TUFFSTUFF

MISSION TRIP TO LESOTHO: 8 - 10 August 2008

2008-08-13T07:20:00.001-07:00

MISSION TRIP TO LESOTHO: 8 - 10 August 2008

Girlcub and TUFFSTUFF recently attended the Lesotho Outreach trip which was a great success!

The team of 5 "chicks" certainly showed the guys how its done! The roads proved to be quiet a challenge, but alas...WE DID IT!!!!

We had the most amazing time 4x4ing, sight seeing, 4x4ing, laughing and did we mention...4x4ing????

We arrived safely at our destination around midday on Saturday. The convoy of vehicles (which looked super hot by the way) unloaded all the contents which really made the community really happy! The 10 tonnes of cement will be used to build small dams to collect water as well as school and kitchen facilities.

Girlcub would like to give credit to the following:

Firstly, Slabbert from Cargo Commercial in Germiston, for his strength and 100% hardcore endurance! We are so amazed that you made it that far with the massive truck! Even though you were exhausted half way through the trip already, we admire your will to carry on and succeed in your mission!

TUFFSTUFF: A major sponsor! thank you so much for the fantastic stickers (They looked great on all the vehicles!), The free emergency evacuation (Thank-goodness we didn't need it), The accomodation for certain members on the trip as well as the great company! Thank you Bronwyn-you kept us very entertained on the trip and kept us motivated to keep going! Lets also not forget about the 17 loaves of bread!!! Raymond - We hope to see you next year!

Nico Pienaar- Director – Aspasa and Sarma

HI-Q: For the rather large amount of very fashionable jeans! The community will wear them with pride!

HOWLING MOON: For the awesome beanies that kept us warm throughout the trip.

ASPASA/SARMA: For the great organisation!

NPC: 10 tons of cement!!!!

AEL AND Hartbeespoort RMC: 250 blankets!!!

IMS and SILVERSTONE: For the fashionable and warm drymacks!

JW Smith Trading Trust: The financial sponsor

ANGELINE T FOR MING AND FAMILY: for the sponsorship of members who would never have been able to attend without your help! And your amazing driving skills!

OWEN AND RICHARD: For taking such great care of us ladies, the assistance at the border and the lovely lunch presented to us on Sunday! You both made the trip just that extra little bit special!

ATLAS PANELBEATERS: Also for the beanies! The are awesome!

THE ORION GROUP: For the amazing accomodation and hospitality.

THE PEOPLE OF LESOTHO: Thank-you so much for the hospitality and kindness.

THE PARTICIPANTS: ALL OF YOU!!!THANK-YOU!
THANK-YOU! THANK-YOU! THANK-YOU! THANK-YOU!
It was so great to meet you all and we really look forward to next year! You all deserve a huge pat on the back! You were great!

We hope we haven't left anyone out...please contact us if we have so that we can give you credit! There were so many sponsors and great people involved and we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

HERE'S TO NEXT YEAR!!!MAY IT BE EVEN BIGGER!!!!

ABOUT TUFF STUFF

2008-07-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

It all started in 1991 in Botswana.

TUFFSTUFF has been around for 17 years and its roots are firmly and deeply planted in African soil. One evening in Chobe, I was staring into my camp fire and was being mesmerized by its flames which were slowly taking me back to some far distant past memories of when fire was mainly a source of warmth and protection for us. But as any modern humanoid, the present is always there to rudely remind us that we have moved on at an astonishingly fast pace.

Four wheel drive vehicles were everywhere to be seen. This is obvious since I was in Botswana, but this meant a business opportunity had presented itself. No specialised insurance product was available to 4x4 owners who ventured into Africa and I was determined to make the most of this opportunity. The rest is history and all these years later, TUFFSTUFF can still claim the credit as being the original 4x4 Insurance specialists with a product that has been copied many times but which has always remained at the forefront of development and is recognized as the market leader in all aspects of outdoor lifestyle as well as 4x4 and all wheel drive insurance.

TUFFSTUFF is the recognized market leaders in 4x4 Insurance.

