Die laaste artikel in die reeks van 4 is nou beskikbaar in die Julie uitgawe van WEGRY. Die artikel gaan oor ons besoeke aan die 14 grensposte na Lesotho.
Showing posts with label Progress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Progress. Show all posts
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Fourth and Final article now in print
The final article of the 4 part series is now available in the July edition of DRIVEOUT. This article covers our visits to the 14 border posts into Lesotho.
Die laaste artikel in die reeks van 4 is nou beskikbaar in die Julie uitgawe van WEGRY. Die artikel gaan oor ons besoeke aan die 14 grensposte na Lesotho.
Die laaste artikel in die reeks van 4 is nou beskikbaar in die Julie uitgawe van WEGRY. Die artikel gaan oor ons besoeke aan die 14 grensposte na Lesotho.
Sunday, 1 June 2014
June 2014 editions now available
The June edition of DRIVEOUT with the 3rd of our 4 part series is now available in book stores country wide. The article is about our visit to the border posts entering Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland.
Die Junie uitgawe van WEGRY met die 3e artikel van ons 4 dele reeks is nou beskikbaar in boekwinkels landwyd. In die artikel gaan dit oor ons besoek aan die grensposte na Zimbabwe, Mosambiek en Swaziland.
Die Junie uitgawe van WEGRY met die 3e artikel van ons 4 dele reeks is nou beskikbaar in boekwinkels landwyd. In die artikel gaan dit oor ons besoek aan die grensposte na Zimbabwe, Mosambiek en Swaziland.
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Next article in four part series now in print
Second article in a four-part series appears in the May edition of Driveout. This article is about our visit to the 17 border posts with Botswana.
Tweede artikel in reeks van vier verskyn in Mei uitgawe van
WegRY (Afrikaans) en DriveOut (Engels). In die artikel gaan dit oor ons besoek
aan al 17 grensposte na Botswana.
Tuesday, 18 March 2014
Articles on SA Ports of Entry now published
The magazine articles about our tour to all the ports of entry to South Africa are now in print !
The first article of a 4 part series is now available:
WegRY the April 2014 issue (#59) - Afrikaans
Drive Out, the April 2014 issue (#75) - English
Thanks again to all the sponsors and to everyone who showed an interest and followed us.
Happy reading.
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Mission completed - what now ?
Our tour to visit all the South African ports of entry started on 1 October and was completed 50 days later on 19 November 2013. We visited 73 ports of entry and documented all the relevant information about these ports.
But the ports were just beacons along an amazing journey through our beautiful country. We travelled on all kinds of roads, mostly gravel roads, experienced breath taking scenery, met extraordinary people, and stayed at wonderful places.
All of this will now be processed and presented to our main sponsor, the WegRY / Driveout travel magazine. They will decide how and when it is used, most probably not earlier than the March 2014 editions of the magazines.
In the meantime I will complete, correct, and extend this blog as best I can. I appeal to you to present me with any information related to the topics I have covered. If you have specific information such as:
Please forward this to me by commenting on this post. All comments are directly emailed to me and I will be in touch with you. I will acknowledge all valuable contributions.
Thanks for following our tour on this blog. The response was surprising and made the tour so much more rewarding. I hope to have a similar privilege again soon.
Johan Rothmann
johanrothmann@gmail.com
But the ports were just beacons along an amazing journey through our beautiful country. We travelled on all kinds of roads, mostly gravel roads, experienced breath taking scenery, met extraordinary people, and stayed at wonderful places.
All of this will now be processed and presented to our main sponsor, the WegRY / Driveout travel magazine. They will decide how and when it is used, most probably not earlier than the March 2014 editions of the magazines.
In the meantime I will complete, correct, and extend this blog as best I can. I appeal to you to present me with any information related to the topics I have covered. If you have specific information such as:
- Origin of the name of a border post
- Historic reasons why border post was established at the specific site
- Date of first use as a border post
- Corrections to information I have mentioned about a border post
- Any special experience encountered at a border post
Please forward this to me by commenting on this post. All comments are directly emailed to me and I will be in touch with you. I will acknowledge all valuable contributions.
Thanks for following our tour on this blog. The response was surprising and made the tour so much more rewarding. I hope to have a similar privilege again soon.
