Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2017 i Caravan and Outdoor Life

Do you ever wonder how non-South Africans experience our country, specifically from a caravan and camping point of view? I had a conversation with an Australian couple who had spent a few weeks travelling through South Africa. For the most part, they had a great time: they loved our natural beauty, they found their neighbours in the caravan parks to be friendly, and they openly praised many of our excellent resorts. Of course, we all know this already. We love our country and the outdoor opportunities it provides to us campers. Whether you want to be in a busy, bustling caravan park over the holidays, or prefer an isolated break-away in the bush; there is something for everyone in SA! Unfortunately, there are a few negative elements. Firstly, the Aussies…

The stable way to park Thule Levelers offer a large surface area for increased stability, making them ideal for wider tyres, with a maximum load capacity of 5 ton per set. Three heights (44-78-112 mm) make it easier to get your vehicle correctly levelled, while the striped area offers exceptional grip between the tyre and the leveller. The levellers weight 1.8 kg per each, with each set coming in a neat storage bag. Price: R545 For more information, visit www.thule.com, email thuledirect@thrsa.co.za, or contact 011 230 5200. Cover for the whole family The Double Bow Tent Extension fits all Tentco 3m x 3m bow tents. The extension is a versatile option for a family setup, creating a spacious camping unit that is easy to set up. A trailer can even…

Last year, I had the opportunity to take a brand new Volkswagen Caravelle and go camping for a weekend. It was fantastic, especially since our friends were joining us in their Type 2 model which they were busy restoring and converting into a motorhome. But, a weekend with such a fantastic vehicle is just not enough. So, when the opportunity came for my wife and me to go on a week-long trip in a new Kombi, I couldn’t wait to head out. With the Kombi being such an iconic “road trip” vehicle in South Africa (and across the globe), we decided to plan our trip as such: heading up the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, and looking for some good surf. A “surf safari”, if you will. But, while you can…

From the very first time I stayed at Nature’s Valley Rest Camp, I fell in love with this campsite on the bank of the Groot River. There is something almost magical about the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park. The lush vegetation of the indigenous forest, filled with the calls of birdlife, makes one think of a more primitive world from a time before humans decided to spread and destroy and build all over so much of our natural spaces. While almost the entire journey on the N2 highway through the Garden Route National Park is quite scenic and pleasant (thanks to quality of the road and the greenery on either side), it’s when you turn off on the R102 and cruise down the Grootrivier Pass that nature…

Mielies On The Braai Ingredients • Mielies (corn on the cob) • salt • pepper • chilli flakes • butter • olive oil • tin foil Method 1 1. Remove the mielie’s husk and the silk strands. 2. Spread butter on the mielie, right around. 3. Grind salt and pepper over cob, and sprinkle with chilli flakes. 4. Wrap in a single layer of tin foil. 5. Place the wrapped mielie right next to the coals while you braai your meat. 6. Turn occasionally. 7. The mielie should be ready in about 30 minutes, so if you you know your meat will take less time than that, place the veg close to the fire before you rake open the coals. Method 2 1. Do not remove husk. Drizzle a bit…

Winning letter BIRDERS ARE NUTTERS… BUT I’M NUTS ABOUT BIRDING A horde of us from our Bird Club descended on the caravan park in Mtunzini. As it was out of season, we had virtually the whole park to ourselves and could pick and choose our site. The stands are generous and shady. And while the ablutions are showing their age, they are clean and everything works. So, we unpacked and settled in, some in caravans and some in tents. We lit a fire by 6pm and had a wonderful braai. Of course, some ate too much and some drank too much. Someone even told a semi-dirty joke! Then our“captain,”Awie, informed us that we had to leave by 6 a.m. the next day. Leave, not get up… actually leave! Why, oh…

When it comes to testing a product, there are two ways to do it: Either you take it for a week(end) and check the performance, or you tackle a long-term test on multiple trips over a couple of months. Our office has a Waeco CFX 65 fridge/freezer which we have been using since early 2013. Of course, Waeco has since been rebranded as Dometic, in line with the Swedish company’s brand-consolidation exercise. So, it’s been four years, and our trusty Waeco has been great to us – and its retirement is nowhere in sight! Whether it’s working at max capacity in 40 degree heat or sitting turned on in an office for months at a time, the old beast has its work cut out. And it hasn’t missed a beat.…

