SUNDAY 18 MARCH – I walk up to Annie’s to invite them for lunch and also use the internet.    They join us for a Chinese stir-fry before heading home to Johannesburg.  Steve walks up to the other Derek’s to watch his football and I spend the afternoon relaxing.  The evening is incredibly cold but we are cosy beneath a duvet and blanket.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 7

MONDAY 19 MARCH – There are a number of walks to be done here so today we set off on the Dassie trail but reach a dead end.  Double back and link in to the Dove trail but we must be going in the wrong direction as we end up back where we started.  The warthog trail takes us further but begins to drop steeply in to the gorge and this would make it difficult for me to climb out so again we give up and back track but feel we have already had sufficient exercise.  Joe calls round and walks us up to his “shed” to use the Internet.  It’s actually rather a magnificent workshop with all sorts of equipment including sand blasting machines. Early evening, along with Derek, we join Joe & Ralie for sundowners and are having such a good time that we get invited to stay on for a braai.  They tell us that last night's coldness may have been the freak weather change that involved a 7m wave crashing into the coast around Durban.  Much damage has been done, as this is where most of the holiday resorts are situated. 

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 8

TUESDAY 20 MARCH – We’ve made arrangement to go into Swartruggens with Joe and Derek and leave around 9am.  The back of the truck is full of rubbish bags so our first stop is the tip.  People surround us but Derek keeps them at bay whilst he gets the bags onto the ground.  The bags are pounced upon as these people tear them open and begin segregating the rubbish.  They sort out glass and others things that can be sold for recycling.  Anything useable (including disposable nappies that have only been wee’d in) is taken away and the rest left strewn about the place. Next stop the Wimpy where we enjoy their famous cooked breakfast before setting out to deal with the shopping.  We’re back on the farm by lunchtime and glad to strip off in the heat.   In the evening Joe, Ralie and Derek join us for a meal.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 9

WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH – It’s a public holiday here in South Africa but the only day visitors are Jan & Annette who come to see Joe & Ralie.  Steve goes off to do the steep dassie trail with Derek but the rest of the day is spent doing very little.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 10

THURSDAY 22 MARCH – Steve takes off for a morning walk whilst I do a bit of cleaning in the van.   Derek & Anne phone to say they are coming out this evening so I invite them for a meal.  We cook up a braai by the swimming pool and it’s a very pleasant evening.  We get occasional showers through the night but nothing like the rain they need.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 11

FRIDAY 23 MARCH - Usual sort of day.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 12

SATURDAY 24 MARCH – We linger in bed reading, as it is cool and still showery.  Derek comes down with the horses and introduces us to the 2 doctors who own them (sounds like something out of Faulty Towers).  It brightens up early afternoon and we venture out.  Later on we go up to Derek & Annie’s for a braai and for Steve to watch sport.  It gets hectic at one stage as they have interest in 3 matches, in cricket South Africa are playing Australia, England are against Kenya and the football is England v Israel.  Needless to say there is lots of channel hopping to take it all in. 

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 13

SUNDAY 25 MARCH – Another cooler morning, there’s definitely an autumnal feel in the air.   Late afternoon we visit Joe & Ralie.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 14

MONDAY 26 MARCH – Another cool and cloudy day with intermittent showers.  Joe & Ralie call by as they are leaving and ask us to visit them at home next week.  Manage to get an hour sitting out in the late afternoon sun.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 15

TUESDAY 27 MARCH – More rain than ever so we linger in bed reading.  Derek comes down and insists on taking all our washing as he has a tumble dryer.  In the evening he joins us for a meal and we manage to sit out between showers.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 16

WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH – Derek is going out playing golf and has invited us to make use of his house to watch TV.  It’s another dull day so we leap at the chance.  Derek expected to be back late afternoon but when he hasn’t arrived by dusk I head off home.  Steve arrives back just after 11pm saying that Derek has just got back and is plastered, obviously got held up at the 19^th hole!

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 17

THURSDAY 29 MARCH – Packing up to leave we remove the wooden ramp from under the van and find that termites have been having a field day.   Having only been here a relatively short time we are amazed at just how much wood has been eaten away.  We’ve had a great time here and definitely recharged our batteries after our hectic tour with Stan & Judy.  Stop in Rustenburg at the Waterfall Mall before continuing along the R24 Krugersdorp road where I am miffed to see lots of roadside stalls selling fruit and veg much cheaper than in the supermarket.  For the first time in South Africa we see a warning sign telling us we are entering a car hijack area.  About 30km from town we see the sign to Harmony Nature Farm, a bit of a misnomer, as it is actually a naturist resort.  It’s not too far from the main road but the low trees are a challenge as is the narrow road as it winds its way up towards the mountain.  The main gate is attached to a house where Amanda lives.  She is the daughter in law of Piet & Kitty who own the resort.  Once through the gate we drive up to park and then meet Kitty at reception by the pool.  She is guarded by 4 zebra that live on the farm but linger at the pool area in the hope of handouts.  We can take any of the camping spots but need help from Piet and his son Hansie in order to find the most level spot (not easy with the site being built into the side of the mountain range) and even that is sloping.  Piet meets us up at the bar and shows us the excellent facilities that include, a reception and snack bar, huge entertainment hall big enough to cater for 300, an indoor hot tub, 3 bar areas, a sheltered sun deck and most interesting for me a hairdressing salon.  Hansie used to work as a hairdresser in the city but since the extended family moved out here 20 years ago this has been his base.  Whilst we enjoy a drink at the bar I discuss my hair problems, of course it is so bad that it’s a 2-drink task!  Unfortunately for us the resort is only naturist during the weekend as they have lots of workers around during the week and ask you to be clothed during that time.  Even tomorrow from 8-12 we must be dressed so on Monday we will move on.  After lunch and a snooze we return to the bar and meet other guests Marilyn & Jackie who are out for a break from running their restaurant “Emu” on the shores of Hartbeesport Dam.  Spend the evening in the leisure area watching TV.

HARMONY NATURE FARM

R160 (£12.80) site for 2

FRIDAY 30 MARCH – Get up at 7.30 in order to shower in the nude!   Just after we finish breakfast the zebras arrive and plant themselves by the van.  We grab some bread and manage to hand feed them but they are not as tame as they seem and will barely let you stroke them.  When we back off into the van one of them tries to follow us and pokes his head right through the door, only in Africa.  Piet takes us on a tour of the farm and shows us the on site accommodation, some of which is very nice indeed.  The pool is just about warm enough for an afternoon swim.  Spend the rest of the afternoon having my hair cut and coloured whilst Steve watches cricket.  Pop in to the bar for sundowners and meet Elmarie and Ian who are first time visitors to a naturist resort.  Later on we return to wallow in the hot tub and meet Revel & Suzette in the bar, again first time naturists so obviously it’s becoming much more popular in South Africa.

HARMONY NATURE FARM 2

SATURDAY 31 MARCH – Steve acts as my hero and chases the 4 frogs out of the shower area enable me to relax in there.  It takes a while for the day to warm up but late morning finds us at the pool and it’s not long before we are taking cooling dips.  The zebras stroll past making for great photographs.  Piet comes out with some bread for us to feed them.  Unfortunately they think he has given it to Steve, rather than me, and one persists in chasing after him.  It nuzzles up to his side and gives him a little nip; actually it ends up looking rather like a love bite!  A first for Harmony is the arrival of a black couple and we spend quite some time chatting to Pat who runs his own bus business and partner Tammy, a social worker.  Everyone gathers for an evening braai with Kitty providing the pap and sauce.  We spend the evening between the hot pool, braai area and playing pool with Revel & Suzette then Ian and Elmarie.  It’s just about midnight when we roll home after a most enjoyable evening.

HARMONY NATURE FARM 3

200703

THURSDAY 1 MARCH 2007 – It’s been dry night but the Chobe River is obviously still rising as the reception area is now surrounded by floodwater.  We have booked to do some trips and Stan secured us all a pensioner’s discount bringing the price down to P100 (£9) for the morning land trip, P90 (£8) afternoon boat trip plus P70 (£6.30) national park fees.  Anthony has decided to join us and Nikodemus picks us up in the Safari truck just before 10am.  It’s 10.30am before we set out from Kasane after paying for the trip.  Nick stops frequently to give us information including the fact that the Chobe Game Reserve is completely unfenced giving the animals freedom to move around.  We soon encounter antelope and see hippos in a pool.  Next sighting are elephants and one hovers by a mud bath but then decides he doesn’t like being watched and makes an attempt to charge us from behind.  Nick knows the routine and reverses towards the elephant, knowing that if he were to drive away we could be followed for hundreds of kilometres.  His tactic works and the elephant heads off.  Down on the flooded riverbank there are lots of hippos.  The tour boats arrive and one of them goes very close to them.  The hippos rear up and make aggressive noises so the boat starts to back off but there’s another hippo behind it.  This hippos rears up and the boat sways dramatically as it is hit.  It’s a double decker boat and looks very unstable but luckily they level out and move off.  We have heard that a boat sank here last week when a wave went over it and we can clearly see how accidents happen.  An army Saracen type vehicle comes down the track, the anti poaching squad.  Continuing our journey through the park we see the endangered puku antelope and get a rare sighting of wild dogs plus lots of other wildlife and birds and of course many of the elephants that Chobe is famous for.  Other than camping the only accommodation in the park is the Chobe Game Lodge, which attracted Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor on the occasion of their second wedding.  At over US$1000 night it’s just a bit over our budget.  Stop for our complementary drink and to stretch our legs at an area we are assured is safe.  We are looking over the river towards Namibia but it now looks like a huge lake with many villages cut off on higher ground in the middle.  Outside the camp heading back for lunch a green mamba wriggles across the road and a herd of goats are the only customers waiting at the petrol station.  Arrive back at 2pm giving us just an hour before our next pick up.  A different driver collects us for the afternoon cruise and there is confusion as to where the boat will be.  At the

First place the pier has disappeared under water!  Eventually track down the small, shallow 15-seater craft and take the last few empty seats.  Heading down the river gives us a different slant on the park and much better sightings of birds including the pied kingfisher and fish eagles.  Our tour company have provided us with a cool box of drinks and snacks unlike the other customers.  The sky darkens and we begin to see lightening and soon feel thunder booming around us.  Looking back we can see the storm fast approaching and feel rather vulnerable as the boat only has a narrow canopy at the back and guess where we are sitting.  We’ve just about got time to wrap the camera up before the deluge begins.  There are many boats on the river and they all head for the safety of the banks, or relative safety bearing in mind we are now much nearer the wildlife including lions!  There’s nothing for it but to sit it out and get absolutely soaked to the skin, unfortunately it has now gone cold and the rain is so heavy that it feels like hail stones.  After about half an hour it eases off and we wring our clothes out before sitting back on our flooded seats.  Our next stop is in the area where we saw the hippos this morning.  None of the afternoon boats go so close and the hippos are mostly underwater but we do see a few sticking their heads out to yawn.  After going a bit further and seeing a monitor lizard, kudu and an elephant we turn back.  The sky has brightened and the colours and reflections are magnificent.  We are absolutely frozen when we disembark at 6.30pm and get even colder in the truck driving back.  It’s a big decision whether to have a hot shower or just put warm dry clothes on but with the roast beef in the oven the van soon warms up and we get cosy.  Stan & Judy’s tent has held up well but neighbours John & Janet, who were out on a different boat, left the side of theirs open and are grateful to borrow a dry blanket and pillow. Anthony fares even worse as his tent was not waterproof but he dries his stuff with the car air con and will sleep there after he has eaten with us.  Steve chats to one of the overland truck drivers and learns that due to the floodwaters the ferry has now been stopped, the Chobe Safari Lodge campsite in Kasane has been flooded out and closed and the Zambezi Lodge where we stayed in Katima Mulilo is completely under water.  Reckon we should be thankful to just be travelling ahead of the problems.

KASANE 2, TORO LODGE

FRIDAY 2 MARCH – The water has risen even higher so we are happy to be leaving and heading south.  No sooner have we left town than the skies become clear blue and things warm up again.  The initial good road surface soon deteriorates to Mozambique pot holed standards but fortunately there is little traffic so dodging the dips is easier.  Roadside wildlife is mainly donkeys but we also see cows and a lone elephant.  Whilst not secured in any way the donkeys seem to be mainly in groups of 3 at regular intervals, maybe the people coming through on carts swap them over periodically for a fresh set!   Just south of Nata we pull off to Nata Lodge.  The campsite is a very dusty area with no electricity but the ablutions are fair and the swimming pool area is very pleasant for an afternoon’s relaxation.  An overland truck arrives late and apologises for parking right next to us but it’s the only place he can fit.  It’s the first night of the tour so we enjoy listening in to their welcome speech and watching the tent erection demonstration.

NATA, NATA LODGE

P45 (£4) pppn

SATURDAY 3 MARCH – The overland truck leaves at 7am so induces us to make an early start.  The road surface is now better but the stupid donkeys are a hazard, as they seem to have no road sense.  There’s a definite case of “drop the dead donkey” as we see one that must have been killed by a speeding vehicle.  One group begins to cross directly in front of us; the road is narrow so Steve has no choice but to put the anchors on.  We come to a halt giving the last donkey a gentle nudge off the road.  The next thing to cause us to stop is a huge, approx 2m, snake wriggling in the road.  Steve is keen to watch it and take a photo but I am more concerned that it is coming towards us and may climb into the engine as I have just read a book where this happens.  Needless to say we get our picture of the black mamba and drive off without further incident.  Francistown is huge and quite a shock to the system having not been in a large place since Windhoek.  When we pull up for me to check out the launderette Steve notices a lot more water coming from the engine, the radiator hose has split.  He finds out where we might get a spare and we set off post haste.  We pull onto the spare parts shop car park just as the trickle goes into Victoria Falls mode.  A crowd of bush mechanics descend on us and we manage to get a bucket underneath to catch most of the fluid as they remove the hose.  The shop do not have the part but send Steve & Stan off to a place that might.  They return over an hour later, after visiting many other places, with no new part but a metal tube clamped into the old hose where the split was.  Steve soon has it in place and it seems fine.  Thank goodness the problem happened where it did.  Head to the shopping centre for a huge stock up at the big PickNPay supermarket having had to make do with small town shops for ages.  About 5km out of town the Marang Hotel and Casino have a campsite and it suits all our needs.  Judy & I cool off in the pool whilst Steve gets hot under the collar watching Liverpool lose.  For entertainment there is a wedding party having photographs taken and on the other side a bouncy assault course is being set up for kids so no chance of a snooze.  With broadband Internet (P30, £2.70 hr) as well we are well catered for. 

FRANCISTOWN, MARANG HOTEL AND CASINO

P45 (£4) pp + P20 (£1.80) electric

SUNDAY 4 MARCH – Continuing our journey south the road surface increases, as does the volume of traffic but this in turn reduces the amount of wildlife lurking by the roadside.  Again we go through meat control points, at one we just drive through an area that should have disinfectant in but is dried up.  Palapye town runs from the main road, where the bus station is, to the centre a few km’s off the road.  Behind the railway station we easily find Camp Itumela and get a friendly greeting from the

Manager Sue.  She immediately offers us a discount and invites us to select a site.  The ablutions are fine and there is a nice campers kitchen with tables, chair and cooking utensils.  The swimming pool is full of kids but still very welcome.  The on site bush pub and amusement arcade are the other attractions.  We cook our jacket potatoes on the communal braai and escape with just a few drops of rain in the evening and even fit in a late night dip in the pool.

PALAPYE, CAMP ITUMELA

P40 reduced to P30 (£2.70) pp + a one off P15 (£1.35) electric

MONDAY 5 MARCH- We are long overdue a serious lie in and organised for it last night.  Judy gets up very early so we don’t like to linger too long and delay them having breakfast.  However with a kitchen and fridge available we have given them the where with all to eat.  We are woken before 7am by very noisy campers, it seems that in Southern Africa no one shows any consideration at all be it late night or early morning noise.  Next there are cars coming and going and workers making a racquet nearby.  I sit in bed reading quietly and give Steve his best shot but even he gives up just after 8am.   I’ve been holding out for a campsite with a washing machine but to no avail.  I finally give up all hope and do it all by hand ensuring that the next site we visit will have one!  Stan & Judy explore the town with little to report.  Again we make use of the fire to cook our evening meal and eat alongside a mini tour group of 4 Austrians and their guide.  We get a few drops of rain in the evening and a couple of brief showers through the night but still nothing like the amount of rain they should be getting during the wet season, not that we are complaining!

PALAPYE 2, CAMP ITUMELA

TUESDAY 6 MARCH – Make an early start but just a few yards down the road I have to ask Steve to quickly pull over.  There’s a lizard sitting on his left shoulder but by the time he has pulled up it has jumped off.  We open the van door but Judy didn’t see whether it jumped out or back in.  A few kilometres down the road and we know the answer when Steve looks in the rear view mirror and sees it on the bed.  Stan climbs on to the bed to try and open the window but again it moves off.  The next sighting is when its head pops up over the kitchen sink bowl.  Again it does a disappearing act.  When we stop for breakfast and fuel at Sherwood, the last stop in Botswana, it’s hiding behind the cooker.  Immigration formalities are trouble free and we cross the Limpopo River at Martins Drift to enter SOUTH AFRICA complete with our smuggled lizard.  Just south of Lephalale we check onto the campsite at Molalatau Lodge, to be greeted by a horse putting its head through the van window.  They are busy making new cabins so it’s a bit of a building site but the fees are R50pp instead of R65 and there’s a nice area to relax by the 2 swimming pools.  For the first time since we left South Africa the swimming pool has clear water and it’s the length that enables me to have a good swim.  Share the area with the horse and a family of geese.  Late afternoon there is a bit of a commotion at the far side of our van.  A snake has been spotted and the workers are now chasing it around the trailer, luckily they kill it so another boomslang bites the dust.  Later on a family of mongoose emerge from under one of the cabins completing the wildlife sighting for the day.  In the evening the lighting flashes and thunder rumbles around us.  Eventually we do get quite a downpour and the electricity goes off, much to Steve’s dismay as we are staying here so he can watch football on TV later.  Luckily the rain stops and power is restored. 

LEPHALALE, MOLALATAU LODGE

R50 (£4) pppn

WEDNESDAY 7 MARCH – Another early start gets us a few kilometres under our belts before the sun gets hot.  Our journey takes us past lots of private game reserves; through the fences we see antelope and zebra.  After a quick shop in Thabazimbi it’s out to the nearby Marakele National Park.  It’s so new that they are still creating the roads making their map totally useless and enabling us to immediately get lost.   After ambling around aimlessly we eventually reach the campsite with 3 areas each having their own ablutions block.  There’s a waterhole nearby so we pick a site overlooking it.  At this stage the fence around the site consists of just poles in the ground and signs warning us not to venture further but little to deter the animals coming in to see us!  The normal weather pattern emerges and we get a late afternoon thunder and lightening storm with just a few spots of rain.  The waterhole becomes more active and various antelope, warthogs, ostrich, giraffe and zebra take turns to entertain us. 

THABAZIMBI, MARAKELE NATIONAL PARK

R60 (£4.80) pp daily conservation fee, R110 (£8.80) campsite for 2 people + R38 (£3.10) each extra person.

THURSDAY 8 MARCH – We manage a lie in, as it’s very quiet.  Judy has been up early photographing the wildebeest near the camp.  Driving in to town Steve spots our hitchhiker lizard trying to climb over his window to get back in, this time he gets his marching orders.  The main town centre of Thabazimbi is off the road and driving to it we pass some enormous and impressive houses.  It’s all much bigger than expected and has everything we need.  Next stop is Pilanesberg National Park where we check on to Manyane Campsite by the entrance gate.  It’s a very pleasant site and as soon as we have had lunch we head off into the park proper.  Admission is a very reasonable R20 (£1.60) pp and R15 (£1.20) for the van and because we are staying on the campsite it covers us for tomorrow as well.  The roads are good, mostly tar, and with our R15 (£1.20) guidebook and map it’s easy to follow the signs to do a tour.  The national park encompasses an ancient volcano producing dramatic and changeable scenery and a wide variety of flora and fauna.  We soon see elephant, zebra and giraffe and a variety of antelope.  After a brief stop at the Pilanesberg Centre we head off towards Makorwane Dam.  There are hippos in the water, a leopard tortoise crossing the road but most impressive of all are two huge white rhino’s that amble very close to the van.  Leave just before the park gates close at 6.30pm and spend a quiet evening in camp.

PILANESBERG, MANYANE CAMPSITE

R180 (£14.40) per site with electricity

FRIDAY 9 MARCH – We wake up at 5am and are amongst the first into the park when the gates open at 6am.  This time we take the dirt roads than run south and make our way back towards the dam.  We spot a lone rock with sheer sides and are amazed to see that a couple of small antelope are somehow clinging on to the side.  There’s little else to see by way of wildlife but the scenery and views are excellent and the map also gives info on noteworthy geographical, cultural and historical features.  We get a great view of the dam from Fish Eagle lookout but the car park is too sloping for a breakfast stop.  Mankwe Lake View Platform lookout car park suffices and after this stop we begin to see more wildlife as we loop back to the main drag.  In fact we see exactly the same animals as yesterday with the exception of a leopard tortoise that must have changed it spots and emerged as a hyena!   Back to camp around 11am and after making use of the R10 (80p) washing machines we walk out to the mini golf, aviary and day visitors swimming pool area.  There’s not much in the aviary as baboons keep breaking in and leaving big holes in the netting but a guide points out the few species that are there.  Judy & Stan head off on one of the marked walking trails whilst Steve & I play a couple of rounds of mini golf, R5 (40p) pp, for me to be whooped both times.  Late afternoon the campsite fills up rapidly with families and groups of young people out for the weekend.  By dark it is packed out and we are completely surrounded.  Our evening meal is delayed when Judy gets some sort of sting or bite on her neck but after a worrying half hour it doesn’t seem to have been from a wasp, from which she is allergic, and she is feeling better.  There’s a buffet meal, R110 (£8.80) on offer and we have booked a table by the swimming pool.  It’s a lovely setting and the others are soon getting stuck in to the salad starters whilst I progress straight to the next course, having checked out the desserts first.  Stir-fries are available and you pile up a plate with your selection of meat and vegetables for the chef to cook with a choice of 8 sauces, delicious.  Roast chicken, impala, beef and kudu stew are served with accompaniments and Steve is amused to find that when Stan & Judy get there the impala that he had has been changed to lamb.  Next time up he asks for lamb but the server insists lamb is tomorrow night and tonight is impala.   Returning to the table we have a big debate about what meat it actually is.  Throughout the night people are served alternately lamb and impala off the same joint so maybe it’s a cross and really im-baa-la meat!  Anyway it’s a lovely meal and we are treated by Stan & Judy but all have to admit to having eaten far too much.  Unfortunately when we get back we find that we are in the noisiest area of the whole campsite but after a polite request they do quieten down later.

PILANESBERG 2, MANYANE CAMPSITE

SATURDAY 10 MARCH – It’s a noisy morning on the site so we are all up quite early.  At the sinks a lady tells me that when they returned to their tent yesterday baboons had broken in, taken all the food and trashed the place.  Even worse the tent next door had the same treatment but with the addition of the animals defecating on the bed – yuk.  Our journey takes us around the outside of the park but we still get a great sighting of a large herd of elephant.  Approaching Sun City every lamppost has an advertising sign.  Admission is either R65 (£5.20) to the complex including R30 (£2.40) of tokens to spend (opted for by Stan and Judy) and R120 (£9.60) admission to complex and valley of the waves plus lunch for us.  Split up and arrange a rendezvous later.  A monorail takes us to the heart of the complex where we first explore “The Cascades” Hotel with a magnificent garden and swimming pool area and fine views from the glass lift that goes up outside the building.  The only way to get to the pool area is to walk all the way through the vast Entertainment Complex past dozens of machines, no doubt a nightmare if you have children.  You emerge on the top floor directly onto “The Bridge of Time” themed Disney style to look like the ones we saw in Cambodia.  On the hour the lion roars, steam sprays out and the bridge shakes but it’s all a bit tame.  At the far end of this we go through enormous gates to the Lost City where “The Valley of Waves” is situated.  It’s basically a water park with a large main pool ending in a man made beach plus many other pools.  The water slides all have long cues and the lazy river is extremely lazy.  The horn sounds for the waves and I head into the pool to be surprised when a 2m wave appears at the far end.  It’s so big that a number of people manage to surf it onto the beach.  We leave to catch a bus to the lake at Waterworld behind The Cabanas, as there is a free boat ride at 12 o’clock and guess who else turns up for it.  During the 25min leisurely trip around the lake we hear commentary about the creation of Sun City.  Catch the wrong free shuttle bus and end up getting a tour around the huge timeshare complex.  Return to the main pool and figure out the complicated lunch system with tokens enabling us to collect each part of the meal from different places.  The burger & chips, drink and ice cream are soon demolished.  The free R10 (80p) pp gaming tokens defeat us as we can’t figure out how to use any of the machines in the games arcade so give them to a small child who can!  Above the wave pool is another fantastic area all made to look like it has been found in the jungle.  There’s an amphitheatre, Royal Bath round swimming pool, themed bar and then the Royal Staircase leading up to the magnificent and very pricey Palace of the Lost City Hotel.  We are allowed over the bridge to the entrance but only guests can enter.  However we do get to see a wedding party taking photographs and can get an idea of how fantastic the hotel is with each room decorated individually.  After a last swim in the pool we have a quick look in Sun City Hotel, where there is another casino area, before returning to the van.  Stan & Judy are catching a bus from Rustenberg on Monday and would like to stay in that area for their last 2 nights.  Easier said than done as the directions we are given to the nearest campsite are poor and we actually arrive at Bergheim Holiday Resort after reception is closed but take a site anyway. 

RUSTENBERG, BERGHEIM HOLIDAY RESORT 

R130 (£10.40) per site for up to 4 people

SUNDAY 11 MARCH – Stan & Judy check into a room to enable them to get everything, including the tent, packed.  Steve starts to heat the wood on the braai to cook lunch.  It’s just about ready for the food to go on when the whole stand falls over.  No one is hurt and a couple of girls camped nearby come over and offer us extra wood to begin again on another braai.  They both work in the mines in the area and tell us the whole area is full of mines, which explains the expensive houses we have seen and the amount of money being spent at places like Sun City.  The second attempt at the braai works well and Steve cooks up a delicious last meal for Judy & Stan.       

RUSTENBURG 2, BERGHEIM HOLIDAY RESORT

R230 (£18.40) rondavel

MONDAY 12 MARCH – We drive back to Rustenburg and shop at the Waterfall Mall.  The Intercape bus leaves from the nearby Engen garage at 11am and Stan & Judy are booked to travel on this to Johannesburg, R114 (£9).  It’s the end of their Swatour Safari after travelling 6,000km through 4 countries.  Once they are safely on board we drive west on the N4 for 50km then 10km on dirt road to get to Kiepersolkloof, a naturist resort.  Derek greets us and show us to the camping area beside the “manor” house.  The farm area is owned by the 10 original shareholders who each have houses here and has now been extended to include swimming pool and other facilities for visitors.  There’s only 1 other person staying and she is leaving tomorrow so it’s nice and quiet.  It’s bliss to strip off and relax in the sun with no deadlines and time our own.  The dream is shattered mid afternoon when a storm begins and the temperature drops rapidly as hail begins to fall.  Luckily it doesn’t last long and we can soon go back outside.  We’re now noticing a big difference in the evening with darkness upon us before 7pm and a drop in temperature.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF

R120 (£9.60) per couple or R100 (£8) per night if staying for a week

TUESDAY 13 MARCH – We have a very peaceful and restful night and wake at leisure with no noise around us.  Set out to explore some of the many tracks on the farm.  Derek has said it is fine to look at the houses, as they are all empty.  Some are very grand and many have outdoor Jacuzzis.  In one tub there are 3 dead frogs so maybe this is a new slant on the song of 3 coins in a fountain – 3 frogs in a Jacuzzi?  Next we walk down to the dam and then continue into the Kloof (gorge).  Return to relax by the pool.  Steve is on the lounger when he notices a snake wriggling directly towards him.  He calls me so I can get the camera but as soon as he makes a noise it turns and heads off quickly.  Derek comes down to chat to us later and says the description of the snake makes it sound like the spitting cobra which disables you by spitting a very painful venom in your eyes, before going in for the kill.   

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 2

WEDNESDAY 14 MARCH – Wake up early but keep going back to bed for naps and reading.  The mornings are quite cool until the sun warms things up around 9am at which time we sit out for breakfast.  Derek calls down and says he is doing his washing and will take our bedding and towels.  He’s very interested in going to Australia so invites us up for an evening braai and suggests we take the laptop so he can look at pictures, little does he know what he is letting himself in for as we have over 10,000!  Just before we head up for the braai the sky turns black and a storms is looming.  We joke that we could be in for an English BBQ rather than an African braai.  Derek lives in the original farmhouse and has his own ducks complete with pond and a couple of horses stabled round the back.  Late afternoon a whirlwind passed through and took part of the asbestos roof off the stables.  Now the wind is getting strong as the storms closes in on us giving us superb views of the lightening as he has views all around from his house on the hill.  The rain passes quickly and Derek manages to cook the lamb and boerworst on the braai for an enjoyable meal.  Steve manages to get his hands on the remote control and find football on TV but luckily Liverpool is not playing.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 3

THURSDAY 15 MARCH – The morning passes quickly as I try to sort out problems with Derek’s computer.  In the afternoon he asks Steve for help doing a repair in one of the houses and this leads on to a full-guided tour.  Most of the homes are 2 bedroom and fairly simple.  Last year a pre fab style 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom one with a small plunge pool changed hands for R40, 000 (£3,200) and R35, 000 (£2,800) of that was the shareholder buy out fee.  A more substantial 1-bedroom brick home more recently sold for R80, 000 (£6,400) plus shareholder fees.  In any other country this would be a serious consideration for us.  Derek joins us for a pasta meal, which goes down well as we are sat out by the pool at our candlelit table marvelling at the starry sky.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 4

FRIDAY 16 MARCH – An English chap called Derek calls down and asks us to join him and his wife Annie for “sundowners” at their house.  He stops chatting for quite some time and has only just left when caretaker Derek’s Dad Joe comes to say hello and stops for a chat.  At 5pm we head off up the hill to where Derek and Anne have had a superb house built on stilts giving them uninterrupted panoramic views.  In our opinion it’s the nicest house on the farm with indoor and outdoor jacuzzi’s   We find lots to chat about and return after dark to find a caravan has arrived, Albert and Chantal from Johannesburg.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 5

SATURDAY 17 MARCH – There’s a new naturist resort opened near Groot Marico and we have been invited over as guests so that I can do a report for the Australian naturist “tan” magazine.  Coincidentally Derek & Annie have also made arrangements to visit today so we get a lift over with them.  From the main Bonaledi Farm it’s a further 4km on rough dirt roads to get to the hunting lodge area (known as Kudu Manzi) used by naturists.  Shana and her partner Dave, who run Kalypso Tours, make us all welcome and we explore the area with a bar and snooker table, restaurant below and sunbathing terrace above the natural pool.  The other 8 couples are staying overnight and are shown to their rondavel accommodation.  It must be the only naturist centre where you can do a nude safari and ride around on quad bikes.  After lunch we stay chatting but unfortunately Derek wants to leave at 4pm and the safari doesn’t head off until 4.30pm.  Back at Kiepersol we are joining Derek and Anne for a roast lamb dinner but they drop us off at the van first.  We don’t even make it to the door before we are hailed over to the swimming pool to join Derek with his Dad Joe, Chantal and Martin & Naomi for a drink.  In typical South African style we are invited to join their braai but must reluctantly say no and manage to escape after a couple of drinks to join the others for our meal.  Everyone is so friendly and we are having a great time so will stay on longer.

KIEPERSOLKLOOF 6

FRIDAY 16 FEBRUARY – Following the lion getting into this camp two nights ago they are now patrolling continuously in vehicles with floodlights making sleeping difficult.  We’re all up early and ready to leave camp when the gates open.  Head off around Fischer’s Pan where in addition to things we have seen before we get our first sightings of a Cape Fox, African wild cat, lesser flamingos, black shouldered kite, tawny eagle, dung beetle and a giant millipede approx 20cm long.   Breakfast at Klein Namutoni pan before exiting the park.  It’s about 100km to Tsumeb where we do a huge shop at PickNPay, attempt to do Internet and fail then check onto the Municipal Caravan Park.  The site is about 1km from town and so lush and green that it’s hard to believe you are in Africa.  There is no one else around and this makes it difficult to select at site.  Finally make shade the number 1 priority and settle in the centre of the area.  A tree on one of the perimeter stands is attracting attention from the guard and gateman.  Soon after a council vehicle arrives with 2 occupants.  They jump out and one has a rifle.  Immediately he begins shooting up into the tree.  After a few shots there have been no sign of a leopard or anything else dropping down so Steve ventures closer.  There are 2 boomslang snakes in the tree and he manages to shoot one down then bash it with a stick.  It’s very long and still wriggling.  The second one he has shot but it is hanging over a branch, he says it should fall down within about ½ hour.  Apparently they were alerted to the snake’s presence by the birds and they are not all that common here, thank goodness.  It’s extremely hot but Judy & I venture into the van to clean out all the dust in the hope that we have finished the dirt roads.  Steve cooks up steak on the braai before another couple that have arrived to camp joins us.  Nigel is English and his partner Henny from Germany.  Both are well travelled and used to live in Africa so have lots to tell us including the fact that lions will not attack people inside tents.  There are lights on each of the sites but there are still dark areas so I use the torch to head to the toilets.  Ever mindful of my weak ankle I point the light downwards as I climb the step into the entrance of the ladies toilet.  (Rather than having the main door straight out onto the site they have built 2 walls to give privacy before you get to the main door).  I look up ready to open the door as a cobra rears up at me from the corner, less than the width of the door away.  I scream and jump backwards and begin hobbling shakily back towards our site.  Steve has already leapt up to come to my assistance and I babble an explanation to him.  The campsite security guard and Steve arrive at the toilet entrance at the same time.  By now the snake has gone into the toilets and is slithering along the drainage channel that runs behind all the toilets and showers.  The gateman also arrives, assesses the situation and goes off to fetch a spear.  Stan keeps going too and fro to bring us a running commentary, meanwhile Steve is chasing the snake along the channel trying to chop it with a garden hoe.  The gateman returns and spears the snake.  To reassure me, Steve brings me the dead snake dangling on the hoe but I am much more comforted by my glass of whiskey.  For a place that doesn’t normally get snakes it seems amazing that there have bee3 here today.  The toilet bucket certainly gets good use for the rest of the night and needless to say I have a very restless sleep with bad dreams.

TSUMEB MUNICIPALITY CARAVAN PARK

N$62 (£4.95) site + N$16 (£1.20) pp

SATURDAY 17 FEBRUARY – We’ve all had a bad night.  The guard walking round patrolling has disturbed us as he walks on the gravel path, there has been at cat under the van and near the tent meowing and dogs barking in the distance.  In spite of all this we will stay another night.  Next to us is the Cultural Village, N$10 (80p) entry, and this was created when the town was twinned with another in Norway.  The central area is marked out like a map of Namibia with each replica tribal village located in the corresponding area.  We ask the girl to show us round and she takes us through a few of the villages explaining the differences.  Many of the houses are falling down and some complete tribal areas have collapsed and it is all suffering from a distinct lack of up keep.  At least it gives us an overview of some of the tribes.  The receptionist offers us a lift back to the site, which we gladly accept as it, is extremely hot and surprisingly humid.  Stan & Judy then head off into town whilst I do some washing.  The campsite is really busy with day visitors, young local blacks are partying and a white family are holding a birthday party for their 13 year old daughter and have had a huge bouncy water slide brought in.  Unfortunately it doesn’t get quiet until midnight.

TSUMEB 2, MUNICIPALITY CARAVAN PARK

SUNDAY 18 FEBRUARY – Call in to the nearby Wimpy for Internet before leaving town.  North of Grootfontein we detour to Roy’s camp but at R55 (£4.40) pp are not tempted to stay overnight.  Further north we cross the “red line” agricultural border and immediately feel like we are in another country.  Suddenly instead of there being nothing for miles we encounter lots of small Kavango villages and people everywhere.  The cultural centre guide yesterday explained to us that each community is one extended family with the main man having many wives.  Craft stalls littered the roadside with wooden canoes available from pocket sized up to ones big enough for 2 people to use on the water.  Cows, horses and goats graze on the roadside often herded along by young boys no bigger than a pile of halfpennies.  Two youths are having fun riding on a cow.  Rundu is an incredibly busy and bustling border town with the narrow Kavango River separating it from Angola.  It’s dusty, hot and humid and feels like deepest Africa.  On the outskirts of town there is camping in the grounds of the Ngandu Safari Hotel.  The pool by the bar is appreciated, as is the DSTV screen in the bar.  After tea the others walk down to Sarasunga Resort on the banks of the river.  The van would make it down the road but there are supposed to be many other similar places further east.

