VEHICLE DETAILS: 2007 Land Rover Discovery 3 (G4 Challenge #29)
DRIVER DETAILS: The late Peter Craig Loveland (Rabbiddog). Now piloted by long-time partner, SueAnne MacRae
One of the concepts that non-overlanders can’t always comprehend is our relationship with our vehicles. For many of us, it’s not just a car – it’s everything. It’s your home away from home, your chariot into the wild, and so much more. For SueAnne MacRae, it’s a living tapestry of the love between her and her late partner, Peter Loveland, the original owner and driver of this special Discovery 3.
This HSE TDV6 with its distinctive Tangerine Orange hue participated in the Land Rover G4 Challenge as vehicle number 29, so it’s a rather special Discovery that’s been kept in its original competition-ready state. Affectionately dubbed the ‘Orange Monster’, she was nearly lost due to an unfortunate and almost terminal engine crank failure. However, Rabbiddog (as Peter was known amongst his fellow adventurers on the 4×4 Action Group online forum) would have none of that! “He was insistent that writing her off was not an option, and the engine was rebuilt and restored,” says his partner of 20 years, SueAnne MacRae. SueAnne says the Discovery and Peter were like one. “If you saw that orange Landy, you knew Loveland was behind the wheel. He adored his ride,” she says.
The couple loved travelling together and Peter introduced SueAnne to this fantastic lifestyle, and taught her how to drive off-road, sharing multiple memorable moments. SueAnne describes a most incredible occasion when they explored the Atlantis dunes. “We had a fabulous time driving between the dunes. Peter was so proud of his Landy flying through the sand,” SueAnne remembers. “Of course, he took particular care cleaning his pride and joy after a day of fun in the sand. It was all over the interior, but he did not mind – all he could talk about was how the vehicle performed.”
SueAnne says that Peter sounded like a proud father when discussion turned to the Orange Monster, because it had taken him to so many remote places. A software developer, he truly loved travelling and camping, going to the furthest corners of this country searching for the next adventure.
The beloved Rabbiddog passed away in June, after suffering a massive heart attack while moving his off-road trailer. “He did what he loved until the very end,” SueAnne says. She will now pilot the Orange Monster and plans to continue with all the adventures they had originally planned together, including a trip to Baviaanspoort. “The Landy will act as the tapestry of our love – we will search for you through 1 000 worlds and 10 000 lifetimes till we find you, Rabiddog.”
Like all G4 Challenge vehicles, the Orange Monster is fitted with the following equipment:
• Roofrack
• Hella Xenon roof lights
• Mantec steering and tank guards
• Internal load guards
• Goodyear MT/R tyres
• Warn 9000XP winch
