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Another Troopy!

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garystockton
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Joined: 17 Apr 2005
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Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

PostPosted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 8:34    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent!!  Will give you a ring and get together!
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 8:34    Post subject: Google Ads keep this community free to join!


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garystockton
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Joined: 17 Apr 2005
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Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

PostPosted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:30    Post subject: Reply with quote

make sure you have warm clothes!  It's started to snow again and is going to be damn cold after the 37 degrees you're used to. You can get me on 079 one zero zero tree 5 six to for  Wink
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gilghana
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Joined: 12 Jun 2008
Posts: 265
Location: It varies at the moment!

PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 13:13    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well yet again we are guilty of doing sod all interneting as we have been spending time in super places with no access!  
A brief summary so far:

After shipping our HZJ78 from Ghana to Walvis Bay in Namibia we spent 3 months touring Namibia, 1 Month Botswana, 1 Month Zambia, back into Botswana for a week and then down into South Africa for almost three months with a break over the New Year to visit family in Germany and Scotland (where I sadly couldn't see Mr. Gary Stockton due to flu on our side).  In South Africa since we got back we covered a huge swathe of the country as well as Swaziland and two weeks in Lesotho - which I have to say is a sort of 4x4 paradise!.

We then headed back into Botswana as there were certain things we wanted to see.  We are currently in Maun and waiting on a major service being done on the car.  

Now this trip has not been about just travelling to get to a destination or cover as many countries as possible.  This is part of the reason we didn't drive down.  We wanted to spend time in places, try to get to know them and not have any deadlines.  This is why we are back in Botswana - the call of the Kgalagadi/Mabuasehube and Central Kalahari was too much.  A big part of this trip has been travelling into real wilderness areas and certain reserved areas - often in Southern Africa the two go hand in hand...

Our big problem now is that time is running out!  Luckily we have spent less than I expected and we can continue doing this for a bit yet.  We also want to speak to people and see about working in Southern Africa.  I have had enough of West Africa, but not Africa!  After 15 years living here it is more home than UK for sure.  We are kicking over ideas about
- extending carnet and leaving car here while we buy a cheap run about to see Europe over the Summer
- shipping troopy to EU
But this is all in the future...  Meantime here are some pictures for you all.  Please note -Gary- the seednet and 12v hoover...  Yup the Kalahari was seeding like a cornfield!

The Karoo National Park (South Africa).  4x4 trail that was for locked vehicles only...  ended up costing us a U-bolt!  Sitting in a local blacksmiths to get a replacement made up in 43 degrees was interesting!


The Baviaanskloof was another superb area in SA:


At one of the farms we camped in the guy had two HZJ75 p/ups as well as this (toyota 1.8 Diesel powered!) lawnmower that he made...  Unbelievable!


We ended up spending days in the Drakensburg mountains - hiking and enjoying stunning scenery.  This is at Injusuthi which was also conveniently close to where friends farm.


But our favourite place in the Drakensburg was at Cobham NR.  The awning we had made by friends in Cape Town to our design.  The sides zip off and in general this has been so useful everywhere from SA to the Central Kalahari:


Sehlabethebe NP in Lesotho:


The highest pass in Southern Africa (Lesotho) just after the Sani Pass:


Check the height reading on the GPS:


Waterfall at Semonkong (also Lesotho):


The Semonkong Lodge owner has this rather cool 70 series pickup conversion:


This also had me chuckling in Lesotho:


And one for Gary:

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gilghana
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Joined: 12 Jun 2008
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Location: It varies at the moment!

PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 14:08    Post subject: Reply with quote

The famous Sani Pass!  We ascended in patchy rain and actually had to pull a Mazda BT50 who was pulling a camper trailer.  I don't really know why he was struggling so much.  There was a Freelander in front of us who was doing okay - although his tow bar was taking a real beating.




After Lesotho we zoomed through the Free State to get back to Botswana.  After a couple of days in Gabarone - yes, "Speedy Motors" exists!  We didn't see Mma Ramotswe though.  We did meet the most stupid service manager at Toyota Gabarone.  The conversation went like this:

Me: "Hello Sir, I would like to have a fairly major service done on my vehicle"
Him: "Yes, what kind is it"
Me: "an HZJ78, we are travelling around Southern Africa and originally shipped it down from Ghana"
Him: "I don't know that, is it an import"
Me: "well, yes I suppose technically it is as we didnt buy it here"
Him: "Where is it made"
Me: "errr....  Japan"
Him: "nah we don't touch imports"
Me: "look, I know you have lots of Grey imports here, but honestly this vehicle is a HZJ79 with a different body.  Same everything else!"
Him: "No, we don't touch imports"
Me: "Okay, I get it done in Maun"

Mr. J E B Mokolothane he certainly wasn't!
Here is the proof:


After that we headed for Mabuasehube (which is the Botswana side of the Bots/ZA transfrontier park in the Kalahari).  Here is the "empty miles of bloody Africa" that people talk about on the cut line road to get there:


Lion spoor in our campsite:

We actually had to beat an early retreat to the tent one night as he was roaring about 50m away!  How cool.  Well, Julia was not quite so impressed!

