#frontrunnerza

[jacquesmarais]

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Tuning in to the #BushTV 🔥 🔥 🔥 . . This is just one of the joys you can expect when you #roadtrip into the arid desert unfolding within the @northerncapetourism region. This vast province allows you to escape into the amber dunescape of the remote #Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park & experience unique establishments such as #XausLodge. . . Here, we disconnected from Planet Normal as part of a wild #camping trip with the exceptional @tfpd_sa crew, reconnecting with nature upon the surreal and tranquil edge of a giant (and very dry) heart-shaped pan. . . Long hikes with the #Khomani #San guides; back-of-beyond game drives; sundowners on sweeping dunes; up close and insightful time with the earthy #Bushman people: outstanding gourmet cuisine, and views extending into trance time across the #Kalahari landscape ... It made for unreal mind space as we traversed the #noordkaap on #BeyondAukoerebis, our third adventure with @isuzusa and @frontrunnerza 🙏 😊 ☀ . . #IsuzuSa #TheresWorkToDo #WithYouForTheLongRun #DunlopTyresSA #FrontrunnerZA #BornToRoam #SpotAfrica #GetLostStayFound #travel #BeanThereCoffee #TopWraps #OrnateDesigns #GiantBicycles #giantlivrsa #TribalTourist #ifollowthetribe (at !Xaus Lodge) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7iGB-wpVkp/?igshid=113t0nl3136xp

[sucubis-blog]

Tire pressure down, into low-range & off we go over the beautiful red sand of the oldest desert in the world! (55 million years old... 🌍) 🐗💨@frontrunnerza #BornToRoam #Namibia #adventure #followback #F4F #instafollow

[jacquesmarais]

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So excited to share more information around our upcoming @beyondexped #BeyondBicornis Expedition, where @petervankets and I will get to experience a brand-new African #adventure 🌍 🐘 🦁 Once again, our brilliant @isuzusa off-road machines will be central to this exhilarating #roadtrip, starting from #Angola, and negotiating 10 000km of untamed back roads via #Namibia, #Botswana & #RSA. The focus of the #2020 Expedition will be #rhinoconservation, and we will once again endeavour to highlight the excellent work done by the #NGO @childreninthewilderness in some of the most remote corners of #africa 🐾🌳🐾 We're very pleased to once again have @frontrunnerza, @spotafrica & @dunloptyres on board, and also welcome @outdoorwarehouseza as part of the #BeyondExpeditions Team. Best news of all is that we'll hook up with @touchandgo.com.na to experience some 100% Namibian desert adrenaline ☀️🙌🏻☀️ #IsuzuSA #TheresWorkToDo #WithYouForTheLongRun #frontrunnerza #BornToRoam #DunlopTyresSA #GrandTrek #citw #outdoorWarehouse #SpotAfrica #GetLostStayFound (at Cape Town - South Africa) https://www.instagram.com/p/B68HDq3p45D/?igshid=1uhxufbnhvvnz

[jacquesmarais]

Currently chilling - on and off the @giantlivrsa bikes - as the @isuzusa #BeyondAukoerebis Expedition rolls through spectacular #Namibia. Our stay in #Luderitz was short, but we did make time to explore the gorgeous German architecture and taste some traditional local delicacies, as in #apfelstrudel, ja! Our @frontrunnerza tents and hammocks are the bomb, and the #campsite at @gondwanalodges puts @nwrinsta at #SharkIsland to shame. Only disappointment of the trip so far, so kudos to the guys at #CanyonRoadHouse. @petervankets, @maraiskaryn and #dieooms just got back from a gorgeous wilderness ride on the #giantbicycles, and we'll soon head down to the canyon proper to crack a @teubeswyne Karoobossie Sparkling as the sun sets over the craggy Namib landscape 🇳🇦🌵👌 #BeyondAukoerebis #IsuzuSa #WithYouForTheLongRun #DunlopTyresSA #FrontrunnerZA #BornToRoam #SpotAfrica #GetLostStayFound #NorthernCape #Namibia #DarlingBrew #NamaquaWestCoastWineRoute #BeanThereCoffee #TopWraps #OrnateDesigns #GiantBicycles #giantlivrsa #TribalTourist #ifollowthetribe #GarminSA #beatyesterday (at Gondwana Cañon Lodge) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzNsQmkJ7vv/?igshid=c57bbrwi2psq