Constant product development keeps TUFFSTUFF ahead of its competitors. Close relationships with the motoring fraternity, lifestyle magazines and a considerably large 4x4 community, allows us to constantly monitor developments in this field and continually bring about changes to our product which ensures the widest and most comprehensive outdoor lifestyle cover for our clients. More importantly however, is the emphasis which we place on client service and relationships. This is paramount to our success and we will not compromise this valuable and important aspect of our relationships with our clients. This is enforced by the fact that we do not run a call centre, but rather chose to deal directly and on one-on-one bases. In so doing, we strive to develop a personal yet professional relationship with our clients. All aspects of the TUFFSTUFF experience are handled by our offices: from quotes to implementation of policies through to the handling and settlement of claims. Finally, we offer a personalized and professional service with our staff being professionally qualified and compliant with the relevant FAIS and FICA legislative requirements.

International medical evacuation.

TUFFSTUFF has a dedicated medical evacuation and emergency help desk situated at the NETCARE 911 trauma centre. This is a 24/7 facility for any medical condition, with medical professionals on call to assist you wherever you may find yourself when travelling outside of South Africa south of the Equator. With a fleet of aircraft on stand-by, TUFFSTUFF and NETCARE 911 are always there to bring you home in the case of a medical emergency. Furthermore, you are guaranteed access to top class private hospitalisation and medical attention upon arrival back in South Africa. Complete peace of mind to you and your family.

TUFF ENOUGH?

2008-06-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

Tuff Enough?

SUVs these days are deceptively easy to drive. Join the queue outside any pleasure of reaching wonderfully scenic places that their sedan-bound private school on a weekday morning and count the number of soccer counterparts only read about in magazines. But it's tough in Africa. And moms driving SUVs. They're big. (The SUVs, not the moms.) They have dongas, land mines and flooding rivers are a real threat. Hell, we even have power steering, making them a delight to manoeuvre through traffic and, charging elephants and rhinos to worry about. And finding a mechanic with their extra height, the vantage point from the driver's seat makes rush versed in repairing those electronics, which keep your SUVs wheels from hour a pleasure … cocooning the driver into a sense of security, reinforced spinning, sliding or locking up after you've fallen into a massive pothole or by the sheer bulk of the vehicle. The reality is that the dynamics of driving a drowned your vehicle in a river during a flashflood, could be somewhat four-wheel drive SUV are vastly different from those of a normal sedan. challenging. Especially when the closest town is called Pietsonderwater-For starters, the centre of gravity is much higher in an SUV when segatsemoer and is 230 kilometres away – through the desert – and with compared to a road car and, even with electronic marvels like traction sunlight fading fast. control, ABS braking and whoknows what else, you are still 11% more That's where TUFFSTUFF insurance becomes essential for SUV likely to die in an SUV accident (according to a US study conducted in owners. Read through the following case studies (better yet, let your client 2004), than in an equivalent car accident. read them), and you'll see why the TUFFSTUFF product offering could just The problem is compounded here in Africa when the vehicle is taken turn you into your client's best friend. In fact, watch these pages for the off-road. ABS notwithstanding, your typical SUV is twice as heavy as a launch of an exciting competition, where you and your client could be typical car, and modern technology is still no match for the laws of physics. visiting some of Southern Africa's most spectacular destinations, courtesy Driving on dirt, over rocks and rough terrain might allow SUV drivers the of TUFFSTUFF. CASE STUDY 1Insured: du Preez Date of loss: 1 January 2007 Circumstances: Medical evacuation from Mozambique and quad bike damage.The insured was enjoying the last day of his holiday in Mozambique with his family and relatives. He and his brother were on their way back to camp on a quad bike when they accidentally drove into deep hole causing the quad to roll over. Both persons were flung from the quad. However, the quad bike rolled over the insured's brother, causing considerable injuries to him. As a TUFFSTUFF client, du Preez automatically has access to international medical evacuation for any life-threatening situation. He contacted the TUFFSTUFF medical evacuation desk at Netcare 911 for assistance. Medical evacuation procedures were immediately activated. Due to the approaching darkness and inclement weather, airborne medical evacuation by helicopter was not possible. Netcare 911 made alternative arrangements to have the injured party evacuated by road ambulance from Bilene in Mozambique, to Nelspruit in South Africa. He was admitted to theatre for medical attention at approximately 23h15 on the same day. Hospitalisation in Maputo was not an option. Despite the fact that the injured party did not have any medical aid at the time of the accident, TUFFSTUFF guaranteed his admission to, and medical assistance by, Netcare's private hospital in Nelspruit.The injured party has made a complete recovery.

