Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2016 i Caravan and Outdoor Life

For many years I used to work every Sunday. Even though I missed many (oh, so many) Sunday braais and lunches and family get-togethers and outings with friends. I used to tell myself it’s not that bad… at least I had a job. Plus, I was off on Fridays. But for the past couple of months since starting at Caravan & Outdoor Life, I’ve been having the best Sundays of my life. Whether it’s spending the day with family (usually eating too much!), going hiking with friends, or just lazing at home with my wife, these “normal” weekends have been amazing. Of course, with the joys of a delightful Sunday comes the dreaded Monday-is-coming-blues. We all know that feeling – the sun has set, the guests have gone home, and…

RICHARD: The Toyota Fortuner, first launched in 2006, is loved by thousands of bush and urban-lifestyle enthusiasts across the depth and breadth of South Africa. I love the Fortuner, too... even though I was once accused of driving an impala. ‘We call them the Impalas of the Kruger,’ said the driver of a large German SUV as he drew up next to me on the bridge over the Crocodile River. Anyway, Fortuner has just come out with a new version of what is, perhaps, the best-selling SUV in South Africa. I was excited about the opportunity to test the ever-popular model on a lekker week-long road trip of just under 2 000km. That’s plenty of time to get to know the machine, especially since we’d be towing an Imagine Comfortvan…

This might come as a surprise to many readers: did you know that you can increase the payload of your caravan or trailer? By law, a caravan must have a minimum payload of 15% of the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM). But, without realising it, almost two out of every three caravanners overload their caravans. This is usually because they do not know that any installations or modifications made to the caravan eat into their payload. However, you can re-register your caravan or trailer’s Tare to include the weight of these installations. Here are the definitions for the terms used in the article: • Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) is the Maximum mass the caravan/trailer is allowed to have, including the payload. • Tare is the weight of the caravan/ trailer when…

Two years after buying a new Sprite Tourer SP from the Campworld Bushwhackers in Windhoek, we took our caravan on a 13 000km trip through East Africa. Our three-month trip to Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania was like a dream come true. Neither “Klaus”, our caravan, nor our Nissan Hardbody gave us any problem. The caravan was a major attraction everywhere we went. We met and got to know only friendly and kind people who were always willing to help with any advice they could give us, and who (despite the poverty they live in) have never lost their pure joy in life. We never had any cause to be concerned for our safety. The conditions of the roads often forced us to camp in the bush on the side of…

ALL GOOD AT ALDAM The Free State has very few campsites, so I would like to encourage the Cheetah fans to go to Aldam Estate. If you love the bushveld and like comfort, this is the place to relax. Here you sit next to the Allemanskraal Dam and clear your head. The environment is beautiful and the service at the resort is exceptional – on our last visit we had barely parked when two young men came to help us set up tent. We leave with a heavy heart every time we have to head home, and immediately start planning our next visit to this beautiful spot just two-and-a-half hours south of Johannesburg. The sunsets over the dam are some of the most spectacular I have ever seen. The camping…

STAY ON COURSE Are you the adventurous type, but scared to go too far off the beaten track? Now you don’t need to worry about getting lost, with the Garmin nuviCam LMT GPS. The GPS combines the versatile navigation ability of the Garmin nuvi series with a built-in dash cam to bring you a complete driving companion which even provides awareness alerts. Want to take a closer look at your route? The high-resolution 6.0-inch glass display offers pinch-to-zoom capability. The product design also features a powered magnetic mount that securely holds the nuviCam as you drive. R6 000 Available from Outdoor Warehouse stores. For more information, visit www.outdoorwarehouse.co.za ALL FIXED UP Treat any wound at home or on the road with 8-Trek all-purpose ointment. Suitable for grazes, insect bites, eczema,…

As an editor, you often get jealous of your journalists – they get to traverse the country while you are stuck behind a desk. But life on the road is not always an easy one, and the recent trips I planned for my writers proved not to be for sissies! So, Toyota was giving us a Fortuner and a Hilux. The plan was to get to the “middle of South Africa”, then take the Fortuner on a trip to the east, and after this the Hilux had to journey to the west. We had two tough vehicles, one pulling an Imagine Comfortvan, the other with a Conquerer Comfort trailer. Perfect for a lekker guys’ trip. With the help of Richard van Ryneveld and Nick Yell, I carefully planned their destinations.…

