This is the story & pics of Rob Wallace and his family, in his own words:
"In October 1970, before I went to work in Greece, I sold my beautiful Ford Capri and bought a VW Beach Buggy for a last African adventure, a trip along the coast of Mozambique, from Lourenco Marques (now Maputo) to Beira and back through Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
I had such fun with the vehicle that i didn't sell it as planned, and it accompanied me on the SA Vaal to Southampton, where we explored the Home Counties and London for a couple of months. The following Spring, I fetched it and we drove across Europe to Greece. We broke down outside Lucerne in Switzerland (Mozambican beach sand had worn down the cylinder walls), and I had an unforgettable few days in Kussnacht-am-Rigi while waiting for it to be repaired.
We had more adventures in Greece, before I sold it and bought a slinky little yellow Fiat 128 Coupé, which i went to fetch in Rome in a Friday evening traffic jam, and drove it back to Athens. When it came time to return to South Africa, I upgraded to my dream car, a metallic green BMW 2002tii, of which I took delivery in Munich soon after Natasha was born in 1974. It lasted me through thick and thin for 23 years, before Natasha wrote it off in an unfortunate crash in our neighbourhood in 1997.
Most of these pictures scanned from my collection of colour slides."
The new beach buggy parked on the lawn in front of Lothlorien, the bachelor house in Linksfield, Johannesburg, which I shared with 8 other guys in 1969/1970.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide1.jpg[/img]
Housemates and friends posing with the new beach buggy in Front of Lothlorien, our bachelor house in Linksfield, Johannesburg.
Left front and back are Liz and John Fawbert, who later married, centre is Andy Pliska, and right, Tony Swill.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide2.jpg[/img]
Andy Pliska (who did the Mozambique trip with me) and I pose in front of the Beach Buggy at Lothlorien before setting out.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide3.jpg[/img]
At the summit of the Long Tom Pass in the Eastern Transvaal (now Mpumalanga), celebrating with a beer. The low centre of gravity and 18-inch rear tires gave us an exhilarating fast ride down the other side of the Pass, and I fell in love with the Beach Buggy right then.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide4.jpg[/img]
Hunting for gold. A side trip to an old gold mine in the Eastern Transvaal near Lydenburg. Andy Pliska writing up his journal.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide5.jpg[/img]
Camping at Xai-Xai on the Mozambique coast
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide6.jpg[/img]
Camping at Xai-Xai on the Mozambique coast. Andy's "morning glory"
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide7.jpg[/img]
Parked outside the Ambassador Hotel in Salisbury (now Harare), Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), in September or October 1970.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide8.jpg[/img]
Stopping for a seaside Laurentina Beer on the Mozambique coast.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide9.jpg[/img]
Heading north in Mozambique. When we weren't driving on the beach, we spent a lot of time on dirt roads like this.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide10.jpg[/img]
Another stop for a beer at a rural trading store in Mozambique. The locals always very excited about our vehicle.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide11.jpg[/img]
On the beach in Mozambique. Somewhere near Inhambane. (Praia de Tofo?)
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide12.jpg[/img]
On the beach (possibly Praia de Tofo) near Inhambane. Andy pliska with a couple called Bob and Connie whom we met in Inhambane.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide13.jpg[/img]
On the beach (possibly Praia de Tofo) near Inhambane. Andy pliska with a couple called Bob and Connie whom we met in Inhambane.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide14.jpg[/img]
With some Rhodesian tobacco farmers and their families whom we met on the beach. Les Jellicoe and Dan someone. I have often wondered what became of these guys and their kids during Zimbabwe's tortured development over the last 38 years.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide15.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide16.jpg[/img]
At a shipwreck on the beach at Ponta do Barra Falsa, near Inhambane, Mozambique.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide17.jpg[/img]
Andy and I taking a break on the beach in Mozambique.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide18.jpg[/img]
On the beach in Mozambique. An overnight campsite.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide19.jpg[/img]
My Mother, Joy and Wendy having a ride, at Inyanga in Rhodesia, October 1970.
[img]http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/AutoCuriose/ZA%20Buggy/Slide20.jpg[/img]
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