Table of contents for February 2016 in SA4x4

I strange - concerns can judgement even most astute of statesmen. Botswana president Ian Khama has always stood up as a man of integrity, a protector of rights, liberties and the environment, so it is hard to understand why he would have sold rights to a UK company called Karoo Energy to frack for shale gas in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Botswana’s main exports are diamonds and beef, and its main inbound source of revenue is tourism. Perhaps it is naïve to believe that a country would jeopardise this latter source of revenue, or that it should hold its wide-open spaces sacrosanct, preserving one of the last great wilderness areas as far as possible not only for current visitors, but also for future generations seeking peace and a chance to…

The hardy “kanniedood” Nissan Patrol diesel GL wagon has been given a makeover to bring it in line with the 21st Century. Just as Toyota has done by offering the back-to-basics GX version of its Land Cruiser 200 Series, so Nissan is hoping to capitalise on a market segment that wants brute strength, plenty of space and a modicum of comfort. In the case of the Patrol, it retains even more of the old-world credentials that typify the previous generation of vehicles: notably retaining its solid front and rear axle set-up, rather than succumbing to independent front suspension. It’s off-road credentials are impressive for a wagon, given suspension travel of 240mm from those heavy-duty coil springs, ground clearance of 210mm, a 700mm wading depth, an impressive 37-degree approach angle (thanks…

On my map, it says that this is a provincial road with a border post into Lesotho. But it’s so rutted and corrugated as we drive up the fertile Ongeluksnek valley from Matatiele that we joke about enjoying an African massage, jiggling and shaking in the seats of the old go-anywhere Land Cruiser. The early morning shadows stretching over the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains on the horizon beckon us on to adventure. The fun starts when we enter the 13 000-hectare Ongeluksnek Nature Reserve in the high mountain grasslands, where the ‘Berg foothills start to crowd together and grey rhebok dart off at our approach. Our ‘provincial road’ peters out into a grassy track that makes it seem like we’re trespassing on someone’s farm. “You don’t want to come up here when…

I have been privileged to be part of an amazing organization where passion for the environment and biodiversity conservation is not only taken for granted, but is lived out every day by an incredible team of research, environmental education and operational support staff. The Cape Leopard Trust that has been going for 11 years was started as a one-man show by Dr Quinton Martins, and has grown into a respected predator-research organisation working primarily in the Western and Northern Cape. Its research projects are happening in Namaqualand, the Cederberg, Boland, Little Karoo and Table Mountain National Park. Its dedicated environmental education section works in the Cederberg and in and around Cape Town. The leopards that occur in the Western Cape have often been referred to as “the small cats that…

TRANS-AFRICA IN THE EIGHTIES This is the fifth in a series of stories of an independent trans-Africa journey, undertaken in 1986/87 at the height of apartheid, by Peter and Mandi Middleton.SA was invading the frontline states during this period, and any journey north of Malawi was considered suicidal from South Africa. These stories reveal the not always strictly ‘legal’ lengths taken to break through these antagonistic borders. For 42 000 kilometres they travelled alone, with very little money, at a time when there was no Internet, no cell/sat phones, and contact home was via unreliable ‘poste restante’ addresses in major towns, and the occasional call made from public phone offices. They survived with driving skill, scant mechanical knowledge, determination, a simple compass, unreliable maps, minimal tools and spares, and a…

The standard headlights on most modern 4x4s are pretty impressive. LED strips are common, and HID (High Intensity Discharge) or Xenon lamps are often part of the package, or a reasonably-priced tick on the options list. But, let’s face it, most of the older 4x4s and many of the more rugged, basic models (we’re looking at your Land Cruisers, Defenders, old Hiluxes, and lots more) could do with some help in the night-vision department. Fact is, the market is awash with contenders for some pricy but effective solutions to your lighting needs, with the LED light bar now taking over from traditional spotlights. (Except where LED replacements for standard headlights are making a big difference to owners of Jeeps and Defenders, for example.) The reasons for going the LED route…

In this article, I will list the tips that I believe will help you to experience a better satellite navigation adventure. Remember that a lot of navigation and satellite navigation is based on common sense; many a time, when you are stuck or sitting with a problem, the answer is so obvious that you overlook it. Make sure that you have the correct device for your application. A street navigator, for example, will not work for a hike in the mountains. Get to know your device: learn the menus and the functions, experiment with them. It is important to have an understanding of map reading. A satellite navigation device and a paper map are, together, a navigation solution. If you can get a satellite image of the area you are…

