Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Tell us about your recent trip. Please add some photographs.
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Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by JohanM »

Day 1 saw us leaving home at around 14h00 as I still had to do some work on the Friday. After checking everything and making sure that all is ready to roll, we hit the road to Kimberley.

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A long boring but nonetheless dangerous drive with all the ignorant and careless drivers on the road made this quite an entertaining drive as we chatted away on the radio’s discussing the behaviours and helping each other to safely overtake and some many other topics were discussed.

First stop was in Wolmeranstad where we stopped to do some stretching and some team members needed a caffeine fix, I needed sun and ice cold water while others just hanged around and watching the vehicles.

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Not too long after leaving the Hilux called on the radio and reported a funny whining metallic tic-tic sound from the right front wheel.... Not sounding good we pulled over and I went to have a look and thankfully it was only the engine bay rubbers in the wheel arch that came loose... Zip tie out and it was fixed and from here we left and made a steady pace to Kimberley and arrived before sunset.

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We booked into the New Rush guest house and the arrival and service was prompt, friendly and very efficient. We were right on the big hole and the old town where we stayed like the old Mine managers in luxury.

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Dinner was a very delicious meal at John Dory’s, after we found it as we took the long way round to the mall and first visited the locals at the prison gate by taking the wrong turn.......

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Afterwards it was quite a lot of fun getting 5 people into the Hilux after eating and feasting like kings and heading back for a night’s sleep.
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The next morning we had an early rise from a very good night’s rest. Dead central in old Kimberley with nothing to worry about and not even a whiff of noise from the traffic that was just a mere drop away, you could not but feel like being time travelled back to the old days of the diamond rush era.

Breakfast was a team effort from what we could gather quickly from the rooms and in a fridge as we did not want to unpack the vehicles to much.

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We left the vehicles parked and started to explore the old town and then we started to behave like tourists with the cameras out and lots of flashing and talking and some more friendly banter between all of us.

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We hopped on the old tram and went for a quick spin around the big hole. It was very entertaining and the local traffic and wildlife produced enough to keep us talking while doing the tour inside and seeing the big hole.

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Learned quite a bit and Kimberley was the first town to have street lights in the southern hemisphere and there were 16 of them that was lit the first time in 1 September 1882.

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Post by JohanM »

We had some pictures taken and then we set off to what seemed like a very long day ahead.

Some more pictures of the old town and the old museums and trains that date back to the diamond era...
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Next stop was Douglas where we would go pay a visit to the confluence of the Vaal and Orange River. The road was long, very hot and dry.

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Evidence of tyre failure country, we were in harsh land country and if it reminded of the hardiness of the people living here.
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The locals were out having fun in gliders as we turned to Douglas and headed out to the view point.
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The viewpoint was the other local’s hangout, picnic spot.

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Not much to see and the rivers both were very murky of colour thus the different colours of the rivers was hard to spot.

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We did not stay long as it was simmering outside and the locals was quite well oiled and some too well oiled, thus we left and I checked the temperature was 40 outside.

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Thankfully we had an ice cold dual aircon vehicle and the heat was quickly beaten. We decided to go via Campbell and then onto Upington as we wanted to stay over in the Augrabies national park.

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This however never realized and it turned out to be rather a eventful place and time to source a sleeping place as we decided only to book the first night and then from there just see where the journey leads us.
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The gravel road to Campbell was wide and of the best I have driven in most years and it quickly went by, but not without a problem....

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A quick stop in Griekwastad for ice cream revealed that we had a new a tripod in our convoy.... So out the tools and jack came, and we set about changing the tyre quickly.

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The route was long, hot and uneventful and then a few kilos’s before Upington a yellow warning light started to shine on the dashboard..... A radio call to the rear and the Hilux also had a problem.....It was thankfully a minor problem that could be sorted out after hours...

We needed fuel and even the locals came to see how we are doing it as it took a bit of time to fill up all the tanks....

