Saturday 17th October - Thursday 22nd October 2009
Day 111 - 116
Why go to Kruger Park I hear you ask when you've got Twycross Zoo, Drayton Manor Park & Zoo and West Midlands Safari Park on your doorstep in Birmingham?
The difference is in Kruger the animals were there first with the park set up as a huge conservation effort to protect the area and its wildlife. Oh yeah - Kruger Park is also the size of Wales.
Kruger was good fun. As well as seeing elephants and buffalo up close(a little too close for my liking actually) we still hadn't seen any lions or leopards. In fact the only cat we'd seen so far was Pushka, Roni and Ivor's Siamese. However, we got to see lions at Kruger which was an honour.
Out of the park we drove up into the mountains with a quick stop off at Blyde River Canyon (the third largest canyon in the world) before finding a delightful little campspot set on the Sabie River which flows into the park. It was so delightful we ended up staying for two nights.
We're currently back at our friends Roni and Ivor's place in Johannesburg getting spoilt rotten with their fantastic hospitality. We've managed to get loads sorted for our onwards travel and also said a sad farewell to the Yaris who we handed back 9,973 kilometres worse off than when we picked it up. Solid as a rock she was!
Tomorrow morning we strap our backpacks firmly on and set off to pastures new. Maputo, the capital of Mozambique is our next destination with the plan to travel north up the coast before cutting inland towards Malawi. That's the plan anyway....
Without a car this feels like a new chapter in our travels and we're both really looking forward to this next step into the unknown. Speak soon.
Showing posts with label johannesburg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label johannesburg. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Johannesburg to Cape Town
For a long time now I've had dreams of travelling across Africa camping out, exploring distant lands and unique cultures and communities in a modified 4x4. Those dreams are now a reality only not in a 4x4 but a Toyota Yaris!
Dubai was like being on another planet. Even our heat conditioned bodies fresh from Morocco couldn't take life outside air conditioning in this almighty desert city. However, we did get to see a lot in the one day we had there and what we saw went from the sublime to the ridiculous to the what the to the why?
We landed in Johannesburg and was kindly put up for two nights by our good friends Craig and Paula's parents who live in the northern suburbs. We were treated to some warm hospitality and top tips for our trip from Roni and Ivor before it was onwards in the Yaris down south to the Drakensberg Mountains.
On our first day on the road we did what we said we'd never do. As the sun started setting we still hadn't found our accomodation, had driven through some small rural townships and were heading, a little clueless, into the Dranksensberg unknown. Then out of nowhere we passed a huge festival. After a bit of banter with the organiser on the gate he let us stay for one night which was kind of him seeing as it was day one of the four day White Mountain Folk Festival. It was a cracker first night and went on late after hours in the resident bar of the White Mountain game lodge.
Day two feeling a little jaded we set off to the south Dranksberg hoping to cross the border to Lesotho across Sani Pass. However on arrival into the foothills of the pass we were told that most 4x4s couldn't pass it so a Yaris would, how shall we phrase this, struggle : )
However, where we were was amazing with the Lesotho mountains clearly visible and this town in the foothills extremely green with some cracking walks to be had. We set up our tent in a cracker of a campsite off the beaten track and were content with this fall back plan.
Day three and we made it to the south coast and camped once again in the small coastal village of Morgan's Bay. It's great to be under canvas and with our own wheels. We're just realising how much flexibility it can give you when travelling. The campsites are superb and the roads are fine. In fact too fine. Freeway speeds are indicated at 120km/h but nobody sticks to this speed. The signs kindly warn you to slow down to 100km/h on tight corners and also spring 'Warning Pedestrian' signs on you last minute as you race through rural townships. Oh, not to mention random animals on the road at various points - cows, sheep, baboons....you definitely have to have your wits about you.
Day four and we did a monster drive to a place called Wilderness which is exactly what it says on the tin. It is a coastal town but feels like you're out in the bush.
