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May
05
Whoa! Watch out! There’s a dino on the roundabout!
My girlfriend tried to scare me while pointing out the obvious. Oh well I thought and pretended to be calm and totally in control of the situation – while flicking on the high beams of my Impala brown 190E. Remember the day in driving school, when they told you that deer and many other animals freeze and subsequently don’t move, due to temporary blindness? Gotta tell you – it works mighty fine to stop a French dino in its’ tracks. Just look at his eye.
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Apr
27
Taxis in South Africa. They may not always adhere to the street code of conduct and find make their own way around traffic jams. They may not always yield to somebody that has the right of way or cut in front of you. But – they do provide (more or less) reliable transportation for many people, who can’t afford to own a vehicle. I especially like the colorful and well kept ones in Durban. The old-school Toyota Hiace Siyaya is my favorite body style, even though the newer models have more safety features and are equipped with air-conditioning. I found these two beautiful Siyaya Taxis in Durban, near the uShaka marine world.
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.
Dec
22
Frequent readers might remember the Ford Cortina Bakkie based tow truck featured here at Drive-by Snapshots earlier this year. There is more variety to this topic, though. On my way to Bloemfontein, I found this Ford Cortina Bakkie 4×4 for sale at a used car dealership. Admittedly a nicely executed four wheel drive conversion in mint condition. Actually, I wouldn’t mind at all owning something like that. Pure early 80’s style & function!
Dec
02
The goal of most tourists coming to South Africa and visiting game parks, like the Kruger National Park, is seeing the Big Five: lions, African elephants, Cape buffalos, leopards, and rhinoceros. As a rule of thumb, you must always look very carefully to spot the various animals in the bush. Take a look at the first picture and try to spot the big five hiding there. Do not scroll down yet, as it would spoil the fun! Take your time…
Dec
01
On our way from Johannesburg to Swaziland, we spent a night in Kapshehoop. We enjoyed very nice accommodation in a tranquil and peaceful little town. No fences, no locks on the doors and not a single security patrol car anywhere. On the next morning, after packing our stuff in the car and heading out of town, we found something unexpected in South Africa. An Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint Veloce, which quite nicely matched the “building” it was parked in front of. Mustn’t be easy to find spare parts for it in this remote part of the continent.
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!
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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…
Jun
10
A beautiful Sunday afternoon, driving along the Doubs river in France with the convertible top down. We found this pair of Convoi Exceptionnel trucks, parked opposite the lock between Le Barre and Ranchot . The load looked quite interesting and we stopped to have a look. We could only guess the function of these impressive machines, named Sercel Nomad 65. But the internet is our friend and a quick Google search later, we knew that these machines are in fact broadband vibrators used for geological survey activities. If you want to learn more about it, check out the Sercel homepage or download the Nomad 65 Neo press release PDF.
Jun
09
Imagine a sizzling hot day early in June, with temperatures well over 30°C and no wind whatsoever. We are cruising through the pine forests between Biarritz and Bordeaux at a leisurely pace with the windows and sunroof wide open. The loudspeakers of the trusty old Mercedes play a tune most Germans immediately associate with childhood memories of family summer vacations.
