23 JANUARIE

SOMERSETWEST: BUYERS LINE UP

Phase1ofnewR1.3billionproperty

development sells out in sixweeks

The first phase of The Summer

Club, a R1.3 billion secure eco

and lifestyle estate in Somerset

West, has sold outwithin just six

weeks of launching at prices be-

tweenR650 000andR1.3 million.

Construction has commenced

andoccupationof the first 114apart-

ments is expected at the end of 2014.

The estate enjoys an ideal loca-

tion within Somerset West, being

close to all essential amenities.

Mediclinic Vergelegen as well as

other leadingmedical practices are

located within close proximity to

the estate.

In addition, a Curro Castle Nurs-

ery School and a convenience shop-

ping centre, forming part of the

greater Summer Club development

precinct, are also in the pipeline.

In keeping with the greenery of

theSomersetWestregion, thedevel-

oper has chosen to dedicate 40% of

the estates 42 ha footprint to open,

recreational and green space for its

residents.

The green belt system includes

15 ha of landscaped parks, gardens,

a natural forest with hiking trails

and cycling tracks, and a 6 ha dam

ideal for fishing, rowing, canoeing

and windsurfing.

The three-storey building de-

signed by award-winning archi-

tects Schabort Associates features

ground-floor apartments with spa-

cious gardens while all the apart-

ments on the first and second floors

are cleverly designed with balco-

nies.

The safety and security elements

of the estate are enhanced by state-

of-the-art features including bio-

metric fingerprint access control, a

high-spec electrified perimeter

fence, high-definition perimeter

surveillance cameras, 24-hour

guarding and patrols, and a rapid

internal response system.

Thenext phase is in planning and

will be launched soon.

Prospective buyers should visit

The Summer Club sales office on

site and registernow to secure their

opportunity to invest. For any fur-

ther information, please call the

sales office on 021 202 2200 or email

sales@thesummerclub.co.za. Residents will feel close to nature.

Safety, natural beauty and excellent architectural design offer a happy lifestyle for everyone. Spacious and convenient rooms with spectacular views wowed prospective buyers.

2Districtmail

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

HELDERBERG

3Districtmail

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

HELDERBERG

4Districtmail

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

HELDERBERG

5Districtmail

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

HELDERBERG

6Districtmail

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

HELDERBERG

7Districtmail

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

HELDERBERG

8Districtmail

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

HELDERBERG

9Districtmail

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

HELDERBERG

10

Districtmail

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

HELDERBERG

Biggest and Best Property guide in the Boland

SOLD bied die grootste en maklikste toegang tot die

mark vir eiendomkopers en -verkopers in die Boland.

021 870 4600021 841 4285

021 887 2840

11

Districtmail

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

HELDERBERG

12

Paarl Post

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

PAARL/WELLINGTON

Consider renovatingbefore selling

In the current economic climate

it is often better for homeowners

not to sell theirhomes, but rather

to consider upgrading and reno-

vating as andwhen they have the

spare cash.

Changestoyourexistinghomecan

be done as and when it suits the

homeowners budget and schedule,

and canoften be donewithout incur-

ring severe financial strain.

This is according to Bill Rawson,

Chairman of the Rawson Property

Group,whosaysgrantedthattodays

low interest rates make upgrading

an apparently logical step forward,

there can be occasions when this is

not the best move to make.

He says if the homeowner is at all

unsure about his job prospects and

could bemade redundant, he should

hold back on any further financial

commitments.

He says even if this is not the case,

serious consideration should be giv-

en to improving the existing home

rather than moving elsewhere.

Rawson says the big problem

about taking out a new bond, even

ifasubstantialdeposit ispaid, is that

it usually takes a long time, often as

much as 20 years, to pay it off and

in that time it is quite possible, even

at todays low interest rates, for the

homeowner topay twice theoriginal

buying price by the end of the loan

period.

He says for example, on a R1 mil-

lionbondat8,5%takenover20years,

the borrower would pay just over

R2 million in total the interest paid

beinghigher than theactual amount

paid for the home.

By contrast, the homeownerwho

pays for improvements from his

monthly salary once every three or

four years can add significantly to

the homes value without incurring

any interest charges.

Rawson quoted a Hout Bay home

valued recently by theRawsonProp-

erty Groups franchise for the area

as an example.