RIVER OF JOY (BLOEMFONTEIN) Comfort, safety, environment (CSE) rating: 7/10 Bloemfontein is often a place to stay over, whether travelling from the Cape or from Johannesburg. On a recent visit to the River of Joy Guest Farm, we also learnt that there is a host of exciting places to visit in the surrounding area. The camp is a kilometre off the N1, some 25 kilometres north of Bloemfontein. River of Joy is a small caravan park in a tranquil rural setting on the banks of the Modder River. The ablution facilities are good, and there is tons of hot water. I would recommend camping at the sites down near the banks of the river. Take a fishing rod if you like fishing; there’s carp and barbell in the river. Canoes…

The town of Plettenberg Bay, more commonly known as Plett, was established on the slope leading down to the Indian Ocean. This means that almost anywhere that you stay in this coastal gem, you are treated to spectacular views of either the bay or of the surrounding forests and mountains. And it is here that you will find The Plettenberg, A Forever Resort. Because it is situated near the mouth of the Keurbooms River where it meets the Indian Ocean, you are able to enjoy the best of both worlds: you could choose to spend some time along the river, or to relax on one of the sandy beaches nearby. The Plettenberg has a spectacular view of the opposite river bank and the lush mountains that run along the river.…

Oxtail & port potjie Ingredients 1kg oxtail pieces250ml port1 litre beef stock250g button mushrooms4 carrots, cut in rounds1 onion, finely chopped2 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 small butternut 1 tin whole peeled tomatoes2 tbs flour1 tsp salt1 tsp ground black pepper1 tsp coriander powder1 tsp paprika1 tbs fresh thyme1 sprig parsley, chopped2 fresh bay leaves Instructions 1. Put flour, salt, paprika, coriander powder and pepper into a plastic bag and toss together with the oxtail pieces until the meat is evenly coated. 2. Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a large potjie. Add chopped onion and garlic and fry until golden brown. 3. Add the oxtail and brown all over. (Keep the seasoned flour that’s left to thicken the stew later). 4. Once the meat has been sealed,…

RICHARD: The Imagine range is the brainchild of Gideon du Plessis, a pioneer in the design and building of off-road trailers. These trailers are made to go anywhere in Africa that your 4x4 can go. Nick Yell and I took the Comfortvan on a round trip of almost 2 000km through the southern Free State: to the Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, the Midlands, and back to Bloemfontein. The Imagine range is built on 5 pillars: • A strong yet lightweight construction to ensure easy towing and handling; • A design that enables camp to be set up within 10 minutes by two people; • A kitchen designed so that all food storage, cooking equipment etc. is close at hand; • The ample packing space, including extra areas below the seat, and •…

We woke before dawn to a crisp and dry Karoo morning. Out here the word “crisp” is not far from meaning “freezing”, so we donned our beanies, woollen gloves and snow jackets, and stepped out into the still-dark outside world. I find that there is nothing as rewarding as watching the blackness of a starry, starry night give way to the crack of dawn – when the sky starts to lighten in the east, and the sun casts its ever-increasing glow over a landscape that, in this instance, appears to be from somewhere Mother Nature has simply forgotten about. With steaming cups of coffee clenched in our hands, we watched in awe as the area known as “The Tankwa” slowly began to reveal its hidden secrets. Tufts of dry bush…

Over 150 years ago, the Eastern Free State was “frontier” country. While settlers were starting to put down roots, the area was often in turmoil because of wars and skirmishes – first between the British and the Basotho, and later between the Voortrekkers and the Basotho, and even between the Boers and the British. After the war of 1867, the town of Ladybrand was founded to stabilise the “conquered territories” of the Boers. Then, 33 years later, the town was again embroiled in violence during the Anglo-Boer War, during which it was occupied by the British. Today, Ladybrand is a peaceful retreat for those wanting to explore the Eastern Free State, or are heading to Lesotho. Lying in the shadow of Platberg Mountain is the tranquil, well-established resort of Little…

At the age of sixty, I decided to “work for myself,” and started to build a caravan! What an exciting journey it was. I had no previous experience, so it was a matter of “attitude determines altitude”. The plan was to build an off-road caravan that I had designed myself, and I wanted it to be able to transport bikes, motorbikes and quad bikes. This would enable the family to join us on our quad- or mountain-bike adventures. As the owner builder, I very often thought, ‘This is a lot of work;’ but, in the end, the answer was to take it one step at a time and one day at a time. The most important thing was to enjoy the journey. Areas of trouble were a constant challenge, but…