[jacquesmarais]

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We live in a truly wonderful and incredibly diverse country 💙 On our @beyondexped #BeyondLockdown Expedition, driven by @isuzusa, we traveled to every province throughout SA, and it was such an amazing privilege to experience so many amazing cultures, each in their own right 👍🏻 . . Amazing stories shared; hundreds of handshakes and hugs; miles of mind-blowing landscapes; and beautiful friendships shaped ... all while experiencing this breathtaking #adventure playground we get to call our #SouthAfrica! . . HAPPY #HERITAGEDAY to all of you brilliant people! And once again, Thank You #IsuzuSA for making this journey possible, and to the @dunloptyres rubber for safely taking us there! . . #WITHYOUFORTHELONGRUN #Isuzu #DunlopTyresSA #TakeTheRoad #frontrunnerza #BornToRoam #SpotAfrica #GetLostStayFound #BeyondExpeditions #playlocal #staylocal #travel (at South Africa Cape Town) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFgqY0YJ9x-/?igshid=p9fro9ti2n82

[jacquesmarais]

The corona virus has been very tough for us at #Utshwayelo Lodge. For five months, we have cried many tears in our hearts, but now that we see you here to help community tourism, it gives us the energy we need to survive the hard times and rebuild our future". . . - Enoch Tembe . . . Expedition: #BeyondLockdown Timeline: Day 16 Distance: 5 997km Province: KZN Region: #Thongaland Destination: iSimangaliso Wetland Park . . We've slowed down time ever so slightly - as one does in Thongaland - by bumping our stay by an extra night to fit in the many eco- adventures on offer in this north-easternmost corner of SA. Our camp languishes beneath the spreading branches of a coastal milkwood, with a hammock high up in the canopy where you could leisurely sip on a cold #DosM 🍻 . . Our host is Enoch Tembe & his stories of suffering during the pandemic in KZN & Mozambique have touched us deeply. Yet again, the joy & optimism with which people respond to our Isuzu South Africa #BeyondLockdown Expedition all across South Africa has made the long roads so worthwhile. . . Fast-forward to Day 2, which kicked off with a world-class culture/cuisine/adventure on #kosibay estuary with @Rick and Elise Stadler-Padding: we kayaked amidst fish traps, with fish eagles, kingfishers and flamingos galore, keeping a sharp eye out for a young hippo bull which has been playing hide and seek in the tributary feeding the lake. This was followed by a top #palmwine tasting session, and trumped by a sustainably sourced meal of fresh fish, peanut sauce and mealie bread. Plus, I got to drift-snorkel the Aquarium again! Absolutely top day in nature, with Vusi easily rating as my best activity guide of the year so far 🙌🏻👌🏻🙏 . . #ISUZU #WITHYOUFORTHELONGRUN #DUNLOPTYRESSA #TAKETHEROAD #FRONTRUNNERZA #SPOTAFRICA #POLARSA #BALEIAWINES #BEYONDEXPEDITIONS #KZN #OZONEAFRICA #ANDBREATHE (at Utshwayelo Lodge and Camp in Kosi bay!) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEDk5Z-J6eW/?igshid=1y2luux4w1bej

[jacquesmarais]

