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The Four Wheel Drive Club of Southern Africa organises a wide range of outings throughout the year for club members. These 4x4 trips take in local and international venues and are an ideal way to see Africa in an organised way that takes the chore of planning routes and making bookings out of your hands so that you can simply 'arrive and drive'.
Outings for 2010
Financial
crises, economic meltdown, world recession, these are the themes that 2009 will be most remembered for. A year that has been tough for most
of us, with ups and downs along the way. Having had the privilege of spending many hours around the camp fire with club members really put
into perspective how difficult the year has been on many of us, how each individual viewed the current situation, their opinions and
solutions to the many problems facing us as individuals and the country as a whole.
We have a new president, new political parties and a 'youth' league headed up by a fire-spitting adult, the "She is a man" athletics scandal, service delivery riots and Eskom problems. Enough to make any sane person wonder what is next. Many of us chose to answer with, "Let's get out of here and head for the bush."
The 2009 outings were a great success, with some old venues and a host of new ones added in. Over 300 vehicles and their occupants traveled on these outings to places as close as Magaliesberg to distant places like Zambia, from day outings to extended ten-day trips. It was the first time that we as a club ventured to places like Zambia and the Central Kalahari, Fish River Canyon and Richtersveld, and returned for the first time in years to Beline in Mozambique. Then of course there was Hwange in Zimbabwe. Not only has the club embraced the drive to help Hwange through the Friends of Hwange Trust by collecting funds and donations, but the trip to this beautiful park in October was for me the highlight of the year and I look forward to revisiting this park in 2010.
Besides the 2010 FIFA soccer world cup, what does the outings portfolio hold in store for the club members you may ask? Well we start off with the bad news that the Botswana camps within its National Parks have been privatised and camping site rates have been raised to stupid levels. The good news however is that via Mafunyane Adventures not only have great rates been given to the club but venues have been secured. Due to the Soccer World Cup most tourist destinations were fully booked within 3-4 hours of bookings having been opened. As a club we cannot afford the risk of booking and paying out deposits to all these venues a year in advance. It is for this reason that using a trusted tour operator becomes a necessity.
The club
went on many adventures with Mafunyane in 2009. The service that Simon gave the club with his organising, great meals and great venues were
so well received that some people went on every one of his trips this year. In fact over 40% of members went on more than one trip. This
speaks volumes for Mafunyane as a tour operator, and who can forget the goodie bags received before every outing?
In 2010 we will again be visiting some of the most popular venues and some new ones thrown in. Highlights will surely be the trip to Northern Namibia, Okavango Delta as well as Hwange and Mozambique. The trip to Central Kalahari will traverse the entire park from North to South. Then there are the weekend outings and a few one-day outings.
It has become increasingly difficult to find suitable day outings as many places have closed down or cannot handle groups as large as ours. We will however continue to search for venues and send out the promos as and when they become available.
Mike Stockton as been co-opted onto the outings portfolio to help with outings as I also have a day job and outings requires a lot of planning and personal effort. Mike I would like to personally thank you for all the help this year in making outings the huge success that it was - I could not have done it without your help.
To
Kim our club secretary, many thanks to you too for all your hard work and all the extra hours you put into ensuring that at the end of the
day all was done and balanced. A special thanks also to Grant Fryer and everybody who has helped the outings this past year. To all the old
and new friends with whom I shared a campfire this past year, thanks for the cameraderie and banter, and most of all the memories.
All that remains for me to say is that I wish all the members of the Four Wheel Drive Club of SA a happy chilled-out Christmas and a prosperous, healthy New Year. May 2010 bring you many happy kilometers with the smell of dust in your nostrils and a sunburned right arm. Take care of yourselves and your families this festive season, be safe, and I look forward to the privilege of spending sundowners and a roaring campfire with you in 2010.
Who knows we might even win the Soccer World Cup! Now won't that be a conversation around the fire?
Thorsten Schäfer
Outings Portfolio - FWDCSA Gauteng
The moment you leave the tar road you must understand that scratches and dents can and do happen, so you are driving at your own risk. No one will be forced to drive any particular obstacle, but there may be no bypasses available, so be prepared.
Making reservations for an outing
These trips are only for paid-up members of the Four Wheel Drive Club
of Southern Africa. Join the club here. Members can download a reservations form here, print it, complete it
and fax it to the office at
0861-393-272. Click here to download a reservations form. Please note that the fees are
published here months in advance of the trip, and prices may fluctuate.
| 2010 Club Events and Outings of the Four Wheel Drive Club of Southern Africa |
| More details on all of these outings will be published here when they become available. |
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Sat 13 - Tue 23 Mar - Richtersveld & Orange River - Extended Outing
The first of our "new" outings for 2010 is something completely different from our normal 4x4 trails. It has often been requested to add something new to some of our adventures, so here it is. The Richtersveld & Orange River Rafting Adventure arranged and guided by Mafunjane Adventures. Read more about this outing here. |
 Sat
13 - Sun 21 Mar - Central Kalahari Game Reserve - Cross Border Extended OutingOwing to the popularity of the first of these trips, a second 9- day, 8- night adventure to the Central Kalahari in Botswana, has been planned. Unlike last year when we went in April at the beginning of the dry season, this year we go in February and March, which is during the rainy season. This will mean that the plains will be green and the game abundant, and with it all the predators. Read more about this outing here. |
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Fri 19 - Mon 22 Mar - Korannaberg - Long Weekend Outing One of the newest venues on the club calendar, Korannaberg is a Drive Out magazine superior destination and was rated in the top 10 for 2006. Last year the club was so impressed with the venue and trail that some members went back to do a second trail. It is situated 32 km from Excelsior, approximately three hours drive from Johannesburg. As it is a long weekend the distance should pose no problem. Read more about this outing here. |
Sat 27 Mar - Sun 10 Apr Cross-border
extended outing to The Kaokoland and Northern Namibia At
the request of club members, I have been trying to get this trip organised for some years now, so here it is at last, the second of our
new trips for the year - Northern Namibia. Kaokoland is one of the last remaining wilderness areas in Southern Africa. It is a world of
incredible mountain scenery, a refuge for the rare desert-dwelling elephant, black rhino and giraffe, as well as many carnivores, and the
home of the Himba people. Read more about this outing here.
