Southern Africa 4×4 – Off-road Trips & Vehicle Mods

Day 1: Durban/Matubatuba to Ponta do Ouro

We left for Ponta do Ouro on Sunday around 11am with the Landrover Defender 110 (we left the Hilux in Durban) fully loaded with: camping gear, food, surf boards and diving gear. A very strong head wind did not help with fuel consumption, as we headed past Sodwana Bay up to Kosi Bay. IMPORTANT: There are no shops open on a Sunday in Kosi Bay. We had planned to do shopping at the Spar in Kosi Bay but it was closed. We where forced to pay exorbitant prices at the petrol station. We fill up the tank with diesel and the 20l Jerry can, dropped the tyre pressure in the BF Goodrich All Terrains to 1.5. At the border things went very quickly, R17 payment per person at the Mozambique side and R150 for the car 3rd party insurance.

Trip Map

Once through the border the roads disintegrate into sand tracks. A good 4×4 off-road vehicle is essential.

Take the sand track on the right if you want to go to Ponta do Ouro. It is about a 10km drive into Ponta do Ouro. Cellphone signal disappears soon after you head over down the Mozambican side of the dunes but you can buy a Vodacom Mozambique starter pack for about R50.

We drove through Ponta do Ouro in about 4 minutes though to the Tandje Beach Resort which is home to the biggest campsite in Ponta Do Ouro and found a site right on the beach. The water is amazingly clean and warm.

Day 2: Exploring Ponta do Ouro and surrounds

When travelling in Africa; when travelling anywhere; explore! Explore your surroundings, find the local spots, the local food and in Mozambique definitley the local beer.

To explore the coast north of Ponto, follow the one and only road along the coastline – yes its as simple as that when there is only one major intersection/crossroad in town. About 5 km’s along the winding sand track, you will get to Ponta Malongane which has a beuatiful shaded campsite. Along the road there are many local tuckshops, curio stalls and bars.

We stopped at one of the roadside bars for one of our favourute Mozambican delicacies, 2M!

You will also notice the multitude of new developments cropping up, nearly every point along the coast has a construction site on it, building from log cabins to double-story-american-style-dream mansions. I leave it up to you decide whether that is a good or bad thing.

Heading back into town, we visited the local market, where you are able to buy everything and nothing at the same time – as mentioned earlier, try do your main grocery shop in South Africa and preferrably when the Spar in Manguzi is open.

I recently installed a set of Hella Comet 550 driving lamps. The Toyota Hilux previously had IPF spotlights, so all the wiring was already in place. Install took about 2 hours.

Tools required:

• Star Screwdriver
• Soldering iron
• Solder
• Pliers
• Electrical tape or heat shrink

Hella Comet 550 driving lamps Installation Instructions:

Hella Comet 550 driving lamps/spotlights wiring diagram:

They work extremely well hooked up to the bright headlights, illuminating the road at least 100 meters ahead. Some test and photos to follow…

The first trip in my new Land Rover Defender Hardtop TDi was a exploratory 4×4 trip up the North Coast of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa and entering Mozambique at the Kosi Bay Border Post where we explored the coastline around Ponta De Ouro, Mozambique.

Stop-over’s included:

• Ndumo Game Reserve (Maputoland, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa)
• Tembe Elephant Park (Maputoland KwaZulu Natal, South Africa)
• Kosi Bay Nature Reserve and Kosi Bay Mouth
• Ponta De Ouro, Mozambique

General Remarks:

Maputoland and the Elephant Coast on the Northern Natal Coastline is a paradise for any 4×4 enthusiast and a must-do for any 4×4 trip in South Africa. Many of the best spots on the Elephant Coast can only be reached by 4×4 vehicles, which not only ensures a measure of unspoilt beauty but also makes the experience of getting there just a little more rewarding.

Ponta De Ouro, Mozambique was definitely the highlight of the trip. Once you enter Mozambique the drastic changes in road quality; people and landscape, changes your mindset from travel to exploration! If you are planning a 4×4 trip to Mozambique ensure your expedition vehicle is in very good working order.

Read the rest of this entry »

All 4×4’s and offroad vehicles should have a differential or diff. A diff transfers the power from the drive-train to the vehicles wheels. As the differential gets hot with use, it needs to breathe or equalise the pressure build up with the outside air pressure. To achieve this a differential breather is uses. It consists of a one way valve that lets air out but prevents water, dust and anything else from entering the differential. However when a hot differential is cooled suddenly as when a 4×4 drives through water, the difference in temperature causes the air pressure in the diff to drop sharply. As the diff breather is a one-way valve, this causes whatever is surrounding the diff to be sucked in through the oil seals. With the case of a water crossing, water is sucked into the diff where it mixes with the oil and causes all sorts of problems.

Extend 4×4 Differential Breathers

To overcome this you would need to extend your breathers to a point where they can breathe pure air.

Step 1 – Parts Needed For 4×4 Differential Breather Extension

I bought these two fittings from a local store for R10 each. 1/8 inch thread to 6mm. This should fit most Toyota Hilux’s.

Toyota Hilux Diff Breather

To mount my Maglite just next to the gear levers I used some ordinary clips you can pick up at any hardware store. Drilled the holes and used normal interior vehicle screws to mount the Maglite mount clips the right distance apart. Maglite 2D cell clips right into its DIY Maglite holder/mount with absolutely no rattling around.

Fun at Signal Hill In Pietermaritzburg with the Landie. It is totally unstoppable!