\u201cEk het my eerste Land Rover in 2000 hier kom koop toe ek destyds in standerd nege was. Ek het op \u2019n plaas grootgeword en wou altyd \u2019n 4\u00d74 besit, maar my pa het net blootweg \u2018nee\u2019 ges\u00ea. Ek het eenvoudig besluit dat ek self een sal moet koop. Toe het ek \u2019n ou ding kom koop wat vandag nog hier staan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
S\u00f3 gesels Nekkie Smit (39), die eienaar en bestuurder van die Gateway Offroad Centre, gele\u00eb op die R44 net buite Wellington. Die plaas word deur \u2019n gros Land Rovers, wat oral in rye en in werkswinkels op die plaas staan, gekenmerk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOp enige gegewe tyd staan hier tussen 200-300 van hulle. In die scrap yard <\/i>staan sowat 250 Land Rovers. Mense misgis ons gewoonlik vir \u2019n skrootwerf, maar die onderdele en skrootmetaal is eintlik die kleinste porsie van die onderneming, hoewel dit die meeste ruimte verg.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hy s\u00ea sy plaas is \u2019n besonderse gesig wat motoriste op die R44 se koppe laat draai en talle sommer by die werf laat indraai. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSommige mense is so verbaas om te leer ons maak reg. Ons doen als \u2013 van tweedehandse verkope tot onderdele-verkope, met die hooffokus op herbouings. Een groot dryfkrag is die feit dat die vervaardiging van die destydse Defender in 2016 gestaak is, en baie onderdele is nie meer maklik beskikbaar nie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nekkies onthou sy eerste ervaring met di\u00e9 geliefde Land Rover-handelsmerk as \u2019n bekostigbare ryding \u2013 iets wat die koers van sy lewe in \u2019n spesialiseringsveld laat ontaard het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEk wou studeer om \u2019n meganiese ingenieur te word, maar omdat ons op \u2019n plaas gewoon het, het my pa ges\u00ea ek moet landbou loop swot, wat ek wel gedoen het. Van daar af het ek gedoen wat ek wil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEn hier sit ek vandag nog \u2013 byna 20 jaar later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aan die begin het dit nie juis vir Nekkies oor betroubaarheid of gehalte gegaan nie, maar eerder bekostigbaarheid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDit was \u2019n kwessie van ek kon my eerste een destyds teen R5 000 bekostig. Dis toe ek agtergekom het hoe praktiese voertuig dit is \u2013 een wat eenvoudig is om reg te maak.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In sy finale jaar het Nekkies die geleentheid gekry om in di\u00e9 Land Rover-onderneming in te koop. Vandaar het dit gegroei tot \u2019n bedrywige onderneming wat op die plaaslike sowel as die internasionale mark fokus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die Gateway Offroad Centre is in 2008 begin, waarvan sy oorsprong uit voormalige familiebesighede bestaan het. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDie dorp het altyd drie Land Rover-plekke gehad \u2013 ons, Down South en J&W. Die een het toegemaak, en in 2008 het die ander twee oorblywende ondernemings in een saamgesmelt. Ek het die ander vennote van 2010 af uitgekoop en alleen die onderneming bestuur.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nekkie het twee Gateway Offroaf Centre-takke \u2013 een in Wellington en die ander in Brackenfell, wat altesaam sowat 26 mense in diens het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDit was nog altyd \u2019n passie en \u2019n liefde. Ek het geen idee waar dit vandaan kom nie \u2013 nie een van my familie-mense is meganies aangel\u00ea nie,\u201d s\u00ea Nekkies tong in die kies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gateway se sakemodel word gekenmerk deur die herbouing van Land Rovers, terwyl tweedehandse verkope, Land Rover-onderdele en herstelwerk ook dienste is wat hier gelewer word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn die meeste gevalle pas ons die voertuie aan. Soos die een kli\u00ebnt wat graag \u2019n Defender wou ry, byvoorbeeld, maar aan \u2019n rolstoel gekluister is. Ons het die Defender toe aangepas sodat hy dit self kon bestuur. In ander gevalle skakel ons \u2019n voertuig na \u2019n linkerstuur om, ensovoorts. Ons bou ook jag- of kamp-voertuie, wat Land Rover so \u2019n veelsydige voertuig maak.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nekkie se Land Rovers neem hom ver oor die w\u00eareld, aangesien hy gereeld uitstedig is of selfs oorsee reis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOns bou karre wat vir reg oor die w\u00eareld bestem is. Dan gaan ek spesiaal om die mense te sien. Dit is altyd goed om te sien waarheen die kar moet gaan en die behoeftes wat deur die omgewing vereis word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy internasionale mark lewer sowat 25 voertuie per jaar, wat dit uit-en-uit die moeite werd maak om te spesialiseer. \u201cEk is maar \u2019n ou rondlopertjie; en hou daarvan om te toer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nekkies s\u00ea die \u201couens\u201d raak s\u00f3 sentimenteel oor di\u00e9 motors dat hulle byna enigiets sal doen om hul voertuie in stand te hou. \u201cDaai Land Rover raak soos \u2019n kind in die huis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dit is uiteraard deel van die aantrekking wat die bedryf vir hom inhou. \u201cEk het al hope mans in trane hier by my gesien \u2013 vir een van twee redes: Die een is wanneer mense moet oorweeg om hul Land Rover te verkoop, en die ander wanneer hul Land Rover opnuut reggemaak en rybaar uit ons werkswinkel kom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elke Afrikaner het al grappies gedeel oor wat die beste voertuig tussen \u2019n Land Rover en \u2019n Land Cruiser is . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEk ken al \u00e1l die grappies! Ek het nie \u2019n gunstelinggrappie nie \u2013 hulle pis my almal af,\u201d skerts Nekkies ter afsluiting. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cEk het my eerste Land Rover in 2000 hier kom koop toe ek destyds in standerd nege was. Ek het op \u2019n plaas grootgeword en wou altyd \u2019n 4×4 besit, maar my pa het net blootweg \u2018nee\u2019 ges\u00ea. Ek het eenvoudig besluit dat ek self een sal moet koop. Toe 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