South Africa
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The Journey to Africa begins
11th July 2014
For the past two months we have been hard at work organising our adventure to Africa. There has certainly been much more red tape to crack than when we went to America a few years back. However Nicolle is now well on her sea voyage south. We will be renewing our acquaintance with her later this month when we collect her from the docks at Port Elizabeth in South Africa.
For those not in the know, Nicolle is named from her registration - NK08 LLE - and her French origins. She has been an integral part of our lives for the past six years and has already clocked up visits to four continents and over forty five countries.
She may be compact but she has served us well despite some challenging roads that we have steered her along: Bulgarian potholes, Syrian speed humps on straight country roads in the middle of no-where, narrow roads in a Sicilian town where she became a little wedged and needed Police assistance to free her and the dirt roads of northern Alaska and Canada.
This journey began when we delivered Nicolle to the docks at Bremerhaven, Germany. She had to be emptied of personal items and scrubbed clean including having a jet wash to remove any 'erdklompen' that might still be in her wheel arches or on her chassis. Only then would she be allowed on board ship.
We fly to Cape Town on July 14th. After a few days exploring Cape Town we will hire a car so that we can drive the 'Garden Route' up to Port Elizabeth. All being well we meet up with Nicolle on July 24th and so will begin our actual journey.
Cape Town
18th July 2014
After an extremely well pampered flight with KLM, we reached Cape Town late on Monday evening. We had left home in Summer but South African winter was warmer!
Tuesday was a bright, clear summer like day so we decided to go up Table Mountain which proved to be a very wise decision as the weather deteriorated from then on. The views from the top were amazing and the whole trip was well worth the cost which by South African standards was quite expensive.
The Journey to Africa begins
11th July 2014
For the past two months we have been hard at work organising our adventure to Africa. There has certainly been much more red tape to crack than when we went to America a few years back. However Nicolle is now well on her sea voyage south. We will be renewing our acquaintance with her later this month when we collect her from the docks at Port Elizabeth in South Africa.
For those not in the know, Nicolle is named from her registration - NK08 LLE - and her French origins. She has been an integral part of our lives for the past six years and has already clocked up visits to four continents and over forty five countries.
She may be compact but she has served us well despite some challenging roads that we have steered her along: Bulgarian potholes, Syrian speed humps on straight country roads in the middle of no-where, narrow roads in a Sicilian town where she became a little wedged and needed Police assistance to free her and the dirt roads of northern Alaska and Canada.
This journey began when we delivered Nicolle to the docks at Bremerhaven, Germany. She had to be emptied of personal items and scrubbed clean including having a jet wash to remove any 'erdklompen' that might still be in her wheel arches or on her chassis. Only then would she be allowed on board ship.
We fly to Cape Town on July 14th. After a few days exploring Cape Town we will hire a car so that we can drive the 'Garden Route' up to Port Elizabeth. All being well we meet up with Nicolle on July 24th and so will begin our actual journey.
Cape Town
18th July 2014
After an extremely well pampered flight with KLM, we reached Cape Town late on Monday evening. We had left home in Summer but South African winter was warmer!
Tuesday was a bright, clear summer like day so we decided to go up Table Mountain which proved to be a very wise decision as the weather deteriorated from then on. The views from the top were amazing and the whole trip was well worth the cost which by South African standards was quite expensive.
Wednesday was an autumn like day but perfect for a trip to visit the Townships - a very sobering experience. Cape Town is very much a city of those who have and those who have not. At the District 6 Museum we met Noor whose book Alison had given us. The book describes his experiences before the area was declared for whites only.
In the afternoon we explored the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront before taking the bus back to Once in Capetown Backpackers Hostel where we were staying.
By Thursday it was definitely winter! Not only a nation of many colours but a region of much fluctuation in the weather.
Despite gale force winds and intermittent lashing rain we ventured down to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. In these conditions you can well understand why so many mariners lost their lives when navigating their way around this the most southerly point of Africa.
The next part of our journey is to explore the Garden Route along to Port Elizabeth where we will hopefully be reunited with Nicolle next week. In the meantime we are driving around in a hire car exploring the coastal route east from the Cape.
Despite gale force winds and intermittent lashing rain we ventured down to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. In these conditions you can well understand why so many mariners lost their lives when navigating their way around this the most southerly point of Africa.
The next part of our journey is to explore the Garden Route along to Port Elizabeth where we will hopefully be reunited with Nicolle next week. In the meantime we are driving around in a hire car exploring the coastal route east from the Cape.
The Garden route
23rd July 2014
This title is really a misnomer as it really is a 200km route along the southern coast of the Western and Eastern Capes of South Africa. We joined the route once we had left the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point which In true fashion we saw in the wind and lashing rain. It just wouldn't seem right for it to have been a calm and sunny day! Cape Agulhas is the true southern most point of the continent and here the sun shone for us.
