The original Africa-conquering Land Rover Classics verhicles that have been taming the continent since 1949, are back at the bigger, better – and longer – 2023 LandyFest.
Hosted by LR Classic founder André Verster, this popular family-focused event will this year again be held at the well-known Rust de Winter ATV 4×4 Club’s grounds east of Pretoria – from Thursday 27 April to Monday 1 May, including both public holidays, making it a 6-day/5-night extra-long weekend.
The 2023 LandyFest is an outdoor family extravaganza filled with fun activities for mom and dad and the kids in their Land Rover Classic vehicles or its more modern siblings, including the New Defender.
A new item on the programme will be the LMC Extreme 4×4 event scheduled for Friday 28 April where visitors can get a stint behind the wheel of high-performance specially designed Discovery II vehicles that look like something out of the Dakar Rally – at a fee…
However, this is not a 4×4 challenge event – its is all about fun and games, and the vehicles are merely used to get from one game activity to the next – no points at play for driving, so no vehicles should be damaged in trying to beat the clock over rough terrain.
The 2023 LandyFest will again host a products exhibition arena, food stalls, children’s playing areas with a host of activities for the young ones, and entertainment – all aimed at the whole family, Land Rover enthusiasts, the 4×4 and overlanding fraternity and “normal” outdoor fanatics.
Kids can beat the heat in the swimming pool with a slip-and-slide super tube. Other activities include face-painting, jumping castles, a jungle gym, a Land Rover-towed train snaking through the camping area, and lots more.
Land Rover owners can enter their vehicles for the fun and games 4×4 activities such as the exclusive Series Games for leaf-sprung Landies only (on the Saturday) or the Live-Axle Classic on the Sunday (any Land Rover).
The event starts on Thursday 27 April when campers – whether they are LR owners or not – arrive and set up camp on the soft, lush green lawns under decades-old bushveld trees, where a wide variety of birds will replace alarm clocks at daybreak. If you are not the self-catering type, a variety of food stalls serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks of all kinds will cater for all your culinary needs.
As the LandyFest has become known as a family outing, younger children are invited to play and explore while they will also be entertained in a variety of fun activities. The LandyFest is again host to the annual RC Camel Trophy, where 1/10-scale radio-controlled model Land Rovers compete for the coveted trophy at the dedicated RC terrain in the centre of the grounds, for everyone to enjoy.
Day visitors are welcome.
The Series Games event is not a vehicle or speed test – it is based on families taking part in their vintage Land Rovers on a moderate 4×4 route with the inhabitants of the car taking part in fun games such as ketty target shooting, Hoola Hoop throwing, archery, a treasure hunt and many more. Points are scored for completing the games, not driving the vehicle. This popular event is limited to 45 vehicles with two or more occupants (friends, couples or mom and dad and the kids).
The Live-axle Classic event offers similar activities as the Series Games, with lots of valuable prizes to be won in both challenges.
Back in the exhibitors’ arena, everyone – day visitors included – are challenged to enter the “Crank your Landy Challenge” on Saturday after the Series Games, where teams (mom and dad and the kids, or dad and son, etc) work together to remove the spare wheel off the bonnet of a Land Rover Series vehicle, get the crank handle out the back, swing the motor, shut it down, replace the tool and spare wheel and return to the starting point – all while the stopwatch is ticking away. The record to be broken stands at less than 45 seconds, set up at the LandyFest 2022.
More prizes can be won on Sunday after the Live Axle Classic Challenge in the “Push Your Landy Challenge” for teams of two moving the vehicle over a very short distance – again against the clock.
As the event is expected to attract a huge entry, interested parties are advised to book early. Bookings can be done at www.lrclassic.com – follow the links to the LandyFest 2023 page.
