Menu
Feb
23
We tried to spot the famous Glen Seilisdeir sea eagles at the Isle of Mull, but failed miserably due to cold and rainy weather. Later on the same day, we encountered torrential rain on our way from the Iona Ferry Terminal to Craignure. The road was flooded and I jumped out of the Hyundai Terracan, armed with an umbrella and my trusty Canon DSLR. I awaited their return to take a couple of splash pictures, pointing the camera at the road. And moments later… a speeding Mercedes-Benz came around the bend. He slammed hard on the brakes, probably thinking that I’m a policeman with a speed gun. If he would have hit the flooded section at the speed he was going, he would have crashed. After wading through the flooded section he even stopped and said thank you. Friendly people, those Scots!
Jan
16
Do you remember the time when the Camel Trophy was an annual highlight for all 4×4 enthusiasts? Seems like that was ages ago. I fondly remember watching the coverage every year on TV when I was a boy. I used to dream about doing something like that one day in the future. Great to see one of the survivors in good but authentic condition these days. The Land Rover Discovery Mk1 looks way too clean, though. In my memory, the vehicles have always been caked in mud. The pictures below have been taken at the 2010 Abenteuer Allrad in Bad Kissingen.
Jan
04
Sodwana Bay is a famous fishing and diving spot in South Africa. The beach is accessible for all wheel drive vehicles and boats are launched directly from the beach without a concrete slip. The salty water from the sea and the heat add quite a nice patina over time. This rusty but trusty Ford F-250 4×4 has apparently seen many seasons launching boats…
Jun
06
In June 2010 we took the scenic route through the Gorges du Tarn. Climbing out of the canyon and heading towards Le Puy, we drove past a service station somewhere in the rural Département Lozère. As always, I immediately slowed down to take a closer look and was once more rewarded by finding something rather unusual: a leftover WWII Willys MB Jeep that has been cross-bred with a Renault R4. The bodywork of the conversion looked very professional and is actually very clever, because the region sees a lot of snow in winter. Judging by the faded red paint and the rotating light on the roof, it might have once belonged to the local fire department. The markings on the left door indicate that it may have been used by the local garage as well, probably as a service or recovery vehicle?
Sep
12
The perfect travel companion? Should be able to go anywhere while carrying all the things you might need there. Oh… and providing ample sleeping space and a fridge to keep the drinks cool wouldn’t hurt either. This immaculate Volkswagen T3 Syncro Westfalia camper ticks all the right boxes and comes quite close to being the perfect travel companion, doesn’t it?
May
23
Some people drive a Citroën 2CV for fun. Some people want to have more fun with their 2CV and take them on a trip to the Sahara desert in Morocco. A great idea if you are not afraid to take your classic vehicle on long distance trips under sometimes harsh conditions. The French call this kind of adventure “raid” – and it is anyone’s guess whether or not this word originates from being afRAID once or twice along the way.
The Toyota LandCruiser 80 Series pictured here seems to belong to the head of the organization committee, called “Le pape organisation”. The bumpers have been removed and the suspension raised. A snorkel and a heavy duty roof-rack kitted out with various gear, necessary for serious off-roading, complete the picture. This rig looks to be ready to tackle some dunes!
Read More»
Jan
13
Kallies Quarry. A four wheel drive playground that features very steep tracks in some places, with deep ruts and a pond that requires wading through. This bone stock Jeep Wrangler did it without problems. A Jeep actually going offroad is a rather rare sight in South Africa, because most 4x4ers prefer either Toyota or Land Rover. This actually reminded me of the fun we had with Jeeps when I was living in Texas/USA, many years ago.
Oct
20
Small boats may be launched by hand.
Medium size boats may be launched by a rusty bakkie.
Big boats need something a bit more substantial in weight an power…
This is where the mighty Mercedes-Benz MB Trac comes in handy. This being a highly sought after machine even in Europe, you can imagine how surprised I was to find such a brute at the remote beach of Sodwana Bay in South Africa. To be honest, it was spectacular how the MB Trac launched catapulted the boat into the sea!
Read More»
Oct
20
Diving in Sodwana Bay always means getting up very early, before sunrise. The boats, divers and their equipment are shuttled from the diving base near the dune to the waterfront. A tough job in sun, sand and salt. Most diving companies use late model bakkies or 4x4s. Ocean Divers Pretoria still uses a Series III Land Rover, which has been rebuilt a couple of years ago. The vehicle is in good overall shape with lovely patina, but rust caused by the saltwater is already visible again on the drivetrain and suspension components. Thank you for keeping the old Landy alive!
Aug
19
While staying at the famous Blue Sky Mining Backpackers just south ofDurban, I had the chance to snap a few pictures of their Toyota LandCruiser VX clay model. The model was excellently detailed to the smallest possible detail! Hella auxiliary lights, badges, wipers, a surfboard rack and even a set of mudguards – fantastic 🙂
Unfortunately it was rather big and heavy and therefore I couldn’t possibly buy it and take it back to Germany. Luggage weight restrictions on airplanes be damned…