SKAKEL AF, ASSEBLIEF Baie dankie vir ‘n genotvolle tydskrif. Bou voort daaraan. Om aan te las by julle “Overlander’s Code”, is die “Keep Quiet” en “Respect Locals” vir my van die belangrikste. Wat agterwee gelaat word is ook die respek vir jou medekampers. Wat my veral dwars in die krop steek is die ligte van my medekampers. Omdat dit donker is en hulle nie kan sien nie, sit hulle alle ligte en “spot lights” aan sodat hulle kan sien as hulle braai - of slegs met mekaar gesels. Die ligte, wat wys altyd in die rigting van medekampers, verblind en irriteer hulle, en aantas nagsig sodat hulle self nie ordentlik kan sien nie. Graag wil ek voorstel dat die Kode ook insluit om ligte afwaarts te skyn of afsit. Ek…

Mitsubishi is charting a new direction locally and abroad that will see the old Pajero soldiering on in its short- and long-wheelbase form, pretty much unchanged, as long as there is still demand for the vehicle. The development focus and marketing push will be on hybrids and electrical vehicles, including the Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid. The 4x4 realm has not been neglected, however: the new Triton Sport bakkie, and the next generation Pajero Sport, pictured above, are both due to be revealed in South Africa mid-year. The Pajero Sport, which will compete directly with the likes of the Chev Trailblazer and Toyota Fortuner, and to some extent with the Ford Everest, has been given a thorough reimagining, in line with the extensive work on the new Triton. The exterior is…

‘Holy S§#*! I’m going to die!’ It’s not a pleasant feeling. All I can see is the sky. The nose of the Ford Everest is pointing skyward. A couple of fluffy clouds beckon ahead. The Everest has everything, as I discovered while driving it all over Namibia for two weeks, but there’s no Red Bull toggle on the steering wheel. It hasn’t got wings. I am praying that it has. Dimly, somewhere, I hear a tinny voice: “Mooi, mooi, Engelsman, you’ve made it… Tap off the power, let the engine and low-range do the braking.” The voice adds for good measure, “As jou gat wil swaai en verbykom, give a bietjie petrol… it will come back in line.” I give a tiny bit of juice. The Everest keeps a straight…

Our old friend Murphy is always there to lend a hand. Well, that’s the take-out after what had promised to be a good camping weekend, hosted by Trompie Offroad Training and Adventures at the popular Landman’s Vallei resort near Roossenekal, ended up in a weekend of serious recovery. A group of five vehicles set out early on a Friday from The Rose garage on the N4 highway en route to Landmansvallei. We arrived at approximately 10:00 and everyone went about setting up camp. At 14:00, one of the members requested that we drive down to the river along the “difficult” route – which is not used often and has a grade of 4 to 5. It is definitely not for the faint-hearted, as it has a few gradients that get…

If you, like me, have strong allergic reactions, physical convulsions and temporary blindness resulting from too much time at the office, the Matroosberg Private Nature Reserve is a potent cure. Only a couple of hours (180km) out of Cape Town, this trail on a private nature reserve is a mecca for the outdoorsy type. From two-day hikes, to abseiling, snow-skiing and quad biking, this adventure playground has it all – including, of course, one of South Africa’s most famous 4x4 routes. Located on a working fruit-, vegetable- and protea farm called Erfdeel, the Matroosberg reserve is most famous for its winter scenery, but we went to check it out during the warmer months to see if one of SA’s most popular trails is still one of the best. Meandering uphill…

WINNER MORRIS DU TOIT En route to Mata Mata in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in early December, the temperatures were nudging 47 degrees when Morris drove through the region in his 2007 EFI Land Cruiser. He says the park is “very dry, but the wild life and the camps were awesome”. JOHAN PRETORIUS Marina Venter snapped this shot of Johan and Annanien Pretorius s Isuzu and Echo 4 off-road trailer in the Hoarusib River bed in Kaokoland, Namibia, during a holiday in September last year. RONEL OOSTHUIZEN 2014 3.0-litre D4-D, at a secluded spot high up in the Winterberg Mountains in the Western Cape, reachable only by 4x4. DEON BURGER Big rains in the Eastern Cape in October made the Burger family’s trip through the Baviaanskloof a bit of a…

