Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2017 i Caravan and Outdoor Life

The popular tourist destination of Sabie lies about four hours’ drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria. This forestry town on the banks of the Sabie River in Mpumalanga is very well known among caravanners as it is only 64 km from the Kruger National Park. There are probably about 40 camping resorts to choose from in a 100km radius around Sabie. This area was exactly where I was headed, in a brand new Mahindra Next Generation Pik Up towing a just-launched Imagine Cruiservan. You could akmost say that it was a combination of Indian spices and good old South African braai. My mission would take me to the fly-fishing haven of Dullstroom, over the Long Tom Pass, through the Makobulaan Nature Reserve, and on through Sabie and Nelspruit. This was a…

The previous model Discovery won Britain’s Tow Car of the Year competition year in, year out, for decades. If the Brits stay biased towards English vehicles, the All-New Discovery (the fifth generation, even though Land Rover have not used the numbering in the naming) will probably continue to be their top choice for some time yet. In my opinion, the Discovery has always been worthy of all the awards it has won, including those for being a great towing vehicle. It’s easy to see why: the factory-recommended towing capacity is 3 500 kg, and the turbo-diesel engine pushes out a massive 600 Nm of torque; and, in the latest model, there is the ability to reverse a caravan without the driver having to touch the steering wheel, thanks to advanced…

1983 JURGENS KAMPIOEN B We are old campers and have been camping for years. Admittedly, we do not camp a lot. As they say: Less is more. Our dream is to become Swallows and travel all over the country. We had been looking for an old caravan to tailor to our needs, so when the opportunity presented itself, we grabbed it. We bought a 1983 Jurgens Kampioen B and stripped the entire inside area, so that we could see what we had to work with. Luckily there was very little wood rot, and we replaced the few areas to fix this. The wiring was redone, and a new fridge was bought and installed. The dinette seats really irritated me, as they just weren’t practical, since we do not let other…

'Tis the season to be jolly – and at Caravan & Outdoor Life, we certainly have a lot to celebrate at the end of this year. The last couple of months have been ones of blood, sweat and tears as our team put in superhuman extra effort to launch Kamp & Karavaan, the Afrikaans edition of Caravan & Outdoor Life. There were a couple of bumps in the road, but as we now publish our fifth edition, I feel we have made it to the top of the mountain and can start enjoying the view. Kamp & Karavaan is a big success, and we have seen impressive growth in readership figures. We are now working on expanding our distribution to get the publication to even more Afrikaans readers across the…

Got you covered The Thule Omnistor 1200 Awning will provide all the shelter you need this summer. This quality awning is made from durable, weather-proof fabric and simply slides into your existing caravan rail. With a support and tension legs that swing out simultaneously, it’s also extremely easy to set up. Plus, if simple shade isn’t enough for you, the awning is ready to attach to a full awning tent. It comes in two size options and several colourways. Price: R6144 – R6756 For more information, visit www.thule.com , email thuledirect@thrsa.co.za, or contact 011 230 5200. Hat-trick Trappers’new pocket cap has a foldable brim that lets you store it in your pocket when you’re not wearing it. It comes in three colours and is made in a lightweight, breathable fabric.…

WIN!  Have you been here? If you think you know where this photo was taken, enter our competition now! CAN YOU GUESS WHERE this picture was taken? How to enter Every month, we will place a picture of something or somewhere, and if you correctly identify the subject of the picture, you could win an amazing prize from Suzuki. Our prize is a slick multi-tool set which has all the extensions you could need while camping, caravanning or 4x4ing. Apart from the main multi-tool which is fitted in a pair of pliers, you also receive a mini keyring multi-tool. Enter the competition now and make sure that you get next month’s Caravan & Outdoor Life, in which we will not only reveal the winner and the location, but also give…

