18 months in South Africa!

[C2K]

Finally, in 6 weeks it is looking like I will complete my stint in South Africa with work. It was originally a 10 week period that never actually came to a close until now - i've been here just under 17 months in total with a couple of short breaks in there. Had I known, i'd have found another garage for the Rallye!! It's been parked up since I left as I was only halfway through boosting it. It only needs the IC sorting and a service now.

It started brewing in February last year, when a catastrophic event occurred at Eskom's D uvha power station when a unit test went badly wrong.(Clicky). It was the worst thing anyone in the field of turbines had come across prettymuch.

As I work for the company who made the turbines it was something I volunteered for, only to find out the management had pencilled me in for anyway! Come April, the call came and I was on my way to SA . When I got to the site it was quite extraordinary, seeing with my own eyes what i'd seen in pictures. I was responsible for a huge portion of the unit damage assessment, repair of the recoverable components in South Africa and have overseen a large portion of the build to date - almost like chief engineer despite there being an extremely knowledgeable engineer above me. Suffice to say i've learnt more from him at this station in 18 months than i'd have learned in a decade in the office! Plus i got paid for the privilege! Customer seems happy with me, that's the main thing.

I spent a large portion of my time last year in Johannesburg, repairing the major parts, travelling from Witbank, and was lucky enough to have several of my work colleagues come out for various jobs for Eskom in their maintenance workshop (where i was going) which helped pass huge chunks of time. I've also had chances to see some of the finer parts of SA, such as Pretoria, Cape Town, Kruger Park etc.

Witbank has its bad bits, like:

... and potholes that are big enough to take your suspension off, let alone bend a rim. They cause many accidents and are caused by a combination of heavy rain meeting poor road substrate, but exacerbated by 10000 coal trucks a day pounding the roads to the mines.

But it also has it's merits such as really lax policing of the roads! Many times when i've left JHB i've pushed the rentals to the top of the box when leaving late at night (you can get away with prettymuch anything). One particular day I got to go in this leviathan when at Eskom's transport HQ in the world famous (in truck circles anyway) Nicolas Tractomas 10x10:

That thing is 950BHP but has crazy crazy amounts of torque from its 27 litre Cat V12. To give you a clue i'm the same height as the tyre. It brought the replacement generator to site in formation like this:

An inspiring sight for any enthusiast of all things mechanical! Plus, Witbank had weekly street racing meetings on Sundays until a few months ago, with an actual 1/4 mile between lights that attracted some very nice motors!

TBH I love South Africa, I really do. The weather is mint for 90% of the year, there is an abundance and huge variance of fascinating wildlife (Springbok still catch the eye!) and the fact that the station has a pack of zebras which you can almost get close enough to touch add to the mix! The Highveld (where I am) is famous in the country for it's thunderstorms, and i'll testify they are amazing. Thunderclaps that'll rock your bed go on all night and the rain is indescribable!

To say i've been lucky to get sent here at all would be a complete understatement. All expenses paid (petrol, car, accommodation) for 18 months has saved (and made) me an absolute packet, especially given i travel 600 miles a week in the UK commuting to work in Mr HDi. Feels nice to pile the miles on someone elses car! Check out one of (many) rental beasts :laugh



Never thought i'd enjoy driving a Corsa but it's comfy on the shitty roads and it goes better than all the other cars in the class from Hertz. I've had to send 4 of them back as i finished their service intervals off lol. That odd shape is an Elephant on the license plate - it's from the Eastern Cape Province. Certainly the license plates are much more colourful than the UK, there is another than has a leopard on which is cool. Trying to get some to bring back for my toolbox in the garage. I had a blue Hyundai I20 for 3 months last year and it was absolutely fantastic (as small rentals go), honestly.

As a complete and utter bonus, during my stay in Witbank I met a lovely South African by the name of Karen, whom i've now been with for over a year - she's actually in the UK waiting for me to finish the job and come home now, so no doubt the next 6 weeks will fly for her! I'm about to celebrate another birthday in South Africa (my 3rd in a row!) and last year she treated me to a lovely experience in Kruger Park.

18 months has really taken its toll on me though, it's a lot of hours and a long time to be away from my house, my cars, my cats, my family and most importantly i've been away from my lady for a while now. All in, I can't fecking wait to get home and start tinkering with the Rallye!!!!!! Got to put all the shiny bits I bought on it, and give it a damn good clean!!

