Today we left Pretoria for good, after spending precious time there, and headed to Sabie, a town quite close to the Kruger National Park, we want to visit tomorrow. After that we’ll cross the border to Mozambique, traveling north again.
For the next several weeks we’ll be touring across Africa all the way towards Egypt, from where we want to take a ferry to Turkey in order to drive back to Europe as well as Austria, which we call home. Follow Herbie tripping back north!
Domi spent Saint Patrick’s Day with our friend Wernher and his father Ludwig Hartzenberg at the former Formula One track of Kyalami, close by Johannesburg, watching a classic car race. They got there by driving two of their Porsches.
At Kyalami you can even walk into the pit stops, meeting the race cars as well as its drivers, just as Hermann Kluge with his Porsche (see below). Honoring the number “53”, also two Volkswagen Beetles were taking their chance on the track.
The other day we gathered at Menlyn’s drive-in again, watching a movie, having dinner at one of those picnic tables, where others even had a so-called “braai” (barbecue). We also enjoyed that incredible view over the city and Herbie felt pretty awesome, meeting all the air-cooled friends from Pretoria’s Jacaranda Beetle Club.
As the Ethiopian embassy in Pretoria was not willing to issue visas to Austrians, we had to send our passports all the way to Geneva, Switzerland, where we finally got our visas from the Ethiopian embassy there. It just took six days all in all!
Last week we could get the visas for Malawi at its consulate in Johannesburg and for Sudan in Pretoria. Now, as we got also the Ethiopian one done, we are eventually ready to continue Herbie’s World Tour heading further north.
At this point we want to thank the Ethiopian embassy and its team in Geneva, Switzerland, to assist us by issuing our visas without any red tape! And we want to thank the Hartzenberg family for their kind South African hospitality!
On Monday we’ll take off again! Our next destination is the Kruger National Park, before we’ll cross the border to Mozambique in order to travel north, driving across the African continent on its eastern side – about 10,000 kilometers all the way to Egypt.
Thanks to our Pretorian friend Wernher Hartzenberg, Domi got the chance to get to know real motorsport legends as well as very rare Porsches and engines.
From left to right: Our host Wernher Hartzenberg, collector Clive Winterstein, engine genius Andrew Thompson as well as former Formula One team chief mechanic Alastair and his father and South African motorsports mechanic legend Al Gibson.
A pretty valuable Porsche 356 A Carrera from 1963 powered by an air-cooled four-cam engine, owned by Clive Winterstein, a famous collector from Johannesburg.
Many moons ago, Sir Al Gibson used to work on these cars, while he was in motorsports. Therefore, Clive Winterstein was so kind to take the 92 years old man for a ride.
Further down you can see a Porsche Elva from 1965, on which Mr. Al Gibson worked back in the days, when he was working for the South African motorsports.
Al’s son, Alastair Gibson, was team chief mechanic of the Austrian Formula One driver, Gerhard Berger. Domi really enjoyed to listen to Alastair’s stories about that.
Nowadays, Alastair Gibson is an internationally distinguished artist and forerunner in carbon fiber sculpture “made of” Formula One. Find out more at “Carbon Art 45”!
Andrew Thompson and his idol, Al Gibson, are true experts regarding motorsport cars. Both have been working on these cars, like the Porsche Elva, ever since.
We just received an English written article by Heilie Combrinck from Uitenhage, where we visited the South African Volkswagen factory and its museum, the “AutoPavilion”.
Today we went to a car show called “Cars On The Plot” in Montana, Pretoria.
This perfectly arranged event was organized by the Datsun Club of Pretoria. Domi went there together with our friend and host Wernher Hartzenberg (left), his father Ludwig (right) as well as the “air-cooled legend”, Werner Alker.
Domi also met Michele and Hennie Coetzee, who are very devoted followers of Herbie’s World Tour. They even gave us these amazing presents including a lovely personal letter. Many thanks, Michele and Hennie, for all of that!
