Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i Caravan and Outdoor Life

From all of us to all of you - best wishes for 2020. We hope the year brings plenty of happy camping days spent in your favorite resorts and that through the pages of this magazine we will encourage you to be even more adventurous and inspired to explore new destinations. The advantage of camping is that you are free to go whenever and wherever you want to, but you know that, of course. But a little bit of inspiration from us and your fellow reader and you might be encouraged to try somewhere new. A change of holiday destination is a new experience! So, where did you go this summer? We are really keen to know the towns and resorts that you like. I was inspired by Richard’s recent…

The camping facilities at Vensterklip are great. Firstly there are six private campsites. They are roomy in size, at approximately 15m x 20m and screened by a wooden fence - giving excellent privacy - and all overlook the Verlorenvlei. At these sites, you have a large, level grassed camping area. There is a slope up to the braai area, washing up sink, and en-suite bathroom with a toilet, hand basin, and a shower. These sites are ideal for large caravans and motorhomes. An added benefit is the covered kitchen area with electric power points, lights, and drinkable water. The rule is only one car per site and a maximum of eight people per site. There is additional parking available close by. I have camped there a couple of times in…

The very reason I love South Africa is that you don’t need to go very far, in any particular direction, and you will find the most wonderfully scenic campsites just a short drive away. The Berg River Resort is one such campsite, situated between Paarl, Franschhoek, and Stellenbosch, that offers all a camper needs. As its name suggests, the Berg River Resort is set right on the Berg River, which gurgles its night time song till you drift off into peaceful sleep. The camping stands are large and most are fully grassed, with large trees offering good shade for most of the day. During our stay, kids spent time fishing and building rock pools in the river, while a little further upstream, at the deeper section of the river, children…

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 Adrian Morison, whose letter wins him a Fiamma Pack Organiser S – a practical folding…

Dolphin Holiday Resort KwaZulu-Natal Out of season special: Book 14 nights and only pay for 10! Campsites only. T: 032 946 2187 E: info@dolphinholidayresort.co.za W: www.dolphinholidayresort.co.za Bushbaby Lodge & Camping KwaZulu-Natal Special for February and March 2020. Any 3 weeks campsite for 2 people: R3 000 Pim: 076 953 7063 Thandie: 079 475 6446 E: bushbaby@101fc.nl W: www.bushbabylodge.co.za Corian's Pennington Caravan Resort KwaZulu-Natal 30% discount for any bookings of 10 days or more, from 10 January 2020 to 30 November 2020. Even during the March/Easter, June/July, and the September school holidays!! T: 039 975-1107 E: corians@scottburgh.co.za W: www.corians.co.za Anchors Caravan Park KwaZulu-Natal 2020 Special: Camping site for family of four, for 10 nights at R1 500. (Except Easter weekend and December.) C: 082 253 0861 E: info@campatanchors.co.za W: www.campatanchors.co.za Gooderson Natal Spa Hot Springs…

Someone once told me that passion is very important; if you don’t love what you do, then you’re probably doing the wrong job. Since I was a young kid, the outdoors, Kruger National Park and camping has become a big part of my family’s traditions and memories. That being said, it’s an honour to have been given the opportunity to become part of the Caravan & Outdoor Life and Kamp en Karavaan team! For now, I will be focusing on all things social media related and making sure we stay connected with you, our readers. For those of you who don’t know, we have a Forum on our website where you can connect with your fellow campers and us.You can ask questions, exchange tips and advice and tell us about…

This trail is for if you just want to ‘slackpack along’ with only a light daypack along the beach with the family. Vensterklip is your home base. There’s a full Five Day Trail (5 nights), the Two Day Trail (2 nights), or you can design your own trail from 1 - 5 nights. All options include accommodation, all meals, a local guide, transport of luggage, and daily activities. The trail is suitable for anyone with a moderate level of fitness and children over 12 years of age. The terrain is mostly flat and walked on rough paths, jeep tracks, board walks, beaches, and single track. This trail is aimed at empowering local individuals from coastal communities including Elandsbaai, Lambertsbaai and Doringbaai. The trail is led by local guides. Cost depends…

