BACKROAD BOYS
IN THE SECOND INSTALMENT OF GETAWAY AND MAZDA’S CHANGE YOUR VIEW SERIES, WE HEAD UP THE SCENIC EASTERN CAPE WITH GRAFFITI ARTIST BUNTU FIHLA TO EXPLORE THE PROVINCE’S RUGGED BACKROADS IN MAZDA’S POTENT NEW STEED, THE LATEST BT-50
While the first Change Your View trip saw our crew barrelling up the West Coast to the stark and barren folds of the Northern Cape in a little CX-3, this time round we tackled the lush and livestock-littered hills of the Eastern Cape in a new Mazda BT-50 4×4.
The objective was the same as Trip One: to explore the backcountry in a capable vehicle, and to have a city-based artist create a mural far from, and very different to, his usual urban stomping ground – and film it all.
BUNTU MEETS THE BT-50
Gqeberha (with its signs that all still read “Port Elizabeth”), famously tranquil and windless, surprised us with uncharacteristically furious gusts on our arrival from Cape Town. Kidding. PE was doing what PE does, and our drone pilot wore a worried expression as we disembarked. We had some drone filming scheduled for the following morning, and the outlook was less than promising.
First, we had to collect one of the stars of the show, a “concrete grey” 3.0L Individual Mazda BT-50.
Looking to mount a serious challenge in the well-stocked doublecab bakkie segment, Mazda came out swinging with the heavyhitting new BT-50. Moving away from its Ford underpinnings of previous generations, the new BT-50 is based instead on the Isuzu D-Max, its 3.0L four-cylinder turbodiesel engine churning out 140kW and 450Nm of torque.
As we did a walk-around, it became clear that the design follows the same sophisticated “Kodo” style seen on other new Mazda models, with a large, aggressive grille, chrome accents, angry slits for headlamps and scowling hood curves. The rear is simple yet elegant; a welcome modification of the comically oversized tail lights of the previous iteration.
With Mazdaʼs new thoroughbred clearly coveting a berth in the lifestyle derby and not just the workhorse race, designers have added embellishments galore, including a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system with all the connectivity comforts such as USB, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, plus a reverse camera and GPS.
The other star of the show, of course, was one Buntu Fihla. A proud son of the Eastern Cape, Buntu was born and raised in the small village of Phakamisa, and later moved to Gqeberha, where he established himself as a well-known graffiti artist, photographer and social commentator.
After checking into the spiffy Deco-style Mantis No 5 Boutique Art Hotel, an elegant enclave and welcome reprieve from the cityʼs
angry squalls, we met up with Buntu and made our way to artEC, a community arts centre that Buntu frequents and where a close friend of his, renowned artist Zukile Valisa, was exhibiting.
ʻArtEC really is the heartbeat of the artist community here, and I often come here to draw inspiration from fellow creators,ʼ Buntu said.
Suitably inspired after spending the evening at the gallery with friends and fellow artists, the next morning Buntu got behind the wheel of the BT-50 and we set off along the N2 in search of a fresh canvas far beyond the glare of any big-city lights.
GQEBERHA TO BISHO
A still, rainless dawn allowed us to capture the drone footage we needed of the BT-50 out on the open road. Indeed, the Windy City seemed in a conciliatory mood after its blustery strop the previous day, and proffered perfect golden light streaked with a double rainbow in a spectacular show of penitence.
We were headed north on the N2, but given that this mission was all about backroading, we hooked a right soon after crossing the Sundays River, and opted for the beautiful coastal meander along the R72. We spied a large pod of bottlenose dolphins just beyond the breakers, and stopped to marvel at their progress.
Then, after pulling over near Kenton-on-Sea to capture drone shots of the BT-50 crossing the bridge over the Kariega River, more excitement followed.