MUSSO MINING IN MOREMI

2008-06-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Musso Mining in Moremi

By Raymond du Plessis August 2007

Some time back, while travelling through Moremi in Botswana, I came upon a scene which had me looking around for movie cameras. I was convinced we had stumbled upon a movie set, and that any minute crowds of extras and catering staff would appear out of the wilderness. No location scout in the world could have found a better spot to shoot the comedy of errors that was about to unfold. If you have ever been to this part of Botswana, you will know that three things are prevalent; baking heat, the Big Five and, sand …lots and lots of powdery sand.Act 1 It was mid afternoon. The blistering heat radiated off the bonnet in waves as the temperature edged close to 40 degrees, even though the worst of the midday heat was over. The air conditioner of our Pajero was keeping us relatively cool and the locked differentials driven by the low range gear selected, made light work of the heavy sand road. We were still hopeful that we would catch a glimpse of some of the many animals in this area despite the heat. It is difficult to spot wildlife while they seek shelter in shadows and stand motionless in an effort to conserve energy. Outside the only noise was that of loudly buzzing insects. As we took a bend in the track, spread out for about 150 metres, was the finest-textured sand I have ever experienced. In the middle, blocking our path, were two stationary vehicles. Now, anyone who has driven in sand knows that momentum is everything. Should you allow your wheels to stop turning, or worse, apply brakes, you are almost guaranteed to sink, as the earth sucks onto your 4X4. I was screwed. I had no option but to roll to a gentle halt. I was intrigued though. What wonder of nature could possible be unfolding that would have enticed these intrepid explorers to risk stopping on this track? I looked around and noted a clearing ahead, surrounded by beautiful flat-topped acacia trees. To our right was an open grass plain not much bigger than the size of two rugby fields. This was a perfect spot for a lion kill. Could that be the reason the vehicles had stopped? It did not take me long to realise that it was not the attractive scenery or wildlife that had halted their progress, but rather the powder-soft sand which had their vehicles firmly in its clutches. In true off-road spirit, I cheerfully gave up my air-conditioned comfort and, followed closely by my young son, wandered over to offer assistance. Act 2The first vehicle, a shiny new Land Rover Defender, was kitted out with every possible accessory: roof racks, Gerry cans, gas bottle, spade, hi-lift jack, jacking points, rear-mounted spot light. It even sported a top-of-the-range Minus 40 fridge. At first nothing seemed outwardly wrong. The Landy's driver was standing nonchalantly alongside his vehicle, his left foot resting on the front bumper, an ice- cold can of Castle Lager in his hand. His other hand was shoved deep into his khaki pants pocket. His head was covered in a trendy broad-brimmed leather hat which swung slowly towards me as he became aware of my presence. This guy was kitted out like the Camel Man; Caterpillar boots, khaki cargo pants, Zippo lighter and Leatherman Multitool, all holstered in their leather pouches and hanging from a webbing belt. His multi-pocketed safari shirt was open to the navel, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to the elbow. Every item of clothing was colour coded. I asked him if he needed assistance. Silently he looked away from me and toward the other vehicle. I noticed a length of steel cable forlornly attached to the Landy's winch. The broken cable told the full story of the failed recovery attempt. The winch cable had clearly snapped trying to drag the other vehicle, a new-looking Ssangyong Musso, through the sand. I wondered if the Camel Man realised how close he had come to having his skull – complete with designer hat – split open by the winch. I summed up the damage: the bonnet was badly dented; the windscreen smashed; and even a section of the Landy's aluminium roof was cut open like a sardine can. A snapped winch cable, overloaded with tons of pressure, will snap back like a teamster's whip – but the steel will cut through just about anything in its path. More than the damage to his vehicle, it was the damage to his ego that was responsible for the Camel Man's sudden interest in beer. I walked over to the second vehicle desperately trying to avoid smiling at what I saw. Act 3There were two deep dongas leading up to the stranded Musso. The poor Ssangyong driver was stripped down to his jeans. Perspiration was all the powder soft sand needed to gum itself completely to his body. He looked like a crumbed and coated piece of KFC chicken waiting for the deep fryers.It was he, who was responsible for digging those deep dongas leading up to his Musso. In his attempt to find something for his wheels to grip, he was burying the vehicle deeper and deeper in the Moremi sand. Occasionally he would look back at the Camel Man, still sipping on his beer, and mutter something under his breath.By this time, my daughter had become bored and had clambered onto the Pajero's roof with my binoculars to "look for the pretty animals". She pointed to a lady who was sitting under a tree some distance away who, it turned out, was the Musso driver's wife. My wife walked over and convinced her to wait somewhere closer and safer. This was lion country, after all. I dispatched my son to fetch my recovery airbag. When my boy came back carrying the inflatable bag, I could almost see the hope drain from Musso Man's eyes as he mentally calculated his chances of survival if he attempted the long walk to fetch help. You could hardly blame him; Camel Man had nearly completely destroyed his own vehicle and now a stranger was coming to his rescue with a child's vinyl jumping castle. This was not what they said off-road adventure would be like in the Ssangyong brochure. Camel Man's interest was piqued. He came sauntering over and even managed a sneer but offered no assistance as my son unfolded the bag. My son ignored him and placed the bag under the Musso while I attached the inflation hose to the exhaust. I asked Musso Man to start his vehicle and within seconds the stranded 4X4 was lifted high enough off the ground for us to start filling in the hole created by hours of digging. That was when my son spotted something we had all missed. Tugging at my sleeve, he pointed to the Musso's tyres. “Err, what tyre pressure you using there?” I asked, already knowing the answer. “About 3 Bar, why?” My son and I exchanged glances, and walked around the vehicle systematical deflating the tyres to 1 Bar, checking with my tyre pressure gauge “That ought to do it.” I said. Musso Man looked pleadingly at us as we packed away our recovery gear and made ready to leave. “Oh all right.” I said to him, and got out to attach a snatch strap. Just before we moved off, Camel Man appeared at my window, speaking for the first time. “So tells for me, where can I buys for me one of those bag fings?” I punched HOME on the GPS and we headed back to our camp.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS RAYMOND? MARCH '08

