Contents:
* Tours Updates
* Ben 10 Official
* Pat McAfee Show
* Wedding Bells
* Featured Pass
Listen to an AI-generated discusion of this week's newsletter:
TOURS UPDATES
Most of the tours are fully booked for the first half of 2026, but we still have a few places left for the Katberg Tour (15 - 20 Feb) and the Great Karoo Tour (20 - 27 June). Bookings for the ever popular Swartberg Tour (24-30 July) will open within the next week.
AMATHOLE-KATBERG TOUR.
BEN 10 OFFICIAL
I've said these words before. "Our best Ben 10 Ever" and yet thinking back on all the other Ben 10 tours, each one had it's own allure and amazing moments. This one, our 11th version was as close to perfection as what we could expect. Our group lost two tyres to sidewall cuts and we performed only one recovery. We dodged rotor storms and weather systems; rearranged routes to suit the prevailing weather; adapted our time schedules and somehow managed to complete the challenge successfully.
But let's start right at the beginning with some pilot induced error. About a year ago I made the decision to switch Thirsty Kirsty's headlights from the yellowish lights it originally came out with, to more modern LED globes. They cost at least double the price of the old ones, but here's the rub. They have given me ongoing problems, with the fittings rattling loose, LED's fusing and so on. The suppliers have replaced each set under warranty (to their credit). The LED's are made in Europe, so these are top end lights, designed to last. Let me also point out that the original globes had been in the vehicle since 2003 till 2025 (23 years) operating continuously without ever having to replace the globes.Everything keeps going right....
That little preamble brings me to the next part of the story. On the drive up to the Ben 10, we stopped in Robertson for breakfast and I noticed that the RF headlight was dead. On closer inspection, peering between batteries, radiators and pipes, I found that the LED globe was lying on a metal plate under the leisure battery and had detatched itself from its connector. So I made the mistake of trying to retrieve it and refit it. The only way was to uncouple the leisure battery, remove it, retrieve the globe, refit it and put it all back together.
I'm below average in the auto electrical department skillset and I really should have known better than to fiddle with these things pre-tour. I struggled for 20 minutes trying to get the globe and housing refitted, but failed miserably, so called on my Plan D (for desperado) which was to duct tape it in place. Thus done, I tested the globe and it worked. Mission accomplished, or so I thought. (By the way the duct tape held the light in place throughout the Ben 10 and all the way back to CT)
Robertson, Western Cape / Photo: By A3alb - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35201814
I put everything back in the reverse order (or so I thought) and we set off for our overnight destination in Graaff-Reinet. Just outside Roberston I noticed the alternator light was on and the voltmeter was registering only 12 volts versus the usual 14 volts. I knew I had done something wrong, so I pulled off and peered diligently into the engine bay to try and figure out what was wrong. I uncoupled everything and put it all back together again. Still the same problem. It was a Sunday and absolutely no mechanical workshops were open for emergency repairs.
We weighed up our options. Drive home and rather take the Jimny, but therein lay a multitude of "not a good idea" objections. I remembered a client from one of our tours that lived in Robertson - An Engishman, Tony Swash, who had settled well amongst the Afrikaans community. I got hold of Tony and asked for help. Phone calls went back and forth and eventually Tony sent me the number of a young Afrikaans chap, who said he was willing to have a look at the problem for me. (Thanks Tony, we owe you!)
Ryno Hammond was waiting when we arrived at his home in Robertson and isolated the problem within a minute. The main in-line 60 amp fuse had blown. (I must have have inadvertantly earthed a positive whilst removing the spare battery). Time was ticking by and we were rapidly headed for lunch time. Ryno phoned around but no-one had access to that type of fuse on a Sunday.
"Not to worry", he said and ambled into his backyard, where an old Bantam bakkie was on trestles. "I'll just butcher the fuse from it. It should work"
The butchered part was transplanted, taped up and we had alternator power again. What a relief.
"The cost?" I asked.
