Travel: Into the mist

I recently discovered that ziplining is a lot more entertaining when a member of your group is afraid of heights. In this case, that one person was a fellowjournalist who had our party of eight in stitches with his nervous antics as we “zipped” along cables high above the Groot Letaba River in the Limpopo Province.

We were in an area known as Magoebaskloof on a Chevrolet-hosted Trailblazer Adventure for motoring journos and their spouses. Also known as “The Land of the Silver Mist” because it is shrouded regularly in a soft mist, Magoebaskloof is a mountainous region that forms the very north-eastern tip of the Drakensberg range.

The Trailblazer

Of course, the real attraction for us motoring journalists had come earlier in the day. That was when we got to take a convoy of 2.8-litre 4×4 Trailblazers, including the aggressive-looking Z71 model, over a slippery mountain-forest track and then onto a testing 4×4 course.

It’s difficult to have a conversation about the Trailblazer without mentioning the impressive new Toyota Fortuner. It’s kind of like trying to talk about the Springboks without including the All Blacks.

The Fortuner has set the trend in the segment for many years; however, there is no doubt that the revised Trailblazer has significantly closed the gap on its rival. It’s a very attractive proposition if you’re in the market for a body-on-frame sevenseater SUV.