Nhakele, the 1958 1200 VW Beetle

Back in the late 90's I found myself inland lecturing on contract for a few months at The Open Window Art Academy in Pretoria. It was dry and hot and I longed to be back at the coast. I started to hatch a plan to drive up to Mozambique when I returned to Warner Beach after my contract ended, to find some empty waves. But first I needed some wheels that would get me there... on the tightest budget. I checked the Junk Mail for deals, I was really looking for a Kombi, but then an advert for a 1958 Beetle caught my eye. I'd had a few Beetles by that point and knew there were the ideal low budget surf vehicle. They had all been 70's models, I'd never owned a car this old but went and checked it out. It was love at first sight. A German imported 1200 manufactured at the Wolfsberg facility, with working semaphore indicators. Her body was in mint condition with the original paint and trimming. The owner was a secretary with a husband who loved working on cars and he had kept it pristine. I happily handed over the cash without negotiating, knowing I had found a gem.

And so began the 650km journey home from Pretoria back to Warner Beach, which normally would take about 8 or 9 hours, in a modern car. I expected more around 10 hours in the Beetle. It took 16 hours in the end, the car had one issue I found about once I had started the long journey - rust in the fuel tank causing the fuel intake to clog on every uphill, meaning the car crawled up every hill in second gear, but was fine otherwise.

I made it home and had the tank cut, cleaned and rewelded and fitted some filters and after that point the car gave me zero issues whatsoever.

On my maiden trip to Mozambique I hooked up with an Aussie backpacker surfer in Warner Beach who agreed to share petrol. Cormack O'Malley proved to be a great travel companion, and a hard core surfer. Years later we bumped into each other in London, staying a few hundred metres apart without realising it. We scored cooking waves at Tofinho, just the two of us fighting the stiff rip along the point while the sets detonated from the blowhole all the way past Devil's Rock. On our return journey around Xai-Xai Cormack got arrested by armed cops - his initial crime of driving with no shirt or shoes spiralled into a possible visit to Maputo prison when it came to light he never had a driver's license (something he 'forgot' to tell me earlier). Without cash for a bribe it was looking bad until I proffered a can of motor oil which sealed the deal and we were back on the road.

These are the kids at Tofo Beach who actually named Nhakele, when I asked them what is meant they said 'Tortoise'...

Entering lion and elephant country in Swaziland, en route to Mozambique.

Bamboozi camp, Tofo Beach in Inhambane Province, Mozambique.

Heading back from Inhambane to Tofo at sunset, photo by Yvonne.

Cormack O'Malley at Tofinho, we surfed alone that day, trading barrels and hoots.

Bruce Gold and Terry Sims pre-surf at Oyster Bay.

The sunset hour in Tofo after another long hot day, photo by Yvonne.

Nhakele made it from Pretoria to the South Coast, then up to Mozambique multiple times, finally traversing the Karoo to reach her ultimate surf destination of Jeffreys Bay, after many miles of surfing service she was finally home. 

One of the drawbacks of living on the coast is rust, and eventually she was so badly corroded (no garage) that I sold her to a stoked collector from Port Elizabeth who could give the the attention she deserved. 

She took me to the best waves of my life and now lives on in in our photographs and illustrations, thanks old girl you were the best.

- Text and most pics by Garth Robinson