Thanks to all the diesel blokes for your info and input.
Cheers,
Josh
Cheers,
Josh
Overseas (non-US) Expedition wheelers.... the wild stuff!
- Thread starter e9999
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One of our canadian fellows said it best:
A lot needs to go right to keep a gasser running.
A lot needs to go wrong to keep a diesel from running.
cruiser_guy
Out of Africa / North Africa
One of our canadian fellows said it best:
A lot needs to go right to keep a gasser running.
A lot needs to go wrong to keep a diesel from running.
Here, here!! I had a trip through southern Mexico on the independence day long weekend, September 15. That Friday AFTER the stores had closed and AFTER we were committed to make the trip my battery took a dump. I drove from Friday evening to Sunday morning with a trashed battery. It was so bad that I needed a jump even after fuelling, but once it fired up I was OK. With a gasser I'd have been stuck.
My wife called once when the '55 with the 3B stopped all worried that there was a major problem. All it was is a simple air lock in the fuel system. She was on the road in less than 5 minutes after I arrived.
If a diesel has fuel and air it likely will run.
I grew up travelling Aus with my parents, and now work travelling Aus doing mineral exploration - some of my time is spent at already existing mines where everything is available (currently I'm working at a mine on the border between Kakadu NP and Arnhem Land, its a beautiful place) but often I'm out a long way from anything.
Fuel wise, we run everything off diesel (where possible), is just soooooo much safer to handle and carry, and the chances of fires/explosions in accidents is much lower. A big reason petrol (gasoline) isnt common in the outback is from the locals sniffing the fumes to get high.
Although there will sometimes be a large crew of people (10 - 20 guys) we can be a long way from anywhere, and a breakdown can be expensive and dangerous! Carrying spare parts and tools is essential, but even more important is the knowledge of how to fix things. All our staff are heavily trained mechanically, and can change any parts or hunt down electrical problems, with all the guys who do the remote work haveing good fabrication skills as well.
In my opinion you need to buy a vehicle for expidition/exploration/scout work where its pretty much ready to go from the factory. Adding bull bars, side steps, different tires, and a few other bolt ons arent an issue, but a vehicle that needs chassis / body / drivetrain modifications just isnt the correct vehicle to start with.
Most of my work is in 79 series 1hz troop carrier style landcruisers, and other than bolting in our work gear, the biggest modification would be the airbags to return the vehicles to "normal" ride heights. If you're stuck in the middle of nowhere, ordering parts over a shortwave radio to be airdropped in, its going to be hard to get parts for a heavily customised vehicle. For a stock Landcruiser its easy
You wont find mechanics in every town/comunity/cattle station, but there's always someone who knows how to fix a diesel landcruiser!
Comunications are essential, we have EPIRB's in all vehicles, as well as sat phones/HF radios. All vehicles also have UHF communications for contacting other team members in the general area. These days most camps will have a satelite uplink (or 2) and the bulk of comunications is now carried out using VoIP or email. It's still of course essential to carry the basics (I still carry a signal mirror and morse code list)
Sean
Fuel wise, we run everything off diesel (where possible), is just soooooo much safer to handle and carry, and the chances of fires/explosions in accidents is much lower. A big reason petrol (gasoline) isnt common in the outback is from the locals sniffing the fumes to get high.
Although there will sometimes be a large crew of people (10 - 20 guys) we can be a long way from anywhere, and a breakdown can be expensive and dangerous! Carrying spare parts and tools is essential, but even more important is the knowledge of how to fix things. All our staff are heavily trained mechanically, and can change any parts or hunt down electrical problems, with all the guys who do the remote work haveing good fabrication skills as well.
In my opinion you need to buy a vehicle for expidition/exploration/scout work where its pretty much ready to go from the factory. Adding bull bars, side steps, different tires, and a few other bolt ons arent an issue, but a vehicle that needs chassis / body / drivetrain modifications just isnt the correct vehicle to start with.
Most of my work is in 79 series 1hz troop carrier style landcruisers, and other than bolting in our work gear, the biggest modification would be the airbags to return the vehicles to "normal" ride heights. If you're stuck in the middle of nowhere, ordering parts over a shortwave radio to be airdropped in, its going to be hard to get parts for a heavily customised vehicle. For a stock Landcruiser its easy
You wont find mechanics in every town/comunity/cattle station, but there's always someone who knows how to fix a diesel landcruiser!