The Garden Route is dominated by three inlets and is backed by range after range of rugged, beautiful mountains which lead to some quite magnificent scenery especially along the coast. The small towns of Hermanus, Swellendam and Plettenberg Bay proved to be ideal overnight stop overs. Swellendam was a particularly historic town full of typical Cape Dutch architecture.
We learned one very valuable lesson along the route and that was to fill up whenever you saw a filling station for even along this popular tourist route there is one very long stretch where there is no fuel available. We spent a very anxious half an hour driving with the low fuel light on before we found a filling station!
For the past few days we have been resting in Port Elizabeth. Today we heard that the ship is on time and will be off loading early tomorrow morning. We return the hire car to the airport and from there the shipping agent will pick us up and take us to the docks and hopefully an undamaged Nicolle. The weather has been glorious and is really hot despite it being winter, but it goes cool very quickly at sunset.
The Garden route
23rd July 2014
This title is really a misnomer as it really is a 200km route along the southern coast of the Western and Eastern Capes of South Africa. We joined the route once we had left the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point which In true fashion we saw in the wind and lashing rain. It just wouldn't seem right for it to have been a calm and sunny day! Cape Agulhas is the true southern most point of the continent and here the sun shone for us.
The Garden Route is dominated by three inlets and is backed by range after range of rugged, beautiful mountains which lead to some quite magnificent scenery especially along the coast. The small towns of Hermanus, Swellendam and Plettenberg Bay proved to be ideal overnight stop overs. Swellendam was a particularly historic town full of typical Cape Dutch architecture.
We learned one very valuable lesson along the route and that was to fill up whenever you saw a filling station for even along this popular tourist route there is one very long stretch where there is no fuel available. We spent a very anxious half an hour driving with the low fuel light on before we found a filling station!
For the past few days we have been resting in Port Elizabeth. Today we heard that the ship is on time and will be off loading early tomorrow morning. We return the hire car to the airport and from there the shipping agent will pick us up and take us to the docks and hopefully an undamaged Nicolle. The weather has been glorious and is really hot despite it being winter, but it goes cool very quickly at sunset.
Port Elizabeth
27th July 2014
Collection Day (24 July 2014) dawned bright and clear. We were up early to return the hire car to the airport. They tried to charge us a fuel supplement saying that we hadn't returned the car with a full tank of petrol. Crazy as we had filled to the brim less than a kilometre away! Their mechanic discovered that the fuel tank gauge was faulty and we were reimbursed. This may well explain why the fuel tank light had come on a few days earlier and we had nearly run out of fuel.
Next stop was the shipping agent's office. He relieved us of most of our cash in the form of port dues. He then drove us to the port and aided us with customs and other officialdom which included being breathalysed as it was an alcohol free area. Then the 'fun' started. Nicolle was parked outside the offices and obviously had not got herself there without being driven off the ship, which we had seen leave port a while past. But the keys were no where to be found. Frantic enquiries were made and it eventually transpired that the keys were still on board the ship having been used to drive another Ford vehicle on to the vessel. Well that is the explanation they gave us. So much for each vehicle having an unique key.
Luckily the ship and our keys are stopping at East London a nine hour sail away. Once our keys have been secured they are being couriered back to Port Elizabeth and delivered to us at our campsite. It was as well that we had a spare set of keys otherwise Nicolle would have had to spend a lonely night in the custom's compound and it would have meant another night in the guest house for us. At least the camp site where we are staying is good and enjoys a marvellous location above the shore line. The sunset tonight was beautiful.
PS. Keys were delivered at 10pm on Friday July 25th, so we will be on our way in the morning. The adventure begins.
27th July 2014
Collection Day (24 July 2014) dawned bright and clear. We were up early to return the hire car to the airport. They tried to charge us a fuel supplement saying that we hadn't returned the car with a full tank of petrol. Crazy as we had filled to the brim less than a kilometre away! Their mechanic discovered that the fuel tank gauge was faulty and we were reimbursed. This may well explain why the fuel tank light had come on a few days earlier and we had nearly run out of fuel.
Next stop was the shipping agent's office. He relieved us of most of our cash in the form of port dues. He then drove us to the port and aided us with customs and other officialdom which included being breathalysed as it was an alcohol free area. Then the 'fun' started. Nicolle was parked outside the offices and obviously had not got herself there without being driven off the ship, which we had seen leave port a while past. But the keys were no where to be found. Frantic enquiries were made and it eventually transpired that the keys were still on board the ship having been used to drive another Ford vehicle on to the vessel. Well that is the explanation they gave us. So much for each vehicle having an unique key.
