LANDROVING IN KZN

February 2007

LAND ROVER AND MISS SOUTH AFRICA 

SPONSORED MISS SA FREELANDER 2 REAFFIRMS LAND ROVER'S EXTENSIVE COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Land Rover is one of the most steadfastly innovative, pioneering and adventurous automotive brands in the world, but it isn't all just about mud-flinging and bundu-bashing. This legendary marque has now aligned itself with South Africa's most prestigious and glamorous annual event – the Miss South Africa competition. 

As part of its official sponsorship programme for the pageant, Miss South Africa 2006, Megan Coleman, will be handed the keys to a brand new Freelander 2 – the latest and highly anticipated version of this popular sports utility vehicle. 

The original Freelander was launched in 1997, and proved immensely successful around the world. The exciting all-new 2007 Freelander 2 continues this legacy with the promise of even greater levels of comfort, luxury, space, safety, performance and all-terrain ability. 

Although Coleman received a Discovery 3 at the official hand-over function held at Land Rover Waterford near Fourways on Tuesday 16 January, she will enjoy the use of a Freelander 2 once this exciting new model is launched in April.

 "Land Rover South Africa elected to become involved in the Miss South Africa competition last year as we believe the event and Miss SA possess similar qualities to Land Rover that would make it a mutually beneficial partnership, and this includes charisma, prestige, refinement and finesse," explains Dawid van der Merwe, sales and marketing director for Land Rover SA.  

At face value, the synergies between Land Rover and a glamorous pageant may not seem all that obvious, but as Van der Merwe explains, Land Rover's modern product range is more sophisticated and upmarket than ever before, while retaining the essential off-road heritage and legendary ability that remains fundamental to the brand. 

"Land Rover may be based on a tough 4x4 image, but with progressive and dynamic products such as the Discovery 3, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and the upcoming Freelander, we are attracting new customers that demand more style, luxury, refinement, sophistication and class – qualities that are reflected in our current line-up, and the Miss South Africa competition." 

However, this partnership goes beyond simply supplying transport for the glamorous and high-profile title-holder. Indeed, Land Rover's involvement extends to Miss South Africa's nominated support programme for the Tapologo Aids Hospice. 

Situated between Rustenburg and Sun City, the Tapologo sanctuary provides ongoing care and support programmes for those living with HIV. Tapologo means "place of rest and peace" – a fitting and poignant description of this remarkable facility. 

Coleman will be the face of Sun International's Tapologo Aids Hospice throughout the year of her reign. The Freelander 2 will assist her while travelling around the country, while Land Rover SA will extend its support by providing additional resources for the Tapologo facility and the associated Miss SA campaign. 

Cont’d later

Future Events for your Diary

TRAIL GRADING All our events from now on will have a Trail Grading according to the 5 grades below.

1.       Complete novice soft dirt road trail, no low range required. Suitable for all Land Rovers including the Freelander.

2.       Limited low range required but suitable for the novice driver. Suitable for all Land Rovers with certain trails not suitable for the Freelander.

3.       Low range and limited off road knowledge required. Suitable for all Land Rovers except the Freelander.

4.       A low range technical trail suitable for the experienced. The inexperienced will be able to do the trail, as assistance will be available from the more experienced members. Suitable for all Land Rovers except the Freelander.

5.       Extremely technical, suitable for the experienced only with the possibility of vehicle damage. Only suitable for "Series" Land Rovers and maybe a few others.

LAND ROVER AND MISS SOUTH AFRICA      Cont’d

Land Rover is currently involved in a large number of social responsibility programmes, including the Venetia-Limpopo Wild Dog Project, Kingsley Holgate's African Rainbow Expedition and his 'One Net One Life' campaign to distribute mosquito nets throughout Southern Africa in an effort to save lives through malaria prevention. 

"We feel that Land Rover's ongoing commitment to social responsibility complements that of the Miss SA organisation, and our alignment to the Tapologo programme makes perfect sense in the context of our sponsorship of this competition, and our broader community involvement," Van der Merwe says. 

"We trust that our combined efforts will benefit the facility, its dedicated staff and patients, continuing Tapologo's legacy as a place of hope, healing and compassion." 

The Tapologo Aids Hospice is very dear to highly motivated 21-year-old Coleman, a part-time model and media communications and marketing graduate from Hillcrest in KwaZulu-Natal. 

"My heart lies with Tapologo," she says. "We visited the facility with Land Rover during the Miss SA competition, and it impacted on my life in a big way. It made me realise how severe the HIV problem really is in South Africa. 

