So this is it, the 17th and final entry on the long trip home. And quite a bit to pack in to the final blog, so best those of you still in London put the kettle on and those of you in the Antipodes crack open a cold stubbie. We left off in the last blog with our final game drives in Etosha National Park and with more or less a straight southerly line from Etosha to Cape Town to cover over the best part of two weeks.
The first stop off was at a camp just outside of Kamajab known as Cheetah Farm. The name says it all - basically this place is a camping ground located within a fenced reserve for cheetah which has been captured after proving a nuisance to local farmers. At the homestead, there are three relatively tame cheetahs which we all got to man-handle, whilst nearby there are almost a couple dozen wild cheetah contained in fenced areas.
While it is rampant commercialism to allow a group of 18 to play with semi-tame cheetah in your back garden, the experience was awesome and we’re happy to sign up to similarly exploitative activities any time. The three cats licked the hell out of us with their 150 grade sand-paper tongues, savouring the salty sweat on our skin that has been common in the 35+ degree days. After man-handling the semi-tame cheetah, we headed out in a pick-up for feeding time of the more wild residents, which was also great to watch.
The first stop off was at a camp just outside of Kamajab known as Cheetah Farm. The name says it all - basically this place is a camping ground located within a fenced reserve for cheetah which has been captured after proving a nuisance to local farmers. At the homestead, there are three relatively tame cheetahs which we all got to man-handle, whilst nearby there are almost a couple dozen wild cheetah contained in fenced areas.
While it is rampant commercialism to allow a group of 18 to play with semi-tame cheetah in your back garden, the experience was awesome and we’re happy to sign up to similarly exploitative activities any time. The three cats licked the hell out of us with their 150 grade sand-paper tongues, savouring the salty sweat on our skin that has been common in the 35+ degree days. After man-handling the semi-tame cheetah, we headed out in a pick-up for feeding time of the more wild residents, which was also great to watch.
Swakopmund was the next major destination; a place Mat had visited in 2006 on a work trip. A very different base for us after six and a half weeks on the truck as we were afforded a four night stay and the tents were left on the truck in favour of dorm room accommodation (lush). Swakopmund is another adrenalin junkie’s town, with sand-boarding, quad biking, deep sea fishing and sky-diving on offer. And whilst there was plenty of time to fit the activities in, the lady briefing us all on options and prices managed to successfully lure eight of the crew to sky-dive with only an hour’s notice given the perfect conditions in place and the lack of bookings.
So Caroline, Geoff & Julie ponied up and Mat grabbed the camera and a six pack as we all headed out into the desert for the afternoon. The briefing was simple (legs back, chin up and have fun) and the jump suits an appalling design (which seems a pre-requisite for sky-diving jump suits). Geoff & Julie hit the skies first and it was clear by the time they’d descended the 10,000 feet that the decision to get amongst it was a great one. Caroline’s jump was quite impressive as she left the plane last and landed first, and her tandem partner was also impressed with the calmness exerted during the 30 second free fall.
So Caroline, Geoff & Julie ponied up and Mat grabbed the camera and a six pack as we all headed out into the desert for the afternoon. The briefing was simple (legs back, chin up and have fun) and the jump suits an appalling design (which seems a pre-requisite for sky-diving jump suits). Geoff & Julie hit the skies first and it was clear by the time they’d descended the 10,000 feet that the decision to get amongst it was a great one. Caroline’s jump was quite impressive as she left the plane last and landed first, and her tandem partner was also impressed with the calmness exerted during the 30 second free fall.
Geoff touching down after his jump.
It's all about technique.
Team Extreme!
To celebrate the event, we all headed out to Neopolitana’s restaurant which is famed in Southern Africa for its ribs. They come in two sizes, and most opted on some bad advice to tackle the larger 2kg portion. What was then plated and tabled would appal Bob Geldfof and Bono and would make anyone think twice about starvation in Africa as a foot wide platter of ribs arrived generously dressed in sauce for our consumption. Across the room 10 of us tried to demolish the plate, but none were successful. The closest anyone got was a start on the second layer, but in total it’d be generous to say that anyone got more than three quarters of their way through the meal.