Shooting a short film of this nature (you can watch all three Change Your View films on the Getaway website) nearly always sounds more glamorous than it is. It entails countless takes and resets, and dozens of U-turns to get the right shots, be they tracking, following, passing or aerial. On this occasion, we had parked our follow car on a shoulder just off the bridge while Craig RhodesHarrison, our drone operator, attempted to get the perfect frame of the BT-50 crossing the river against an ocean backdrop. Trouble was, even at this early hour, that stretch of road sees a lot of traffic and we had to time it perfectly with the help of two-way radios to ensure no other cars were visible in the aerial frame. We were on our eighth or ninth pass, and the wind was picking up.
Craig remained positive weʼd get the shot, and perhaps a touch over-optimistic as to his droneʼs battery capability. We finally got the perfect frame at the 12th time of asking, but we had overextended the drone, which had had enough and was now landing itself – beyond Craigʼs control. As the drone descended, a sudden gust swept it away from us over the Kariega and flung it into the dense vegetation that straddles it. Fortunately, its GPS was still functioning and after half an hour of bundu bashing, Craig found it. Calamity averted. Onwards.
Near Hamburg we headed inland again and made for Peddie, where Buntu often visits a place that shaped a large portion of his clanʼs modern history.
The Fingo umQwashu is an ancient milkwood that was the meeting place where the Mfengu people ostensibly swore fealty to “God and king” after their arrival in 1835 from north of the Kei River, having been safely escorted by English soldiers.
We made a slight detour to Dimbaza to check out another fascinating landmark, the Ntaba KaNdoda National Monument, which celebrates the 18th-century Khoi Chief Ndoda, a local legend. The peculiar twin spires are almost Mordor-esque, while a statue of Chief Maqoma, a celebrated Xhosa chief famous for his exploits during the 19th-century frontier wars, stands sentry over the amphitheatre, assegai at the ready.
Next we checked into Phakamisa, Buntuʼs hometown, and visited a few of his old haunts and inspected a number of murals heʼd previously created. We also thoroughly tested the BT-50ʼs off-road credentials when we lodged it firmly in knee-deep clay on the banks of a river mouth just outside town. But, low-gear engaged, the Mazda laughed in the face of it, while the bakkieʼs hill launch assist and hill descent control made even shorter work of this particular quagmire.
We spent the night in the home Buntu grew up in, graciously hosted by his lovely mother Linda, a spry former school teacher, and a formidable cook. The next day it was off to Bisho.
ART AND THE AMATHOLE
In Bisho, Buntuʼs friend and fellow creative, Yanga Mgabadeli, made a wall available for Buntuʼs artwork. Buntu spent the day transforming the empty surface with his tag, Bief37, which is famous and quite ubiquitous throughout the Eastern Cape. ʻWhen an artist creates a work they usually authenticate it with their signature,ʼ he explained. ʻIn graffiti, often the signature is the art.ʼ
As he worked on his four-by-two-metre tag – abstract lettering executed in loud pinks, oranges and blues, and instantly eye-catching – friends and fans from the community stopped by for a chat and a laugh. It was evident just how loved he is in these parts and how much of an impact his art has on the community, particularly on young aspiring artists.
When heʼd added the finishing touches, more friends gathered to admire the pleasing lines, clever use of high- and lowlights and the complex shading used to create depth – all finished off with wild bursts of colour.
It became evident that street art is about more than
just leaving your mark. Itʼs about bringing people together and taking time to create something beautiful and meaningful. And often adding riotous colour to settings where there had been none before.
Mural done, we set off to the mystical mountain village of Hogsback the next day. Again, the BT-50 ate up the steep inclines of the Amathole without breaking a sweat, the upgraded six-speed automatic gearbox complementing the motor superbly.
We checked off all the Hogsback hits, including the labyrinth and drop-away mountain views at The Edge, the famous precariously perched outdoor bath-with-a-view over the Amathole at Away with the Fairies, a walk through indigenous forest, and a hike to the photogenic 39-Steps Waterfall. Finally, we capped off the trip at the Hogsback Brewing Company Tasting Room, where the non-drivers imbibed a well-deserved pint and we celebrated yet another successful changing of views.
Keep your eyes peeled for the third and final instalment of the Change Your View series. If the first two were anything to go by, the final leg – from Durban up into the ʼBerg – is sure to be the stuff of legend.