Paul and Nyati’s adventure begins
Paul Osborne is embarking on a road trip in his mobile house to explore the beauty of Africa.
HIS desire to see the incomparable beauty of Africa is what inspired a Kloof resident to convert a former military truck into a mobile house for his upcoming road trip, which has an unlimited duration.
Paul Osborne, a retired builder, decided to embark on this adventurous journey and travel to places that are not necessarily on tourist maps. Since Mother Africa is not designed for recreational vehicles, Osborne decided to renovate his 4-wheel drive Mercedes Benz 911 bull-nosed truck, called an Nyati, into a mobile house to sustain him in relative comfort for extended periods of time, in inaccessible locations.
Assembled at the Mercedes Benz facility in the then West Germany, the truck was built to the exacting military specifications required by the South African Defence Force. Originally used as a recovery vehicle by the force, the truck was sold to a logging company at an army surplus auction, and
shortly afterwards Nyati became Osborne’s.
After years of trying to fulfil his vision, Nyati’s transformation from a war machine to a comfortable, fully-equipped mobile home, redesigned for a new single purpose, is now complete.
Speaking about his journey thus far and the transformation process, Obsorne said, “I am completely comfortable with all aspects of building and civil engineering, but suddenly I found myself having to be dependent on people in the field of mechanical engineering. The real blood-and-guts Nyati is a truly fearsome brute: half a ton of foul temper and bad attitude topped off with a lethal, metre-wide boss of bone and horn. My Nyati, on the other hand, while retaining the enormous strength and stamina of the original, is a beast of an entirely different character. Building my Nyati has been an adventure on its own.
The truck, which carries 650 litres of fuel and 650 litres of drinking water, also includes a bedroom, bathroom and a kitchen with appliances. “I’ve tried, wherever possible to fit mechanical ‘backups’. It has been said that almost every part of this machine can be repaired using a crowbar and shifting spanner… We’ll see,” he added.
When asked about the places he will be visiting, Osborne said, “As many ‘off the beaten track’ destinations anywhere in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
While the aim of the trip is to explore the beauty of Africa, Osborne will also be creating awareness on an organisation called, Doctors Without Boarders. He will be using the Nyati as a mobile billboard to promote their good work as they continue to spearhead the roll-out of better testing and treatment to defeat tuberculosis.
