Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i Caravan and Outdoor Life

Celebrations – Over the past three months this magazine’s circulation grew from 17 000 to just over 21 000 readers, a fact certified by the Independent Audit Bureau of circulation. Multiply this by a pass-on rate of 6 readers and you get 126 000 campers, monthly, reading this magazine. A new record for this publication and a personal,“ThankYou”to all our readers and advertisers who make this magazine possible. Simply gorgeous! 2019 goes down in my books (or should that be magazines?) as the year when South Africans really became spoilt for choice, with regards to caravans, motorhomes and trailers. It all started with Mobilodge and their innovative slide-out bedroom, and now just look at the new Destination Wonder – what does it say about those people fortunate enough to be…

• To make sense of the Battlefield Route, it is necessary to get a basic timeline of how it all started. Space precludes me from giving you anything more comprehensive than starting with the early Zulu conflicts and ending with the Bhambatha Rebellion in 1906. The Battlefield Route website has an excellent and easily layout of the various wars and campaigns, go to www.battlefieldsroute.co.za.• Early Zulu conflicts• Voortrekker – Zulu conflicts• The Rebellion of Langalibalele 1873• Anglo Zulu War• Transvaal War of Independence• Zulu Civil War• Anglo Boer War• Bhambatha Rebellion REASONS TO VISIT THIS AREA This area is a place to relax, chill out and re-energise those overworked city batteries. For those interested in history, the Battlefield Route will keep you busy for years. But for most, it’s the…

• Paragliding: At Dumbe Mountain just outside Paulpietersburg. • Battlefield Route: With 82 battlefields, fortifications and places of remembrance. • Game Parks: Ithala Game Reserve, Pongola Game Reserve, Pongola Poort Nature Reserve, Mkuze Game Reserve. • Bivane Dam: Excellent fishing – boat generally needed, canoes available for hire. Fish – largemouth bass, carp, blue kurper, tilapia. Camping – both main dam camp suitable for caravans, and 4x bush camps suitable for off-road caravans. • Wakkerstroom: 100km away is a wonderful destination to visit. Commonly called the jewel of Mpumalanga, the quaint little village is well worth a visit. It has some beautiful MTB and hiking trails. It is also well known as a birding hotspot. • Further away: uKhahlamba Drakensberg Heritage Park.…

• External kitchen unit• Deep cycle battery and charger• Two jerrycans• Two water points for kitchen and shower• Crockery and cutlery• Spade• Axe• Four storage containers• Pull out jacks• Geyser compatible with gas and 220V• Solar panel connection point• Exterior light• Pole holder• Nose storage• Two gas bottle brackets• Tare: 1 060kg• GVM: 1 800kg• Length: 4 350mm• Width: 2 100mm• Height (Roof closed): 2 050mm• Height (Roof opened): 3 350mm• Berths: 2• Gas stove: 2 burner (glass top)• 12V Water pump: Yes• Kitchen sink: Yes• Shower point: Yes• Geyser: Yes• Water tanks: 2 x 60 litres• Gas bottles: 2• Awning included: Yes…

Pine Lodge Resort is well manicured and each caravan and camping stand has electricity and water. There are numerous activities for the whole family, such as the Pirates Cove 9-hole mini-golf course, a trampoline, jungle gym and a giant chess set.You can even take a donkey cart ride to the Cape Recife lighthouse. There is a basketball court for the kids, a games room with a pool table, darts, table tennis and mini soccer and a restaurant called Ziggy’s Rock & Reggae Restaurant that serves great pub meals for the whole family and good beer, while the Seagulls Coffee Shop offers light meals and freshly-baked bread and confectionaries in season. Pine Lodge has 24-hour security and the only things that go missing there are when the Vervet monkeys steal your…

Put a fishing rod in a man’s hands and all his stress and worries seem to ‘travel to earth’ along and down that fishing line into the water! It does not matter if there is bait on the hook or the fish are not biting, for it will only increase the pulse rate when having to strike – or remove a hooked fish! Know what I mean? Serenity with nature is what is so satisfying, and knowing that I have one of the coolest looking caravans a few steps away (nobody needs to know it’s not actually mine). Life is good. Join me as I head out of Gauteng along the M17 for a few days to explore magnificent countryside sights, make new friends, soak up the goodness of hot,…

When is your favourite time of the year to go camping? We all have our preferences, and not everyone can handle a busy campsite. On the other hand, some people relish the hustle and bustle of school holidays! Comments Norman Gerald Fick Anytime, anywhere is a camper’s motto. Andre van Wyk We camp anytime, but March and April is our favourite time – not too hot or cold and not too many storms, rain and wind. Bernadette Marais van Zyl We always went on holiday during June and July, but since the kids are grown-up, we go before or after the holidays. Sometimes we are lucky to have other campers in the resort, and sometimes we are the only ones in the resort. Not always nice. Ian van der Vyver…

The resort is sited on 550 hectares of unspoiled bushveld, on the banks of the Bivane River. There are 31 campsites in all. 20 are for caravans, campers and motorhomes. The 20 caravan sites all have braai facilities and electricity. There is potable water close to all the campsites. 11 of the stands are set aside for tents. There are two clean and well-maintained ablution blocks serving the campsite. To book call 034 995 0300. The following activities are available at the resort: • Waterslide (weekends and holidays only)• Archery• Horse riding• Adventure golf• Fishing• Wellness centre• Quad bikes• Table tennis• Trampolines• Pony rides for younger kids• Hot water pool• Tennis• Squash• Pool tables• Volleyball• Paintball arena• BMX track/mountain bike trail• Bike hire• Guided bird walk  – I met the…