The views were immensely wide. Everything that you saw made for greatness and freedom, and unequalled nobility" . - Karen Blixen . . Expedition: #BeyondLockdown Timeline: Day 13 Distance: 5 372km Province: Mpumalanga Region: Hoedspruit Destination: #mariepskop . . Today, we stood atop Mariepskop, named for the Pedi Chief, Maripi, and as in Karen Blixen's 'Out of Africa', we felt the energy of this remarkable continent seep deep into our bones. And once again, we could only marvel at the rich diversity of our intoxicating country. . . This raw and uncharted collection of gritty peaks, eroded ridges and looming sandstone walls slab up from the #Lowveldt plains, and is technically part of the northern #Drakensberg. This - and the hide-away village of #Phiring - was our 7th provincial stopover on this year's #BeyondLockdown #Expedition with Isuzu South Africa and it is a section of South Africa that I recall vaguely from family road trips to #KrugerNP many a decade ago. . . Mariepskop itself is terra incognito for all of us, though. A rutted track winds from Lowveldt plains via first scraggly plantations and then dense, primary #afromontane forest, before you boom onto the unexpectedly vast #fynbos summit. The protea, restios and heather seem completely out of place, and you could as well be lost in the Groot Winterhoek wilderness. We were joined by ecologists from Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region and Conservation South Africa . . There are many stories to tell, with our visit to #Phiring community tourism project a real highlight. The hike into a wild Kloof with the enthusiastic young From the Region for the Region eco-monitors rate as unforgettable. but we will share all of this in due course. Right now, we are back in the #isuzuMUX cruising the tarmac curves to the east in anticipation of ocean time at iSimangaliso Wetland Park in #KZN 🌴🍃🌊 . . This 9000km #BeyondLockdown journey was made possible by @isuzusa with support from @dunloptyres 🙏 . . #ISUZU #WITHYOUFORTHELONGRUN #DUNLOPTYRES #FRONTRUNNERZA #SPOTAFRICA #POLARSA #BALEIAWINES #coremerino #BEYONDEXPEDITIONS #KZN #OZONEAFRICA #ANDBREATHE (at Kokkariba Guest House) https://www.instagram.com/p/CD9lW4gpnuU/?igshid=1tpps2bewm0tk

[jacquesmarais]

Expedition: #BeyondLockdown Timeline: Day 9 Distance: 3 491km Province: Northwest Region: #GrootMarico Destination: #RiverStill & #MaricoEye . . "There is no other place I know that is so heavy with atmosphere, so strangely and darkly impregnated with that stuff of life that bears the authentic stamp of South-Africa" . — Herman Charles Bosman . . . And Breathe... The dust-devil scrub land of the #NorthWest flickered into view after a near-1000km drive via the #FreeState flat lands, fuelled by mediocre Wimpy coffee and the decidedly retro lang-arm tunes of #OFM (as an Oom, this is sort of my vibes these days, so I'm not complaining). . . I'm a huge fan of Herman Charles Bosman, which means #GrootMarico has been on my radar since I first read 'Mafeking Road' and 'Cask of Jerepigo' many a moon ago. This quirky little dorp is enveloped by the Marico Biosphere Reserve, including the Molopo and Marico river systems, and characterized by dolomite outcrops and an expansive deciduous montane bush veldt ecosystem. . . One of our key adventures here was a sublime #freedive into the #MaricoEye sink hole, a crystal clear spring approximately 18 deep and secreted away on a farm where a 68kg boerboel by the name of Bwana is in charge of access control. Once you manage to slip past this Shcwarzenneger canine, what awaits is one of the most astounding aqua experiences you can have anywhere in southern Africa. . . The spring is approximately 80m across and covered in giant green lilypads. And when you dip your head below the water surface, a wonder-world of blue and green hues will seduce you into the glorious, cool embrace. Schools of tilapia flock languidly within the glittering refraction of the midday sun's rays as you fin into a surreal mindspace amidst the gentle sway of entwined lily stalks. . . None of this would have been possible without the support of @isuzusa and their kickass vehicles or @Dunloptyres_SA 🙏 . . #IsuzuSa #WithYouForTheLongRun #DunlopTyresSA #TakeTheRoad #frontrunnerza #BornToRoam #SpotAfrica #GetLostStayFound #PolarSA #ListenToYourBody #BaleiaWines #BeyondExpeditions #NorthwestProvince #noordwes #oZoneAfrica #AndBreathe (at Groot Marico, RiverStill guest farm) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDzXghPJ07N/?igshid=1ubfssas2vqai

[jacquesmarais]