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We left and made a fast approach to the gate of augrabies to still catch them before they closed, but we had to source option B at 19:00 on a public holiday as they were fully booked at the gate and would not let us in....

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We decided to take a drive back and just ask around and find a place to set up camp. Some calls were made and we soon floored it to Lake Grappa as the sun was setting fast and camp still was to be pitched and dinner cooked.

We were shown were to choose our camp and we had our own Private ablutions and electricity and we had a stunning view and a nice cool but mildly strong breeze blowing. Camp was set up and this is where the fun started... Tents and beds came out, the beds inflated.... All but one was useable and only due to the fact that the locking and inflation valve somehow never made it into the vehicle, so I had 2 nights rest on the grass.....but it was not the only problem.... The drawer slide system had a lock failure which meant that the food was basically locked away...Some colourful moments and out came the tools, unable the get a hack saw in, I resorted to forcing the lock quickly with two hard blows from the hammer, this broke the drawer lock and also the end finish plate came loose but was hanging on the carpet.

Dinner was a braai with salad and a few drinks..... It was 22h00 and we all retreated to the beds that were calling.... It was indeed a very long day.
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

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The next morning we slept in until the sun started to warm up the tents and we got to getting breakfast ready and getting everyone road worthy and ready for the day. Thank fully we had our own ablution and it happened easy.

Some camp repairs were needed after I made a list of things and I stayed put while the others went exploring the surround areas of the campsite. Indeed a fantastic place with luxury tents and also some other accommodation and it was really wonderful being in the midst of a very harsh environment and having lush green grass to walk on barefoot.

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The trailer needed some fixing on the rear gas strut stay that worked loose on the dirt road, and then I saw it..........Broken shock mount also....

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which explained way I was feeling the trailer to be a bit more loose on the road in the side winds yesterday. Only two days in and already having to fix things, seems like we are in for fun on this trip..

Late morning came and we went off to the falls, and it was already scorching hot outside. It was going to be a very hot day in the park. We did the boardwalk and took loads of pictures and the foreign wildlife was all turning into lobsters as we watched them and even told them to be careful of sunburn and the sun here down in Africa.

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We sat down in the restaurant and had a light lunch, the aircon was bliss and the decoration very elegant and we felt like having high tea. After cooling down we took a drive out to Echo corner and some other spots.

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As it was reaching the highest temps yet on the trip we decided to make a gentle drive back and to go have a short nap before taking on the waters with the kayak and also swim in the manmade lake.

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That was a lot of fun with Alex and his Uncle on the kayak. Showed him how to steer and do all the things and how to be safe on the waters.... afterwards we went to watch the sun set while having a nice ice cold Whisky. Nature started to showcase some artwork moments and I started to play with the camera and took some snaps and even had a model posing in the sunset.
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The end of the day was upon us, life is really good in Africa, it’s a tough life enjoying this beauty from nature.
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Next morning we broke up camp and headed off the workshop, where we promptly got to repairing and strengthening the shock mounts on both sides.

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Mom and Almyne left to Kakamas to have the puncture repaired and returned with lots of cold drinks for the day and snacks. With the trailer fixed and ready to hit the road to Dogstonebay on the coast we had a tour of the vineyards and we plucked some of the best grapes. These farmers are real soul people and a hand full was not enough, we left with a cooler box full of prime grapes.

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We will be back here, as this is where the real meaning of life is felt in the warmth of these people.

The black line rolled on hill after hill and we spent a lot of time discussing the stay here and also the barren dry area. It was shocking to see just how dry this area has become. Nothing but sand and some bushes burnt black...

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We passed this farmer that was moving his sheep and I could not understand how sheep could still survive here in this drought.

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We arrived in Pella as we wanted to go see the church and Museum and I had a moment where I misjudged the speed hump and had the trailer flying for a moment or two. Nonetheless the shock brackets held up and I barely felt the touch down much too everyone’s amusement and banter afterwards.