Comunications are essential, we have EPIRB's in all vehicles, as well as sat phones/HF radios. All vehicles also have UHF communications for contacting other team members in the general area. These days most camps will have a satelite uplink (or 2) and the bulk of comunications is now carried out using VoIP or email. It's still of course essential to carry the basics (I still carry a signal mirror and morse code list)
Sean
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This has turned into a terrific thread!
As I live on one of NoAm's fabled roads, the Denali Highway, I see more Expedition Rigs than, well, most of you. Over the decades, the number of Trans-World expeditions passing by me has added up to more than dozens - it must be in the hundreds. And that number doesn't count the ones that have snuck by me unseen. Everything from customized Unimogs down to bicycles.
Of all the travellers who pass by, these are the ones who are the most fun to chat up. I am a little late, but am going to have to start photo-chronicling all of them.
And then, of course, Mark Whatley and his MotleyCrew!
As I live on one of NoAm's fabled roads, the Denali Highway, I see more Expedition Rigs than, well, most of you. Over the decades, the number of Trans-World expeditions passing by me has added up to more than dozens - it must be in the hundreds. And that number doesn't count the ones that have snuck by me unseen. Everything from customized Unimogs down to bicycles.
Of all the travellers who pass by, these are the ones who are the most fun to chat up. I am a little late, but am going to have to start photo-chronicling all of them.
And then, of course, Mark Whatley and his MotleyCrew!
This is a report I did about a recent trip that Bongani and I(with our families) did covering Southern Namibia and then into the Kalahari.
http://www.landcruiserclub.co.za/cms/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=8517
http://www.landcruiserclub.co.za/cms/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=8517
- Thread starter
- #87
Try splitting the text into 3 posts.
Let's try then:
Theo Marx said:DAY 1.
It was 01h30 when the alarm disturbed our silence but I had been awake from the excitement already. Morne had already left Cape Town the day before and I wanted to get an early start in order to catch up with them at Springbok, where he had spent the evening. When I eventually got the troops into the heavily loaded Cruiser it was already 02h30.In spite of very heavy fog for most of the way, we made good progress and flew into Springbok at 08h45.Morne had already left and from that moment, time became a relative concept for the rest of our trip. We were pleasantly surprised when Carel Oberholzer answered our radio call and in true LCCSA spirit, rearranged his schedule to join us for breakfast /coffee at the Wimpy.Breakfast dragged out and we only left at 10h16 having to still stop for fuel.
At 11h25 we were welcomed to the border by a procession of packed vehicles, probably more than a mile long and growing by the minute.
It was clear that we were in for a long wait. We cleared the SA side fairly quickly, unfortunately, only to be completely immobilized on the Namibian side. We took our place in what clearly was, the mother of all queues and heard that the queue of cars hadn’t moved in hrs.It was clear that we needed some African tactics to deal with an African problem. Instead of waiting for the traffic to start moving towards the buildings which housed the breathtakingly large number of officialdom (2 officers to be exact), we pulled the car off the road and proceeded a foot to retrieve the required roneo documentation from within the by now, clearly constipated bowels of the bureaucracy. Feeling very proud of ourselves having achieved this monumental feat was a small consolation when we then had to fall in the queue for final processing. We eventually left the border at 14h46 in very good spirits, and arrived at Vastrap Guest farm at 16h50 .
My request for 2 bags of wood were met by raised eyebrows from the owner, which I thought was a bit odd, given the measly price of R10.00 p/bag. It was only later when I saw the size of the bags and found out that Morne had also bought 2 bags that I enjoyed a private giggle at the thought of how proud LJ would have been of us going that big, on our first night.
We had a lovely braai and afterwards had a very successful stargazing session. In spite of a very bright, full moon, we found Venus, Pluto, Scorpio and others without trouble. Little did we know how these factors i.e. Lots of wood, huge fires and stargazing, would in time become the sometimes comical norm. Since our last visit to Vastrap the owners have upgraded their establishment by inter alia, adding the two recently completed self catering chalets in which we stayed at a very reasonable R520.00 p/night.
Other catered options are available at Vastrap@mweb.com.na/ +264(0)63 262063. It is still a fully functional sheep farm and guests are welcome to accompany the farmer in his daily activities. Hunting excursions in the area are also offered.