Johan Rothmann
johanrothmann@gmail.com
Saturday, 2 November 2013
Half-way around South Africa
The visit to Beit Bridge border post signalled the half-way mark of our border post tour in many ways. We started in Cape Town and moved up the West Coast to follow the border posts in a clockwise direction. At Beit Bridge we have completed:
We now turn south-east, looking forward to the Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho border posts with a few airports and harbours along the way.
Enjoy the journey with us !
- Visits to all 7 border posts to Namibia
- Visits to all 17 border posts to Botswana
- Visit to the only border post to Zimbabwe
- Visits to a total of 33 ports of entry (including airports and harbours)
- About 7,000 of the expected 12,000 kilometers
- 28 days of the expected 54 days on tour
- Touring through the very dry but beautiful western part of South Africa
We now turn south-east, looking forward to the Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho border posts with a few airports and harbours along the way.
Enjoy the journey with us !
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
More to go
We have visited 27 of the 73 border posts so far - 46 to go. We have travelled 4800 km of which more or less 3000 km was on gravel roads. About 7200 km to go and we will try to do most on gravel roads: the motto of our main sponsor, DriveOut magazine, is gravel travel (WegRY is heelpad grondpad).
The nicest part of this tour is not the visits to the border posts - that is just a check point along the way. It is the journey, the roads, the country, the scenery that make it memorable.
I have uploaded more photos on the Pictures page - click on the link to the right of this page, third from bottom.
The nicest part of this tour is not the visits to the border posts - that is just a check point along the way. It is the journey, the roads, the country, the scenery that make it memorable.
I have uploaded more photos on the Pictures page - click on the link to the right of this page, third from bottom.
 |
| It is roads like this that make this tour a memorable journey. Near the Richtersfield in the Northern Cape. |
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Laaste van Namibie
Ons het nou al 7 die grensposte na Namibie besoek. Om dit te vier het ons besluit om 2 dae 'af te vat' en bietjie langer hier in die Kgalagadi te kuier. Lekker werk die man!
Ons kamp aan die Botswana kant by Two Rivers. Vrydagoggend vertrek ons na Bokspits, die tweede van 16 grensposte met Botswana.
Ons kamp aan die Botswana kant by Two Rivers. Vrydagoggend vertrek ons na Bokspits, die tweede van 16 grensposte met Botswana.
Twee Rivieren - time for holiday day 8 (8 Oct)
Today we are doing one of the nicer border posts of South Africa: Twee Rivieren is inside the Kgalagadi National Park at the entrance gate with the same name. The Afrikaans name refers to the two rivers (Nossob and Auob) that come together here.
The border post serves both Namibia and Botswana. You do not need to use the border post if you visit the park and return into South Africa. But you can enter here and exit at Mata-Mata into Namibia, or exit into Botswana at several gates, the most well known being Mabuasehube. Rules of the park dictates that you have to stay at least 2 nights inside the park to be able to use these border posts. Due to this, it is only tourists that make use of this border post - no commercial traffic.
The border post is situated in a modern building with the 'one-stop shop' concept in mind. It contains the immigration and police services of both South Africa and Botswana, as well as the reception of the National Parks of both countries. The immigration services for Namibia is at the Mata-Mata gate of Kgalagadi.
The border post serves both Namibia and Botswana. You do not need to use the border post if you visit the park and return into South Africa. But you can enter here and exit at Mata-Mata into Namibia, or exit into Botswana at several gates, the most well known being Mabuasehube. Rules of the park dictates that you have to stay at least 2 nights inside the park to be able to use these border posts. Due to this, it is only tourists that make use of this border post - no commercial traffic.
The border post is situated in a modern building with the 'one-stop shop' concept in mind. It contains the immigration and police services of both South Africa and Botswana, as well as the reception of the National Parks of both countries. The immigration services for Namibia is at the Mata-Mata gate of Kgalagadi.
Monday, 7 October 2013
Upington International - dag 7 (7 Okt)
Die lughawe fasiliteite by Upington is in 2009 opgeknap. Die uiteinde is 'n standaard wat moeilik geklop sal word. Dit is werklik wereldklas: smaakvol, mooi, netjies, skoon en op die oog af uiters effektief.
