In the upper north-eastern corner of South Africa lies an unspoilt and protected coastline known as the Elephant Coast. EVAN NAUDÉ explored it, and even had time for a quick visit to Mozambique.
It is just after 05:00 on a Monday morning when Roy, my taxi driver, picks me up in the dark outside my house in Cape Town. His shift is over after he drops me at the airport, he says, but my whole day is still ahead of me.
It’s going to be one of those long days that happen now and again in the life of a travel journalist, and goes more or less like this: At the airport it’s one long queue onto the plane because the flight is chock-a-block with business people migrating to Johannesburg for the week. I sleep like a log the whole flight and only wake up as we touch down at O.R. Tambo.
Here I’m greeted by Derryck Mitchell from Front Runner and we head through to their factory in Kyalami. Jaco Nel, Front Runner’s sales manager, hands me the keys to a Jeep Rubicon with enough 4x4 gear to make a cash-strapped guy like me drool. For the rest of the day I drive through Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal to reach the coast.
On the way I pick up my co-pilot, Miena Steyl, and by the time we reach St. Lucia it’s already dark.
A taxi, an aeroplane and three provinces in a 4x4 later, I am finally ready to explore the Elephant Coast, which lies between here and the Mozambican border. But that’ll have to wait, because right now I need some sleep.
Don’t feed the crocodiles
The next morning I see the town in the daylight. I’ve never been to St. Lucia before and I immediately like the place. At the town’s entrance there is a sign warning me that hippos roam the streets at night, at the lake there’s another notice asking me not to feed the crocodiles and in front of the supermarket I see a gang of vervet monkeys and later a family of mongoose scurrying across the street.
この記事は Drive Out の March 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Drive Out の March 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
The pinch of the pump
In a time where every penny counts, you should be cautious about where to spend it, says Neels van Heerden.
Is the Jimny suitable for overlanding?
He has a theory on whether the Suzuki Jimny is suitable for overlanding, but he is also about to find out for himself, says Mic van Zyl.
Klein-Kariba chronicles
His family has camped so often at ATKV Klein-Kariba that they now consider this popular resort their holiday home, says Roelof van Eeden of Witbank.
So ugly it's cute
Longing for the good old days when vehicles took inspiration from aircraft? Citroën has the compact mobile home just for you.
WHO'S THE BAKKIE KING?
Eight brands, seven categories... and one overall winner. We find out which double-cab bakkie performs best when towing a caravan and off-roading.
Viva, Amarokoroko!
We take a spin through the Western Cape's Cederberg to See if the Ford-built Volkswagen Amarok retains its poshness.
Hook, line and tune
That exhilarating rush you feel when something tugs at your hook and races away with your line is what perpetually draws him back to the angler's paradise, says singer Bok van Blerk.
Discover Dinokeng: beyond the Big Five
The Dinokeng Big Five Reserve is a favourite for weekend getaways, but just past its borders lies an untapped haven waiting to be explored.
Life's a farm in Bonnievale!
Bonnievale presents a unique setting where kids, camping and church come together for a unique family holiday.
Into the heart of the Cederberg
From Duiwelsgat to Heuningvlei, from Wupperthal to the Biedouw Valley. Drive through a world where poet Boerneef's mountain goose sheds a feather and author Jan Rabie's dreamland begins.