Since Wallace arrived in our family there was some minor changes to it.  First of all we had to change the number plates that it does not read “GP” anymore.  Second major thing that needed to be done was to fix the oil leak (of course!).  Then we started to fit some smaller things from our previous vehicles – an awning to one side for some protection against the harsh African sun and the unpredictable rain when we travel.  Wallace’s story starts under the post: The Life of a Landy Wife

First things first.  A list of “essentials” was drawn up versus a list of “nice to haves” as our budget is not unlimited at the moment.  Now everyone has a different “essentials” list and a different “nice to have list”.  Our lists at the moment look something like this, but it is constantly under reconstruction (as any good list should!):

ESSENTIALS                                                                                     

• Dual battery system to run the fridge and all other chargers and lights (an interesting plan and new project is coming up here!)
• A spare wheel carry to preserve Wallace’s back door on those rutted gravel roads
• Gas bottle holders as we do not like to carry the gas containers inside the car
• Spot lights for night driving as Wallace only have candle issues, but with that comes a bulbar ……
• Jerry can holders for the extra fuel load on a long trip, and
• To get the heater system working – at the moment we have to wipe manually with an ever ready shammy!

NICE TO HAVES

• Extra fuel and water tank to take the weight off the roof
• Checkered plating on the front fenders
• Mellville & Moon Seat Covers – who do not want a set of it?
• A drawer system (never had that before in any pick-up we owned)
• The list can be elaborate and detailed, but I will not bore you with all of it

But then unexpectedly the scales get tipped as some bargains pop up on Gumtree or on the Defender site on Facebook and the list needs to be adjusted one more time.  You see a Land Rover requires constant loving care and adaptations …………. more the reason why we love Wallace!

As they say watch this space as Wallace gets transformed and kitted over time to our perfect overlanding vehicle.  In the meantime we love Wallace just the way he is, including all the Landy niggles that it throws at us.

If you need some advice, please feel free to ask questions – I will gladly help!  And if you have some advice – please share!

—oOo—

Adventure is out there!

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If you like to explore the back roads of South Africa the route through the Overberg that will take you to the pont at Malgas across the Breede River is a worthwhile, one of a kind experience.

What makes the Malgas pont rather special?  It is the only remaining hand-drawn pont of its kind in the country. There are at least two other pontoons that comes to mind when writing about this topic, but they are not hand-drawn – the one over the Kei River in the Eastern Cape and the one at Sendelingsdrift in the Richtersveld crossing the Orange River in the Northern Cape but it is not the same as the hand-drawn one at Malgas.  I am adding these two pontoon crossing to Wallace’s travel list!

The service begun in 1860 and is still operational today from sunrise until sunset, weather permitting. It will take you about 10 to 15 minutes to cross the river.  Just enough time to take the compulsory pictures of the Land Rover on the pont and have a chat with the friendly operators of the pont.  As they were walking up and down on the pontoon I was wondering what is the total amount of paces that they take every day.  Surely, during the holiday season and over weekends they walk further than during the week when there are less visitors.

The village of Malgas peaked during the year 1860 when it boasted a hotel, shop, boarding house, school, church, goal and a powder store.  During this period fresh water was also transported in flat bottomed boats down river to Port Beaufort and Infanta at the mouth – a distance of about 40 kilometres.  However, today all the hustle and bustle are gone and you will find mostly accommodation, a couple of holiday homes and a little country store along the shores of the river.

Malagas was the name of a Hottentot chief, whose kraal was situated near the site. The name of the village was changed to Malgas because in the olden days, post for the village ended up in Malaga Spain!  Today both versions of the name are still in use.

If you are willing to travel on gravel you will find this unique experience at: S 34° 18.132′ E 020° 35.410′

NEED TO KNOW: 

They take only cash – no card machines in this part of the world.  The fee we paid during April 2018 was R55 per vehicle.

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Treasuring the last couple of hours with Livingstone the new super excited owner of our beloved 1962 Series II Landy was picked up in Livingstone (what else?) at the George Airport to meet his new love.

Time was really running out …… we need to say a final goodbye.

Livingstone was washed one last time by my  Malawian garden keeper, who is always very proud to be entrusted with the Land Rover, before turning up for the final photo shoot.

We knew that this hour will come, but all the while we were hoping from the bottom of our hearts for the slightest chance of NOT parting with Livingstone.  Somehow reality was catching up on us.    We were holding thumbs that Livingstone will find a really passionate new owner and we were fortunate enough to find him.    Thank you Kevin for being just what we were hoping for – an enthusiastic and loving new owner of a classic!

I have to say that both hubby and myself were in tears when seeing him driving off one last time, but we were promised that we will see Livingstone on top of the Rocky Mountains in the USA.   You will have to keep your promise, Kevin!  We will be following your journey with Livingstone.