Our Kalahari Kitchen.  Do you like the Ikea stuff; "smorgasfjord" light and "Benji and Bjorn" camp stools?  


On to the central Kalahari Game Reserve now.  This place is the world's 2nd largest reserved area and has a fascinating history being originally set aside for the San to hunt and live in.  Nowadays the San are being squeezed out by the Government and it is all a bit contraversial.  We chose to go from the South to the North on a very less used route passing some of their communities.  After some pretty depressing encounters before, these guys were sharp!!!  One of these boys immediately identified our car as coming from Ghana from the plates - a better record than most adults we have met.  So many people think Germany - WTF???
Anyway next morning we were up at dawn serving them home made rusks and being very entertained.


The Kalahari with big thunderstorms brewing ahead:


Pre-dawn in the Bush:


We had some great Lion encounters, but this guy was the closest (that we saw anyway!):



We are now off to Savuti as we have heard that the game is "pumping" as one Professional Guide put it!  We got the last camp spots available yesterday and the car will hopefully be ready - if my friends at Maun Toyota come right.  The road up there is also apparently a bit "interesting".  Will let you know how we get on, but our ARB rear locker chose a bad time to go phut.... Confused

'Til then I leave you with this rather amazing Karoo couple (which BTW are so big they couldn't do this under the privacy of our Troopy):


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Jimbo4x4
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Joined: 27 Apr 2009
Posts: 447
Location: Wherever my wheels have taken me today

PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 22:48    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fantastic pictures and a brilliant writeup - one day I keep telling myself, one day.

Real Jealous Cool
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downhilldude
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Joined: 21 Mar 2010
Posts: 83
Location: *:

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 16:36    Post subject: Reply with quote

gilghana wrote:
I am sure people are tired of pictures of switches, valves and things like that, so here are some West African trip pictures to break it up and whet appetites!  And it does say pictures "in action".  Okay my Defender is not a LC, but I did paint it a Toyota colour...



Looking good!
........



Then in true Landrover fashion ^^^ says it all to be honest.

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gilghana
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Joined: 12 Jun 2008
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Location: It varies at the moment!

PostPosted: Fri May 14, 2010 15:39    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Jim!  
Well Savuti was pretty amazing - not for the game as such but the Savuti Channel has started flowing after something like 27 years being dry.  This has a huge impact on the whole ecosystem and it was incredible to see the change.  We also had some fun playing in the marshes.  From there we continued to Chobe river front and were again amazed - the river was several kilometres wide.  The general game was probably the best we have seen anywhere, and the views were incredible!

Chobe river


Chobe river again


Then up to northern Zambia - there was one area in particular that we wanted to see.  The Bengwelu wetlands are very remote and consequently are one of the last places in the world where the unique bird the "Shoebill" can still be found.  But to get there was a bit of a mission.  We had to abandon plans to get there and camp on the flood plains at night after miles and miles of tracks which never see vehicles - through elephant grass higher than the car:


The next day we were lucky we camped where we did as about 500m from where we were the swamps started in earnest.  A case of rolling up the windows and praying!  We reached the last point where you have to proceed by canoe and found we were the first private car to reach there in 2010...  

We saw a total of 3 Shoebills and slept the night on "Shoebill" island before returning to the car the next day.  We met the project manager there (with his rather nice HZJ76) who is implementing African Parks 20 year management contract as the Zambian authorities have limited resources to really manage this unique asset.  He then sets off across the march accompanied by a photojournalist who is documenting the area and the birds.  Sure enough he gets bogged so we set off to try to help:


The soil is basically soft mud (like black cotton soil) with water ranging from a few inches to knee deep on top.  There is nothing around - just more of the same!  Sure enough we then also get bogged.  Only by hiring a posse of locals and pushing like hell can we eventually get enough momentum to get to firmer ground - after tyre deflating and lots of digging!


The next day I set about washing seat covers, towing strap, sandals, hat, front of the car etc etc.  Those damned Shoebills - no wonder no one sees them!

Great fun!  We are now in Kafue where we are seeing more mud and replacing rear shock bushings - all the weight as rendered them non-existent.  I leave you for now with some Park rules in Botswana - they really tell it like it is!



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Nica78
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Joined: 09 Feb 2011
Posts: 1
Location: Managua, Nicaragua

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 18:49    Post subject: Tire info Reply with quote

Great blog!!! I really appreciate all of your info on the 78. I just bought a 2010 78 and I am in the process of reworking the stock suspension and I am torn between 33 inch tires and the really cool 35's... Very Happy  Just wondering what is the difference in fuel consumption between the two since you have tried both. Did you change the differential's to accommodate the upgrade? Any loss of power?

Thanks!
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baja9007
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Joined: 05 Oct 2011
Posts: 22
Location: Pakistan

PostPosted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 7:17    Post subject: Reply with quote

the write up,pictures,country side,and specially your troopy stunning man i am impressed Wink  Wink .....no words to describe it!!keep them coming Shocked  Shocked
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baja9007
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Joined: 05 Oct 2011
Posts: 22
Location: Pakistan

PostPosted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 7:19    Post subject: Reply with quote

i am going through your thread again and again and the mods you have on your troopy is awesome.......wish i had 1 like urs!!
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