DAY 2
We left Vastrap at a leisurely 09h38 and made a quick stop at Grunau where I refilled on diesel and then set off to Hobas campsite on the edge of the massively breathtaking Fish River Canyon. By now, we had left the tar and were to enjoy our first taste of Namibia’s renowned, good gravel roads. With our tyre pressures suitably dropped, we enjoyed a quick (80 km) but scenic drive to Hobas. En route we encountered zebra, springbok, duiker and a falcon making a meal of some roadkill.After booking in we quickly setup camp and left to visit the canyon. It was our first visit to this wonder and the shear size of it all took us by surprise.
Once the enormity had worn off we were struck by the amazing beauty to be found in the contrasts of the rock strata and the animal life. We visited each and every lookout point and enjoyed lunch at the one, situated furtherest north.
It was here that I got the chance to finally prove that even the shortest of us should be able to manage a Hannibal awning without resorting to ammo boxes :roll: . At the starting point of the Hiking trail we met a group of hikers getting ready to depart. We quickly made a few friends in particular “sheriff” and his mate “snuif”(IIRC) who enjoyed some snuff and a fag before setting off down the sheer cliffs 8O . I couldn’t help wondering how much fun they were going to have and in a moment of weakness James quickly got me to make a promise that we would one day return to do the hike ourselves. We returned to the campsite for another superb braai and some unrehearsed entertainment for the kids by the local baboon populace, which at times had them in stitches while we kept a vigilant eye on the little ones. At around 21h00 when our wood was depleted we all went to bed. The campsites at Hobas are all shady with no/ not much grass. The ablutions are neat and adequate, but somewhat dated. There is a shop which stocks all the basics including beer. Bookings can be done through Namibia Wildlife Resorts Ltd +264(61)285 7200/ reservations@nwr.com.na .Considering that we paid N$230.00 per night for 4 adults and 4 children and you get an opportunity to visit and experience the canyon I think Hobas is a good camping destination for a day or two and well worth a visit.
Day 3
We left Hobas at 09h48 and traveled via good gravel roads (only stopping at Seeheim,) to Klein Aus Vista, where we would spend the next two days camping.
We arrived at a very windy Klein Aus at 14h00 and proceeded to set up camp. The campsite and facilities are top class with sheltering from the prevailing winds that usually last about 3 days at a time.
Morne picked a bad spot to pitch his tent and when the wind direction turned found himself facing the teeth of the wind. That afternoon we visited the POW camp and Graveyard. I was happy to note that the children were obviously enjoying this cultural type experience, as James pointed out that the German soldiers were buried in order of date of death and that in some cases they had paid the ultimate price for their country in spite of being just 18 yrs young. We went searching for the well-known Desert Horses but only found a few scattered ones at a distance- they obviously did not enjoy the wind either. We got some decent wood at the fully stocked shop at the campsite and we made our first potjie.
The next day would be a separate affair with us going to Luderitz and the Stevens’ going on a private, pre-booked desert trip for some sand boarding etc.Somehow, things changed and Morne was now going on a guided dune driving trip. That evening after supper the guide(Piet) sent his 2IB to “scan” Mr. Stevens as a dune driver and we soon sent him packing firmly under the belief that Morne was not only a complete rookie in the dunes but also that his car was mechanically only firing on 5 cyl at the moment. When Morne asked whether they would at least show him how to operate “daai kort gear levertjie” beforehand, this guy whistled like a mechanic after opening a Fiat’s bonnet :twisted: . Later we engaged in some more stargazing and located Sagittarius and Musca in addition to the (by now) usual suspects, before retiring to bed at about 21h00.
Day 4.
We left for Luderitz at 09h35 driving into a strong headwind at times. Visiting the Ghost Town Kolmanskop was high on our priority list and we arrived there at 10h45.Entrance was N$144.00 for the 4 of us but well worth it. We did not join one of the organized tours and chose to explore the sand engulfed houses ourselves, instead.
It was amazing to see the might of sand and wind.
Coleen enjoyed the photo opportunities while the kids and I goofed around in the houses. We were particularly impressed with the one house, suitably named, “Arkitekt”. We visited the restaurant cum shop and I had my hands full in the section where the diamonds were offered for sale. We left for Luderitz looking for a gaskooker top for Morne (who had somehow managed to loose a bracket/thingy for his :? ) and a new set of portable DVD earphones for James (who had managed to destroy his :x ).We eventually found both and stocked up on some supplies from the local Spar. It was here that we encountered our first negative incident when some of the local delinquents tried to lure me out of the waiting car with the typical “come look, you have a flat wheel my lanie” scheme. I would be hesitant to leave my car unattended here.
Once stocked up we drove out to the DIAS cross and had lunch at a newly opened coffee shop.
