Where Giants Walk The Earth
Caravan & Outdoor Life|July 2019

[ Travel ] Addo Elephant Park, Eastern Cape.

Where Giants Walk The Earth
What do Stone Age humans dating back 125 000 years, the Khoikhoi people, the Xhosa people, the Boers, British forts, Percy Fitzpatrick (the author of Jock of the Bushveld), Denys Reitz of Boer War fame and the inventor of the jet engine have in common?

Add to the list wingless dung beetles, a massive elephant called Hapoor and a giant tortoise called Domkrag.

If you answered Addo Elephant Park, you would be absolutely correct.

I was lucky enough to visit this beautiful part of the Eastern Cape recently, for the first time in many years.

Addo starts with A, the first letter in the alphabet, and in my humble opinion this location should rise to the top of anyone’s bucket list. The area is fascinating.

Just as a start, let’s take a look at two of the items on my opening list: Hapoor, the massive bull elephant, was named after the large nick on his ear, thought to have come from a hunter’s rifle. No wonder he had an intense dislike of humankind.

And what about the giant tortoise? He was so gigantic he was known to crawl under cars and lift them up! Which was why he was christened Domkrag, or ‘hydraulic Jack’.

Oh yes, Addo is not just any “elephant park”...

My journey started in Port Elizabeth, where I picked up a brand new Isuzu D-Max 3-litre turbo diesel. This workhorse will be doing a few months’ duty at Caravan & Outdoor Life, as it’s our new long-term vehicle.

After getting behind the wheel of the new ride, I headed literally round the corner to Eastern Cape Caravans in Walmer to pick up my home for the trip. The kindness of the owners of Eastern Cape Caravans, the Grobler family, was awesome.

Denne historien er fra July 2019-utgaven av Caravan & Outdoor Life.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra July 2019-utgaven av Caravan & Outdoor Life.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA CARAVAN & OUTDOOR LIFESe alt
Resorts Of The Month: Kruisrivier Guest Farm
Caravan & Outdoor Life

Resorts Of The Month: Kruisrivier Guest Farm

Off the beaten track and ideal for the off-roading camper

time-read
4 mins  |
June - July 2020
Lagoon And Beachfront Bliss
Caravan & Outdoor Life

Lagoon And Beachfront Bliss

Morgan Bay Campsite, EC

time-read
2 mins  |
June - July 2020
Conservation: The Endangered Vultures
Caravan & Outdoor Life

Conservation: The Endangered Vultures

Rating: The conservation of vultures in Africa is generally regarded as high priority, although limited resources are made available to assist with this important work.

time-read
5 mins  |
June - July 2020
Crisp, Clean Air & Gurgling Streams It Seems
Caravan & Outdoor Life

Crisp, Clean Air & Gurgling Streams It Seems

Old Mac Daddy, WC

time-read
2 mins  |
June - July 2020
Destination Of The Month: Transkei On The Fly
Caravan & Outdoor Life

Destination Of The Month: Transkei On The Fly

When the call came in from a fellow journalist, that his doctor had suggested he not travel due to a recent op, I had about a day to get everything prepared for an adventure to the Transkei Wild Coast.

time-read
10+ mins  |
June - July 2020
13 Top Tips For Outdoor Accessory Maintenance
Caravan & Outdoor Life

13 Top Tips For Outdoor Accessory Maintenance

You certainly don’t want to arrive at your holiday destination only to find your gas bottles are empty, the tent has been chewed to heavenly holiness by marauding mice, and you left grandma napping in the caravan when you put it out to pasture at your local Storage Land for the winter season.

time-read
2 mins  |
June - July 2020
our take on SNAKES
Caravan & Outdoor Life

our take on SNAKES

Caravan & Outdoor Life joins some of South Africa’s leading herpetologists in the Maputaland region to find rare species and teach the local rural residents how to react to snakes. With Opposite Lock on board, we’re all set to strike at a moment’s notice…

time-read
10 mins  |
June - July 2020
Caravan clinic
Caravan & Outdoor Life

Caravan clinic

Our expert answers your technical questions & gives camping advice

time-read
7 mins  |
June - July 2020
Around The Campfire
Caravan & Outdoor Life

Around The Campfire

Readers share their outdoor adventures and air their values

time-read
4 mins  |
April - May 2020
In The Shade Of A Dappled Glade
Caravan & Outdoor Life

In The Shade Of A Dappled Glade

Slanghoek Mountain Resort, WC

time-read
1 min  |
April - May 2020