Back in the early seventies, I fell in love with Namaqualand. It was during the first varsity vacation that I went there, after a friend had said: “There’s plenty of work in Tsumeb… hike up?” With probably two bucks in my back pocket, I stuck out my thumb and headed for what was then South West Africa. Petrol was 8 cents a litre! And I was so naïve... I thought Springbok was just past Malmesbury. This somewhat-chastened langhaar rooinek ended up being the barman at the Masonic Hotel in Springbok. Later, after I’d worked just over the Orange River in Oranjemund for six years, my Namaqualand addiction was complete. So, when Johan de Waal from Richtersveld Tours phoned earlier this year and said that he had space for me on…

Fresh back from touring Scotland in a hired motorhome (and having owned a Jurgens Pioneer some years back), I find that I have developed a renewed interest in motorhomes. Maybe it was being in a strange land, but the freedom we enjoyed in having our own fully self-contained home took all the pressure off finding suitable overnight accommodation. Then the comfort of knowing that I had total independence, added to the ease of driving a superb touring vehicle, made a package that was simply unbeatable. In Scotland they allow what is called “Wild Camping”, which means that you can overnight anywhere you like providing there isn’t a sign to say you may not. There we were, with a wonderful valley in the Scottish highlands all to ourselves, enjoying a hot…

Roadster 450 CONQUEROR’S FIRST ROAD CARAVAN Conqueror Off-Road Campers have built a brand-new road caravan. The Roadster 450 is said to be the first caravan in the world with“plastic vacuum-formed furniture”! Francois Smit, the Managing Director at Conqueror, spoke to us regarding their newest addition: “The major unique feature in the Roadster 450 is the newly-designed ABS plastic vacuum-formed furniture inside... we believe it is a world first! “This, together with the body constructed from skeletal aluminium with cladding, means weight is minimised, strength is ensured, and it contains no degradable materials – so no wood rot. “Another unique feature is the roof, which is a double pop-up (skylight) with gas-lift assist.” The entry-level Roadster 450 is priced at R320 950. Extras such as bed linen, air conditioner, fridge/freezer, solar…

Nestled in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains of the north-eastern Free State, lies the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. The park derives its name from the golden, ochre, and orange hues of the sandstone cliffs and outcrops in the area. The most well-known of these spectacular golden rock outcroppings is the Brandwag rock. The “Golden Gate” refers to the cliffs on either side of the valley at the Golden Gate dam. It was apparently named as such by a farmer called J.N.R. van Reenen, who in 1875 stopped there with his wife on their way to their new farm in Vuurland. He named the location “Golden Gate” when he saw the last rays of the setting sun fall on the cliffs. The park covers an area of 340 km2…

KAVANGO SPLIT BEDS Mike and Elna Hawthorn I thought some of your readers may be interested in the modification I made to my Echo 4x4 Kavango. We are a retired couple living on the Natal coast and really found the Kavango to be an ideal caravan, since it’s all fibreglass and stainless steel (no rust or dreaded wood rot). Another advantage is it fits into the garage with ease. Being in our seventies, one problem we did have was getting in and out of bed. Getting in meant crawling on hands and knees from the end of the bed, while getting out meant you had to crawl down on your backside and get off the end. Making the bed was also another challenge. I wanted to solve these problems by…

GRAVEL PROTECTOR A while back, I wrote in asking about a gravel protector blanket for our caravan. I made my own, which sadly never got to be tested. You see, we had the misfortune of being involved in an accident on our first day in Namibia - my wife was driving and fell asleep behind the steering wheel. We rolled, writing off both car and caravan, just 100 kilometres short of Keetmanshoop. We were very fortunate that neither of us was seriously injured. Special people helped us and we managed to get most of our belongings back to South Africa. Needless to say, it was quite an experience. The rest of our tour party continued with the trip. Getting back to the gravel protector, I made this to bolt onto…