Go! Drive & Camp

Time flies when you're having fun. How true that old adage rings. My parents came to Cape Town in middle December for the festive period and stayed for almost a month. Because they stay so far away I don't see them often so it was fantastic to have them here for that long. When they arrived, we still said to each other how wonderful it was going to be to spend so much time together. The cherry on top was that all three my brothers and my sister (and their families) from across the country (and from Belgium!) came to spend Christmas together. It did wonders for my soul to have all my people in one place for a few days. The only small stumbling block was when, Somewhere between Christmas and New…

We love hearing what's on your mind! Write to us at drivecamp@gomag.co.za and please remember to give your full address and contact details. Drive & Camp reserves the right to edit and shorten letters - and publish them in the magazine, on the website, and elsewhere. Drive & Camp is much more than an outdoor magazine - it's almost like a letter to a friend. We really love the bush, and the news article about the new bush camp at Hoedspruit in the OctoberNovember 2022 issue piqued our interest so much that we immediately booked a spot. Thank you also for the experience you shared in the camping destination article in the same issue. We have decided to celebrate our coming fiftieth wedding anniversary in Marloth Park in February. We are so impressed…

At a recent camp, in a conversation around the campfire, I heard about a new trick: miscreants move between vehicles in the streets as people towing stop at stop streets and traffic lights, and even when you're refuelling. They then apply the caravan's handbrake without your knowledge, and when you try to get out to investigate, they pounce on you to rob you. I decided to make something to prevent this from happening. You can do it yourself for less than R15. I bolted a short chain under the coupler without drilling any holes, also with a padlock on. Then I took a second short chain and welded it to a short pipe - this pipe must be big enough to fit over the lever of the brake. Slide it over and…

Campsites between Kuruman and Askham in the Northern Cape are as scarce as hen's teeth hence a new campsite in this area is welcome news indeed. Kalahari Erfenis is 24 km outside Hotazel, therefore an ideal overnight stop between Gauteng and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. In addition, the road via Hotazel is 124 km shorter than via Upington (if you're not bothered by the 146 km dirt road between Van Zylsrus and Askham). Owners, Renier and Elske Strydom, added their distinctive touch to the campsite. Six stands are laid out in a crescent, and each has a luxury tent that sleeps two. The Stands, are laid out So you can park your caravan alongside, the existing structure with enough room to set up. Other than a permanent tent which sits under a…

It wasn't long after Naas and Melanie Rautenbach bought their land – just over 20 ha – before they decided to share it with others. The idea was to create a own weekend getaway, but a properly equiped caravan park was born. The Klipspringerkloof Bush Camp lies 3,5 km north-east of the Dinokeng reserve in Gauteng. They built the place from the ground up – in 2019, the couple decided to also build a chalet for friends. If you have a farm, everyone comes to visit, says Melanie – so much so that some of the friends suggested they establish a caravan park. Naas worked on this…. and it was ready for guests in September 2022. The centrepiece is the pool with immitation rock finish, surrounded by five stands. The stands are…

Mike and Dawn Solyom have always wanted to own a campsite, and in November their dream came true. The 170 ha Rotsinbos Private Game Farm lies 23 km outside Brits, North West. The couple are campers themselves and therefore know what people like and don't like. The 19 stands are all laid out in the bush on veld grass, and each has its own lock-up bathroom. The private bathrooms are in five buildings among the stands. You get a shower and basin, with the loo in a separate room. The dishwashing sink is on the outside of the bathroom, and gas geysers provide hot water. The buildings were built with face bricks to match the rocky hill behind the stands, Dawn explains. (The sunsets are spectacular from the top.) There are plenty of shade…