RUNDU, NGANDU SAFARI HOTEL

N$35 (£2.60) PP + N$35 (2.60) van

MONDAY 19 FEBRUARY – We thought the town was busy yesterday but today it is heaving.  There are plenty of supermarkets but still we can’t get everything we want.  Sparks Internet gives us a chance to E-mail about our Zambian visas.  We get lost heading out of town due to the total absence of signs.  End up doing a tour through the outer suburbs before eventually finding the main road.  East of town we turn off and end up going about 9km on terrible roads to get to Kaisosi Lodge.  It was recommended by some German motorhomers but at N$60 (£4.80) pppn much more expensive than they led us to believe.  As there is no one else staying there we ask if a discount is possible if we stay for more than 1 night and the receptionist thinks so and calls the manager/owner over.  He is actually quite shirty about us having asked and does not have the business sense to negotiate at all.  Based on his attitude we would not want to stay anyway so continue along the bump dirt road to the next resort N’Kwazi Lodge, 20km from Rundu.  The last 3km are through fields and past small villages to get us to the river.  It looks lovely and whilst I go to reception to ask about the price, Steve and Stan have a young lad introduce himself and show them to the camping area.  We are immediately given a reduction of N$10 (80p) pppn making it N$40 (£3.20) and made to feel very welcome.  Frequented by overland trucks, Nomads are here at the moment.  Swatours Safaris set up camp and set out to explore the area.  There’s a restaurant overlooking the river and next to that a swimming pool with bar and lounge area behind it.  Settle down for drinks and to take in the ambience.  With lots of wooden huts in the garden it feels quite tropical and more like Asia.  A second overland truck arrives late afternoon and we do feel a little crowded.  Watch a lovely sunset whilst taking our sundowners by the pool.  Power is by generator, which comes on in the evening but after that we have a quiet night.

RUNDU 2, N’KWAZI LODGE

N$50 (£4) pppn

TUESDAY 20 FEBRUARY – It’s quite noisy early on, first with 30 tents zipping away and then the packing up.  By 8am peace is restored.  Spend the morning doing odd jobs and the afternoon relaxing.  At 5.30pm we set out for a sunset river cruise with Simon N$50 (£4) pp.  He is also the barman and has prepared a cool box with our favourite drinks.  The boat is made from two mokoro’s (canoes) have been joined together with a wooden platform and garden chairs to sit on.  We chug up the Kavango River past small villages where many locals are at the waters edge bathing.  Disembark on the Angolan side to have our photos taken with a sign saying “illegal in Angola”!  Just before sunset Simon turns the engine off and we drift downstream soaking up the atmosphere and listening to the distant sounds from the villages, an excellent trip. 

RUNDU 3, N’KWAZI LODGE

WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY – It’s a slightly easier drive out of the camp, as we know what lies ahead.  Back on the main road we head east along the Caprivi Strip.  It’s about 200km to the next town of Divundu where we turn off towards Botswana.  Ngepi campsite has just won the Getaway magazine award for the best southern African campsite.  It’s 4km off the main road but signs at regular intervals assure us we will not get stuck in the sand and that the water will not damage our tyres.  They were wrong on the first count as we make a bad decision at a road junction and end up bogged.  Luckily we manage to push Millie out and reach the campsite without further ado.  Following the award their prices have risen dramatically with no possibility of a discount.  Manager Neil from England directs us to select from one of 8 lovely individual private sites on the grassy banks of the river.  The overland trucks use a different area of the camp and they also have accommodation.  One of the big features here are the ablution blocks with lots of different themes but all open air and rustic.  On the banks of the river there are loos with a view including the kings and queens thrones.  There’s also an open-air bathroom with the tub facing the river.  Wandering round the site we find the accommodation quite fascinating, tents on stilts (N$150, £23 pppn) open fronted rooms with double beds facing the river (N$250, £20 pppn) and others up on stilts with en-suite bathrooms underneath (N$300, £24 pppn). On the edge of the hippo and croc infested river is a floating cage surrounded by a platform enabling you to swim safely or “cage dive with the crocs” as one sign promotes.  The other sign warns “no urinating in the pool, or you will be drinking it later in the delta”.  No doubt it is the uniqueness of the place that has led to the award.  We get some showers late afternoon but it’s fine when we walk to the bar and meet up with the Dragoman Overlanders.  We want to find out about trips to the Okavango Delta but disappointingly we learn that in this the low season there are no packages and it is nigh on impossible (and very expensive) to arrange on your own. Exacerbated by a fall out between the co-operatives we would have to tie up a 1 ½ hour boat journey to Seronga, a 4x4 across to the delta then a mokoro to take us to the camping island and accommodation once there.  Having been told there is little wildlife at the moment the main thrill seems to be from being punted through the reeds on a mokoro and camping bush overnight.  We unanimously agree to dump it in the “too hard to do” bin.   

DIVUNDU, NGEPI CAMP

N$70 ($5.60) pppn

THURSDAY 22 FEBRUARY – Stan & Judy’s tent was good in the rain other than Stan feeling a bit claustrophobic with the fly sheet closed but better that than chance a hippo popping in.  Steve chats to a fellow Brit who has rented a 4x4 with a roof tent, R880 (£70) day for a clapped out vehicle with no instructions.  He’s just come from the east and says it was pouring with rain yesterday.  It may be dull and cloudy here but at least it is not raining so we will stay another day.  In the afternoon Steve & I share an open-air bath, totally bizarre.

DIVUNDU 2, NGEPI CAMP 

FRIDAY 23 FEBRUARY – We continue along the 500km Caprivi Strip with just the fuel station at Kongola to break up the journey.  Katima Mulilo sits the banks of the Zambezi River opposite Zambia.  We camp at the Zambezi Lodge on the riverbank and only then realise that the bushes we are looking at are actually treetops as the river is so high and swollen.  In fact it is 6.41m (over 20 feet) above its normal level and still rising.  There’s a storm coming so we put up the awning to enable Stan & Judy to pitch their tent underneath.  A couple of brief showers and the storm passes but leaves us with a spectacular sunset and views of distant lightening.  Stan & Judy feel a little unsettled when a local tells them they should have pitched the tent behind the van to be further away from the crocodiles!  As with the last few places we have visited the water supply comes from the river but at the moment it is undrinkable so we have to boil and filter it all and hope for the best.

KATIMA MULILO, ZAMBEZI LODGE

N$45 (£3.60) pp + one off N$40 (£3.20) vehicle admission fee

SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY – Our campers survive the night and we didn’t get any rain.  Stan & Judy take a walk into town whilst we stay on site.  The swimming pool looks lovely in the brochure but in reality is a bit murky but I am assured it is only sand in the bottom and quite safe to swim.  Paddling along and coming face-to-face with a mouldy dead mouse blows away all the reassurances.  The management assure us the pool was cleaned this morning but that doesn’t explain how not only a dead mouse but also a mouldy got overlooked.  Although part of the Protea group this resort has only recently been taken over and the manager admits they have a lot of work to do to bring it up to standard, we agree as we suffer from broken toilets, no hot water and electrical failure.  The river is noticeably rising so we may have to consider camping on higher ground at our next stop.  Should make Victoria Falls really spectacular.  Early evening a large group of people arrive and they braai and play music until midnight, seems to be the done thing over here.

KATIMA MULILO 2, ZAMBEZI LODGE

SUNDAY 25 FEBRUARY – We’ve had a noisy night and coupled with all the other problems Steve feels a need to report to the manager.  Turns out he had absolutely no idea that people were being let in to party and taking all our other problems into consideration he refunds us for last nights camping.  Head to the Zambian border and reach a T-junction signed right to Zambia, left to other Namibian towns and in small print also for border formalities, would have been very easy to miss that.  We begin in the passport control office where we avoid paying £35 for a visa by having pre booked accommodation in Zambia.  Jolly Boys Hostel offered us a package of 2 nights in a dorm or 3 nights camping, 2 meals plus a beer for US$25 per person.  .  Next we have to buy 3^rd party insurance for the van at N$250 (£20) for a month.  Council tax must be paid to a lady in a caravan and she wants Kwacha 50,000(£6).   Zambian currency is Kwacha and it seems there are around 8,000 = £1 but the moneychangers give us considerably less.  Another person comes over and says we must pay a motorway toll but this we point blank refuse, as our journey will not take us on any.  We are ready to leave when a customs man bobs his head in the van and says we must pay him a visit.  What he actually wants is K150, 000 (£20) for carbon tax, but the good news is that we this covers us until the end of the year!  Finally escape from the circus ring and take the new bridge over the Zambezi.  There are no other control points so had we not seen the signs we would be driving in ZAMBIA oblivious to having jumped the border.   The first noticeable change is in the number of people on bicycles and cards being pulled by oxen as opposed to donkeys.  It’s about 200km to Livingstone where we easily find the backpackers.  Stan & Judy are camping in the garden and we are staying in the motorhome at the back of the car park.  There’s a lovely swimming pool and garden area but most of the other areas are a bit neglected.  After lunch Steve & I set out to explore the small town of Livingstone, being a Sunday we are spare a lot of hassle as there are few roadside vendors around.  Our free evening meal is a very palatable roast beef.

LIVINGSTONE 1, JOLLY BOYS BACKPACKERS

MONDAY 26 FEBRUARY – I’ve had another restless night due to my bad back.  I got up at 2.30am, delivered Judy’s birthday card to their tent then had a swim in the pool to cool down.  We’re all up by 7.30am and Judy has lots of cards for her 64^th birthday, excluding the one that Stan cannot find from him.  Set off to drive to the falls and immediately spot the clouds of spray in the distance.  It’s not far to the Victoria Falls World Heritage National Monument site protecting one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.  Admission US$10 or K40, 000 (£5) gets you closer to the falls along a number of trails.  Our first glimpse is superb with water thundering over the edge then coming back up as mist.  Venturing further along the track we get closer to the falls and end up having to put on our waterproofs or in Steve’s case strip off to his bathers.  This area is known as Rainbow Falls and it’s easy to see why as we have many fabulous sightings of single and double rainbows.  Crossing the swing bridge we get absolutely drenched and a real feeling for just how powerful the falls are when the river is in full flow.  A sheer buttress known as the Knife Edge is the end of the track.  From here we look down into the gorge with the bridge to Zimbabwe across the top.  The spray occasionally eases off sufficiently for us to view the falls.  They are incredibly wide and make a sheer and dramatic drop into a crevice that runs along the front of the falls and emerges into the first of many gorges.  Twice as wide and twice as deep as Niagara it is definitely more impressive and far more atmospheric.  The photographers’ walk gives us views from the dry side and also down to the “Boiling Point” cauldron.  A quick visit to the Sun Hotel and we’re finished by lunchtime.  Driving back we get a torrential downpour so obviously timed our visit just right and also missed most of the crowds.  We get another downpour in the afternoon but Stan & Judy’s tent remains dry.  For happy hour we crack open a bottle of bubbly (well the nearest thing we could get which is lemon and lime sparkling cooler) and light a candle for Judy’s birthday.  They have offered to take us out for a celelebratory meal and chosen an African themed restaurant called Ngoma Sanga a 1km walk away.  Two people in Tonga traditional costume crouch down and clap a greeting as we enter.  The menu is brief but interesting and we order mpani worms to nibble on as a starter.  They are actually very small and crispy and taste a bit like pork crackling.  Stan & Judy are a bit less adventurous than Steve and only try one each but I eat quite a few and Steve polishes them off.  All the main courses are accompanied by your choice of 2 vegetables the choices being mainly a selection of leaves which all end up looking like a cross between spinach and stir fried sea weed.  A great place for atmosphere but the food is average.  After all the walking today my foot is aching so we splash out K8, 000 (£1) on a taxi back then continue the celebrations at Jolly Boys with Steve & Stan enjoying playing pool.

LIVINGSTONE 2, JOLLY BOYS BACKPACKERS.

TUESDAY 27 FEBRUARY – We’ve really seen and done all we wanted here but as our 3rd night is included in the price and we are already ahead of schedule we decide to linger.  Get a late afternoon storm but the rest of the day is fine.  Kim & Sue who own Jolly Boys also own Fez bar where we can use our meal vouchers.  Happy hours from 5-7pm so we arrive in time to partake before ordering our meals.  The burgers are piled high and the food is tasty.  We set off to walk back but Kim is also on her way to Jolly Boys and gives us a lift.  Steve is very happy to round off the day watching football in the bar.

LIVINGSTONE 3, JOLLY BOYS BACKPACKERS

WEDNESDAY 28 FEBRUARY – After a quick check on the Internet we spend the last of our Kwacha at Shoprite.  It would appear that they rarely have a fresh fruit & veg delivery but one has arrived today and locals are coming out with literally trolleys full of cabbages or bananas.  Just outside Livingstone we get pulled over and asked to pay council tax.  We show him that we have already paid K50, 000 but he says that was for another district and he wants more.  Tell him we have no currency left as we are on our way to the border where we will use US$ travellers cheques.  He eventually agrees to let us through but says we must pay the tax at the border in order to leave the country.  Arriving at the chaotic Kazungula ferry crossing we get through passport and customs formalities surprisingly easily and don’t have to pay anything more.  Our vehicle is registered in South Africa so this means we can pay the R160 (£12.80) ferry fee in that currency.  Again it is noticeable just how high the river has risen as the ferry practically docks in the muddy car park.  It won’t be long before they have to stop the ferries completely meaning a 150km detour with 2 bridges via Namibia.  At the moment one of the two ferries is stuck as a truck has broken down whilst boarding.  They can only take one truck at a time but other vehicles get preferential loading so we are soon driving through the muddy water and ascending the steep ramp onto the ferry.  It’s just a few minutes crossing until we drive off into BOTSWANA.  Here the currency is Pula approx P11 = £1 and ZAR10 should = P8.3 but in the customs office they exchange our Rand at ZAR10 = P7!  P50 (£4.50) for a short-term single entry permit plus 20 (£1.80) road safety levy fee until the end of the year but the total is R100 (£8).  Next stop is an area where we have to drive Millie into and reverse out of a muddy puddle before dabbing the soles of all our shoes into a sponge soaked in some sort of odourless disinfectant.  We are free to leave and set off towards Kasane.  One of the first things we notice are goats everywhere including sleeping in the road.  Thebe River Camping is P55 (£5) pppn but half the campsite is under water and the rest is muddy and dull and dark beneath the trees, totally unappealing.  In town we find a shopping area where we draw money and buy some groceries.  Meat is about 1/3 of the price of South Africa and said to be very good.  A beef fillet is just P40 (£3.60) kilo and we can’t resist.  Check out the cost of river and land safaris before moving on.  Fuel is P4.78 (42p) litre; we didn’t buy any in Zambia, as it was twice this price. Chobe Safari Lodge also offer camping but part of their site is also under water and they won’t let us on with our van as we would take up too much space.  Other than being about 10km from town Toro Lodge is a nice site with each pitch having its own ablution block.  The river is rapidly rising towards the reception area but at least the campsite is higher and dryer.  The small swimming pool looks quite pleasant until I spot a dead frog floating on the top.  Maybe this is the African way of testing the ph levels?  We chat to Janet & John, from Johannesburg, on the site behind us and in the evening our new neighbour Anthony introduces himself, he’s a Doctor on the way to Livingstone to do 2 months work with HIV patients. 

KASANE 1, TORO LODGE

P45 (£4) pp + P30 (£2.70) motorcaravan

200702

THURSDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2007 – We all get up at 6am and are packed up and ready to leave at ¼ to 7 wanting to make headway before it gets too hot.  The N7 is quite undulating taking us beyond the green irrigated area into barren terrain and areas with amazing rocks.  We breakfast at Bitterfonein, the only place in the world where they quarry Bitterfontein green granite, stands to reason as there can’t be two places called Bitterfontein that have it!  Pass into NORTHERN CAPE with our next stop at Springbok.  The synagogue is now a local museum but of interest to Stan & Judy as they are Jewish.  After a final shop we have a lunch break and chat to a Nomad overland driver who is going our way and very helpful.  The border crossing is the Orange River and we turn left on the South African side and manage 3km of bumpy gravel road to get to a primitive riverside camping spot, as in a bush toilet and nothing else.  It’s quite pleasant and private so we make the most of it to relax and have a quiet evening.

VIOOLSDRIF, ORANGE RIVER

FRIDAY 2 FEBRUARY – All up at 6am for another early start.  The border crossing is quick and easy. R140 (£11) vehicle permit, and after crossing the bridge over the Orange River we emerge in NAMIBIA.  The national languages are English and German with Africaans widely spoken in the south and each trip having their own tongue.  Contrary to information we find fuel is dearer than South Africa at R6.19 (48p) litre.  Their Namibian dollar is linked directly to the rand and you can use the South African currency here but not vice versa.  Continuing along the main Cape Town to Windhoek road we encounter an overturned lorry with crowds gathered round the contents.  There is little traffic and even less when we turn off onto the dirt road towards Fish River Canyon.    It has a good surface and we maintain our usual cruising (or plodding) speed of 70-80 kph.  During the 70km journey there are only 2 vehicles that come towards us.  The terrain changes from barren wasteland to the canyon area with impressive rock formations.  The resort of Ai Ais is an oasis in the bottom of the canyon.  Park admission has recently gone up from N$20 to N$80 (£6.40) per person for foreigners.  We are heading for the other park campsite and are asked to deliver a letter.  Other than the general view of the place and a hot pool (not so welcome when the air is 40C) there is little to detain us.  We back track then turn off in towards Hobas area.  It’s a nice journey with views across to the canyon.  Arrive at the site early afternoon and we are the only people there.  It’s dusty but the stands are shady and each has a braai, fire pit and benches.  After a quick curry for lunch we all cool down in the small coolish swimming pool.  Spend the afternoon in our own naturist resort.  After playing yahtzee in the evening we all hop in the pool before rewarding ourselves with hot chocolate and brandy.

FISH RIVER CANYON, HOBAS

N$50 (£4) stand + N$30 (£2.40) pp

SATURDAY 3 FEBRUARY – Up at 6am for another early start before it gets too hot.  Raleigh International has put recycling bins around the campsite with 3 different categories.  The refuse collectors arrive to empty the ones where food is thrown, the baboons are so clever they don’t even look in the other containers.  Drive out along the bumpy dusty road to the main viewpoint, at Hells Bend, for breakfast.  The canyon is claimed to be the second largest in the world to the Grand Canyon but in truth is the second largest in Africa and although impressive it is not really dramatic.  During our journey we see a number of types of antelope, ostrich, ground squirrel and black backed jackal.  Traverse below the Naute Dam across a causeway then on to Keetmanshoop the first town in Namibia.  It’s 12.00am and with all the shops due to close in 30 minutes everywhere is very busy.  In quick succession we fill the fuel, buy groceries, a SIM card (N$50 inc $10 credit), bottled gas and then get locked out before we can buy a camping chair.  Stan is also an avid sports fan and we are lucky to find that Bird Mansion Hotel has Internet, a TV showing football, a bar and good parking so we are all kept occupied for the afternoon.  On the northern edge of town we turn off to Quiver Tree Forest sited on a farm.  The owners are cashing in and charge N$100 (£8) per person for camping including a visit to the sites.  The “Giants Playground” is also on their property and signs guide us through a massive area of rocks with little shade.  Even late afternoon it is scorching hot and the chameleons sat on the rocks take ages to move but when they do we can see their spectacular colours change.  Again we are the only people on site and have our own ablution block.  So far all the toilets in Namibia have been clean and equipped with toilet paper.  The problem for us is that the cold water is too hot to put your hands but handy for brewing a cup of tea.  We are at the edge of the Quiver Tree (a kind of huge aloe) forest and from out site we get a good view of the trees at sunset and then another spectacle as the full moon rises behind the trees.  For the first time ever I get to use our mosquito net as we sleep with all the windows wide open. 

KEETMANSHOOP, QUIVER TREE FOREST

N$100 pppn (£8)

SUNDAY 4 FEBRUARY – We’re getting a bit weary with early starts so have a lie in until 7am.  When I look outside I see that Stan & Judy have already de camped and gone for a walk in the forest.  Set off at 8am and join the main Cape Town to Windhoek highway and get a shock at the amount of traffic.  We see at least half a dozen vehicles each hour.  The first petrol station has no fuel so along with everyone else we have to hope that we can make it to the next one, stations are few and far between and even with jerry cans you can still end up running out.  We make Mariental with 10km of fuel to spare.  After an hours stop for lunch we turn off, still on tarred road, to Maltahohe.  Stan takes a turn at driving whilst Steve and I rest on the bed au natural.  In Maltahohe the campsite is closed but there’s one a couple of km away at Daweb Farm.  Judy chats to the owner in German and we are soon ensconced on a site.  Again we are the only visitors so create our own nudist spot.  Steve and Judy check with the owner about the condition of the dirt roads for our onward journey.  They return with the bad news that only last month they were in terrible condition and barely passable with a 4wd.  We must retrace our steps and take a huge detour on the main road to Windhoek then Swakopmund.  Unfortunately this means we cannot get to Sossusvlei by road so will now consider a flight over the area.  This was always a possibility and better to learn of the bad road condition now rather than further in.  It’s an amazingly starry night and we sit out gazing.

MALTAHOHE, DAWEB FARM CAMPSITE

R60 (£4.80) pp

MONDAY 5 FEBRUARY – We are woken by Stan’s voice calling out “bloody hell fire”.  No great drama, just Judy removing the tent around him whilst he is still trying to sleep!  Retrace our steps to Mariental where Stan takes over for the drive north.  A simple sign tells us we have crossed north into the Tropic of Capricorn.  Rehoboth is the first town and on the outskirts is Lake Oanob resort, N$10 (80p) pp entry.  Accommodation varies from basic camping sites up 3 bedroom luxury houses.  The more expensive campsites are directly on the lakeside and have an artificial shade shelter but are not easily accessible in a motorhome and lack privacy.  We find one of the cheapest sites with natural shade, a lawn, braai, and tap and lake views.  After lunch we do a bit of exploration and find a nice restaurant, places to get into the lake for a swim and a nature reserve.  There are many birds around the campsite and in the evening we also get a visit from a frog that Steve enjoys feeding with bugs.  We have got a good set up here so will stay for a couple of nights to catch up with washing and sleep!  Round the day off by sitting out playing rummy kub. 

REHOBOTH, LAKE OANOB

N$150 (£12) site up to 6 people.

TUESDAY 6 FEBRUARY – Rather than being on the road at 8am we are just getting up and have a leisurely breakfast before taking a walk.  One of the 2 bedroom houses is up for sale at $750,000 (£60,000) and we take a look but don’t like the open mezzanine floor layout so won’t be buying!  Pass the day doing some washing and odd jobs on the van.  We visit the restaurant for an evening meal.  Having looked at the menu this morning Steve has confirmed that everything is available, however when we come to order this is not the case.  All the items that Steve & I wanted are not available but Judy & Stan get their first or second choices.  It’s a lovely setting looking down on the lake and a great place to watch the sunset.

REHOBOTH 2, LAKE OANOB

WEDNESDAY 7 FEBRUARY – Continuing up the B1 towards Windhoek we notice a distinct change in the vegetation with the land becoming very green.  Just south of the capital we visit Heroes Acre.  Built in 2002 (at a cost of US$10m) they seem to be putting off visitors by trying to recoup the cost charging N$15 (£1.20) pp + N$10 (80p) vehicle.  There’s a restaurant at the bottom of the monument and you don’t have to pay if that is the only place you are going to so morning coffee is the order of the day for us.  We get waved through the roadblock and proceed towards Windhoek where we are given very bad instructions to get to the local airport.  Eventually a white man has us following him in his car and it turns out the airport was the next turning from where we asked directions.  Check out the scenic flights, fully booked for the next 2 days, then head into the city where we park easily at the Fruit & Veg barn.  Split up from Judy & Stan to do our own walk about.  The highlighted buildings are unimpressive and it’s very hot walking the city streets.  We feel the most interesting parts are Christuskirche and Alte Feste museum.  When they get back we learn the Stan nearly got himself arrested for taking photographs of a Chinese flag outside the State House!  By the time we have shopped it is about 4pm.  There’s a bit of a fiasco at the petrol station.  We point to the “lead replacement pump”, say LRP and the full word quite clearly.  Still they manage to start putting unleaded in.  Next they change to the proper fuel but ignore Steve’s instruction to stop at the first cut out click, as we know our tank spills after that.  The guys are just laughing about it all but Steve is very cross and gets the supervisor.  They soon stop laughing when they are told they will have to pay for the fuel that was spilt and the unleaded.  Unfortunately almost everything you do in Africa is turned into a challenge and as Wilber Smith often quotes ends up with AWA (Africa Wins Again) but not this time!  The next town north is Okahandja where the badly signed rest camp is surprisingly good.  A couple from the Kings Highway missionary foundation are running it temporarily and upgrading facilities.  They are also trying to control the number of villagers who use the on site rooms for child prostitution.  A swimming pool and TV provide ample entertainment and cause Steve & Stan a late night.

OKAHANDJA REST CAMP

N$ 40 (£3.20) pppn

THURSDAY 8 FEBRUARY – One of the downsides of phone reception is that it’s not always good news that comes through.  Judy’s Uncle Arthur died last night but other than phoning her Mum and relatives there is little she can do.  They are Jewish so the burial with be tomorrow.  Turn off onto the Trans-Kalahari highway and soon notice a change to dessert type conditions.  Just outside Usakos we stop at a Farm Stall shopping area where the biltong is excellent.  They also have a nice campsite with swimming pool at a very reasonable N$20 (£1.60) pp + N$20 (£1.60) site.  Swakopmund is a coastal resort and emerges like a mirage out of the flat dessert in an area surrounded by dunes.  The streets are wide and the number of shops seems inconsistent with the size of the town.  No doubt they get a huge number of visitors during the holidays.  It’s a strange town with wide boulevards, very unusual architecture and lots of holiday accommodation along the sea front.  At the airport we book a scenic flight for this afternoon then drive around for accommodation, finally opting for the Sea Gull’s Cry caravan park at the beach.  We just have time to put the tent up before our 4pm lift to the airport.  Scenic flights have done us a deal at N$1450 (£115) pp for 4 (which is their usual rate for 5 people) instead of N$1850.  We are introduced to our pilot Francois, who is flying this route for the first time, and fellow pilot Harvey who normally does this journey.  We squeeze into the Cessna 310 with Stan & Judy in the back (lucky they are small people) and Steve and I in the middle seats.  The Sossusvlei Scenic flight is obviously very popular and many small planes taxi out to the runway along a dirt track.  Only the terminal area and runway are bitumen and even then are potholed.  We are soon up and away flying over the dessert before following the dry Kuiseb Riverbed.  We fly quite low with the walls of the gorge above the plane, rocky on one side and sandy on the other.  Pull out just before the canyon, which is considerably deeper and narrower.  The wind-sculpted sand dunes of Sossusvlei are reputedly the highest sand dunes in the world up to 350m high.  In the centre of the area are large clay pans, which occasionally hold water, with names such as “Hidden Vlei” and “Dead Vlei”, named for the number of dead trees on it’s surface.  It’s really spectacular and mind boggling in the sheer area covered.  Nearer the coast the dunes turn from their oxidised red to white.  Traces of small 100 year old diamond camps can be seen and one wonders just how difficult they would be to access and how they got water.  On the coast we fly over a couple of shipwrecks, “Eduard Bohlen” 1909 and “Shaunee” 1985, hence this area being called the Skeleton Coast.  Over Sandwich Harbour we see seals and flamingos before reaching the Salt Works of Walvis Bay with its port.  Angelina Jolie recently had a baby at Swakopmund Hospital.  Along with Brad Pitt she stayed at Long Beach, (between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay) afterwards and we get a good view of the luxury coastal resort.   Swakopmund can be seen to be growing rapidly with new villages springing up on the northern outskirts.  We land (3 times!) after a superb 2-½ hour trip.  It’s getting dark when we get back, also cool and windy, so just time for a meal then bed. 

SWAKOPMUND, SEA GULL’S CRY CARAVAN PARK

N$90 (£7.20) site + N$30 (£2.40) pp

FRIDAY 9 FEBRUARY – There’s dew on the grass and the tent and the sky is cloudy when we wake up.  Steve & I walk into Swakopmund for a look around.  Most of the modern buildings are in Disney/toy town style but there are plenty of old ones with lots of character.  Castle style seems to predominate.  The pier is split into two sections, pedestrians or fishermen, and gives us a good view along the coast.  arHalHhWe arrive back at lunchtime but Stan & Judy stay out until late afternoon.  Together we go to the Tiger bar on the beach, in an area where the waves converge from two different directions and the sunsets are superb.  Judy & Stan attempt to teach us bridge in the evening but we conclude that considering the minimal number of occasions we will be able to play and the length of time it would take us to learn it won’t be worth it.  It’s another cold evening and there’s a damp mist in the air but our fellow campers feel it worth braving the tent.

SWAKOPMUND 2, SEA GULL’S CRY CARAVAN PARK

SATURDAY 10 FEBRUARY – After de camping we drive a short way down the road towards Walvis Bay to look at the grounded ship and to take photographs of the van on the road between the beach and the dunes.  We also drive a short way north along the “salt road” to get a feel for it and find it much like a normal bitumen road.  Retrace our steps and return to the farm stall for more of their excellent biltong.  Turn off the main road and head up to Omaruru to settle onto the rest camp.  Steve soon finds the bar with TV lounge and becomes good-naturedly bait for the locals who insist on forcing Jaeger Master and Schnapps upon him.  Our site has its own table and kitchen sink and you are given a key to your own individual bathroom.  In the evening we find that our bathroom light does not work.  They say they will send someone out to buy a new bulb, can’t get one so try swapping one from another room.  It’s the connection that’s faulty so they then give us the key to en-suite accommodation for us to use the bathroom.  It’s all very nice but the toilet won’t flush!  Begin teaching Stan & Judy canasta in the evening.

OMARURU REST CAMP

N$60 (£4.80) pppn bargained down to N$50 (£4)

SUNDAY 11 FEBRUARY – Make a leisurely start and notice lots of wildlife along the quiet C33 heading north, baboons and warthogs amongst other things.  On the outskirts of Outjo we check in to Ombinda Country Lodge, sounds good but we are at the back in the simple camping area but for the first time in ages we are camped on real grass.  The Nomad truck that we first met in Springbok is here for a lunch stop and having just come from Etosha we gather info.  Once the Nomads have left we are all alone and revel in peace and quiet to enjoy the facilities including a swimming pool by the bar area.  Find an automatic washing machine and invest N$5 (40p) to wash the bedding.  Sit out playing canasta in the evening.

OUTJO, OMBINDA COUNTRY LODGE

N$45 (3.60) pppn

MONDAY 12 FEBRUARY – This is such a nice spot that we soon came to a unanimous decision to have an extra day.  Stan & Judy make the short walk into town whilst we potter around.  I’d like to say that since Roy did the second adjustment on the starter system (over 2,000km ago) we have had no problems at all from Millie but as this always tempts fate I won’t do that!   Two German motorhomes arrive in the evening.  Sit out playing Yahtzee.

OUTJO 2, OMBINDA COUNTRY LODGE.

TUESDAY 13 FEBRUARY – Call in to the OK supermarket in town but prices are high and the fresh fruit and veg are far from fresh.  Our destination is Etosha National Park and we enter at the Anderson Gate.  Immediately we begin seeing herds of Springbok and Zebra and the large Kori Bustard birds.  Arrive at Okaukuejo Camp where we check in for the park and campsite.  Park fees for foreigners are N$80 (£6.40) per person and N10 (80p) per car for 24-hours.  The campsite is on dirt but we manage to secure a spot with some welcome shade from the intense heat of the day.  There’s a natural waterhole here, floodlit at night, and it’s quite a spectacle with a mini grandstand and other seating arranged around a perimeter fence and wall.  It’s rather like being at a theatre looking onto the stage, cue the antelope, enter the zebra etc.  The swimming pool area is pleasant with 3 pools and we spend the early part of the afternoon there.  The two downsides of the camp are that there is a tremendous amount of building work going on with rubble and dust everywhere and the ablution blocks have all seen much better days.  As the afternoon progresses the site fills up with lots of overland truck groups.  We pack up a picnic with wine and make our way to the waterhole at 6pm and must arrive at the end of the matinee performance as 2 elephants are just leaving to be followed by the zebra.  There is a short pause before a wildebeest and then springbok appear on stage.  Another spectator tells us they were at Namutoni last night but could not go down to the waterhole as a lion had got into the campsite and they were instructed to stay in their tents!  She also tells us a man was taken at this spot, by a lion, when he fell asleep on the bench, easy to believe as the fence leans towards the wall and would act like a ladder, African logic? The antelope slowly disappear after a large herd of 20 elephants arrive and spread themselves around the pool.  A mouse scurries around between the grandstand seats distracting us from the show.  It’s getting towards dark but the floodlights have not come on so we struggle to see the black rhino as they enter stage right.  The elephants do not have that problem and soon chase them back in between performing for us, wallowing in the water then coming very close to the fence eating grass.  We see giraffe necks silhouetted against the sunset but they seem reluctant to come closer whilst the elephants remain.  The bulk of the herd leave but one lone bull lingers to chase off the rhino.  After being reported as faulty they eventually get the lights working and the performance continues.  The bull elephant finally leaves and the giraffe seem happy to share the waterhole with the black rhino and black backed jackals.  Watching the giraffe do the splits to get a drink is amazing.  It’s a most fantastic surreal experience and alone worth the park admission fee.  Retire at 9.30pm.

ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK, OKAUKUEJO CAMP

N$100 (£8) per site plus N$50 (£4) per person.

WEDNESDAY 14 FEBRUARY – I have a very restless night.  Along with animal noises and bins being knocked over there is a cacophony of snoring from the many campers in roof top tents nearby.  I wake everyone at 6am but we are disappointed to find nothing at the waterhole so settle for an early breakfast before leaving at 7am.  The dirt road is good and we soon see zebra, giraffe and springbok.  A traffic jam ahead alerts us to a lion sighting.  One lioness is crossing the road and two others are waiting to do so giving us a prime viewing.  After about 20km the road surface deteriorates to corrugated dusty gravel making progress even slower than when we are wildlife spotting.  The main pan is devoid of water but worth seeing as a contrast to other areas that are quite green.  By the time we arrive at Halali, 70km away, at 10.30am we have also seen huge herds of springbok, gemsbok, red hartebeest, wildebeest, a sparrow hawk and secretary bird.  This camp is even more bleak and dusty than Okaukuejo but at least it is a little quieter with building work further advanced and better ablutions.  We are interested in booking for the evening buffet at the restaurant but the waiter initially says it may be only a la carte if there aren’t enough guests.  When I say we are not interested in that he goes away and comes back to say there will definitely be a buffet but we have been in Africa long enough not to be confident enough to book it.  Instead I cook up a spaghetti bolognaise for lunch. The waterhole is quite a distance from the camp and viewing if from a natural rocky hill but there is nothing there early afternoon.  Four overland trucks call in for a lunch stop and the swimming pool area is busy.  The large pool is spoilt a bit by all the slime on the walls below water level but it’s hot enough to entice us all in.  Our evening visit to the waterhole is brief due to inactivity.  One lone black rhino keeps taking the stage and a black backed jackal must only have a walk though part as it doesn’t even stop.

ETOSHA 2, HALALI

THURSDAY 15 FEBRUARY – We’re ready to leave just after the gates open at 10 to 7.  Initially we see nothing but a breakfast stop at Goas waterhole rewards us with a few giraffe.  I’m not feeling too well so lie on the bed for the next hour or so whilst the others scrape by on a few bird sightings.  Once I get up and take to the front seat we see a huge lizard with its head popping out of a termite mound.  Across the plains are lots of antelope and wildebeest.  Steve excels himself and spots a lion coming from our left.  Nearby are springbok and a lone wildebeest with the rest of its herd on our right.  The lioness shows no interest in the springbok but the wildebeest charges towards the lion preparing to sacrifice itself for the rest of the herd.  The lion turns and makes to chase it away and this process is repeated twice more with the wildebeest making loud huffing noises.  Once the lioness has crossed the road the rest of the wildebeest gather in formation with the largest at the front.  The lioness must not be hungry as she plods along oblivious to their attention.  The day’s sightings also include rhino, giraffe, zebra, ostrich, vultures, marabou crane, springbok, gemsbok, hartebeest, warthog, secretary bird, dik dik, kudu, and klipspringer, most of the birds being at the Klein Namutoni waterhole.  Arrive at the rest camp, another building site, relieved to find a shady grassy camping area.  Judy makes dinner and I spend time at the swimming pool until the workers return after lunch and begin digging around us.  Our evening visit to the waterhole is initially non productive.  We think that the roar and two creatures running across in the distance are lions and Steve believes there is a leopard at the far end of the waterhole shielded by the reeds but nothing definite.  Back at the camp we spot a black jackal patrol behind Stan & Judy’s tent but at least it has given them a wide berth.

ETOSHA 3, NAMUTONI

WEDNESDAY 17 JANUARY – We call round to Rod & Ann to pick up some info on Namibia and end up chatting for ages.  Bob & Dawn are amongst the other new arrivals. We get waylaid again at Rod & Ann’s during our evening walk and stop for drinks.  A man from a nearby caravan calls round asking if we want to sell our motorhome, we tell him we are expecting to receive a deposit on it tomorrow but if he calls back then we will have more news.  Apparently everyone now wants the double axle ones like ours as the other ones are turning out to be too weak for the vanload.  We’ve never had a van like this that attracts people wanting to buy it, good job too as we are anxious to be rid!