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Fri 23 - Tues 27 Apr - Khutse Game Reserve - Cross-border Long Weekend Outing Khutse
Game Reserve is the smallest of Botswana's national reserves. Situated at the southern tip of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, it is
set in typical Kalahari pan country and has always been one of my favourite destinations. I cannot speak enough about this real gem in
Botswana's arsenal of national parks - the sheer remoteness, raptors like nowhere else, and (if you're lucky) more game than you could
wish for. On our trip last year we watched a male lion walk right through the main gate past reception. Read more about this outing here.
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Sun 09 May - Day outing to Bass Lake |
Sat 13 - Sun 23 May - Mana Pools Zimbabwe - Cross-border Extended Outing This will be the club's first organised
trip to Zimbabwe and one that has been requested many times by members. Now that some "stability" has come to Zimbabwe and fuel
is available, this trip which was planned before can finally go ahead. The itinerary includes two nights on a houseboat on Lake Kariba,
three nights in the Mana Pools National Game and a night at the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. Read more about this outing here.
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Sun 23 May - Day outing to TAU 4x4 Trail The TAU 4x4 Trail is an ideal family outing. The guided trails follow private tracks through highveld grass savannahs, bushveld, across mud rock and a few river crossings, all natural areas that are not normally accessible to the general public. The trail of approximately 20km has a grading of 2-4, but is suitable for all off-road vehicles, with or without low range. The more challenging sections can be bypassed if necessary. There is an obstacle course at the end of the trail. The trail takes about 2-3 hrs. Read more about this outing here. |
Thu 10 - Sat 19 Jun - Okavango Delta, Moremi and Khwai River - Cross-border Extended Outing
The club's yearly outing to the Okavango Delta has become one of the most popular destinations over the past three years, with two trips
being conducted in 2009. Our guide for this adventure will once again be Simon and Mafunjane Adventures. Read more about this outing here.
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| Sat 26 - Sun 27 Jun - Rust de Winter Bundu - Weekend Outing |
| Sun 11 Jul - De Wildt - Sunday Outing |
| Fri 23 - Mon 26 Jul - Tembe Elephant Reserve - Extended Weekend Outing - This outing has been cancelled. |
Thu 05 - Tue 10 Aug - Makgadikgadi Pans - Cross-border Extended Outing We
did not do this trip in 2009, but due to popular request we have again added it to the 2010 calendar. This is a self-drive, fully-guided
camping trail to the Makgadikgadi salt pans and game reserve in Botswana. The trail offers a rare opportunity for not only off-roading,
but to enjoy the beauty and desolation that the silence of these pans offers. This is an experience that will leave an everlasting
impression on the memory and a longing to return. Read more about this outing here.
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| Sat 07 - Mon 09 Aug - Swaziland - Long Weekend Outing |
| Sat 21 - Sun 22 Aug - Moegatle - Weekend Outing |
| Sun 12 Sep - Kareekrans - Sunday Outing |
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Fri 17 - Sun 26 Sep - Zambia/Tiger Fishing/ Victoria Falls - Cross-border Extended Outing This was the first of the club's new extended outings in 2009. To ensure that we go at a time when the Zambezi River is not in flood we have moved the slot of this outing to September. If game-viewing, tiger fishing, sunset boat cruises and Vic Falls is what you are looking for than this trip is for you. Read more about this outing here. |
| Sat 02 - Sat 09 Oct - Beline, Mozambique - Cross-border Extended Outing |
| Sun 10 Oct - Berakah - Sunday Outing |
Fri 15 - Sat 23 Oct - Hwange National Park
Zimbabwe - Cross-border Extended Outing The
Hwange National Park (formerly called Wankie) is located in the western part of Zimbabwe, two hour's from Victoria Falls and is
Zimbabwe's largest and best-known national park. At 14,500 sq. km it is half the size of Belgium. The area was declared a national park
in 1928 and today is home to 108 species of mammal and over 400 bird species, one of the most diverse parks in the world. The park is
most famous for its elephant herds, which combined make up a heaving population of around 30,000. Read more about this outing here.
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| Sat 30 - Sun 31 Oct - Three Provinces Eco Trail - Weekend Outing |
| Mon 01 - Sat 13 Nov - Liuwa Plains Zambia/Migration - Cross-border Extended Outing |
| Sat 27 - Sun 28 Nov - Rust de Winter - Weekend Outing |
| Wed 15 - Mon 20 Dec - Sodwana / Kosi Bay / Mozambique - Long Weekend Outing |
| Wed 28 Dec '10 - Fri 7 Jan '11 - East Coast / Wild Coast - December Extended Family Holiday Outing |
| 2011 Club Events and Outings of the Four Wheel Drive Club of Southern Africa |
| More details on all of these outings will be published here when they become available. |
| Wed 28 Dec '10 - Fri 7 Jan 2011 - East Coast / Wild Coast - December Extended Family Holiday Outing |
| Sat 22 - Sun 23 Jan 2011 - Serendipity - Weekend Outing |
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