab or double cab, and in petrol or diesel configuration. Over the years, I have been privileged to attend just about every Hilux launch since this model was introduced into South Africa. We have driven down Namibia’s treacherous coastline south of Walvis Bay, driven into the dormant volcano on Reunion island, competed in 4x4 driving competitions… it’s one tough bakkie: it’s a man’s bakkie! Evolution, however, brings change. This…

In 2010 we decided to trade our Sprite Senata for an off-road caravan, as we love camping in the bush and in places distant from civilization. We decided to start doing our homework, and attended an outdoor show just to see what was available to suit our needs. We were very keen on the Jurgens Xcape, and finally bought ours in April 2012. But we were not satisfied with the working space of the kitchen – it was too small. We also had a problem with the position where the stove was fitted, because if one had to lean over it to get a dish or pots in the storage space at the bottom, one could end up with major burns. After discussions with Kempton Caravans, we decided to make…

When Spring began to stir in 2015 and the usual desire to visit the flowers in Namaqualand and the Northern Cape began to make us restless, my wife Fay and I decided to do it properly. Instead of just doing the flowers, we first took our trusty motorhome, named Florence, due north from our Garden Route home to revisit the Kgalagadi for the first time in more than 30 years, before we headed home via Namaqualand. The last time we visited the Kgalagadi it was in a very basic VW Kombi and we were confident that Florence, our home-built motorhome based on a retired Mercedes ambulance (Florence is of course named in honour of Florence Nightingale), would prove a lot more comfortable. Faced with the boring prospect of nearly 2…

Dear Editor Thanks for a great magazine. Late in February 2016, my wife and I were sitting at McDougalls Bay Caravan Park in Port Nolloth, contemplating entering the Richtersveld for the first time. I remembered an article I had kept from your November 2015 edition about tenting in the Richtersveld, written by Richard van Ryneveld. I pulled out my file and found the number of Johan de Waal of Richtersveld Tours. I read the article again and looked at my wife; she gave me that look which means “Don’t go and get stuck again”. We had completed the beach route between Strandfontein and Hondeklip Bay the day before and got stuck in thick sand near the Groenriviermond lighthouse. She got a bit spooked as we were travelling alone, and if…

THE WILLOWS RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTRE This resort and caravan park is absolutely first class. The Willows is only 15km from the Port Elizabeth beachfront suburb of Summerstrand, and is literally on the beach. It has“beach holiday”written all over – rocky outcrops for fishermen, and small sheltered rock and tidal pools for the kids to explore. The tidal pools next to the small beaches are great for swimming or just lazing in the sun. It’s no wonder that this caravan park is so highly rated amongst experienced caravanners. Security is great, with controlled gate access and patrolling security guards. There’s a small shop that stocks toiletries, groceries, cigarettes, meat, braai wood, ice, magazines and newspapers, airtime, toys and a lot more. Camping and fishing equipment, and bait, are also available.…

When Stephanie Redelinghuys and her husband bought a new home in 1975, they had no idea they would discover a rare treasure. Upon moving in, they found an abandoned caravan in the backyard. But this wasn’t an ordinary caravan of the time – it was probably already 40 years old back then, and made entirely of wood! At first, the Redelinghuys family did not think the caravan was anything special, and it became a den and clubhouse for the two children to hang out and play in. Over the festive seasons, it was used as an extra bedroom for when the whole family came to visit at the Strand home. Luckily, Stephanie Redelinghuys is a collector of all things old and unique. She realised the caravan had become a part…

Mountain biking (or MTB as it is known) has become an increasingly popular sport and hobby in South Africa. With literally hundreds of routes across the country, many caravanners and campers are taking their bikes along on the trip so that they can enjoy some off-road cycling wherever they park off. But, if you are new to MTB, or thinking of taking up the hobby, the different bike models, gear and accessories that are available can be overwhelming. So, for all those aspiring mountain bikers, this month we’re bringing you the ultimate guide on how to get in the saddle, so to speak. From picking your first bike (what design to choose) to gear tips, we’ll get you on the right track. When you are out shopping, it is important…