LANGEBAAN 5

THURSDAY 18 JANUARY – Phillip picks us up for a ride into Langebaan where I just manage to receive a part of the van deposit from Diana before a power cut closes the branch down.  Back on site we get someone else coming round wanting to look over the van and keen to buy it if for any reason our sale falls through at the last minute.  The power cut must be widespread because someone comes round the site to give us the times of 3 x 2 1\2 hour cuts due today.  Rod & Ann join us for happy hour.  Many more vans have arrived and I guess we will be meeting many of them at tomorrows get together.  One other van is identical to ours and Steve meets Vic & Trixie who have owned it from new and have the handbook for us to borrow.  

LANGEBAAN 6

FRIDAY 19 JANUARY – Keen to have Millie working well for our Namibia adventure we make use of fellow club member Roy’s offer to check over the ignition problem.  He arrives just as we are having breakfast and suggests we move near to him where he will work on it.  It’s the usual bees round a honey pot situation and once the bonnet is opened the crowds gather and we get to meet many more people.  I keep going off doing the 1km circuits of the park in the hope it is finished when I get back.  No such luck and the problem goes from bad to worse when at one stage it won’t start at all.  A few hours later it seems to be fixed but Roy suggests we settle onto a nearby site and start it a few times a day to be sure.  Motorhomes have been piling in all day and there are now 6 “Millie’s” on site.  There are more of the Pioneers than anything else as everyone wants to keep them going.  The 6pm gathering is cancelled due to the strong winds.  Walking to the ablution block includes free sand blasting of your legs and I do it many times in the hope it removes cellulite!  We are parked next to Harry and behind Beryl and Eddie.  Also in the next block are Trevor and Jenny who previously contacted us about a motorhome exchange so no shortage of people to chat to.  In the evening we get a good view of McNaught comet.  It’s so windy that we have to put the corner steadies down to stop us being rocked out of bed.

LANGEBAAN 7

SATURDAY 20 JANUARY – The wind has dropped and lots of people are down walking along the beach at low tide.  Steve sets out in hunter-gatherer mode and returns with a bag full of good-sized mussels.  Roy says he will cook up one of his special sauces to accompany them and we invite Roy and Ann to join us.  Someone else wanting to buy our van apprehended Steve on the beach, Andries and his wife call round for a look.  Apparently someone in the club had a nasty accident recently and overturned the smaller flimsier “prospector” model like theirs so now they and many others want our type.  They are dead keen and want to give us a deposit there and then but we say we will make a phone call just to re confirm whether Diana wants it or not, she does.  Jenny & Trevor want to visit Turkey so call round to look at our photos.  As soon as they have left we start on lunch.  The mussels are huge inside and a real delicacy with the chilli garlic cream sauce poured over and eaten with crusty garlic bread.  Ann and I settle for chips with sauce, yummy.  We drive into Langebaan in the afternoon for Steve to watch football at the pub.   Whilst waiting entertainment is provided by the Police, rounding up the local drunks.  On the back of a truck they have a small caged and windowed “cell” and they have to hoist the people in.  They lean one guy against the door and as soon as they bend down to grab his legs he collapses in a heap.  In anther instance they are loading one guy in whilst another slips out between his legs.  Back on site everyone is beginning to gather for the braai where two huge barbeques have been set up.  You take your own food to cook then sit around to eat so another chance to meet some more members.  An excellent sighting of McNaughts comet is surpassed by the spectacle of the evening star balanced on the top of the new moon.  Many people drift away after they have eaten but a fire is lit and we hang around whilst one of the members plays a ukulele with another accompanying on the mouth organ. 

LANGEBAAN 8

SUNDAY 21 JANUARY – Club member Vic, who has the same Bedford motorhome as ours, has lent us his Haynes manual so I spend half an hour photographing the pages to store on my laptop. It’s all go again as we begin with a 10am coffee morning.  Various speeches are made including the news that this is the Western Cape’s biggest rally with 45 vans in attendance.  Steve collects more mussels at low tide and we set up the production factory again.  In the afternoon it is so hot and the sea looks very inviting so with lots of help from Steve I manage to take a dip.  The water the perfect temperature and soon cools me down without been too cold to stay in for a while.  In the evening we invite Trevor & Ros, Roy and Henry to join us for a mussel pasta meal.  Ros brings over a smoked salmon starter and once again we eat like royalty.   Throughout the day many vans have left and it’s much quieter on site.

LANGEBAAN 9

MONDAY 22 JANUARY – The last few motorhomers leave early and there’s just one rally van left in addition to us.  The wind has changed direction and it’s quite a cool breeze and more pleasant for sitting out.  In the afternoon we drive into town to collect another R5000 (£400) toward the van deposit leaving a final R3000 (£240) for tomorrow as they will only allow one transaction a day.  With a total of R10, 000 (£800) deposit against a sale price of R65, 000 (£5,200) we are very happy.  Diana will meet us in Pretoria before we leave and pay the balance in American dollars for us to use for our next purchase in the States.  We get another superb sighting of the comet in the evening.

LANGEBAAN 10

TUESDAY 23 JANUARY – Millie is starting really well after Roy did more work on her.  Collect the last R3000 of the deposit then begin heading south to return to Cape Town to pick up friends next Tuesday and to visit some of the people we met at the motorhome rally.  We travel through the West Coast National Park; Wild card saves us R25 (£2) pp.  Around September time it is famous for the profusion of wild flowers but at this time of year it is just a nice scenic drive down the side of the lagoon with just a few flowers on show.  We rejoin the main road and about 60km north of Cape Town get our first sighting of Table Mountain.  With nothing but low scrub bushes in the foreground it looks rather like Ayers Rock.  There’s a lot of smoke in the air up ahead and as we get closer we realise there is a large bush fire raging just to the left of the road.  Fire tenders are lined up trying to keep it under control and a helicopter flies over dropping buckets of water.  In spite of all this there are still patches with huge flames.  We’ve just cleared the slow traffic from this when we reach another traffic jam.  When we finally crawl past we see a horrific wreck of a car from which no one could possibly have survived.   From this main road we need to turn right at the traffic lights towards Melkbosstrand to visit Rod & Ann.  We wait for the right filter and Steve puts his foot down but nothing happens.  The engine is still going but Millie won’t budge.  He tries turning the engine on and off again but still no response.  We’ve got the hazard lights on but are still causing traffic jam.  There are 3 black people near the junction and they come over to push us across the main road and on to some wasteland.  Steve and one of the black men have a look under the bonnet but can’t see anything obvious.  We call Rod and he arrives in his car just a few minutes later.  He’s brought a towrope but wants to take a look before towing us to their home.  Although we filled up with petrol 100km ago he thinks we may have a leak in the tank and run out of fuel.  After putting more petrol in we try again but with no success.  He wonders whether it may be something to do with the work that Roy did so we phone him for an opinion.  He lives about 15km away and insists on coming out to look.  It’s incredibly hot whilst we are sitting waiting, we heard on the radio this morning that they had registered a record 59C in the Western Cape yesterday.  Roy arrives in his motorhome and when he cannot find the fault he suggests towing us back to his place where he will investigate further.  We set out in convoy, Roy towing and Rod following in his car, having dropped Ann at home, using his hazard lights to warn people of our problem.  Even with two steel towropes joined together we are much too close to Roy for comfort so it’s quite nerve racking.  Another problem is the South African drivers who are quite likely to ignore the hazards and ”on tow” sign and try and nip in between us.  We’ve just crossed a major junction in a built up area when the tow snaps.  Luckily we can use Rod’s towrope in place of the broken one in order to continue.  A man appears with a walkie-talkie and notes our situation and as soon as we drive off we find a motorcyclist also with a walkie-talkie accompanies us.  He goes ahead warning traffic and blocking off junctions when we have to make a right turn or go over a 4 way stop.  The men get to work under the bonnet whilst I take up Roy’s offer of a cooling dip in the pool.  They systematically work through the system eliminating problems but to no avail.  Roy’s partner Theresa asks if I would like to go to the shops with her so I join her for a drive and a visit to shops in 4 different locations.  When we get back at 7pm a diagnosis has been make, it’s the timing belt that has gone.  Now what chance have we got of finding one to fit you may wonder but hey presto, Margot from the motorhome club is selling her van and has two belts so offers us one.  After we have eaten a Chinese take away we set out with Roy to make the 1/2-hour journey to Margot’s.  She won’t accept any payment but a bottle of wine is appreciated.  So although we have been unlucky to break down at least we were not in the middle of nowhere and with help from our new motorhome friends we have the means to get it sorted, so I reckon we are lucky people. 

TABLE VIEW

WEDNESDAY 24 JANUARY – Steve is up early having spent the night brooding.  With Roy they make a list of the things they need for the van.  Originally we were going to visit him later in the week for a service but he will now combine that with the repair.  The Haynes manual comes in handy with information on part numbers.  To fit the new timing belt the radiator has to come off so in for a penny, in for a pound and we might as well flush out the radiator and fit new hoses where required.  Rod arrives to lend a hand but even then progress is slow.  With perseverance the job is finished just before 5pm with just the service to be done tomorrow.  We celebrate with take away fish and chips.  Unfortunately I get a bad stomachache straight after so am glad that we are somewhere with a proper toilet. 

TABLE VIEW 2

THURSDAY 25 JANUARY – The lads gets to work early before it gets very hot, they are experiencing unusually high temperatures in Cape Town at the moment.  As usual they manage to find one or two other jobs to do along the way.   It’s all finished by lunchtime and with Roy only charging R30 (£2.40) hour labour the bill is very low.  He is retired and treats it as a hobby so won’t accept any more.  Drive back to Melkbosstrand where Rod & Ann are waiting for us.  They live in a gated complex and have arranged parking for us on their neighbour’s driveway so that we can sleep in the house. We’re made very welcome and soon sitting down to a nice lunch.  It’s incredibly hot so we all try to take an afternoon siesta.  The heat continues through the night and we feel like we are on holiday with the fan swirling above us.

MELKBOSSTRAND

FRIDAY 26 JANUARY – Start the day with a very pleasant walk along the sea front.  The hot weather has broken and it’s much nicer outside.  Rod needs to do some business in Malmesbury so we join them for a ride out.  He shows us the old area of town and with business out of the way we settle on “Kontrei Spens” café for a drink and snack.  It’s decorated entirely with cats, pictures, ornaments and trinkets.  Back in Cape Town we call in to a spice wholesalers to get some South African boerworst spices to send to their son who is a chef in New Zealand.  Opposite the wholesalers is a cemetery with squatters houses erected inside it around the perimeter walls.  Our evening meal is at Orca restaurant on the seafront.  Steve enjoys a really excellent calamari steak that melts in his mouth.

MELKBOSSTRAND 2

SATURDAY 27 JANUARY -  Rod has to go to a meeting in the morning but Ann drives us over to Stellenbosh and beyond where we breakfast at Hillcrest berry farm.  Most of the dishes include fresh berries and it’s lovely to sit on the terrace eating fine food, with superb views and then relaxing reading the paper.  Back in Stellenbosh Ann takes us to “Oom Samie Se Winkel” trading post that sells no end of quirky things displayed in all the rooms of the old house.  Next stop Mooi Berg where we return to buy more of their bargain priced wines.  Meet up with Rod at the huge Canal shopping centre, claimed to be the biggest in the southern hemisphere.  After drinks at Mugg & Bean we walk around the upper level where there are some terrific murals.  Fit in a bit of shopping before Steve gets totally bored.  Rod cooks a braai in the evening to round off another smashing day.  Call David to wish him a happy 28^th birthday and catch up on his news. 

MELKBOSSTRAND 3

SUNDAY 28 JANUARY – Leave around 11am when Rod & Ann are ready to go out.  Our journey takes us past the Goodwood casino and what stop off to see what it is like.  It’s split into lots of leisure areas.  A huge pirate ship sits outside a children’s funfair, there’s a shopping area with an ice skating rink in the middle. The main casino is enormous and beyond it there’s an area of artificial narrow streets where all the restaurants are located, there’s even washing hanging up to dry between the upstairs windows!  Next stop along the way is the Somerset West shopping Mall where I spend an hour wandering round until it’s time for us to visit Trevor & Jenny.  They are the couple we met at the motorhome rally but with whom we had previously corresponded about an exchange.  Their house is on a hill and Millie is parked at a 45-degree angle on the drive so it’s good news that we can sleep in the house.  Meet their Alsatian Rex, Dalmatian Angel and cat Dolce.  We settle in and spend the rest of the afternoon chatting before Jenny cooks up a tasty Thai curry for tea.  Since last Wednesday night I have had a gripe in my stomach after eating then tonight added to that I get the shivers so hop into a nice hot bath before bed.

SOMERSET WEST

MONDAY 29 JANUARY – Steve declines Trevor’s invitation to go walking up the mountain at 5.30am.  We all get up when he returns at 7.30am and breakfast out on the patio but I’m feeling queasy so just eat toast.  Jenny has a Doctor’s appointment in Stellenbosch and drops us in the centre to wander round.  After picking us up she takes us for a drive around the university area.  I buy something from the chemist for my stomach as it is still giving me cramps.  Once we get back I go to bed and lie down for a few hours.  I feel a bit better when I get up and summon up the energy to use Jenny’s sewing machine to adapt some old linen to make bedding for our visitors.  I begin cooking an evening meal for us all but no sooner have I started than I feel quite sick and go shivery again so return to bed with a paracetamol.  After a couple of hours I feel much better and manage to eat some dry biscuits.  Jenny & Trevor go out in the evening so I catch up on the Internet whilst Steve watches TV.

SOMERSET WEST 2

TUESDAY 30 JANUARY – Jenny is having a women’s meeting at home so Trevor suggests we leave her and go out for breakfast at the nearby shopping centre.  There’s a great menu so I enviously watch them eat a cooked breakfast whilst I nibble my toast.  We’ve just starting shopping for grocery’s when we get the phone call to say our friends Judy & Stan have arrived and are waiting to be picked up a the airport.  It’s only 10.30am and they weren’t even due to land until 10.20pm so Trevor was convinced we wouldn’t need to be there for another hour.  Luckily we are only about ½ hour from the airport so head straight there.  We easily locate them at the drop off point and after a quick greeting they are in the van and we are off heading north.  They’ve been to South Africa before and did the Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg leg.  This time they are joining us to travel through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia.  Stan is 68 and Judy 63 but they are both very young minded. Fellow motorhomers, naturists and back packers we have heaps in common.   We feel almost like locals as we make our way through the suburbs then out on the main highway where traffic is light.  It’s a hot day and we have the windows wide open.  After couple of hours we pull up for fuel and lunch.  Having used the toilets and put the petrol in we find Millie refuses to start.  Steve checks the obvious things that Roy showed him but to no avail.  A nearby truck tries us with jump cables and although there’s a bit more life in the ignition it is not enough to start us.  There’s a garage at the end of the service station and Stan has gone over to see if they can help.  The forecourt attendants, and Judy begin to push us over there.  (I can neither drive nor push because of my ankle).  We begin going down a hill at which point Steve manages to jump-start the van.  We are heading for a campsite to join Roy so opt to continue our journey and let him look at the van.  In the town of Citrusdal, so called because of all the citrus fruit grown in the area, we turn off to “The Baths”.  Roy is pleased to see us and Alex & Ria from the motorhome club remember us   It’s a shady site with a stream running through it and Judy & Stan are booked into a cabin to give them a good sleep on their first night.  Roy immediately gets to work on the van and true to form a crowd soon gather round offering advice.  I join Judy & Stan up at the pools where the cool one is good for swimming and the hot one the same sort of temperature as a hot bath at home and good for a brief wallow.  Roy finds a few possible faults, slack fan belt, dodgy connection and low battery voltage.  Someone lends us a charger and they deal with the other things.  Take food up to the cabin to cook up spaghetti bolognaise washed down with red wine and I manage to eat a small portion with no ill effect.  We have a planning meeting regarding the trip and agree on a provisional tour plan with the only handicap being the fact they leave in less than 6 weeks and want to fly out from Livingstone so we will have to travel faster than we normally would.

CITRUSDAL, THE BATHS

R90 (£7.20) camping

R270 (£22) cabin 

WEDNESDAY 31 JANUARY – Neither Steve nor I can sleep for thinking about the van.  I get up in the early hours to go back over the diary to see if there is anything I can pin point.   I realise that on the 3 occasions we have used the jump cables they have never worked so deduce they may be faulty.  I also notice that the ignition problem became worse after we had the fridge 12v connection fixed.  Roy is up at first light and joins Steve under the bonnet.  He to has been giving things some thought and thinks the fridge should not be connected directly to the engine battery as it is causing a drain on it before the ignition kicks in.  By 8am we have been joined by Stan & Judy and are ready to roll, dare I say feeling a bit more optimistic about the van.  The N7 takes us up and down many hills revealing different views.  We are in an irrigated area and there are lots of vineyards so we stop at “Klawer” for some wine tasting. The girl is very friendly and almost keeps pushing samples on us.  Stan says Judy has definitely had enough when her left ear goes red but by the time the girl has taken us through the dessert wine and port she has two red ears and feels quite merry.  Their wines are very reasonable with 5 litre casks for R40 (£3.20).  Turn off to take the scenic drive through the vineyards to Vredendal but I haven’t prepped Stan properly and his navigation has us going along a different road.  It’s difficult to find the caravan park in town and it’s not great but it’s lunchtime and we re ready to stop.  Stan & Judy go for an afternoon walk and manage to get a lift into town and return with a new dress for Judy.  Enjoy a steak meal sat between the tent and the van.  Stan and Judy seem very cosy in their little house for the night.

VREDENDALR75 (£6) + R25 (£2) for 2 extra people. 

200701

MONDAY 1 JANUARY 2007 – I leave Steve in bed and join Sheila to help washing up after last night.  It’s no good us trying to leave early, as Steve will probably still be over the alcohol limit.  Finally get away around 11am and find lots of traffic on the road and the beaches packed with people.  It’s an easy drive up the M5 to the coast north of Cape Town where we get superb views of Table Mountain.  It takes us just over 3 hours to get to Laaiplek where we easily find Lionel at his holiday cottage.  (We first met Lionel on a campsite just outside Kruger then again by chance in Mozambique).  “Serendipity” is right on the banks of the Bergriver and his catamaran is moored at the end of his jetty.  It’s a stunning location with views along the river in both directions and a distant view of the ocean as we are near the river mouth.  He offers us the spare bedroom and makes us very welcome.  At the moment his wife Elmara is away in Antarctica so he is glad to have company.  There’s lots of activity on the river, commercial and recreational fishermen and leisure boats.  We sit out in the evening watching the birds all follow the river upstream to their nightly lodgings, seals play in the river and it’s great entertainment just sitting observing nature. The sunset is spectacular and we stay out until dark (now around 8.30pm) before having an early night.

LAAIPLEK 1

TUESDAY 2 JANUARY – Lionel suggests a morning sail so once the tide is high enough we head out into the bay.  There are miles of beautiful unspoilt beaches and it’s very pleasant on the ocean although Lionel would have preferred the challenge of a rougher sea to sail on.  There are lots of birds around and the local ducks wander up onto the patio late afternoon.  Rounds off the day with a braai (sausages, not duck).

LAAIPLEK 2

WEDNESDAY 3 JANUARY – The early morning mist soon clears and it becomes a hot sunny day.  Steve helps Lionel with a few jobs on the boat but unfortunately Lionel loses his glasses overboard. 

LAAIPLEK 3

THURSDAY 4 JANUARY – We get the reverse of yesterday and wake to a clear day but with a chilly sea mist rolling in mid morning.  We drive to the post office at the adjoining town of Velddrif and explore what little there is, just a couple of shops.  Velddrif runs into Port Owen, a rapidly developing up market marina complex with luxury homes having their own moorings and this adjoins the estate where Lionel lives.  In the afternoon a man knocks on the door wanting to know about our motorhome.  He has bought an almost identical one and wants to know if we have changed the engine over as he is planning to do so – good move.  Tomorrow Lionel is sailing down to Langebaan and his friend Andries is going with him.  He calls round in the afternoon to finalise details and ends up inviting us back to his place for supper.  His home is just around the corner where he lives with his wife Anna and her mentally handicapped grandson Vickross.  Anna’s daughters husband left her shortly after Vickross was born and she tried to bring him up alone but died of a heart attack soon after.  Anna and her husband adopted Vickross but after Anna’s husband died she was virtually forced off her farm.  As a lone woman she was pray to theft and could not make a living.  Andries befriended her and suggested they married and moved down to Laaiplek.  Andries is a welder and a fisherman and today caught some crayfish and perlemoen (paua or abalone).  After boiling the crayfish he cuts them in half down the spine and then fill the gaps with garlic and sprinkles grated cheese over them before baking in the oven. The perlemoen he roasts with garlic and serves it all with rice and an assortment of dips – Steve is in seventh heaven.

LAAIPLEK 4

FRIDAY 5 JANUARY – Andries arrives at 4am and he and Lionel leave around 5am on the high tide.  We go back to sleep until much later.  Walk into Laaiplek, which is a reasonable town with a couple of supermarkets and a number of other stores.  I’m now finding the main restriction on my walking is the discomfort from the boot so tomorrow I will try a walk out wearing my trainers whilst hanging on to Steve for additional support.  For the last couple of weeks I’ve been pottering round the flat without my boot so maybe now is the time to try a little more.  Return for lunch and do lots of reading in the afternoon. 

LAAIPLEK 5

SATURDAY 6 JANUARY – Set out for a walk around the block and my foot is feeling good so we continue along the riverbank to Port Owen marina and back. I do have a bit of a limp but at least I don’t get everyone staring at me and saying “shame”!   Steve heads off to the Hotel for his football fix late afternoon. 

LAAIPLEK 6

SUNDAY 7 JANUARY – I manage the walk into Laaiplek quite easily.  My ankle holds up well without the boot and if anything my bunion and toe are the parts that ache!  

LAAIPLEK 7

MONDAY 8 JANUARY – Today we walk back to Port Owen and round the far side of the marina to the shopping area.  It’s all a bit half hearted, as is the whole resort and if you didn’t know it was a developing area you could be forgiven for thinking it was a has been on the decline.  In the afternoon we notice lots of people gathered on the jetty where the commercial fishing boat has moored.  Many of them are walking away with loaded carrier bags so Steve goes over with an empty bag and R20 (£1.40).  He returns with 20 small “harder” fish.  We have no sharp knife and are not sure exactly what to do with them so Steve chats to fishermen on the jetty in front of us.  Etienne is here on holiday with his family and happy to help us out by gutting them in exchange for keeping some himself.  We’ve already eaten our main meal at lunchtime so pop the fish in the fridge for tomorrow.

LAAIPLEK 8

TUESDAY 9 JANUARY – Inspired by my successful walks we set out to go beyond Laaiplek town and to the beach.  It’s very pleasant but the Atlantic waters are too cold to be in for more than a quick paddle.  Return via the Laaiplek Hotel where Steve has discovered a special offer of 2-x double brandy and coke for R20 (£1.40).  We sit in the garden looking over the water and it feels much like a Mediterranean spot.  A couple of guests are just leaving and loaded down with 2 x 5 litre wine casks and backpacks.  Steve comments on their priorities and we get chatting.  Olivier and Charmain have just returned from Taiwan.  They seem very interesting so we invite them back to join us for a fish lunch.  Beers are passed round whilst the wood burns down to coals.  The harder fish cook up well on the braai and once opened out the central bone pops out easily leaving lots of tasty meat with just a few bones on the outside.  Served up with jacket potatoes and veg and washed down with copious amounts of red wine it all goes down very well.  Follow this up with coffee and whisky.  Receive news that my Auntie Barbara (Mums best school friend) from Blackpool died this morning.  Luckily Mum only returned from visiting her on Sunday.  Steve’s reaction to the upsetting news is to begin drinking again and coercing the others to join him.  Once the red wine has gone they switch to white (I gave up drinking after the early brandy).  It’s a really hot afternoon and Steve and Olivier bolstered by the alcohol they pluck up courage to brave the cold water for a dip.  It’s low tide and Olivier finds Lionel’s glasses underfoot.  They also wade ashore with armfuls of mussels gathered from the jetty poles.  I cook them up along with a pan full of chips so we eat and drink again, although Charmain and I stick to just chips.  Throughout the course of the afternoon we learn that Charmain was out in Taiwan for 7 years teaching English whilst Olivier, an attorney by profession, went over to teach English for a year but met Charmain and stayed on for 3 years.  They are in their late 30’s and having just returned to South Africa they need to find work before their savings run out.  It’s late in the day and they have been drinking the whole time so I phone Lionel up to get approval for them to crash out in the lounge.  Once this is in order I begin to cook up supper. So our walk to the beach turned into an unexpectedly interesting and enjoyable day.

LAAIPLEK 9

WEDNESDAY 10 JANUARY – We are all up by 7.30am and sit out drinking coffee whilst watching the birds return down river.  Olivier and Charmain want to get going early, they are doing a recce on the area as he has an interview for a job in a nearby town.  Do a bit of tidying up before settling down to eat more fish for lunch.  Lionel phones up, he has to get back to Cape Town urgently for business.  He’s on his way back in a taxi and expects to arrive in about ½ hour.  We need to be packed up and ready to leave when he arrives so it’s action stations, lucky I did a lot of cleaning and tidying up this morning.  We contact Hospitality Club host Peter near Saldanha and confirm that it is OK for us to visit this afternoon.  It’s almost 3-hours later when Lionel arrives.  He was sitting in one of the taxi mini buses used by blacks when he phoned.  What he hadn’t anticipated was that it would be a further 2 hours before the taxi was full enough to depart.   After a quick chat we set off for Vredenburg where we shop at the extremely busy Pick N Pay centre.  This is the main town for the whole of this peninsula and being the main holiday season it is much busier than usual.  Peter lives on a block of land on a dirt road out towards Trekoskraal Beach.  It’s a newly developing area so the houses don’t have numbers so it’s a bit of a hunt to find him.  He’s a Dutch guy who lives with his partner Mica who is a world champion wind surfer.  They have bought a second hand wooden house and they are having it extended to create a home and base for their filming business.  It’s still in the early stages and they don’t have a bathroom and use a chemical toilet.  As soon as we are parked up Peter warns us of the snakes in the area, 4 different types.  His land is covered in mole holes so its no surprise to learn that one of them is the completely harmless mole snake.  Unfortunately the others are all dangerous, the boomslang (green tree snake), puff adder and cape cobra.  He says they have put their house on stilts to try and stop them entering at which point I quickly retreat to close the van door.  It’s after 9pm when they have finished cooking up meat on the braai so we have plenty of time to chat and learn about their travels, sailing around the world and doing overland expeditions.  Most of their work is now in media, writing books or articles or filming short documentary style movies.  It’s a very windy evening so we are rocked to sleep in the van.

NR VREDENBURG

THURSDAY 11 JANUARY – The wind dies down during the night but we wake to a misty drizzly cool morning.  Head down to the fishing village of Paternoster where the original cottages have now been commandeered as holiday homes and others built in that style.  There’s a small market area behind the beach where crafts are sold and the catch of the day served at the fish shop.  Snoek and chips is R20 (£1.40), it has quite a few big bones but tastes delicious.  The mist clears and the day improves and by mid afternoon there are one or two hardy souls in the ocean.  Steve says it is absolutely freezing and doesn’t even go knee deep.  It’s Cray fishing season and we are repeated offered them for around R30 (£2.40) each but having already eaten our lunch we decline.  Return just before 6pm and stay in the van as it is very windy and Peter and Mica are busy.

NR VREDENBURG 2

FRIDAY 12 JANUARY – Drive back into Vredenburg to do a few jobs.   I spot a dress I like in a shop and plan to return to buy it after doing the grocery shopping.  When I go back 15 minutes later the store is closed, the owners are Muslims and have gone off to the mosque.  We decide to hang around and I explore the town where there are numerous cheap clothing shops selling brands from the UK including “George” at much lower prices.  I return to buy the dress and have just got to the till when there is a power cut and darkness descends.  Having adjusted my eyes to the light and with no sign of the electricity coming back on I decide that I don’t want to hang around or come back later so give them the correct money and leave without a receipt.  We’re expecting to receive a deposit having agreed the sale of Millie for when we leave.  I turn up at the First National Bank around 3.15pm.  Diana who is buying it will do a simple money transfer from her branch in Tzaneen and text me a reference number so I can draw the cash.  Hit a problem at her end when the computer won’t accept my passport number in place of a South African ID number.  Numerous phone calls later the matter is still not resolved and she has got locked out of the bank when she went outside to try and do the transfer on the ATM.  The administrator at Vredenburg despairs as the ID info is optional anyway and he is ashamed at the fiasco that has ensued.  Return to Peter & Mica’s where they are doing a braai for their workers Pardon and Charles.  We chat to the lads who are down from Limpopo where they cannot get work.  Steve is not well in the night with an upset stomach and unhappy that he has to use the porta potty in the van. 

NR VREDENBURG 3

SATURDAY 13 JANUARY – Peter and Mica set out early as they have a sailing charter.  We leave a bit later and head out to Jacobs Baai where there is a huge development of fishermen’s cottage style holiday homes.  We’ve been misinformed about the road connecting to Saldanha and rather than do the bump gravel we double back.  Saldanha is where the main harbour is but we don’t find it terribly impressive.  On the road out of town the landscape is stained pink for miles where the iron ore trains have passed through on the way to the ships.  Near the town of Langebaan is the Municipal Leentjiesklip Caravan Park.  It’s still the school holidays and packed with families.  It’s a stunning location directly behind the lagoon beach although the ablutions are a bit old and basic.  We soon settle onto a grassy stand with fine views and steps down to the beach.  Steve stretches out on the bed and soon drops off.  I take a walk around the site and see another motorhome like ours parked up.  Phillip lives in his van full time having been made redundant from his job at SA airlines.  He chats to me and calls down to meet Steve later.  It’s lovely to be able to watch the sun set out beyond the lagoon.  We have a disturbed evening; the people in the tent next to us are singing and playing a guitar until late.  At midnight we politely ask them to quieten down only the guitarist stops, the other two carry on talking quietly, but with occasional raised voices, until 4am. 

LANGEBAAN, LEENTJIESKLIP CARAVAN PARK

R82 (£6.40) site for up to 6 people (high season price)

R63 (£5) site for up to 6 people (low season price from 15^th Jan.

SUNDAY 14 JANUARY – Another nice sunny but windy day.  The lagoon is a haven for yachts, surfers and kite surfers and it’s interesting to watch them.  Steve walks to the town for the papers, a good 2km each way. Throughout the day the majority of the people pack up and leave the site, luckily including those in the tent next to us.  .  The children go back to school next Wednesday having been on holiday since the beginning of December.  By lunchtime I have inadvertently got burnt in spite of covering in sunscreen, guess the wind has given a false impression of the intensity of the sun.  Spend the afternoon inside the van, as the sun is so high in the sky that there is little shade.

LANGEBAAN 2, LEENTJIESKLIP CARAVAN PARK

MONDAY 15 JANUARY – Steve walks in the opposite direction to the purpose built resort of Mykonos.    It’s even further than Langebaan but he returns to tell me of a quirky resort built in Greek style up a hillside and with a Boston buffet in the casino restaurant.  For exercise I am doing circuits of the caravan park and today discover that 2 motorhomes have arrived ready for the weekend rally.  Mohammed & Nona, Dennis & Cynthia are all from Cape Town but Dennis & Cynthia stay on after the rally and in fact spend about 9 months of the year here. 

LANGEBAAN 3

TUESDAY 16 JANUARY – Phillip arrives to give us a lift in his car to Langebaan to use the launderette.  For R25 (£2) they will wash, dry and fold my two pillowcases full of washing but it won’t be ready until this afternoon.  Phillip suggests a drive out and first takes us around Langebaan area where we get good views from the hill above the town.  He insists that we should go to Darling even though it is about 50km back towards Cape Town.  Local actor Pieter-Dirk Uys is a female impressionist in the style of Dame Edna Everidge.  He bought and converted the local railway station into an art deco theatre called “Evita Se Perron” a play on words as his character is called Evita and Perron is Africaans for station platform.  His comical show is mainly digs at politicians and there are lots of photos of him posing with them.  The area also has “Boerassic Park” with satirical sculptures and a museum of political kitsch.  Well worth the trip in our opinion.  Return via Yzerfontein, another coastal resort but the caravan park is not directly behind the beach and much more expensive.  After shopping in Langebaan we collect the washing and return for a siesta.  Another three motorhomes have arrived and people wander over to introduce themselves and Rod (& Ann) offer help with our onward trip planning.  Kobus tells us that from now until Sunday they have negotiated a special rate of only R45 (£3.60) night.  Phillip arrives in the evening as we have offered to take him out to the buffet at Mykonos. Monday to Thursday its R65 (£5.20) for the buffet but for an extra R20 (£1.60) you get unlimited beer and wine and Steve takes this option.  They don’t have steak on the buffet but there are some very tasty fish and 12 delicious puddings for me to work my way through. 

LANGEBAAN 4

“Edelweiss”. 8 Newtown. Market Drayton. Shropshire TF91JU England

E-mail glenswatman@yahoo.com

South Africa Cell 073 973 5877

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Hello there

Season’s greetings, and we hope this finds you well. Trust that you have had a good year, do write and tell us all about it as we really appreciate the contact.  As always I must apologise that I have not written to you all individually.  I would love to do so but with our ever-increasing number of global friends I would probably end up doing just a short letter to you all and at least this way you get chapter and verse (whether you want it or not)!    

Amazingly we are just coming to the end of our 10^th year on the road.  Our families are all well and we continue to remain in overall good health. 

We ended last year in Australia sharing a very pleasant family Christmas with our friends Bev & Norm.  In March our daughter Claire joined is in Australia for a 2 week visit, 1 week for a whirlwind tour of Victoria and another to take in many events at the Commonwealth games in Melbourne.  We then sold “Billy” our trusty campervan as we plan to give Aussie a break in order to explore pastures new.

On the way back to England we had a 7-week stop over visiting mainland Malaysia Langkawi, Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah and the Philippines.  We did a number of internal flights but also used public transport buses, boats and trains.  A 2-day journey up one of the rivers (on ever decreasing sizes of boat) took us to and beyond a remote village where we spent a night camped in the jungle, a highlight for Steve but not quite so for Glen.  We also really enjoyed flying up to the remote Bario community to stay for a few days and experience the peaceful life of days gone by.  The whole trip went really well and we hope to return and explore the area further in the future. 

Before visiting Malaysia we discovered Hospitality Club and this was a huge bonus for us.  You join up on the Internet and are then given the opportunity to take up offers from people in different countries varying from help and advice through to accommodation and sometimes also meals.  We stayed with many people and it has opened our eyes to the different cultures and made us many new friendships. 

Whilst back in England we surprised grandchildren Daniel & Natasha with a 4 day visit to Euro Disney and managed to fit in a 2-week Mediterranean cruise to help Glen escape the World Cup football fever.  It took us a couple of months to catch up with family and friends before setting off for Southern Africa.

Early July we arrived in South Africa where we bought a 1984 Bedford motorhome “Millie”, so old it is a classic car.  We nurtured, coaxed and cursed it along to travel up through Swaziland before having a superb week wildlife spotting in Kruger.  We battled for 3 weeks in Mozambique but the roads were bad and the locals continuously tried and usually succeeded in ripping us off as tourists. 

Back in South Africa we had just completed an interesting spell in the Battlefields and were ready to do lots of hiking in the Drakensberg mountain ranges when Glen had an accident playing squash.  A ruptured Achilles tendon needed immediate surgery leaving her in an initial cast for 2 weeks, followed by a walking cast for 5 weeks then a support boot that she will use for a total of 9 months.  In the first few months walking any distance was impossible so the trip had to be amended accordingly. 

We joined the coast at Durban then made our way down to Port Elizabeth where our son David joined us for a short time as we explored some of the “Garden Route”.   South Africa has exceeded our expectations in that the people are friendlier, the scenery more varied and as tourists we encountered no safety problems.  Being enclosed in a caravan park at night was a bit of shock though. 

Glens 50^th birthday passed rather uneventfully as we were broken down at a service station at the time.  Christmas and New Year should be in the Cape Town area before we continue our South African tour travelling up through Namibia then into Zambia and Botswana before dropping back into South Africa.  Anticipate visiting England in the summer then maybe heading off to America to buy a motorhome and begin another adventure, although this plan can and probably will change a bit.  Regardless of which we are looking forward to our next decade as nomads. 

As always we wish you a Happy Christmas and all the very best for the New Year.  We always enjoy receiving news from you, by E-mail or letters to Market Drayton, which we pick up when we visit Mum. 

Should any of you still have the stamina to receive my diary by E-mail then please let me know, as I will begin a new list for 2007.  