[C.A.R.]

Nice write up!

Bet it was a bit hairy when that coupling shaft decided it had enough...

I remember you posting aaaaages ago on the GTi6 forum about going off to South Africa, just assumed that you had already been and come back. Looks like a pretty epic experience!

[burnmw]

*SNIP*

*SNIP*

That's one of those *begin the overtake* then think *Holy F@ck me this is longer than I realised...*

Sounds like an absolutely amazing experience, really quite jealous - even though I know I couldn't do it my self. My uncle's done a lot of contracting jobs where he's ended up going to random places, pretty certain he did a couple of month stint INSIDE the Arctic Circle, said it was a bit nippy

[Jonny b]

Wow awesome fella soo jealous though I couldnt be away from my dogs for that long let alone the family, bet that's been a great experiance for you not just work wise but a great life experience too

[THE_Liam]

My firm opened a call centre in Cape Town last year, I applied for a 6 month secondment as a trainer out there, was gutted when I didn't get it. My mate did, and they put him and everyone else up in beachside apartments, got them rental cars, the lot....

Damn

[Matt]

Awesome write up mate sounds like its been a good laugh

[kyleo92]

My managers South African and after looking at your photos I can see why she says awesome. Yeah she said policing was sooo laid back, and theres no such thing as the points system on the road!

[C2K]

Haha there is a points system i'm told, in order to work out your bribe lol, it's something along the lines of 50 rand per police officer. haha, I haven't had to do it so I can't comment!

My girlfriend is actually from Cape Town, so i've been there a couple of times already (plus I did a stint at Koeberg in 2010) and am going again in 4 weeks as she's popping home for a break. That mountain is quite a sight.

I Know i've been unbelievably lucky to come out here, i can't really put it into words, but it's been absolutely amazing and I shall thoroughly miss the place when i return home! The previous 3 years had been pretty shitty with the ex doing a runner and leaving me up shit creek with the finances! I had only signed up to 10 weeks originally but was happy to stay on after meeting Karen, plus it enabled me to get all the monies straight once and for all!

The damage to the unit was pretty extensive, difficult to go into detail as Eskom shrouded it in secrecy, but suffice to say I doubt anyone will see that kind of damage again. Luckily nobody was killed as it was done at night.

That road train is an absolutely phenomenal sight - the trailer has 288 wheels just on it's own and they all seem to be Michelins lol. Overtaking generally is so simples in this country as the roads are long and straight when you're not travelling through the hills. 120km/h seems ludicrous on the highway when you can cruise all day at 170 without issue in reality the roads flow so smoothly. Gotta watch out for the trucks though which are overloaded and crawl along at like 40 in some sections.

[C2K]

A few selected pics!

Table Mountain from Milnerton Beach


Loskop Dam Nature reserve.. giraffes ftw


Look at that stare.. Pretoria Lion Park cubs


Potholing near Kruger


View from Olifants Rest Camp in Kruger Park


Playful elephants in the water during the midday sun, inside Kruger


Just some of my better shots, i've got quite a lot.

[wil_Dtub]

Great pictures and wright up fella, looks like a great experience.
Unfortunately for me I have always let the reputation of south Africa's crime put me right off going which is a shame..I always watch programms like bush pilots and think how amazing the whole place looks

[Niall]

Looks great mate. Would love to get the opportunity to do something like this at least once in my life!

Had a flick though that PP presentation. That generator must have been going some to be able to launch bits out and smash through a wall and a steel cross tie!!

[C2K]

To be honest the reputation puts a lot of people off, but it's because there is poverty that there is crime. The minimum wage is like 10 rand an hour (like a pound) but then you go to JHB and there's loads of Ferraris and AMG mercs etc. ML63s are ten a penny here.

Be street smart like you would in London and you'll be fine. Don't wave your wallet around, walk around (you need to drive anyway) and don't go to the ghettos. If you leave your wallet on the seat it's inviting someone in, but tbh i've had no troubles. I fully recommend the place tbh, Kruger is an experience and a half in itself and is 4 hours from JHB.

You can see me in that PDF on the Eskom press release lol, standing in front of the HP


I'll have to come to a meet and explain the damage.

[Scott]

That's a great write up mate, sounds like a fantastic experience! I'd love to do something like that! I can imagine it must be difficult though to so far from home for that period of time.