Immigrasie beheer by die lughawe word op 'n "call out" basis gedoen. Wanneer internasionale passasiers opdaag word die amptenare by Dept Binnelandse Sake in Upington uitgeroep om die nodige te kom doen. Die lughawe is so 8km uit die sentrale deel van Upington.
Gedurende weeksdae is daar daagliks 3 geskeduleerde vlugte van Johannesburg en 1 van Kaapstad. November maand begin die internasionale "vragseisoen". Ek het gedink dit het iets met landbouprodukte te doen, maar die vriendelike personeel vertel my dit is daaglikse geskeduleerde vlugte, hoofsaaklik van Duitsland, met nuwe motors wat hier getoets word.
Upington se 4.9km aanloopbaan is een van die langstes in die wereld. Dit het tot gevolg gehad dat Upington geklassifiseer is as 'n alternatiewe landingsplek vir Nasa se ruimte pendeltuie.
Immigrasie beheer by die lughawe word op 'n "call out" basis gedoen. Wanneer internasionale passasiers opdaag word die amptenare by Dept Binnelandse Sake in Upington uitgeroep om die nodige te kom doen. Die lughawe is so 8km uit die sentrale deel van Upington.
Gedurende weeksdae is daar daagliks 3 geskeduleerde vlugte van Johannesburg en 1 van Kaapstad. November maand begin die internasionale "vragseisoen". Ek het gedink dit het iets met landbouprodukte te doen, maar die vriendelike personeel vertel my dit is daaglikse geskeduleerde vlugte, hoofsaaklik van Duitsland, met nuwe motors wat hier getoets word.
Upington se 4.9km aanloopbaan is een van die langstes in die wereld. Dit het tot gevolg gehad dat Upington geklassifiseer is as 'n alternatiewe landingsplek vir Nasa se ruimte pendeltuie.
Sunday, 6 October 2013
Dag 6 (6 Okt) - besige Nakop
Na Onseepkans het ons met die N14 na Kakamas gery. Net buite Kakamas draai ons links af op die grondpad na Riemvasmaak. Vanaand kamp ons by Khamkirri, so 30km uit Kakamas oppad na Riemvasmaak.
Die ligging van die kampterrein aan die Noordekant van die Garieprivier is baie mooi. Ons is die enigste mense wat vanaand hier kamp. Daar is nog gaste van die chalets wat saam met ons kyk hoe die Springbokke verloor, ten spyte van 4 prag driee!
Op dag 6 ry ons grondpad via Lutzputs na die grenspos Nakop. Hierdie besige grenspos is op die N10 tussen Upington en Karasburg. Dit is veral vragmotors wat van die roete gebruik maak. Tydens ons besoek was daar 3 vragmotors vol nuwe motors oppad na Namibie.
Ons gesels lekker met Danie Wagener, die senior beampte van Binnelandse Sake hier. Hy het jare se ondervinding op grensposte en ken veral die grensposte se geskiedenis van Sendelingsdrift tot by Tweerivieren. Hy, en meeste van die personeel hier, pendel elke dag die 130km van Upington en terug.
Nakop is een van SA se 24uur grensposte. Wat dit ook uniek maak is dat die Namibiese pos (Ariamsvlei) 17km verder is, nie bymekaar soos meeste grensposte nie.
Die ligging van die kampterrein aan die Noordekant van die Garieprivier is baie mooi. Ons is die enigste mense wat vanaand hier kamp. Daar is nog gaste van die chalets wat saam met ons kyk hoe die Springbokke verloor, ten spyte van 4 prag driee!
Op dag 6 ry ons grondpad via Lutzputs na die grenspos Nakop. Hierdie besige grenspos is op die N10 tussen Upington en Karasburg. Dit is veral vragmotors wat van die roete gebruik maak. Tydens ons besoek was daar 3 vragmotors vol nuwe motors oppad na Namibie.
Ons gesels lekker met Danie Wagener, die senior beampte van Binnelandse Sake hier. Hy het jare se ondervinding op grensposte en ken veral die grensposte se geskiedenis van Sendelingsdrift tot by Tweerivieren. Hy, en meeste van die personeel hier, pendel elke dag die 130km van Upington en terug.
