Sending you a photo of my "train" during a recent trip to Kosi Bay.

Towed the train through the thickest sand in 4H without it being necessary to let air out of tyres.

Total trip 1100 km at average of 11.2 lt/100km. Normal driving 7.8

We have just returned from the Kruger National Park. Max speed 50 kph -

recorded 5.9 over 1500 km in the park.

Best 4 x 4 I've owned - and I've had many. My wife loves her Kyron!

Best Regards

Paul Ilott

Sunglasses still in place after 400 metre fall down mountain pass

André Nortjé should be dead - given the fact that he was trapped in a vehicle that rolled for over 400 metres down the side of the Melmoth Pass.

But not only did he survive, he did so almost unscathed, with only bruises to bearing testimony of his brush with death.

André, the catering head at Zululand Anthracite Collieries, was travelling towards Empangeni on Thursday afternoon when the incident took place.

Driving at low speed in pouring rain, the vehicle he had bought just before Christmas got into a spin after apparently hitting diesel on the road on the second-last corner before the Nkwaleni turn-off.

‘I barely bumped into a truck next to me and spun back-first onto and then over the railings,’ said André, whose SUV was on ‘winter’ settings with traction control.

What followed was a long, steep roll and slide down the sharp slope of the pass, with Andre conscious all the way.

‘I always drive with my seat belt on and this undoubtedly saved my life,’ he said.

‘When I came to a stop the engine was still idling and I switched it off. ‘My sunglasses were till still on my head, the car was upside down and when I released the seat belt I fell onto the roof. ‘The doors would not open and I got out through a broken window - a dangerous move as the SUV was tottering and could have continued to fall down the slope.’

Andre recovered his wallet and cell phone and proceeded to climb to the top. He was met by witnesses who had seen the dramatic incident and could not believe he had walked out from the wreck alive.

More luck was on his side when an ambulance drove past. It had gone to Ulundi to fetch a patient who had refused to get in, so they were returning to Richards Bay.

Andre was taken to the Bay Hospital where minor cuts to his elbows were treated. Amazingly, no bones were broken and apart from severe bruising he was declared fit to be discharged and spent the night with friends in the Bay.

‘I guess it just wasn’t my time,’ he said.