JAKO MULLER FORD RANGER XLT 4x4, 2004 Age: 28 Occupation: Process Developer, Aerosud Aviation Modifications: Standard car except for 31-inch BF Goodrich tyres, dual-battery system with solar MPPT charger and inverter. Future modification: Intercooler, tyre monitor, custom composite canopy for camping which is easily removable when not used (in progress). Dream vehicle: I will stay with my Ford Ranger as long as I can. Numerous trips without a hiccup have sealed the deal. Most memorable trip: The Richtersveld was a very memorable trip, the scenery and off-road routes are something else – especially when you drive along the mighty Orange River from Augrabies to the Richtersveld. Planned trip: Sodwana in KwaZulu-Natal, Namibia, Lesotho in the winter (Sani Pass before it is tarred). I never leave home without: My trusty pocket…

The RAV4 has received some tinsel, just in time for its inclusion in a few post-Christmas stockings. Since its inception in 1994, the RAV4 has led the charge of the modern soft-roader. The most recent update makes it larger than ever and more grown up, too. It’s an important model for Toyota: as an indication of its segment-leading charge, the RAV sold an average of 440 units a month right through 2015. UPDATES A reshaped, smoother nose and decluttered grille are the primary external changes, along with LED headlights and blacked-out LED tail lights, which add a modern look more closely aligned with the latest Auris and Yaris passenger cars. Both the basic GX and fancier VX models have redesigned alloy wheels, though Toyota has sensibly opted to keep wheel…

HIGH ROLLER Oz-Tent roller Loading heavy, long items onto your roof rack and need a hand? The roof-rack-mounted roller developed by Big Country 4x4 could be your ticket to the easy loading of large frame tents, or paddleboards and kayaks. Simply lift the front of the item onto the roller and push. The powder coated steel roller runs on nylon bushes, and bolts onto the side rail of your roof rack. R750 Contact 011 795 9700, or visit www.bigcountry.co.za MOUNTED RUBBER Teraflex JK HD hinged carrier and adjustable spare-tyre mounting kit If your JK Wrangler has big rubber, you’ll need a place to put it. The TeraFlex JK heavy-duty adjustable tyre-carrier kit is designed to carry up to a 37-inch tyre over the most extreme trails and obstacles, providing easy…

I had always been suspicious of those old VW T3 Kombis. Just imagine – a shoebox, four wheels, questionable German engineering and a tiny 2.1-litre petrol engine. But, despite having steered clear of those, last year I had a good share of tackling Africa’s worst roads in one. Some friends were coming to visit us, and we needed a vehicle which could take eight people, had four-wheel drive, and could tow a trailer. Jannie, a South African friend, recommended that we rent his T3 Kombi. It came with all that we d imagined, except for the usual little engine. Instead, it was one of those converted things, powered by a 3.0-litre Ford V6. Revving it up the first time made me smile. Sitting in it for the first time amazed…

FANCY NAME Sigelus silens AFRIKAANS Fiskaalvlieëvanger If you are comparatively new to bird-watching, you will be forgiven for mis-identifying this black and white bird as a Common Fiscal, also known as the Fiscal Shrike. In fact, you will have to see both birds several times, and fairly regularly at that, to be able to distinguish between them and to spot the subtle differences that give away their real identities. They are almost the same size and have similar plumage patterns, but, if you look closely, you will notice that the flycatcher shows white windows in its tail when in flight. But, much more significantly, it lacks the stout hooked beak of the shrike. It is this hooked beak that puts the fear of God into the other perching birds in…

Iwasn’t exactly excited when my wife told me that she had planned an excursion to Moolmanshoek for the long weekend to do some trail driving. I was even less excited when I realised that we would be in for two days of constant off-roading. Not only was I a novice off-roader, but two days of sitting in a vehicle at 20km/h sounded far too much like two days of being stuck in traffic. Moolmanshoek is situated in the Eastern Free State and is surrounded by the most magnificent sandstone mountains, towering up to 2400m above sea level – the highest mountains in the province. The farm itself is owned and run by the Nel family, who have allowed natural bushveld to grow where there used to be fields of wheat…

The ageing ML500 almost didn’t make it to the family’s picnic spot, falling foul of a muddy incline about halfway up the access path. Recent rain and poor drainage had turned the fairly good dirt road into a slushy mess, in which neither German engineering nor fancy electronics could create motion without friction, and all its power went to waste in a spray of mud and lots of old-school V8 exhaust roar. Fortunately, a hero with a Hilux came around with a tow rope and swiftly pulled the mud-splattered SUV to level ground, proving that it’s unwise to under-estimate the importance of the right equipment. It all begins with the tyres While nobody in their right mind would take a softroader to a 4x4 jamboree, except as a towing vehicle,…