Yesterday, our South African host Wernher Hartzenberg and his girlfriend Chantelle invited us to the drive-in theater on the top of this huge Menlyn Park Mall in Pretoria.
Overlooking the city there we were: Wernher’s friend, Tyrone Morris and his wife with their two kids in a Volkswagen Kombi from 1969, Wernher and Chantelle in a VW Cabriolet and of course Herbie, the Love Bug, who came all the way from Austria.
We definitely spent a fantastic evening, sitting in our beloved Herbie, watching one of those romantic movies and listening to that through our vintage Blaupunkt radio.
Last year we visited Venezuela, the country of its so-called president and “el comandante” Hugo Chávez, who passed away yesterday, after a long fight against cancer.
We have real good memories traveling through Venezuela, where we (for example) never had to worry about gas prices while filling up Herbie at the pump, because they wouldn’t charge us the three cents per gallon.
Unfortunately we weren’t able to meet Hugo Chávez, although we met Evo Morales, the president of Bolivia and probably one of his closest allied friends within South America. We had the chance personally “meeting Mr. President” of Bolivia.
As posted here before, we got to know Werner Alker, the air-cooled Volkswagen genius of South Africa, we’d like to call him. Anyway he invited Domi to his legendary place.
In 1964, Werner came to South Africa, working for the Volkswagen company back then. He has a true passion about the uniqueness of air-cooled VWs, even though he’s always been trying to improve things, Volkswagen obviously made wrong.
Werner Alker is a very, very special character, although he calls himself “simply Werner”. We also met Werner’s wife, Louise. Both are sharing their love for these cars.
We were already almost running out of gas, when we entered South Africa. Therefore we tried to get our bottle refilled, when we stayed with “Arnize” in Mossel Bay, Western Cape. But as our stove including its bottle is related to the European system, it has a completely different fitting than the Southern African ones.
Nobody could help us back then, though the shops had all different kinds of fittings. But Arno and Elize were so kind to borrow us their little gas bottle stove.
Domi visited the “VW genius”, Werner Alker, the other day. A friend of him named Bernd was there too and he came up with the perfect tool – a suitable conversion fitting.
And it worked out! Domi and our host Wernher Hartzenberg went to “the Gas Boys” (a local gas refilling station) together, where they finally got our European bottle refilled.
Since we arrived in Pretoria, South Africa’s capital, last week, we’re spending time with Wernher Hartzenberg and his lovely family, who invited us to stay at their home.
Yesterday, Wernher inaugurated his brand new workshop “Karosseriewerke Wernher” by “Aircooled Wonders”. Below you can see us with the entire family of Hartzenberg.
Wernher (below, left) introduced us to Werner Alker (below, right), the most experienced air-cooled VW mechanic of South Africa or most likely the whole continent.
And we got to know all the members of the so-called “Jacaranda Beetle Club” in Pretoria, who even invited us to their monthly club meeting to talk about Herbie’s World Tour.
At the pump, we just ask for: “The red stuff, please!”
We’re speaking about lead substituted gasoline, we’ve only found in South Africa (as well as Namibia) on Herbie’s World Tour, visiting 72 countries since September 2009.
While American and European countries are already selling ethanol containing fuel, (South) Africa seems to be far ahead, still providing metal containing gas for vintage cars.
Back home we would also never find a high-performance motor oil like this fully synthetic 10W-60, Domi just bought at a local automotive retail store. Herbie is over happy!
After visiting fourteen African countries we’re preparing ourselves for making the u-turn in order to drive all the way back on the east side of this continent. Therefore we need to get some visas in advance, just as for Sudan as well as others.
Our planned route back north is the following: South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. From there we’ll try to get on a ferry going from Port Said to Iskenderun in Turkey.
We were curious about hits coming from a website by a company called “Das Wagen, LLC” in Denver, Colorado. They just posted an article on “Traveling the World in a Volkswagen”. Amongst others they’re mentioning Herbie’s World Tour…
We had to laugh, when we saw that the editor had written the following:
“First and foremost is Herbie’s World Tour. This guy is travelling with the hottest half Egyptian half Austrian chick I have ever seen, hands down!!”