Love and best wishes from

Steve and Glen

WEDNESDAY 20 DECEMBER- Pack up and leave Johns to move over to Sheila’s at Glencairn.   Arrive early and move a few things into the 1-bedroom flat.  We are borrowing her car to go into Cape Town and feel like locals as we know the journey well.  Even so the view as we drive over the tops never fails to impress and even the motorway to the city runs behind Table Mountain with scenery the whole way.  Can understand why Cape Town area is so highly rated, you seem to have a bit of everything with numerous beaches of different types facing all directions, hills and mountains with lots of walking tracks, the main city with all it has to offer, nearby wine regions and numerous other small towns and villages.  Pretty near perfect but for us the weather in the winter is too cold and the crime is too much of a problem. There are no traffic hold ups and we park easily on The Strand beside the 17^thc “Castle of Good Hope”.  Walk around a section of the 5 pointed walls to cross the moat and enter the castle, R20 (£1.60).  There are guided tours on the hour but we are happy to amble round at my own pace, and read the plaques but realise this may have been a mistake as many of the rooms are closed and may only be open to tours.  Steeped in history there is a section of the main building with old furniture and also a military museum.  The 10am traditional military ceremony is a bit pathetic, half a dozen soldiers in traditional costume march through the courtyard.  One climbs the steps to hand over a key and that’s the key ceremony.  Next another soldier lights a mini canon and that’s it.  I’m managing quite well so walk the 4 blocks up the street to the District 6 apartheid museum, R15 (£1.20).  You are put into a small group with a guide who used to live in this area.  Established as a mixed community of freed slaves, merchants, artisans, labourers and immigrants it was in 1966 declared a “white” area.  60,000 residents were forcibly removed, their houses flattened by bulldozers, to the barren outlying area known as Cape Flats.  The museum was created to portray the memories and experiences of those affected and the history of apartheid.  There are many of the old signs including a park seat with the white only label and others declaring areas “white by night”.  Interestingly our coloured guide tells us that he feels crime is a bigger problem today than it has ever been.  In the past, as Muslims, if someone killed they would be killed themselves and this was a bigger deterrent than the ones today.  Explore a few of the cheap Chinese run clothing stores whilst walking back to the car.  We drive along to the Victoria & Albert waterfront where we find a place in the free outdoor parking area (underground is payable by the hour and quite expensive).  Take our time wandering round the centre and exploring the Robben Island ferry museum before our pre booked 2pm Robben Island trip, R150 (£12).  Robben Island was used as a prison so it’s like Cape Town’s version of Alcatraz.  The “Diaz” ferry is running about ½ hour late.  It seems like a very old fishing boat with a few benches on deck and seating down below but without portholes.  Settle on deck for the ¾ hour ride over.  Arriving on the island we are guided to 3 buses and go through a farce where they insist on trying to fit enough passengers for 3 buses onto 2, they fail.  Our drive takes us around the island with information given about its past and present use.  The most famous inmate of the prison was Nelson Mandela and much of the information is focused on this side of things.  We are dropped off at the prison where we are passed onto a new guide who used to be a political prisoner here.  He takes through the prison explaining the system and answering questions based on his experience.  The cells at 2m x 3m are considerable bigger than the ones we saw at Alcatraz and here there were no escapees and no suicides.  To cause friction the rations were different for coloured and blacks but this was negated when the inmates all agreed to pool their food and share equally.  Also on the island is a colony of African penguins and from the boardwalk we see dozens of them sat on the boulders behind the beach.  Needless to say the return ferry is also running late.  So much so that we leave at 6pm just ahead of their 6pm ferry which is a modern catamaran.  I’m sat at the back of the boat and get a lots of spray as we bounce through the ways, meanwhile the catamaran sets off behind us, overtakes us and cuts through the waves with ease.  So anyone thinking of making this trip may prefer to book at the time when the catamaran is used.  There is lot of activity back at the waterfront.  A road race is just finishing and we see the runners arrive.  In the amphitheatre a black band called “The Stone” begin to play.  They are really good so Steve takes up Steers “wacky Wednesday” 2 for 1 burger offer and we eat our burgers whilst watching the band.  Reluctantly leave but we are a bit wary of making our first drive out of Cape Town in the dark.  Driving over the tops between Muizenberg and Fish Hoek we see the massive ball of the sun setting in the ocean.  Reach Glencairn just after 8pm and just before dark.  Settle us into the flat with a choice of 2 TV’s.  Aim for an early night but my legs are really aching and I can’t get comfy.  Think I may have overdone the walking today as we have covered literally miles. 

GLENCAIRN

THURSDAY 21 DECEMBER – Late morning I join Sheila for a shopping expedition.  We begin at a fruit & veg barn before going to a bakery.  “Woolworth’s” is South Africa’s equivalent of the English “Marks & Spencer’s” and this is where their products are made.  Thursday is pensioners 10% discount day and Sheila qualifies.  It’s incredibly busy and we end up doing most of the shopping whilst stood in a queue that snakes through the isles.  It’s amazing how much stuff I didn’t know I wanted!  After a browse around Longbeach Mall and a coffee stop at Mugg & Bean (good for bottomless coffee) we hit the Pick N Pay store.  With a large fridge, deep freeze and full cooker in the flat I am able to do a big grocery shop buying things I don’t normally cook in the van and a few festive treats.  Four hours later we return to disturb Steve's siesta.  He’s had a nice peaceful time and enjoyed a dip in the pool. 

GLENCAIRN 2

FRIDAY 22 DECEMBER – We borrow Sheila’s car and drive along the coast to the next resort of Simon’s Town.  The South African Naval Museum is free.  It’s quite large and has a number of interesting exhibits especially the one about diving.  At the far end of town it’s easy to park at first “Boulders” car park and I manage the walk to the National Park entrance, R20 (£1.40) pp if you don’t have a Wild card.  Just over 20 years ago two breeding pairs of African Penguins appeared on this beach and staked their claim.  Since then the colony has grown to around 3000 and become a major tourist attraction.  A boardwalk takes us down to Foxy Beach where hundreds can be seen.  They are in the water swimming, on the waters edge, further up the beach sitting on (unfertilised) eggs, under the boardwalk and in the bushes nearby.  It’s the most incredible sighting we have ever had of penguins, in the past they have been shy and difficult to spot.  The ones stood up over the eggs have their beaks wide open in an attempt to keep cool.  They make strange braying noises hence their original “Jackass Penguin”.  A few years ago the colony, and in fact most of the penguins along the western cape coast, were in danger of being wiped out after an oil tanker spill.  Volunteers collected all the penguins and took them away to be cleaned up and then looked after until it was safe for them to be returned.  In the visitor centre we watch the “City Slickers” film and learn that these penguins sometimes venture into town and into peoples gardens, so much so that for residents they have gone from being cute to becoming a pest.  At adjoining “Waters Edge” beach tourists paddle amongst them in canoes and snorkel with them.  This will surely remain a highlight of our South Africa trip.  Back I the flat we relax and take a cooling dip in the pool.  This has to be perfect weather, hot days with a breeze and cooler nights.  Needless to say we are really enjoying our time around Cape Town.

GLENCAIRN 3

SATURDAY 23 DECEMBER – My leg has been aching a lot so I’m going to give it a rest today by just walking around the flat and to and from the pool.  Steve finds football showing at the Southern Right Hotel just across the valley.

GLENCAIRN 4

SUNDAY 24 DECEMBER – With a full kitchen at my disposal I decide to cook a roast dinner and invite Sheila up to join us.  It’s a hot day and we eat out sat under the shade of the tree.  We eat so much that we all have to retire for a snooze.  John arrives late afternoon.  He’s had a visit from a Hospitality Club guest who has been staying in a local guesthouse where they have no rooms available over Christmas.  Having already let his own house out John is in much the same position but has brought German lady Neha round to see if Sheila can accommodate here.  Above the flat we are using is a studio that Sheila is in the process of renovating and with the loan of a single mattress from John it will be suitable.  We invite here to join us for Christmas lunch tomorrow and phone to book her in.  Spend the evening watching Christmas movies on TV.

GLENCAIRN 5

MONDAY 25 DECEMBER – Linger in bed watching a movie until 10.30am.  Just before 12am we all set off to Simon’s Town in Neha’s rented car.  There are cars parked by all the beaches and cafes and it’s the busiest we have ever seen.  Arrive at the country club to be shown our table in the extension with windows on 3 sides giving us fine views over the bay.   Obviously dressing up is not a big thing here with one guy wearing a crumpled t-shirt and beach shorts that he must have had as a present as the price tag is still hanging from them!  We begin with a choice of “trio of African melon balls laced with Van der Hum or Blue Cheese and Biltong Soup served with melba toast.  Luckily the servings are small as it is followed by unlimited buffet style seafood with prawns, NZ mussels, hake, crab, calamari and seafood salad served with tartare, Thai and/or lemon & apricot sauce.   Main course is a carvery with lamb, gammon, chicken, roast potatoes, basmati rice, cauliflower & broccoli in cheese sauce, pumpkin, peas and carrots.  You can go up as often as you like but we are all full after one serving with just enough room for the Christmas pudding and sherry trifle.  Excellent value at R145.00 (£11.20) a head.  Again we return overfilled and Neha and Steve work some off by walking down to the beach for a swim.  We gather at Sheila’s in the evening to watch the old video of “White Christmas” whilst nibbling from a cheese board followed by Christmas cake. 

GLENCAIRN 6

TUESDAY 26 DECEMBER – Sheila goes off to Fish Hoek to man the emergency help phones for a couple of hours.  When she gets back she joins us for a curry.  Steve goes for his Boxing Day football fix and Neha joins me for a chat.  We all go down to Sheila’s for a pasta meal, the sauce made with mussels that Neha got from the ocean.

GLENCAIRN 7

WEDNESDAY 27 DECEMBER – Borrowing Sheila’s car we head back towards the city to visit Groote Schuur hospital. Within it is a museum dedicated to Dr Christiaan Barnard who performed the first heart transplant there.  It’s closed until 3^rd January.  Nearby Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, R27 (£2.10) are in a stunning location below the back of Table Mountain.  There are many sections within and we particularly enjoy the sculpture area.  Call in at the Blue Roof shopping mall on the way back but the Boxing Day sales haven’t really kicked off. 

GLENCAIRN 8

THURSDAY 28 DECEMBER – At lunchtime we join Sheila for a drive over to Fish Hoek for take away fish and chips.  In the main street the shops reputation is attested to by the long queue.  Take our lunch over to Nordhoek Farm where there are craft shops and a picnic area where we sit on the lawn eating.  Call in for some shopping on the way back.

GLENCAIRN 9

FRIDAY 29 DECEMBER – Neha heads off up the coast and I give Sheila a hand sorting files on her computer.   

GLENCAIRN 10

SATURDAY 30 DECEMBER – We go down to the house to meet some of Sheila’s family.  Her son Alan and stepson David with his Serbian wife Jana drove down from Botswana yesterday.  They are visiting for a few days and we get information for the Botswana part of our trip.  Early afternoon we head into Cape Town with Sheila.  We have tickets for the 3pm Stomp performance, R100 (£8) at Artscape.  Parking is easy and gives us time for a drink before the show.  It’s an amazing act with 8 performers making percussion music using a vast array of props including brooms, dustbins, sink plungers and even kitchen sinks.  With one performer looking like “Mr Muscle” a comedy twist is added and he has the kids in stitches.  We drop Sheila at the waterfront to join her family and return in time for Steve to catch some football at the pub.  In the evening we all go to Simon’s Town to the “Pescador” restaurant.  It’s very busy and also rather smoky as Sheila’s sons both smoke so we are in the smoking area.  The food is good and we enjoy the evening.

GLENCAIRN 11

SUNDAY DECEMBER – Steve picks up the Sunday papers.  One of the headlines is about the Robben Island ferries being cancelled for 3 days, in spite of it being fully booked 2 weeks in advance, and chaos abounding as tourists gather and complain.  It says it is due to technical problems even though they have numerous boats at their disposal?  Sheila says this is African speak for no one has shown up for work!   We join the family for an early evening braai eaten by the poolside and it’s delicious.  The Southern Right Hotel in the valley have a function on and we get to hear the band and singer, and are thankful we did not pay the R500 (£40) to attend as it is like karaoke.  We chat and play spoof and poker.  Sheila heads to bed around 11pm but gets woken when we take the conga into her bedroom to wish her happy new year.  I stay up until just after 1pm but the 3 lads carry on playing poker until 4.30am

P.S.  reflecting back over our time in South africa, it has been very informative. 

the country itself has lots to offer, great scenery, hundreds of beautiful beaches, tourist attractions and friendly people.  if they could deal with the amount of crime and especially the violent crime then it would be so much more inviting.

hard for us to take on board is the mixture of modern and western world with a black 3^rd world mentality.

my personal impression is that customer service is poor and getting worse. broadly speaking most of the black people do not have the ability, even after training, to do the jobs they have been given. Some blacks even admit that the country was much better when run by whites and whilst this was not an ideal situation then maybe white people should be given a fair chance at doing the management jobs for which they are better qualified.

farmers have told us of having parts of their farms reclaimed under black land rights.  an even more frustrating knock on effect of this is that the black people will just use the land and eat all the crops or cattle without actually farming it, in spite of having knowledge from having worked on that farm in the past.  once the land is used up they will move on or demand more.  in an attempt to alleviate this problem the government are supposed to be paying farmers to oversee.

people are being moved out of the shanty towns into nice modern apartment blocks and then renting out the apartments and moving back to the squatter camps.  obviously the situation is not as clean cut as that but this is certainly happening in many cases.  .  

 we have met many white people with teenage children and some of these have  to consider emigrating so that their children can get work as many jobs here are advertised to blacks only.  Also blacks need a much lower qualification for the same job and without a university  (varsity) degree the only other chance a white child has of a decent job is in a family business.

I’ve spent time with a lovely “coloured” (usually of asian descent) family and heard the heart tugging stories from a mother who had to remove her children from a paddling pool so that one white child could enter.  they were always considered lower even than the blacks and there is still evidence of that today witnessed by us during our time with them. 

hiv/ aids education needs to be stepped up, men raping babies, as a cure is totally unacceptable.

they say that corruption and blackmail do not exist but send me £5 and I’ll tell you all about it if I’ve got the time.

Everyone thinks it is cheap for us living on the UK pound but in our lifestyle we have had to pay out for caravan parks and have not been able to grocery shop as cheaply as in most other countries so it has been more expensive than europe, australia and america.  we have missed the security to free camp on many remote and beautiful beaches and opportunities to be naturists. 

overall the trip has been much better than we anticipated in that we ourselves have had no criminal encounters (touch wood) and the people have been friendlier than expected.  The wildlife viewing has been first class and a real highlight.

would we return for another trip?  yes but in a few years time and with a 4wd drive to enable us to explore more COUNTRIES north of south africa as well.

would we ever live here?  only if the crime and violent crime levels dropped considerably then it would be a serious consideration for the future.

200612

FRIDAY 1 DECEMBER 2006 – Corrine and the children set off to Cape Town, as it’s her Mum’s birthday this weekend.  Jannie has to work but says it’s no problem for us to stay another day.  In the afternoon Steve visits Dr Ewin for his Hepatitis A booster.  Ewin does a cheaper price for cash and waives his consultation fee, R220 (£17.50).  Spend the rest of the day in the house watching TV with Jannie calling home from time to time to load beer into the garage.  His liquor shop must close on Sundays but shebeen (illegal township drinking establishments) owners know to come to his house to buy beer.  He arrives back late evening and cooks a superb steak dinner then stays up with Steve watching cricket.

RIVERSDALE 3

SATURDAY 2 DECEMBER – Both Sannette and Jannie have phoned the council to protest about the ridiculous booking system for Jongensfontein Caravan Park.  The officer new nothing about it and gave permission for us to stay there.  The only trouble is that the weather has changed and after heavy rain through the night it is still cool and stormy.  We review our plan and decide to continue heading west.  Millie starts to show off when we overtake a car and a motorhome whilst going up hill!  Stop in Heidelberg only to find out the caravan park is closed after being washed away in a flood.  The nearest one is within a nature park but you must book ahead and the office is closed over the weekend!  Late morning we reach Bontebok National Park.  The road into it is atrocious but admittedly they are working on it.  The caravan site and all accommodation are closed for renovation and will remain so until next April.  With the whole of the year to do the work it is hard to think why they schedule it over the busiest holiday period, welcome to African logic.  Our Wild card saves us the R20 (£1.60) pp admission.  The receptionist assures us the roads within the park are better than the ones coming in.  Head off on the circuit and soon discover that the roads are just as bad.  Fortunately we do get good sightings of the rare bontebok, antelope half brown and half white that bob around like a donkey.  Give up after a short distance and rattle our way back out to the main road.  Check onto Swellendam Caravan Park, a pleasant spot on the edge of town with grassy stands and fine views of the Overberg mountain ranges.  We bought a box of apricots at the fruit & veg barn for R10 (80p) so I use some to make a fruit crumble then stew others in brandy to preserve them.

SWELLENDAM CARAVAN PARK

R118 (£9) pensioners rate. 

SUNDAY 3 DECEMBER – Millie is in a bad mood and won’t start, the ignition is totally dead, so it seems we are back to the old problem.  We eliminate the battery by trying and failing to jump-start.  Steve tinkers around and tightens a few wires and eventually gets it going, probably shaken loose on the rough roads yesterday.  Back on the main highway it’s a pleasant drive to Riversonderend where we make a late morning fuel stop.  Millie refuses to start and we are pushed to the parking area.  One of the attendants comes over and gets involved in trying to help.  Under the bonnet he fiddles around with some wires and gets the starter motor turning over but it is making a bad noise so we try to turn off the engine quickly.  Unfortunately even after removing the ignition key the starter keeps going!  Bloody marvellous, first it won’t start and now it won’t stop!  The garage boy disconnects the wire and suggests we call a mechanic.  There’s an additional R140 (£11.20) Sunday call out fee but we can live with that.  Jacques Naidoo arrives and thinks we originally had a simple loose wiring problem but now have a big problem having damaged to the starter motor by running it.  He’s confident he can get it repaired, possibly today but if not tomorrow.  He tows us to a grassy area by a pond beside the garage (24hr), where many other people have stayed when broken down. Reasonable free camping if we were not right by the main road!  Heavy rain during the night masks the sound of trucks that pull into the garage.

RIVERSONDEREND SERVICE STATION

MONDAY 4 DECEMBER – We have a reasonably quiet night with little traffic.  Steve walks into the village and books me in to the hairdresser for tomorrow.  Potter round in the van and discuss numerous plans to encompass the van problems.  In the afternoon the local children are playing around in the pool with a huge inner tube and they enjoy us taking photos them so they can look at them afterwards.  The resident geese make their evening stroll through the garage much to our amusement. 

RIVERSONDEREND 2

TUESDAY 5 DECEMBER – The garage was much busier in the night with lots of lorries stopping.  I get little sleep so when I wake up for my 50^th birthday I really look it with bags under my eyes.  Never dreamt that we would be spending it broken down at a garage!  Mid morning the fuel tanker arrives and guess what, we are parked too close to the tanks so have to be pushed out of the way.  When Jacques towed us here he assured us they would not need to use them but maybe that was when he thought he would have us fixed up yesterday.  We sit by the van getting high on the fumes.  I get a lift up to the hairdressers where I have foils; my hair cut dried and straightened, R250 (£20), hope it takes years off me.  The hairdresser presents me a bottle of the local rose bubbly known by the local lads as a “panty dropper”.  Celebrate with an evening meal at the truck stop café.  An old sierra model car pulls onto the forecourt and it sounds terrible.  We hear the driver speaking in an English accent telling the attendant he broke down a few km’s back.  They ask the attendants to wash the car and during this time we begin chatting.  They are over on holiday and have borrowed the car from friends who didn’t want to know when they phoned him after breaking down.  Chat about lots of things very quickly and offer them a bed for the night if they don’t want to go on, as it is getting dark.   They really need to get back to Hermanus tonight but will turn back to us if they feel they have problems soon after leaving.  Reckon there could be the makings of a soap opera based on the comings and goings at this garage. 

RIVERSONDEREND 3

WEDNESDAY 6 DECEMBER – Receive the news that the starter motor has had one part repaired in Hermanus but for the rest it has to go to Somerset West, even further away.  We’re very frustrated as Jacques was so sure he could get the job done quickly and we could have had a push start and driven on to Cape Town.  A breakdown truck has also broken down at the garage and the driver asks us if we will keep an eye on it overnight whilst he goes for parts.  At lunchtime Cherie and Francois arrive and we take them for a meal.  These are our friends from New Zealand whom we first met in Fuerteventura; Francois is an orthopaedic surgeon and examines my ankle.  He suggests 20 minutes of muscle exercise every hour to prevent my leg from withering away and offers other advice including a recommendation that I wear the support boot for the next 6 months when out walking or on rough terrain.  By the time they are ready to leave the mechanic has not returned so I leave Steve with Millie and hop in the car with them.  We are off to Kleinbaai where their daughter Michelle lives and works.  She is staying in a house with stunning views over the bay and we soon settle in.  There is room for me to sleep in the lounge if Steve doesn’t catch up with us today.  Michelle lives with co-worker Isabel (from France) and Hanny.  In the evening they all go out for a farewell meal, Michelle is leaving on Friday and Isabel next week.  I relax in the lounge and have access to the remote control so for once I don’t have to watch football.  Call Steve and learn the garage phoned him at ¼ to 5 to say the mechanic was half an hour away (having had the repair done in Cape Town), but he never arrived.

KLEINBAAI

THURSDAY 7 DECEMBER – It’s lovely waking up with ocean views again.  Michelle works for Dyer Island Cruises and they have kindly offered us complementary whale watching cruises, normally R695 (£56).  Call Steve just after 8am to tell him the cruise departs at 10am.  The mechanic is actually working on the van so Steve will try and drive over in time to join us.  The tour begins at the White House with Michelle briefing us on the wildlife in the area; we have a chance of seeing the marine big 5 of whale, shark, dolphin, penguin and seal.  After donning our bright orange weatherproof courts we make our way down to the harbour to climb aboard the small inflatable boat.  Steve still hasn’t arrived when the tractor launches us into the water.  It’s quite choppy at sea as we follow the coast east.  First sighting is the rare humpback dolphins that frolic in the waves but not too close.  Relocate to the area where the shark boats are anchored.  People pay stand in a cage dangling from the side of the boat in the hope of getting a closer encounter with the great white sharks that patrol these waters.  Unfortunately there are no sharks to be seen.  A little further out we spot a southern right whale with a male calf.  It does lots of lob tailing and gets quite close to the boat.  Frustratingly I find that my digital camera will not react quickly enough to get decent shots.  Heading off towards Dyer Island it gets really rough and a number of people become seasick.  Close to the island we can see the African penguin and lots of birds.  Opposite Dyer Island is Geyser Rock, home to approx 60,000 fur seals.  Between the islands lies a stretch of water 100m wide and 5m deep.  Home to the densest population of Great White shark in the world the passage is called “Shark Alley” and with so many seals in the water it’s like a McDonalds swim thru for sharks.  I have never seen so many seals in one location and they are fun to watch.   They sunbathe on a huge beam of wood.  It’s the keel of a ship, Prince port, which was wrecked on Geyser Island in March 1885.  With the side panels down the ship makes a speedy but bumpy return to the harbour where I’m very relieved to see Steve and Millie waiting.  The van is fixed in so far as it now starts.  The original problem was just a loose wire, which could have been fixed quickly under the mechanics R140 (£11.20) Sunday call out fee.  However the starter motor repairs have pushed the bill up to R1500 (£120).  Back at the White House we view the DVD of the trip before returning to Michelle’s house for lunch.  Francois is tired so he has a nap whilst Cherie takes us for a drive to Pearly Beach then around Gansbaai.  In the evening Cherie cooks a typical South African meal of boerworst, pap and tomato and onion sauce. 

KLEINBAAI 2 

FRIDAY 8 DECEMBER – Today Cherie, Francois and Michelle are heading to the airport and we are driving further along the coast.  Make the short drive to De Kelders to have breakfast perched at the top of the cliffs.  We are now at the opposite side of Danger Point peninsula at the tip of which the “Birkenhead” ship sank in the 1800’s.  The Captain coined the phrase “women and children first” as he was the first person to suggests this system of disembarkation.  From the lookout we get fine views of Walker Bay and also spot rock dassie for the first time.  They look like a rabbit sized guinea pig but amazingly are related to the elephant. Further round the bay we stop at Hermanus and look at the war memorial.  Among the names is that of Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, a Hermanus Old Boy and the leader of “The Great Escape”, about which the famous movie was made.  The town is also famous for the land-based whale viewing and we get superb sightings from the lookout on Marine Drive with good examples of lob tailing and a spectacular breech.  Whales come to this bay to give birth and linger here until its time for them to head south, around now.  We continue following the coast west towards Cape Town and it’s a superb drive.  The road runs by the coast through pretty seaside towns and bigger resorts but also climbs up through the mountains.  We turn the last headland to enter False Bay directly opposite the Cape of Good Hope.    After lunch and a snooze at a rest area we continue to Gordons Bay where Elize meets us and leads us to their home.  Not only do they have Millie’s twin parked up but also a third motorhome of the same type that belongs to their friends.  They make us very welcome and attend to our motorhoming needs.  Tonight they are going to a birthday party and the invitation has been extended to us.  Tony & Wendy own the other motorhome and live nearby and it was Tony’s birthday yesterday.  Most of their other guests also own motorhomes and are all in the 50’s so we fit in very easily and have a great time.   Carol & Trevor (cousins), Tom & Christine (Radio Caroline DJ), Tony & Marjo (big Africa trip).  It’s after midnight when we finally leave.

GORDONS BAY

SATURDAY 9 DECEMBER – Neil and Elize have 2 cars and suggest we take one and go off for a drive.  There’s a nice circuit taking you through the wine region so we head towards Stellenbosh.  We pass a strawberry farm with lots of funny scarecrows so pull over to take a close look.  It turns out to have a big farm shop also trading as Mooiberge winery with wine at very competitive prices. We stock up for the festive season.  Bottles start at just R10 (80p) but we splash out on some “Shamwari” Shiraz that has been reduced from R120 (£9.60) to R20 (£1.60).  Stellenbosh town is very nice with lots of Cape Dutch style white buildings.  Being Saturday it is also rather busy and parking difficult so we make do with a driving tour.  Boshendel winery is recommended and it’s really picturesque with the large manor house backed by the mountains.  In the gardens you can buy a picnic hamper of gourmet food, R110 (£8.80) pp, and either sit at the tables to eat it or put the tablecloth on the grass and sit there.  Even more upmarket is their 6 course buffet lunch at R195 (£16).  We had seen a magazine article rating it as 5* so at one stage it was planned that we would be here for my birthday (wonder if it would have been any better than the truck stop restaurant).  Tonight we are having a braai so don’t want to eat now as well.  For R15 (£1.20) you can have a wine tasting selection of 6 glasses of your choice.  Frustratingly I cannot drive and Steve doesn’t want to chance getting stopped for drink driving, as that would surely put him over the low limit they have here.  A spittoon option is offered but promptly refused!  There are wineries everywhere, probably a larger concentration than we have seen anywhere else.  With the large white mansions and vineyards growing up the mountains slopes it is really stunning.  Franschhoek is the next town and at the end of the main street there is a huge dramatic Huguenot Memorial.  The “cats road” climbs steeply towards the pass with superb views back down the valley, so much so that we stop a number of times as gets better and better.  Once over the pass the weather makes a quick change from hot and sunny to cold, rainy and misty.  The scenery also changes as we emerge into an area where apples are grown.  Over the next pass the rain stops and it’s sunny, cloudy but very windy, talk about a day of contrasts.  Dropping down towards Gordons Bay we get even more excellent views. Elize cooks us a braai in the evening and we enjoy their company.

GORDONS BAY 2

SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER – Again we are offered used of the car so take ourselves off along the coast to the adjoining resort The Strand.  You could be in a Spanish holiday resort with a number of high-rise hotels behind the beach but the view across the bay of Table Mountain is a bit of a give away.  The afternoon is spent chilling out and with Steve investigating the spaghetti wiring of Millie.  We meet Neil & Elize’s daughters Claire and Carly who we have a good chat with.

GORDONS BAY 3

MONDAY 11 DECEMBER – Elize is taking us for a drive into Cape Town. In Somerset West we pick up her friend Alice before heading off on the motorway.  There are a few road works but generally traffic is light. Alice points out some new and attractive flats that were built for the people of Cape Flats.  Unfortunately most tenants found they could get more money by subletting them and staying in their shacks.  She detours to show us the Sea Point area before dropping us at the Victoria & Albert waterfront.  It’s a most attractive area of shops and restaurants backed by Table Mountain.  Check out the ferry to Robben Island but it is fully booked until Saturday.  We visit the new Ice Bar, R50 (£4) created entirely out of ice.  You don thermal hooded capes before entering the bar, a constant 20C below.   The bar and bar stools are made out of ice but at least there is a cushion to sit on.  Ice carvings and pictures decorate the room and there’s an ice slide for the children, and Glen.  The admission price includes a soft drink, which we take in the outside sunny bar area.  What a contrast as it is a really hot day, almost feel like nipping back in for a cool down.  Stop for lunch at the Mitchell Brewery where Steve samples an unusual beer whilst we eat a reasonably priced pizza and chips.  Following this I need an ice cream and as we enter the nearby food court Elize hails us.  Given the size of the waterfront it’s amazing that we should have run into each other at just about the time when she was going to phone us to arrange a rendezvous.  Dodges has recently been voted as having some of the best ice cream in the world but I reckon I would have to sample a few more varieties to confirm that.  Heading out of the city we tour the Bo-Kaap area where all the houses are painted in different bold colours.  A very good introduction to Cape Town.  In the evening I cook us all a shepherds pie for supper followed up with chocolate orange pancakes.

GORDONS BAY 4

TUESDAY 12 DECEMBER – After leisurely departure preparation we hit the road heading towards Cape Town.  Turn off to enjoy a scenic drive around the coast towards Fish Hoek.  En-route we pass Cape Flats with thousands of shanty style houses in very poor shape.  John Neil is another Hospitality Club host and he has parking space for us on his drive and offers use of an adjoining flat for kitchen and bathroom facilities.  He is aiming to either emigrate to Australia or spend lots of time there in a motorhome so conversation is easy.  He goes out for the day and leaves me at the computer where I discover cheap and also free phone calls using skype. John is letting his house out over the Christmas period but says we are welcome to stay until the 22^nd December, brilliant.  

FISH HOEK 

WEDNESDAY 13 DECEMBER – Drive to the next suburb called Glencairn, between Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town.  Hospitality Club host Sheila is waiting for us and she has just returned from a trip to Europe including visiting Yorkshire.  She lives with her cats in a bungalow with superb views over the bay and an inviting swimming pool on the terrace. She offers us use of the 1-bedroom self-contained flat (used as a timeshare in the past) and Millie can be parked reasonably safely at the side of the road.  She is going to be alone at Christmas and would welcome us to stay at this time.  A tentative plan is made for us to stay with John until about the 20^th then move over to Sheila’s until the New Year.  Drive to The Boulders area just past Simon’s Town to visit the penguin colony but parking in the van is too difficult.  Nearby is the Country Club that Sheila has recommended for meals.  We get a hot, freshly cooked tasty lunch very cheaply and notice they have an excellent menu on Christmas day for R145 so make a provisional booking.  In the afternoon Steve helps John doing some work on his sisters car and then John helps us by fixing the petrol gauge that had stopped working.

FISH HOEK 2

THURSDAY 14 DECEMBER - Potter around in the morning.  With access to the Internet I can really catch up with things and do a bit more onward research.  In the afternoon we join John as he takes his sisters car for the road test.  In the waiting room is a warning poster stamped by the Police.  It tells of a new gang with a strange initiation.  At night they must drive around without headlights on.  The first car that flashes a warning becomes their target and they must kill all the occupants.  We’ve heard this warning from a few other sources and feel it worth repeating as a warning.  Continue to the Blue Roof shopping centre at Muizenberg.  John’s girlfriend Linda is here with her daughter Lisa who is over from Glasgow on holiday.  We meet them for coffee and for me a slice of delicious chocolate and banana “death by chocolate” cake.  In the evening John goes out to the cinema leaving Steve & I to watch TV.

FISH HOEK 3

FRIDAY 15 DECEMBER – Late morning we set out with John for the Cape of Good Hope.  He points out lots of interesting things as we travel along the coast.  Baboons are everywhere and becoming a bit of a pest but we still love to watch them.  Enter the National Park saving R55 (£4.40) admission by using the Wild card.  At the end of the road is the visitor’s car park and from here you can either walk or take the funicular up to Cape Point.  The lads walk but I have no choice but to pay R35 (2.80) for the return ride.  It’s really blustery and cold at the top but the views are superb.  The Cape of Good Hope can be seen just beyond Diaz beach but the ocean is not as rough as we expected.  John takes us on a scenic detour going back and we get exceptional views down over Simon’s Town.  Linda comes over late afternoon and in the evening we all go to the Imperial Garden Chinese in Fish Hoek.  John’s daughter Natasha, husband Wayne and children Stephanie and Jessica join us.  The R65 (5.20) buffet is superb with lots of seafood.  Return for coffee at Natasha’s where we try to phone our granddaughter Natasha to wish her a happy 7^th birthday.  Unfortunately they are out at a Carol concert where Daniel is singing in the choir. 

FISH HOEK 4

SATURDAY 16 DECEMBER – John’s house is up for sale and he has open viewing tomorrow so Steve helps out by mowing the front lawn before heading off to the local pub for his football. 

FISH HOEK 5

SUNDAY 17 DECEMBER – Sheila has offered to take us for a drive and we set off over Chapman’s Peak toll road, R23 (£1.85), where we get superb views in both directions along the west coast.  Parts of the road are cut into the cliffs and it is quite dramatic.  The road drops down into Hout Bay where we stop at the Sunday craft market.  There are many different crafts available but the pretty beaded Christmas tree decorations seem to be best sellers.  Along the bay we visit the Mariner’s Wharf, partly still used as a fishing wharf but with many buildings now converted to restaurants and shops.  The hake and chips at “Bayside Halaal” is excellent and good value at R22 (£1.75).  Also in Hout Bay is “World of Birds” sanctuary, R55 (£4.40).  You wander through over 20 large aviary complexes with birds from around the world.  Many of them we have never seen before.  Most of the aviaries are free flying so you get really close to the birds.  There are other animals as well including lots of different monkey species.  I get quite worried in the squirrel monkey cage.  Their fur is yellow and black and I am wearing a yellow dress and have my big black support boot on.  They congregate around me and seem to think I am one of them.  When it looks like they are about to climb up my leg when I make a lame excuse and hobble off.  Our tour continues along the coast towards Cape Town passing the attractive bays of Llandudno, Bakeoven and Camps Bay – not the gay beach as that’s at Sandy Bay.  Traffic is heavy so Sheila turns up into the mountains.  From Signal Hill you get fantastic panoramic views of Cape Town, the coast north and south, the Twelve Apostles mountain formation and Table Mountain itself with the table cloth (low clouds) just going on.  Sheila helps out at an animal rescue centre called Tears and they are having a fund raising event at a new property they have bought.  We join her for the braai and chat to a few locals.  Another superb day for us.

FISH HOEK 6

MONDAY 18 DECEMBER – Join John for a drive to the shopping mall, noticeably busier.  Steve walks down to Fish Hoek in the afternoon.  Early evening we all set off for Linda’s for a drink before taking her and daughter Lisa with us for a meal.  Monday is rib night at the “Tavern & Ale”, olde worlde English style pub, where R48 (£4) buys you a full rack of ribs, chips and veg.  Steve says it is the best ribs he has ever tasted.  I stick to the “A la Carte” for an excellent chateaubriand steak. 

FISH HOEK 7

TUESDAY 19 DECEMBER – Give Millie a big clean up inside whilst the bedding is being washed.  Take a walk to the nearby Spar shopping complex before lunch.  Steve is disappointed when his evening plans, for John to join him at the pub watching Liverpool, are scuppered as the match is cancelled because of dense fog.  Such a shame when the weather is so nice here!

FISH HOEK 8

MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER – Mignonnes returns at about 11am after taking the kids to school and going to the gym.  Shortly after she gets a surprise visit from her cousin who is down from Johannesburg.  Her husband Hilton (Weiner) runs his own fashion business and designs clothes under the “Sail Away” brand.  He has an office at home so often pops into the house.  The children get back from school early afternoon and Mignonnes suggests a boat trip.  Along with the twins we hire a boat, R80 (£6.40) hour, to chug up the Keurbooms River.  Stop at the second beach, a really attractive spot at the bottom of the gorge.  Riaan throws his line in and almost immediately catches a tiny swordfish.  I sit on the beach with my leg in a plastic bag whilst the others enjoy a swim in the pleasantly warm river.  A storm begins brewing so we pack up and get into the boat only to find the engine won’t start.  The pull cord seems to be jammed.  There’s no one else around and we have no mobile phone reception.  The tide is coming in and the water flowing upstream so it would be hard to try and paddle our way out.  We stand and shout for help in unison but to no avail.  Luckily we hear a boat coming downstream and call them over.  They soon determine the fault to be a switch in the wrong position and in no time we are chugging back to the jetty. 

KEURBOOMSTRAND 2

TUESDAY 21 NOVEMBER – Gabriel and Frances have colds so are staying off school. They have got the Christmas tree out and want help making paper chains and other decorations so my “Grandma” skills come in handy.  In the afternoon Mignonnes, Frances, and I go up to Enrico’s restaurant whilst Steve and Riaan fish off the rocks below.  When we get back we help out by driving their gardeners and Maureen the maid back into Plettenberg.  They both live in the informal settlement in home made wooden shacks.  Maureen tells me they leak in the rain but the plastic sheets that they cover the roof with perish in the sunshine so only last about 3 months.  She has a proper house in East London but can’t get work there.  We return via Plettenberg Bay where lots of people are on the beach and in the water taking their chances with the sharks.  Steve enjoys watching sport on TV until the early hours.