2008-06-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

The ‘Where in the world is Raymond?’ competition kicked off at the end of January in a top-class setting just outside Joburg. Those who attended the launch party were treated to great food and merriment all afternoon, not to mention fantastic prizes. A tableful of gift-wrapped goods such as Leathermans, GPS systems and tequila was given away to winners of the lucky draw. Two of these packages represented a one-in-a-lifetime trip away with Raymond himself! The following winners enjoyed their prize in a mystery location from the 28th February to 1st March: • Ansie du Plessis of Bestsure • Aris Basmadjian of Multi Risk. We’ll soon hear back from Raymond where and how their journey went. R30 000 in prizes is still up for grabs! Two more people stand the chance of winning a Garmin Nuvi 710 satellite navigation system, and two additional winners will be invited to join Raymond at Sodwana for a week. Here they will complete an open-water dive course in the warm blue ocean. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? But can you guess where in the world Raymond is? WHERE in the world is RAYMOND? Raymond du Plessis doesn’t just sell off-road insurance, he lives the experience. Over the years, Raymond has traversed half a million kilometres of off-road terrain. So when something goes wrong with your 4x4 in the middle of nowhere, you know your client can rely Raymond’s Tuffstuff offering. You want to talk to somebody who’s been there and done that, and Raymond’s definitely got the t-shirt. After registering on www.tuffstuff.co.za you are eligible to enter the ‘Where in the world is Raymond’ competition. Winning is easy, if you can accurately pinpoint where Raymond is each month, using the clues provided, you stand to win a host of prizes including 4x4 trails, overland trips, and the grand prize of a 5-day safari through Botswana. This month’s coordinates S 26° 05.309’ E 028° 14.285’

FORDS DON’T FLOAT!!!

2008-06-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

FORDS DON’T FLOAT!!!

