Dear dad, with love

Published Jun 10, 2013

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Durban - There are only so many shirts or pairs of socks you can buy for a man. Aftershave is equally boring. But if he’s the kind of guy who loves his rough stuff, his outdoor adventures, or bundu-bashing his 4x4 off the beaten track, there’s a selection of goodies he might need or not yet have bought for himself.

If you’re going really big, you might want to go the whole hog and order him the new Audi Q5, a beast without parallel.

The awesome vehicle will not only make him feel like the king of the road, but is also spacious enough for the family – and then some – and ideal for long journeys, where comfort, style and performance are prerequisites.

You won’t get much change from your R620 000 if you opt for the Q5 3.0 TDI SE S Tronic.

It comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect, like ESP with hill-descent control, roof rails in aluminium, including two roof cross members, as well as driver information system with efficiency programme, among a host of other goodies.

The look on his face when you hand him the key would be priceless!

If he’s more the Camel man type, there’s the rugged but ultra-tough Land Cruiser 70 Double Cab, a world first, which has just been added to the South African range in petrol and diesel.

Among a host of cosmetic and mechanical changes, it now comes with four-wheel disc brakes, and fuel tank sizes grow to between 130 and 180 litres… giving him more than enough juice to travel as far north of the Tropic of Capricorn as his heart desires.

The double cab will carry five adults in comfort without sacrificing the one-ton payload (920kg for the diesel and 1 005kg for the petrol model) or the Land Cruiser’s legendary toughness. Answering the call of the wild is a breeze with the unstoppable 4.2-litre diesel engine, which is available across the range. The petrol version of the 4.0 double cab will cost you R463 900, and the 4.2 diesel, R487 000.

On a lesser budget? Then kit out his existing off-road vehicle with gorgeous and original canvas seat covers from Melville & Moon. We found them at Neil Woolridge Motors 4x4 Centre (2 Chief Albert Luthuli Street, Maritzburg), and they are seriously stylish. Waterproof, rot-proof, they fit almost any SUV or 4x4 (please check first before you buy). They’re tailor-made, come in a classy canvas drawstring bag, and also boast expedition pockets. They range between R3 375 a pair and R7 400. He’ll love them!

And still with Neil Woolridge, we couldn’t resist the magnificent top-of-the-range JetBeam LED torches. They’ll light up his life like he won’t believe, and are what every outdoorsman needs. Priced from R550 all the way up to R3 900.

If he’s been dreaming of an expedition for a while, but hasn’t yet decided on a destination, you might want to slip this book into his presents. Namibia & Botswana: Lodging and Camping Directory (Tracks4Africa) is loaded with useful info so you and he can plan your overnight stops in advance – or simply just hit the road! Grouped in categories and regions are prices, contact details, facilities and action at the various venues and places. And simply load Tracks4Africa on to your GPS, search for the name of the destination, and it will take you straight there. R195 from most bookstores.

 

If doing it in the dirt doesn’t blow his hair back, he can still, from the comfort of his recliner, get revved up watching the Top Gear Great Adventures Volume 5 DVD. Get it in store at Exclusive Books or buy online at www.exclus1ves.co.za (exclusive web price of R158).

Oh, and finally, if he’s into his camping and off-road expeditions, don’t scoff at the old classic soap-on-a-rope (if you can still find it in the stores). This is fantastic for showering in the great outdoors, and he will know where it is if he’s bathing beneath the stars!

Happy Father’s Day, guys! - The Mercury

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