Please note that I am under no conditions endorsing, publicizing or promoting Toyota in any way. These are my own personal views and opinions.
Now most of the guests who have visited Vuyani Safari Lodge are most familiar with Safari vehicle we use to conduct our Game Drives on Moditlo Private Game Reserve. This is not just your standard “going for a Sunday drive” type of car; this is more like a TANK. These cars are very popular in South Africa mostly because of their durability and brute strength. The one at the lodge has been converted into a Game Drive vehicle and fitted with 9 bucket seats and a seat right at the front where our tracker Uyai sits. It has two fuel tanks and can hold about 150 liters of Diesel at a time. It has been equipped with a ferocious looking bullbar that stretches almost entirely around the whole of the vehicle. This car looks like it means business – and if you were ever on Safari with Pierre or Jesse you know exactly what I mean! I am talking about the Toyota Land Cruizer. 
In my career as a guide I was privileged enough to drive one of these monsters and there were some hairy moments during the rainy season where I thought to myself this might be the end of my beloved Land Cruizer. But without fail he made it out of the mud, water, sand and some more mud every time. Often it would take a good 2 hours to get him out of these situations – but in the end he pulled through and his strength never seized to amaze me. The cruizer reminds me a little of the Incredible hulk – he is a gentle giant that goes nearly wherever you steer him, but when the sand gets a bit thick he doesn’t seem to enjoy it and the roaring of his engine will make you aware of this.
I have seen guides drive in places where cars were never meant to be driven; actually I think if I had a horse it would have struggled. But the cruizer slowly but surely made its way through the thicket to surprise the guests with an amazing Leopard or Lion sighting.
I never get the opportunity to leave the lodge and go with the guys on Safari much. But when I do I am always amazed at how they handle this vehicle. It is as if they have driven it their whole lives. There were some intense moments that I thought not even my faithful cruizer will make it through – but then the guide would put the car in four wheel drive and we would sit there while the old boy made his way slowly up the highest embankment that I have ever seen. Once at the top the four wheel would be disengaged and the car transformed into a “rollecoaster” – guests throw their hands in the air and hoot with delight as the Cruizer flies down the hill and into a small stream of water.
The big boy also had his fair share of “ailments” I remember at one stage we had a problem with the battery draining constantly and we had to push start more than a couple of times. Specifically I remember two occasions. One where I had to go and “rescue” the guests with our pickup truck and everyone squashed in the back! Loads of fun was had. And the second memory is more of a humorous nature. It was in the morning and myself, Gerard, Pierre, Christopher and Philla had to push start the Cruizer up a small slope (in front of the lodge) – now bear in mind that this car weighs over a ton. So you have to put your weight behind it to make it move even slightly. All of us were really making an effort and some of our guests were standing by the front door observing. I was giving it all I had and looked to my right to see if Gerard was also putting his back into it – the next minute Gerard lost his footing on the stones and went down like a sack of potatoes. Now you have to picture that we all work together and when one of us fall down we laugh first and then make sure there are no injuries. I distinctly remember Philla laughing so hard that he could not even look anyone in the eye. Myself, Christopher and Pierre burst out (and Pierre has the most infectious laugh) Gerard jumped up as if nothing had happened – playing it very cool. At that specific moment we had forgotten that some of our Guests were standing in the doorway and they burst out laughing – which of course set all of us off again. I just kept yelling to Pierre to hit the brakes as none of us had an ounce of strength to keep the Cruizer from running back down the slope. Gerard turned as red as a beet, and other than his ego being crushed he only had a couple of bumps and bruises on his knees. After that episode we replaced the battery and the Cruizer is back to his indestructible self.
If you are still to come to the lodge you will have the pleasure of going on Safari in the Cruizer and you will see exactly what I mean. We have a sign on the back of it that reads: “Land Cruizer, because everything else just sucks” and truer words were never spoken.
*I apologize to Gerard for re telling this story – but you have to admit it was really funny 🙂
*Justine
