After weeks of playing hide-and-seek with the weather, we finally got our much-anticipated Paarl Run underway! Every time we planned to hit the road, the skies decided to give us more water than the Breede River, but our trusty stalwart, Willie Koekemoer, was not about to let Mother Nature win this one. And boy, did it turn out to be an epic winter run!
The Northern Suburbs gang kicked things off by gathering at N1 City—Nick, Ellie, Clive, and Linda were spotted hiding under the parking garage, dodging the rain like pros. Meanwhile, the Boerewors Gordyn crowd met up later at the Engin 1 Stop, still dry and in good spirits. Just as we set off to reunite with the other crew, the heavens opened up (again!), forcing a quick pit stop under the Goodwood bridge.
Now, I was cruising in my trusty Baja Bug, so naturally, I took the lead to inform the others that the cavalry was on the way. When we arrived at the 1 Stop, we couldn’t help but chuckle at Clive’s Beach Buggy—this guy’s got a custom-built bolt-on drip tray for the oil. Who needs an oil change when you can just pour it back in? Genius! That’s the beauty of owning a VW air-cooled vehicle—always something quirky and creative around the corner.
Speaking of cool things, Solandra made some killer Wild Buggers stickers. And, if you happen to see Adele and Solandra’s beach buggy’s rollbars, take a closer look—you’ll crack up at the personalized stickers they’ve got on them!
As we were ready to leave, Carol decided it was time to declare, “Hey Willie, ek’s honger, we must go NOW!” But hey, what’s a Wild Buggers run without a bit of chaos? Yours truly managed to miss the turn-off to the mountain, but in my defence, Landria was the buggy ahead of me and suddenly pulled into a garage. No warning, no heads-up—just poof! Turns out, they planned to meet us up there later. Thanks for the memo, guys!
Once we hit the gravel road up the mountain, it was pure magic—trees, ferns, and nature in all its wintery glory. And the cherry on top? A warm welcome from the onlookers at the top who were all smiles, snapping photos and videos of us as we rolled in. Beach Buggy’s always know how to make an entrance!
With the fire going and the camping chairs set up, we settled in for some classic Wild Buggers-style relaxation. Some of us, like Mickey and me, kept it simple with boerewors rolls, while others pulled out the full braai buffet. Of course, no buggy run is complete without a bit of maintenance, and Jessie Huggett was on hand for some quick tune-ups. We found Mario who had the no 8 spanner we needed, thanks to his tekkies—you can always spot him by those shoes!
As the day slowly came to an end, we cruised down the other side of the mountain—absolutely breathtaking views, waterfalls, and farmlands galore. We wound our way through the scenic back roads all the way to Durbanville and then Bothasig, where we split up and headed home, back to reality. It was an awesome drive, even if a bit chilly for those of us without roofs!
A massive thanks to Willie for organizing such a lekker day out—this is what being part of the Wild Buggers Beach Buggy Club is all about!
Ps. I don’t know if it is just me (you are welcome to give your opinion in the comments below) BUT on a buggy run I’ll much rather have a braai, picnic, skottelbraai somewhere or even pack your food and eat while you drive than go and sit in a restaurant for the day?
See the photos of the Willie vat ons Paarl toe Run.
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