"Ag nee wat oom. Dis lekker om mense te help" he replied with a wide grin. I told him I would reward him with a life time memebrship to MPSA, which was done by the next day and a very polite Whats App: "Baie, baie dankie oom"
Land Cruiser 105 engine bay showing the straight 6 indestructible petrol engine after a week splashing around in the mud on the Ben 10. Off to be steam cleaned tomorrow.
Thirsty Kirsty had some time to make up. We left Robertson at 12.50 and arrived in Graaff-Reinet at 17.43 having consumed considerable quantities of fuel battling strong cross-winds all the way.
It was hot in GR. We booked in at new place (nothing like a bit of variety) called The Cottage. It's in a small cul de sac about a block north of the church. It's an old Karoo cottage that has been restored. The online booking process was slick and operated by a company called Toerboer. We received opening and key instructions via Whats App and everything worked well. The cost - around R800 for the two of us. We used to support the Drostdy Hotel, but noticed that post Covid, their prices had more than doubled, as had the volume of tour buses.
And that brings us to the Drostdy again. On a Sunday night there is not much open in Graaff-Reinet, so we had taken the precaution of booking a table for dinner at the Camdeboo Restaurant, which is part of the Drostdy Hotel. We received an email confirmation as well as a Whats App confirmation. This had been done 10 days in advance. We arrived at the restaurant 5 minutes before our arranged time of 19.00. Our name was on the list. It's easy to see my name, Trygve Roberts, at a glance. It's always the only one - a bonus for having an unusual name.
There was that indefinable moment when you just know that the restaurant has bungled things up. The maitre 'd smiled nervously and said he had a "slight problem" with the seating and offered us a table in the 'cellar'. I went and had a look. It was a high ceilinged room, of which half was enclosed with glass panels from floor to ceiling, with a solitary table for two squeezed into the limited floorspace. Like a fish tank for people passing between the toilets, bar and restaurant to deliver a not so subtle Saartjie Baartman glance.
Drostdy Hotel & Camdeboo Restaurant / Photo: Trip Advisor
I declined the table in the cellar and insisted that we be seated in the main restaurant. We were then ushered into the bar where a replay of the Boks Italy game calmed me down. We were offered free champagne as a "troosprys", but apparently whisky wasn't part of the deliberations. We waited and waited. Italy came and went. Another game was being played. Forty two minutes later they came to fetch us after someone else had finished dinner early.
We got a nice table and after being seated the floor manager came to apologise once more. She told us our wine would be on the house. At that stage I had simmered down sufficiently to enjoy the meal, which was good, as was the service. We declined dessert and asked for the bill. It had been a long day.
My (ever sharp) wife spotted that the wine had in fact, been charged for. I sighed, called the manager over and asked why the wine had been charged for, after she had clearly stated it would be free.
"No, you heard me wrong" she said. "It was the dessert which was meant to be free" (Sneaky move on her part, considering we had already declined dessert)
I'm a little hard of hearing, but my wife has superb hearing. I decided to just leave it there and tell the story later.
The next day was bright and sunny as we set off for Elliot via Middelburg, Steynsburg, Molteno, Dordrecht and Indwe. The degradation of that string of towns is heartbreaking. As one drives through, the poverty, unemployment and a shitty, uncaring government displays itself in the form of litter. The worst of the towns was Steynsburg. In one word - it is trashed. (Pun intended).
Dutch Reformed Church, Molteno / Photo: Wikepedia
Approaching from the west one first drives past the township. As far as the eye can see the once pristine hills are smothered in litter on both sides of the road. Unless that problem is resolved, no business in their right mind, will set up shop there. The best of the bunch was Molteno, which to some extent has the benefit of playing host to the Ouma Rusks factory. We heard a story that the factory owners told the local town council that they would move their factory elsewhere, if certain basic services weren't sorted out. It seems they did listen, as the rusks are still being made there - a household South African product famous with expats worldwide.
We arrived in Elliot (Khowa) with time to spare, refuelled and drove up the Barkly Pass admiring that citadel of glorious sandstone formations that looks different in every light.
