OverlandSphere
Overland Travel, Expedition & Adventure Information for 4x4, motorcycle and truck overlanders
Trip Start: Trip End: .
Patagonia was tough on us. As were the mountains and deserts of Northern Chile and Argentina. It has been even tougher for others, we have had American friends roll their Toyota on the Caraterra Austral and English friends in a Land Rover who lost, basically, the entire rear axle before plunging down an embankment on the Tierra del Fuego road.…
Our new friend and hostel owner Eduardo had kindly taken us to six stores and the local Gomeria (tyre repair) in the hope of finding replacement rims for our Landy. The business was being run out of a little old couples back yard, old tyres and rims were stacked in every available space and four very dirty men were doing…
Recently we were invited to a little get together in Bariloche, Argentina. We were on the road south to Ushuaia and we had intended to take to eastern route down and the western route back up. We received the invitation while sitting in our gloomy hostel room in Montevideo, Uruguay and made the decision to cut across Argentina to meet…
We are back in Montevideo after almost 5 months and 20 000kms. We are staying at the same hostel, Impecable, and I remember the last time I sat in the seat. We were waiting for the Land Rover to arrive and I was nervous, excited and slightly hung over. Since then we have toured Brazil, Uruguay and parts of Paraguay…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41b1UGuZop8 From 22/12/12 until 23/12/12 we drove the beach route to Pipa Beach and from there to Natal for Christmas. The BR 101 freeway would have been quicker but driving that road is like Purgatory! From Natal we will be heading 700 km North to Fortaleza, which apparently, we will be able to drive to almost entirely on the beach.…
Beautiful vistas, monuments, waterfalls, beaches, luxury and brochure perfection are the qualities that we look for in travel. We don’t want to be hot, dirty or inconvenienced. Travel is sold to us as heaven on earth and we expect perfection - hell, we paid for it – we demand it. If the sun does not shine, if the wind blows…
We survived Sao Paulo. It’s too dangerous! Don’t go there! Bad people! We have been told that too many times. And we are so glad that we are bad listeners. In 2009 before our maiden overland voyage North of South Africa we were told that bad things would happen to us and that we were irresponsible parents to be taking…
I swear we saw a Werewolf the other night! We had camped for two nights in a military area under the Sugar Loaf in Rio city and then camped two nights in a parking lot on the beautiful Grumari beach south of Rio. On the second night in Grumari a local lady came to us and said “perigrosa aqui, criminales,…
It has been five days since we left Johannesburg for Argentina. Five very long and exciting days. Perhaps it is because when travelling everything you see and experience you are seeing and experiencing for the first time a week feels like a month and a month feels like six. Besides the walking tours, solo walks and exploring we also…
It has been five days since we left Johannesburg for Argentina. Five very long and exciting days. Perhaps it is because when travelling everything you see and experience you are seeing and experiencing for the first time a week feels like a month and a month feels like six. Besides the walking tours, solo walks and exploring we also…
If you had read any of my previous posts you will know that I have a strange emotional connection to my truck. Maybe it’s a boy thing, or maybe I am a Mechanophiliac though I don’t have any of those feelings for my truck. Apparently it is a bad idea to travel by Land Rover. Some say it is a…
I was an avid Magnum PI fan as a lad. I couldn’t wait for Saturday to roll around so that I watch my all time favourite TV show. After each episode I would go to sleep dreaming of that red convertible Ferrari and would wake up from a variation of the same dream every Sunday believing that MY red convertible…
For the last few years we have been using a Howling Moon 1.6m Roof Top Tent (RTT) and annex for our camping with the Landy. Well, the family is getting older and bigger (except for Luisa of course, she constantly loses weight and ages like Benjamin Button, soon there will be nothing left). Keelan is almost a teenager and looks…
Last week Friday we received the Frontrunner Accessories for the Landy and I was like a kid in a toy store. I got to spend the weekend measuring and drilling and bolting stuff on to other stuff. Man heaven. The guys at Frontrunner SA were kind enough to sponsor us with an aluminium sump guard, an aluminium bonnet protector a…
My understanding of history and the evolution of the human species is, at best, rudimentary. But my basic understanding is that over millions of years we have adapted to our various environments and have learnt to survive and many eventually learnt to prosper. When we first travelled out of South Africa into the neighbouring countries we were prepared for almost…
We are excited to anounce Howling Moon as material sponsors for our expedition. We have used Howling Moon gear for years and we have been impressed by the quality of the locally designed and assembled Howling Moon products. The Howling Moon tent is essentially our home on the road. As a family we sleep together in the roof top tent…
On a recent trip to the Baviaanskloof with two Norwegian overlanders (www.unurban.no) we learnt a few things about ourselves. Naturally there was the mine is bigger, quicker and smarter than yours camping/ vehicle competition, but in true overlander style less is more and he who has set up, sat down and has beer in hand first – wins. Well, we…
On a recent trip to the Baviaanskloof with two Norwegian overlanders (www.unurban.no) we learnt a few things about ourselves. Naturally there was the mine is bigger, quicker and smarter than yours camping/ vehicle competition, but in true overlander style less is more and he who has set up, sat down and has beer in hand first – wins. Well, we…
Malaria Presentation…
Later this year I will be driving my beloved Land Rover into a 20 foot container for her maiden maritime voyage. It will take exactly a month or two for her travel 7242 km across the Atlantic to Uruguay where (if the shipping horror stories I hear are accurate) we will have to head butt customs, kick the port officials…
Camping in the 80’s was hard work. My Dad had pilfered some serious stock from the South African Defense Force and we camped Army style. We had tents which took ages to erect, weighed 100kg’s and took up most of the space on the roof rack of our Passat station wagon. We had army stretchers, water bottles, cutlery, sleeping bags,…
Traveler with a capital T (and one L). Planning to travel the world takes… you guessed it – a lot of planning. There are hundreds of blogs and websites of Travelers and adventures available as a resource. The advice they offer is first hand and mostly reliable and this is a fantastic resource. Each Traveler chooses a mode of travel…
Is overland travel becoming more popular, or am I spending too much time on overland internet sites? I suspect the answer is a bit of both. People are changing, communities are changing and globalization and the internet are making information so much more accessible. 20 years ago the planning of a Pan American or African overland trip would have been…
Our GPS and National Geographic African Adventure Atlas were having a bit of an argument. The GPS insisted we should turn back, No Ferry! The atlas indicated that this dirt track devoid of any vehicular or pedestrian activity for the last 50km, led to a ferry which traversed the croc and hippo populated Shire River. Our apprehension was further exacerbated…
What began as a passion for Africa and travel has become something else. In 2012 my family and I will be shipping our Landy over to Argentina then driving it is far South as possible and then North to Alaska. Our goal is to raise awareness and huge amounts of cash for Malaria No More, as US based Non Profit…