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Disappointment was among all when they could not locate the keys to open up and the person with the keys could not be traced, thus we decided to not waste time and push on towards Springbok.

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We stopped and refuelled in Springbok as this would be the last stop as we planned on going to south on the coast all the way to Strandfontein. We searched and found a new sleeping pad for me and it was the start of a new rethink as to how I want to camp in future.

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Springbok did not fail to deliver surprises and they even had a new mall which was opened only weeks prior to us arrival there. It was a beautiful town but very busy on the Monday before Christmas. Soon after leaving Springbok we turned off and all was getting excited for leaving the boring black line behind.... Fun was about to start and I dropped the tyre pressures for the dirt.

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The road was in good condition and some places a bit rough on climbs but nothing to break a sweat about. I was trying to keep the momentum constant and over some rough sections the trailer hopped and skipped a bit but after the flying test earlier I knew it should hold up easy. We drove the Messelpad pass, stopped at the turn off to the prison and time to play or so we thought....

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Scouting the first part of the road with the Hilux, I decided not to risk it with the Prado or Hilux as it meant we could easy lose a tyre or two which would be foolish as both vehicles were fairly loaded. The road was badly washed away with very sharp knife edge rocks protruding... We walked a fair bit down before the heat beat us to it.

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We turned around and walked back up and drove to the top and set off to chase the sunset onto the coast which was still a bit away and made our way over the Wildeperdehoek pass into the valley beneath.

Stopping later in the vast open space, with nothing but a very fierce sun belting it down and a very chilly south east wind we walked and looked around and just enjoyed the open fresh untouched piece of land.

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I stumbled upon the “message in a bottle” and decided to leave it untouched for the Gods of the area to look after.

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Alex had to show his age and asked his Uncle for a selfie in this barren world.

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We made good time as the dirt road was very good and we got to the campsite only to find the place locked up as there was no one. Accommodation in Hondeklipbaai is very limited and with the sun about to set in 2 hours we needed a place to sleep. Walking around, Almyne and I managed to find a place but actually only for 2 we convinced the owner that we would sleep on the stoep of the room and we agreed all. We unpacked and then headed out to what must have been the most delicious seafood meal at Dop en kreef. The place was packed and bustling and all people were having the time of their life.
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We had wine and enjoyed the food and setting with the sun going down.

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Again the picture was perfect....

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The sign for the restroom was spot on and the owner came and met us and ensured that all was happy with the meals.

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Later on we parted ways and had a good night’s rest.

Morning came and we all hoped that the wind had calmed down, but it was still west coast style chilly and the wind was pumping. Not a great day for setting up camp on the beach so we decided to find an inland campsite for the afternoon late...
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

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I was eager to show the people the spoeg rivier grotte and also the coastal section of the namaqua national park, but we first visited the Light tower, then the Aristea and the Infamous rock.
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It was cold and then we headed for the park and went to play/tow in the loose sand a bit. It was about time to have a bit of play as till now there was no real fun for the drivers to play about. The sun was very hot and the strong cold wind made for a pleasant day in the vehicles and the see smell was fantastic. It’s a drug on a different level and once you smelled it, you can never have enough of it.

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The gate keeper was assigned and not before long we reached the turnoff to the Caves.....

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Tyre Pressures dropped and I decided seeing that the sand was very loose and it was windy outside also I decided to use low range.... The caves was really special to those that haven’t been there...

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after which we set off to Groenrivier gate following the sandy tracks to De beers camp from where we joined the main rod through the park.
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The last section of the park by Kwass se baai was fun and very sandy which was approx 6 km long, but the V6 did not sweat it and made light work of the trailer in the powdery sand. Little did we know Murphy was yet not done with us....

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Reaching the gate at Groen rivier it was time to use the shade and reinflate the tyres to gravel road pressures. Out came the compressors and there it was, no pipe to inflate with on the one and the other compressor had a leaky pipe that had to be reattached after each tyre. Armed with a Leatherman I managed to inflate the Hilux tyres first, where after a park ranger passed and offered his compressor in their workshop to do the Prado and trailer. We thanked them with cold drinks and set off onto the N7.

