Zimbabwe adventure, August 2024

[Gunga Din]

Morning all,
A few pictures from our recent trip to Zimbabwe.  We travelled from Durban, South Africa up to the Eastern highlands of Zimbabwe via Beit Bridge  and Masvinga to Chipinda Pools, Gonarazhou National Park. We camped there for 8 days then plodded westwards to Bulawayo to visit the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. We camped at Lake Kyle for a few nights. We also visited the Matopas and hiked to the grave site of Cecil John Rhodes. Then trekked home. We did 3500km in the four weeks. Zimbabwe is an amazing country to visit with incredible landscapes, wildlife and friendly people. There were eight of us in three trucks. A 109" series one, my 2a SWB and a mid 1990s Defender. We are planning to visit again next year November but taking our 109" 2a station wagon instead of the 90. (Hope our little adventure is of interest to some)
Graham

[diffwhine]

It is for me... I used to live there! Great photos and glad you had a good time.

[Gunga Din]

Thanks Mark. Zim is full of series landrovers. On one farm we visited there was a mine protected 2a LWB. The armour plating has been removed but you could clearly see were it was once welded to the chassis. These were heavy deflector plates welded under the vehicle extending across the footwells and around the bulkhead. There were also plates welded under the vehicle, not to protect the vehicle but to deflect the mine blast away and hopefully give the occupants a better chance of survival. In a scrap yard near Esigodini I found another. In another we also came across a 2a forward control ambulance and loads of series ones including several 80"s. All were mostly complete just ending their days standing out in the open. At the railway museum in Bulawayo is an interesting armoured vehicle based on a 109" 2a that was used to patrol the rail line that leads to Maputo. It was in use during the Rhodesian bush war. I took a lot of pictures of it that I will post up in the next few days. Because of sanctions following UDI, Rhodesia was isolated and fought a terrorist war for 8 years alone. A lot of their mine proofed vehicles were based on land rover chassis. The Rhino and Kudu were the most well known. These vehicles were used to ferry / carry civilians about, including school children, farmers,farm workers, nurses and nuns amongst others. Landrovers built Rhodesia and their legacy is evident everywhere in Zim. Next year when we return, we are going to follow up on the stories behind some of the vehicles we found.

[diffwhine]

I completely forgot you were going. I'd have sent you to our house in Harare to give my two Series Ones a run up. I haven't had them out since before lockdown, so its time they were give some time back out in the bush!