"I am very happy that Land Rover is involved in the project as well, and we will definitely be at Tapologo as much as possible during the year, and I hope that we can make a real difference there." 

One of Coleman's stated objectives is to establish workshops that promote the value of women in society by encouraging a sense of self-worth, and the Tapologo project is an important step towards achieving this goal. 

With her stunning good looks, undeniable charm and outgoing personality, Coleman experienced a meteoric rise to stardom, being crowned Miss Ushaka in 2005 and following this up with South Africa's premier Miss SA crown in December 2006. 

Indeed, her automotive exposure has followed a similar path, progressing virtually overnight from a VW Citi Golf to the luxury of a sponsored Land Rover.  

"I am very excited about driving a Land Rover," Coleman says. "I've always thought of Land Rover as a man's vehicle, and I am certainly looking forward to changing stereotypes. 

"It's also nice that this vehicle is something different as Land Rover has never sponsored Miss South Africa before.

LAND ROVER SETS GLOBAL SALES RECORD IN 2006   Gaydon, Warwickshire 5th January, 2007

Land Rover has achieved a global sales record for the second year running. In 2006, the 4x4 manufacturer sold 192,500 vehicles around the world, an increase of 4 per cent (8,500 vehicles) on the previous year.

The year saw the USA become Land Rover's largest single market with a sales increase of 3.5 per cent. Sales in the highly competitive US market were driven by the phenomenal success of the Range Rover Sport, which saw an 80 per cent growth. There was also significant progress in emerging markets like Russia, which saw its sixth successive year of growth, and the Middle East and North Africa region where sales increased by 54 per cent and 43 per cent respectively.

In the UK, sales of Range Rover Sport and Range Rover increased by 52 per cent and 12.5 per cent respectively in a year which saw the run out of Freelander, which ceased production in July. The all new Freelander 2 only went on sale in the UK in December, but still notched up nearly 900 sales in this traditionally short sales month.

Phil Popham, Land Rover's Global Managing Director, said, "This is a fantastic achievement given we were without our volume product for most of the year and provides a firm foundation for the launch of the all new Freelander 2, a vehicle designed for a global market. We need to maintain this momentum in 2007 and continue to make progress in new markets."

Land Rover's modern, clean and efficient diesel engines are now dominating the UK market, accounting for 92 per cent of sales. Demand for the new TDV8 Range Rover saw diesel derivatives of the model surge by 145 per cent in the final quarter of last year.

John Edwards, Land Rover's UK Managing Director, said, "The Range Rover is the UK's best selling luxury car and with this new engine customers can get petrol levels of performance with a 32 per cent improvement in fuel economy."

Sales of Range Rover Sport have exceeded 75,000 since its launch to become Land Rover's best selling model. Discovery 3 continues to collect critical accolades with 85 international awards to date.

MORE MUSCLE : Land Rover Eyes V8 LR2  (Freelander)                   

Land Rover's replacement for the  Freelander could move even further upmarket if the company green-lights a version powered by the Yamaha-provided narrow-angle 4.4-liter V8 seen in the Volvo S80.

Because the new LR2 employs many major components and chassis modules used to build the Volvo, replacing the Volvo straight-6 engine used in the regular LR2 with the V8 would be a straightforward swap.

The biggest obstacle may be pricing, an issue exacerbated by the recent decline of the dollar that makes all European products more costly. "It is a question of, if we did it, how many could we sell and could we extract the cost of the development," said Richard Beattie, executive vice president of marketing and sales for Land Rover North America. "What could we sell it for? Fifty-thousand?"

At that price, shoppers would consider some upmarket alternatives, he said. The supercharged editions of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport account for between 5 and 10 percent of those models' sales, but customers don't flinch at the price tags of the blown versions because of the strength of the Range Rover's image, Beattie continued.

Chief program engineer Andrew Foster feigned ignorance of the exploration of a V8 LR2, saying with a grin, "Hmm, that's an interesting idea. We hadn't thought of that."

Lead exterior designer Earl Beckles, however, admitted that he would very much like a chance to do a sportier-looking, lowered, street-oriented version of the LR2. The 311 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque of the V8 would add considerable zip to the chubby 4,255-pound LR2, in comparison to the 230 hp and 234 lb-ft of the inline-6 that is standard equipment for the U.S. model.

But a racy two-door version of the LR2 is out of the question, despite the potentially better styling in a vehicle that appeals to a younger audience.