Magical sunrises at 4 in the morning over palm-fringed beaches with sand so clean that it squeaks when you walk over it. Warm, azure-coloured Indian Ocean water so clear you can see the fish swimming in the waves as they rush to break on the shore. Anticipation builds as you wait for the day to unfold…. Jet-skiing, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, power kiting or maybe just soaking up the sun. And later in the evening, around the beach bar, you may just convince yourself to participate in the seafood buffet with crayfish so huge you would think that they are ‘made in China’. Who cares what you do anyway. You are in Mozambique! Sounds almost too good to be true. In some way, I will not blame you if you think this is some cigarette advertisement about lifestyle. This is reality and you don’t even have to fly to some exotic far flung island. Many of these holiday destinations on the Mozambique coast are closer than the Natal south coat, without the congestion of the annual Groot Trek to the sea from GT. But even in paradise you will always find a story worth telling. On one such lazy morning, after spending some time zigzagging through the waves on the jet-ski, I lay in the shade of a beach umbrella indulging in freshly-roasted cashew nuts bought on the beach from the locals and ice cold Laurentina Beer (hey, the sun rose at 4am remember?), watching the beach come to life as holidaymakers slowly meandered down from their reed chalets. Mozambique is a big fishing destination and some serious SA fishermen frequent its coast. It was one such boykie that succeeded in providing the day’s entertainment. Let’s call him Koos. Koos arrived on the beach with much fanfare. His new toys were big – very beeg – and everyone had to take note of his arrival. His massive double cab 4.2 litre diesel Ford F250 was colour coded in white and green to match his nine-metre ski boat and trailer which were equipped with all the bells and whistles needed (or not) to catch fish. You do the math: this rig easily exceeded R1.4mil. I suppose Koos had the right to announce his arrival in the manner which he did; after all, he was a Springbok Hengelaar and his accolades were clearly etched in green and gold on the side of his prized boat. Hitching the boat’s trailer to the front of his monster truck, Koos proceeded to push the trailer into the ocean to float his boat to head off for the day’s fishing. This was, however, done with a little too much gusto and within a flash, Koos had buried the front of his F250 in the soft sand, the waves breaking over his truck’s bonnet. A little further and Koos would have been halfway to Madagascar. The gears slammed into reverse and huge clouds of black diesel smoke billowed from the twin exhausts as Koos floored the powerful engine to extricate himself and his new toy from the passionate embrace of the Indian Ocean. It is said that too much power corrupts. Koos proved this perfectly as his F250’s wheels spun violently and, almost instantly, the wheels dug into the soft wet sand with the surf mercilessly pounding the Ford. While all this was happening, Koos had successfully managed to float his boat with no-one aboard and it was lazily drifting off and out of reach.In a very short space of time, the relaxed atmosphere on the beach erupted into a scramble by all and sundry to assist Koos. Anything with four wheels that resembled a 4x4 converged on the stricken Koos to pull him to safety. People were swimming out to the boat only to discover when they got there that you cannot get into such a big boat from the water without assistance. The masses of instant salvage operators swarming around the F250 discovered that no-one had any form of decent snatch straps to attach to the F250 and made a feeble attempt at a recovery with a Nylon ski rope. Needless to say, this rope snapped without making any impression on the sunken four-ton truck. As fast as the attempted recovery started, it came to its end while Koos was sitting, frozen in disbelief, in the cab of his truck. So, with people helplessly floating around the boat and the hapless salvagers on the beech around the F250, the stage was set for some serious high drama.As if on cue, two guys on a Wave Runner came flying in across the surf from the North toward the drifting boat. The passenger boarded, started up the twin 200hp outboard motors and without much ado, proceeded to hit the accelerators and point the bow at the beach. Koos was up to his chest in water in the F250’s cab, and for a brief moment tried to shout at the jet-skier to switch off the outboard motors before beaching his new boat. His cries were drowned as the next wave smashed over the windscreen of the F250. While this was all happening, an old Mozambican who had probably seen this fiasco happen many a time in his life, slowly came across the beach on a thing that must have been a tractor some time many years ago and now only consisted of a chassis, 4 wheels, a huge diesel engine, a homemade seat and steering wheel. With all the high-tech 4x4 owners silently watching, this old man casually attached a huge rusted chain to the F250’s rear axle and slowly walked back to his tractor. Like some unknown sea monster, the F250 and the boat trailer slowly emerged from the sea. The old man on the tractor, in his own subtle way, without any words, made a loud and clear statement…. Eish, Fords don’t float!