Over the years the owner had con-

verted the garage into a study, built

a long front stoep, replaced three

windows with French doors, put in

skylights, aluminium guttering, a

wooden floor in the living area, built

a swimming pool, a more solid

boundary fence and cultivated the

garden to a point where it has be-

come attractive.

Allof these improvements,hesays

have been done without taking out

an extra loan.

Such radical changes can add as

much as 35 to 40% to the value of a

home, which, as in this case, often

has little architectural merit, he

says.

Todays younger generation tend

to see themselves as high flyers and

this is a tendency that I find danger-

ous. It often leads to over-commit-

ment and unhappiness among the

familymembers. My advice to those

people wishing to move up in the

world is to examine carefully the po-

tential for ongoing home upgrades.

Rawson says as the architect

Quentin Miller has said in a public

statement, these changes can be

done as and when it suits the home-

owners budget and schedule and,

while transforming the home can of-

tenbedonewithoutincurringsevere

financial strain.

Property 24

13

Paarl Post

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

PAARL/WELLINGTON

14

Paarl Post

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

PAARL/WELLINGTON

Youdeserve thebestwhensellingyourhome

Youre ready to sell your proper-

ty. And,while youre looking for-

ward to seeing the word SOLD

posted on the curb, you know

theres a lot to consider along the

way.

One of your first decisions is to

select a real estate companyandreal

estate agent wholl join you in the

process says Wayne Heidmann,

team leader of KellerWilliams Cape

Town. You deserve much more

than a sign in the yard, flyers in a

box and an occasional open house.

You deserve an agentwhowill be

at your side from listing to clos-

ing, ensuring that your property

sells easily and that you get the

best possible price for your

home.

The Cape Town KW team will

alsoassistyouwiththefollowing:

Pricingyourhomestrategical-

ly so youre competitive with the

current market and price trend;

Recommending staging strat-

egies for yourhome to cast a posi-

tivelightonthefeaturesmostimpor-

tant to buyers;

Optimising your homes internet

presence, including plenty of photo-

graphs and a description of

your property;

Marketing your propertys

availability via email, direct

mail and through open houses

to find prospective buyers;

Providing you with weekly

updates detailing our market-

ing efforts.

The local real estate market

expertise of our KW team

means were able to interpret

all data that dictate the opti-

mumpricing strategy, so your prop-

erty will be priced to sell, says Hei-

dmann.

Every market is unique from

Johannesburg to Cape Town, the

Northern Cape, the Western Cape

and Port Elizabeth so our market-

ing plans and staging strategies ef-

fectively target and attract your po-

tential buyers. We dig deep to learn

the unique selling points of your

property and neighbourhood. Its a

formula for success. And, of course,

well take the time to listen, under-

standyourchallengesandgoals, and

answer anyquestions youmayhave

along the way.

15

Eikestadnuus

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

STELLENBOSCH

16

Eikestadnuus

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

STELLENBOSCH

17

Eikestadnuus

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

STELLENBOSCH

Strongerhousepricegrowthpredicted for2014

While the average house

price growthwas nominally

lower during 2013 than it

was in 2012, the housing

market is still moving in the

right direction and prices

areonanupwardtrend, says

Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/

MAX of Southern Africa.

The fact is that property re-

mains a solid asset class that

continues to provide buyers

with a good return over the

long term provided the cor-

rect purchasing principles are

applied to the transaction.

Although property prices

are currently only seeing sin-

gle-figure growth, the com-

pound effect of the upward

growth trend of property pric-

eswill positively impact on the

homeowners net worth in the

future, says Goslett.

Potential property buyers

who are waiting in the wings

and holding out for the next

boom are losing valuable

growth as property prices in-

crease yearly.

According to the FNB Prop-

erty Barometers House Price

Index released on 7 January

2014, the average house price

growth rose by 6.8% in 2013,

compared with the 7.1% seen

during 2012.

The important thing when

looking at figures like this is

that although the growth per-

centage may be lower than the

previous year, it is coming off

the back of the previous posi-

tive growth. We have had two

consecutive years of positive

house price growth, which is

remarkable considering that

during the four years prior to

2012 the average real house

price saw a decline. The posi-

tive growth points to the fact

that the property market is

moving in the right direction

and showing an increased de-

mand, says Goslett.