"The whole door issue is very significant," said Beattie, "because the two-door looks better." The company offered a two-door version of the old Freelander in other markets, but it sold poorly, so the company has dropped the idea for the new generation, he said. "The reality is that because it is a utility vehicle, they want that utility [of four doors]."

What this means to you: A 311-horsepower "budget Cayenne" could be real fun.

The LROC KZN year runs from January to December, which means that your subscription for the year 2007 is now due. Subs are R120.00 per member per annum. If you have not received a notice of Subscription Renewal please contact the  Membership Secretary, Henry Cochrane. 

18^th Annual General Meeting – LROC KZN

Date                 : 24 February 2007

Time                : 15h30 for 16h00

Venue              : Eston Farmers Club -   Eston

The AGM weekend will take the form of a camp over weekend. For the non campers Eston is close to PMB or Durban to attend as a day event. The plan for the weekend is as follows :

·         Camping is available from Friday afternoon, 23 Feb .

·         Saturday 24 Feb :        08h30 1^st Gates Event for 2007 in the quarry above the Club.

·         Saturday 24 Feb :       15h30 for 16h00. The 18^th AGM of the LROC KZN in the Eston Farmers Club House.

·         Saturday after the AGM a LROC sponsored braai for the members who have booked with George Goswell on the lawn in front of the club house. 

·          Booking cut off date for the braai is Friday 16 February 2007. Below is a list of the members who have booked for the braai. If your name is not on the list you have until Friday 16 February to book with George. 

·         Sunday 25 Feb :  09h30. A short scenic drive in the Tala Valley with a lunch stop at the dam. It’s a BYO braai for lunch with a few fires being lit by the LROC.   Trail grade 3

 NOTE :

        The Eston Farmers Club has offered the LROC the use of the facilities for free providing that we support the Eston Club. The Club has a full bar and kitchen and all meals can be arranged at a very reasonable cost. Please do not bring along your braai’s to braai on the Clubs premises.

·         The Clubs sports field ablutions will be available for the campers.

·          Camping is free for those who support the Eston Farmers Club. 

·          It’s your Club and now is the time to complain or contribute to the success of the LROC KZN.

PLEASE NOTE : The following members need to make an effort to be at the AGM.

Gary Evangelista                                       Lloyd Wing

Craig de Winnaar                                      Eric Mc Millan

Graeme Poulson                                       Ken & Betty Gordon

Wesley Goldstone                                    Tim Foley

Fred Meyer                                                Trevor Budde

The following list of members have booked for the AGM braai.

Henry Cochrane                                        Dave King

Jimmy Oates                                            Rob de Robillard

Don Erwin                                                 Gary van Schoor

Selwyn Ambler                                          Mike Cullen

Geoff Spering                                            Rob Grobler

Adrian Moore                                             Peter Bassett

Ryan van Wijngaard                                 Gunther Kanz

TRIP DOWN THE TRANSKEI COAST – 27 DECEMBER 2006                    By :ROZANNA STONE

Being our first trip with the Land Rover Club of KZN and our first family camping trip ever, we were not sure what to expect, but we had been looking forward to this trip since meeting at Henry’s house in Amanzimtoti in October.

27/12/2006            DAY ONE

We met with 9 Land Rovers at the Ultra City in Umgababa (outside Amanzimtoti) at 6h30.  At first we saw only one Disco and thought: ‘oh no, what if it’s just us’ until we drove to the back of the Garage and saw them all lined up next to each other, some with trailers, some with roof top tents and all full of gear in the back – what a sight.

There were 2 x Disco 2’s, 1 x disco 3, 1 x 90 Defender, 4 x 110 Defenders and 1 x 27yr old Range Rover (which had gone on ahead of us).

After a short while we were on our way with Gary Clinton in his 90 Defender plus trailer leading the way.  Gary had bought his German Shepherd Apollo who became our very trusty and reliable guard dog.  A quick stop in Port Edward meant a last decent loo stop for us ladies (4 only) and we met up with Rob in his Range Rover.  Before we knew it we had driven over the Mtamvuna River bridge which marks the border between KZN and the Transkei, and took a left turn at a local spaza, sign posted Mtentu / Mnyameni onto a dirt road where some stopped to let down tyres.  