Don’t expect too much in terms of a wide variety menu, as we eventually settled for cheese and ham rolls washed down with superb Nam beer. On our way back to camp I was amazed by the municipal workers on digger loader type vehicles permanently clearing the road of sand from the perpetual winds. We stopped at the wild horses’ waterhole, but again not much luck in terms of “close ups”.Back at camp I started a fire and waited for the “rookie” to return. As expected he was the only one who was able to recover the guide’s 60 series platkar, twice. We went to bed at around 22h00.Klein Aus Vista is definitely a destination/stop over I would highly recommend. It has electricity and good facilities with a shop and at N$300.00 per night camping for all of us was well worth it. The town of Aus with auto bank and fuel etc is just around the corner.Bookings can be made at ausvista@namibhorses.com/ +264 63 258116.
Day 5
We left Klein Aus at 09h50 but had to stop at Aus for Morne to refill the EFI.I couldn’t as they were surprisingly, out of diesel! I was not concerned as Keetmanshoop was only about 260 km away and I still had a full main tank, but others were not as lucky and had to risk the road to FRC with low fuel reserves. We were back on tar and driving into yet another strong headwind. We drove into Keetmanshoop at about 12h15 and after a quick fuel stop headed straight for Bryan vd Merwe’s bakery.
“Brian is plaas toe en ek weet nie wanneer hy terugkom nie”, coerced us into settling for some fresh bread and Chelsea buns. In a moment of weakness I folded and bought a pair of Oakley-wannabe sunglasses from a pesky street-peddler , whilst Morne had his hands full trying to fend off the hordes of people selling, what appears to be good quality knives. Is somebody missing a truckload of knives in Namibia :? ? If so, look no further than this town! I have never been offered so many knives or come to think of it, anything else for that matter, in such a short period of time. After replenishing our other supplies we left for Mesosaurus Fossil Camp, where we were to camp for the night.
The original plan was to set up camp and then visit the renowned Quiver Tree Forest before meeting Bryan at the equally renowned Giants Playground for sundowners and an impromptu B&B afterwards. Arriving at Mesosaurus we were met by the very friendly owner oom Giel Steenkamp.He quickly changed our plans for the afternoon by inviting us to do the 4x4 trail/eco trail on his farm, unguided . This was an amazing experience as he has a section of land containing a forest of Quiver trees, said by those in the know, to be far better than the official forest itself.
The privilege of driving in this forest was hartwarming
The sheer beauty of it is beyond words and justifies a visit of longer than a day or two. We lost all track of time and in the end had to rush out of there to avoid being late for our meeting with Bryan.
We arrived at the Quiver Tree Forest farm in a cloud of dust and just in time to view the end of the Cheetah’s being fed on a diet of Dassie.
Did I mention that they have the biggest and fattest Dassies I have ever seen? No wonder the concept of tree-dwelling Dassies seemed foreign to the locals- their trees won’t be able to cope with those freaks of nature :twisted: ! When the official tour of the cheetahs feeding was over, we were allowed to stay behind as we were in the company of Bryan who is well known on the farm and had been waiting for us to arrive. The children enjoyed the rest of the various tamed animals on the farm immensely. These included a warthog, eland etc. The sun was however beginning to sprint towards the horizon and so we had to make a dash for Giant’s Playground, only a few km away. We arrived in time and experienced one of the most dramatic sunsets in a superb setting.
This place absolutely epitomizes the stunning contrasting beauty of Namibia.
To have lived and seen it is a privilege – not doing so would be a tragedy.
It was already dark when we left for the B&B at our campsite. James had immediately taken a fancy to “Uncle Bryan” and so I found myself to be one passenger liter. We lit the fire and started to get acquainted in earnest. We enjoyed a scrumptious meal of Namibian lamb as it should be- off the rooster 8) (I only noticed the next morning that none of us had even touched the salads that swambo had prepared). I vaguely recollect Bryan telling his wife on the phone at one stage that he would be home at around 20h00, as he still had some distance to drive to get to the farm. Needless to say he didn’t even come close to keeping his word :twisted: . Instead, he entertained us around the fire with his local knowledge and insight, not to mention his humorous stories and updates about happenings on the forum.
Bryan, thank you very much for your boundless generosity and for taking the trouble to meet up with us :salut: . After some late night stargazing lessons from Bryan we eventually retired to bed in the wee hours of the morning, but I remember feeling very good –these LCCSA guys are great.
