76 |May2019go! Drive&Camp
READER STORY
A
groupof Goldfieldfriends
startedtoying with the idea of
exploringBotswana with their
caravans.This gotthegroup –
Pieter and Annettevander Merwe,Jurie
and Adriana Blom, Sarel and EsterGriesel
(all from Riebeeckstad)andCallie and
SantadeJager from Hennenman–excited,
but because most of themaren’t seasoned
travellerstoour neighbouring countries,
theywere reluctant to embarkon this
particular tour.
Jurie,however,hadalreadyundertaken
suchajourneyand offeredtoset upan
“easier” tourofBotswana thattheycould
handle withroadcaravans.
Thefriendsdecidedtogoahead–and
theirexcitementspilledover to Montagu
in theWestern CapewhereJurie’ssister
Maretha deWetandherhusband,
Francois, decided tojoin them.
Jurie and Adriana towaSprite Swing
withaNissanNavara;Pieter and Annette
also camp withaSwing,whichtheytow
withaRanger; Sareland Esther have
aGypseyRaven hitchedto theirChevrolet
Trailblazer;andFrancoisand Marethatow
aSpriteTourer with theirToyota Hilux.Thetwofrom Hennenman hadtheonly
off-road caravan in thegroup:behindtheir
Hiluxthere’saConquerorCompanion.
InJune lastyear,theDeWets came
to Riebeeckstad fromwhere thegroup
departedontheirBotswana adventure.
Jurie arrangeditsothattheywould travel
mainly on tarroads.Theexceptionswere
here andtherewhere theyhad to get to
theircampsite onadirtroad or twin track.
However,itwas nevertoomuchforthe
road caravans.
From the NorthernFree State, theconvoy
headed to Limpopowhere theyspentone