By Darren Gilbert Place yourself in the shoes of this poor guy. He’s your average Joe, working at a bank in South Africa, listening to someone pitch a harebrained idea in an effort to gain financial backing for a one-of-a-kind hotel. If he agrees to help, it will see the placing of a dozen vintage caravans on a hillside in a valley in Elgin. Now take into account that there is no electricity, water, sewage or tourism route there. Then add in the fact that at some point, local farmers will voice their disapproval. You’d imagine that as he continues to listen, his face betrays a feeling of disbelief while one question begins to take centre stage in his mind: “When is my lunch break?” images by: old Mac Daddy You can’t exactly blame him though – as ideas go, there are few that sound as off the wall. Who is that crazy? Meet Jody Aufrichtig. Husband, father, entrepreneur, property developer and co-owner of that idiosyncratic hotel with business partner Nick Ferguson. Winner of a Gold Loerie for communication design, it’s the only luxury caravan park in South Africa and in its short lifespan (it is nearing two years of existence and has already reached 10 000 visitors) has become a sought-after destination. You may know it as the Old Mac Daddy Trailer Park. It’s a little piece of magic in the countryside if ever there was one, and an idea born in the mind of Aufrichtig six years ago while holidaying in Zimbabwe with his family. “I wanted a hotel that could move, really. I also love camping and then I had this idea of making a hotel out of caravans.” However, that is where it stopped and it took an epiphany at 02:00 (something he confesses happens often with his ideas) to realise that in order for the idea to work; only one kind of caravan would do. He wanted vintage. And not just any vintage: He wanted Airstream trailers. However, wanting them is one thing; finding and then getting them, another. COUP●JANUARY●2012●56