Drove down a long dry dirt road through some gum trees to a lovely spot called Mnyameni.  Along the way we were greeted by many young children who appeared running full speed out of the sparsely located rural huts, asking for sweets, and the closer we got to our destination, the older children asked for jobs.  Some of the boys ran about 7 km as the Landy’s in the front had obviously promised them a job at the campsite.  We could not believe how those boys ran, without shoes or stopping at all. 

The spot at Mnyameni that we had hoped for was clear and big enough for 9 Landy’s. A few of the locals who had run so far were employed to dig the long drop (which my 7 yr old said was so deep it goes straight to hell!), to help erect tents and do dishes etc. Paul and I decided to use our own boys (age 7 and 11) so that they could learn about camping although my 7yr old learnt very quickly to do a disappearing act when it came to hard work - his time will come!

Some of the locals hung around for a while but left as soon as another party of campers arrived. We parked in a lager and erected our tents and got lunch going.  It was time to relax, chat, go for walks and take in the beautiful environment. Six people on horses appeared from no-where and trotted past us to ‘who-knows-where’ – obviously on a guided tour.   A black cow and her calf spent a lot of time staring at us.  In the early evening clouds came over and it rained on and off throughout the night.  The cold front had claimed us and was not to let go for a few more days . . .

28/12/2006           DAY TWO

I woke up at about 5h45 to the cacophony of birds getting on with their morning business – different birds to Westville.  It wasn’t long before everyone else was awake and after breakfast and packing up we were ready to move on - at about 8h30.  A couple of km’s along the way our ‘sweeper’ Henry informed us by radio that one of the Disco’s whose trailer was carrying a scrambler had snapped.  Glen did not want to hold us back and said he would leave the bike with some other campers, drive to Durban, have the trailer repaired and then go home. 

This was when I noticed the amazing attitude of helpfulness among the convoy.  Gary would not hear of leaving anyone behind and drove back to the camp and made a plan - as he said he would do.  He took the front tyre off the bike and attached the bike to the back of the Disco where it trailed for the next two days, very successfully.  Being Glen’s first trip, he must have been amazed at the helpfulness of people he had met for the first time the day before. 

Our next delay was getting Richard, in his 110 Defender, out of the mud. No problem for this bunch of guys who know all about team work and the rest of us who waited patiently – I learnt very quickly that this is a game of team work and patience, especially since you don’t know when it will be your Landy needing help out of a sticky situation.

After a total delay of about two hours we were on our way again. The long hilly road, lined with the odd corn and amadumbe crop, was lovely and slippery and I learnt to close my window when driving through thick black mud!   We arrived at Mnyameni Falls at about 14h00 – a breathtaking site. The waterfall cascades in huge giant steps before disappearing off a very steep drop. At the bottom is a small sandy beach, which would be lovely to visit one day.

After a half hour stop we were on our way again.  We drove quite a distance, often through some excellent black sludge, and all we could see were these stunning expanding hills of green, which unravelled into the ocean.  There were two clusters of rural huts that were so remote; one just wonders if they even know there is another world out here.  This was the place where we saw a huge cow with horns going in different directions!  For some reason some guys in the convoy had different ideas of where to camp and we stopped and waited for a decision to be made.  Paul and I eventually took a drive to find Gary waiting for the convoy at the top of a hill. Joining the convoy again we drove down to the Sikombe River Mouth (Mosquito Bay),South side which, as the crow flies, was about 2 km from our first campsite, but because of the river and having to navigate around it, it took us about five hours to get there.

The drive down was testing at times because it had been drizzling all afternoon and we even lost some of the convoy for a short while.   We found a natural flat site surrounded by trees and set up a tight camp.  Only four locals had followed us there, which made a nice change from the horde we’d had at Mnyameni. Some relief from the inclement weather and some of us walked down to the river mouth and beach where there is a remnant of a shipwreck. As we were cooking supper the rain came down really hard so some ate and went to bed and some managed to socialise a bit.  I think we were all pretty bushed at this stage.                               Cont’d next month

Hi George

Many thanks for running my request for doors for my Landy. I had three responses from the ad and had acquired five new doors from fellow members. Next job is a complete refit and paint job for Dusty, my V8 110 !!!

Well done in 2006 and best wishes for 2007. I certainly hope that I and my family will be able to participate more in club events this year - work commitments permitting.

It is always a pleasure to keep in touch through the newsletter if unable to attend.

Kind regards 
Kevin Davis

NOTE : 5 Hour recovery at the back of Botha’s Hill along with the basic recovery equipment that one need to carry.

Last Modified : 05/02/2007 15:20