Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2018 i Caravan and Outdoor Life

“There's nothing like poking your head out of the tent, breathing in the crisp winter morning air, and lighting a fire to boil some water for coffee.” As we enter the last month of Autumn, the days are getting shorter and the nights longer. It’s the time of year where our caravans tend to spend long weeks in the garage, and our tents lie folded in the storage cupboard. For many, the April school holidays and Easter long weekend were the last time they’ll go camping until Spring, when the warmer weather comes around again. The fortunate outdoor lovers among us take this time of year to head north across the borders. Our neighbouring countries such as Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique are alluring June/July destinations (especially for families who can…

For the past five years, our family has been going to the Kruger National Park every August to coincide with the school holidays. As we leave the park every year we already start planning for the following year in anticipation of the holiday. However, our trip in 2016 was not a happy experience due to the severe drought in Kruger, so we decided not to make a booking for 2017. We all felt we needed a break from Kruger anyway. My wife Merrilee and I have visited KwaZulu-Natal on only two previous occasions, so we decided to give it a try. I tried to find out as much as possible about the parks in KZN, but was not very successful in my endeavours. I could not get feedback from anyone…

Have you ever wanted to visit the countries north of South Africa, but for some reason or another not done so yet? My advice is just do it! After retiring and settling into our new home last year, my wife Vivienne and I decided that this was to be the year for us to go. We were away for almost seven weeks, travelling 11 760 km and visiting four countries. Not bad for a couple in their 70s. We have a Nissan NP 300 4x4 diesel, and last year became the proud owners of a Sherpa Tiny Rough Roader. We spent all but one night of our seven week tour in the Sherpa, which has a fold-out cooker hatch as well as a kitchen hatch. As the weather was warm,…

FIRST-TIME BUYERS After years of sitting on the fence we are now ready to buy a caravan. The last hurdle – new or used, and from a dealer or private sale? What can you tell us? Barney and Gill Terblanche Godfrey: Glad to see you are getting off that fence! These days we are more spoilt for choice than ever before. There are manufacturers launching new caravans every few months, and you even have the choice in buying imported Swift caravans from Loftus Caravans in Johannesburg (or from one of their agents) or Dethleffs from Motorhome-World. These imported caravans will blow your socks off and will be setting the new benchmark for local production. So when it comes to new or used, it depends on the budget! Used…

A SKIPPER CAN DO IT ALL Hello Caravan & Outdoor Life, I am not a writer, but I want to share with you our trip in our Skipper. We tackled terrible corrugated roads in the Northern Cape with the Model T LT. In places I took my foot completely off the gas, because you just didn’t know if driving at 10 km/h might not be better than 80 km/h. The corrugations were deep and further apart than usual, so there was no speed at which I could just drive on the tops. The plan was to go do the Namaqua Eko 4x4 trail… and to see whether the Skipper can handle it. On our way we stayed two nights at Verneukpan, one night at Riemvasmaak and one night at Klein…

Two years ago at Rally SA 2016, the Caravan Club of Southern Africa – Regions in Natal Province accepted the challenge to host the next Rally South Africa. The last time Rally SA was hosted in KwaZulu-Natal was 25 years ago when it was held at Midmar Dam. After much research and a failed bid by a caravan park in the Midlands (due to the sale thereof), Richards Bay Caravan Park was approached as it was the only other venue capable of accommodating an expected turnout of 250 caravans, trailers and tents over the Easter Weekend (29 March to 1 April 2018). The park management readily accepted the request, and this was the beginning of many planning meetings between the CCSA and the resort. The Rally SA planning committee was…

On a recent caravanning trip to Die Dam with my friend Rob, we decided to put his Landy through its paces on the powdery white sand roads in search of prime fishing spots. I was a bit concerned that the Landy would get scratched by the dense fynbos that encroaches on all the sand roads in the area, but Rob’s nonchalant answer of “it’s only a car” dispelled my fears. Situated between Gansbaai and Struisbaai (Western Cape), the campsite at Die Dam leads into the Quoin Point Nature Reserve and to some good fishing grounds along the undulating coastline. To get there, you need to negotiate very soft conditions underfoot which can be done only in a 4X4, so don’t forget to take along your sand recovery tracks and a…

Jurgens started with the prototype of the Trooper off-road trailers about two years ago. The four-sleeper Trooper X4 was launched mid-2017, and this year a two-sleeper model was unveiled. The Troopers were designed as an extension of the XTC range, and is a good option for campers looking for something smaller than an off-road caravan, but who still want to sleep inside their unit (and not in a rooftop tent on a trailer). The X4 and X2 models are basically identical on the outside, with the main difference being inside where the second double bed was replaced in the two-sleeper. EXTERIOR Built on galvanized chassis with a heavy duty axle, independent coil spring and shock absorber trailing D-arm suspension, the Trooper is ready to take you off-road. The Trooper has…

I burst into song. One can do this when travelling alone. Even though I still had a few hours’ drive to my destination, the freedom of being on the road always fills me with joy. And when I’m heading to the Groot Karoo north of the Swartberge, it’s impossible not to join in with the music on the radio. My singing almost turned to yodelling when I arrived at the first stop of my week-long journey. The EL YOLO OnE Karoo Guest Farm had me attempting a “yooooo deee ouuuu deee dooooo”. From the camp to the reception and little restaurant, everything is fantastic, deserving of their three-star rating. My journey started in my home town of Greyton, from where I headed east-north-east before turning off the N2 just past…

Cara-Camp Caravan & Outdoor Centre T: 021 852 8215 W: www.cara-camp.co.za Address 2 Hazelden Drive Somerset West Business Park Somerset West Trading Hours Monday - Friday: 08:00 to 17:00 Sat: 08:00 to 13:00 Sundays: Closed On a recent visit to Cara-Camp Caravan & Outdoor Centre in Somerset West, we had the opportunity to sit down with dealer principle Arnold Prosch to find out more about his business. Arnold and his wife Reinet have been running Cara-Camp since the turn of the century, and in that time the business has thrived to such an extent that they have expanded the retail area and workshop no less than three times. The latest expansion is huge – an extra 230 square metres of retail space and 170 square metres roofed area as…

Cheesy Sriracha garlic bread Sriracha is so hot right now. No, really, it’s super popular, and it’s also pretty spicy. It can add a world of flavour to virtually any dish, including this twist on a braai-time essential. Ingredients • 2 small baguettes (or French loaves) • 150g butter, softened • 4 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped • 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped • ½ tsp salt • 200g grated cheddar • A drizzle of Sriracha chilli sauce Method 1. Cut the bread into 2-3cm wide slices, being careful not to cut all the way through the bottom. 2. Mix the butter, garlic, chives, parsley and salt together. 3. Spread evenly over both sides of each slice. 4. Put liberal amounts of cheddar between the…