KEURBOOMSTRAND 3

WEDNESDAY 22 NOVEMBER – We planned to leave today but the children really want us to stay and we are enjoying chatting to Mignonnes so can spare another day.  Gabriel is still off sick and Maureen is also ill with an allergy that has made her lips swell.  Once Steve has got up we leave him in charge of the sick bay whilst Mignonnes and I hit the town.  We begin at the Plettenberg Bay Hotel where we sit behind the infinity pool enjoying the view whilst drinking smoothies.  It’s all very quiet and serene until we decide to stir the dozing guests by noisily sucking the last of our drinks in unison.  We then go to the shopping centre where Hilton has one of his Sail Wear stores, very similar to Benetton.  After collecting Riaan and Frances from after school gymnastics we go down to Beacon Island Hotel.  Facilities are available out of season also to day visitors who are eating or drinking there.  It’s another beautiful location with indoor and outdoor pools and lovely gardens with lots of sun loungers.  Mignonnes and I settle onto them whilst Frances swims in the indoor pool and Riaan chats to the fisherman after seeing one catch a shark.  Whilst eating our pizza both Mignonnes and I get a shock when on 2 separate occasions the large sea gulls swoop down to take a slice out of our hands.  The kids are so tired when we leave that they both fall asleep in the car.  Gabriel is feeling better and joins us for supper.  Steve stays up late watching football

KEURBOOMSTRAND 4

THURSDAY 23 NOVEMBER – Mignonnes and Frances come down to say good-bye whilst I am still in bed.  We set off back to Knysna where we meet Gordon at the waterfront Oyster Bar.  It’s in a super location overlooking the marina and the food is also recommended so along with our drinks we enjoy a plate of nachos and a pint of prawns.  Gordon is Scottish but lived in Knysna before emigrating to Australia with Bobby & Rhinda’s daughter Melinda. He’s an interesting chap and we chat our way through lunch.  Just west of Knysna we turn off to Buffalo Bay.  At the end of the road is a delightful caravan park with waterfront stands facing in all directions.  We pick one on the sheltered side looking back into the bay and soon set up.  Sit out enjoying the sun and trying to read whilst being distracted by the view, the ocean, the surfers and whales out at sea.  Steve takes a walk into the village where there is a nice restaurant and a supermarket.  On the beach there are many shark warning signs and directions to the shark first aid kit, bit of a worry.   A motorhome just like ours pulls up.  Neil and Elize live near Cape Town, their van is a year younger than ours but the Bedford engine has been changed relieving them of some of the problems we have had.  They tell us of other nice campsites on our route.

BUFFALO BAY CARAVAN PARK

R75 (£6) pensioners rate

FRIDAY 24 NOVEMBER – In spite of the high tide lapping at the wall a couple of metres in front of us we have a very restful night.  It’s lovely sitting out having breakfast and we both feel very relaxed.  After a walk around the site we spend the morning reading.  Enjoy a tasty dinner, at Millie’s waterside restaurant, roast garlic potatoes, juicy rump steak and cauliflower and broccoli bake washed down with a drop or two of wine.   Mid afternoon the weather takes a turn for the worse and we get some rain but it’s still pleasant cocooned in our little home watching the ocean.  

BUFFALO BAY 2

SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER – We are woken just after 5am; there are children in the tent on the next site. Reckons this is a wake up call as to what the caravan parks will be like after next week once the schools break up.  Sit out until mid afternoon when Steve goes off to watch South Africa beat England at rugby.  We have good television reception here so spend the evening watching a movie before being rocked to sleep by strong winds.

BUFFALO BAY 3

SUNDAY 26 NOVEMBER – For location alone his is the nicest site we have stayed on so far so another day won’t go amiss.  Steve has ordered the newspaper from the supermarket so yet another leisurely day is in order. 

BUFFALO BAY 4

MONDAY 27 NOVEMBER – We reluctantly move on to give us chance to visit a few more coastal resorts before the prices rocket and sites are fully booked.  From 1^st December the school children are on holiday and caravan parks begin charging high season rate.  Effectively this means no pensioners or other discounts and the price per stand is for 4 or 6 people regardless how many use it.  Buffalo Bay goes up to R250 (£20) night, more than 3 times the price for us.  After a quick shop in Sedgefield Spar we call in to the Post Office to mail Natasha’s birthday card.  We get a shock to find that the last air mail posting date for England was 18^th November, guess we won’t be sending any Christmas cards this year.  Within Wilderness National Park is the Ebb & Flow campsite.  They have a complicated pricing structure; we take an unpowered site back from the river.  Neil & Elize (in the same van as ours) are also here and we spend time with them.  Elize invites us to visit them at Gordons Bay and offers to takes us into Cape Town in her car to get our bearings.  Ebb & Flow is an attractive site with plenty of walking and canoeing opportunities, for those without an injury. 

WILDERNESS NATIONAL PARK, EBB & FLOW CAMPSITE

R66 (£5.20) without electric.

TUESDAY 28 NOVEMBER - Drive a  little further west along the coast to Great Braak River and the Pine Creek Resort.  The camping area is strewn out along the riverbank and we have a nice view.  Elize & Neil arrive a bit later and offer us the use of their scooter to go up to the swimming pool.  We go up in the afternoon and I manage 50 lengths with no problem so my ankle is definitely improving.

GREAT BRAAK – PINE CREEK CARAVAN PARK

R90 (£7.20)

WEDNESDAY 29 NOVEMBER – Again we make just a short drive along the coast to Hartenbos, which seems to be dominated by the AKTV holiday company.  The caravan park is in a number of different sections along the coast.  Once we have decided the section we like we visit the office only to find that the price quoted on the phone was for a site without a view and there is also a one off R22 administration fee. 

Check out the options in nearby Mussel Bay but our phone calls fail miserably, one site is closed, another has an Africaans only speaking receptionist and the third one is connected to a fax machine.  We are due to visit friends in Riversdale tomorrow night so phone up and ask if we can arrive tonight, no problem.  Drive around the pleasant town of Mussel Bay with lots of nice old houses.  Down at The Point we find a pleasant caravan site that would have suited us but they were the ones with the fax machine.  At the Garden Route Casino we enjoy their 65 item buffet lunch forR65 (£5.20) where Steve particularly enjoys the snails.   Arrive in Riversdale late afternoon and Corrie meets us to lead us to their home.  Their children Frederick (17) and Mariah-Anne (13) have already finished school for the holidays.  The house is full of their friends.  Corrie has an electric plate exercise machine and suggests it may do my leg some good as it stimulates circulation.  Jannie arrives home from work just after 7pm; he runs his own off licence.  They have invited their friends Ewin and Sanette to join us for a braai.  When we met Corrie and Jannie in St Lucia they were on holiday there together.  We have another stroke of luck when we find out that Ewin is a GP, Steve needs a Hepatitis A booster injection and Ewin can organise it for us.  They give us lots of suggestions for our on going trip.

RIVERSDALE

THURSDAY 30 NOVEMBER – Corrie takes us out for the day along with Frederick and Mariah-Anne.  We head off down a dirt road to their beach house, actually a farmhouse split into 3 houses, in the Blombos area.  Nearby Blombos Cave is famous, as evidence has proved that people lived there 70,000 years ago.  Their house is above a superb beach and has beds for about 20 people to stay at once.  A couple of weeks ago Jannie and some men friends spent the weekend here watching the rugby, fishing and roasting a whole pig on the braai. A large old fashioned ledger is used as a visitor book and fish log that goes back over 30 years making for very interesting reading.  After a good look around and a coffee we head east to Jungensfontain, a lovely small seaside village.  The municipal caravan park has no fences and is directly behind the beach.  There is only one caravan on it.  We ask about availability and prices.  In high season it’s R160 (£12.80) but you can only stay if you made a booking before 31^st March.  She admits that they are not fully booked and in fact hardly anyone is going to be using it for the next week but even explaining that we are tourists she cannot be persuaded to let us stay for a few nights – crazy.   A little further along the coast is the larger resort of Still Bay, also attractive but not as appealing to us.  We break for lunch down the near the harbour and enjoy sitting out on the terrace overlooking the water.  Driving back to Riversdale they point out the distant hill where you can see the shape of “Sleeping Beauty” after which many places in the area are named. 

RIVERSDALE 2

200611

WEDNESDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2006 – Another dull and miserable day with lots of heavy rain.  Perfect weather for us to be cocooned in luxury practising the art of being couch potatoes.

PORT ST FRANCIS 3

THURSDAY 2 NOVEMBER- This morning the rain has stopped and there are clear blue skies but very strong winds making the sea really rough.  This bay was used during the filming of the cult surf movie “Endless Summer”, the waves known as “Bruce’s Beauties” being the stars.   Don’t think there will be anyone out surfing today.

PORT ST FRANCIS 4

FRIDAY 3 NOVEMBER – Checking out day and a reality check for us, no more maid service to do our washing up and make the beds and no more satellite TV.  Head back towards Port Elizabeth picking up the coast road at Sea View.  The caravan parks we try to visit are either closed or derelict and unappealing.  Pine Lodge have told us sites are R32.50pp but when we get there no one remembers telling Steve this on the phone and it’s R110.  It’s now early afternoon and the day is not going well so we check in.  Next hurdle is the security barrier that won’t open with the remote control meaning Steve has to climb out of the van, activate it then quickly get back in.  The site we have been allocated is not near the toilets, not flat and the chain barring our access cannot be undone with the keys we have been given. That’s the last straw so Steve returns to reception and asks for and eventually gets our money back.  There’s a caravan park at Hume Park in the centre of town and it sounds really nice in the brochure.  The reality is a scrappy site full of dodgy looking permanents in a location that would be noisy because of the club bar and is unpleasant in the howling wind and rain.  Annie has already invited us back there and we were going to go on Monday but realise it is now our best option for today.  She welcomes us back and we park the van outside her Mill Park home and settle into the garden unit.  Annie & Paul go out on business for the evening and her kids flit in and out.  Steve watches TV and I use the Internet so the day has taken a turn for the better.

PORT ELIZABETH

SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER – Annie & Paul are away for the weekend checking out a farm they are thinking of buying.  Before they leave Annie brings round the works van and insists we use it to go out and about.  Steve reluctantly takes me to the local shopping centre where I treat myself to a new dress and skirt.  Cheap clothing shops abound but being a Saturday they are incredibly busy and I am mindful of my injured foot. 

PORT ELIZABETH 2

SUNDAY 5 NOVEMBER – After a cold windy and rainy night we are glad to wake to a dry morning.  Potter around doing bits of washing and Internet whilst Steve watches TV.  Annie & Paul arrive back early afternoon, before they had even arrived at the farm they had a call from the owners to say they had changed their minds and were no longer selling it.  In the evening Annie’s parents Rob & Pat join us all for a delicious “potjies kos”, meal cooked in a huge iron pot over the fire.

PORT ELIZABETH 3

MONDAY 6 NOVEMBER – We drive round to the lodge where Paul then leads Steve and Millie to a garage.  Still having starting problems, Paul thinks this garage should be able to get to the bottom of it.  It’s cast off day so Paul returns to pick me up and take me to Greenacres Hospital for my 11am appointment with Dr Francis Kock.  Nurse “Mickey” is really gentle taking my cast off and horror of horrors reveals a wizened hairy leg with lots of dead suntanned skin, definitely not the one that went into the cast – oh yes it is there’s still a bunion on the end, bugger!  The Doctor pronounces the tendon repair still intact enabling me to go on to the next stage in the healing process meaning I get the boot.  It’s a large and heavy black boot with support bars at the side and lots of straps.  Sort of “Robocop” meets biker meets skier!  I must wear it for the next 7 weeks whenever I’m putting weight on my foot.  If I am resting I can remove it and then do gentle exercises with my ankle.  Basically it takes 3 months from the date of the operation for the tendon repair to be strong enough to take my weight.  The Doctor knows Paul & Annie well and because of this dispenses with the full fees and just charges me R300 (£24) for a basic consultation leaving me to pay Annie the cost price for the boot R440 (£35).   I should be able to claim it all back from the insurance but goodness knows when that will be.  Return to the Lodge and when Annie is ready to go home the van is still not ready but they now know the problem is not with the starter motor but the ignition switch.  Paul joins us at Annie’s for a tasty fish supper.

PORT ELIZABETH 4

TUESDAY 7 NOVEMBER – The boot Annie loaned me yesterday is much too big so today she is waiting the arrival of the small size and Steve is waiting to hear about Millie.  Nothing happens until late afternoon when Annie arrives with the slightly daintier small boot and the takes us to pick up Millie.  He has put a new ignition switch on and by passed much of the confusing old wiring.  Although he spent hours working on it the bill is a very reasonable R500 (£40).  It seems that instead of being overcharged as a tourist we are now being undercharged as Paul & Annie’s friends.  In the evening we take Paul & Annie out to Natti’s Thai restaurant, one of their favourite haunts and also highly recommended in the Rough Guide.  It’s in a housing area and the restaurant is in the lounge and dining room of a normal house.  Owner Mark welcomes us and we are soon ordering the items he recommends as opposed to using a menu.  Spring rolls get us off to a good start and we share main courses of prawn Thai curry, grilled prawns, rare sliced beef and a chicken and cashew nut stir-fry.  Rounded off with fried bananas with coconut and ice cream it is excellent.  After a good meal, good company and copious amounts of red wine Steve is starting to relax.

PORT ELIZABETH 5

WEDNESDAY 8 NOVEMBER – Get up early to say goodbye to all the family yet again superb hosts and now new friends we hope to meet again.  Driving out of PE we want to visit the Red Location apartheid museum and have excellent directions in a tourist leaflet.  However when we try to follow the simple directions they take us to an industrial estate and after meandering around trying to track it down we give up.  Heading inland we pass by a huge formal settlement stretching for miles.  There are many signs warning of potholes for 10km, in fact there is one every 10km!  Our destination is Addo Elephant Park but 7km before it we stop to check into the camping at Orange Elephant Backpackers.  There’s a bar, restaurant and a TV area so Steve will we well suited for his mid week football.  Our Wild Card gets us into Addo and within minutes we are viewing elephants at a watering hole. It’s a very hot day and they seem to enjoy messing about in the water.  It’s a viewing area where you can get out and walk and just before the car park Steve has seen a damaged leopard turtle shell.  He walks back and peers inside to see lots of bugs feasting on the raw and bloody inside.  It’s not a large park so there is quite a lot of traffic on the road.  Some roads are tar but those that are not are of good dirt and fine for us to drive along.  For the first time we see the majestic Red Hartebeest and lots of zebra, warthog, elephants, kudu, buffalo and many birds.  At one point there is a real elephant jam with cars on the road surround by them.  On another road Steve can’t stop quickly enough to avoid driving over a trail of some small creature, which forms a line across the whole road.  When we back up we find hundreds of grasshoppers many clustered together.  Mid afternoon we head back out of the park and on the main highway spot a snake by the side of the road.  Steve slams on the anchors and reverses so I get to lean out of the window to photo a recently hit Cape Cobra which is still wriggling around.  I’m rather nervous about it but Steve is confident it has been hit and is almost dead so he hops out to photograph it at closer quarters.  Spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the garden of the backpackers.  Steve heads out at 10pm to sit in the bar watching football

ADDO, ORANGE ELEPHANT BACKPACKERS.

R30 (£2.40) site, no electric

THURSDAY 9 NOVEMBER – We are at the park when the main entrance gates open at 7am.  People camping in the park got a head start on us as the game reserve gates opened at 6am.  Drive around for over 3 hours and sight yellow mongoose, tortoise, buffalo, kudu, warthogs (an anagram of Hogwarts), grey crane, black backed jackal, ostrich, dung beetle, elephant, zebra, secretary bird, red knobbed coot, Egyptian goose, vervet monkey, red hartebeest and the red bishop bird.  So a very rewarding mornings spotting.  Return to the backpackers to chill out for the rest of the day.  They have lots of games you can borrow so we exercise our brains with a couple of games of scrabbles but our scores are noticeably lower than when we played regularly. 

ADDO 2, ORANGE ELEPHANT BACKPACKERS.

FRIDAY 10 NOVEMBER – Heading inland towards Graaf Reinet we first travel along a valley before making our way up and over a number of hills.  We are heading to visit another Hospitality Club host on a farm 30km south of Jansenville.  3km up a dirt track we reach the homestead to be met by Andries wife Elzane, daughters Andrea (12) and Petrone (9).  Their main income is from mohair but they also breed ostrich and sheep for their meet.  Andries also leases out a section of his farm for game hunting.  He arrives back later and takes us out over a small area of the farm.  It doesn’t look at all like farming land as it is covered in what looks like cactus but is in fact noors of the euphorbia species. Once it has been cut and left for a day the livestock can eat it and also get liquid intake from it’s milky inside.  The girls and some workers are in the back of the truck bouncing along as we trundle along the tracks.  Andries farm straddles the main road and as we are waiting to cross on the return trip we see a farm worker on the opposite site of the road with his dog.  The dog jumps over the fence and runs towards us, straight into the path of an oncoming that cannot swerve, as there is a vehicle on the opposite side of the road.  The dog appears under the rear of the car and bounces to a limp halt.  We drive across the road to investigate.  Petrone is heartbroken and cannot stop sobbing. The dog’s owner picks the obviously dead animal up by the scruff of the neck and dumps it on the verge.  Meanwhile the car has stopped and the people walk back.  Andries talks to them and walks back to their car, which cannot be driven.    The radiator and air conditioning system are damaged so they phone for a tow truck.  There’s nothing more to be done so we return to the farm.  They have a caged with a black backed jackal and a caracal (lynx).  They have been captured as they were killing the lambs.  Their idea is to keep them in cages and let them soak an old sack with their urine.  This smelly sack will be used to entice and capture other predators.  We’ve been offered use of the lodge, a separate building with bathroom, lounge, dining area and bedroom.  There are beds enough for 6 people as it is often used as a hunting lodge.  Andries takes Steve to his cool room, full of recently killed lamb, which he butchers.  In the evening we all sit in the lodge whilst Andries cooks some of his lamb on the braai.  They have done a number of trips to Europe using Rick Steve’s “back door” guidebooks. www.ricksteve.com.  He shows me the books a combination of travel tips and tour plans.  It’s almost like reading the travel advice I give to people and entries from my diaries with many out of the way and quirky places we have visited included in his recommended tours.  Andries has turned one of his rooms into a pub style bar and made an excellent job of it.  Steve is in his element to sit in the bar sampling some of the many whiskeys that Andries has collected. 

Nr JANSENVILLE

SATURDAY 11 NOVEMBER – Andries has offered us the chance to join them for a 4-wd trip through the greater Addo National Park.  We pile into the Land cruiser with Petrone in the boot, Steve Andrea and myself in the back and Elzane and Andries in the front.  Entry to the 4-wd track is R200 (£16) per vehicle with the Wild Card discount.  The tour begins at the Darlington Lake then winds it’s way up to the top of a high mountain from which we get superb views.  Pass lots of the prehistoric cycad plants and ever changing vegetation.  The track is steep and very rough in parts and definitely not motorhome friendly.  It’s also quite overgrown in parts necessitating someone getting out with the shears and cutting our way through.  Stop for lunch by the river, crossable only at weekends when they hold back some of the water at the dam.  Andries gets out his portable braai to cook up a lovely meal.  Crossing the river is quite an experience as the water is knee high and quite fast flowing but with his experience Andries makes short work of it.  Along the track we see kudu, a caracal (lynx) and lots of warthogs and baboons but the drive itself is the highlight.  It takes about 6-hours to complete the track compared with 30 minutes to return along the main highway.  We pick up Elzane’s parents who are staying overnight after watching the rugby on TV.  I opt to join the girls watching a DVD instead. 

NR JANSENVILLE 2

SUNDAY 12 NOVEMBER – A day of rest, everyone doing their own thing to relax. 

NR JANSENVILLE 3

MONDAY 13 NOVEMBER – The family head off at 5.30am.  Andries to catch an 8am flight from Port Elizabeth and Elzane in the car with him to drop the girls at their boarding house where they stay during school weeks.  We leave somewhat later and head to Graaf Reinet.  It’s a very attractive city with lots of Dutch Cape style architecture and a magnificent Dutch Reform Church based on the design of Salisbury Cathedral.  The Camdeboo National Park surrounds the town and has many entrance points.  R30 (£2.40) admission covers it all (free with Wild Card) and we start with the drive up to the Valley Of Desolation.  There are stunning views all the way up but the best part is reached on foot, a gruelling 200 metres for me as the path is made up of many small rocks and also uphill.  With the aid of the crutches I make it and am rewarded with views down into a narrow valley enclosed by strange rock formations. Make a scenic lunch stop at one of the picnic areas before continuing to the wildlife section of the park.  It’s another very hot day so not too much to be seen but we get our first Meerkat sighting and also some large Gemsbok.    Urquart Caravan Park on the outskirts of town has nice shady sites and we arrive there late afternoon.  It’s a lovely warm evening and we sit out until bedtime.

GRAAF REINET, URQUART CARAVAN PARK

R50 (£4.00) site + R10 (80p) electric

TUESDAY 14 NOVEMBER – We make a lazy start to the day then drive into town.  Begin by walking along Stretch’s Court, a unique street restored in its entirety.  This leads us into the Drostdy Hotel with chandeliers and lots of old memorabilia.  We want to look inside the church and it’s open from 9-12am but closed when we go at 10.15am! You can buy a pass for anything from 1 – 4 museums and we take the 2-museum pass R10 (80p).  Begin at the old library but the only thing we find interesting is about the famous local man Robert Sobukwe who was imprisoned with Nelson Mandela.  We next visit Reinet House, an 1812 parsonage.  This is fascinating with many different displays throughout the rooms, cellar and garden buildings.  There’s a magnificent dolls house made out of porcupine quills and lots of other quirky items.  Return to the caravan park via the main shopping area, the weather is now so hot that I need to buy another strapped top and also some knee socks to wear inside my boot to stop it rubbing and itching. We buy some butterfly sirloin steaks stuffed with garlic and cheese and these go down a treat with chips and a home made broccoli and cauliflower bake washed down with a drop of wine.  It’s even hotter than yesterday and far too hot to do anything else than snooze and read all afternoon.   In the evening we are invaded by bugs and moths and driven into the van to be thankful of having the fan to cool us through the night.

GRAAF REINET 2, URQUART PARK

WEDNESDAY 15 NOVEMBER – We make an early start to beat the heat but by 7am it’s already hot with the temperature climbing.  Detour through Aberdeen one of the tallest church spires in South Africa.  Just before Willowmore we pass and completely empty enormous dam enabling us to get a good view of the dam wall construction.  Crossing back from Eastern Cape into WESTERN CAPE we are again stopped by the pork Police.  This time our bacon is pre packed and OK.  Next they then ask for Steve’s drivers licence.  When I say that I will have to get it from the back of the van they say don’t bother, just give them our name, very thorough – not.  A different story for the saloon car in front of us where they check through the inside of his car and in the boot and even match the engine block number to his documents.  Cutting across country we pass dozens of ostrich farms before reaching the ostrich capital of Oudtshoorn.  It’s a large but pleasant town with lots of lovely old sandstone cottages.  We soon settle onto Kleinplaas Caravan Park.  There’s a lovely swimming pool and I inelegantly clamber in for a dip, bliss.

OUDTSHOORN, KLEIN PLAAS CARAVAN PARK

R84 (£6.70)

THURSDAY 16 NOVEMBER – Steve’s in need of a bit of exercise so after breakfast he sets out for a walk to town.  Meanwhile I make the most of the good weather to do a couple of loads of washing.  I’m getting quite concerned when Steve hasn’t arrived back by midday so am relieved to see him at 1.15pm.  He’s looking very pleased with himself and tells me that he did a bit of shopping then saw a burger type bar advertising “double Wellington and coke” at R10 (80p).  He quite fancied a burger so ordered the special then started to sip his coke whilst waiting for the food to arrive.  He got a bit of a shock to find it was actually brandy and coke – the special being for a double brandy “Wellington brand” and coke.  Next he decided to call into the Kanga winery and whilst working his way through the full range of generous samples he got chatting to a couple that were also Liverpool fans.  They were waiting to go on a tour and eating from a food platter, which they invited Steve to share.  So this explains why he looks so happy.  In the afternoon I manage to swim 38 lengths of 14m before I get camp in my “bad” leg.  Evening finds us chatting to Eve & John who emigrated here from England 30 years ago.  They have recently retired and just had their first 3 months on the road in a motorhome.  Things are not going too well for them but having seen that they are towing a car and loaded up with an enormous tent and everything they may or may not need in the future it is understandable.  We offer some guidance based on our experiences and they seem very grateful. 

OUDTSHOORN 2, KLEIN PLAAS CARAVAN PARK

FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER – It’s quite late by the time we leave town having said farewell to fellow campers, done some Internet, picked up a liqueur at the winery and got the heavy shopping.  The weather has made a change for the worse and is now cool and cloudy and deteriorates more as we head over the Outeniqua Pass to the extent that mist and drizzle obscures all of the numerous lookouts never mind the views.  Things improve just after George and we rejoin the Garden Route heading east.  This is said to be the most beautiful stretch and with lagoons on one side and the ocean on the other it is stunning.  Arrive in Knysna and seek out the Anchorage Restaurant where our Aussie friends Bobby & Rhinda know the owner Brian (their son-in-laws brother).  The restaurant is closed but we phone and leave a message.  Monks Caravan Park in town is really rough so we drive out to “Woodbourne Resort” at the East Knysna Heads, which is much nicer.  Steve takes a walk to the heads where he gets good views in all directions.  Meanwhile I’m busy preparing a nectarine crumble when I turn round to find we have a visitor in the van, a small brown bird with orange belly is hopping around with no fear at all.  Our neighbours are in a big sturdy 4wd truck and Steve spots an Elounda sticker on the side.  Now Elounda is the small Greek fishing village on Crete where we spent our first winter so Steve just has to ask them about it.  Belgian couple Ria & Eric tell us they visit Elounda regularly and know many of the people there.  They carry on to say they left Belgium 15 months ago, got the ferry from France to Tunisia and have then driven overland down the east coast of Africa intending returning up the west coast.  Needless to say we have many questions for them in our quest to gather information for future use.  Quickly work out that such a trip would not be an option for us alone, as you need considerable mechanical knowledge to keep going.  So we either abandon that plan or accept that we would have to do it in convoy or on an organised tour. 

KNYSNA, WOODBOURNE RESORT

R90 (£7.20)

SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER – Linger at the site undecided of our on going plan.  The friendly robin looking bird gets even braver and comes in to sit on our bed.  Steve goes to the nearby bar to watch England beat South Africa in the rugby but with England now 2 hours behind South Africa the football is on too late for him to watch.

KNYSNA 2, WESTBOURNE CARAVAN PARK

SUNDAY 19 NOVEMBER – We drive up to the top of the heads but the viewing areas involve walks with slopes and steps so not for me.  Luckily there is another stop part way down the hill where just a few steps gets me to a terrace with superb views over the heads and back towards Knysna.  Return to Plettenberg and spend the afternoon on the banks of the Keurbooms River before going to visit Mignonnes.  She is the sister of our friend Brett in Australia and seems very pleased to meet us.  She lives with her husband Hilton, son Gabriel 7 and twins Riaan and Frances 5.  Their home is directly behind the beach and we get superb views of dolphins frolicking in the ocean.  Hilton does most of their vegetarian style cooking.  He creates an interesting combination of food for supper and I like most of it.  The hot sunny day turns into a stormy evening with thunder, lightening and rain.  The family all go to bed and get up early so we retire to the flat below the house.

KEURBOOMSTRAND, Hilton & Mignonnes  

200610

SUNDAY 1 OCTOBER 2006 – It’s really hot again so we are happy to sit around until after lunch.  Drive back to Pietermaritzburg where hospitality club host Nolan Jonathan has offered us a place to park up.  He lives on Durban Road, very convenient to the hospital and Midland Caravans.  At the gate we are greeted by his Dad Nelson and introduced to his Mum Jessie and brother Caelim.  Nolan is married and to a Bulgarian girl called Geri whom he met when he was on a 2-year working visa in England.  His parents were unaware of his involvement in Hospitality Club and didn’t know we were coming until an hour ago.  However they are used to having lots of visitors, take it all in their stride and being a similar age to us we have lots in common.  They have 2 cats and many dogs including some incredibly cute puppies.  Jessie insists we sleep in the house and join them for a meal, an excellent Biryani.   Younger son Caelim returns with his girlfriend Rochelle so we have met all the family except daughter Janice who is in Johannesburg.  Once again superb hosts.

PIETERMARITZBURG

MONDAY 2 OCTOBER – Dr Thomson said he would see me at 7.30am today but when I get the appointment card out, to see which department, I find it is for 7.00am. It’s already 10 to so we beat a hasty exit and arrive at the hospital just after 7am.  I am put in a room together with 4 other patients.  Nurses remove plasters and stitches and the Doctor flits around examining and giving instructions – very efficient.  I hate the saw that removes the cast, even though the nurse proves it cannot cut you it still burns when she presses through and onto my bunion!  The wound is healing nicely and everything looks good so Dr Thomson presses my foot upwards as far as I can tolerate and then puts on another full cast but this time with a walking heel underneath.  It will take ½ hour to dry after which I can start putting weight on it.  The cast must stay on for at least 4 weeks and preferably up to 6 weeks.  I can have it removed at any private clinic in South Africa and then make arrangements for follow up physio.  Within 30 minutes of arriving at the hospital we are driving off, excellent service.  At Midland Caravans we are soon in the workshop with Justin working his way through our snagging list.  Whatever the job is they seem to prefer to remove the part and work on it outside the van so the fridge, the toilet, the van door and the roof vents are all systematically taken out and repaired.  Initially I find it hard to put weight on my foot as the plaster rubs on my anklebone when my foot slides down in the cast.  I find that if I angle my foot outwards and lean backwards a bit it gets easier.  I still use the crutches but throughout the day find I can put more and more weight on my foot.  A good job too as one of the blisters on my hand bursts and starts to bleed.  Most of the jobs are done by closing time but they ask if we can leave the van for them to finish in the morning.  Salesman Jacob offers to drive us up to Nolan’s and shortly after we are arrive the family get home from work.  They run their own car wreckage dealers just out of town and all have a part in the business.  Whilst Nolan and Geri are out at the gym we have a meal with Jessie and Nelson and find lots to chat about.  Have a much better night’s sleep. 

PIETERMARITZBURG 2

TUESDAY 3 OCTOBER – There’s been a big change in the weather; in fact since we dropped down from Howick to Pietermaritzburg it has been much cooler with drizzle and often-heavy rain.  Jessie runs Steve up to Don’s mid morning.   She’s taken the day off work, as she is really keen to chat about our travels in the hope of doing something similar in the future.  Steve returns around 6pm having got the motorhome jobs done and been back to Winston to have more work done on the starter motor as it is still playing up.  Spend another evening chatting with the family.  We stay up even later with Nolan and Geri to watch DVD “Tsotsi” about crime in Soweto but all get too tired to see it through.

PIETERMARITZBURG

WEDNESDAY 4 OCTOBER – We have a few lose ends to tie up in town but give up on a some as it is cold and bucketing with rain.  Head off to Durban to visit George & Sheila, Geordies whom we met at the motorhome rally.  George meets us at a nearby garage and leads us to their home in Westville.  With my foot still sore I am happy to accept the invitation to stay in the house.  After a late lunch the lads head off to play snooker at the nearby Westville Country Club and return later with a take away.

DURBAN, WESTVILLE

THURSDAY 5 OCTOBER – It’s a much nicer day.  I sit out on the terrace, overlooking the pool, whilst Sheila puts a colour on my hair.  It’s been neglected recently and also need a cut so she runs me up to the nearby hairdressers where I get a dry trim, R90 (£7) and buy a repair treatment to put on later.  Get a message to phone Claire urgently, David has been to the doctor who thinks he may have a heart problem.  He needs his medical background before going to hospital tomorrow for tests.  Luckily we are near a phone so can speak to both Claire and David.   George is a mechanic and has looked at the van and removed the starter motor to try and get a replacement.  In the evening Rod (also from motorhome club) picks us up for drinks at their place.  Pat his wife is there and we meet their daughters Victoria and Sophie.  A bit later he suggests moving on to the country club and when we are there we also meet up with Dave from the motorhome club.  In the “men’s bar” there are old pub signs decorating the wall and we are surprised to see one for the “Mytton & Mermaid” at Atcham. 

DURBAN 2, WESTVILLE

FRIDAY 6 OCTOBER – I join Sheila for a trip to the local shopping centre before lunch.  She goes out to bowls in the afternoon whilst George takes us on a whistle stop tour of Durban.  Unable to walk very far we are restricted to a drive along the waterfront.  The beach is lovely and it’s really busy with lots of sellers on the esplanade.  Fancy rickshaws are used for taking tourists along the front.  Police chase after and capture what we assume to be an unlicensed trader and further along we see them frisking some young lads.  Part way along the beach there are vast numbers of people and from further along we can see that they are going into the sea to be baptised.  George tells us how at Christmas the blacks all come to Durban, take over the beach and basically live and camp there.  There’s an underwater world centre and a few other attractions but nothing unique.  We hear from David that the tests only showed the heart murmur that he has had from birth but he has to go back to the doctor on Monday.  We can’t find a new starter motor so decide to pursue the option of having our existing one re-conditioned but nothing can be done until Monday.  George and Steve go out to snooker early in the evening and Sheila and I join them later for a meal together at the Westville Country Club.  There’s a very good menu and prices are reasonable.  Unfortunately I come unlucky in my choice of a fillet steak as it is off, as is the replacement one, I compensate for this with a big chocolate pudding and a Dom Pedro (ice cream, liqueur and coffee). 

DURBAN 3, WESTVILLE

SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER – Steve is feeling a bit poorly with an upset stomach.  He’s been like it on and off for a few days and is probably just overload of food and drink.  A lie in until early afternoon seems to help a bit.  I seem to have a sleep deficit as well and am happy to keep taking naps throughout the day. 

DURBAN 4

SUNDAY 8 OCTOBER – Sheila organises a Braai for the afternoon and invites her bowling companions Jean and Derek.  Jean comes from Blackpool and Derek from Wakefield went to the same school as my Mum.  George cooks the steaks and sausages to go with the salad and potato bake and we eat it all in the thatched bar area by the pool.

DURBAN 5

MONDAY 9 OCTOBER – Wake to a dull and drizzly morning but the good news is that they are going to be able to re-condition the starter motor and it will be ready tomorrow.  Phone David and find that he hasn’t had all the test results back but is going to have another shot at giving up smoking in the hope it helps.  George & Sheila are having the outside of their house painted, walls and woodwork, and the painter arrives bright and early.  It’s a large bungalow with outbuildings and garage but will only cost R700 (£56) labour plus they feed the lad and give him bus fare.  Steve & George fit in an evening snooker session and return with a Chinese take away. 

DURBAN 6

TUESDAY 10 OCTOBER – I go shopping at the Spar with Sheila.  It’s really busy because senior citizens get a 5% discount on Tuesday.  The starter motor won’t be ready until tomorrow – what a surprise!  Once again Steve & George go off to snooker, Steve is really enjoying himself and getting good games.

DURBAN 7

WEDNESDAY 11 OCTOBER – At last we are back to sunny weather.  George picks up the re conditioned starter motor R950 (£76) and some spark plugs and has them all fitted and working by lunch time.  Sheila sends us off after bacon sandwiches eaten by the pool.  Use the motorway to get us round Durban and for many miles we drive through suburbs.  Eventually get to a bit of countryside and turn off to the old coast road.  It’s a pleasant drive and we soon reach Karridene Beach with camping at the Protea Hotel.  Again we get the pensioners discount price and settle into a spot near the toilet block.  It’s very quiet but they are fully booked over the weekend with a caravan club rally.  Steve checks out the beach but it’s a long walk up and over a hill so not possible for me.  He manages to catch a bit of football in the bar in the evening. We don’t want to go too far down the coast as Jessie and family are planning on visiting us over the weekend so will check out the next resort tomorrow.

KARRIDENE BEACH, PROTEA HOTEL CAMPSITE

R43 (£3.40)

THURSDAY 12 OCTOBER – Steve is very frustrated when we come to leave as the starter has one of the same problems as before and makes a strange noise.  Fortunately we now know we can overcome this by giving the van a nudge in gear but this isn’t the real answer, trust this is a one off problem.  Continue down the coast passing many beautiful beaches with what would in other countries be superb wild camping spots.  There are few towns and many prime beachfront sites are taken up with shanty style shacks.  At Scottburgh Caravan Park the stands are directly behind the beach giving you a fine view but also strong winds.  Manage to find a spot sheltered a bit by trees.  Steve explores the beach and town whilst I sunbathe.  He joins me when he returns and I’m glad as one of the site security men alerts us to a dangerous snake at the far side of the van.  It’s very thin and green and has its head reared up, a green mamba.  Rather than risk it coming in the van we throw a number of pebbles near it before it slithers off into the bushes.  Chat to a few other people staying on the site, many are here for 3 months taking up the special price of only R750 (£60) month.  We spoke to David on the phone this morning and he is really down in the dumps, not eating well and finding it hard to stop smoking.  We offered him a trip to South Africa and he gets back to us in the evening to accept.