Nakop is een van SA se 24uur grensposte. Wat dit ook uniek maak is dat die Namibiese pos (Ariamsvlei) 17km verder is, nie bymekaar soos meeste grensposte nie.
Friday, 4 October 2013
Dag 3 - eerste grenspos per pad
Van Port Nolloth is dit maar 'n eentonige reguit teerpad tot by Alexanderbaai. Die pad is wel in 'n baie goeie toestand. Die grenspos is so 5km uit die Alexanderbaai, op die Garieprivier se oewer. Dit was stil daar en die vriendelike personeel het ons graag ontvang.
Die plan was om vandaar aan SA se kant na Sendelingsdrift te ry. Maar nadat ons uitgevind het daar is 'n bruikbare pad aan Namibie se kant, besluit ons om eerder so te ry. Flink en effektief gaan ons deur die grenspos en oor die Ernest Oppenheimer brug.
By Oranjemund (grenspos aan Namibie se kant) is dit nie so effektief nie. Hier moet alle inligting nog op papier vorms voorsien word. Dit is hier net so stil, en glo dit, geen inspeksies, oorgrens fooie, voertuig belasting of vesekering nie. Dalk 'n glipsie, of 'n 'loophole' ...
Die grondpad van Oranjemund na Sendelingsdrift is soos meeste grondpaaie in Namibie, in uitstekende toestand. Ons ry die 90km in 'n japtrap al langs die Garieprivier tot by Sendelingsdrift. Hier gaan ons met die pont oor, terug na Suid-Afrika. Vanaand kamp ons in die Richtersveld nasionale park by Potjiespram kampterrein.
Die plan was om vandaar aan SA se kant na Sendelingsdrift te ry. Maar nadat ons uitgevind het daar is 'n bruikbare pad aan Namibie se kant, besluit ons om eerder so te ry. Flink en effektief gaan ons deur die grenspos en oor die Ernest Oppenheimer brug.
By Oranjemund (grenspos aan Namibie se kant) is dit nie so effektief nie. Hier moet alle inligting nog op papier vorms voorsien word. Dit is hier net so stil, en glo dit, geen inspeksies, oorgrens fooie, voertuig belasting of vesekering nie. Dalk 'n glipsie, of 'n 'loophole' ...
Die grondpad van Oranjemund na Sendelingsdrift is soos meeste grondpaaie in Namibie, in uitstekende toestand. Ons ry die 90km in 'n japtrap al langs die Garieprivier tot by Sendelingsdrift. Hier gaan ons met die pont oor, terug na Suid-Afrika. Vanaand kamp ons in die Richtersveld nasionale park by Potjiespram kampterrein.
Wednesday, 2 October 2013
Day 2 - tar roads can be misleading
There was no border post to be visited today as we managed to visit Saldanha Bay on day 1. We headed north towards Alexander Bay and tried to avoid the N7 as much as possible.
From Jacobsbay we took the roads as close to the West coast as possible, passing Elandsbay, Lambertsbay, Strandfontein using Transnet's toll roads (fee = free). Just a few kilometers from Strandfontein we took a short detour to the mouth of the Olifantsriver.
From Lutzville we wanted to go to Nuwerus where we would join the N7 again. However, a tar road next to a water pipeline appeared to be the better road. We ended up at Namakwa Sands mine with no more roads except farm roads through Namaqua land.
We passed Lepelfontein and Kotzesrus, two very small villages, before reaching Garies much later than anticipated. This was a real gravel road, in line with DriveOut's motto, and not on a GPS or printed map. But Namaqua land had lots of rain and the scenery compensated for the longer drive.
Tomorrow we drive from Port Nolloth to Alexander Bay, the first road border post on our trip.
Apologies for the lack of pictures - we focussed so much on the road that we completely forgot to take pictures for this blog!
From Jacobsbay we took the roads as close to the West coast as possible, passing Elandsbay, Lambertsbay, Strandfontein using Transnet's toll roads (fee = free). Just a few kilometers from Strandfontein we took a short detour to the mouth of the Olifantsriver.
From Lutzville we wanted to go to Nuwerus where we would join the N7 again. However, a tar road next to a water pipeline appeared to be the better road. We ended up at Namakwa Sands mine with no more roads except farm roads through Namaqua land.