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Destination was still unknown and we aimed for a campsite near Van Rhynsdorp or in the vicinity.

Reaching the tar road which was too soon, we kept speeds down on the tar road that was glistening black from the searing heat, until we reached Bitterfontein where we stopped to adjust the tyre pressure for high speed tar. Temperatures were deep in the 30’s and the roads were showing remains of tyres that did not survive the battle.

We reached mid afternoon the town of Vanrhynsdorp and the area surrounding the town looked like desert. Nothing, and it was dry... The trees were barley giving shade as they didn’t have a lot of leaves....
We booked into the local campsite in town and despite it being dry and dusty we quickly had camp setup and we all were helping preparing dinner.

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Sunset was beautiful and with what seemed like a rainbow in the sunset despite no rain, it was promised that the rain will come in time.

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While doing the dinner preps and getting the camp setup, it turned out that the local bar was also part of the campsite, but it did not hinder anyone and actually provided a bit of entertainment.

The stars came out and the silence arrived as the campsite became quiet and everyone went off to bed with a nice strong wind through the night helped keep the tents relative cool and comfy.
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Morning came and the chefs were out in force, with a tasty breakfast served up, we headed for some vineyards to do some wine tasting and buy also some for later.

We also had some campsite guards that were really friendly and not any nuisance.

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It was clear that as the wind has calmed down and the sun was out in force, today is going to be a scorcher. We made quick time in passing Vredendal and heading onto Lutzville.
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Seal breeze boutique cellar was closed as they were preparing for a function but still allowed us to have a look around and what a beautiful venue this was. It looked like it was out of this world, for being in such a dry sandy and barren area, the lush green garden with water was like an Oasis.

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We left and set off to Fryers Cove and made a quick detour in Strandfontein and what an interesting place it was. Clearly these holiday mansions are owned by some wealthy citizens from Cape Town and also from Namibia, it was clearly a rich man’s playground here.

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We arrived at Fryers Cove and it was clear that there were a preferred mode of travel for most, and decided to have lunch there while doing some wine tasting which was very tasty and the wines very fruity and encouraging to drink. We had some good laughter about the wines and things as some errands slipped in and made it more fun.
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We left after what seemed like a way to short time and went to look for Alex for new flops as his one’s decided to give up. Lunch hour in Vredendal was not very busy despite being a very big town, but don’t let the size fool you. Our early morning assumptions about being very hot were confirmed when we left the town and it was n roasting 44 deg outside.

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We cruised back to camp and decided that the pool was to be intercepted and used to cool down.

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It was during this afternoon in the pool that we made a decision that changed the course of the holiday. We wanted to go look at a 4x4 Caravelle in Cape Town as a possible camper vehicle. So we made a call to head out to the mother city and visit the other family and sleep over, the next day.

Upon returning from the pool, we decided to quickly wash some clothes and hang them up to dry out as it would dry very quickly. Also we left the cars open to not cook inside and sit down for a cold one and chat a bit more about the next day’s plan, when the wind picked up, and we looked over the road into the valley.....

Wind getting stronger and the horizon in red we had like a minute or two to put the clothes away, we just closed up the tents and left the clothes in there before it hit us......... Dust storm!!!! One big desert like dust storm that hit us and it was pumping with sand and dust and wind............ it was minutes but felt like hours with the wind blowing all directions and tugging hard at the tents trying to uproot them.. Then it went quiet and the wind settled down to a light breeze.

We then started to clean the camp area and prepared dinner, and moved the braai to an area protected from the wind as it started to blow again. Some decisions later and we started to take some of the camp down in preparation of the early morning departure from the campsite.


We had a relaxed evening and the locals came to their watering hole, and were upbeat, friendly and barely audible. We hit the sack quite hard and slept in stereo.....
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Early morning we started to take down the remainder of the camp while breakfast was being prepped on the same time.