Part 2
Theo Marx said:Day 6
We woke up early and by 09h27 left on our pre-booked Mesosaurus Fossil tour guided by oom Giel Steenkamp, the owner of the farm and campsite. This is a must for young and old. Within minutes everybody was looking for fossils.
Once oom Giel starts feeding you with information, the urge to search becomes too much to resist. It is particularly nice that he directs a lot of his information at the children and at a level that keeps them interested. The tour was rounded off with him playing a well-known folksong on the “singing rocks” with the children obviously also having a go. Staying at this farm and engaging in all of the activities on offer is highly recommended. The facilities are good and very clean. We paid R345.00 for a family of 4 including the fossil tour and wood. Contact oom Giel at Mesosaur@mweb.com.na
After our tour we set off for Keetmanshoop for a refill of beer and fuel. The abundance of knives on sale, still raging high in town . Bryan had parked his cruiser for us to see, as promised the night before- looks cool with those wheels Bryan. We then got onto the gravel road towards Rietfontein border post, which according to all accounts was to be the worst on our trip. We were worried that we would be pressed for time to make the 16h00 closing time at the border, as we expected that we would have to reduce our tyre pressures and our cruising speed accordingly. We need not have worried as the road was not nearly as bad as expected and certainly a lot better than the roads on the other side of the border 8O . We arrived at an empty post at 15h00 and went through with only my fridge being inspected. Apparently the 25kg and not 50kg rule still applies :? .
From here it was was a shortish drive to Askham to refill the fuel tanks and then back to Molopo Lodge, our resting place for the evening. Molopo was fantastic and everybody enjoyed the comforts it offered after the continious camping of the last few days. The restaurant serves some good meals and the true story about the lion that was shot with a .22 rifle (both hanging in the bar) still eludes me . The chalets are very neat and clean. It was a nice surprise to find out that our neighbour was none other than LCCSA lurker Malan Scholtz
.A few peacocks entertained us and posed for a typical Morne photo shoot. After a great meal we retired early as we had to get up early for the next day’s entry into Kgalagadi.Our accommodation cost R592.75 for the chalet and Molopo can be contacted at +27 54 5110008.
Day 7
I planned to get an early rise but some brave roosters got me out of bed long before I had planned. We got packing and I discovered a diesel leak (suspected on the main tank filler pipe) which partially explained my heavier than normal fuel consumption. We left at 09h15 and tackled the notoriously corrugated 60km stretch of gravel road up to the entrance at Twee Rivieren.Roadworks are still continuing and the road is not a pleasure, even with reduced tyre pressures. However it is also not that bad, in fact it is not worse than any of the other roads inside the park! We arrived at Twee Rivieren at 10h50 and after the formalities and paperwork were completed we set of to Mata Mata camp. Within the first km the kids had already spotted springbok, wildebeest, jackal and it just kept on getting better and better.
By 14h00 we had already ticked of giraffe.
We eventually arrived at Mata Mata at 16h02 and quickly setup camp right next to the fence overlooking a waterhole.
I was very impressed with my kids as they had improved their participation and skills in respect of assisting with the pitching of the tents etc.We enjoyed a superb Malay chicken potjie with couscous.
At 19h00 we were surprised by a rare sighting of a Brown Hyena with youngsters coming to drink at the waterhole. We went to bed at 21h00 and were entertained by the jackal throughout the night. Mata Mata is your typical Kgalagadi fenced camp with mostly clean facilities and a shop that sells the basic goodies including wood. Petrol and diesel is also available but no autobank.I liked the proximity of the waterhole to the camp and the kids enjoyed the covered lookout point. It is not supposed to be “lion country” but they are sometimes seen. We expected to find Cheetah and Leopard here but lady luck was not kind, this time. The cost for camping was R762.80 p/night.
Day 8
We woke up at 06h00 and by 06h30 a group of Spotted Hyena had arrived at the waterhole. We departed at 08h05 and the good sightings we had been experiencing thus far, continued. The road was gravel and corrugated most of the way but we were driving so slowly in order to spot game that it didn’t matter at all.
We arrived at Nossob camp, which was to be our destination for the next 2 days, at 13h35 and quickly pitched our tents etc.We were now in “lion country” and wanted to go explore ASAP.
