The Kingsley Holgate Foundation launched its Tail of the Dragon expedition on 1 October. The Defender-supported journey follows the Drakensberg mountain range from Iron Crown near Haenertsburg in Limpopo to the village of Rhodes in the Eastern Cape Highlands. Along the way it will deliver malaria prevention, reading glasses, early childhood development support and conservation education to remote communities in South Africa and Lesotho.
The route crosses the Transvaal Drakensberg in Limpopo and Mpumalanga and the Northern, Central and Southern Drakensberg in the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal. It then runs through the Lesotho highlands and into the Eastern Cape. The team will also explore the geology, wildlife, history, archaeology and cultures of the range.
Humanitarian and conservation work on the route
Insecticide-treated bed nets and education will go to maternity clinics in northern Limpopo. Severe flooding earlier this year has led to an increase in malaria cases in communities close to the borders with Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The team is carrying thousands of pairs of reading glasses for Mashozi’s Rite to Sight programme, which has already helped more than 224 000 people. Rural early learning centres will receive structural upgrades, murals and educational resources, and schools will take part in Wildlife Art competitions.
Expedition leader Ross Holgate said: “If we can leave each community a little better than we found it, then the expedition will have achieved what we set out to do.”
Defender 130 Outbound convoy and terrain
The convoy is led by the Foundation’s two Defender 130 Outbound SUVs. Each offers up to 2 516 litres of loadspace and up to 900mm of wading capability. Off-road capability comes from Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, Terrain Response 2, Electronic Air Suspension and Adaptive Dynamics. The route takes in the Blyde River Canyon, the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, the Amphitheatre and Tugela Falls, and the climb up Sani Pass into Lesotho. In the Eastern Cape the vehicles will tackle the unpaved Naude’s Nek, Lundean’s Nek, Joubert’s Pass and the Bastervoetpad.
25 years of Defender and the Foundation
The expedition marks 25 years of partnership. Since 2000, Defender has supported the Foundation on more than 40 expeditions across all 54 African countries. The recent Greater Gorongosa and Afrika Odyssey expeditions alone covered well over 150 000km in the new Defender. To mark the anniversary, the Foundation plans to bring in 25 historic Defenders at different stages of the journey.
Janico Dannhauser, Defender Brand Manager at JLR South Africa, said the expedition “brings the adventure home while continuing the humanitarian and conservation work that has always been at the heart of our partnership.”
Tail of the Dragon finish in Rhodes
Tail of the Dragon is scheduled to conclude in Rhodes in the Eastern Cape in November.
Supplied by MotorPress (Nomaswazi Nkosi, PR Specialist, Land Rover South Africa)
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