Buying a used caravan or trailer privately is very much the same as buying a used car privately. Buyers need to be aware of the pitfalls and inherent risk that is associated with private purchases. Let’s delve into the difficulties associated with private purchases and highlight the most common problems and pitfalls. NO REGISTRATION PAPERS It makes no difference whether you want to purchase the smallest trailer or the largest double axle caravan, no deal should ever be concluded without the handover of the registration document and the signed transfer of ownership form. What are the implications of a deal without papers? Should you take the seller’s word for it that the caravan is in his name? Again no money should change hands before the original registration papers have been…

If you want to welcome in the outdoor life and go on some wonderful adventures around South Africa, and even beyond its borders, in a caravan, you will need to have the necessary EB licence if you are going to tow anything with a GVM of 750kg or more. All licences issued prior to the change over in the year 2000 were issued with a numerical coding, and 08 licences were automatically converted to EB licences. This legally allows licence holders prior to 2000 to tow a caravan with a GVM of between 750 and 3 500kg. What this means is that non-EB licence holders have to retake the learner and driver tests again. This is unfortunate for the camping and caravanning industry, as it is one more stumbling block…

Close to the small towns of Cullinan and Rayton, just north of Pretoria, are three very different camping sites. Each of the three has a unique character. The first of the trio, Somabula, reviewed in the December issue is a small private bush camp at heart, especially suited to wildlife-and bird-lovers. What is the second? Today I am going to tell you about Diamanté Caravan Park. Diamanté is a malaria-free camping destination just 10km from Rayton and 13km from Cullinan. For me, this resort is perfect for families with kids. There is so much to do and the farmyard menagerie is what every city kid needs – to give them a bit of pure country living, with no additives. This resort also has quite a lot of game. Approaching the…

I had a new camping experience this month, touring some wonderful Cape caravan parks with a trailer and rooftop tent. We fitted a Howling Moon ‘rooftop’ tent to our Bushy Ranger trailer and I spent a full week on the road0 getting to know it. The tent comes with the necessary hardware to attach it to a trailer – bar an electric drill and a 13mm spanner. That is all you need to fit the Howling Moon roof-top, it is that easy! Six bolts for three roof racks and it’s on, ready to go. Once fitted, you not only have a massive, comfortable double bed atop the trasiler, but you also have an enclosed tent with roll-up sides and mesh windows for ventilation, plus a groundsheet to keep the interior…

There is also a real bush camp called Buurman se Gat. It’s about 3km from the main campsite. A small stone shelter built literally in the sandstone rock face. The shelter has sponge mattresses and can accommodate six people. You, however, must bring along your bedding, cutlery, etc. A bucket shower is built into a crack in one of the sandstone rocks and the toilet is a long drop. Sounds strange but you need to look at the pictures on the Boegoeberg website to appreciate the sculptural simplicity and beauty of these two life necessities. Sybrie de Beer and his team take up water daily. The expression ‘far from the madding crowd’ could be an alternative name for this stunning campsite. This is bush camping like it should be. The…

This is SA’s road trip with the most twists. What an exciting find! Here you have all the information you need for six themed routes on the West Coast: Scenic Route, Berg Route, Foodie Route, Culture Route, Wild Route, and the newly opened Cape Way Route. This is how it works: The six interlinking routes showcase the many exciting, fun, and educational destinations and activities on the Cape West Coast and its immediate surrounds. Visitors can choose as many or as few of these twists as they want and can mix and match the stops along the different routes – tailor-making a road trip that perfectly suites one’s time constraints, budgets, interests, etc. It’s brilliant. Visit www.westcoastway.co.za f or more information.…

I guess we all have our favourite campsites. I certainly have a favourite, it’s called the Zwakala River Retreat near Haenertsburg, in Limpopo Province. It’s on a working farm in a small tranquil dell overlooking the Broederstroom River, high up in the misty Magoebaskloof Mountains in Limpopo. The scenic beauty of this area is incomparable to anything I’ve seen before. Let me take you on a ride down to, what I can only describe as, a magnificent campsite, a place where you can relax and take a break from your everyday stress. How to get there It’s quite easy to get to Zwakala. Roughly 4km from the small village of Haenertsburg, heading on the R71 towards Tzaneen, turn left at the Cheerio Road. Follow the signs for approximately another 5km…