LOCKED UP LANDY!!!

2008-06-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

Locked Up Landy

By Raymond du Plessis

Back in the time that existed before untrained politicians appointed themselves authorities on all things ecological, and decided that the impact vehicles had on our beaches was a bigger issue than the impact hijackers were having on our streets, TuffStuff sponsored a beach drive from St Lucia to Kosi Bay. Now look, I'm not naïve: of course, there are some subspecies of the human race who have no regard for any ecosystem, fellow humans or even themselves. I am of the opinion, however, that this class of 4x4 owners is probably still driving on our beaches in defiance of the law. The same law that banned vehicles from beaches has also robbed many nature lovers of spectacular sections of our wonderful country. With correct policing, training and management, beach driving is not only sustainable and viable for all to enjoy, but would provide a positive spin-off for nature conservation to boot. Ok, now I've had my go at the establishment, let me get on with this month's story… The sponsored beach drive was co-ordinated in conjunction with a radio station which featured an off-road driving segment showcasing off-road destinations. There were thirty 4x4 owners (and their families) who participated in this marvellous three day trek along the beach, and much fun was had by all – particularly at the camp sites after each day's activities. As usual, whenever a group of people get together there will always be one character that provides the rest with a constant source of entertainment. This dynamic held true with this group of nature lovers too. This is George's story. George happened to be in a senior position at the radio station. He was also the only one of the group who did not actually own a 4x4 and had no off-roading experience. This, however, did not deter him and he was determined to accompany us on the TuffStuff beach drive adventure. George successfully convinced a local Land Rover dealership (who advertised extensively on his radio station) to loan him a new Freelander for the trip. George and his wife invited a friend to join them, and in due course they set off to rendezvous with the other 4x4 enthusiasts at St Lucia. Everyone was keen to start the beach driving adventure the next day. Now, George and his friend are big guys, and the Freelander was filled to capacity with human cargo and loads of (largely unnecessary) luggage. Readers will appreciate that beach driving is, by necessity, planned around the ebb and flow of the tides. It would not be the highlight of your off-roading holiday to be caught on a beach with an incoming tide and no way past the pounding surf. In just a few minutes, a single change of tide can quickly destroy a stranded vehicle. With this in mind, the radio station contracted an experienced fundi to shepherd the intrepid trekkers along the coast. It became evident that our fundi had a vast knowledge of the sea and the beaches around South Africa, and he shared some amazing facts with us.After being entertained at the camp site by Messrs Johnny Walker and Jack Daniel's the previous evening, we all set off early in the morning under the competent guidance of our expert; Fundi. The first day presented a host of opportunities to have fun. Power kiting, dune boarding, swimming, fishing, snorkelling, and tanning were all the order of the day. That night, the entertainment around the camp fire was again headed up by Johnny Walker and co., under whose guidance much mirth and merriment was enjoyed. The second day saw us heading further down the beach. The whole group was much more relaxed, which resulted in Fundi having his hands full trying to keep our convoy from spreading out, we arrived at our next stopover (and off the beach) ahead of the incoming tide. It was bound to happen. George, our Freelander-driving friend burst(literally) onto the scene. Having heard that one should deflate one's tyres for soft sand driving, George did just that. His lack of experience showed in the way he virtually emptied his tyres of air. The almost complete lack of air, coupled with the excessive load this small off road vehicle was carrying, caused the first problem. The right front tyre tore badly when George drove over a rock just under the surface of the sand. This puncture caused the whole convoy to come to a halt, and Fundi quickly busied himself helping with the wheel change. The rest of us relaxed, watching them work. It did not take Fundi long to discover that the damaged wheel was fitted with a special lock nut, designed to protect the expensive rims and tyres from being stolen. The Land Rover dealer had omitted to hand over the special lug required to remove the locking nut when George collected the vehicle. Much debate broke out amongst our band of adventurers as to how this predicament could be resolved. Fundi, ignoring our advice, disappeared into the depths of his toolkit, only to reappear a few minutes later brandishing a dangerous looking four-pound hammer, complete with chisel.Our conversation died instantly as, without a word, and with a single strike of the chisel, he smashed the lock nut off the wheel. George stopped breathing. The dealer had made him swear upon his life that he would take good care of the brand new Land Rover. George's eyes resembled those of a female Pekinese being chased by a horny Rottweiler. With all the finesse of a Formula One race engineer, Fundi removed the offending wheel from the Freelander. I could almost see the cogs in George's mind turning as he tried to figure out how he was going to explain the damage to the Land Rover dealer. Next, Fundi removed the spare wheel cover, and discovered another lock nut. He was starting to enjoy this. With a just a hint of a smirk creeping across his face, he reached for the hammer and chisel but big 4x4 George had had enough. With astonishing speed for a man of his girth, George grabbed the hammer and took off down the beach. It didn't take Fundi long to catch up with him, and we watched the very one-sided negotiation taking place between Fundi and George. Fundi might know a lot but he was losing his patience. Thankfully, sanity prevailed. It didn't take long for the second lock nut to go the way of the first. George was in a state. The situation was side splittingly funny to everyone but him. It did not take long for the trek to be on its way again. Unfortunately, neither did it take long for poor George to provide us with our next bout of entertainment. George had travelled barely 200 metres from the site of his previous mishap when he managed to get the Landy successfully bogged down in deep sand. He sat absolutely rigid in his seat as he fearfully watched Fundi approach in his rearview mirror. Fundi stomped up the beach and making sure that toward the Landy with a kinetic snatch-strap slung over his shoulder. Fundi would have made an excellent sergeant-major. He barked orders at George and his passengers, ordering them from the stranded Freelander. George was beaten. We could see it in the way he hurriedly extricated his bulk from the vehicle. “Not you George!” Fundi bellowed. George immediately clambered back into the Landy and obediently awaited further instructions from Fundi. With the tide coming in quickly and many kilometres still to cover, Fundi hurriedly attached the snatch-strap between the Landy and his vehicle. He plucked the stranded Freelander from the sand, using all the torque his massive 4.5 litre turbo diesel could muster. George continued to stare fixedly ahead as Fundi charged up the beach with the bouncing Landy in tow. We all felt Fundi had used a little more force than was strictly necessary. George, Fundi and the little Landy continued to provide us with yet more entertainment the next day. But that's a story best left for another time. Damn, it's a pity our beaches remain closed to vehicles – I miss those days.