Anyway thanks for the compliments and following Herbie’s World Tour!
Air-cooled regards from Pretoria, South Africa!
While we stayed at the Volkswagen factory and its museum (“AutoPavilion”) in Uitenhage, we got to know Chris and Sanita van den Heever, who invited us to their home. Herbie and the camper immediately became part of the huge “Volkswagen van den Heever” family. The lovely couple has more than 30 children (Beetles). Our Love Bug set-up even got its own parking besides all the other kids.
The Love Bug met the Fun Bug! This was just one of those many special editions by Volkswagen, the Van den Heever’s owns. Below you can see even more family members. Many thanks, Sanita and Chris, for your warm hospitality!
Together with the VW enthusiasts Sanita and Chris van den Heever, who we got to know at the “AutoPavilion” in Uitenhage, we visited the Addo Elephant National Park.
Even though the entrance fee is pretty expensive for nonresidents (the annual pass for all South African National Parks would have even cost hundreds of Dollars – it actually costs five times of the one for residents), we really enjoyed spending the day with Chris, Sanita and all the elephants we spotted within the park.
Sanita and Chris van den Heever are proud “parents” of about three dozens of vintage air-cooled “Vee Dubs”. On our day trip to the National Park, they took one of their wonderful restored kombis (“Volkswagen Bus T2”) for a ride.
The day before yesterday, we visited the South African Volkswagen factory as well as the “Place of Cars and Legends”, its VW museum called “AutoPavilion”, in Uitenhage.
Johan Wagner, the manager of the Volkswagen museum, welcomed us personally and guided us through this wonderful exhibition about Volkswagen in South Africa.
We were very lucky that we got the chance to meet this South African “Volkswagen rock of ages”, Johan Wagner, as he’ll eventually retire from his work next week.
Above you can see the first and very last Beetle, manufactured in South Africa. They produced Volkswagen Bugs already in 1951, and unfortunately stopped in 1978.
We also had an very interesting tour, guided by one of the management personnel named Zak Davids, who showed us the assembly lines, where they’re manufacturing the VW Polo nowadays. Thank you, Zak, for giving us that perfect insight of Volkswagen!
We felt like VIPs after all Johan Wagner has done for us. He even invited us to lunch. And afterwards, Heilie Combrink, from the press showed up and took pictures of Herbie.
Actually, the “AutoPavilion” was the first official Volkswagen museum we’ve ever visited so far. And we really loved it! We can highly recommend going to see this place.
The exhibition also included very special VWs, just as the prototype “1021” – a kind of “Volkswagen Jeep” with an air-cooled Beetle engine – or a VW Bug 1303, originally owned by German adventurers, who drove it from the North to the South Cape.
At this point we want to say thank you, Mr. Johan Wagner, for your very warm welcome at Volkswagen as well as the “AutoPavilion” in Uitenhage and these lovely presents!
Arnize (Arno and Elize) went camping with us at Victoria Bay for the last two days.
Before that we spent almost a week with them at their home in Mossel Bay.
Yesterday evening, Adriaan Pienaar from the “Hot Wheels Club” came to visit us.
He even surprised us with a personal letter and a talisman. Thank you so much!
We spent the entire evening chatting about the adventures of Arnize and Herbie.
But today we eventually had to say good-bye to Arnize and their “Bakkie”.
However we’re so looking forward to meeting them again somewhere in the future.
We hit the road heading east, while Arno and Elize got back to Mossel Bay.
Tomorrow we’ll visit the VW factory and its museum (“AutoPavilion”) in Uitenhage.
From there we’ll drive further east towards Durban and from there to Pretoria.
In Pretoria we’re planning to apply for all visas we’ll need for Africa’s east coast.