SCOTTBURGH CARAVAN PARK

. R87.52 (£6.90)

FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER - Unable to walk any great distance we pack up the van to drive into town to use the Internet.  After 3 hours and a number of phone calls we have David booked to fly out with Emirates on 24^th October going back on 9^th November, £537.  Return to the caravan park and set up stall again.  Like yesterday the hot calm sunny day turns windy and cloudy in the afternoon.  Have a round table planning meeting with ourselves and decide that we will try and book internal flights to get David to Port Elizabeth and then do a circuit with him from there.  Jessie phones me in the evening to say they are 10 minutes away en route to Port Edward, 100km further down the coast, where they have booked a bungalow for the weekend.  Nelson and Jessie arrive in one car closely followed by Nolan, Geri and 2 cats Angel and Tony in the other.  They call by but say they won’t stop long but end up spending ages chatting.  They wanted accommodation with a sea view and Port Edward was the only place they could find.  They ask us to drive down and join them tomorrow, as they’ve booked a 6-berth bungalow. 

SCOTTBURGH CARAVAN PARK 2

SATURDAY 14 OCTOBER – Now that we have a plan of what we want to do with David we need to book his internal flights and this soon becomes a nightmare.  The web sites only allow you to book a ticket with a credit card in the same name as the passenger and the alternative cash option is not available at the moment.   We pass through lots of towns down the coast but all the travel agents are closed on a Saturday and when we visit the Internet café’s either the whole system is down or we cannot get onto the web sites we want to search out alternatives.  However it’s a really nice journey, again passing many stunning beaches with vast stretches having no development at all then a few small seaside towns.  Feel like we are back in England as we drive through Margate then Ramsgate.  Arrive at Port Edward Holiday Resort and soon find Nolan and Geri at their bungalow.  Whilst they do have sea views they first have to look through the prison style mesh fence topped with rolled barbed wire and then across a road.  Nelson and Jessie arrive back mid afternoon and they begin on the braai. They brought loads of meat to cook and Nelson also bought a large fresh bream from a fisherman on the beach.   The food is delicious and we sit out eating, rugged up against the cooler and windier night.  Move inside to spend more time chatting for the rest of the evening.  We’re parked just behind the bungalow and opt to sneak back and sleep in the van overnight. 

PORT EDWARD HOLIDAY RESORT

SUNDAY 15 OCTOBER – You are supposed to be off site by 9am and the caravan park here is very expensive and not that nice so we decide to relocate to nearby Old Pont Holiday Resort.  We are just settling onto our riverside stand when the family arrive.  They were going to stay until lunchtime but the resort charges a high fee for day visitors so they just stop to say good-bye before heading off up the coast.  Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future as once again our hospitality club hosts have become good friends.  It’s quite busy at the resort with day visitors making use of facilities to launch boats and Jet Ski’s onto the river, good entertainment for us watching the water skiers.  Back in England Claire manages to reserve David’s internal flights using the Internet.  We now have 72-hours to make the cash payment.  In the evening it goes very quiet with us being the only residents.

PORT EDWARD, OLD PONT HOLIDAY RESORT

R40 pp (£3.20) + R15 (1.20) electric

MONDAY 16 OCTOBER – We are both awake at 5.15am and on the road by 5.45am.  We’ve a long journey ahead of us through the Transkei region of the East Cape and we have been warned that it is one of the most dangerous parts of South Africa where we must take extra care and try not to make stops en route.  Top up with fuel at Kokstad before heading into the Transkei, an area of seemingly never ending mountains and valleys all with scattered housing.  It’s quite attractive for the first half hour but as the day progresses it begins to feel like “Groundhog Day” as the scenery never changes.  The couple of bigger town we pass through are heaving with people and don’t have a good feel.  After 6-hours of driving we reach the capital of Umtata.    Steve calls into the tourist office to find out where the listed caravan park is and returns with the bad news that there isn’t one in the town and the one shown in the book is actually out on the coast miles away.   There are lots of beaches along the Wild Coast but most are accessed by long dirt roads.  We’ve no choice but to continue to East London.  Just south of the town is the place where Nelson Mandela grew up but we can’t spare the time to stop and visit the museum.  The weather deteriorates and added to the rain we get patches of dense fog making driving really hazardous, as there are often goats and cows roaming in the road.  Unfortunately I am unable to share the driving so Steve has to press on with me passing him food and drink from time to time.     It’s a real nightmare of a journey but thankfully Millie plods on and gets us safely to East London at 4pm.  Whilst visiting the Battlefields we met Scottish couple Ruth and Bill who now live over here and have invited us to visit.  We find their house easily and soon settle in to unwind after our long day.  Ruth used to be in the catering business and cooks up an excellent fish stew for supper.  Ruth has relatives here and they have been coming for holidays over the last 10-years and liked it so decided when Bill took redundancy to have a few years living here before trying elsewhere.  They have a fluffy chow puppy called “Muffin” and he spends the night outside guarding the van.

EAST LONDON

TUESDAY 17 OCTOBER – The weather is a bit better so Bill and Steve take a look at Millie and solve the squeaking and slipping fan belt problem by putting the old one back on.  Ruth runs me to the airport so I can pay for David’s ticket at the airline desk.  The price is not the same as the one quoted on the Internet, (what a surprise), but is in fact cheaper (even bigger surprise) and then cheaper again when it’s re entered keyed into the computer, R951 (£76) return from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth.  In the afternoon Bill drives us up the coast to East Chintsa where we stop for a drink at the Crawford Estate in a bar with views down to the ocean.  Return via Ganubie, a seemingly pleasant seaside resort but by the time we get there it is windy and raining.  

EAST LONDON 2

WEDNESDAY 18 OCTOBER – Ruth and Bill go out early in the morning and Bill returns before lunch.  It’s another poor day so we are happy sitting in and catching up on some TV.  After Ruth returns we set out to Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve for an evening meal.  You are greeted with a glass of sherry then led into the light and airy dining room.  An A4 folder is on each table and within it a printed menu for you to tick off your selections before taking your order up.  Ruth has a 2 for 1 fish and chips voucher, normal price R29 (£2.35) each and Steve and Bill both order the giant burgers R29 (£2.35) plus sauce R5 (40p).  The burgers are as big as dinner plate, the huge bread roll has the burger inside it and chips piled on top.  If you can eat two of these you get a free case of beer but both Steve and Bill are beaten by the amount of bread in just one.  The fish is OK but nothing special, the best thing is the location of the restaurant.

EAST LONDON 3

THURSDAY 19 OCTOBER – We leave after lunch and as the poor weather seems to have passed through we enjoy our coastal drive. We pass many river mouths with superb beaches en route to our rendezvous in Port Alfred with Hospitality Club host Litty.  We’ve warned her we are in a big motorhome but she admits she is not good on judging sizes of things when she realises we will not fit through the gate to their garden.  She says it is not a problem as we can stay down at the “beach house” and promptly hops in the car with us following.  Port Alfred looks really nice with an attractive marina and lots of canal side luxury homes.  Litty drives us to magnificent Gisa’s Beach House on West Beach Road.  It belongs to a friend of hers from Florida and she deals with rentals of it but it’s empty until tomorrow.  We can park up the van and sleep inside it or in the house.  It’s a 3-storey building built in an “S” shape to give each room at least one sea view balcony and others views on 3 sides.  The owner is obviously a game trophy hunter as one of the 3 lounges has lots of stuffed animal heads on the wall and photos underneath of the accompanying kill.  Likewise the TV lounge with enormous stuffed fish.  The whole 3-storey apartment is decorated in an African theme and the main bedroom has a 4-poster bed and en suite bathroom with shower situated over a natural pebble bed.   Litty warns us to be careful if we do stay in the house as there have been incidents with local kids breaking in, when they know there are visitors, in the hope of stealing cameras etc.  In view of this we reckon we will be safer sleeping in the van. 

PORT ALFRED, GISA’S BEACH HOUSE, WEST BEACH ROAD

FRIDAY 20 OCTOBER – By the time we get up the maid has arrived to clean the house.  We’re just in time to make use of the bathroom facilities before she gets to them.  There’s a lot of sea mist interrupting the view so no chance of one of the regular whale sightings.  Litty comes over to chat to us and we decide to move onto the local caravan park in the hope of spending more time with her.  She and her family fled from Zimbabwe 6 years ago to have to start from scratch over here running a tour business.  Her husband Don is away at the moment leading a hunting tour in Mozambique.  Relocate to Willows Caravan Park on a spit of land in the river opposite luxurious canal side homes.  It soon becomes a very hot morning and we enjoy sitting out watching boats go past.  Early afternoon it clouds over and again a cool sea mist rolls in. 

PORT ALFRED 2, WILLOWS CARAVAN PARK

R80 (£6.40)

SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER – Litty invites us up for lunch and picks us up in the car.  Her mother in law also joins us for a delicious roast dinner.  She takes us back via her Mum’s retirement home and also point out a few features of the town.  The vast majority of the houses are holiday homes owned by wealthy families who swell the town in peak season to the extent the bank always runs out of money.  In the evening she returns.  Her cousin Sandy, and a group of friends from Zambia are in the Beach House and an invitation to the braai has been extended to us.  We learn lots about Zambia and also the fleeing from Zimbabwe where they all used to live, lots of sad stories that we were completely unaware of.  The families are here because it is half term and their children go to school nearby so this is a good place to take a holiday together.   

PORT ALFRED 3, WILLOWS CARAVAN PARK

SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER – It’s a relatively short hop along the coast to Port Elizabeth, “the friendly city”.  Traffic is light so we can drive around checking out the backpackers that offer camping.  As it turns out there only Helicopter Backpackers that has room for our van and we are soon parked up in the front garden.  Steve is happy to watch the football in the afternoon and grand prix in the evening.  Another small campervan pulls with Dennis.  He’s an elderly gentleman and quite a character.  Back in the early 1970’s he retired from the army and along with wife Margaret and their 4 children then drove their motorhome from Germany to South Africa, shipping from Pakistan to Kenya.  Needless to say he has heaps to tell us.

PORT ELIZABETH, HELICOPTER BACKPACKERS

35R pppn (£2.80)

MONDAY 23 OCTOBER – Sit out chatting to Dennis and reading his deceased wife’s diaries of their epic journey.  Late morning our hospitality club host Annie arrives.  In the car she takes us up to her home but we couldn’t get Millie up the drive.   We could leave the van out on the street and either sleep inside it or in a unit in her garden.  It’s one of the best areas of town so it shouldn’t be a problem.  She takes us back to pick up the van and we detour along the attractive seafront.  Annie phones up and tells us she has spoken to her partner Paul who says we would be better parked up in the garden of their B&B where he lives.  By chance they have had a cancellation on one of the self-contained units for the next two nights so we even get to stay in there.  Annie runs her own business selling supplies to the hospitals and uses the B&B main house for storage before delivery.  Paul also works in the medical industry supplying metal goods used in surgery.  In the evening we go home with Annie and meet her sons Mark, Tim and daughter Kelly.  Paul and Annie’s friend Gillian joins us for another good braai session.  Return with Paul around midnight.

PORT ELIZABETH 2, TERRACOTTA LODGE

TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER – Linger in the comfy king sized bed.  The hot sunny weather is beginning to taper off and it’s getting very windy.  Annie takes us for a drive to the shopping centre where we buy a mini black and white TV and radio R220 (£15.40).  Modern shopping centres have drawn most of the business out of town so on the way back Annie detours to show us the centre of the original city.  It’s now taken over by blacks but has a few impressive buildings and some interesting housing areas.  Late afternoon the wind is replaced by rain.  Set out to the airport at 9.30pm to meet David who is due to land at 9.35pm.  It’s still raining so I have a plastic bag wrapped around my foot.  Swing past the arrivals area and see David already stood outside.  He spots us and after quickly finishing his last cigarette he hops into the van.  His flight landed 25 minutes early and he had just come outside so perfect timing.  He’s not impressed with the cold rain as it was really hot in Johannesburg where he changed planes.  He’s noticeably lost weight but we should be able to build him up over the next couple of weeks and also encourage him to stop smoking.  Sit in the unit catching up on news and looking at some photo’s he has brought before retiring to bed around 11pm, David in the van and us in the unit.

PORT ELIZABETH 3, TERRACOTTA LODGE

WEDNESDAY 25 OCTOBER – We’re both awake at 6.30am and get up to clear out the unit.  Someone has just booked it for 1 month but luckily the smallest unit is now free and we can kindly been offered that.  The heavy rain through the night has now turned to drizzle.  Head down to the waterfront where we are lucky to spot a pod of about 50 dolphins playing in the bay.  They frequently jump right out of the water and can be seen quite clearly with binoculars.  The Boardwalk is an attractive entertainment and eating complex with a Chinese themed area and man made lake.  At the top of the boulevard is a casino where David is amused to see a “gun drop off” sign.  A bit further back along Marine Drive is Bayworld R33 (£2.60) where Steve and David go in to see the dolphin show, penguins, Nile crocodile and other wildlife including a Burmese python eating a rabbit.  We return to the Lodge and when it brightens up in the afternoon David goes for a dip in the cool swimming pool then warms up by wallowing in the Jacuzzi in our room.  We’ve been invited to Annie’s for a steak and wine evening at 7pm and set off early to pick up some booze on the way.  We are amazed to find all the off licences are already shut but luckily we carry a few supplies in the van.  Paul cooks the whole fillet on the braai and with accompaniments it’s one of the best meals we’ve had in ages, so much so that David even goes for thirds.

PORT ELIZABETH 4, TERRACOTTA LODGE

THURSDAY 26 OCTOBER – Set off along the motorway heading west towards Cape Town.  After about 1 hour we turn off for Jeffrey’s Bay a popular spot for surfers.    It’s a sunny day with clear blue skies and the temperature moderated by a strong wind.  The town sprawls along the bay with a number of shopping areas.  At the western end of town we end up unintentionally driving through the poorer black area, first a formal settlement and then the adjoining informal shantytown.  Surprisingly this is all located next to the new marina where they are cutting out even more canals for luxury homes to be built with their own mooring.  There’s a stunning beach running the whole way round the bay and we settle onto a central caravan park directly behind the sandy beach.  Steve and Dave set out to explore and find a huge dead jellyfish in the surf.  After lunch they head into town to do a bit of shopping and have a laugh when they see postcards in a pack of 8 for R15 but they can be split and sold at R1 each!  When they get back we all sit out sunbathing and reading for the rest of the afternoon.  Play card in the evening.

JEFFREY’S BAY CARAVAN PARK

R80 (£6.40) stand for 2 + R12 (96p) per extra person

FRIDAY 27 OCTOBER – We are all awake around 7am so make an early start to head off along the “Garden Route”.  It’s another hot and sunny day so David is keen to get somewhere to make the most of it, in spite of getting burnt yesterday!  Pull up at Storms River to walk back over the bridge to gape down into the dramatic gorge.  Crossing into the province of WESTERN CAPE we are stopped by veterinary Police.  They want to confiscate any pork being brought in but when we own up to a small fillet that I am defrosting for lunch they say it is too small to worry about and we can keep it.  Turn off to Monkey land R100 (£8) pp or free to walk as far as the restaurant by which time you have seen lots of monkeys anyway.  Have difficulty finding the caravan park at Keurboomstrand and when we do it is empty, not great and seems overpriced at R50 (£4) pp.  Unfortunately they don’t have the business sense to encourage us to stay at a lower price.  It’s now after 1pm so we pull up on the cliff top whilst I cook up a pork stir-fry lunch.  Dropping down towards Plettenberg Bay we pull onto the riverside Aventura Plettenberg Caravan Park.  It's the same price as the other one but a much nicer setting.  David has a brief dip in the river but doesn’t like the way the sand banks drop into deep gullies without warning.  He sits out sunbathing with socks on to protect his burnt ankles and a shirt covering his chest and neck.  Late afternoon he goes off with Steve to play mini golf. 

PLETTENBERG 1, AVENTURA PLETTENBERG CARAVAN PARK

R50  (£4) pp

SATURDAY 28 OCTOBER – Set off in the usual search for accommodation with or near a TV showing English football.  In Plettenberg Bay we find that the Amakaya Backpackers fits the bill.  It’s quite near the centre of town so Steve and Dave go off to check it out.  The guy at the backpackers assures us this is one of the safest towns in South Africa to the extent that he has no qualms about single girls being out alone in the early hours.  It’s the hottest day for ages so David mixes watching football with sitting out in the garden playing cards with me.  In the evening David gets upset and decides he wants to get back home as soon as possible and phones Donna to ask her to get him a flight back asap.

PLETTENBERG 2, AMAKAYA BACKPACKER

SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER – David really wants to get to Port Elizabeth airport today.  We retrace our steps on the big drive back.  Stop to check out the “big tree” but it’s a bit of a let down at only 35m and not worth me hobbling to.  Arrive at the airport just after 2pm and drop David off before parking nearby.  He tells us that there are no more SAExpress flights today, the airline he was originally booked with.  The only other flight to Johannesburg today with availability Nationwide with space only in business class R1658 (£130).  Donna is going to Manchester airport to change his flight to one that leaves from Johannesburg tomorrow but David is sure that if he takes the Nationwide flight he will be able to connect with today’s 1915hr Emirates flight out and if not he will wait in the airport overnight.  Drive to the Helicopter Backpackers for the night.  Around 9.30pm we get a call from David, he’s missed his connection and in spite of asking Police for help he cannot find a safe area within Johannesburg airport.  He is at the airport hotel asking us to pay for his room, they won’t accept our credit card payment without faxed details and we don’t know anywhere we could use a fax at this time on a Sunday night.  As the night progresses we get frantic messages from him and Donna culminating with news that the airport is closing until 4am.  To add to the problem David’s telephone battery is getting low.  We’ve already been discussing options and Steve now begins phoning accommodation in Johannesburg to see if any of them will do an airport pick up and accept payment from us.  We also contact our friends Nolan and Nelson as they know people in Johannesburg but can’t raise anyone at the moment.  Steve eventually strikes lucky with Doves Nest B&B where Gabriel (must be the archangel) agrees to send someone to the airport to pick up David and take payment from us tomorrow.  We text David with the information but think his phone has already died. Have sent him numerous texts with suggestions of where to go but don’t know which if these he has received.  Gabriel sends his colleague Cecelia out to find David having been given a description of him and details of our previous suggestions in the hope that she can find him.  There is no announcement system in the airport so this is our only hope.   After a seemingly endless wait and may more calls to Gabriel we are extremely relieved when he gets back to us to say they have found David and he is now with them at the B&B.  It’s almost midnight and we are absolutely shattered but at least David is safe, what a nightmare.

PORT ELIZABETH, HELICOPTER BACKPACKERS

R35 (£2.80) pp

MONDAY 30 0CTOBER – We phone Doves Nest B&B, speak to him and also make arrangements to pay the money into their bank account today.  For their trust and service alone we are really grateful to them and would certainly recommend them.  Their prices include breakfast and shuttle to and from the airport.  Single R320 (£25) double R430, family room R520, telephone 011 975 1746.   Once we have paid the money into the bank we call in at Terracotta Lodge to see Paul & Annie.  With no tour plan in mind I can now fix a date to have my cast removed.   Paul knows all the orthopaedic surgeons and takes me to Greenacres Hospital to make arrangements for an appointment with Francois who he recommends.  Unfortunately they have also had problems dealing with foreign insurance companies and won’t accept promise of payment from them so it looks like this time we will have to pay it and then claim it back.  Paul also takes Steve with the van to check out the on going starter motor problem and they eliminate the battery from the equation.  Will deal with it further when we get back to PE.  Today we are heading for Port Saint Francis where some kind friends have given us a 4-night stay in a timeshare.  To get to the Port you have to drive through the main village of St Francis, an attractive English style country village with whitewashed houses having thatched roofs.  Heading out to the port we pass an area with all Mediterranean style housing.  Reach the RCI offices just before they close at 5pm and pick up the apartment key.  We are in Anchorage block and find ourselves with a 2-storey 3 bedroom, 2-bathroom unit.  Just about manage to unpack before it rains.  We’re quite happy to settle into the comfy lounge and watch satellite TV before having an early night.

PORT ST FRANCIS

TUESDAY 31 OCTOBER – It’s a fine morning so we walk through the complex to the waterfront, a grassy area with seating directly behind a small sandy beach.  Steve leaves me there whilst he makes the short walk to the main port area.  Mid afternoon we get a text from David to say he has arrived home safely.  Spend the rest of the day being couch potatoes.

PORT ST FRANCIS 2

200609

FRIDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2006 – Repeat of yesterday but with a bit ore sun in the afternoon.

PRAIA DO BILENE 4, COMPLEXO PALMEIRAS

SATURDAY 2 SEPTEMBER – A beautiful hot sunny morning.  We buy another R20 (£1.60) worth of prawns and Steve peels them whilst I go for the bread.  The market stallholders are getting to know us now and give me a friendly wave.  Spend the morning on the beach and even venture into the sea.  On the campsite we realise that we know the person in the motorhome who arrived yesterday, it’s Lionel who we met with his wife at Phalaborwa but now she is on a photo course and he is checking out Mozambique for a future trip.  Steve manages to catch both rugby and football in the bar.

PRAIA DO BILENE 5, COMPLEXO PALMEIRAS

SUNDAY 3 SEPTEMBER – Morning at the beach and Steve spends the afternoon chasing up TV in the bar, as there are a load of bikers in who want to watch motor biking instead of football!   Just about the time when the football is on there is a power cut.  They trace it to the car park where a car got stuck in the sand and uprooted the electric cable when it was towed out.  In Mozambique style the electrician wears gloves to man handle live wires and insert an extra piece of cable

PRAIA DO BILENE 6, COMPLEXO PALMEIRAS

MONDAY 4 SEPTEMBER – The site begins to get busy with families from Swaziland arriving.  It’s a holiday weekend coming up and many have got away early.  The electric fault has extended to the sockets near our van and they decide to by pass the main cable and wire us in to a nearby caravan by joining 8 small pieces of cable of various types and thickness, amazingly this seems to do the trick!

PRAIA DO BILENE 7, COMPLEXO PALMEIRAS

75,000 Mtc (£1.65) pp plus 120,000 Mtc (£2.65) site from 1 September

TUESDAY 5 SEPTEMBER – As well as the campsite price increasing on 1 September the petrol station has put his fuel price up and the exchange rate for the rand down.  Head off just after 7am and retrace our steps on the good road back to Maputo, by passing the city just before 11am.  This time we have to pay road toll at the truck rate of 58,000 (£1.32).  Turn off towards Swaziland and arrive at Namaacha border just after 12.00.  There are big queues and then we get sent back to pay the newly increased road toll up from R5 (40p) to R50 (£4).  After a quick check inside the van we are free to enter SWAZILAND only to be stopped just down the road for another inspection to make sure we don’t have any raw meat.  An army check point is our next stop and again a cursory glance is given to the inside of Millie and comments made about how nice it is.  A huge advertising hoarding indicates the extent of the aids problem in Swaziland stating “Sex is holy, enjoy it with your husband or wife only, be faithful”.  At Simunye we visit the country club for the recommended lunch.  The 100% beef burgers are tasty and good value, R15 (£1.20) served with salad and chips and eaten on the terrace by the pool.  Arrive at Hlane Royal National Park where our Wild card saves us the R25 (£2) per person admission but we still pay for camping.  The Ndlovu campsite is very near the gate and as soon as we have parked up we walk over to the watering hole where lots of white rhino’s can be seen.  This park is very rustic and how Kruger used to be with just a couple of strands of electrified barbed wire keeping the bigger animals out of the campsite but allowing smaller ones to pass through.  Some of the rhinos walk to within 2 metres of us and we actually find ourselves stepping back.  It’s late afternoon so we book onto the 4pm sunset safari, R140 (£11.20) per person for a 2-½ hour drive and drinks.  We are the only takers so the driver asks us what we are hoping to see and we say leopard and lion.  He gives us 30% chance for leopard but better for lion.  In Hlane most of the animals are separated into different areas to prevent the problems in Kruger where the elephants destroy the trees leading to species becoming extinct due to lack of food.  In the land rover we bounce along the very rough tracks and stop when the driver sees something interesting where he can tells us about the trees etc.  Pass into the elephant and lion area with 10,000 hectares for the single pride of lion to hide.  Following a tip off we encounter the whole pride and at really close quarters.  At one stage we are only a couple of feet away from them and spend a lot of time watching the cubs playing.  We see elephant, vultures and lots of antelope but fail to see leopard and cheetah and return well after dark.  Really the trip would be better ½ hour earlier as for the last ½ hour it has been too dark to see anything.  We just have time for our meal before the 7am “Sibhaca” dancers, much like the Zulu dancing with lots of high kicks. Looking back and having travelled over 1600km in Mozambique we feel it wasn’t really worth doing but for us the only way to establish that was to go and see for ourselves!   

HLANE ROYAL NATIONAL PARK, NDLOVU CAMPSITE

R40 (£3.20) pp

WEDNESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER – We hear plenty of animal noises throughout the night but when I turn on the outside light there is nothing to be seen.  Steve gets up at first light expecting good sightings at the waterhole but is disappointed.  Set out to drive the main track towards Bhubesa (lion) Camp.  Immediately see an ostrich parading along the road.  We have to stop for me to open the gate into the next enclosure and I have a good look around before exiting the van, as we are still in the rhino area.  See stork and wildebeest on the way to the camp and a selection of the usual antelope.  From the camp we cut across the top of the park and exit onto the Simunye Sugar Estate to rejoin the main highway.  It’s a public holiday today (independence day) and many shops and businesses are closed but I do manage to shop at a big Shoprite supermarket in Manzini.  Continue to the attractive Ezulwini Valley and turn off for the Mlilwane Nature Reserve, again a rough track.  From the reception area it’s another 4km to the main camp and a further 1km to the backpackers where we cannot stay as they only allow tent camping.  Back at the main rest camp we find a nice site with a view over the tranquil valley.  Ostrich, antelope, monkeys and warthogs roam freely through the camp.  There’s a lovely swimming pool and although a bit chilly it is well used and induces me to put in a few lengths.  There’s a big lake behind the restaurant with crocodile and hippo and around 3pm they are supposed to feed the hippo.  Today the feeding is a bit late, the hippo in the pool are not the ones who like to be fed and a warthog comes along and eats all their food anyway.  In they evening they put on the ubiquitous dance show.

MLILWANE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, MAIN REST CAMP

R45 (£3.60) pp   

THURSDAY 7 SEPTEMBER – Peering out through our window we see lots of vervet monkeys playing in the campsite and antelope strolling around.  There are a number of self-guided walks in the park for which you register and pay a refundable R10 for a map.  We set out on the 2-½ hour hippo trail.  The track takes us very close to zebra and antelope and follows lots of streams with waterfalls.  Next we head upwards to the hippo pools.  The scenery is interesting and varied as is the vegetation and we reckon it to be 2 hours well spent.  The day is cloudy hot and humid and we don’t feel like doing much when we get back.  In the afternoon a rented "bobocamper" arrives with Dutch couple Lisa and Gerald.  They are here for 10 weeks, have a motorhome in Holland and also owned one in America for 8 years.  Take the evening buffet in the Hippo Haunt restaurant, R80 (£6.40), impala and pork are on the menu and the impala is tasty but I would prefer a steak rather than meat on the bone. 

MLILWANE NATURE RESERVE 2 

FRIDAY 8 SEPTEMBER – Drive along the Ezulwini Valley but attractions such as the Royal Palace are either very badly signposted and can’t be found or the buildings must be totally insignificant.  Camping at the Legends Backpackers is sloping and there are no other campsites for us to visit in Swaziland so we are out of here.  Double back and turn off towards Malkerns and stop at Malandela’s Restaurant.  Two brothers own the complex; one is into art and the other theatre.  The artistic brother has created the quirky House of Fire complete with its own theatre.  Architecturally it reminds us of Gaudi, and we love it.  Continue over lots of mountains to reach the border at Sicunusa and complete the minimal formalities to re enter SOUTH AFRICA.  At this stage we hoped to pick up a new 90-day visa but new regulations mean they can now only issue 7 day ones at the land borders.  We must visit Home Affairs to apply for an extension or leave and fly back in again from England, yeah right!  Piet Retif is the first town and coming up to the weekend Steve is, as usual, looking to park up somewhere with access to the TV for the football.  We find a caravan park with a Sport Bar and it sounds ideal until we learn that there will be a power cut in town until at least 1pm tomorrow and at 3pm all the South Africans will be watching the rugby.  The next town is Paulpietersburg where I finally spot a few other white faces.  Its mid afternoon and we have already travelled much further than intended.  On the main Vryheid road, just 2km out of town, there is camping at Dumbe Dam.  It’s cheap and we have a super uninterrupted view over the water and it should be quiet as we are the only campers. 

PAULPIETERSBURG, DUMBE DAM

R65 per site (£5.20)

SATURDAY 9 SEPTEMBER – Return to Paulpietersburg to take the minor road towards Vryheid enabling us to visit Natal Spa.  A resort built around some hot mineral springs it is really nice and has a campsite near one of the pools.  Unfortunately there is a wedding on today and they will be using the bar with the big screen TV.  We are not impressed with Vryheid so continue towards Dundee and 15km before the town turn into Battlefields Caravan Park.  The owners are keen caravaners and have created a site on their farm catering to everything they know the caravaners need.  There’s a lovely swimming pool in the garden, many tables and chairs and lots of water features.  Most importantly for Steve they have a Lapa (recreation room) with satellite TV where he can watch football until 3pm.  I make use of the twin tub washing machine, R10 (80p) and soon have it out to dry.  Sit in the Lapa in the evening chatting to Mike and learning about the problems following land claims where the blacks have taken over farms in the area.

20 KM E DUNDEE, BATTLEFIELDS CARAVAN PARK

R70 (£5.60) per site

SUNDAY 10 SEPTEMBER – We’re meeting friends in Dundee later in the day but Mike says we don’t have to rush off and can stay all day.  Join him watching a TV tribute to Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, who died tragically earlier in the week when a stingray punctured his heart.  It’s another beautiful hot day but the pool is too cold even for us poms.  Arrive in Dundee at Tim & Val’s just after 5pm, to also be greeted by the two Alsatians, Max and Jessie, and their 2 cats.  Tim & Val’s have been away at a motorhome rally over the weekend and have lots to report.  Stay up late chatting.

DUNDEE

MONDAY 11 SEPTEMBER – Tim owns a mining operation and first takes us out to view their open cut and underground mining area.  After this we visit the coal washing plant in town and are glad of the protective coats to keep the terrible dust off us.  Interesting seeing the different processes compared to other countries.  In the afternoon Tim lends us one of their cars, the Merc, and we drive into town for shopping and Internet.     We begin to deal with the visa extension.  This turns out to be a big problem as they will only extend it for a further 90 days and they can’t believe that anyone would want to holiday in South Africa for longer than 6-months.  After lots of phone calls we find an office that will offer the full visa to take us up to 1 year, but one of the many things they need is for us to obtain a written Police report from England to show we don’t have a criminal record.  Surely the onus should be on them to check out our criminal record otherwise a professional criminal would forge his own report!

DUNDEE 2

TUESDAY 12 SEPTEMBER – On the outskirts of town is Talana Museum on the site of a Zulu battle.  R15 (£1.20) admission to what turns out to be an excellent many-sided museum.  Begin in the main house with a coal mining exhibition, hall of clothing, bead, glass and clay displays and a mock old town shopping area.  Outside many of the original farms buildings still stand and house interesting displays including one all about the battles.  We spend over 2 hours mooching around and enjoy many aspects.  When we get back to Tim & Val’s we make a few more phone calls and end up pleading our case with the Newcastle Home Affairs Office, the only one to even concede that a 9 month extension is possible.  If we turn up on Thursday morning with all possible evidence to prove our lifestyle and intentions then she will consider us favourably even without the police report. 

DUNDEE 3

WEDNESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER – Our 31^st wedding anniversary and to celebrate we are going on a Battlefields tour!  Guide Evan Jones, owner of Battlefields Backpackers, arrives to pick us up at 8am.  With him is fellow tourist Bill from Scotland.  Some guides charge by group but Evan does it for R250 pp (£20) plus admission to the sites at R15 (£1.20) a time.   We begin at Blood River where 464 Voortrekkers repelled 15,000 – 20,000 Zulu leaving 3,000 of them dead.  A full-scale re-creation of the 64-wagon laager (wagon circle) in bronze gives a terrific impression.   Evan tells the story in an interesting way and it’s not at all boring like reading about it in the books.  Bill is ex army and has been a battlefield fanatic for years reading everything about it, for him it’s a dream come true to actually be here.  En route to the next site we pull up for some background history on the 1879 Anglo-Zulu war.  Isandlwana, a haunting place of slaughter, is at the base of a sphinx-like rock with individual whitewashed stone cairns marking the burial sites.  Basically the Zulu army caught the British army napping and destroyed it.  A short distance away our last stop is Rorke’s Drift where 100 British soldiers held off 4000 Zulu, winning 11 Victoria Crosses for their efforts.   Arrive back around 5pm and get ready to go out for the evening.  We take Tim & Val for a meal at the Golf and Country Club.  R65 (£5.20) for a buffet that includes a steak cooked to your liking and unlimited wine.  Steaks are individually vacuum packed and you select the type you want and give it to the chef.  Other diners are Bill & Ruth, new immigrants from Scotland, whom we met at the battlefield and Bill who was on the tour with us and is joined by another couple from the backpackers.  Considering we have only been in town a few days we are surprised to keep meeting up with so many people.  We have a lovely evening and return rather fuller than we ought to.

DUNDEE 4

THURSDAY 14 SEPTEMBER – Tim & Val are off to a mining exhibition in Johannesburg and we want to sort out our visa so we all set off early.  By the time we arrive in Newcastle the Home Affairs Office is open and long queues have already formed.  Luckily for us the immigration office is separate and we go straight in to see Zelda.  She quickly studies our evidence and soon agrees to the extension, however unbeknown to us we should have applied at least 30 days before the old visa expired so now have to pay double the R425 (£33) fee per person as a penalty.  Return after an hour to find we have been given temporary residency visa’s to see us through to the end of our proposed visit.  Drive down to Ladysmith to visit Hoosen, one of the “Mad Muslims” we met in Mozambique.  He runs a bus company and lives on the premises.  We meet his wife Shaheda and she has got a table ready for lunch.  There is loads of food, all spicy Asian style and delicious.  Hoosen then takes us for an orientation drive around town to check out the caravan park before dropping us by the Town Hall.  We want to visit the museum about the famous Siege of Ladysmith and are amazed to find that having paid only R2 (16p) admission we are treated to an excellent and large museum with lots of displays. In a display case is a still unidentified piece of a soldiers skin with a tattoo on it.  Walk back to Hoosen’s and meet his children, boys Naeem and Faeem and daughter Humaira.  They insist we stay for an evening meal, similar to lunch, after which we drive round to the caravan park.  It’s a Municipal Park and the sign says R50 (£4) night but there is no one around to pay.  Steve returns from the showers and toilets and tells me not to even think of attempting to use them, as they are awful, luckily we have our facilities.

LADYSMITH CARAVAN PARK

FRIDAY 15 SEPTEMBER – We are both awake early due to the traffic noise and drive to the look out for our breakfast from which we get superb views over Ladysmith.  Heading out of town we call in to say Good-bye to Hoosen and family.  We are delayed when Hoosen convinces us we should get the other 4 new tyres fitted here as he has got us a special price of R400 (£32) each at Supa Quick next door.  A couple of hours later and we head out of town, detouring to view the beautiful mosque.  On the outskirts of town we turn off for a quick look at the Burgher Memorial and Platrand Battle site on Wagon Hill.  The Boar Memorial is most unusual with abstract hand sculptures pointing in the direction of the battlefields.  A workers truck comes past and the driver asks if we would like to follow him, as he is about to move a very important stone discovered in recent excavations.  The gentleman looks rather like one of Snow White’s dwarves and is most friendly and polite.  He takes us to a pile of rubble and points out a huge stone with an inscription about Deakin Fort.  The 4-man workforce is insufficient to move the stone so the job is abandoned but Johan Moolman takes on the role of our personal guide to show us the battle sites, monuments, gun emplacements and cemetery along the ridge.  Steve is suitably impressed especially when he is presented with a shell casing.  Our early departure from Ladysmith is delayed even further by a lunch stop and 8 hours after setting out we finally leave town.  Spioenkop is our next destination and it’s a bit of a pilgrimage for Steve as the kop at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium was named after it.  This was because many of the 330 British who died here were Lancashire Fusiliers.  R15 (£1.20) admission and we receive a map with a self-guided trail.  It’s an amazingly steep assent to the top but Millie does us proud.  It’s extremely windy and we are the only visitors.  In this battle there was a bit of stuff up as the hill was ascended at night and camp made on what in daylight tuned out to be a false summit with the main ridge higher up.  There are lots of mass graves and memorials and absolutely stunning views all around.   It’s late afternoon when we leave and make our way to Drakensville Resort.  They advertise a low season special weekly rate and although it is meant to be for pensioners only they let us have it.  The camping area is rather sloping so getting a stand is difficult but we manage.  The resort has varied accommodation including dorms for school parties as it has an environmental centre attached.  Sport facilities included in the price are volleyball, swimming pool, mini golf, snooker, and pool and squash courts.  There’s a bicycle race on over the weekend so it’s quite busy but Steve manages to commandeer the TV lounge.

