Vehicle Focus

Submitted by Dave on Fri, 21/11/2008 - 16:54.

Lunch in Ponta do Oura

We awoke this morning to yet another beautiful day in Africa and decided to head back along the coast for a bit of exercise and to take in our surroundings. After packing away our belongings, we armed ourselves with hats, sunscreen, our camera and a water bottle or two and set off, slowly making our way along the six or so kilometres of deserted beach that lay between us and the small town of Ponta do Oura (who’d have thought we could walk so far without motorised assistance). read more »

Submitted by Dave on Fri, 21/11/2008 - 15:35.

Out and About in Ponta Malongane

The next morning we took stock of our situation and were very pleased with our choice of accommodation. The resort was like a secure, self contained village with a little shop, restaurant, bar, dive centre, chalets and campsites. In season this tranquil piece of paradise must be mayhem, with between 200 and 400 people in the campsites alone (and only about 16 showers to share the load). That said, we were 2 of only about 20 people staying at the resort and it was thoroughly enjoyable. read more »

Submitted by Dave on Fri, 21/11/2008 - 15:13.

Arriving at Ponta Malongane

Our first attempt at finding Ponta Malongane was an unmitigated failure! We followed the directions (or at least were convinced we were following the directions) given in our guide book and found the road running parallel to the beach through the residential area. After a short period of congratulations on being so clever (our GPS had no idea where we were) we zooted off towards our first stop. read more »

Submitted by Ruff on Tue, 18/11/2008 - 12:56.

Win an all-new Hilux!

Earn your citizenship in Hilux Country and you could drive away in an all-new Toyota Hilux! In Hilux Country you get to outplay the competition in a series of games that measure your toughness. Will you get that passport?

Get your passport now. Visit http://www.hiluxcountry.co.za and show your true mettle - not for sissies!

Submitted by Dave on Fri, 14/11/2008 - 14:43.

The Border Crossing into Mozambique

The border crossing at Ponta do Oura was, much to our surprise and huge relief, absolutely painless. The border post, on both the South African and Mozambican side, is nothing more than a small, prefab building with one official to complete vehicle inspections and one official to complete the immigration procedure. Officials on both sides of the border were welcoming and friendly. It was exactly what we needed for our first crossing! read more »

Submitted by Dave on Fri, 14/11/2008 - 14:12.

Kozi Bay

A few days and a number of campsites later we reached Kozi Bay and decided to stop at the Kozi bay Coastal Forest Reserve before continuing north.

After deflating our tyres somewhat and engaging 4x4 we tackled the soft and sandy path to the reserve. Ordinarily this track wouldn’t have been particularly difficult for any other 4x4 enthusiast, however given that we’re heavier then most 18 wheeler articulated trucks and that the previous night’s downpour had turned the ‘road’ into a mass of muddy trenches, potholed ascents and tricky side slopes, it was rather fun. read more »

Submitted by Ruff on Fri, 07/11/2008 - 14:57.

Join us at JIMS this weekend

The 8th and 9th November are the last two days of JIMS (Johannesburg International Motor Show). Join us at the Toyota stand to view the latest Hilux models, amongst other things.

We're in Hall 6 and would love to have a chat with you. If you take any pictures, please share them with the MoA community by uploading them (Register today).

Hope to see you there!

Submitted by Dave on Fri, 07/11/2008 - 10:59.

Finally, We're Off

About three weeks after getting to Natal we were finally ready to leave South Africa and get stuck in to our adventure. Although now behind schedule, the delay had given us the opportunity to get used to the Beast and to grow more accustomed to the concept of African Time – something we knew would soon become a way of life for us (singing "Always look on the bright side of life, de dum, de dum, de dum, de dum"). read more »

Submitted by Dave on Fri, 07/11/2008 - 10:57.

Electrical Disaster

With all the changes that we’d had made to the car in Hillcrest completed, we were on our way back home to pack the last few bits and pieces before heading on up the coast toward Mozambique when disaster struck. read more »

Submitted by Dave on Fri, 07/11/2008 - 10:23.

Modifications

We spend the next few days in the workshop at Mike’s paving business – National Asphalt’s workshop, enlisting the help of Conrad, Ed and Floyd to make a number of changes and improvements to the work already completed in Johannesburg to the Beast.

Most of these changes were really just to make our lives that much easier and to give us a bit more space to cater for our ever growing pile of boxes. read more »