Expedition: #BeyondLockdown Timeline: Day 7 Distance: 2 524km Province: Northern Cape Region: #KarooGariep Destination: #KarooGariep Nature Reserve . . "Africa ... You can see a sunset and believe you have witnessed the Hand of God. You watch the slow lope of a lioness & forget to breathe. You marvel at the tripod of a giraffe bent to water. In Africa, there are iridescent blues on the wings of birds that you do not see anywhere else in nature. In Africa, in the midday heart, you can see blisters in the atmosphere. When you are in Africa, you feel primordial, rocked in the cradle of the world.” . - Jodi Picoult . . . We have left behind the seas of sand shaping the vast swathe of the #Kalahari, and sailed the tarmac tides into the heart of an endless grassland ocean. YR.NO pinpoints us at 'Faugh a Ballagh' - an ancient Irish war cry translated as 'Clear the Way' - but our view from a lone koppie looks across the 'mini-serengeti' of the @karoo_gariepnature_reserve . I will let the images of this amazing space tell the tale of our stay here upon the sedge-lined shores of the windswept #SeekoeiRiver. You WANT to stop near #Hanover to #playlocal & #staylocal, & meet these huge-hearted locals. There certainly couldn't be a better place to test our @isuzusa work-horses & @dunloptyres 🙌🏻👌🏻 . Scale scattered rock kopjes looming under a billion-star sky; bullet down a gold-washed jeep track; paddle the glacial chop of the Seekoei estuary; or stand entranced at rock engravings dating back to when #Khoisan ranged far and wide upon these plains ... . So go for it. Support tourism & help change the lives of thousands of folk dependent upon your contribution to their local economy. The next leg of our 'Long Drive to support SA Tourism' will see us telling the stories of #GrootMarico in Northwest Province, where we visited the breathtaking #MaricoEye sink hole to free-dive this fresh-water phenomenon. . #IsuzuSa #WithYouForTheLongRun #DunlopTyresSA #TakeTheRoad #frontrunnerza #BornToRoam #SpotAfrica #GetLostStayFound #BaleiaWines #PolarSA #ListenToYourBody #BeyondExpeditions #NorthernCape #noordkaap #oZoneAfrica #AndBreathe https://www.instagram.com/p/CDvXtPCJfZC/?igshid=8y263mgi4g37

[jacquesmarais]

The natural grandeur packaged with a winter escape into the sandstone heaven that is @kagga_kamma Nature Reserve is utterly unique. We went in search of snow, first and foremost, but clear skies on the final night saw me bank perfect #startrails in crisp, #subzero conditions. . . That is the beauty of the great outdoors at #kaggakamma: you will never be bored. The snow came on Saturday - and with a billion-star display that evening to boot - and the memories we made will surely last for life. . . A huge Thank You to Tania and all the staff at this superb nature reserve; these are incredibly tough times for the hospitality industry, but this humble and dedicated crew never put a foot wrong in keeping their guests both safe and entertained ... loads more images to follow 💙🌟 . . #KaggaKamma #cederberg #redkaroo #nature #getoutside #playlocal #staylocal #IsuzuSA #WithYouForTheLongRun #FrontrunnerZA #BornToRoam #oZoneAfrica #AndBreathe (at Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCp35XmJNx-/?igshid=o3n2vayt8kwz

[jacquesmarais]