Luckily the ship and our keys are stopping at East London a nine hour sail away. Once our keys have been secured they are being couriered back to Port Elizabeth and delivered to us at our campsite. It was as well that we had a spare set of keys otherwise Nicolle would have had to spend a lonely night in the custom's compound and it would have meant another night in the guest house for us. At least the camp site where we are staying is good and enjoys a marvellous location above the shore line. The sunset tonight was beautiful.
PS. Keys were delivered at 10pm on Friday July 25th, so we will be on our way in the morning. The adventure begins.
'Route 62
27th July 2014 Is this South Africa's take on America's Route 66? Even the route signs are the same shape. Route 62 is billed as an inland alternative to the more famous Garden Route. The road is good and is certainly a quieter alternative passing through dramatic scenery of mountains and dry arid plains known as the Klein Karoo. This semi arid scrubland covers much of inland Africa. We passed through some very typical African villages and interesting small towns. It also seemed more like a 'Garden Route' especially the further west we drove. While driving today John was inspired to rewrite the words of 'Get your kicks on Route 66.' Here is his South African version. " If you ever plan to motor west, Jack, take my way that's the highway that's the best Don't be blue, drive Route 62 Well it winds from PE to Capetown Almost 500 miles all the way Don' be blue, drive Route 62 Well it goes from Kareedouw down to Joubertina, Speelmanskraal looks oh so pretty You'll see Perdeport, Oudsthoorn and Calitzdorp Zoar, Ladismith, don' forget Worcester, Ashton, Robertson, Barrydale, Montagu Won't you get hip to this timely trip And take that South Africa trip Don't be blue, drive Route 62" |
At Worcester we visited the Kleinplasie Outdoor Museum. Walked round the historic buildings but didn't bother going to look at the agricultural machinery!
Wellington
29th July 2014
Today we drove through a small town called Wellington. We stopped to view a blockhouse, a relic of the Boer War.
John again broke into song (I wish he wouldn't do this)!
29th July 2014
Today we drove through a small town called Wellington. We stopped to view a blockhouse, a relic of the Boer War.
John again broke into song (I wish he wouldn't do this)!
"We're driving now through Wellington, a place I'm sure you know.
There's a busy little factory, with workers all ago.
They make wellie boots here, they're waterproof and strong.
Billie Connolly bought a pair, and wrote this little song.
If it was na for your Welles, what would you do.
You need them in the game parks, and even in the zoo.
Cos there's elephants and rhinos that do not care a bit.
And everywhere you wander, there are great big piles of ... Dung"
The Road to Namibia
31st July 2014
Today we started the long drive up the west coast of South Africa towards Namibia. It is certainly a good time of year to follow this route -clear blue skies, views to the stunning Cedererg mountains that line the route and carpets of spring flowers along the wayside.
We visited the beautiful village of Tulbagh. The village was destroyed by an earthquake in 1969 but has been painstakingly restored to its former glory and now with 32 listed buildings is a joy to wander around- so peaceful and unspoiled. John enjoyed steak and chips for £4!
The further north we drove, the more arid it became - mainly low scrub with rocky outcrops and the settlements became further and further apart. Around Springbok, a 100km from the Namibian border, the closeness of the Kalahari Desert became very apparent.
The Road to Namibia
31st July 2014
Today we started the long drive up the west coast of South Africa towards Namibia. It is certainly a good time of year to follow this route -clear blue skies, views to the stunning Cedererg mountains that line the route and carpets of spring flowers along the wayside.
We visited the beautiful village of Tulbagh. The village was destroyed by an earthquake in 1969 but has been painstakingly restored to its former glory and now with 32 listed buildings is a joy to wander around- so peaceful and unspoiled. John enjoyed steak and chips for £4!
The further north we drove, the more arid it became - mainly low scrub with rocky outcrops and the settlements became further and further apart. Around Springbok, a 100km from the Namibian border, the closeness of the Kalahari Desert became very apparent.
At this point we left South Africa, heading to Namibia[click], Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe before returning to South Africa some two months later.
Kruger National Park
16th October 2014
How wonderful it was to be back in civilisation - towns with shops, smooth road surfaces and sign posts. This means that Jane, our Sat Nav could have a bit of a rest - she was playing up a little so was obviously tired! Yesterday she insisted we were in Kampala, Uganda!
Kruger National Park is the size of Wales so we decided to explore the central and southern sections. The main roads are tarred but many of the dirt roads are smooth so Nicolle could cope with them - her enemy is sand and mud.