DRAKENSVILLE RESORT

R230 (£18.40) per week

SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER – The bike races are already underway when we set out to explore the resort.  Stop for a game of mini golf on the way back to the van.  It’s very windy but warm enough to sit out.  Early evening we wander back to the marquees where the cycle event was held.  The resort are doing a BBQ, R45 (£3.60) buys you a tray with 1 beefsteak, 1 lamp chop and 1 sausage.  In the Lapa there are a number of braais heated up for you to cook your meat before adding coleslaw, pap (a sort of maize based mash potato) and tomato and onion sauce mix.  The meat is very good but the accompaniments are not to our taste.  Entertainment is provided by a country singer but everything is in Afrikaans, he isn’t that good in our opinion and as the wind gets up and it starts to rain we head for home.  

DRAKENSVILLE RESORT 2

SUNDAY 17 SEPTEMBER – When we wake up it is still raining and much cooler but we are snug, as a bug in a rug and Millie hasn’t sprung any leaks.  Feel very sorry for the campers packing away their wet tents.  There’s a lull in the rain enabling Steve to walk to the shop and pick up the Sunday paper.  He comes back to bed and we sit there reading.  There’s little respite until evening when we escape to the TV lounge to watch a movie.  Steve stays behind watching sport and can’t get home until after 3am when the torrential downpour abates.

DRAKENSVILLE RESORT 3

MONDAY 18 SEPTEMBER – Catch up with the laundry using the R5 (40p) commercial machines.  There are squash courts available and we hire 2 racquets and ball for R30 (£2.40) with the intention of having a gentle workout.  We soon realise that our timing and reactions have suffered more than our fitness!  Steve wins the first match 3-1 and as we have the court for 1-hour we continue.  I make to move forward and suddenly feel a sort of chopping pain in the back of my ankle; I suspect Steve has lost a hold on his racquet and it has hit me.  I fall down in agony and then see that Steve still has his racquet.   I writhe around on the floor until the pain lessens.  There is nothing obvious but I can’t put any weight on it.  Remove my shoe and sock and hobble home using a broom for support.  I have sideways and downwards movement but can’t flex my foot upwards. The resort first aid team strap me up and Steve fetches ice.  Fellow campers Johan & Rita phone the local doctor who suggests we drive back to Ladysmith for an x-ray.  It’s about 100km in the wrong direction so decide to wait and see how it settles.  Spend the afternoon on the sun lounger resting.  I remove the bandage but keep the foot on ice, no swelling or bruising suggest it’s not a sprain.  By bedtime it’s the same but I’m feeling very cold so switch to hot water bottle treatment and coupled with painkillers I get a good nights sleep.  So who says exercise is good for you? 

DRAKENSVILLE RESORT 4

TUESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER – My ankle still aches, I can’t move my foot upwards or put weight on it and there is now a bit of bruising at the back.  I’m concerned as it’s obviously not a straightforward sprain.  If it’s a tendon or ligament then does it neat treatment?  Try phoning a couple of doctors but non-offer advise over the phone and the nearest is about 60km away.  Put out a few “help” texts to friends and it begins to sound like I may have ruptured my Achilles tendon and this could need surgery.  Our South African friend in New Zealand recommends two orthopaedic surgeons at a private hospital in Pietermaritzburg.  We are assured that any orthopaedic surgeon at a private hospital in South Africa will be as good as if not better than any in England.  However we are warned against going to the state hospitals due to the high risk of catching AIDs and that fact that you cannot be sure who will do your operation.  Not a good birthday for Steve as he spends all his time running round after me rather than the reverse.  I contact our UK travel insurance company to find out the procedure and am advised to make a reverse charge call to them once I have had an initial consultation with a specialist.

DRAKENSVILLE RESORT 5

WEDNESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER - Leave the resort just after 7.30am and join the motorway rather than meandering along.  Get away with the car toll R23 (£1.80).  We’ve had many offers of help including accommodation from Esme, the mother of Ali from Tzaneen.  She’s at work all day but we drive by and find it suitable for motorhome parking.  It’s 11am when we reach a chaotic city centre with many streets cordoned off.  Apparently there is a big court case in progress and hundreds of blacks are out in protest.  Finally make it to St Anne’s hospital only to find the recommended surgeons are at the Medi Centre.  The Medi Centre, on Payn Street, is easy to get to and has a large level car park.  They soon have me in a wheelchair whilst Steve parks.   As I complete the arrivals procedure Steve walks in along with our motorhome friend Ann who is here to collect her husband John after his hip replacement surgery – small world.  Within a few minutes I am in Dr David Thompson’s consulting rooms explaining my injury.  He puts me face downwards on a couch and within seconds diagnoses a complete rupture of the Achilles tendon.  He shows Steve that when he manipulates my left calf the foot responds but on the right one there is absolutely no reaction.  He says he can operate this afternoon and I must expect 1 or 2 nights in hospital.  We return to reception to check in and contact the UK insurance company who agree to foot the bill based on the surgeons report.  Head to admissions where everything starts to go pear shaped.  Basically the UK insurance companies guaranteed payment offer is not acceptable at this hospital, they will only deal with BUPA or Europe Assistance.  If I want to go ahead with the operation I must sign to say I will pay the bill myself and then it’s up to me to claim it back from the insurance.   The computer shows an estimated R10, 000 (£800) for the operation, which we could cover, but with ongoing treatment required this figure is bound to go up.  We spend over an hour speaking to different people at the hospital and the insurance company and end up with me getting quite upset.  The surgeon is already in theatre and I’m next on the operating list.  In the end I sign to say that we will pay just as we get a break through with the UK insurance company offering to use a South African SOS agency to guarantee payment.  I’m admitted to the mixed surgical ward and put in a twin bedded en-suite room.  A mass of paperwork is completed and I slip into a gown before being wheeled to theatre with Steve along side.  It’s late afternoon so I tell Steve to give evening visiting a miss and return in the morning.  In theatre the anaesthetist introduces himself and offers me some options. A type of epidural spinal anaesthetic, alone or combined with a drug to make me drowsy, or full anaesthetic.  I’ve had surgery under local before and it didn’t work so after asking a few more questions I plump for the down and out option.   I have no problems in the recovery room and seem to have been out for around 1-hour; Dr Thompson says the operation went well.  Back on the ward I get lots of attention over the next hour.  There’s a huge cast on my foot from toes to knee, the bed end is raised and my foot is on a pillow but it’s quite painful and I accept a pain killer into my drip.  After a light meal I settle back to wait for the promised bed bath.  Having not showered since before the accident I feel in need of a good wash.  After 10pm they still haven’t come back to wash me so I give up and accept a sleeping pill from the passing trolley but decline the pain killer only to relent a bit later and have to ask for them   

PIETERMARITZBURG, MEDI CENTRE

THURSDAY 21 SEPTEMBER – I have quite a good sleep and could have done without the 5am coffee and rusk.  My room companion is Zelda from Newcastle who has had a brain tumour removed, she’s really friendly and we get along well.  Hospital meals are pre ordered from a menu and the breakfast is perfectly acceptable.  Dr Thomson comes round and says I must stay in another night, as today is a crucial part in my recovery.  He reassures me the operation went well, explains I must come back a week on Monday to have this cast removed and a walking cast fitted.  That will stay on for a further 6 weeks after which it will take between 3 and 6 months with exercise for my tendon to give me normal mobility.  Steve calls in to see me before taking Millie to the caravan dealer to book in for some work doing.  My observation of this South African hospital is that there are lots of staff but some jobs seem to get neglected whilst others are seemingly repeated too frequently. Painkillers are offered at every opportunity, maybe they are on commission!  All staff are female and other than badges or their manner there is nothing to denote their nursing rank.  The ward consists of a number of 2 or 4-bedded rooms along a corridor leading to a central nursing station.  There’s a TV built into the ceiling above each bed and you can buy headphones to listen in.  Telephones can be rented or you are allowed to use your own mobile.  Everything else seems much the same as an English hospital.  Steve returns for afternoon visiting and looks really bored and fed up.  We make a plan for the next few days as it will be better to stay in this area until the initial cast is removed.  Steve goes back to Esme’s for the night.  I’m issued with crutches and with a bit of assistance manage to have a shower.  The staff here work 12-hour shifts so they are all familiar faces when the evening shift clock on.  All my vital signs are normal (that’s a laugh) so there’s no reason why I should not go home tomorrow.

PIETERMARITZBURG 2, MEDI CENTRE

FRIDAY 22 SEPTEMBER – After breakfast I manage alone to have a shower and wash my hair and optimistically get dressed.  Dr Thomson calls round and signs my discharge papers enabling me to send for Steve.  At reception they ask if I would like a copy of the bill for reference.  5 pages of printout lists costs for every item including swabs at .13c (1p) each!  Use of the operating theatre, gas and oxygen are billed by the minute and the crutches must be mine to keep as I have been charged R99 (£8) for them.  It totals R7652.84 (£600), surely much less than a private hospital in England. 

We call in for me to meet Esme and stop for coffee.  We’ve decided to go to Howick Falls Caravan Park, about ½ hour from Pietermaritzburg and within walking distance of the town centre.  The reception have kindly reserved us a stand near the toilet block and given us pensioners rate for the week.  Once settled in Steve does a quick scout about time and finds there is everything we may need.

HOWICK FALLS CARAVAN PARK

R420 (£33) week

SATURDAY 23 SEPTEMBER – I have a bad sleep.  During the night the plaster cast has rubbed a sore on my good ankle!  Make a poor attempt at having a shower, assisted by Steve. We breakfast outside then Steve sets me up on the sun lounger with everything want.  He sets off to town with a long shopping list.  He returns within the hour having bought 2 pillows, pillowcases and a stool, all for less than £5.  He’s also found himself a small café with a TV lounge where English football will be shown this afternoon.  Our stand is very shady but for about 2-hours around midday the sun gets through and it’s really hot.  Steve enjoys his football, Vicky’s café only opened today and the opening offer is a free cappuccino with all purchases so Steve’s bacon toasted sandwich with salad at R16 (£1.20) is excellent value.  Liverpool wins so he’s very happy.  Late afternoon there are a lot of new arrivals on site.  Sunday and Monday are public holidays and the kids are off school all week.

HOWICK FALLS CARAVAN PARK 2

SUNDAY 24 SEPTEMBER – The extra pillows helped support my leg in the night and kept it from rubbing the other one but I still didn’t sleep too well.  Think I am aching from spending too much time lounging around.  Showering is much easier with the plastic stool to rest on.  Steve pops out to the shops and returns to cook up lunch.  It’s a much cooler day so we are happy just to sit around ploughing our way through the Sunday newspaper.  Sitting out late afternoon I start to feel something tickling within the plaster.   I think an ant has crawled inside but at least it doesn’t seem to be the biting variety.  I’m getting around quite well on the crutches but my hands are getting sore so I bind the crutch handles with cotton wool.  Thank goodness we opted for a van as big as Millie rather than one with an over cab bed or even one of the other options we considered of a van with an outside roof top tent.

HOWICK FALLS CARAVAN PARK 3

MONDAY 25 SEPTEMBER – It’s a lovely hot sunny day so we settle outside to plough away through the magazines that people have left behind and to stimulate our brains with the crosswords and sudoku puzzles. 

HOWICK CARAVAN PARK 4

TUESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER – Heavy rain through the night continues along with lots of thunder and lightening.  I’m feeling quite sick.  I was given painkillers by the hospital and in spite of only taking 2 tablets at night I am suffering lots of side effects amongst them headaches, indigestion and worst of all constipation.  I’ve been taking tablets to relieve it since yesterday but to no effect so Steve gets togged up to venture to the pharmacy for some different laxatives.  Having taking the full range I finally get relief plus lots of exercise dashing to the toilets!  It’s been a cold day and we even get a hailstorm in the night.

HOWICK CARAVAN PARK 5

WEDNESDAY 27 SEPTEMBER – I’m feeling much better.  Outside it’s still cool and dull but has stopped raining.  Steve rents some DVD’s, R8 (64p) each, and we spend the day watching Shaka Zulu.  Campsite owner Gail lets me use their computer in the afternoon.  Steve ventures out to the pub in the evening and returns rather cross, the pub has shut before the match has finished and he has to settle for getting the result by text.

HOWICK CARAVAN PARK 6

THURSDAY 28 SEPTEMBER  – Back to nice hot sunny weather.  Steve gets a load of washing in before going up town shopping.  He returns frustrated, complaining of how inefficient the service is in South Africa.  As a customer you feel like an inconvenience and get the run around after asking the simplest of questions.  A classic example of people holding positions that they are not qualified, neither trained for nor capable of doing properly.  I’m feeling much better and manage to help Steve a bit more. 

HOWICK CARAVAN PARK 7

FRIDAY 29 SEPTEMBER – Another nice day, relaxing for me with my manservant pandering to my every need!  Steve washes all the bedding.  I do a bit more on the Internet and apart from that read and watch the rest of the Shaka DVD.  It’s a balmy evening and we have the van door and windows open until bedtime.  Sleep with the roof vents up but it’s payday this week and this leads to a noisy night about town including a couple of gunshots. 

HOWICK CARAVAN PARK 8

R70 (£4.90) night

SATURDAY 30 SEPTEMBER – We’re both awake and up early.  Steve returns the DVD’s and checks out his football options for this afternoon.  He manages to watch the entire match at Vicky’s. Another hot day followed by a warm evening.

HOWICK CARAVAN PARK 9 

WEDNESDAY 16 AUGUST – Back to the brake place for them to do a bit more fine-tuning and this ends up taking all morning.  At the N4 toll we get through at the R33 (£2.65) car price.  Arrive at the Spice of Life Backpackers near Komatipoort and settle in.  The English group are still there and we spend time chatting to them.  They are now teaching at the local school, mainly their specialist subjects but with aids and HIV awareness mingled in with it.  The majority of people here still hold the strange ideas that witch doctors or having sex with a baby can rid you of the virus.  Most married people have 3 lovers and condoms are sneered at on the basis that “you wouldn’t eat a sweet with a wrapper on”.  No wonder that an estimated 30% of babies are born with the virus. 

KOMATIPOORT, SPICE OF LIFE BACKPACKERS

R40pp (£3.20)

THURSDAY 17 AUGUST – Set out early and stop at the last petrol station before the MOZAMBIQUE border to fill up with fuel.  We also buy the compulsory 30-day 3^rd party van insurance, R200 (£16).  Exchange a small amount of money, Mtc 3,700 (meticais) per R1, as we have heard we can get 4,000 = R1 just over the border.  The border procedure is tedious involving lots of queues, small payments and rubber-stamping but all is completed in 45 minutes and by 8.45am we are cleared to enter the country.  The ATM at the border doesn’t work so we stop at the roadside moneychangers and are immediately mobbed.  The rate soon rises to the promised 4,000 and we ask to change R1000 giving us Mtc 4,000,000 (Approx Mtc 50,000 = £1).  The money is passed back and forwards many times as I count it and then they hold it in bundles of 10 notes, as there is so much.  As soon as the deal is complete another man cuts in offering us a rate of 4,200. It’s tempting but too many more people mob us so we drive off.  Just after 9am the Police stops us but after a quick look at the vehicle registration papers we are waved on.   Police harassment has been a big problem in this country and in anticipation of this we have a letter from a campsite in English and the local Portuguese language explaining that we are just tourists and should be treated with courtesy and not detained but it was not needed.  I begin to sort out my money in anticipation of the road tolls and find that we have only received Mtc 2,400,000 from the moneychanger, he must have cleverly skimmed 16 x Mtc 100,000 notes during the procedure because we tried really hard to keep tabs on it.  At the toll we are charged the lorry rate, Mtc 236,000 (£4.60), 4 times the price of a car.  It’s impossible to completely avoid the capital city of Maputo but we pick up the EN1 heading north and pay the final road toll at the car rate Mtc 17,500 (35p).  There are lots of road works and potholes and traffic is bad as we make our way around the city through busy neighbourhoods.  Stop to fill up with petrol, Mtc 2773 (55p) litre, but get conned when the guy part fills it then adds more as a separate transaction without showing us what the pump first said.  We know it’s wrong unless our fuel consumption has shot up by 50% and try and argue it out but get nowhere.  Try another ATM but it won’t dispense cash, at least we have plenty of rands with us.  Plan to stop at Marracuene but the sign says it is 4x4 to the campsite.  We must do another 150km’s to the next campsite so press on.  Luckily the road has recently been resurfaced and is now wide enough for 2 cars.  Towns and petrol stations are few and far between and there is little traffic.  Turn off to Praia do Bilene where Complex Palmeiras has camping just behind the beach.  Steve’s been driving for 7 hours solid and we are both whacked.  The campsite is OK and “helpers” surround us as we pitch camp.  Steve mentions to one of them about a small oil leak on the van and the lad immediately professes to be a mechanic.  He dives underneath and says he can have the job done for 1,000,000 Mtc (£22).  We remain non-committal.  The beach is quite nice and the village pleasant but nothing is outstanding or maybe we are too weary to appreciate it.  Meet neighbours Des & Mandy from White River and Dana & Engela from Cape Town who suggest we speak to campsite owner Eddie before letting Manuel work on the van.  Jane from Swaziland comes round for a cup of tea and to tell us about the phone cards we can buy here.

PRAIA DO BILENE, COMPLEX PALMEIROS

R30 (£2.40) pppn

FRIDAY 18 AUGUST – As Eddie has told us Manuel is the best mechanic around we have arranged for him to start work at 7.30am.  However he arrives with few tools and no plastic sheet to put under the engine whilst he works.  Meanwhile I walk to the village supermarket to buy the phone card and get more info.  The owners suggest we write down the agreement with Manuel as it is common for them to start the job and then ask more, not be able to do the job, not be able to get the parts locally and want money to go and get them in South Africa or just to make a mess of things.  They also tell me the people at the border always skim off some notes and often the mob surrounding you steel things from the vehicle including the spare tire.  Race back to check and find we still have ours.  I write up such an agreement about the work on the van and at this point Manuel’s confidence disappears and he backs off!  Walk along the beach and to the lagoon area with attractive water lilies.  Dana & Engela come to look over Millie, as they are keen to buy it at the end of our trip with the intention of putting in a new diesel engine.  Even knowing we have problems there are lots of people who want the van, no doubt if you live in one place and know a trusted mechanic and can order parts it would be a different ball game.  Jane calls round in the evening and asks if we want to join her for a snack at the local restaurant.  It’s a rather attractive but rustic place and our 3 small meals and drinks come to 280,000 Mtc (£6.50).  Return to her tent for coffee and a chat.

PRAIA DO BILENE 2, COMPLEX PALMEIRAS

SATURDAY 19 AUGUST – It’s a lovely sunny day and the wind has dropped.  The lads are rinsing fresh prawns at the sink then bring them round to sell.  Bargain Manuel down to R20 (£1.60) kilo.  Steve begins the task of peeling them and realises just how fresh they are when many start to wriggle – Yuk.  Once he has finished he begins to thinks there are not many prawns so we take the shells and everything to Mandy who weighs them on her digital scales and says we have 550gm and not a kilo, maybe Manuel’s scales were in pounds!  Spend the rest of the morning on the beach before cooking up the prawns in a Thai stir-fry, very tasty.  Steve goes up to the bar in the afternoon to watch football and rugby.

PRAIA DO BILENE 3, PALMEIRAS

SUNDAY 20 AUGUST – As we are finishing breakfast Steve hears something like gospel singing and goes to investigate.  He comes back to report a wedding at the complex entrance and I hasten to join him.  A group of guests are stood in the road chanting and doing a bit of a line dance.  The bride looks rather strange with her white dress that makes a huge contrast to her black skin.  Her husband is much smaller than her and walks along almost under her armpit.  The bridesmaid has a lovely long dress but cheap plastic flip flops on her feet.  Their official photographer seems just as keen to get photos of us as of the bride and groom!  Spend the morning on the beach and return for lunch.  A lad comes round selling 1-kilo bags of cashew nuts but as they only weigh 600gm on Mandy’s scales we quickly reject them, perhaps a Mozambique kilo is less than ours or are the Mozambicans worse than the thieving Arabs we encountered in Morocco!  In the afternoon Steve manages to occupy himself watching sport on the TV in the bar.

PRAIA DO BILENE 4, PALMEIRAS

MONDAY 21 AUGUST – Walk into the village to find the bakery tucked away up a side street.  No problem with pricing as it is all listed on a board with small crusty rolls fetching Mtc 1,500 (3 1/2p).  Forgot to mention that there is a new currency system also running here, the new Meticais is 1,000 old ones and denoted by Mtn rather than Mtc however the notes and coins have nothing to show whether old or new!  Late afternoon a mini bus arrives with tour leader Garran from South Africa, his New Zealand girlfriend Sharon and Australian customers Anna and Tessa from Adelaide.  We immediately begin chatting and they come over for a happy hour then we join them round their campfire.

PRAIA DO BILENE 5, PALMEIRAS

TUESDAY 22 AUGUST – In the morning we join Des & Mandy in their small boat for a trip across the lagoon to the ocean.  It takes about 40 minutes to travel the 5km across.  It’s a cloudy day and the waves are crashing on to the shore but we can still appreciate what a nice spot it is.  Late morning the sun breaks through and to top it off we see a couple of Southern Right whales out in the ocean.  Return for lunch after which we walk into the village to stock up on beers, 22,000 Mtc (50p) + 10,000 Mtc (22p) bottle deposit.  Settle the campsite bill and find that if we pay in Mtc the price is 75,000 Mtc (£1.70) per person per night, 2/3^rd of the rands price.  Join Garran, Sharon, Tessa and Anna for an evening braai with fresh prawns and fish rounded off by my trifle.  Garran used to be a driver and Anna tour leader for African overland trips and they have lots to tell us all. An English overland group Oasis pull up and set up camp beside us.

PRAIA DO BILENE 6, PALMEIRAS

WEDNESDAY 23 AUGUST – Leave around 8am to rejoin the main highway heading north.  Beside the road we get lots of boys rushing over to try and sell bags of cashews, piles of wood and bags of dried grass, leather sofa’s and dining room tables for sale in the villages.  There are people walking everywhere, the women carrying their children slung around their front unlike South Africa where they were carried on the back.  Millie is stuttering when Steve doesn’t have his foot on the accelerator and in Xai Xai we pull up at a garage to investigate.  Before Steve has chance to ascertain the problem a “mechanic” comes over and offers to help.  He won’t take no for an answer and returns with another mechanic.  We say that before they do any work we want a price, as we don’t have much cash with us.  Mechanic 1 says he will tell us that once he can see what is needed.  Mechanic 2 removes the carburettor and uses petrol to flush out lots of sand.  It takes only 45 minutes and seems to do the trick but he asks for 1million Mtc (£21), an English price for English tourists.  However we know that a basic days wage here is 50,000 Mtc (£1) so he’s having a laugh - until we negotiate down to a lower price.   North of the city we notice the children are no longer smiling and waving back to us but starting to look aggressive, many hold out their hands, some wave sticks at us and one even points his bum towards us.  The good road ends and Steve becomes a dodgem driver negotiating potholes that could easily swallow us up.  Luckily the traffic is light and we can use both parts of the narrow road to manoeuvre.  Just before out planned lunch stop at Quissico the engine begins to sound like a large aircraft.   Pull up at Quissico and before we even have chance to check things over a man comes over but this time he is very welcome as the driver of the Oasis Overland truck parked just ahead of us.  Jeremy and Steve work out that the exhaust pipe has split but with Jeremy’s wire it can be fastened on well enough to get us further on.  Today’s journey is over 400km and in order to arrive before dark we cannot wait to get a repair done.  It’s frustrating for us to find these huge distances between campsites but we must press on.  We hit lots of road works with detours of up to 20km along bumpy sandy dirt tracks.  We turn off to Inhambane and find the resorts off to the right are all 4wd.  Stop in the town to get money from an ATM then press on to the opposite coast.  The road to Barra looks too difficult for us so that just leaves Tofo where we should have 3 options.  However on arrival we find that Bamboozi is now only accessible by 4wd and Casa Barry stopped doing camping in 2002 in spite of being in this year’s caravan book.  It’s almost dark so we must stay at Fatimah’s backpackers.  The only place we can just about get a level is in the corner of their car park by the entrance gate and at the junction of 2 roads.  We are too far away to get electric and it’s a long walk over sand to the ablutions etc.  The resort itself is quite attractive with straw roofed huts, ready erected tents on platforms overlooking the beach and dorms.  Maybe in the light of day it will all seem much nicer.  We are so shattered that after having a back massage Steve falls asleep before 8pm and I’m not much later.

INHAMBANE, FATIMAHS BACKPACKERS

100,000 Mtc (£2.20) pp

THURSDAY 24 AUGUST – The beach is stunning and it’s a really nice place if we could just find a spot to park up.  Walk around the town but find nothing suitable.  At the far end of the beach there are 2 big new buildings going up, dozens of men line the roof as rolls of straw are swung up then rolled out along the rafters.  Set out to confirm that Bamboozi is not an option.  The track is much too bad for us but we carry on to check out the place and find it’s really nice.  Set out like a traditional African village with a swimming pool and a bar above the dunes with superb views over the ocean. We sit and have a drink and watch a number of whales passing by.  Chat to an American couple that got robbed to the tune of R500 (£40) by fake police.  Walk back along the beach and return to the van to finally trace a bad smell down to the carpet.  Although the van was sold as having a 3-way fridge it has become blatantly obvious that this is not so and consequently on long journeys the fridge defrosts.  An assortment of foods have melted, seeped through the shelves and out at the bottom of the fridge and into the carpet, now to emerge as an awful smell.  I send Steve off to the beach whilst I clean up as best I can until we are somewhere to get the carpet out and properly wash it.  Spend the afternoon on the beach being hassled by hawkers.  We will move off tomorrow to get the exhaust done and continue up the coast.  So not impressed with Mozambique so far.

INHAMBANE 2, FATIMAHS BACKPACKERS

FRIDAY 25 AUGUST – In Inhambane we find a garage on the main street, situated in what would have been a very elegant art deco style theatre in its time.  Steve shows the mechanic the exhaust problem, confirms and then reconfirms the price by writing it down, 300,000 Mtc (£7.20).  I set out to explore the town and find many more art deco style buildings in bad repair.  When I get back the job is almost done but a rubber ring is needed.  We suggest that we will drive the mechanic to the parts shop and pay for the ring.  At the shop I am pretty sure the man tells the mechanic the part is 30 Mtn (he says something that sounds just like “trenta”) but when I confirm it at 30 they say it is 60 Mtn (£1.30).  At least the bill for the 2 men spending 45 minutes welding is the figure agreed upon confirming that the man asked far too much for the carburettor job.  Return to the main highway heading further up the coast and stop for fuel.  The petrol pumps are in neither the old nor new currency so you have to either knock a 0 off or add 00 to get to one or the other.  The attendants take great pleasure in using this to their advantage and once again we realise after we have left that we have been scammed out of some of our change.  In future we will ask for an amount in money.  At Maxixe there is a campsite beside the highway and it’s rather pleasant and cheap.  We get a grassy stand overlooking the water with Inhambane clearly visible on the other side of the bay.  Get stuck into the washing including the carpet, which takes ages.  The beach is not great but it’s interesting to watch the local fishermen.  A group of South African born Indians come onto the site, brothers and cousins Ishmael, Mohammed, Hussein, Juan and Feraz from near Pietermaritzburg.  They are here for a few days fishing and have visited Mozambique many times before but tell us they got pulled by “police” and done to the tune of 5 million Mtc (£110).  When they asked for a receipt the 2 men raced off into the bushes.  From what we can gather the genuine police wear white shirts, navy trousers, have an official police car parked nearby and come in pairs of threes.  The ones that have stopped us have been no trouble at all but the problem now rests with the fake ones. 

MAXIXE, CAMPING MAXIXE

70,000 Mtc pp (£1.55)

SATURDAY 26 AUGUST – its rather pleasant here so another day seems in order.  Late afternoon a bit of a storm brews up and we get a picturesque rainbow framing Inhambane. 

MAXIXE 2, CAMPING MAXIXE

SUNDAY 27 AUGUST – The roads seem very quiet when we set out at 8am.  We are very glad of this when the road condition deteriorates dramatically about 30km up the road, just north of Morrumbene.  There are occasional stretches of new tarmac where palm fronds cover the areas where you should not drive. Mostly there is so little left of the single lane strip road that we could barely fit one tyre onto it and drive much of the time in the dirt.  Mainly the “road” is a mixture of severely potholed tarmac, tarmac mended with so many pieces that it is like a 3d jigsaw puzzle or just plain rough dirt.  When lorries come towards us they take the best part of the road, force us off and then leave us blinded by dust.  Even getting off the road can be hazardous with drops of up to 12” at the side.   Sunday must be washing day as every river and pool, no matter how muddy, is full of people washing clothes or bathing.  The laundry is then strung out over all available bushes to dry whilst being coated by the traffic dust.  Just north of Massinga we turn off the “main” road onto a dirt track towards the coast.  This is even worse than the other road, narrow and often muddy or sandy making it difficult for us to keep going.  We’ve been told about a superb campsite at the end of it so this induces us to press on for the whole 14km.  There’s a small rustic village leading to the gates of the campsite.  We are surprised to find the off-season rates are R60 (£4.80) pp plus R35 (£2.65) for electric, the most expensive we have encountered in Africa.  It must be really good so we walk in to find out. .  You descend down a very steep, narrow, rough track that would just about be passable in the motorhome.  The campsite is nothing special and the beach is as nice as many others but there is rubbish lying around   The camping area is either behind the bungalows meaning you have no view of the ocean or there’s another area where you can camp behind the beach but to have a hot shower you must buy paraffin for the water heater.  Even ignoring the high price this is not for us.  Although we don’t relish the thought of back tracking for 2 ½ hours we both agree that even ignoring the high price this is not for us.  Further north is Vilankulos but we have heard mixed reports about it and basically have had enough of rough roads and duff information.  We will back track the 2-½ hours to Maxixe, which we know we like.  We’re getting pretty blasé about the common roadside sights.  Some of them are lots of small villages made up of a number of grass huts of many different designs.  Lots of people but especially women walking with huge loads balanced on their heads, bundles of roofing straw and wooden poles for sale and elaborate displays of exhaust pipes to indicate a garage – but where was one of these when we needed it the other day?  We pull over when lots of rally cars coming racing towards us, luckily they all have headlights, as the dust is terrible.  Back in Maxixe we stop to photograph a couple of lads proudly pushing their home made cars around town, amazing what you can do with a few old wire coat hangers and some coke cans   Settle back onto Maxixe campsite and enjoy the view whilst eating lunch.  The fishermen arrive back with a huge prodigal son fish, rather like a large tuna.  They bring me over some steaks and freeze the rest.  In the evening they invite us to join them for a supper cooked on the braai. 

MAXIXE 3, CAMPING MAXIXE

MONDAY 28 AUGUST – After doing a bit of washing we make it a lazy day to recover from yesterday and prepare for tomorrows drive.  The “mad Muslims” leave early afternoon and the site is very quiet.

MAXIXE 4, CAMPING MAXIXE

TUESDAY 29 AUGUST – Away at 7am and manage to buy some “super” petrol in town as no garages had any on Sunday.  The first lot of roadside sellers have coconuts and I want to buy one and know they should be 5,000 Mtc (11p) each.  The seller tells me they are 8,000 Mtc but when she sees my 5,000 Mtc coin she nods her head and gives me 2!  As usual we traverse many different road surfaces and vendors change from oranges to wooden carvings, bundles of firewood, bags of charcoal, miniature straw huts to cashew nuts.  A couple of hours into the journey the Muslim lads pass us, they race on ahead at 140 kph compared to our 70 kph.  Arrive at Quissico for a stop and find the lads already there, last night they stopped early, as they couldn’t resist a lake that looked good for fishing.  Pressing on we see the burnt out shell of a bus at the side of the road, hardly surprising when you see the speed they travel, the way the roofs are loaded as high again with luggage and the number of potholes they have to navigate.   At Xai Xai we pay the 20,000 Mtc (44p) toll to cross the Limpopo River and make it back to Bilene by 2pm, just as the Muslim lads are leaving after a lunch stop! We are the only campers on the site until a 4wd motorhome arrives with an elderly couple from Somerset West.  They have just travelled up through Namibia and Botswana and give us loads of info as Mike used to live in Namibia.  In the evening I get a text with the shocking news that Claire’s bridesmaid Angela died at Alton Towers Hotel at the weekend after having her drink spiked. 

PRAIA DO BILENE 1, COMPLEX PALMEIRAS

WEDNESDAY 30 AUGUST – After sweating out yesterday evening with the fan on a cool change comes through and we have showers and wind during the night and wake to a cloudy morning.  Walk out to buy some tomatoes, bananas and fresh bread.  The town seems deserted and few of the shops are open.  Phone up Daniel to wish him a happy 9^th birthday and have to be quick as he has a call coming in on his new mobile!  Spend the day relaxing, reading and playing cards.

PRAIA DO BILENE 2, COMPLEX PALMEIRAS

THURSDAY 31 AUGUST – Wake to a brighter morning but it’s still very quiet in the town when we go walk about.  Sit out for most of the afternoon, the sun peeps through the clouds but it is much too windy to be on the beach.  Steve finds out that the bar has reopened and there is football on TV so he’s a happy bunny. 

PRAIA DO BILENE 3, COMPLEX PALMEIRAS

TUESDAY 1 AUGUST – Up and away by 6.15am heading towards Skukuza.  There’s a beautiful red sky as the sun rises up into the clouds.  Rangers have already driven through the park and moved the overnight droppings from the road so any deposits indicate a recent visitor.  At Sunset Pool we see many hippos including one wading into the water after a night of foraging on land.  We see nothing for ages then 1 giraffe followed by a troop of baboons ambling along the road.  They come right past the van and the youngsters are very funny to watch.  Pause at the Nkuhlu Rest Stop and speak to people who were a couple of minutes behind us and missed the baboons but saw a leopard.  Before reaching Skukuza campsite we see another troop of baboons and literally hundreds of impala.  We explore the biggest camp in Kruger.  It’s like a small village with Post Office, shops, restaurant, library, and 2 swimming pools.  Our lunchtime curry is followed by the usual siesta.  Around 3pm we head off for our afternoon game drive.  Again attempt the dirt tracks but they are heavily corrugated and make for very slow going.  We see a couple of very large birds with red beaks and necks (ground hornbill), some large male nyala, buffalo and zebra.  Detour up to the Stevenson-Hamilton memorial where there are interesting large granite boulders with trees growing on them.  Back on the tar road we are racing back to camp but back up when I spot something in the road, an African rock python about 2 feet long.  Drive up to Mathekenyane lookout for fine views over the plains.  Lock up is 6pm in August and we just make it giving us time for a sandwich before going to the amphitheatre to watch the 6.30pm movie about the wildlife in Botswana where we hope to be next year. 

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK 3, SKUKUZA CAMP

WEDNESDAY 2 AUGUST – Heading out of camp we soon spot an elephant and a hippo’s bum as he leaves a river!  There’s a major traffic jam with cars parked 3 a breast, we have no choice but to pull up behind.  We see nothing for ages and then a large female lion emerges from the bush ahead of us with a half eaten impala in its mouth.  It wanders over in our direction, about 15 metres away from us, before turning round and returning to its original spot.   We can hear it chomping away on the carcass then it gets up and walks our way again before turning and walking off into the bush complete with carcass.  Absolutely amazing.  The cars disperse and we continue ahead dismissing a vervet monkey with little more than a glance.  Reach the Tsokwane Rest Stop at 9.30am and stop for coffee.  Leaving there we encounter a herd of elephant that cross the road in front of us.  We pull forward to watch them at the side of the road only to find that half the herd are still coming and we are blocking their path.  They trumpet loudly to clear us out of the way and luckily Millie moves off smoothly.  On the last half of our journey we see zebra, blue wildebeest (aka gnu), waterbuck, buffalo, a hippo with lots of serrated hinged terrapin on it’s back, baboon and a giraffe.  So all in all a good morning’s game drive, our longest so far taking us almost 6 hours to cover 93km!  Arrive at Satara camp and chat to Dutch couple Caes and Jan-Tina from Maastrict, whom were in front row parking for the lion viewing.  The campsite is poor situated on the perimeter of the Rest camp with dust blowing in the fierce wind.  The gate guard shows us a couple of “know throw” trees where the tiny Scops owl sits on a branch.  Chat to Caes and Jan-Tina and arrange to go on a game drive in their car this afternoon then have them back for supper.  Set out at 3.30pm on the S100, notorious for good game sightings.  Progress is slow as we see lots of unusual birds; have our path crossed by a herd of wildebeest, troop of baboon, herd of elephant lots of antelope.  It takes over1 ½ hours to cover 19km and we realise we are pushing it to get back for the 6pm gate closure.  Caes tries to put his foot down a bit but we are hampered when an elephant walks into the ford in front of us and decides to stop and drink.  All the way back we have to slow down or stop for wildlife and arrive at 6.10pm to find the gates closed.  A guard lets us in, notes the vehicle number and says if we do it again we will be fined.  Back in Millie I cook pasta for us all and we linger chatting until after 10pm.