"Trees are poems that Earth writes upon the Sky. We fell them down and turn them into Paper, that we may record our Emptiness." . Khalil Gibran . . The 'Meeting Tree' at @dehoopreserve in the #Overstrand Region certainly rates as one of those 'remarkable trees' you only encounter a few times in your wanderings upon Planet Earth. These #ficuscapensis giants reach up to 35m in height and grow hundreds of years old. . . Most impressively, their canopies often spread wider than they are tall, creating arboreal ecosystems supporting burds, insects, reptiles and mammals, all depending on the tree for food, shelter and sustenance. At #dehoopnaturereserve, you will often see bontebok, eland or mountain zebra resting in the shade of its ample crown; baboons, vervet monkeys and bulbuls feeding on the sweet, wild figs; flocks of roosting hadeda ibis and other nesting birds; and geckos, lizards and snakes hunting amidst the branches for millions of insects living in, on and around these amazing woodland specimens. They truly are independent #ecosystems 🍃🦎🐛 . . The fig trees of this world-renowned #naturereserve also serve as natural beacons for visitors to DeHoop. This is where your guided #naturehike will start, or where you can rest in glorious shade after a #mountainbike ride; or relax during the heat of the day while relishing one of #figtree Restaurant's delectable picnic baskets. . . What a privilege to join @just_anneke, @michellelombardi68 and the crew from @dehoopvleimtb to recce the new #mtb routes for this annual event. Let's just say the #flatrock #singletrack is going to blow your mind! And if you've been wondering where to go for a first post #lockdown #mtb experience, this is it 💙👌🚲 . . #DeHoopVlei #mtblife #IsuzuSA #WithYouForTheLongRun #FrontrunnerZA #BornToRoam #giantlivrsa #giantbicycles #SpotAfrica #GetLostStayFound #oZoneAfrica #AndBreathe (at De Hoop Collection Nature Reserve) https://www.instagram.com/p/CB2fAHLpUn1/?igshid=1deu61phgwq6i

[jacquesmarais]

"There is Joy and Wonder Everywhere when you look at the world through the Eyes of a Child" . . Yesterday was #freedomday, but instead of joyous abandon, we had to celebrate it under lockdown and in a state of isolation. I missed feeling that freedom, being able to escape into my 'Church of the Great Outdoors', to sense the sun on my back, and the trails slip-sliding away under my feet. . . And yeah, I know, #MotherNature is not going anywhere, but it does not mean we should not miss her with all of our heart and our spirit and our soul. After all, this is where we reconnect with #PlanetEarth, where we find everyday #mindfullness, practice that 'moving meditation' known as exercise and - through all of this - immeasurably strengthen our immune systems 🍃 . . Nature especially remains a space of wonder when you are a child, with endless miracles to experience, and untold #adventures just waiting to unfold. So, just for a day, try to be a child again, and allow yourself to marvel at that amazing space that is the #greatoutdoors. Step out of the house, throw open your front gate and - even if it is just for 60 beautiful seconds - surrender yourself to the tranquility and unadulterated joy. And remember: 'outside' should never be a 'dirty word' 🌄 . . And once we all eventually escape this #selfisolation prison, make it your mission to explore those unique and special tourism regions shaping our Rainbow Nation. Just imagine: @namaquawestcoast, @breederivervalleytourism, @swartlandwineandolives, @stanford_valley_guest_farm, @kouga_baviaans @northerncapetourism @westcoastwaysa @hessequatourism . . These people and places are all waiting to welcome you with open arms, and there is no need to travel overseas in order to have a world class hospitality experience. My @isuzusa #muX can't wait to hit those back roads 😊 . . #trails #localtravel #zatravels #playlocal #staylocal #befree #outsideisfree #freeyourmind #IsuzuSA #FrontrunnerZA #AndBreathe #oZoneAfrica (at Stanford Valley Guest Farm) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_hTYOlJMtd/?igshid=1q68com9pv41l

[jacquesmarais]

The Journey is the Destination ... . . We have all become so locked into life in the fast lane that we battle to disengage, even when we take time out. So, when we set off on a #bike ride, it focuses on the calories we burn, or the distance we cover, rather than the experience of being in nature. We tend to force, rather than surrender to the flow; push, rather than following our breath 🍃 . . This is a facet of life where small changes can deliver huge lifestyle benefits, and all you have to do is to #beinthemoment. Stop. Get off the bike. Breathe in the fragrance of the forest. Watch the dawn rays beam in through the branches. And brew a @baleiawines #coffee (yup, they do #singleorigin blends, and it tastes as good as their #syrah). . . And if you're searching for an #outdoor space in which to play, look no further than @gvbconservancy. This place is a #bikepacking paradise, but with endless #trail riding for the #allmountain, #xc and #enduro crowd to boot. Yup, if you love #mtb and have not played in this part of the @hessequatourism region, you are seriously missing out. . . #grootvadersbosch #gvbconservancy @outdoorwarehouseza #sonyalpha #sonyafrica #sonyza #mtb #IsuzuSA #WithYouForTheLongRun #FrontrunnerZA #BornToRoam #SpotAfrica #GetLostStayFound #oZoneAfrica #AndBreathe #bikepacking #bikelife (at Grootvadersbosch Conservancy) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9JWYxiJQyl/?igshid=2g8e1ke3dkit

