Africa has so many different faces that it’s impossible to take it all in. But perhaps the one aspect of Africa we loved the most was the wild animals that roam this continent. So with that in mind, and knowing our time in Africa was winding down, we decided to spend a night at Jeffery’s Bay, one of the most famous surfing beaches in the world, and then head inland … Continue reading →
All good things must come to an end and we knew our time in Africa would soon be over as we left Cape Town and headed up to Durban. From there we planned to ship Tramp back to the UK and fly back to Sydney. We had put our family and friends on layby while we galumphed around southern Africa for three months but home was calling and we had … Continue reading →
Over the last 400 years its been called a few different names such as Mother City for its foundation role in the country and the Tavern of the Seas for its role as a shipping and sailing stopover. But the original Dutch settlers called it Kaapstad and it has retained that name for the majority of its current Afrikaner inhabitants. We know it as Cape Town, one of the true … Continue reading →
Crossing the border back into South Africa after our fabulous desert experience in Namibia felt like we were stepping back into civilisation. The towns were bigger, everything looked cleaner and worked better and there were more people milling about or walking along the roads. We instantly yearned for those desert days of Namibia and Botswana but we were excited about what South Africa’s northern region had in store for us.
Continue reading →Kruger National Park is one of the premier game parks of the world. Rivalling East Africa’s legendary Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater national parks, Kruger sets a very high bar for game viewing and boasts probably the best chance in southern Africa of seeing the Big 5. We planned to spend at least three days in Kruger, camping at different official campsites and exploring the park as we continue … Continue reading →
In terms of wild game viewing in Africa the ultimate prize for any keen traveller is to see the Big 5. I don’t know the criteria for the selection of the Big 5 or who decided which animals made this elite club but all you need to do is check any T shirt, game park sign or advertising slogan and you know what the Big 5 are. They are elephant, … Continue reading →
Lesotho is unique and special in many ways. Virtually unknown to the rest of the world, it is perhaps the only country in the world completely surrounded by another and it has the highest low point of any country in the world. Despite being an island in the sea of South Africa it never suffered from Apartheid, it’s high mountains, remote villages and terrible roads are legendary and it gets … Continue reading →
We were enjoying our first coffee of the day in Drakensberg National Park, taking in the wonderous views of the mountains all around us, when I spotted some movement on the slope rising from the little river below us. Sure enough, it was a small herd of elands, the largest of the antelope species, graceful straight horns, handsome tan hides. We watched them slowly traverse the hillside as they graze … Continue reading →
To be honest, Julie and I didn’t speak much Zulu before flying into Durban to start the African leg of our Follow the Sun journey. I mean, realistically, how often do you get to use Zulu in every day life? But in Durban, the largest city of the Kwa-Zulu Natal province of South Africa, most of the locals are Zulu and English comes a distant second. Never mind, we jumped … Continue reading →