Furthermore, we want to visit Wernher Hartzenberg from “Air-cooled Wonders”, who traveled across Africa in a 1959 Volkswagen Kombi named “Mabel” in 1999.
Herbie’s World Tour has been taking a little break! We’ve been spending a wonderful time with Arno and Elize in Mossel Bay, since we arrived here on Valentine’s day. Tomorrow we’ll drive together to Victoria Bay in order to go camping by the sea.
Arno and Elize (“Arnize”) are eager to start their trip across East Africa too, as they will take off in just about a month. Above you can see Arno with their travel companion “Bakkie” (a Toyota Hilux 4×4), in which “Arnize Go 2 Africa” (their blog).
This is that gorgeous view over the Indian Ocean from the balcony of Arnize’s apartment, which we’ve been glorying the last couple days. Thank you, Arno and Elize!
We are so grateful that Arno and Elize invited us to their home, although they didn’t even know us personally. We’ve found another good friends on our travels.
Yesterday, Arno helped Domi washing Herbie and QEK, the camper. There was still a lot of red muddy soil from Congo on them, they were trying to get rid of it.
We are chatting the whole day long about all the world and his brother as well as exchanging our experiences of traveling Africa and other parts of the earth.
Our Love Bug set-up has also been taking a rest from touring Africa’s west coast. But tomorrow we’ll continue traveling, further along the South African shore.
Arnize will take about the same route going north than we do: South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and from there to Europe.
Herbie’s engine is running in almost the same manner as we started, even though this motor was set on fire, drowned in water, flew in the air as well as driving us thousands of miles across the African continent. Thank you, Herbie! Cheer up!
We had a wonderful Valentine’s Day visiting Arno and Elize van der Merwe in Mossel Bay. They got to know us via the Africa Overland Network and wanted to meet up.
Arno and Elize are also adventurous travelers and followed Herbie’s World Tour while we were heading south on the west side of Africa towards the Cape of Good Hope.
They contacted us on our webpage and invited us to their beautiful home right in the heart of Mossel Bay, a bit more than 270 miles (or 440 kilometers) east of Cape Town.
They even organized a safe place to stay for Herbie and the caravan, right underneath the apartment in a big garage, while we got our own bed- and bathroom.
In April, Arno and Elize will start their very own Africa overland trip. They’ll take a couple months off and we’ll be heading north on Africa’s east side towards Europe.
And they got the perfect gear for touring this continent: A Toyota Hilux 4WD from 1994. Follow their journey “Arnize Go 2 Africa”, which will start already very, very soon!
We really enjoy spending time with the Van der Merwe’s. Thank you for inviting us, Arno and Elize! And thank you for giving us the chance to get to know you!
Since we left the Cape of Good Hope, we’re driving besides the Indian Ocean.
While traveling on Africa’s east coast towards Europe, we want to visit the following countries: Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.
Just before hitting the Cape of Good Hope, one of the camper’s drums broke. We were lucky that we didn’t loose the whole wheel. We stopped by a garage in Fish Hoek.
The shop named “Pitstop” is managed by Moenier Wilson, who welded the broken part. Many thanks to him and his awesome staff! The repair was even on the house!
While at the shop in Fish Hoek, we met Brendan Gradwell, who already spotted us on the highway the other day and has been following Herbie’s World Tour online. Like many other Herbie’s World Tour fans he contacted us, because he wanted to meet the Love Bug. Brendan, thanks for coming by!
Thanks to our beloved car and travel companion, Herbie, who made it through all those challenges, we reached the Cape of Good Hope, after driving the Love Bug more than 105,000 miles (or almost 170,000 km) around the world!
From here and now on, at the most south-western point of the African continent, we’re heading back home to Europe along Africa’s east coast. The first half of Herbie touring Africa has been a success and we hope the best for the second part of it.
We made it all the way to the country at the southern tip of Africa. Our destination: Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope. From the Namibian border we still had to drive 678 kilometers (or 421 miles) to the city between the Indian and Atlantic Ocean.
Herbie's World Tour 