[C2K]

Been rifling through my pics and have come across most of my rentals, heh thought i'd bang them up since it's a car forum and all!!

Things started badly.. a Renault Sandero 1.6 - 90bhp and keep fit windows.


I took it back to the airport having not seen a sponge in 14 weeks with periods of heavy rains! Came back and got ZNN 411 GP (Gauteng Province) Rally slag yo!!!



Sadly after 16000 kms it needed a service, and the coal dust caused the paint to flake on the front bumper :p Cue the replacement! BK 48 HY GP!



Adored this car and the predecessor. Plenty of poke from a 1.6 with 125bhp, full ipod connectivity with steering wheel control, all electric windows etc - very nice motor actually.

Randomly, I spotted my old Silver one a few weeks later whilst I was in Germiston, Johannesburg! How peculiar!

Flew home at Christmas and Europcar was replaced by Hertz in January. :thumbsdown

Enter the 1.4 Citroen C3... 75bhp.



Couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding, you had to change to 4th to go up hills! I quickly chopped her in for a Corsa...



Randomly snapped outside my pad (top right flat)



But the service interval soon popped up so she got replaced with another in Pepperdust!



Even more randomly, driving back on the N12 from JHB I passed my old one!



Again, service interval was soon up at the rate I was piling on Kms! I ignored it as I was going home and got told i'd passed it by 3000kms, :meh

Came back, had another identical s**troen C3 but had a f**ked exhaust so it went back after two days, and I got the Corsa in the first post. 6000kms into the rental, the front brakes wore out and it was metal on metal! reassuring!! Was quickly replaced with my final steed which was identical bar the reg!!!

[Scott]

Quite an epic list of cars there! In the sense that you've ploughed through them, not that they're awesome

Must make you properly appreciate the rallye when you're back!

[Niall]

so is the generator fixed now?

[4WayDiablo]

Was gunna revive this thread a week or two ago. That mega pulling machine thingy "road train" had a dedicated program to this move lol
X-machines

[C2K]

Due on turning gear in 4 weeks for the first time. Will be steaming mid-November.
Here is the info from Eskom's Annual report to consumers what the project status was.Clicky

Think i've had 9 rentals and done about 90000KMs all in.

I also steal the Merc bus to drive to Pretoria with the lads!

Anyone know where I can download that Rotran documentary? I understand it was hauling one of the new transformers to Tutuka, same as the one's just delivered where I am. Tutuk a and D uvha are sisters. It uses Nicolas 8x8, 10x10 and a 288 wheel, 28 axle beam wagon, also made by Nicolas. I met Dennis Childs at Rosherville (Rotek and Rotran HQ) and he was a jolly friendly chap, told me all about his babies.

[Niall]

Im actually really jealous but not for the fact youve been out in SA. Would love to spend time tinkering and working with these big machines!

[Scott]

Would love to spend time tinkering and working with these big machines!

Oh I bet you would

[Niall]

Would love to spend time tinkering and working with these big machines!

Oh I bet you would

such a gay!

[c.gerrard]

Truly jealous, sounds like you've had an absolutely brilliant time over there, would love get there one day!

Go on then, what did you miss more, you're family or the Rallye?

[C2K]

The girlfriend! lol.

The TVR needs to go for MOT and service when I get back, the Rallye needs to be finished and MOT'd for some epic win, and the HDi needs immediate brakes attention! Coming home to more work than i left behind!!

[C2K]

1 week to go! Cape Town was fecking EPIC again.

Gotta come back in three weeks time for a few weeks for run-up though lol, not out of jail yet!!

[C2K]

Well that didn't last long! Back in SA already. Program has gone tits up in my absence so i've been summoned back to help get us over the finish line. Happy but sad at the same time, it's a strange feeling. Had enjoyed the 3.5 weeks at home quite frankly!

Back on site.. Ain't she a beauty...


and the latest in a long line of rentals... a Kia Rio Auto! It actually doesn't look too offensive, and whilst not being the most handling orientated car on the planet it's got loads of toys on board and has super comfy seats/ride compared to the Corsa.




Incidentally it seems they've published the truth in the Eskom Annual Report as to the root cause.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4147571/SA/EskomD4.pdf

Oh well, back to the grindstone!

[Stephen]

Hope you have a good time there again!
I'm currently travelling my self and planning to work when I get to Australia