Figures from the FNB Prop-

erty Barometer state that the

average price of homes trans-

actedduring2013wasR891 976,

compared with R835 480 in

2012. According to their data,

these prices are way above the

figures seen a decade ago, with

the average real price for 2013

42.6% higher than the price

seen in 2003. However, that

said, the figure is still 18.5%

lower than the price peak

reached at the height of the

boom in 2007. This data rei-

terates the fact that property

must be viewed as a long-term

investment. While home-

owners who purchased their

property a decade ago are see-

ing significant growth, those

who purchased their property

during the height of the boom

are possibly still seeing a loss

at themoment.However, those

who are able to hold on to their

property will recoup their

losses and see returns on their

investment in the future, says

Goslett.

Although the house price

growth during 2013 may have

not have been as high as 2012,

the property market last year

showed other areas of im-

provement. For example, the

demand-supply balance

showed an increase, rising by

3% on the average market

strength level for 2012. This

could lead to an accelerated

houseprice growthpercentage

during 2014, especially

considering figures show that

residential building activity

slowed in 2013. This will, in es-

sence, further close the gap be-

tween supply and demand.

With demand for housing on

the increase and a slow-down

in building activity, more and

more pressure will be placed

on the current supply of

property, which in turn will

boost house prices. The in-

crease in demand could be at-

tributed to the fact that banks

are relaxing their lending cri-

teria, which has resulted in an

increase in bond approvals in

recent quarters, says Goslett.

With more buyers entering

themarket and lowernumbers

of properties available, we are

likely to see a more competi-

tive property market in 2014,

whichwillbeadvantageous for

those wanting to sell their

homes this year, he con-

cludes.

18

Eikestadnuus

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

STELLENBOSCH

Biggest and Best Property guide in the Boland

SOLD is die mees koste-effektiewe, ho-impak

keuse vir die bemarking van eiendom in die Boland

Paarl Post 021 870 4600District Mail 021 841 4266 Eikestadnuus 021 887 2840

Biggest and Best Property guide in the Boland

SOLD bied die grootste en maklikste

toegang tot die mark vir

eiendomkopers en -verkopers in die

Boland.

021 870 4600

021 841 4285

021 887 2840

23 JANUARIE

ALLWHEELDRIVE: THE LEGEND RETURNS

All-newSubaruWRXSTImakes

internationaldebut

QUICKPIC

F

uji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the

maker of Subaru automobiles, yes-

terday introduced the all-new 2015

WRX STI, Subarus iconic performance

flagship model, at the North American

International Auto Show (NAIAS) in De-

troit.

Powered by the legendary 225 kW 2.5F tur-

bochargedBoxer engine, the 2015WRXSTI

debuts a new four-door wide-body design,

built on a stiffer chassis for even greater

handling agility and precision. The WRX

STI provides a rally-bred drivetrain and all-

wheel drive handling that is unique to this

model. Handling is enhanced with a stiffer

chassis, firmer springs and faster steering

(13.0:1 ratio).

New for the 2015 WRX STI, Active Torque

Vectoring joins an arsenal of the models

proven handling technologies, which in-

clude Multi-Mode Driver Controlled Centre

Differential (DCCD) with Symmetrical All-

Wheel Drive,Multi-Mode Vehicle Dynam-

ics Control, and a Brembo performance

brake system with Super Sport ABS.

The 2015 WRX STI carries its bold person-

ality inside as well, where new Alcantara

seating surfaces, accented by red and black

leather bolsters and red stitching, set the

tone for the upgraded and roomier cabin. A

driver-focused interior remains integral to

the WRX STI performance character, with

the new model debuting a motorsport-in-

spired flat-bottomed steeringwheel andnew

whiplash-reducing performance-designed

front seats with height and tilt-adjustable

head restraints.

The 2015 WRX STI body structure makes

greater use of high-tensile steel than the pre-

vious model and features special stiffening

elementsatkey locations.The stiffer chassis

helps yield a super-quick steering response

thatwas benchmarked against top-handling

sports cars. The 13.0:1 steering ratio pro-

vides a quick 2,5 turns lock-to-lock com-

pared to 14.5:1 and 2,8 for the standard WRX

model.

As on previous WRX STI models, the 2015

version uses an exclusive inverted-strut

front suspension system that provides high-

er levels of cornering agility. Aluminium

front lower L-arms reduce unsprung vehicle

weight. The STI-tuned suspension teams up

with standard 18-inch wheels and 245/40R18

performance tyres.