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A very emotional decision was made last night to sell Livingstone.    It is time to say goodbye to  our beloved Landy.    As I am writing this my eyes are filled with tears and my  heart with a little bit of sadness  …

Both my husband and I got so attached to our daily drive with the dogs.  Even the dogs associate the sound of the Landy and the jingle of the keys with their daily walk.

I hope that we will find the right owner for Livingstone and that his new owner will be a real Landy lover and drive him with the necessary passion and respect.  Go well Livingstone, you are leaving your oil marks in my heart ….

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Calm down and don’t be in a hurry when following this road.  It is very narrow with only single lane traffic possible and no trailers, caravans and trucks are allowed and just a special warning:   it is  popular with  mountain bikers coming down hill at great speeds!  At several occasions we narrowly missed these projectiles.  I swear that they do not have nerves or they are so high on adrenaline that they do not think straight ….

Travelling with a 1962 Landy we do not have a choice other than to go slow, very slow and enjoy the ever changing views of the Outeniqua mountains covered in all shades of green, purple and pink as the flowers come into bloom.  This section is part of Cape Nature so no flower picking and/or removal of any plants are allowed.

Along the route there are several boards marking historic places on the pass such as Moertjiesklip, Die Noute and at Smidswinkel where you will find some remains of the blacksmith shop.  Note the road’s edge that still boasts the original stone walls built by 250 Italian prisoners over a four year period and are still in good condition.

Montagu Pass served as the main road over the Outeniquas for more than 100 years and it was only with the completion of the Outeniqua Pass in 1951 that this old pass became no more than a scenic route enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.  You got to love life if you drive a Land Rover!!!

For more interesting facts on the history of the Montagu Pass you can read the geocache listing at :

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5PGET_historic-montagu-pass?guid=ff297682-8362-43c2-959a-9d53d4928c73

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We regularly go for a “coffee drive” where I pack my Stanley flask with steaming coffee and we just explore all the scenic passes in our own backyard.    What a joy and privilege to live in the Garden Route.

Some times we take the dogs along with for the ride.  Chuck, the Fox Terrier, just loves it, but Pilot, the Jack Russel, is sometimes a bit nervous, but he is getting better the more he rides.

Lately we have a new dog addition to the family – a Bull Terrier named Fiela – which we are training to enjoy the drives but sometimes it gets a bit busy at the back.  Hoofseun,  aka Pilot, is trying his best to teach her although he is not a very good traveller.

Life passes you slowly when you drive in Livingstone (respect her years).  We enjoy the scenery – that is part of the drive – and stop often to check her oil (she is after all a Land Rover) and have a steaming cup during the journey.  Coffee surely tastes better in fresh air next to a lovely old Landy!

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On the Outeniqua mountains

As the sun was starting to lift its head there was time for a quick early morning cup of coffee  and a rusk with Stanley providing the hot water source.   It was on the chilly side so  we did not linger long before we continued the drive.

Livingstone and Stanley

The sun was slow to rise and the shadows cold and deep.  We had breakfast while the fog was still hanging low over Oudtshoorn and the valley down below.  What a privilege to live in Africa and enjoy life from the window of your old Land Rover.

Early morning misty views

We all enjoyed a nice day out in nature and returned safely home  – well done Livingstone, the Landy!

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The restoration project starts

Sometimes the surprise was big that something was still in such a good and original condition and the next moment the moods were down on the ground when rust appeared to be worse than expected.  There were also some mystery finds such as a couple of bones in the chassis …

Some of the mystery objects

Every panel and part was stacked and packed in neat little heaps waiting for the time when it was ready to be assembled again.

Panels and parts stacked up

Within days the Haynes owner’s manual, which was ordered by mail from a bookshop in South Africa, arrived.  Things were falling into place for the project to start!

For the first two weeks hubby came home every night with oil from the top of his head to the tip of his toes and soon I realized that this will be the scene for the next couple of months.  After all it is a Landy restoration project – oil is just part of the scene whether in running condition or in a restoration project!

 Our days evolved around Livingstone and what has to be ordered, cleaned, picked up, e-mailed and fixed.   Parts which could not be sourced in South Africa arrived within a week if ordered from England (which was in the minority).  The smiles were big when almost all the parts were sourced around the country.

Days, weeks and months passed with hubby returning to work in Africa every other month.  In the meantime a good buddy, and also a Land Rover boffin, was working on the project in his absence.

Getting all the detail right

Things were looking good and the time arrived that it could be sent for rewiring as the existing wiring had some strange electrical concepts … (well at least I thought so)!