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We left at around 08:30 and headed south. Hoping for a quiet drive which was not too bad, we passed some foreigners in a 660cc Mazda touring here. I would have liked to catch their story, but we had to push on.

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Roadwork’s was evident going to be a long patient drive, but it was not to long before the road opened up and I could use the horses under the Prado’s bonnet.

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We made good time and decided to go buy fresh fish in Langebaan. So a quick detour turned into a rather long one as we had to wait for the fish. Lunch time Passed and we hot footed it into Cape Town as the possible addition to the fleet was located in the southern Suburbs.

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Friday afternoon traffic heading south proved to be somewhat frustrating and in the process I managed to get myself a selfie for fast drivers. We arrived in the southern suburbs and not far off from where I bought the Prado, which looked like a cheapie lot of old bangers.... We walked inside and I had a quick look at it, and was hugely disappointed in the wreck being on display. Wasting no time, we headed to meet up with the Hilux in Vredekloof heights. With the family all there we unpacked and spent a great afternoon together, with everyone chatting away, children all playing and we did the traditional braai.
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After dinner we sat around the table, and then without warning my dad’s chair decided to give in. This resulted in lots of laughter and jokes which lasted till all went to bed.

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Being used to camping we were happy to bring along quite a large amount of water to use for washing and cooking. This we used before leaving the next morning and left the remainder with the family.

Alex has never been in the Hugenote tunnel, so we decided to go through the tunnel, heading for Sutherland. The day was cool and overcast, and we all were hoping and praying for rain as it was clear the water crises was very serious and needed all the rain. We refuelled at Worcester, and made way to the Hex river pass and onto Matjiesfontein.


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We paid a visit to the Lord Milner hotel and had a good walk around before setting off onto Sutherland.

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The road into Sutherland was a long black line; however the scenery kept us busy and we arrived hungry and thirsty in town.

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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by JohanM »

The White house was first as we entered town and we decided to stop there and have a scrumptious meal.

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Special of the day was a Burger and chips with a beer which was wad I needed.

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With no confirmed or booked accommodation we decided to check what was available in the area. It was time to treat ourselves and book into something not camping.

We managed to find space at Jakhalsdans outside Loxton. Direction Loxton it was after lunch but first a visit to SALT. What a beautiful day it was, light wind and a hot sun there. It was bliss, being so high in the vast Karoo with views for miles and the wind being calm and cool.

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SALT visit was something I did not expect to be so interesting, but we were even inside the big Telescope and one of those mirrors used takes 8 hours to clean and there are 91 of those mirrors on the 10 meter optical telescope.


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Johan Marais
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JohanM
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by JohanM »

We did a drive through to see some of the smaller scopes used all remotely off site and then we hit the dirt road to Loxton.

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The road was like most of the area’s main roads in great shape and we cruised to arrive late afternoon at Jakhalsdans.

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We quickly were shown to the accommodation and unhooked the trailer and unpacked for the night.

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With the fire made, it was time to enjoy the area, sunsets and an ice cold one.

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Last edited by JohanM on Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Johan Marais
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JohanM
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by JohanM »

Dinner was served and we all retired to a night of luxury and spoils.

Early morning we went to look at some of the game they breed before setting off into town.

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We parked up and walked around, and even managed to spot Dana Snyman on his stoep relaxing.

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It was like being in a different era walking around here and seeing how time stood still in a place like this. We had a meal at the Rooigranaat and then set off to Carnarvon to go Show Alex the Corbel houses.
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by JohanM »

We managed to find one and decided to stay the night there. The farm was typical dry Karoo and the hospitality was great.

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It was fun and we did a make a moerpot dinner using what was left over from the previous night’s dinner. The next day we left for Hopetown to meet up with other people and family on the farm as we decided only to stay the night there before heading home. It was a rather quiet drive as this meant that we were almost back at home and the fun time over.

We arrived on the Farm with not much to remind us about the road except that the tripod was back.