MEAT PIES, MOERKOFFIE AND MAFIOSI

2008-06-28T16:06:00.000-07:00

Meat pies, Moerkoffie and Mafiosi:

The Transgariep, unspoiled, sparsely populated and still very much unpolluted, is a vast expanse of semi-desert wilderness, situated in the southern tip of the Free State. Here you can expect to find little more than sparse vegetation of coarse grass, stunted shrubs and karoobossies. Or so you may think. Jagersfontein, situated on the R706 and about 100 kilometres from Bloemfontein, is the home of the Blue White Diamond. Initially a small mining village, Jagersfontein was founded after the first diamond was discovered there in 1870, almost three years before diamonds were found in Kimberley. This makes Jagersfontein the oldest diamond mine in the world. But that’s not all. This mine is also the world’s largest hole made by human hands. More diamonds have been mined in Jagersfontein than in Kimberley, and diamond-mining continues there to this day. The mine has seen more than 9 625 000 carats of diamonds, most of them jewel quality. In fact, 10 of the world’s biggest diamonds were found in Jagersfontein. In 1893, the Excelsior diamond of exceptional clarity and quality was unearthed, weighing in at 972 carats. Its current estimated value is R1.2 billion. Two years later, another diamond of 640 carats was found, known as the Jubilee. Around the world, diamonds from this mine are fondly referred to as ‘Jagger diamonds’. On one chilly spring morning last year, I was passing through Jagersfontein and discovered a coffee shop owned and managed by two previous inhabitants of Gauteng. After ordering a cup of strong moerkoffie, Tant Tienie successfully convinced me to try one of her famous pepper steak pies, despite distinct dislike for this type of culinary delight. And it was only 08h10. Many of you will agree that pies have a tendency to cause havoc with the digestive system. I believe pies were invented by whoever manufactures Enos, with the express purpose of keeping their turnover intact and making shareholders happy. As with the majority of platteland folk, it was easy to start up a conversation with Tant Tienie a total stranger as if I had known her for years. Tant Tienie proved to be another jewel from this diamond mining community. Some time later, after copious amounts of moerkoffie and conversation, I bid farewell to her. Continuing to my next destination, I pondered about many of the facts that Tant Tienie had shared with me about Jagersfontein. My curiosity was piqued by many of her stories, and what really interested me was the fact that during their time, Elizabeth Taylor and Al Capone each owned one of the top-quality Blue White Jagger diamonds from this mine. But most intriguing of all, I didn’t need any Enos.

