Cape Road Trip : Route 62

We travelled from George to Oudtshoorn, visited the Kango Caves and on to our Africamps safari tents on an osrtich farm just outside town. Africamps is a fun, luxury tenting experience set up on various farm locations around the Cape. The next day we did a tour of a few Ostrich farms and the hatchery, where all the chicks are hatched for all the farmers in the area. It's a big incubation plant and we were lucky enough to see a few baby ostriches crack out of their eggs and into the world, with help from Terri.We also bought an egg for scrambling - equivalent to 24 hens eggs. After coffee in town, we set off on route 62 to Calitzdorp for some port tasting at the Boplaas Estate. In Ladismith we stopped at Kanna Kombuis for hot roosterkoek with cheese and jam. You can't travel past Ronnie's Sex Shop without stopping for a beer. Chat to raconteur Ronnie on the verandah or hang with his son in the bar adorned with hundreds of bras.In Barrydale we checked into the quirky Karoo Art Hotel where every room is decorated by a different local artist. Neil met up with Anthony, a primary school bestie he hasn't seen in nearly 50 years. Anthony took us to Mez Karoo for dinner. We drove to Swellendam via the Grabouw Pass and then on to Caledon and into one of our favourite wine regions; the Hemel and Aarde Valley. Of course, those who know me will know that we went directly to Creation Winery for a food and wine pairing lunch.

Cape Road Trip : Garden Route

After a few days back in Joburg, we were off on our next adventure: the Garden Route and Capetown with Fred and Terri and Ram and Ranji. Fred and Terri were travelling with us so after we picked them up in PE, we met Ram and Ranji at the airport and drove up to Addo Elephant Park. We had one night in the chalets at main camp and on the second night we stayed in Matylholweni. We actually preferred the southern section of the park this time; with loads of elephant sightings; some up close and personal. Our American guests really got into the swing of camp style cooking and braaing.  A lion's roaring sounds really nearby when you're walking home to your chalet at night. Pity we didn't find them the next morning... the lions that is... Fred and Terri were fine. Vervet monkeys can be a real menace around camps if you don't keep everything locked. We all enjoyed the bird watching too.

A craft beer a day keeps the doctor away. After a spot of grocery shopping, we headed for St. Francis Bay and the St. Francis Brewing Co. A sleepy Monday morning in a sleepy, sleepy town but they did manage to pour us all a tasting flight. We had fish and chips for lunch at Balobi's. We checked into our chalets at Storm's River Mouth, part of the Tsitsikamma National Park and went off to explore the coast and the swing bridge over the ocean. The weather came in so instead of braaing, we roasted our leg of lamb in the oven. Nothing like loads of red wine to make you feel cosy inside on a stormy night when you're staying so close to the ocean.

We can highly recommend the pizza at Ristorante Enrico at Keurbooms Strand near Plett. They have a gorgeous seaside deck but the wind kept us indoors. On to Knysna.. as usual Neil stopped to buy the ladies fresh bunches of flowers from the roadside sellers just outside town. Staff at the Turbine Hotel, our favourite stopover in Knysna, had to run around finding vases for the rooms. We went to the Heads viewpoint and the Red River Brewing Company before taking a sunset cruise on the lagoon, followed by seafood dinner. We did see evidence of the fire devastation from the wildfires  that ravaged the area five months earlier, but a lot of forest clearing and salvaging had already taken place.

A leisurely breakfast, more grocery shopping and Sedgefield Craft Brewery for a morning beverage. We always enjoy a night in the quirky treehouses at Teniqua Treetops. Luckily they were narrowly missed by the fires, so we could look out over the lush green valley and relax. The next day we went walking on Wilderness beach before saying goodbye to Ram and Ranji for a few nights.