The 2015WRX STI is powered by a 2.5-litre

turbocharged and intercooled 4-cylinder

Boxer engine that employs a Dual Active

Valve Control System (Dual AVCS). The en-

gine, which is exclusive to the STI model,

produces 225 kW at 6 000 rpm and 393 Nm

of peak torque at 4 000 rpm.

TheWRXSTIengine is teamedexclusively

with a specially reinforced 6-speed manual

transmission. Incline Start Assist can mo-

mentarily prevent the car from rolling back-

ward when being driven away from a stop

on an incline.

The Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE)

powertrain management system allows the

driver to tailor the cars driving characteris-

tics by choosing from three selectablemodes

Intelligent, Sport and Sport Sharp

using a rotary dial on the centre console.

SI-DRIVE alters vehicle performance char-

acteristics by regulating the engine control

module and by fine-tuning the electronic

throttle control system.

Subarus renowned safety package uses

the brands proven Ring-Shaped Reinforce-

ment frame body structure, which has

been shown to excel in thenewsmall overlap

test by the Insurance Institute for Highway

Safety (IIHS). In the cabin, a drivers knee

airbag is added to the roster of safety fea-

tures that includes front side pelvis/torso

airbags and side curtain airbags that offer

front and rear outboard seat coverage.

The all-new WRX STI will participate in

the Nrburgring 24-Hour Race (19-22 June

2014) for the seventh consecutive year, the

new vehicle benefiting from development

honed at the famousGerman race track. The

STI will be aiming for its third victory in

the SP3T class this year, following the previ-

ous win in 2012. Through participation in

this race, which demands speed and stabili-

ty along with endurance and reliability,

Subaru stands to gain further engineering

advantages, which will filter through into

its roadvehicles.As in2013,HideharuTatsu-

mi will take responsibility for team opera-

tionsasTeamManager, alongwith responsi-

bility for vehicle development. Two Europe-

andriverswill be joinedbyJapanesedrivers

Toshihiro Yoshida and Kouta Sasaki.

Subaru Southern Africa marketing man-

ager, Ashley Lazarus, comments: The all-

new SubaruWRX STI subscribes to the hall-

marks of Subaru performance and excite-

ment, the newvehicle exhibiting classic and

trademark Subaru design and performance

elements to once again create a hero in our

rangeofperformance-orientedvehicles.The

all-new STI will be retailed in South Africa

in limitednumbers, the launchdateofwhich

will be confirmed later in 2014, togetherwith

local model specifications and pricing.

The 2015 WRX STI is powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged and intercooled 4-cylinder Boxer engine that employs a Dual Active Valve Con-

trol System (Dual AVCS). PHOTO: QUICKPIC

21

Donderdag

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

AUTO

Mercedes-BenzC300EditionC: theold tricks

HANJO STIER

Can you teach an old dog new

tricks?Perhaps I shouldbecare-

ful here as the dog in this in-

stance is the popular Mercedes-

BenzC-Classandthetrickwould

be their Edition C model. So be-

fore I answer my own question,

lets examine this latest offer

from theworlds favourite luxu-

ry automobile brand.

The C-Class is far from a dog to

look at or drive. Have a good stare

around you in traffic and the im-

pressive quantity of C-Classes will

confirm howmany people chose it.

Even better, there are tons of mod-

els fromthepreviousand theprevi-

ous-previous generation still

gracefully wafting about.

The favoured Mercedes sedan is

classy, pretty and hardy. This cur-

rent one is also nearing the end of

its lifespan,whichiswhere theEdi-

tionC trick comes in. Trick is actu-

ally a nasty word, so lets call it a

persuasion to getmorepeople in-

to the firm, but comfortable seats.

Sales of the internally-known

W204 range are starting to drop off

for a few good reasons.Main rivals

Audi and BMW both have newer

productsandthenextgenerationC-

Class should be here in a year or

so. Its only natural that buyers

look elsewhere and/or wait for the

new one to arrive.

Or is it? Yes, Ill admit that the

C-Class isnt on the same page as

its refurbished rivals, but after

driving it for a week that didnt

bother me the slightest bit. Part of

that was probably the work of the

EditionC package, which compris-

es AMG andAvantgarde styling as

well as the 7G-Tronic automatic

gearbox.

Another fact to consider is that

this model is at the peak of its life.

Its had a facelift and all niggles are

ironed out bynow, so youll be buy-

ing a highly accomplished car. My

folks have inadvertently done that

a few times and never regretted it,

also because you get a better deal

and more freebies (e.g. Edition C).