Day five and we decided to come off the Garden Route which was, to be frank, a little boring. Straight as an arrow and not much to see. Excuse me if I turn all Clarkson on you but the roads then turned into some of the best driving roads I've ever driven. Shame we were in the Ya.....leave it Matthew. Green mountains and a multi-coloured patchwork landscape that was a photographers heaven. We landed in a place called Hermanus, billed as the best place in the world for whale watching. So much so we decided to stay and pitch our tent here instead of cracking on to Cape Town 120km away.
Day six and we landed in Cape Town and found probably the only inner city camp spot available. An eco village had recently been developed out of town with an organic farm and a hostel. They let us pop our tent down with minimum fuss. The only catch being we are sharing the facilities with 46 Lesotho schoolchildren. I don't know how we do it.... It was also salt in the wound at not getting to Lesotho over Sani Pass. I'm sure I've seen a few of them sniggering at our wheels as well. Maybe they know!
Dubai was like being on another planet. Even our heat conditioned bodies fresh from Morocco couldn't take life outside air conditioning in this almighty desert city. However, we did get to see a lot in the one day we had there and what we saw went from the sublime to the ridiculous to the what the to the why?
We landed in Johannesburg and was kindly put up for two nights by our good friends Craig and Paula's parents who live in the northern suburbs. We were treated to some warm hospitality and top tips for our trip from Roni and Ivor before it was onwards in the Yaris down south to the Drakensberg Mountains.
On our first day on the road we did what we said we'd never do. As the sun started setting we still hadn't found our accomodation, had driven through some small rural townships and were heading, a little clueless, into the Dranksensberg unknown. Then out of nowhere we passed a huge festival. After a bit of banter with the organiser on the gate he let us stay for one night which was kind of him seeing as it was day one of the four day White Mountain Folk Festival. It was a cracker first night and went on late after hours in the resident bar of the White Mountain game lodge.
Day two feeling a little jaded we set off to the south Dranksberg hoping to cross the border to Lesotho across Sani Pass. However on arrival into the foothills of the pass we were told that most 4x4s couldn't pass it so a Yaris would, how shall we phrase this, struggle : )
However, where we were was amazing with the Lesotho mountains clearly visible and this town in the foothills extremely green with some cracking walks to be had. We set up our tent in a cracker of a campsite off the beaten track and were content with this fall back plan.
Day three and we made it to the south coast and camped once again in the small coastal village of Morgan's Bay. It's great to be under canvas and with our own wheels. We're just realising how much flexibility it can give you when travelling. The campsites are superb and the roads are fine. In fact too fine. Freeway speeds are indicated at 120km/h but nobody sticks to this speed. The signs kindly warn you to slow down to 100km/h on tight corners and also spring 'Warning Pedestrian' signs on you last minute as you race through rural townships. Oh, not to mention random animals on the road at various points - cows, sheep, baboons....you definitely have to have your wits about you.
Day four and we did a monster drive to a place called Wilderness which is exactly what it says on the tin. It is a coastal town but feels like you're out in the bush.
Day five and we decided to come off the Garden Route which was, to be frank, a little boring. Straight as an arrow and not much to see. Excuse me if I turn all Clarkson on you but the roads then turned into some of the best driving roads I've ever driven. Shame we were in the Ya.....leave it Matthew. Green mountains and a multi-coloured patchwork landscape that was a photographers heaven. We landed in a place called Hermanus, billed as the best place in the world for whale watching. So much so we decided to stay and pitch our tent here instead of cracking on to Cape Town 120km away.
Day six and we landed in Cape Town and found probably the only inner city camp spot available. An eco village had recently been developed out of town with an organic farm and a hostel. They let us pop our tent down with minimum fuss. The only catch being we are sharing the facilities with 46 Lesotho schoolchildren. I don't know how we do it.... It was also salt in the wound at not getting to Lesotho over Sani Pass. I'm sure I've seen a few of them sniggering at our wheels as well. Maybe they know!
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