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With
the launch of the all new Toyotas Hiluxes, a competition was launched from the Toyota Clubhouse web site from
which five people were selected from all over the country for a 10-day tour through the Namib Desert.
We all had 4x4 experience and 4x4 vehicles so there were some criteria used in picking the winners. It was an all-expenses-paid tour to the value of R20 000 with Toyota supplying the new Hilux vehicles. There were altogether six new Hiluxes - three 4,0l V6 and three 3,0 Diesel double cab 4x4s. No modifications were made and they were stock standard vehicles.
One of the vehicles was driven by two journalists, Geoff Dalgleish and Niel Harrison, editor of SA4x4.
The vehicles performed very well with no real damage except a few lost mudguards and bite marks on the fender/bonnet from a horse at Canyon Roadhouse.
The vehicles had to be driven with care because the powerful engines easily caused wheelspin on gravel roads A bit more ground clearance would also be appreciated because all the front guard plates were bent on all the vehicles. All and all I feel that the V6 is a winner, filling a nice gap in the market. Thanks Toyota and especially Folker for making this a trip that I won't ever forget!
Day 1 - 26 June We departed from Johannesburg to Upington on SAA. A head wind made it a 1h 30m flight. 8 out of 10 people were on this flight, while one drove up from Kathu and the journalists arrived from Cape Town earlier. After we booked in at Upington Protea Hotel we saw the vehicles for the first time - three 3.0l diesels and three 4,0 V6 petrols. After a few beers at Spur we went for a lunch of cold meats at the hotel. Later we went to O'Hagan's for another few beers. That night we got briefed by Johann from JJ4x4 Adventures about our schedule and planned trip. We were informed that the planned Dune Academy training had been cancelled and we would get on-the-fly training. We had dinner at O'Hagan's.
Day 2 - 27 June. Left in convoy to Lüderitz via Nakop border post. We had no problems getting through border posts, as Toyota had supplied us with all the necessary documents. We travelled through Ariamsvlei, Grünau, Keetmanshoop and Aus. We took the tar road to Keetmanshoop instead of the Zeeheim gravel road because some people on the tour wanted to visit friends at a lodge. We had our first beer at Konkiep Bar while someone dropped off something for relatives. We arrived at Aus and made a stop at Klein Aus Vista where the vehicles received a lot of attention. We then stopped and watched the wild horses of Aus. We arrived in Lüderitz after dark and stayed in Obelix Village. After a nice supper we met up with our tour guide, Folker. The total kilometers traveled so far was 835 km and we had used about 112 litres of fuel on the 4,0l V6 travelling at speeds of around 140-160 km/h. It is governed around 180km/h on the GPS. The diesels consumed far less diesel and kept up well with the petrol models.
Day 3 - 28 June. After a breakfast we strolled over to Folker's place to get our equipment. Each vehicle carried a tent, a water can and four bags of wood. The food and drinks were supplied and transported by Folker and another vehicle. The convoy consisted of eight vehicles: Folker's Land Cruiser, "Strandwolf", the six Toyota Hiluxes and the caterers Toyota Land Cruiser VX.
We left for the desert, turning away from the tar road 25km from Lüderitz. The tyres were deflated to 1 bar, but that proved to be a bit hard so later we deflated them to 0.8 bar. After one car got stuck with a flat tyre, we inflated the front tyres back to 1 bar. We had enough time to play in the dunes, get our 'sand feet' and get stuck, but it was all fun. We had a nice lunch of cold meats and bread rolls. We pitched our tents at Blue Mountain close to Hottentots Bay. We climbed the Blue Mountain to watch the sunset. For dinner we had macaroni and mince. The weather was lovely, very hot actually.
Day
4 - 29 June We got up and had breakfast and left camp around 10h00. We
crossed lots of dunes and then we got to the sea for the first time near the Rock of Gibraltar. Most of the
day was then spent doing sightseeing like the old camp where the rusted tractors and wells are still visible.
We travelled up the coast to Saddle Hill South. Lunch was cold meats and bread. That night we pitched our
tents near the beach near Saddle Hill. Dinner was chops, sosaties, wors and macaroni salad. We decided not to
do Devil's Workshop the following day but to spend it looking at all the wrecks and then have a sleepover at
the base camp.
Day 5 - 30 June. Breakfast was leftover braaivleis and we left camp around 10h00. We crossed a lot of dunes again. We visited Spencer Bay and Mercury Island. Then we visited the shipwrecks Otavia, Tongwha 107 and the United Trader. We also visited a water well and saw some indigenous plants that only grow there. We got to base camp for nice beds and cold showers. In the evening we had a feast of steaks and partied into the night. It was great to read all the people's names and see all the stickers but I couldn't see one from the Four Wheel Drive Club.
Day 6 - 1 July. After a healthy breakfast of steak and kidney, we refuelled the vehicles. Up to then we had travelled 248 km on about 59l of fuel. Then Folker took us on a route called "Folker's Revenge" that he had done two years earlier. There was one steep dune that could only be beaten if you achieved a speed of 90km/h at the bottom. The petrol Hiluxes got through it without any problems. The diesels struggled a bit and needed a much longer run-up. The sand was also very soft and we tested the recovery skills of our hosts to the full. Lunch was again cold meats. We left the desert and drove through the Koichab Pan and onto a gravel road. All round trip through the desert was 330km. That night we went to dinner at Hotel Zum Sperrgebiet for a lovely piece of fish. Because the tour was changed we couldn't sleep over at Obelix but went instead to Krabbenhoft & Lampe Lodge.
Day 7 - 2 July. After breakfast at Obelix in Lüderitz, we went on a tour through Kolman's Kop ghost town. The group then split up, two vehicles went to Ai-Ais, one went to family and two of us stayed in Lüderitz for some sightseeing. We drove down south to Dias Point, saw the flamingos in the wetlands and drove around into a lot of places. We had a nice dinner in Lüderitz at the Seafood Terrace and slept over at Obelix Village.
Day 8 - 3 July We left Lüderitz at 06h00 for Upington. At Konkiep I wanted to refuel again but they didn't have any unleaded fuel and the manual said not to throw in leaded fuel. At Seeheim 45km before Keetmanshoop my reserve tank light came on and then I crawled to Keetmanshoop, keeping my foot well off the pedal. At Keetmanshoop there were still 7liters left. I then drove back to Seeheim because I wanted to see the Fish River Canyon. We drove past a dam, I think Naute Dam, and had brunch at Canyon Roadhouse: peri-peri chicken livers. At the Fish River Canyon gates we got a shock. From 1 July to go to the view point costs N$60 per person and N$10 per vehicle so we gave it a miss. We then hit the gravel roads up to Karasburg where we climbed on the tarred roads again to leave Namibia via Nakop for a well-deserved rest at Protea Hotel in Upington. Again we had a sponsored dinner at the Dros after the power came on.
Day 9 - 4 July We gave the vehicles back with a tear in the eye and departed at 10h55 by air to Johannesburg. It took us just 50 minutes because we had a nice tailwind. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.
Stephen Kotze
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