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK 4, SATARA CAMP

THURSDAY 3 AUGUST – Feel a bit weary after all our game drives, it’s very tiring staring into the bushes and for Steve constantly stopping and backing up, so we give ourselves a day off and lie in until 8.30am.  At reception we try to alter our booking and add Saturday night.  We are polite and courteous but without even checking the computer the girl tells us all camps are full on Saturday.  She tells us we must return to this reception in the morning after 7am to check in for tomorrow night’s stay at Balule!  This is totally inconvenient as we are leaving at 6am to drive up there so ask what we can do.  She is adamant there is no other way than for us to return but we speak to another receptionist who immediately does us an advance check in.  Another classic example of the difficulties we encounter, especially in Kruger where the computer booking system and majority of staff are unhelpful.  The comments books are full of criticisms of the staff and also the game drives and walks that people have gone on.  We’d planned to do some but won’t bother now.  It’s still windy but we potter on site doing a few jobs through the day. 

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK 5, SATARA CAMP 2

FRIDAY 4 AUGUST – With our batteries recharged we are away early.  Spot a real live “Zebra Crossing” then about 1km of animal droppings in the road directing us to a huge herd of buffalo near the river.  See 3 more of the endangered ground hornbill birds and think a dwarf mongoose runs across in front of us.  Lots of giraffe on the dirt road leading us to Balule where the guard gives us a very friendly welcome as he opens the gates.  This is a small camp with an ablutions block, kitchen area but no electricity or other facilities.  Pick a nice quiet spot by the boundary fence and chat to a few fellow campers including ex Poms John & Ann who are also on their way to Mozambique but via the 4wd drive track from Kruger.  At 3pm we drive up to Olifants where there are stunning views over the Olifant River. Binoculars reveal lions lying on a rock and a crocodile in a sandy river islet.  Return to Balule before 6pm lock in, rather like been put back in prison for the night.  Long after 6pm 3 mini buses arrive on camp and pull up in the small gap between our tented neighbours and us.  About 20 youngsters pile out and make as if to pitch tents in the small area directly in front of us.  Our neighbours are also feeling invaded and along with Steve speak to the group leader.  He assures us they are only here for one night, there is nowhere else for them to go and they will be quiet.  We are not amused.  Having introduced ourselves our neighbours Ian & Catherine come over to chat and we learn they are teachers from Jersey but have houses in New Zealand and have just bought one near here.  They visit Kruger about 3 times a year and spend from 6am – 6pm out spotting which along with a bit of luck explains their excellent results.  We pass comment on the number of tents trying to fit on the site between us and they suggest we might like to share their booked site at Letaba tomorrow night, after all if a site can accommodate 20 people in individual tents then surely an extra motorhome won’t even get noticed!  A late visit to the oil lantern lit toilet reveals a huge empty area near the camp entrance where the campers could have gone.  3 spotted hyena patrol the camp perimeter fence and along with their occasional howling I am disturbed by a number of people snoring in the tents at our side, not happy. 

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK 6, BALULE CAMP

SATURDAY 5 AUGUST – It’s been a cold night and I keep my tracksuit on for our 6am start.  Double back down the main road to where leopard and lion were spotted yesterday but just see the usual giraffe, zebra, antelope and vultures.  Turn around at the dam and head back north pausing on the Olifants Bridge to see more crocodile.  At one of the other river lookouts we see hippo then a number of elephant before arriving at Letaba late morning.   It’s a pleasant camp and we soon park up and get a load of washing on.  Check out the area and find a nice restaurant overlooking the river and rather fancy the R100 (£8) evening menu with many courses.  There are two swimming pools but they are both very cold.  The elephant museum is excellent and answers many of our questions.  Bushbuck and vervet monkeys roam the camping area.  Meet up with Ian & Catherine and pay the R36 (£3) per person extra charge for sharing their campsite – even though we are camped about 50m apart!  Together we head to the riverside restaurant where Steve has the full menu and I have the half menu, main course, dessert and cheese and biscuits for R50 (£4). The food is not outstanding but it’s a lovely setting and we have interesting company.

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK 7, LETABA CAMPSITE

SUNDAY 6 AUGUST – We’ve noticed that the rough dirt roads have completely worn one of our 4 rear tyres.  There’s a service garage nearby and we set out but barely make it out of the campsite gate before we hear a strange noise.  Steve hops out of the van and reports that one of the other tyres has rubber falling off it, I encourage him to get back in the van quickly as he really should not have got out.  Only yesterday there was report of an ambulance being called to Orpen Gate area where rangers had to shoot an elephant presumably because it had attacked someone.  Hobble to the garage where we get the two spare tyres changed over, R51 (£4) labour charge.  Very little to see on the 50km out towards Phalaborwa Gate, fish eagle, termite mounds, elephant and steenbok.  The town of Phalaborwa is very near the park exit and we do a big shop at Pick N Pay before checking onto Lantana Lodge campsite.  Steve watches the grand prix on the TV in the bar whilst I use the Internet, R30 (£2.40) hour.  When we come to turn the van lights on at night we have no power from electric or battery.  Whilst fiddling around fellow camper Lionel comes over to help.  Trace it to a loose connection in the electric cable and another to the battery – think the dirt roads in Kruger must have bounced them off.  End up sitting chatting to Lionel and his wife Elmara.

PHALABORWA, LANTANA LODGE

R80 (£6.40)

MONDAY 7 AUGUST – The temporary silicone seal that Hervey made is leaking so we head off to a mechanic.  Steve has been given directions over the phone and these include turning right at the glass foot into Three Fort.  No one seems to know what or where the “glass foot” is but after much driving around we finally find the garage by turning right at “Glass Fit” into “Trichart” – yes we are having something of an accent understanding problem!  Whilst they set about making a new seal I walk over to the nearby shopping centre and discover a huge supermarket called Shop Rite that seem to be cheaper than any I have used before.  The new seal seems to stop the oil leak and when we don’t want a receipt they only charge R100 (£9) even with over 2 hours labour.  Drive off to Tzaneen to visit Diana.  We met her on the bus from Johannesburg and she invited us to visit them at their macadamia nut farm.  It’s a pleasant journey with the small Drakensburg Mountains on our left and the road leading us into a lush valley where fruit, nuts and tea are grown.  Diana introduces us to her husband Andrew and explains they are not working today as it was payday on Friday and the staff all have the following Monday off enabling them to go home and visit family.  There are 4 houses on their farm and one belongs to their son James, his wife Ally and their boys Angus 2 and Murray 8 months.  James has spent a lot of time travelling including Europe in an old Bedford campervan that he abandoned at the roadside in Italy when it died.  Hope Millie is going to serve us rather better than that!  Their other son Simon has just gone to work in China for 6 months.  We are given our own en-suite room in the house and made very welcome.  There seem to be dogs everywhere, Diana has 4, Harry, Winston, Julie and Emma and James has at least another 4.  There is also a goose and a magnificent looking cockerel that roams around.  The unseasonably hot day gives way to a bitterly cold night.

TZANEEN

TUESDAY 8 AUGUST – Follow Andrew back to Tzaneen where he knows a good mechanic called Frances.  Before leaving for Mozambique we want a fuel filter fitting and a final check over on the engine.  Andrew takes me into town to pick up some things from specialist shops and when we return the van is ready, 1 hour’s labour R150 (£12).  There’s one thing for sure, Millie is being very thoroughly tested and should be in perfect shape by the time we sell it.  I invite Diana and Andrew to join us for supper in the van and they are very impressed by the whole set up.

TZANEEN 2

WEDNESDAY 9 AUGUST- Diana leaves early to play bridge with some girls in town.  They start at 7.30am after the children have been dropped at school and play until they have to be collected at 1pm.  Meanwhile I have been invited to make use of the sewing room and given a bundle of spare fabric.  The sewing room is almost like a workshop with 2 sewing machines, 2 over lockers and shelves full of material.  I trim a tablecloth to fit, make a couple more plus sleeves to stop the glasses and china rattling when we go on bumpy roads.  All in all a very productive day.  In the evening we are invited across to son James and his wife Ally’s for supper and enjoy a Thai curry.

TZANEEN 3

THURSDAY 10 AUGUST – We all head in to town with Andrew who drops Diana and I off to do some shopping and takes Steve to his nut factory.  I need to buy some curtain rails and other fittings to finish the curtains for the van.  On the journey back we return to the factory to pick up the empty nut sacks and half a dozen workers who sit on top of the bags in the back of the truck.  Andrew takes us the scenic route back above the valley and this involves bumpy dusty roads but as Diana says, to the guys in the back even a 3^rd class ride is better than a 1^st class walk!  Spend the afternoon completing the fitting of the new curtains and tiebacks.  In the evening Diana and Andrew have another couple coming round to play bridge but have arranged for us to borrow Andrews car to drive into Tzaneen to visit Angie and Julie and play canasta.  Angie is an elderly lady and Julie her daughter and they make us very welcome.  Julie has some work to finish so the first game is a 3 with Angie.  We’ve played many times in different countries and found rule variation but this time it’s like a different game with almost nothing the same.  After eating supper we play again as a 4 and do a little better. 

TZANEEN 4

FRIDAY 11 AUGUST – When Andrew looks into the van to see the new curtains he tells me that the family have been talking about the van and would like first refusal on it when we sell.  We’ve already had 2 other people showing serious interest but it’s good to know and we will keep it in mind.  Leave at 8.30am and drive along the valley below the majestic Drakensberg ranges.  We have to climb up and over the Abel Erasmus Pass at 1242m and are pleasantly surprised to find Millie does it all with only a drop from 5^th to 4^th gear.  The scenery is superb and we cross many plateaus with small communities and lots of goats and cows roaming around.  We take the scenic route and stop at Aventura Blydepoort a sort of holiday village with camping area.  It’s quite a posh resort but we get a big discount as motorhome club members and find a nice grassy stand on the road towards the dam.  There are lots of walking tracks in the area and in the afternoon we do the Kadishi-Tufa Falls, lots of scrambling down rocks but very pretty waterfalls and a good view of the “Drie Rondavels” rock formations from the lower lookout.  On site there is a mini golf course and at R5 (40p) per person we can’t resist. 

AVENTURA BLYDEPOORT

R40pp (£3.20)

SATURDAY 12 AUGUST – Set out at 8.20am to combine the Leopard, Guinea Fowl and Loerie trails.  After a half an hour walk through the holiday village we arrive at the Upper Lookout with fine views over the “Drie Rondavels”.  Set out on the leopard trail making our way down towards the gorge but up and down over lots of rock formations.  We are rewarded with fine views of the dam, lake and the river winding its way through the canyon.  The Guinea-Fowl trail takes us down even further to the Kadishi River and a nice waterfall with a cold swimming hole below.  Across the river we join the Loerie Trail and this is really challenging.  Following the course of the river with the trail along many narrow ledges and with lots of scrambles up the side of waterfalls.  Cross the river numerous times and often need to take our shoes off (or in Steve’s case get his shoes wet – twice).  Were I not with Steve there are many points where I would not have been able to climb up the rocks, as they were too high.  The waterfalls and scenery are superb and make it all worthwhile.  Arrive back at the campsite after 4 hours and immediately take our shoes off and grab a drink.   In the evening a huge coach pulls up towing a trailer.  From Germany it’s a hotel with the trailer comprising sleeping compartments on 3 levels, surprisingly the people on the coach are all elderly. 

AVENTURA BLYDEPOORT 2

SUNDAY 13 AUGUST – Make an early start to get ahead of the tourists.  We are so early that we are the only visitors to Bourke’s Lucky Potholes, R20 (£1.60) pp admission.  We walk out to 3 bridges that span the gorge giving superb views of the strangely eroded rocks below.   As the main road continues we end up in fog and can see nothing of the “Wonderview” lookout at all.  “Gods Window” is another view area and we arrive around 8.30am and brew up whilst waiting for the mist to clear a bit. There is no one else around and we are unsure about leaving the van unattended so I head off alone.  A short way along the track you reach “God’s Window”, or so the sign says, as there is absolutely no view at all through the mist!  I continue up 100 steps and through a very interesting rain forest to the summit of the walk but still the mist lingers.  Return to the van and wait until 10.30am with no change.  The road drops down and the mist clears before we reach Graskop.  Check onto the Municipal Caravan Park at the top of the main street, handy for Steve to walk to the pub and watch the Liverpool match later.  We’ve not been on site long when there is a power cut that affects the whole town and we learn that this often happens.  Wander down the main street to check out the famous “Harrie’s Pancake House”.  It’s packed out so we settle on “The Silver Spoon” next door, having checked they are serving throughout the power cut.  My mint ice cream and caramel choice is OK but Steve’s savoury cheese and bacon one is cold and has to be rejected, maybe we should have gone to Harrie’s.  There’s time to go back to the van to get Steve some dinner before he goes off to the pub.  He returns cold but jubilant and very glad of the heater in the van.

GRASKOP, MUNICIPAL CARAVAN PARK

R40pp (£3.20) – 10% motorhome club discount

MONDAY 14 AUGUST – Drive out to the recommended Pilgrim’s Rest.  Millie rises to the challenge of the 1650m Bonnet Pass.  Pilgrims Rest is an old gold mining town and now a virtual living museum with lots of old shops displaying traditional wares.  Next stop is the town of Sabie where we get our first empty gas bottle refilled for R65 (£5.20).  Our Internet usage reveals the tragic news that our Hospitality Club Host Harry, from Pietermaritzburg, died in a plane crash last weekend.  We phone to pass on our condolences and learn that he was in his own 2-seater plane and had just taken off from the airfield above their farm and must have had problems as he crashed into the cane fields below the farm.  We are very shocked and saddened as although we only knew him for 10 days he was such a nice guy.  Arrive in Nelspruit and find that none of the backpackers have space for a motorhome.  Visit the Mozambique embassy to apply for our visa’s but find the visa section is only open from 9am – 12.00am.  However the girl gives, or rather sells for R2 (16p), us the application form, and says we can pay her the R85 (£6.80) each and leave the passports with her for collection tomorrow at noon.  This is half the price of buying it at the border so we settle for that.  After all mountainous driving we have concerns about the brakes as they are pulling to the left and end up at the recommended Nelspruit Brake and Clutch garage who say they can’t do it.  Reluctantly check onto the Safubi River Lodge caravan park as it is the most expensive to date.  Ask owner George about a garage for brakes and he recommends the one we went to, doesn’t believe they can’t help so phones up and finds out they were too busy to see us today but will see us tomorrow at 7.30am!  Now why on earth didn’t they say that? 

NELSPRUIT, SAFUBI RIVER LODGE CARAVAN PARK

R120 (£9.60)

TUESDAY 15 AUGUST – Arrive at the garage at 7.30am but it’s after 8am before they take the wheels off and decide the brakes need skimming and new pads.  I go shopping and Steve hangs around whilst they take them away to be done.  They still aren’t back and it’s almost 12.00 when we need to collect the passports so a member of staff runs us over to the embassy.  The girl is just doing them, ours are on the top of the pile, and says it will be a few minutes but this drags on and we see she is finishing another pile first before dealing with ours.  Explain we have a car waiting and eventually get her to move on to ours but she then has to visit a couple of other officers to get them stamped up.  It’s over half an hour before what should have been a 2-minute job is complete.  The van is finished just after 1pm R500 (£40) but the brakes squeak when we do a test run.  They fiddle around a bit and assure us they are OK.  Head off towards the border but after 20km they are making lots of noise and the wheels are hot so we return.  They spend more time fiddling around and finaly send us away at closing time.  The brakes no longer pull to the left but they still squeak when used.  Return to the caravan park where Steve gets stuck into the wine big time.  It’s so frustrating to keep trying to get jobs done but find the work never seems to be done properly or the repairs don’t last. 

NELSPRUIT 2, SAFUBI RIVER LODGE CARAVAN PARK

MONDAY 17 JULY – We set out early to return to the garage.  The fields are full of the black workers harvesting the cane.  At Midland Caravans it takes them until afternoon to sort out the tank leak (in a pipe joint) and repair a door lock and wobbly table.  We try to find the Mercedes truck depot for some spares but get hopelessly lost and give up.  Heading back to the farm a troop of monkeys cross the road in front of us.  In the evening I cook up a meal for Harry and Linda to join us in the van, it all goes very well but highlights one or two implements I have forgotten to buy.  Getting ready for bed the water pump packs in. 

BAYNESFIELD 7, IN MILLIE

TUESDAY 18 JULY – We have a very comfortable night in the giant bed made up in the lounge area of the van; it’s 7’ wide and 6’ 6” long so even Steve can stretch out.  Wake to find we have no electricity, fortunately nor have the farm so that’s not a van problem.  The pump problem is traced to a dodgy connection and we are back in business.  Harry has rigged up a generator to enable me to sew the new seat covers and with Linda’s help in the latter stages, over locking the corners, the job is done by evening and looks really good.  Steve has spent the day going over the van and found a few leaks around the window and one or two other small faults.  It’s really hard to do a full check quickly and often things come to light over the course of time.  Join Harry & Linda for a last supper of soup and “House of Norton” homemade ice cream. 

BAYNESFIELD 8, IN MILLIE

WEDNESDAY 19 JULY – Elizabeth the maid is busy ironing the last of our washing; we leave a small tip for her, equivalent to a day’s wages of R50 (£4).  People here are still poorly paid but Harry houses his staff and helps with schooling etc.  This has been a fantastic Hospitality Club experience and we intend meeting up with Harry and Linda in the future, as we have become good friends.  At the workshop they begin fixing the leaks and a few other things, including a lose cooker, but when they put the hose on the van they find even more spots where water is seeping in.  Finally escape mid afternoon but need to pick up spare parts for the van.  Go on another wild goose chase and finally end up at a spare part shop where the owner says he can get them all for tomorrow morning and will refund on any we can’t use – at last a result.  Do a bit more shopping in Liberty Mall before returning to the farm to park up for the night.

BAYNESFIELD 9, IN MILLIE

THURSDAY 20 JULY – The day begins well with all the parts available at just R195 (£15) for fuel and oil filters, fan belts, plugs and fuses.  We bought and froze lots of meat yesterday so put the fridge on to gas.  When we are ready to leave and switch to 12v we think we can smell gas but put it to the back of our minds when Millie refuses to start.  We’ve had a bit of a problem before but this time even a push start won’t get her going.  Mergan at the parts shop phones a garage to pick us up and check out the problem.  After a long time they have not arrived but a neighbouring shop owner has been chatting to us and recommends Neville at Fix Right garage.  The shop owner gives us a jump lead start from his van (at least we know the jump leads we bought are working) and takes us to Neville who in turn leads us to Robin ,the carburetter man.  He asks us to wait awhile so I crouch down to put the fridge on to gas.  There’s a bit of a bang and a flash as residue gas under the fridge ignites.  I call Steve to quickly turn the gas off at the gas bottle but this takes some time, as he can’t locate the 2 different special keys for the 4 locks on the boot.  Luckily the flames went straight out but I’m a bit shaken.  Put the fridge problem on the back burner when Robin comes to look at the van.  He thinks it may be the battery or starter motor at fault.  We get the battery checked and proved good at Sabat and the starter motor declared not faulty by a nearby Auto Electrician.  Back to Robin who is still convinced the starter motor is the fault or at least part of the fault.  He takes us to neighbour Winston and elderly man who knows “Lucas” motors.  A slow but thorough worker he removes the starter and strips it down.  On a previous repair replacement brushes were too long and have burnt out a spring.  He makes a new spring and adjusts everything else.  It takes him over 3 hours and costs R372 (£28).  Millie now starts but Steve is not convinced we are at the bottom of the problem.  It’s late afternoon and the frozen food has defrosted but we head to Midland Caravans where they discover that whilst securing the stove yesterday they pulled a gas pipe across and pilot light, this has burnt through the rubber and caused the problem.  Thank goodness we had not gone out for the day and left the fridge on gas or it would no doubt have exploded and caught fire and burnt the whole van out.  We’re mentally exhausted and it’s almost dark so we return to the farm where Harry welcomes us back.

BAYNESFIELD 10, IN MILLIE

FRIDAY 10 JULY – We ask Harry not to tell us we are welcome to return, as this seems to be a bad omen!  Set out towards Durban and join the motorway heading east.  It’s amazing to see people walking along the roadside and others travelling at speed sat on the back of flat bed trucks.  Reach a toll station where we have to pay R10 (80p) as a class 2 double axle vehicle even though we only have 1 axle but twin wheels.  Avoid the city by taking the outer ring road and join the coast at Umdloti.  It’s a pleasant drive along the Indian Ocean to Ballito and The Dolphin Holiday Resort where the Motorhome Club are holding a rally.  The sites are spacious and as soon as we have parked we are brought a tray of tea.  If you have a caravan there are people on hand to erect the awnings for you.  Meet the club president Peter Grobler and a number of other members who are already parked up in the vans.  Many motorhomes are old ones similar to ours although none have the Bedford engine.  We are introduced to everyone and they all seem very friendly.  Take a walk along the beach backed by dozens of apartment blocks.  White people, mainly families, are on the beach and black Africans are on the grass verges behind selling sarongs, flip-flops, hats and towels.  It’s a typical holiday resort and busy even though the school holidays are over.  Spend the afternoon on site chatting and getting lots of advice.  In the evening the club members break up into smaller groups and we sit with a load of ex poms.  George is a mechanic and offers to check Millie over tomorrow, what a stroke of luck. 

BALLITO, DOLPHIN HOLIDAY RESORT

Rally rate R100 (£8) night

Grobler - Peter & Margaret, Kloof

Fox - Peter & Lorraine, Durban

Harlow - Alan & Rosemary, Durban

White Rod & Pat, Westville, Durban

Witten George & Sheila, Durban

Oosthuizen Chris & Baby, Durban

Titley -Arthur & Denise, Port Stephenson

Tim & Val, Dundee

Barnell - John & Ann, Pietermaritzburg

Dave & ?, Durban

Morris - Glyn & Margie

Dyss & ?

SATURDAY 11 JULY – When we get up we see a servant going round all the sites brushing up the leaves etc.  Reckon this is serious luxury camping.  Forgot to mention that the ablutions block is spotlessly clean and has bathrooms as well as showers.  George tinkers around under the bonnet and finds out that all the spare parts we bought are wrong!  At least he sees nothing obviously bad in the engine.  At 11pm the club gathers for morning coffee and to congratulate Chris & Baby on attending their 50^th rally – a milestone we will definitely never achieve!  There’s a cool change coming so the evening braai is brought forward to 3pm.  We all take our own food and cook the meat on the communal fire.  Arthur gives a brief speech and presents us with a club-monogrammed tablecloth and wishes us luck heading into the “bhundu”, bush/wilderness.  Most people linger until after dark (early at just after 5pm) and we are surprised to find that when we bid everyone “good-night” it is only 7.30pm. 

BALLITO 2, DOLPHIN HOLIDAY RESORT

SUNDAY 12 JULY – A few people pack up to leave early whilst other linger.  Many give us their names and addresses and an invitation to visit.  It’s been a great weekend and we feel we have made many new friends and received lots of helpful advice.  Avoiding the toll motorway we make our way north, into the heart of Zululand.  The only people we see are blacks and most of them are on foot.  Return to the coast at Tugela Mouth and check on to the campsite.  It’s small, quiet and very nicely done out in a rustic theme with lots of local artists adding finishing touches.  There are 2 swimming pools, a TV lounge and other good facilities.  After a late lunch (the oven is very slow) we take a walk along the wild and windswept beach.

TUGELA MOUTH RESORT

R80 less 10% motorhome club discount = R72 (£5.50)

MONDAY 13 JULY – The dark nights are encouraging us to go to bed early and this means we are ready to make an early start at 7.30am.  All along the roads the children are walking to school.  A couple of ladies have police style cones on their heads denoting them to be the “lollipop” ladies.  A sugar cane trailer has collapsed right in the middle of the main highway but no one seems to be bothered about getting it out of the way and all the traffic swerves around.  We make a big detour to visit Shakaland, the original set for the Shaka Zulu series and now a cultural centre.  R195 (£15) gets you a tour including demonstrations and dancing plus lunch.  It’s also a hotel and the receptionist tries to talk us into upgrading to the overnight package, which includes 2 cultural tours, evening meal, breakfast and accommodation in an authentic style hut.  She offers it for R940 for the 2 of us instead of R1000 each and it is tempting but we talk ourselves back to the original planned 11am show.  Having arrived early we sit out on the terrace with fine views over the lake.  Many of the women have their crafts on display with necklaces at very reasonable prices.  Our Zulu guide leads us through the village showing us the housing and different types of craft work in progress.  A movie explains the life of King Shaka and his battle against the British.  Finish with dancing demonstration and a good buffet lunch.  Whilst very touristy it is still a good educational and cultural experience. We’re away just after 2pm and return to the Elephant Coast heading north.  It’s frustrating that we have to go on a caravan park in South Africa as it means we must travel much further than we would have liked and make for St Lucia.  The first caravan park we come to is very basic, almost empty and they want R120 (£10) night.  Reject it in favour of the national parks ones near St Lucia town but unfortunately arrive after the main office is closed.  Manage to pay the guards and get on Sugar Loaf site, much nicer and has a number of campers. 

ST LUCIA, SUGAR LOAF CAMPSITE

R 104 (£8)

TUESDAY 25 JULY – We get up early and take a stroll out of the campsite and along the estuary boardwalk and immediately spot hippos.  They are wading in the water quite near the edge and make strange noises.  Walk to the river mouth where the sand has been banked up to prevent and off shore oil spilling seeping in.  Back on the site we investigate why Millie’s horn would not work last night and it looks as though it has fallen off!  The Great St Lucia Wetlands are a UNESCO world heritage area and controlled by KZN Parks.  We have to pay R20 (£1.60) per person and R35 (£2.80) per vehicle to enter the park area and drive up the coast to Cape Vidal.  Almost immediately we are rewarded with zebra sightings and lots of different types of deer.  We also see many warthogs as we make our way to the end of the road at the beach.  It’s a beautiful spot and a hot day so we settle on to the beach but Steve bows out of the snorkelling when he feels how cold the water is.  On our journey back we see repeats of the wildlife sightings plus an enormous deer called a kudu.  In St Lucia we have found out you can camp at Bib’s Backpackers, and take up position in the car park round the back.  They offer free tea & coffee and a night drive to spot hippos at 8.30pm.  The night drive does not sound promising when the driver explains he has a leaking petrol tank and can’t take us far, it gets worse as he finds the first hill too taxing and asks a couple of people to hop out and follow on foot!  Luckily we did not volunteer as he sets off at much too fast a speed.  We go round the town but see nothing at all and return rather disappointed.  A second group are waiting to go and we retire to the lounge to chat.  About 15 minutes later the driver comes in to tell us they spotted hippos and he will take us again.  This time we have a fantastic drive and see a couple roaming the housing estate as if they own the place.  With big spotlights we can clearly see them foraging around, totally bizarre.  Settle down to an early night blocking our ears to the loud music.

ST LUCIA, BIB’S BACKPACKERS

R45 (£3.50) p.p.

WEDNESDAY 26 JULY – Make an effort and get up just before 5am to hit the road.  Once we have filled up with fuel we head out of town and to the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park.  It’s dark and very foggy making driving difficult with the added knowledge that hippos may be lurking nearby.  Reach the park just after daybreak at 6.30am, it’s another KZN park, R70pp (£5.60) admission, but I read about the R495 (£39) Rhino Card, 1 years admission for vehicle and 8 people to all KZN parks.   Unfortunately they are only available from parks offices and the nearest is back in St Lucia.   Head off along the sealed road shrouded in mist but as the sun rises the mist begins to clear and we begin by spotting a number of zebra and many deer.  Down a dirt side road we spot a huge black rhino.  Back on the main drag the road turns to dirt after Mpila campsite and we soon begin to see the beautiful majestic giraffe.  Some alone and others as a whole family, magnificent.  We are still seeing lots of deer and also a few ugly warthogs.  Off on another side road we come to an area with many huge vultures.  The van is really taking a hammering and we are more than happy with what we have seen so rather than complete the big loop we back track to the tar road and spot a couple of baboons on the way out.  The main road splits Umfolozi Park where we started and Hluhluwe in the north and we enter this via an underpass.  We stick to the tar roads and see more giraffe, deer and warthogs and get superb views climbing towards Hilltop campsite area.  We see buffalo in the distance on the plains but the best part comes near the Memorial Gate when an elephant emerges to cross the road right in front of us.  A little further along we see dozens of them coming out of the river and walking in single file across the paddock.  It’s now 1am and we’ve been on the road for 6 hours, covered over 200 km’s and feel rather weary so exit the park and just over 1km up the road check onto the camping area of the Hluhluwe Backpackers.  After lunch we do a bit of washing then take a nap. 

HLUHLUWE BACKPACKERS

R60pp (£4.80) Inc elec

THURSDAY 27 JULY – 7.30am start and making our way north we soon arrive at the turn off to Mkuze Game Reserve.  It’s a rough dirt track of undeterminable length and the park is most famous for birds so we opt to give it a miss.  Stop in Mkuze town for a quick shop.  In the heart of Zulu country we are the only whites in the village but again feel quite safe and get courteous service.  On the main road we watch out for vervet monkeys and antelope that run across periodically and see many people selling small piles of firewood on the roadside.  Reach the border into SWAZILAND and have to park the vehicle and get a ticket.  With this we both go to passport control and where passport and tickets are stamped.  This gets us out of South Africa and into no mans land.  We can claim back the tax on all the non consumable contents we bought for the van but I get the run around from the tax refund office going many times back into South Africa to customs officials, vat offices and immigrations caravans.  Officially I should get an export type form and list every type of item individually, the form has space for 5 items and each form costs R50 (£4).  As we have literally dozens of items and the total refund is only R300 it doesn’t seem viable.  Eventually get a sympathetic official who stamps the back of all our receipts to enable the next office to process the claim.  A check will be sent out to us in England. Steve then takes our passports and R5 (40p) road tax into the Swaziland passport control where we are stamped for entry.  Formalities complete we cross the final hurdle.  Whilst Swaziland have their own currency it is linked to the South African Rand and this is also accepted.  We begin on an excellent road surface through the plains. This lasts for a short time until we hit the road works and notice that almost all the workers are female.  The old road is narrower and has many potholes but it’s not busy and it’s flat with long straight stretches.  Arrive at Nisela Safari’s with a campsite.  Everyone speaks excellent English and greets us with Hello and how are you|?  The campsite is round the back and we pick a shady spot and begin cooking dinner.  As soon as we sit out to eat ostrich that will not be shooed away surrounds us.  They win and we sit inside to finish our meal.  They have many animals in cages and we see a crocodile and a huge lion.  Meet English Dave who is doing some work on the new bar.  He comes over for a beer and we chat about the van and our concerns.  He phones us a friend who will check it over for us tomorrow – how lucky.  Through the night we hear the lion roar, luckily Dave told us it would sound even nearer than it was otherwise we would have thought it was under the van.

NISELA SAFARIS

R40pp (£3.20) + R25 (£2) elec

FRIDAY 28 JULY – Pressing on towards the border we encounter cows, goats, donkeys and humans lingering on the roadside verges.   Road signage is poor but our AA map sees us through.  Sugar cane and cotton seem to be the main crops and we stop in one of the “sugar” towns to shop.  Again I am the only white in the village where I find prices slightly lower than in South Africa.  Reach the border post of Mananga where Hervey runs a brickworks.  Dave has phoned ahead so he is expecting us but needs to pick his kids up from school before he can look at the van.  We park under a shady tree and spend time making a shepherd’s pie to go with the broccoli I just bought.  Hervey arrives and begins checking the engine.  He has a spare parts room but with little to match our engine, however he is a very resourceful guy and in place of gaskets uses silicone!  Like everyone else he says the engine is good but that a few other repairs have been cleverly fixed in the past, for example we have 2 small air filters instead of one large one!  He works from 2pm – 4pm then sends us to the Shell garage at Mhlume for a clutch cable and spark plug spanner.  They only have a tractor cable and one spanner, which is theirs, but check the plugs and say they are fine.  He reconnects the horn that hadn’t fallen off.  The timing seems better and a few other noises are less noticeable.  Hervey wants to do a bit more work tomorrow morning so we settle on to a corner of the brickyard for the night.  Hervey tells us his Mozambican workers stay on site, in fact he accommodates them, provides food and pays them R600 (£48) month, double what David pays his workers at Nisela!

MANANGA BORDER, HARVEY’S BRICK WORKS

SATURDAY 29 JULY – With the border closing at 8pm we have a reasonably quiet night until the workers start at 7am.  Hervey and Steve do an oil and fan belt change.  When we are ready to leave Hervey will only accept payment for the parts.  Crossing back into SOUTH AFRICA is quick and easy and by lunchtime we reach Spice of Life Backpackers near Komatipoort.  Yolanda and her partner who is away at the moment run it.  She’s been left behind along with 1 month old Joshua.  She is really friendly and says we can camp in the garden and use the facilities in the house.  She has a volunteer work group of teenagers from England staying and every room looks like a bomb has dropped.  Late afternoon we sit in the lounge and watch the DVD “Stander”, a true story about a Johannesburg policeman turned bank robber.

KOMATIPOORT, SPICE OF LIFE BACKPACKERS

R40pp (£3.20)

SUNDAY 30 JULY – In the nearby town of Komatipoort we pick up a few groceries and bits for the van.  In front of the car shop Steve fits the new choke cable and needs a couple of extra washers to make it work.  Drive out to Crocodile Gate entrance into Kruger National Park.  We buy a Wild card for R1395 (£110) entitling us to 1-year admission to all National Parks.  Camping is R105 (£8) per site per night and we have booked onto a few different sites over the next 5 nights.  Tonight we are on Crocodile site just a few metres away.  Pick a shady site and check out the ablutions where again there are bathtubs.  Washing machines are just R5 (40p) a time so I strip the beds and Steve to wash everything possible.  The weather is perfect at the moment, hot days usually with a breeze, cooler evenings but warm enough to sit out and relatively bug free.  We are given the run around when we are told there is no LRP (lead replacement petrol) available in the park.  Drive back to Komatipoort to fill up and learn that the Octane 97 in the park is also LRP.  Find it very hard to get correct information here.  Many of the blacks will just give you yes as an answer or guess.  Back in the park we go for a drive to the hippo pools and see zebra, giraffe, Chacma baboon and Blue Wildebeest before we get to the pools where an elephant is bathing in the water.  You have to be back on the site before 5.30pm and can be fined if you are late.  The warthogs are making a nuisance of themselves ferreting in the rubbish bins.  We hear an elephant trumpeting but otherwise have a quiet night.

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, CROCODILE GATE CAMPSITE

R105 (£8)

MONDAY 31 JULY – We’re ready to leave when the gates open at 6am but hold off for 15 minutes until it’s light.  Just outside the gates we see a white rhino quite near to the road, so near that when it makes as if to charge we feel quite threatened for a moment.  Notice a traffic jam ahead and find people pulled over to view a pride of lions.  They are quite distant but good viewed through binoculars.  We go further up the track to turn around and when we come back they are on the move and cross the main road to head off in formation.  At one stage a cub is left behind but a sibling soon comes back and nudges it along.  Magnificent male kudu roam near the road, as do lots of elephant.  In fact one crosses directly in front of the car ahead of us and makes it swerve.  There seem to be lots of interesting birds as well as strange trees including the sausage tree.  From the Sabie causeway we see hippos wallowing in the water.  Lower Sabie is our site for the night and it’s well organised with a restaurant, café and terrace overlooking the river.  The campsite is fenced in but still along the banks of the river where elephants wander along the banks.  Around the campsite there are lots of birds including the beautiful bright blue “Cape Glossy Starling”.  Take a snooze after lunch then head to the swimming pool for a very cooling dip.  Sit out reading until dark then eat outside until a few bugs become a pest. 

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK 2, LOWER SABIE CAMPSITE

SATURDAY 1 JULY – Meet Claire down at the swimming baths and whilst she goes off to have her nails done we watch Daniel and Natasha having their lessons.  We have 1 hour to spare before their piano lessons.  It’s a very hot day so we just wander round town before the lessons at 12.00pm.  As soon as the lessons are over we drive up to Malsis Road and are just in time to catch the Keighley Gala procession going past.  There seem to be less floats than when we first saw it 20 years ago but lots more companies promoting their business and handing out flyers.  The kids get some sweets and seem very happy with it all.  Back at Claire’s we all go our different ways, Natasha plays out with her friend in the paddling pool, I go on the Internet and the others watch England.  I have spent a lot of time on the Internet recently but have arranged a Hospitality Club host in Johannesburg when we arrive, got details of the buses to Pietermaritzburg where we have put a deposit on a motorhome, booked into the back-packers there and arranged a host nearby for the following nights.  I get called down to watch as England loses to Portugal on penalties.  Back at Sandra’s we have a BBQ and are joined by her granddaughter Megan who is really good.  Another evening spent chatting until late.