Brand new wiring in place

About four months into the restoration project it was time to take the dust of the panels and start assembling it again.  Things were looking good and a plan was coming together.  The progress was slow and the tempers flared at times, but the friendship (and the marriage) lasted!

Slowly but surely it was getting there

After six months of love labour hubby took Livingstone for the road worthy test.  There were just minor issues that had to be resolved before he was licensed and on the road.

Looking great

Now Livingstone is turning heads, drawing attention and conversations wherever we go with him.  All that is left now is (when the budget allows it again) to do a proper paint job before she can retire.

On Livingstone’s very test drive!

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So off I go on a Kulula flight to O R Tambo to courier the necessary tools, several other items as well as some warm clothing that (we thought) would be needed  for this epic journey after the late snow falls that had the country buzzing.   A bit of TLC here and there and we set off on a 1 200 km road trip to take her home.

The first glimpse in the parking bay at OR Tambo

All went well until just before Kroonstad where our first of 42 unplanned mechanical stops started.  With a speed of about 20 kmph and a stuttering Landy we arrived at the Shell Ultra Stop in Kroonstad.  While buying some spares we  came across a very knowledgeable mechanic named Willie who lovingly looked at the Landy with and expert eye and put us on the road again.

One of the 42 technical stops of the journey

At about 16:00 we left Kroonstad to find a resting lace in Bloemfontein for the night  – well, that was the plan.  However things did not turn out that way and we reached Winburg at a snails place after a wheel bearing seized.  This meant that we had to spend some time in Winburg as the required part only arrived on the Friday morning in Winburg.

Waiting for the wheel bearing in Winburg

While waiting we did some sightseeing on foot in Winburg, drank a couple of liters of Coke and   Googled the history of Winburg as well as the history of the old stone church to pass some time waiting for the part to arrive.   Oh yes, and they do sell some very nice biltong in town!

The sand stone church in Winburg

THE HISTORY OF THE DUTCH REFORMED CHURCHES IN WINBURG

“The European community of Winburg is famous for the differences in political heritage. The town was divided into two camps, due to their support to either the South African Party of General Jan Smuts, or the National Party of Dr Daniel François Malan. This led to the division of the Dutch Reformed Church into two separate congregations, Klip Kerk (Stone Church, because it was built from sandstone) and which was the original church for the Dutch Reformed Church and Rietfontein Kerk. Bitter feuds were fought between supporters of the two parties.”  (Extract from Wikipedia)

Leaving Winburg at about 14:00 on the Friday we hit the long but busy N1 South to our home town of George.  Hubby happily settled into a rhythm of doing 80 kmph with the Landy, whilst negotiating all the trucks overtaking us, and stopping ever so often to do some needy repairs throughout the night.

Getting the rythm of the Landy

But about 20 km outside Beaufort West the Landy was unwilling to go any further.  We had to phone a friend on the Saturday afternoon to get a mechanic from Beaufort West to where we were stranded at the side of the road.  Jacques from Swartberg Motors is a very hands on guy and had us on the road again in no time.  ‘n Boer maak ‘n plan – even if it means driving with a a jerry can of fuel serving as a temporary fuel tank and a fire extinguisher on the seat to reach home!

Boer maak ‘n plan!

Fuel consumption is not great on the old lady and in Klaarstroom we ran out of fuel as the jerry can only hold 20 litres.  Things were still not in our favour.  At Klaarstroom the shop and pumps were closed, because it is Saturday afternoon and everyone was having a siesta.

On to Plan B – try to get some of the dirty fuel from the tanks to reach De Rust that is only a mere 20 kilometers away.  While hubby is lying underneath the Landy Koos Roets (the famous film producer who lives in Klaarstroom) pulls up in his diesel Land Rover for a leisurely chat (about Land Rovers) , but cannot help with some petrol as he drives a diesel Landy.

On to Plan C –  settled in for a long wait after we phoned up our daughter who lives in Port Elizabeth to come and fetch us and bring some much needed fuel with.

Then the joy when we see that the shop has opened its doors at 16:00 for business.  The friendly shopkeeper lady was asking where we are heading and so I told her my story.  Now we can at least buy a Coke for the long wait ahead of us.   Next minute her husband (who must have overheard my story) rocks up with a 5 litre can of fuel that will see us to De Rust!  As always the platteland is full of friendly people willing to assist.

Getting to De Rust on the five litres of petrol we bought in Klaarstroom

Yet another fuel stop in De Rust to fill up the jerry can one more time and on the road again!

Cruising through Meiringspoort

Past Oudtshoorn we met up with our daughter who arrived with another jerry can of fuel and some coffee to see us home.   From here on it was an uneventful drive home.

Help arriving in the form of our daughter from Port Elizabeth

An epic journey came to an end after being on the road since Wednesday morning when we left Kempton Park.

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