Zimbabwe : Eastern Highlands, Great Zimbabwe and Gonarezhou

Sunday 1 October : A drive through downtown Harare on a Sunday morning is rather pleasant actually. Heading southeast we drive through a number of farming towns like Marondera and Rusape; all faded and jaded but with hints of their colonial days. This blog is not about history or politics or strong opinions  but one thing is clearly evident when travelling in Zimbabwe : One corrupt and shameless leader and his cronies can destroy a country and it's potential forever..for all it's people...    ( Since our trip Mugabe has thankfully been deposed but it will be a long and hard road back to prosperity. ) We have lunch at the famous old Troutbeck Inn, set up camp at Mare and take a drive to the Rhodes Hotel for a drink on the verandah and a spot of birdwatching. It's rather chilly in the Eastern Highlands and the landscape and vegetation is very different from the hot and dry areas of Hwange and Mana.

On the terrace at Troutbeck

Monday 2 October : Next stop is the World Heritage site of Great Zimbabwe. These are ruins of a stone settlement, castle and fortress dating back to the 11th century. Nothing like a bit of a climb in the heat and the views are amazing. We overnight at Norma Jeans overlooking Lake Mutirikwi. This is by far and away the newest, neatest and well run place we have stayed at all trip. I can highly recommend it as a good overnight spot. We meet some tourists who are on an overland bus trip that began in Capetown. All they have been doing for literally days and days is driving. And I thought our schedule was a bit hectic! 

 
Tuesday 3 October : Its our first visit to Gonarezhou National Park. Things always happen in threes. The caravan brake seizes on a rocky hillside. Neil and Randolph manage to fix it in the searing midday heat while we enjoy Danie and John's sandwiches. The bakkie gets stuck in the riverbed but after letting air out of the tyres and a bit of digging Danie and the Fortuner tow us out. Our private campsite Hlaro has been occupied by a bunch of Saffers who have entered the park illegally. After some pressure they pack up and leave. It's wallies like this this that give white Afrikaners a bad name - don't paint us all with the same brush, please!

Loading wood onto the roof at Gonarezhou reception area

Fixing the caravan brake

Digging the bakkie out of the riverbed

Wednesday 4 October : The rest of our stay is lovely and the views of the red cliffs are awesome. We hear the lions roaring each night around the camp but we can't find them on any of our drives.

Thursday 5 October and beyond : Homeward bound with a night at Lion and Elephant and chaos at Beitbridge, we end up back at the farm for some rushed and disorganised unpacking. A trip of a lifetime, for sure.

Zimbabwe: Mana Pools

Wednesday 27 September: After disembarking from Zambuka we head to Crispy Fresh to pick up our food order while Neil goes to get a tyre replaced. Kariba to Mana Pools is not that far but the sand road is hard going. After check in at the office we make our way to New Ndungu 1, our private campsite for the next 3 nights. It's located on the Zambezi River but the bush is quite thick, so we don't have clear views out over the river. I think I prefer it to the Mucheni sites though; no neighbours nearby. After much debate ,our laager style camp is set up and Menon and Randolph go in search of the long drop which requires repair, cleaning and debugging. By sunset we have a functional loo and GnTs in hand, so everyone can relax and be happy.

 

Thursday 28 September :Game is more sparse than we remember from previous trips but we do see lots of elephant, buffalo, zebra and antelope. And eventually the wild dogs. I am not sure how much game management Zim Parks can afford anymore and our encounters with the foreign NGOs and private safari operators leave me feeling they are anything from dubious to downright dodgy. The birds and the bush are amazing though and we even have a pair of resident ground hornbills in our vicinity.

Friday 29 September : Game drive, brunch and wine, rest, game drive and sundowners, dinner and wine.. life's tough in Africa. Don't get stuck in the mud at crocodile infested pools, though!

 

 

Saturday 30 September : It's time to pack up and make another early start. Just as well because the sand road takes it's toll on the trailer's shocks. Nothing a surgeon and an accountant can't jimmy though. 

 

And then it's time to say goodbye to to half our party. New friendships have been made and old bonds have been strengthened, and that's real reason we love to travel...
We ( just the Hilux and the Fortuna now ) continue to Lake Chivero outside Harare to overnight at Jacana Yacht Club. Another long day behind us.