If you look closely, you'll note that there is a double layer of ribs - we get the meat sweats just looking at this photo.
The other major feature of our time in Swakopmund was the ‘Fire Boys Christmas Spectacular’. In an earlier blog, we explained the workings of an overland truck, noting that everyone is allocated a role and the core role of the ‘Fire Boys’ whom provide fire, water and brute strength to the campsite. In return, the Fire Boys have been excused from any cooking obligations for the duration of the trip. During our 4 days in Swakopmund, the kitty shut down and there was no communal cooking, the Fire Boys laid on a Christmas Spectacular consisting of a BBQ and subsequent pub crawl.
The BBQ went down a treat, with a good 70/30 meat to salad ratio. Even the 2 token pescatarians were pretty chuffed with the effort, receiving some garlic herbed Namibian hake and red curry prawn kebabs in the same ratio to salad as the meat eaters. The pub crawl took in all the dodgiest establishments and competition to win the yellow tour leaders jersey was fierce. Things were nearly derailed at a hotel pub we called ‘The Quiet German’ where the crew were required to order and consume their first drink without speaking a word. The bar man thought it was some shonky set up (probably with racial overtones given we were 15 whiteys on the moon in Namibia’s more racially charged towns) and stormed out of the bar, leaving it to ourselves until Julie Mas convinced him it was all legit. Once we were able to speak, apologies were made and the concept explained to, and lost on the barman.
The BBQ went down a treat, with a good 70/30 meat to salad ratio. Even the 2 token pescatarians were pretty chuffed with the effort, receiving some garlic herbed Namibian hake and red curry prawn kebabs in the same ratio to salad as the meat eaters. The pub crawl took in all the dodgiest establishments and competition to win the yellow tour leaders jersey was fierce. Things were nearly derailed at a hotel pub we called ‘The Quiet German’ where the crew were required to order and consume their first drink without speaking a word. The bar man thought it was some shonky set up (probably with racial overtones given we were 15 whiteys on the moon in Namibia’s more racially charged towns) and stormed out of the bar, leaving it to ourselves until Julie Mas convinced him it was all legit. Once we were able to speak, apologies were made and the concept explained to, and lost on the barman.
Geoff using foul means to defend the first attack on the yellow tour leaders jersey.
But he couldn't defend it against former New Zealand swimming star Julia McFadzien in a press up competition.
Note Mat wearing the yellow tour leaders jersey.
Scott leads the way in the silent pub.
This could be Rotterdam, London, Amsterdam or Rome... the midnight post-boozing mess.
Swakopmund is situated just to the north of the massive Sossusvlei sand dunes. So as we started our final dash down the south western coast of Africa, the first stop was a night at the border of the dunes with a visit to the famed Dune 45 which towers over a hundred metres above the surrounding desert and took in the sun set. The next night followed a similar affair, though this time the setting for the sun set was the World’s second largest canyon, Fish River Canyon.
Other than the sun set though, both excursions provided footwear issues for Mat, the first marked by a lack of footwear as Mat and others stupidly decided to climb the sand dunes barefoot. Not the best idea when walking on sand that has been exposed to 40 degree heat throughout the day, so the climb up the dune featured a lot of swearing and burying of feet under the surface layer to try and cool them down. At the canyon, the issue was not a lack of footwear, but too much wear and tear on the jandals as Mat’s final pair of jandals bowed out with a massive plug blowout.
Our penultimate South African destination was Stellenbosch in the heart of South Africa’s wine growing region. Nestled in amongst some imposing mountains, Stellenbosch was the first town with the creature comforts we’re used to like cafes, shopping malls, beer on tap and Maccas (though no sign of the 20 chicken nugget pack). Somewhat of a foreign land after 4 months on the road, but it didn’t take long to reacquaint ourselves with the creature comforts and to blow some cash.