On our way out we found Morne at the shop looking a tad fluffled .We were scheduled to start the Nossob Eco trail in 2 days time and one of the requirements was that (in summer) each vehicle must take, at least 1 bag of wood for everyday of the trail i.e. 4 days, 3 nights. This however, was winter and we were only going to be 2 vehicles on the trail. The fact that someone had forgotten to order wood from Twee Rivieren was hardly amusing, in spite of the striking Govt employees picketing outside every gate in the park :evil: . We were told to “kyk maar daar agter hoeveel hout daar is” and then and there (after noticing that there was plenty of charcoal for the other campers), bought every piece of wood that we could scrape together and fill a bag with.
After sealing and loading all the bags on Morne’s empty roof rack and feeling a little tired from all the work we left to go find some lion.
We were very lucky as 10.1km north of the camp, we found a pride of 8-10 lying right next to the road.
Judging by their bulging bellies and general laziness they were obviously stuffed to the full, from a very recent kill. We had spent some time watching them when the call over the radio came: There was a guy hassling Morne about the wood. I was a little concerned and left soon afterwards, only to find Morne in good spirits at the tents with most of the wood stored out of sight. I loaded my share of the wood in the empty ammo boxes on my roof rack as I had planned. We had no further problems and sold a bag or two to people in need . We braaied some of the lovely meat that we had obtained from Bryan and took the kids to the look-out point situated outside the camp. There was a small herd of gemsbok at the waterhole. After some stargazing we went to bed. That evening we were entertained by an orchestra of animals and the pesky black backed jackals managed to get into camp causing havoc with the rubbish bins. One of them took a liking to Morne and “marked” the corner of his tent, close enough for Morne to diagnose the culprit as suffering with prostrate problems 8O .
Day 9
We were up early and left just after the gates opened to try and find the pride from the previous day. They were still in exactly the same spot and just as inactive. We watched and clicked away while they continued undisturbed with their first “order of business”. We returned to camp for a late breakfast and swambo did some washing etc, in preparation for the following day’s eco trail. After lunch we went for another leisurely game drive further north and on our return found our resident pride still lazing in the same spot. Supper was an early affair as we wanted to be prepared for an early start the next day.
We were a little concerned about the fact that our guide for the trail had not arrived from Twee Rivieren and the warning lights began to flicker when we couldn’t go on an intended night drive due to another guide “missing his voice”. This trail was the rationale behind the whole trip and things were not looking good for us at 19h00 the night before we were due to start it. We had secured our spots a year in advance and were fully paid up. We discussed the issue and made a call that if, given the surrounding circumstances, e.g. the strike, the voiceless local guide and the absence of our guide, they were going to try and cancel our trail, that we were going to do it unescorted :? .
Fortunately it was not called for as our guide Alistair Burt (a huge Toy fan and new member of LCCSA) arrived about 30 minutes later. We again took the kids to the lookout point for some game viewing in the dark. The animals seemed restless and I pointed out to Morne how high the water level at the hole had risen, if compared to the previous evening- little did we know what lay ahead.
Relieved and happy is how I went to bed but things were about to change.
That evening temperatures plummeted during the course of the night and it became very cold. The expenses for the 4 x Ice Braker sleeping bags were more than justified! Then there was the small matter of the lions. I was awoken by the roaring of lions that seemed to be getting closer and closer to the camp. Next I heard the typical thudding of hooves in a desperate but futile attempt to escape, followed by a muffled cry and then that eary deathly silence
Day 10
We emerged from our tents at 07h25 and walked into a chilly wall of air.Morne’s gauge indicated -8.4 deg C.It later dropped to -8.9 and was freezing cold. Any liquid left outside was frozen rock hard, even if it contained alcohol. Fortunately we had our own water from home in our tanks and with our electric kettle we soon enjoyed a steaming cup of coffee. Even our neighbor couldn’t resist borrowing the kettle. Having showered the previous evening, we quickly packed up so as to be on time for our 09h00 meeting with our guide. We then discovered that there was no water at Nossob at all 8O . We initially attributed this to the pipes being frozen-over during the night but it turned out not to be the case at all. Somehow one of the strikers had forgotten to close the tap when supplying water for the animals to the waterhole and so the camp’s complete water supply was now lying in the waterhole. This clearly explained the gemsbok practicing their breaststroke in the waterhole the previous evening! As a result the ablutions were a total mess…. :evil:
We met Alistair on time and after completing the required indemnity forms and getting a formal briefing, we left. During our briefing, Alistair disclosed that the reason for his late arrival the previous day was the fact that a family of 4, travelling in a 4x2 difflock LDV had gone missing from Nossob, the previous day. He was up all night as part of the search team and therefore had missed the antics of the lions. It turned out that this family had left with a flask of coffee and a few sandwiches only, merely telling their family that they were going north 8O . There was therefore a strong likelihood that we might come across the missing vehicle on the trail.