Within an hour one day we had seen herds of elephant, buffalo and a pride of seven lions slumbering under a tree in the midday heat. The animals wander all over the roads so we have viewed many at close quarters, some closer than we would have liked. Just as we were leaving Kruger as all campsites were fully booked for the weekend, we spotted a rhino only yards from the road edge - a real scoop.
Drakensberg Mountains
19th October 2014
This is an area of outstanding natural beauty. The Blyde River Canyon, described as the third largest canyon in the world, cuts a dramatic gorge through the mountains. The steep escarpment edge drops down to the low veldt and the Kruger National Park. The views are stunning and all so very different.
Drakensberg Mountains
19th October 2014
This is an area of outstanding natural beauty. The Blyde River Canyon, described as the third largest canyon in the world, cuts a dramatic gorge through the mountains. The steep escarpment edge drops down to the low veldt and the Kruger National Park. The views are stunning and all so very different.
Former gold mining settlements with their historic 19th century buildings are found in the deep mountain valleys. It is a wonderful area to explore and we have been fortunate to have had clear skies so photos have hopefully turned out well.
From here we headed into Swaziland [click] for a couple of weeks before continuing our adventures in South Africa.
The Battlefields
8th November 2014
These are situated in the KwaZuly Natal region of South Africa. We based ourselves on a lovely campsite in the town of Dundee so we could visit just two of the many Boer War and Zulu War battlefields.
Blood River - the name speaks for itself - was the scene of fierce fighting between the Voortrekkers (Dutch Settlers) and the Zulus in 1838, this battle site has two separate memorials, one for each of the sides who fought there. We had a delicious lunch in the small homely restaurant and a long chat with the woman and her husband who ran the visitors centre. The battle took place on December 16th (John's birthday) and that day is now a national holiday in South Africa. (Trust us to pick that day to fly back home!)
The second battle site we visited was at Rorke's Drift, the scene of a small garrison of 100 British soldiers who successfully fought off an attack by 4000 Zulu warriors.
We drove through the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, skirting the Red Mountains on the Maloti Route.
From here we headed into Lesotho [click] for a couple of weeks before continuing our adventures in South Africa.
Graff-Reinet
22nd November 2014
We've spent the last few days staying in this lovely little town which is nestled in a lush valley, surrounded by vast semi-arid Karoo plains. The town is situated within a horseshoe bend of the Sundays River. The charm of the town, apart from its setting, is the number of its heritage sites, both buildings - mostly painted green and white, monuments and public spaces. The predominate architectural style is Cape Dutch with added decorative Victorian style influences. The streets, tree lined with the blue jacaranda blossom adding to the colour, are 'wide enough to turn an ox cart.' at the town's heart is the white Great Dutch Reformed Church which is remarkably similar in architectural style to Salisbury Cathedral.
Just outside the town is the Valley of Desolation, a part of the Camdeboo National Park that surrounds the town. The valley consists of sheer cliffs that over the eons have solidified into columns leading to a bare and desolate landscape. We had a lovely walk along the cliff rim with fantastic views across the valley and the town of Graaff-Reinet.
Addo Elephant Park
27th November 2014
This is our last proper stop before heading to Port Elizabeth to get Nicolle clean, tidy and packed ready for her ship home.
Addo has been a little bit if a disappointment for us as we have only been able to use the few tarred roads in the park, spotting only a few elephant, zebra and kudu. We have been avoiding dirt /gravel roads as much as possible these last few weeks.
We had a stone hit our windscreen when we were almost at the Kenya/Uganda border. A lorry was going too fast through road works. For a long time our emergency windscreen repair kit contained the rather large and deep chip, but the effectiveness of the repair has definitely worn off and long cracks have appeared.
John has managed to contain the damage using super glue and heavy duty transparent tape. Luckily the cracks are on the passenger side so John's had a clear view. A new windscreen would have had to be shipped out from Europe. Now that we are less than 50 miles from Port Elizabeth we can relax a little regarding Nicolle's state of health but we are avoiding the bumps!
Port Elizabeth
5th December
The last week of our travels has been spent in Port Elizabeth camped on the wild and rugged coast. Our pitch faces out to sea and we have seen a number of dolphins and whales. The only drawback to this idyllic spot is the wind that blows directly on shore - winds from the Antarctic. The coast is named the "Sunshine Coast" but this is rather a misnomer as the wind should appear somewhere along with the sunshine.
We take Nicolle to the docks on Monday and hopefully by Tuesday she will be on her way back to Europe. So far her windscreen is still intact. She now has a hole in her exhaust so is a little noisy.
After Monday we have eight days before our flight home on John's birthday. We will again rent a car and spend time seeing more of the Garden Route and Capetown.
We have some warm clothes ready to don when we reach London. Long trousers and coats will feel very strange after five and a half months of shorts and teeshirts.