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It was changed and we headed off to the farm.

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The afternoon went by quickly with a drive around on the bakkie with the kids and seeing some ancient rocks and interesting sights.

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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by JohanM »

Sunset came to early and the night time went by quickly and the end of our journey has arrived with the break of dawn......

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It was with a heavy heart and even heavier feet that we eventually decided to get going of the last leg home. The road home was uneventful and we arrived safely back home. We will be back for more, and this is how Destination Unknown was born.... We will travel soon again into the Unknown......Destination Unknown
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by JohanM »

Some useless info for those wanting to know...

We did 4078 km on this trip.
3 Punctures, all on the Hilux. Last puncture was in town at home.
1x Broken shock mount on the trailer, rear gas strut in lid came undone.
Lots and lots of fuel....

Ave consumption for the Prado towing was 15.2L/100km
Ave consumption for the Hilux was also 15.2L/100 km
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by Baasvark »

Thanks for the great report! Been a while since we've seen one.

Looks like you had a good time barring the niggles.

Interesting read

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Aint it ironic that "Common Sense" aint so common after all...
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by pieta.swanepoel »

Johan, dit was nou 'n lekker vinnige toer deur groot deel van die land. Ons het voorwaar baie dinge om te sien en te ervaar
Groot berge en lang grondpaaie
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by FIRSTGEER »

Thanks for sharing your GREAT trip report with us Johan. :thumbup:
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by Stef »

:thumbup: Baie nice
Bevoorreg om so te kan toer....
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by pietpetoors »

WOW, julle het omtrent wyd gery.
Baie mooi fotos.
Dankie, was lekker om te lees.
Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow!
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by Family_Dog »

Excellent report Johan, very well-written! Seems you guys had lots of fun and reading through your report makes me feel that I was actually there! The last time I was in that area was in 1999, good to relive the memories once again.


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One Staffie, One Jack Russell, One Ring Neck Screecher, 17 Fish of questionable heritage


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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by The Legend »

Lekker bevooreg om so ver te kon rond ry .Baie mooi trip report Johan. Jou Prado met n sleepwa is amper ligter op brandstof as my SFA sonder n sleepwa
“A BAD DAYS FISHING IS BETTER THAN A GOOD DAYS WORK”

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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by JohanM »

Baie dankie aan almal, dit was n baie lekker vakansie gewees net te kort.

Looks like you had a good time barring the niggles. = Shane wat is so reis sonder iets wat erens nie glad verloop nie...

WOW, julle het omtrent wyd gery. = Pieter ja die kaapse draai was nie deel van die oorspronklike plan nie en moes toe maar die plan verruil vir die draai.

Jou Prado met n sleepwa is amper ligter op brandstof as my SFA sonder n sleepwa = Dawie dit was verrassend wat die verbruik was na die vakansie in ag geneem hoe baie wind en gehad het. Kla glad nie.

The last time I was in that area was in 1999, good to relive the memories once again. = Uncle Eric, it is time to go travel in that mobile couch(Pradog)...

Bevoorreg om so te kan toer....= Stefan dit was n baie lekker uitstappie gewees.

Johan, dit was nou 'n lekker vinnige toer deur groot deel van die land. Ons het voorwaar baie dinge om te sien en te ervaar = Pieta ja ons het ver gery maar dit was lekker en ek sal enige tyd weer so iets doen. Te veel om te sien en te min tyd.

Thanks for sharing your GREAT trip report with us Johan. :thumbup: = Tony thank you, it did take a bit of work to come up with something readable. Never tried it this way before.
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by Leeuplesier »

Baie aangename verslag om te lees. Goed gedoen met al die fotos wat die hele toer uiteensit. Voel of ek saam met julle op toer was. :thumbup:
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Re: Roads less travelled to Destination unknown by JohanM

Post by JohanM »

Baie dankie Stephan, dan het ek geslaag in die doel om almal saam om reis te neem. :thumbup:
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