We passed Lepelfontein and Kotzesrus, two very small villages, before reaching Garies much later than anticipated. This was a real gravel road, in line with DriveOut's motto, and not on a GPS or printed map. But Namaqua land had lots of rain and the scenery compensated for the longer drive.
Tomorrow we drive from Port Nolloth to Alexander Bay, the first road border post on our trip.
Apologies for the lack of pictures - we focussed so much on the road that we completely forgot to take pictures for this blog!
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Dag 1 - eerste "grensposte"
Kaapstad Internasionale lughawe was soos verwag nie baie maklik om toegang te kry na die plek waar paspoorte gestempel word nie. Maar ons het darem vriendelike amptenare by die Doeane beheerpunt gekry wat bereid was om vir ons 'n stempel te gee.
By Kaapstad hawe in die Waterfront was die immigrasie kantoor 'n verassing. Die gebou is redelik oud, effe verwaarloos en onopvallend. Ek wonder hoeveel mense glip die land hier binne ...
Maar weer eens was die personeel vriendelik en het ons 'n stempel gekry.
In Saldanha Baai het ons baie gesoek na die regte plek. UIteindelik is ons verwys na die SARS kantoortjie. Mnr Kuys, 'n Doeane en Aksyns inspekteur het ons vertel dat daar nie meer 'n immigrasie beheerpunt vir skeeps bemanning is nie - dit word nou via Kaapstad gedoen.
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It was not possible to gain access to the immigration control at Cape Town International airport - as expected. However, we did get a stamp from a very friendly Customs official.
The immigration office at Cape Town harbour in the Waterfront was a surprise. Old and not very easy to find. But friendly staff gave us a stamp.
In Saldanha Bay we found out that there is no longer an immigration control point for sea crew - it was moved to Cape Town.
By Kaapstad hawe in die Waterfront was die immigrasie kantoor 'n verassing. Die gebou is redelik oud, effe verwaarloos en onopvallend. Ek wonder hoeveel mense glip die land hier binne ...
Maar weer eens was die personeel vriendelik en het ons 'n stempel gekry.
In Saldanha Baai het ons baie gesoek na die regte plek. UIteindelik is ons verwys na die SARS kantoortjie. Mnr Kuys, 'n Doeane en Aksyns inspekteur het ons vertel dat daar nie meer 'n immigrasie beheerpunt vir skeeps bemanning is nie - dit word nou via Kaapstad gedoen.
---------------------------------------------------
It was not possible to gain access to the immigration control at Cape Town International airport - as expected. However, we did get a stamp from a very friendly Customs official.
The immigration office at Cape Town harbour in the Waterfront was a surprise. Old and not very easy to find. But friendly staff gave us a stamp.
In Saldanha Bay we found out that there is no longer an immigration control point for sea crew - it was moved to Cape Town.
Saturday, 28 September 2013
Tracking the progress in real time
Met 'n baie eenvoudige en maklike toepassing is dit nou moontlik om die dag-tot-dag vordering van die toer op 'n elektroniese kaart te volg. Elke dag wanneer ons na 'n volgende grenspos beweeg sal ons 'n GPS sein aktiveer wat die beweging dan op 'n kaart op die Internet sal aandui.
Kyk na: www.glympse.com/!SAportsofentry (let op die uitroep teken en spelling)
Wanneer ons nie beweeg nie (of nie die GPS sein aktiveer nie) sal daar net 'n statiese icon van ons laaste posisie op die kaart verskyn. Sodra ons beweeg en die sein aktiveer sal ons posisie, roete, bestemming, spoed en tyd van aankoms aangedui word.
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It is possible to follow the progress of the tour in real time on a map on the Internet. For more information click on the "Tracking" link on the right hand side.
Kyk na: www.glympse.com/!SAportsofentry (let op die uitroep teken en spelling)
Wanneer ons nie beweeg nie (of nie die GPS sein aktiveer nie) sal daar net 'n statiese icon van ons laaste posisie op die kaart verskyn. Sodra ons beweeg en die sein aktiveer sal ons posisie, roete, bestemming, spoed en tyd van aankoms aangedui word.
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It is possible to follow the progress of the tour in real time on a map on the Internet. For more information click on the "Tracking" link on the right hand side.
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