Descending Barkly Pass / Photo: Trygve Roberts
We arrived at Mountain Shadows Hotel, which has new owners. The previous owners had sold it just weeks before our arrival and didn't bother to let us know. As is the case when any business is being sold, negative rumours will always abound. Well, we needn't have worried. What we got was a big improvement from the previous years' visit. Better food, new carpets, new soft furnishings, a much bigger staff compliment, much better service as well as a choir performance from the staff. In short, it was terriffic and our guests were all happy.
Once unpacked I noticed that the leisure battery on the Cruiser wasn't charging. I hauled our tech guest, the ever helpful Theo Hammond (no relation to Ryno Hammond) out of the pub with his multimeter, to have a look. Soon Martin Pullinger also had his head under the bonnet, as various technical discussions took place of which I got lost early on. Eventually when we were about to give up and call it a day, I noticed a short loose cable lying between the engine frame and headlight (yes, the one I had fixed) and figured it was just long enough to reach the negative terminal of the leisure battery. Oops. I must have forgotten to put it back two days earlier in Robertson. Once connected, everything worked perfectly. We did have a good laugh (at my expense).
Vehicles on this tour were:
Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR x 1
Toyota Land Cruiser 200 VX x 2
Toyota land Cruiser 105 GX x 1
Toyota land Cruiser 79 series x 1
Toyota Prado VX x 1
Toyota Fortuner x 2
Ford Raptor x 2
Ford Ranger Wildtrak x 1
Land Rover Defender 300 x 1
Land Rover Discovery 5 x 1
Drivers and passengers came from disparate places like Dubai, Germany, KZN, Jhb, Fish Hoek, Hermanus, Knysna, Benoni, Stellenbosch, East London, Pretoria, PE and Cape Town.
An interesting group which included an Emirates pilot, a renowned Stellenbosch winemaker, a tax lawyer, a nurseryman, a brace of engineers, financial wizards and mechanical experts. Seven of the twelve were repeat customers, which always makes my life easier, as the newcomers were made to feel comfortable amongst their peers.
The youngest couples were Bruwer Raats and Elfie Davie as well as Alfred and Sylvia Mairs from the UAE. The oldest driver was Clive Le Patrouel (83), who drove up from Knysna with his buddy, Barry, to enjoy his second MPSA tour.
The bar at MSH did a brisk trade that night as guests immediately broached the topic of Bastervoetpad and drowned their fears in a few dollops of the Cape's finest.
The warm welcoming pub at Mountain Shadows, the scene of our daily Chappies Awards.
It was a case of early to bed and rest well for the first day. The weather forecasts were looking a bit dodgy with plenty of rain in the offing, but most of it indicated light rain. Making the tour work is always a game of chess between us and the weather at this time of year.
Next newsletter: Day 1 to Jouberts Pass and back with a brand new Grabber AT3 sent to the tyre graveyard.
The Pat McAfee Show
We've been contacted to appear on this show on the 23rd December at 15.00. The show has a You Tube following of just under 3 million subscribers. We'll give you more details in two weeks time in the newsletter of December 18th.
WEDDING BELLS
Our tours are becoming well known as match-making tours. Two years ago a Belgian couple, Hendrik Vanganswewinkel and Annick Helsen arrived in South Africa as immigrants, ready to add value to our nation. On the final night of the 2025 Wild Coast Tour on a warm evening at Crawfords Beach Lodge, Hendrik (ever the gentleman) went on bended knee and asked for Annick's hand in marriage. It was quite a surprise moment which had eveyone in the group in a high emotional state. Tears of joy flowed.
Next weekend is the big day. I'm aware of several people from that tour who will be attending the grand occasion in Somerset West. Yours truly has been asked to perform the function of MC. I had better start digging up some clean jokes!
L-R Annick, Trygve, Hendrik at Umngazi River Bungalows / Photo: MPSA Archives
FEATURED PASS
This pass is located on the A5 route between Lekhalong and Ramabanta in Lesotho. It's 6.7 km long and displays and altitude variance of 343m, with a summit height of 2008m ASL. The average gradient is 1:20 with the steepest sections measuring in at 1:8. Most of this pass when traveling from north to south is downhill and descends through several villages, including Lekhalong, Nkesi and Ramabanta. The pass takes its name from the village of Nkesi.
Trygve Roberts / Author
"These mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb"