@caravanoutdoorlife #caravanoutdoorlife WIN A SET OF NEW & IMPROVED SPRING PEGS AND STORM STRAPS The 8mm chrome-plated steel spring pegs with a stainless steel spring are designed to convert 'shock force' into 'pulling force' to help ensure your pegs do not come out of the ground, and protects your camping gear from tearing and blowing away. When the springs get pulled up with your guy ropes, the tension on your seams and poles is proportionally spread, and since each spring is working against the others to get back its original form, it holds your tent firmly in place. The Tentco Spring Pegs set comes with stainless steel guy rope clips and stainless steel spring. Combine this with Tentco’s Storm Straps for even more efficient anchorage in high winds, and you’ll…

Make the outdoor life more enjoyable by sharing your camping problems, questions and opinions, and raising topics that can improve things for everyone. Our print and digital community is a great place to swop tips, get advice, and find answers to your caravan and camping questions. We have genuine experts and very experienced readers who can offer advice… and like all campers, we really like to help each other! The quickest way to get in touch with us is via email: clinic@caravansa.co.za If your prefer to write in: ‘Clinic’ C/o Caravan and Outdoor Life PO Box 31062, Tokai, 7966 @caravanoutdoorlife Or join the discussions and get the latest news on our forum: www.caravansa.co.za Congratulations to Katy Swaddle, whose letter wins him a Fiamma Pack Organizer S – a practical folding…

On a recent trip in the Discover FunX 4X4 motorhome, I had the opportunity to put it through its paces up the south coast – where I visited the Still Bay, Gourits and George areas. What a pleasure the Discoverer FunX is (see page 42), allowing us to enjoy the perfect holiday. The trip ended at George Country Resort (see page 46) where the Vervet monkeys managed to relinquish my girlfriend, Nathalie, of a loaf of bread and a tub of sweet chilli dip. It’s clear she is no good at guarding things … the very reason she is a financial controller and not a security guard. Heaven help us if she left her service pistol lying around and the monkeys annexed it and decided to take potshots at the…

Battlefield Website: www.battlefieldsroute.co.za Excellent Book: Field Guide to the Battlefields of South Africa by Nicki von der Heyde Museums in the Battlefield Route: Old Parsonage Museum Utrecht, Talana Museum and Heritage Park near Dundee, Meijer House Museum Vryheid, Mtonjaneni Zulu Historical Museum, Ondini Zulu Historical Museum and site of King Cetshwayo’s Residence, Ladysmith Siege Museum, Ncome Zulu Cultural Museum at Blood River Heritage Site, Fort Durnford, Nieuwe Republiek Museum Vryheid, The Msunduzi/Voortrekker Museum in Pietermaritzburg, Baynesfield Estate Museum in Richmond.…

• Koubad Farm Lodge is literally just up the hill from Gooderson, on the way to Paulpietersburg. There are four campsites at Koubad Farm on the banks of the Bivane River, upstream from the Lodge. There is only solar and gas power at these campsites. Clean safe borehole water is available and the ablution blocks offer hot showers, basins and toilets with a washing up area and a deep freeze. Braai facilities are supplied, with outdoor tables and benches. Flowing grounds border the river and free-roaming cattle, horses and game are a common sight. • Rustic Campsite Roodeloop Farm can be accessed by 4x4 vehicle only. It is 19km from the Koubad Farm’s main gate. This popular remote picnic spot has now been developed into a campsite, with the recent addition…

Pretoria Caravans, the agents for the Summit range of off-road trailers, has launched a new addition to the range, the Summit Karenga. This is a dedicated two-person off-road trailer with a side-folding, hard-top roof, to create increased interior height and sleeping space. The hard-top roof is ideal for attaching solar panels when camping off the grid. What sets the Karenga apart from the many other off-road trailers is the fact that it is built on a hot-dipped, galvanised steel chassis fitted with conventional leaf spring suspension. The body is steel framed for strength and durability, which is why it has a GVM of 1 800kg and a Tare of 1 060kg. This difference gives the Karenga a load of 740kg that can be taken ‘on board’, from canned goods to…

After sticking to the 20km/h speed limit restriction for the short drive down the main tarred road, leading through the Dinokeng Game Reserve, I turned off for the two-minute drive onto the dust road to Tshikwalo Lodge. When I pulled up at reception, I was met by the super-friendly reception staff and then made my way to the campsite. My campsite overlooked the volleyball court and the swimming pool, and was the perfect spot from which to view the rest of the campsite. After putting up my trailer tent and a quick unpack of my photographic gear and duffel bag, I finally connected up the power to the fridge, which had been supplied with the trailer tent, and then went for a much needed swim. The main campsite at Tshikwalo…

Roadque in Silverton, in Pretoria, has grown from a small distributor of automotive parts into a large supplier to the trailer and caravan industry, where their new factory now occupies some 2 200 square metres of workspace. The original building was upgraded to house a large storage and display area for multitude of products produced by Roadque in their own factory, plus an outdoor equipment store. There is even a stylish eatery, the Roadside Café, adjoining the outdoor supply shop! Started in 1996 Roadque has expanded to such an extent that its ultimate aim is providing everything needed to build a caravan or trailer. The company now stocks everything from braked and unbraked axles, couplers, rims and tyres, to jockey wheels, winches, springs bolts, drop side and long-leaf hinges, chevrons,…