FEEDBACK

Joe van Der Merwe (oldest participant at 78 years old) and Andre Verster (left) in a 1996 300Tdi Defender 110 hard-top. “We do loads of trips together and love the openness of the Kalahari and the Karoo. This is very different to that and this was my first time in this area.”

Marni van der Heever (19 years old and part of an all-girl team). “I loved chatting to the other Defender drivers and hearing their stories. The driving was not as tough as some of the driving I have done with my dad. I’ve been driving by myself since I was 10 and when I turned 13 I did my first 4x4 competition.”

Johan Fourie and wife Dawn (note her fashionable T-shirt) in a Td5 Defender 90 Extreme “The Extreme models were made for the Australian market by Land Rover South Africa. Unlike other Td5 models it has electric windows, ABS and Traction Control. This is my fourth Defender Trophy and it is really all about driving Defenders through beautiful parts of our incredible country.”

Aldri van Jaarsveld and his Td5 Defender 110 hard-top. “I’m always looking for an excuse to hit the road in one of my Defenders; this was my second Defender Trophy and it just epitomises all that is great about owning these iconic Land Rovers.”

Johan, Natasha and daughter Calista Opperman and their 2013 2.2 Defender 90 “The highlight for me was when we all parked next to each other on the banks of the Limpopo river. It’s something that I will remember for a long time.”