Mercedes-Benz South Africa ex-

tends the Edition C offer to other

models, such as the popular C180;

and the most bespoke model is our

C300 test unit with a 3.5 F 24-valve

petrol V6, sporting 185 kW or

340 Nm.

Derived from the C350s latest-

generation 225 kW motor, this en-

ginemayalso be a swansongof nat-

urallybreathing,meatyV6sbefore

Mercsticksa turbochargeroneach

cylinder bank. And just like its do-

nor engine, this one has a lovely

deep growl as it digs into low-rev

torque, but will also yell to almost

7 000 rpm.

Claimed fuel consumption is

8,7F/100km, which seems spot-on.

Around town with start/stop sys-

tem itll drink about ten, but cruis-

ing just below the national speed

limit, our C300 Edition C ap-

proached seven. We heard a bit of

wind noise from the square-ish

mirrors and those good-looking

five-spoke low-profile wheels rum-

ble a bit.

They also make the ride slightly

harshoverruttedsurfaces,butpro-

vide heaps of grip. Many attempts

at breaking the Mercs composure

failed, it has slightly vague steer-

ing, a bit of body roll and a lacklus-

tre gearbox, but still leaves enough

excitement for an enthusiastic

journey up or around a mountain.

Obviously you also get a full

range of safety and comfort fea-

tures, the C300 Edition C distin-

guishing itself by a media inter-

face, rear seat through-load,Artico

leather and alcantara trim with

bluestitching.The fantastic Intelli-

gent Light system and a full 6-

year/120 000 kmmaintenance plan

are also included in the price of

R499 443.

If youre in themarket for aMerc

and tempted by this car, I have a

suggestion. Buy an Edition C now

and put your name on the waiting

list for the next C-Class. Once that

arrives you can trade this one in

and Im sure youll get a good price

for it. After all, its a C-Class with

lots of special bits on it. Good dog,

great trick.

Derived from the C350s latest-generation 225 kW motor, this engine may also be a swansong of naturally

breathing, meaty V6s before Merc sticks a turbocharger on each cylinder bank. PHOTO: QUICKPIC

22

Donderdag

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

AUTO

23

Donderdag

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

SOLD

AUTO

DeVilliers enVonZitzewitzwen laastedag

QUICKPIC

Giniel deVilliers enDirk von Zit-

zewitz (Toyota Imperial Hilux)

het Saterdag die 13e en laaste

sneltrajek van die 2014-Dakar-

veldtydren in Suid-Amerika ge-

wen. Hulle is by die eindpunt in

die Chileaanse hawestad Valpa-

raiso in die vierde plek algeheel

bevestig n die marathon-ren

deur Argentini en Chile, wat op

5 Januarie inRosario begin en al-

tesaam 9 500 kilometer behels

het.

Die 2009-Dakar-kampioene het die

T1.1-klas vir omgeboude petrolaan-

gedrewe 4x4-veldrenvoertuie die

derde jaar n mekaar gewen, nadat

hulle in 2012 derde en in 2013 tweede

in hul trots Suid-Afrikaanse Hilux

4x4s was.

Hul spanmaats, Leeroy Poulter en

Rob Howie, het hul oornagposisie

van 36e verbeter deur die sneltrajek

oor 157 km tussen La Serena en Val-

paraisoindie12eplektevoltooi.Hul-

le hetPoulter se eersteDakar-byeen-

koms in n kredietwaardige 33e plek

algeheel afgesluit.

Vier ander Hilux 4x4s van Suid-

Afrikaanse herkoms het onder die

voorste 25 geindig. Die Poolse jaers

MarekDabrowski en JacekCzachor

vandieBelgieseOverdrive-spanwas

sewende,hulmakkersAdamMalysz

en Rafal Marton was 13e, en Aidyn

Rakhambayev en Vladimir Demya-

nenko van Kazakstan was 17e. Die

Suid-Afrikaanse private jaers, Tho-

mas Rundle en JuanMohr, het n in-

drukwekkende25eplek inhul eerste

Dakar indiegeweseDeVilliers/Von

Zitzewitz-Hilux wat in verlede jaar

se ren tweede was, beklink.

Die Overdrive-Toyotas was twee-

de,derdeenvyfdeindieT1.1-klaster-

wyl Rundle en Poulter onderskeide-

lik agtste en 13e was.