The first part of the trail was about 60 km of normal gravel (bad) road towards the north from where you turn onto a “tweespoor” sandy track at a no-entry sign. It was pure bliss to be in the soft sand at last. From here-on Alistair was in his element and we were like school children . He made regular stops and took us afoot into the veld ensuring that we had a genuine eco experience.
It is one thing to boringly know the names of, and be able to point out any tree, flower, shrub or animal but quite another to keep your audience interested and more importantly to partake, especially if they are partially young children that have to spend 5-6hrs a day driving in a car.
He was magnificent and time really flew. It is impossible to accurately convey how much we learnt from him.
Before long I found my kids trying to point out and name animals, plants and trees before he did. If the one had managed to point out and name something then the other would reply by naming it in Afrikaans and visa versa. This alone had made the whole trip worth every penny and more, from my personal perspective. To say I was happy is an understatement of note.
We arrived at Swartbos our designated campsite for the evening at 16h07.Like all the sites on the trail, it is not fenced and you have 1 bush shower with the choice of an enviro-loo or a long drop.
We pitched our camp after Alistair advised us how to park the cars to form a lager which was not that easy, given the lack of size of our group. We wanted to start the fire immediately but Alistair quickly made it clear that he would be in charge of the fire and would only light it when the natural light was fading-we didn’t argue as we had traveled to within a km or two from where we had seen our resident pride of lion at Nossob, the day before . We braaied under the stars and listened to the noises of this red desert. For dessert/a nightcap (depending on your viewpoint :roll: ) we had a dose of Coleen’s liquored chocolates, which was to become a daily routine on the trail. When the wood was depleted and the fire closing up shop, we went to bed.
We all slept peacefully that evening in spite of the missing vehicle not having been recovered, nor Nossob having received any water. To add to the park officials’ misery some lions had managed to break the electric fence and escape into Namibia.
..
Part 3
Theo Marx said:Day 11
We woke to a slightly warmer 0.1 deg C and broke camp quickly. We left in our convoy making regular stops and learning interesting things all the way e.g. “bokspoor spider”, the hygene habits of steenbok, an “elandspee- root” excavated by a porcupine and a host of others. We also received word that the missing vehicle had been found. Apparently they took a turnoff onto a No-entry track and got stuck. This was a relief as we were all somewhat worried about them. At 15h38 we arrived at Roseintjiebos camp and parked the vehicles in a V formation. It was a long wait for James before he could light the fire but I was glad to get rid of the last wood on my roof. Sam made us some “Kalahari prawns “ which went well with the braai.When the fire started dying at 21h30 we went to bed. Once again we had a quiet night with no roaring lions.
Day12
We were awake at 07h10 and it was -1.8 deg .C.We left at 09h12 and at 10h53, as we crested a dune, we came to a sight that got my blood boiling in spite of the weather :evil: :evil: . We had found the spot where our missing “friends” had gotten stuck.
It was clear that they were traveling into the opposite direction as us. In an attempt to crest this dune (which should never have been attempted in a 4x2 in the first place), they couldn’t and clearly visible to all, had “spun the vehicle in” about a third of the way up the dune. They then obviously decided to go back to the main road from which they had entered onto this clearly marked No Entry track. It serves to be mentioned that this main road was less than 1 km away and could easily have been traversed/reached in reverse but instead of reversing back down and staying in the tracks and in reverse, the driver tried to turn the vehicle around at the foot of the dune and got well and truly bogged down :scratch: . Further tracks in the area showed the presence of a 2nd vehicle doing a snatch recovery creating further fresh tracks on “virgin” land.
To make matters worse, nothing was done to repair any of the damage to the area leaving a real sight for sore eyes :evil: :evil: . Using our spades and some besembos to sweep we closed up the holes and covered their new tracks as best we could.
There was toilet paper all over the area where the vehicle had been stuck with no apparent attempt to clean it up or at the very least bury it properly :? .
Just another classic example of why education/training alone, will never ever be enough to stop/prevent irresponsible off road behavior causing avoidable environmental damage. Some people unfortunately will always require the threat of prosecution as an effective deterrent.
