From Joburg to Jeffreys

Moving to a small town is all about the sea, sun and rust-proofing your wheels

Rolling Inspiration
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Moving to a small town is all about the sea, sun and rust-proofing your wheels

Written by Marelise Jacobs

 Almost a decade ago, I got the ball rolling on my driver’s licence, buying a car and getting all the modifications needed. Where to start? To say that I procrastinated would be an understatement. What should have taken me a few months eventually turned into two years. It was a daunting task, but I managed to get in touch with the right people.

Marelise had to rust-proof her wheelchair and Chairtopper before the move to the coast.

Living in Johannesburg means everything is within driving distance, from the driver’s licence testing centre to tech-savvy companies doing modifications. In the end, I got all the help I needed. Finally, in early 2015, I passed my driver’s licence and within a month had my car. The world of traffic jams on William Nicol Drive awaited me, and I loved it. Driving on the highways was another favourite of mine, listening to the radio all the way to Pretoria when visiting family on weekends.

Fast-forward eight years. Traffic-jams have lost their novelty and busy highways just don’t have the same allure they once held. If you don’t leave by 6 AM … forget about it. People will look you in the eye as they drive over a red light and block your way. COVID came and went; taking my husband’s job with it. Working from home, I put my shoulder to the wheel and got us through those years while he studied hard to further his career.

Then came the job offer. Did we really see ourselves moving to a small town by the coast? Oh yes, we did! As time ticked by, the to-do list grew longer. Apart from the logistics, living arrangements and endless paperwork, it started to dawn on me that I will be far away from the companies that services my modifications and wheelchair. On top of that, the salty sea air will no doubt have an impact.

Marelise Jacobs

Step one was to repair and replace any exposed metal parts on my manual wheelchair while I was still in Johannesburg. Step two was to rust-proof my Chairtopper wheelchair- hoist on my car. Step three was to compile a little black book with emergency numbers of reputable and recommended companies in Port Elizabeth that can service my car modifications and wheelchair when needed.

Moving is no joke, it takes months of preparation and a lot of patience. Moving to a small town means doing your homework, finding out where the right people are long before you need to get in touch with them.

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