Die Spaanse jaerNani Roma en sy

Franse navigator,Michel Perin (Mi-

ni), het die renmet 5min 38 sek voor

hul spanmaats, die verdedigende

kampioeneStphanePeterhansel en

Jean Paul Cottret van Frankryk, en

56min52sekvoordieoudkampioene

Nasser Al-Attiyah van Qatar en sy

Spaanse navigator, Lucas Cruz, ge-

wen. De Villiers en Von Zitzewitz

was 1 uur 19 min en 7 sek agter die

wenners en 8min 37 sek voor dieAr-

gentynse jaerOrlandoTerranova en

sy Portugese navigator, Paulo Fiuza

(Mini).

Dit voel altyd goed om di ren te

voltooi. Dit is die langste enmoeilik-

ste motorren ter wreld, en vanjaar

se weergawe was die moeilikste wat

ons tot dusver nog in Suid-Amerika

gehad het, het De Villiers ges.

Dit is teleurstellend dat ons nie

weer op die podium is nie, maar ons

moet realistieswees.Onshetonsbes

gedoen,maar kon net nie by die ver-

rigting van dieMinis bly nie veral

nie op die groot hoogtes bo seevlak

waar dele van die roete ons geneem

het nie. Ons het aan die begin te veel

tyd met ons probleme met die hi-

drouliese stelsels verloor.Dit is in n

ren wat s moeilik as vanjaar sn

was, onmoontlik om verlore tyd in

te haal.

Ek wil my span bedank vir die

skitterende werk wat hulle gedoen

het. Ons het weereens bewys dat die

Hilux betroubaar is en sal terug in

Suid-Afrika werk daarvan gaan

maak om ons voertuig se verrigting

nog verder te verbeter en aanstaan-

de jaar beter doen. Ek wil ook Nani,

StphaneenNassergelukwenshul-

le het daarin geslaag omhul posisies

in die algehele uitslag te behou.

Glyn Hall: Ons moet onder die

omstandighede baie tevrede wees

met die feit dat altwee voertuie die

eindpuntgehaalhet, endatGiniel en

Dirk een van die voorste vier oor die

wenstreep is.Hullemoetnadie rels

kyk ons is nie op gelyke voet wat

verrigting betref nie, aangesien ons

dienouste lugbeperkervandievoor-

jaers het. Dit was goed dat ons die

laaste sneltrajek gewenhet ditwas

Giniel se 14e sneltrajek-oorwinning

en is n goeie manier om die ren,

wat uiteindelik n baie uitdagende

tweewekewas, af te sluit.Leeroyhet

bewys dat hydie spoedhet om n toe-

komstige aanspraakmaker te wees

enhy sal grootmunt slaanuit die er-

varingwat hy inhierdie ren,wat die

moeilikste was sedert die byeen-

koms vyf jaar gelede van Afrika na

Suid-Amerika verskuif het, opge-

doen het.

n Gelukkige Poulter het by die

eindpunt ges hy is baie in sy nop-

pies. Om sneltrajek 3 inArgentini

te wen, was n hoogtepunt net soos

dit is om die Dakar inmy eerste pro-

beerslag te voltooi, het hy ges toe

hyenHowie,wataansyderdeDakar

deelgeneem het, hulle voorberei het

om tot by die seremonile podium

voor derduisende aanhangers in n

feestelike atmosfeer by die Plaza So-

tomayor te ry.

Ons was net n paar nagte gelede

nog in die woestyn gestrand terwyl

ons op ons ondersteuningsvragmo-

torgewaghet.Onshetgedinkditwas

neusie verby. Ons het eers twee-uur

dieoggendbydieoornaghalteaange-

kom en moes sewe-uur weer vir die

volgende sneltrajek gereed wees.

Ons het sedertdien telkens ver agter

weggespring en moes in die stof ag-

ter die stadiger motors en vragmo-

torsaansukkel.Ditwasntaaileerer-

varing,maarekhetnou nbaiebeter

idee waaroor hierdie ren eintlik

gaan en sal aanstaande jaar baie be-

ter voorbereid wees

Giniel de Villiers en sy spanmaat Dirk von Zitzewitz ry hier bo-oor die podium tydens die laaste dag van die

Dakar-veldwedren. FOTO: QUICKPIC

24

Donderdag

23 Januarie, 2014

BOLAND

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