BeetleManiacs puts vintage Beetles through their paces on road trip to Inanda Dam

The third meetup of KwaZulu-Natal’s premier Volkswagen Beetle club was not without a hitch but ultimately proved to be a huge success.

BeetleManiacs was started by Ballito local, Rudi Botha, in order to connect with like-minded individuals from across the province and the country.

To date, 745 members have signed up to the Facebook group which also caters for other classic Volkswagen cars including the Kombi, Beach Buggy, Ghia and Badger – so long as they are air-cooled and their owners are similarly relaxed.

For their third meetup, the group made an excursion to Inanda Dam via the hidden valley on June 5, where all of the owners could test the mettle of their beloved cars.

After meeting outside East Coast Radio in Umhlanga, the group set off in convoy for the casual 1 hour trip, or so they thought.

“We had no idea if we were on the right route as we drove to Inanda Dam on an unknown road next to the Umgeni River all the way,” Rudi said.

The convoy passed about 30 small townships and villages, delighting the locals with their varied group of classic cars.

“The children danced and laughed and ran along the Beetles as they passed. I recall many jumping up and down while clapping from joy with their eyes in disbelief.”

After a few fist bumps, the group carried on until they reached an unexpected downhill pass.

“Cars were flashing us as they passed and I knew we were in trouble when the tar turned to cement with rivets for grip.”

The convoy crept down the pass and the gradient hit almost 35% at one point with many of the drivers white-knuckling and sending out silent prayers.

Once everyone had successfully navigated the steep decline however, laughter and pride rang across the group with many in disbelief as to what their cars had achieved.

The final challenge came when a few of the cars were on the verge of running out of fuel and tire pressure.

“We were getting ready to siphon fuel from some of the bugs to help the others out.”

Luckily, an oasis appeared in the shape of an out-of-the-way petrol station where a potential crisis was averted.

Nine Beetles made the trip and were awarded with beautiful views and perfect braaing weather.

Botha is busy planning another meetup in July before a full weekend trip to the southern Drakensberg later this year.

To find out more or to rediscover your love for classic Volkswagens, visit BeetleManiacs – VW AirCooled & Classics – KZN Club on Facebook.