[jacquesmarais]

These last two days have been all about #redfins here in the gorgeous @gvbconservancy. Our mission has focused on monitoring #riverhealth in the off-grid canyons characterising this part of the #Hessequa, and what an adventure to hang out with the @capenature field crew 💦🏞️💙 . . Rock-hopping, ridge scrambles, eel wrangling, deep-forest hikes ... all while trawling the tannin-stained pools of the #Tradouw, #Kruis and other incredible mountain streams in the peaks above #Heidelberg, way off the beaten track, and as far as you could possibly get from the #ratrace. . . Superb to shoot the breeze with @aileenoutside and Carla Wood of @tablemountainfund; such a pity our @bionerds.co.za friends could not join . . #grootvadersbosch #gvbconservancy #outdoorwarehouseza #sonyalpha #sonyafrica #sonyza #mtb #IsuzuSA #WithYouForTheLongRun #FrontrunnerZA #BornToRoam #SpotAfrica #GetLostStayFound #oZoneAfrica #AndBreathe (at Grootvadersbosch Conservancy) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9AI5GcHXq6/?igshid=15qgv75c66ciy

[jacquesmarais]

Post-midnight Post, so I'll keep it short. Always incredible to play in the #greatoutdoors at @gvbconservancy with @aileenoutside and her crew. This place is a #bikepacking paradise, but with endless #trail riding for the #xc and #enduro crowd to boot. In fact, if you love #mountainbiking and have not played in this part of the @hessequatourism region, you are seriously missing out. Tomorrow we're heading into the off-grid canyons to do some fresh-water fish monitoring with @tablemountainfund, @capenature and @bionerds.co.za - what an excellent way to spend a Monday! . . #grootvadersbosch #gvbconservancy @outdoorwarehouseza #sonyalpha #sonyafrica #sonyza #mtb #IsuzuSA #WithYouForTheLongRun #FrontrunnerZA #BornToRoam #SpotAfrica #GetLostStayFound (at Grootvadersbosch Conservancy) https://www.instagram.com/p/B87V6ZgJ42r/?igshid=19n6qesvwr9xo

[jacquesmarais]

#BackyardRide #1 for #2020... . . Bru... Let's just say #MountainBiking is a pretty cruel sport. If you're spending more time on your #board than on your #bike - way more, in my case - you're going to seriously suffer when you tackle the #Tulbagh #BoneTrail, a tough old bugger of a crank into those high-and-righteous #witzenberg ridges. . . Start off from the #trailhead at @manleywinelodge just outside historic Tulbagh, keeping right on the tarmac for a couple hundred metres before klapping a sharp left over a stile and onto a trippy 3km #singletrack stretch skedaddling along the Klein Bergrivier. This morphs onto a gravel road climb through apple and plum orchards until you reach the split between the Green and Black Routes at 6km. . . Put on your Big Boy Pants right about now, as you're about to say hello to Granny as you wind a steep switchback trail to the Bone Trail summit (7.5km). You rejoin the Green Route at 9am, having rejoiced in the joys of gravity, but the next ascent lies in wait. Much up-and-down follows as the trail roller-coasters about in wild abandon, until you bottom out at approximately 15km. . . The fun is by no means done as you dip past Schalkenbosch (18km) on a speedy gravel section. Keep it pedal to the metal as you bomb back into the sleepy main street, with at least a dozen quirky eateries vying for your cash dollar. It may have been the 33 Degree Celsius heat, but damn, that 23km ride sure felt like 60kays!? . . #GiantLivRSA #GiantBikes #RideGiant #LIVGIANT #LivRide #mtb #IsuzuSA #TheresWorkToDo #frontrunnerza #BornToRoam #oZoneAfrica #AndBreathe (at Tulbagh Wine and Tourism) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7LxMbepXb8/?igshid=6t0ccvv9g8yo