We stopped for lunch and a swarm of bees surrounded our vehicle necessitating our relocation elsewhere at a bit of speed. We arrived at our last camp at 16h12.We were in an area where lion, leopard and hyena were almost guaranteed to visit us during the night as we were camping on the edge of a waterhole.
We opted for pasta and salads as opposed to the usual braai.
I went to bed leaving Morne and Alistair to face the last bit of wood alone.
Day 13
We woke up at 07h00 and found clear tracks that we had been visited by 3 lions during the night. We departed at 08h55 and continued our lessons in nature. The red sand was by now well and truly getting to me in a positive way and I had clearly found a new favourite destination. At 13h26 as we crested a dune we spotted what looked like a very fresh kill. We investigated carefully and found the carcass of a pregnant eland.
It was clearly not a kill and Alistair became a little distracted. He was clearly worried. We continued and within 1km found another two, also not normal kills :? . A poisoned/infested waterhole was suspected and reported at the first opportunity he got. We were back on normal gravel and went to Rooiputs as a treat. From there it was an easy and short drive back to Twee Rivieren Camp where we had fantastic chalets waiting. There was an almost immediate scrimmage to get to the hot shower, first. Later we dined in the restaurant and bought some memorabilia in the best stocked shop in the entire park. Sadly our visit to the park had come to an end and it was with a slightly heavy heart that I fell asleep that evening. The cost for the accomodation was R1 202.00 for the night.
A few side notes about the Nossob Eco Trail:
It is easy to book the trail itself but the pre-requisite is that you have to stay at either Nossob or Twee Rivieren the night before the start of the trail, depending on which direction the trail is running in at the time and this is usually where the problem lies.
It is an eco trail and not a 4x4 challenge trail-There was only 1 dune that usually gives some cars problems, but dropping tyres to around 1.1 bar (even with our heavily loaded vehicles) saw us clear it with ease the first time round.
We did the trail from north to south but given the prevailing wind direction and the subsequent formation of the dunes it should be more challenging if done from south to north.
I will definitely do this trail again and the cost of R1500.00 per vehicle is the bargain of a lifetime.
Day 14
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise at 06h05.Alistair arrived to bid us farewell and a safe journey home. It was amazing to hear my kids talking amongst themselves and Sam remarking that Alistair was not just our guide but actually a family friend
Day 15
We departed at 09h05 and the original plan was to sleep over at Springbok lodge and visit Carel Oberholzer for a braai as arranged earlier. We were looking forward to this but then realised that the schools actually started on Monday which left us with too little time to get settled. We had to change our plans in midair
nice~~
wow
that was a killer trip report! thanks for sharing it with everyone. those are the reasons i think about moving back to southern africa
ps. did you find out if those eland had been poisoned? looks kinda suspicious to me as well.
keep 'em comin we want more!
SPRINGBOKS RULE RUGBY_-_-_-_-_- AGAIN!!!!!!!
cheers
wow
that was a killer trip report! thanks for sharing it with everyone. those are the reasons i think about moving back to southern africa
ps. did you find out if those eland had been poisoned? looks kinda suspicious to me as well.
keep 'em comin we want more!
SPRINGBOKS RULE RUGBY_-_-_-_-_- AGAIN!!!!!!!
cheers
You are welcome. A bunch of us are doing the West Coast in 2.5 weeks.
I haven't heard the result of the tests thewy woulkd have done.Allistair has since resighned and will be relocating to Cape town.He is due to arrive in the next few days.We are planning a return trip but this time going much further North and then into Bots and down to Mabuasehube
I haven't heard the result of the tests thewy woulkd have done.Allistair has since resighned and will be relocating to Cape town.He is due to arrive in the next few days.We are planning a return trip but this time going much further North and then into Bots and down to Mabuasehube
Awesome thread, keep it up folks. I love reading about your adventures. Hope to do some journeys like these in the future 
Hi, my travel´s pic´s (sorry only three) in South America (Venezuela - Brasil) with my best 4x4, 
Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40 ( 
Sold ), for mi ex-FJ40 
Come Back of the San Salvador Gold Mines Field in the south of Venezuela
Go to Manaus in the North of Brasil
Inside of mud-road to go to Gold Mines Field of east of Venezuela (Yuruani - Vuelvancaras)
Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40 ( Sold ), for mi ex-FJ40 Come Back of the San Salvador Gold Mines Field in the south of Venezuela
Go to Manaus in the North of Brasil
Inside of mud-road to go to Gold Mines Field of east of Venezuela (Yuruani - Vuelvancaras)
wicked goldmines i love it