DAAI KAR HET SEWE F*KKEN BATTERYE!!!

2008-06-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

DAAI KAR HET SEWE F*KKEN BATTERYE!!!

During our first mission to search for desultory, forgotten and out-of-the-way places to take the series of photos for our 'Where in the World is Raymond' competition, we were surprised on day one at just how quickly nightfall came. The sinking sun caught us unawares and looking for food. We stopped outside a small bar with an adjoining restaurant, just off the main street in a little town in the middle of nowhere. We were enjoying our freshly caught crayfish dinner when we noticed one of the locals - already three sheets to the wind even at that early hour - inspecting the VW Tourag parked outside. Now the Tourag is a special car. The computer that drives all of its off-road electronic wizardry fills the entire space under the drivers seat. If you drive on-road it lowers itself to reduce its center of gravity. You can dial in extra height when going off-road. You can lock and unlock differentials and it has electronic descent control. And the lights switch off automatically to save battery life.The inebriated local weaved his way back inside the restaurant and headed towards our table: 'Meneer, julle ligte is aan,' he announced loudly, swaying gently as he struggled to keep his balance. Raymond, ever polite, thanked him, and we continued our conversation. A short while later, Raymond left our table, went back to the Tourag and returned with our maps.He was followed seconds later by the local who imbibed yet another brandy and coke: 'Julle ligte is nog aan, weet julle,' he managed to slur. This time he looked seriously like he was going to fall over, but managed to regain his balance with a quick forward slide of his left foot. Raymond thanked him again and the local staggered off into the bar.The fourth time the drunk interrupted our dinner, Raymond had had enough. 'Luister vriend,' he said. 'Daai kar is 'n baie speciale kar.' Raymond continued: 'Hy't sewe batterye en daar is nog vyf oor, so ons sal dit baie warder as jy nie were vir ons kom pla nie.' The drunk absorbed this bit of information with a bemused look on his face. 'Jislaaik Oom!'We just thought we had got rid of the nuisance when we heard him yell at the top of his voice to the rest of the restaurant, the bar and the people sitting outside on the balcony: 'Haai julle! Daai kar het sewe f*kken batterye!'We got into Raymond's Tourag (with the seven batteries) and found our way to our hotel for the night. Parking outside, we opened the tailgate and Raymond disconnected the portable refrigerator he had brought along for the trip. Or at least he thought he had. Morning found us up early, ready to continue our adventure only to find Raymond looking forlornly at the Tourag. 'You guys watched me disconnect the fridge!' he said. 'Uh, yes we did,' we said. 'Well, either that guy from last night came past and plugged the fridge back in, or karma is out to get me for making fun of him,' Raymond continued, 'Look.'We looked, and sure enough the fridge was plugged in, sucking what was left of the juice out of the battery. Small towns have great assets though - and that is their people. In no time, the hotel manageress had the local mechanic out of bed and on his way to help us, jumper cables in hand.If you would like to join Raymond on one of his adventure trips, simply register as a Tuffstuff broker (details on the site) and you could be in line to win a trip of a lifetime. The competition is open to all Tuffstuff registered brokers, and if you have sold a Tuffstuff 4x4 product in the previous month, your name will also be put into the draw for Raymonds fabulous Delta trip at the end of the first round of the 'Where in the World is Raymond' competitions.(And, no Cyril, the Tourag dosent have seven batteries - ten cylinders maybe, but only one battery.)