Finding a place to camp at short notice over a long weekend is tough. And if you want to take your dogs along, finding a pet-friendly resort with a stand available is even harder. And, if the long weekend includes Heritage Day – or Braai Day as we like to call it – your chance of getting a place to pitch is almost zero. But we were in luck – Khomeesdrif had a spot left! Khomeesdrif Caravan & Camping site is situated right on the banks of the Riviersonderend River in the Western Cape, at the foot of the Sonderend Mountains. The resort is just 7km from the town of Riviersonderend in the Overberg, and is easily accessible - there are only a few kilometres of good gravel road to…

Winning letter T’S AND C’S APPLY We have just returned from a trip of over 3 800 km with our caravan, during which we visited six different SANParks camps. One thing we wondered about is the policy regarding sites for caravans and tents. At some SANParks camps there are sites numbered with a“C”, which are for caravans, and others which are marked with a“T”for tents. At Addo, most of the T sites are smaller than the C sites. At Berg Zebra Park, the majority of the sites are paved and the T and C sites are of equal size. When you book, and when you arrive at reception at the parks, nobody asks you whether you have a caravan, trailer, or tent, and the usual thing you are told is…

At the exact point where the river meets the ocean, the 77m-long Storms River Mouth suspension bridge spans the width of its namesake, offering visitors to the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park the opportunity to witness the awesome power of the crashing waves from above. The structure lies at the end of a 1km meander through the lush Tsitsikamma forest, and connects it to a stony shoreline and a stunning viewpoint high above the choppy Indian Ocean. It is also flanked by the Storms River Rest camp, which offers campsites, chalets and cottages along the rocky coast. HISTORY Although originally built by Jackie de Vos back in 1969, the bridge has endured a couple of necessary renovations. In 1996, after decades of service, it was repaired by…

WHERE WE LEFT OFF Australian couple Uwe Bockmann and Meg Stuart are almost halfway through their Southern Africa trip, travelling in their EarthCruiser EXP motorhome. In the September 2017 edition of Caravan & Outdoor Life, we joined them as they travelled from Cape Town up the West Coast, and then into Namibia to the Fish River Canyon, Kolmanskop, Sossusvlei, Walvis Bay, Henties Bay, Damaraland, and Opuwo. When we last heard from them, they had already travelled 10 000 km, and had driven from Etosha south to Windhoek to service their vehicle. On the second leg of their journey, they head north-east through the Caprivi Strip and into Botswana. NAMIBIA AND CAPRIVI STRIP After a week in Windhoek, staying at the Urban Camp and catching up with household duties and exceptionally…

Having just travelled nearly 500 km – over 200 km of which was on exacting dirt tracks – I was very relieved when I finally arrived at the campsite. The peaceful setting of Daberas Guest Farm among moonscape rocks, as well as its neat and well-planned layout, appealed to my default camping requirement for comfort and order. My travelling partner, David Lowe, and I had spent the previous two evenings camping at Kwass se Baai in the Namaqua National Park. The contrast between the seaside venue we’d left earlier in the day, to this gemstone-and mineral-rich region on the western border of the Augrabies National Park, couldn’t have been starker. A bonus for David was that he didn’t have to put up his tent and inflate his mattress for our…

Lamb curry potjie Ingredients • 2 large onions, sliced• 1-1.5kg lamb meat• 1 stock cube• 2 tbsp curry powder / masala• 1 bay leaf• Turmeric (optional)• 250g baby potatoes• 250g baby carrots• 200g diced butternut• 250g white button mushrooms, whole or halved• 250ml water• 250ml Coca-Cola• 1 packet brown onion soup powder• Salt and pepper to taste Method 1. Seal and brown meat in warm pot to capture the flavour. Remove from pot. 2. Braise onions and then remove from pot, or else they’ll cook away. 3. Re-add meat and add spices. Stir to release the flavours and add equal amounts of water/Coke. More Coke = sweeter dish. 4. Cover with lid and simmer until meat is soft. Add potatoes and carrots. 5. A little while later, add the onions, mushrooms and butternut. 6. Keep monitoring the heat and fluids. If sauce needs thickening,…