Being the home of South African wine, a wine tour was par for the course for Stellenbosch, and thus we all set out early one day to drop by four of the many wineries in the region. The first stop was nothing to write about (though technically we think this blog means it has been written about) with a terrible attempt at champagne, but the second, Fairview, was a winner. Copious tastings in a delightful setting, accompanied by an all you can eat cheese tasting horse shoe had everyone in the spirit and more than a few purchases were made. The two wineries that followed were nice affairs, and for Caroline rewarding as she successfully answered the quiz question to win a free bottle of red.
Our penultimate South African destination was Stellenbosch in the heart of South Africa’s wine growing region. Nestled in amongst some imposing mountains, Stellenbosch was the first town with the creature comforts we’re used to like cafes, shopping malls, beer on tap and Maccas (though no sign of the 20 chicken nugget pack). Somewhat of a foreign land after 4 months on the road, but it didn’t take long to reacquaint ourselves with the creature comforts and to blow some cash.
Being the home of South African wine, a wine tour was par for the course for Stellenbosch, and thus we all set out early one day to drop by four of the many wineries in the region. The first stop was nothing to write about (though technically we think this blog means it has been written about) with a terrible attempt at champagne, but the second, Fairview, was a winner. Copious tastings in a delightful setting, accompanied by an all you can eat cheese tasting horse shoe had everyone in the spirit and more than a few purchases were made. The two wineries that followed were nice affairs, and for Caroline rewarding as she successfully answered the quiz question to win a free bottle of red.
From Stellenbosch, we travelled our last hours in Makako to Cape Town and the finish line of the overland trip. Cape Town sits in a sublime setting, with the heart of the city sitting at the foot of Table Mountain with the beaches and sea marking the edge of the city. Having flashed the cash in Stelenbosch and wanting to complete some much needed exercise, a group of us decided to climb the 1,000 metre high mountain and avoid the cable car fare to the top, with the plan to cable car down after sunset.
The route up through Platterclip Gulley was a steep and winding affair, but we knocked the bastard off in relatively good time, summiting after just after an hour’s grunt and well inside the two hour timing suggested on the information boards. The view over Cape Town was fantastic and strangely silent given the massive cable car station at the summit. In high winds, which are as common as cheating Indian tuk tuk drivers, the cable car is shut down, and thus we found our plan of a return cable car ride dashed and faced with a bolt down the same route we’d climbed earlier, but in the setting sun. While ultimately the failing light proved no issue, the climb down was unkind on the body and left all with jelly legs and an inability to climb or descend any form of stairs without looking like someone with a severe case of early onset multiple sclerosis.
The route up through Platterclip Gulley was a steep and winding affair, but we knocked the bastard off in relatively good time, summiting after just after an hour’s grunt and well inside the two hour timing suggested on the information boards. The view over Cape Town was fantastic and strangely silent given the massive cable car station at the summit. In high winds, which are as common as cheating Indian tuk tuk drivers, the cable car is shut down, and thus we found our plan of a return cable car ride dashed and faced with a bolt down the same route we’d climbed earlier, but in the setting sun. While ultimately the failing light proved no issue, the climb down was unkind on the body and left all with jelly legs and an inability to climb or descend any form of stairs without looking like someone with a severe case of early onset multiple sclerosis.
From Cape Town, we both ventured out with others to Gaans Baai (pronounced Haans Bay) to take in a little spot of diving with Carcharodon carcharias, more commonly known as the Great White shark. So we tripped out to 12 metres of freezing Southern Ocean water where a floating cage was lowered into the water and we took time to view these creatures as they moved in on some tasty tuna heads that were being dangled for them.
Some great encounters were had, the best being when Mat, Geoff & Julie were in the cage and one latched onto the cage a mere 2 feet from our faces. Geoff and I soon learned our position in the food chain as Julie pushed herself to the back of the cage by pushing the two of us to the front of the cage as the shark latched on for a second bite. And to make the day even more special, on the way back to Cape Town we stumbled on a couple of Southern Right Wales breaching a couple hundred metres from the coast.
Some great encounters were had, the best being when Mat, Geoff & Julie were in the cage and one latched onto the cage a mere 2 feet from our faces. Geoff and I soon learned our position in the food chain as Julie pushed herself to the back of the cage by pushing the two of us to the front of the cage as the shark latched on for a second bite. And to make the day even more special, on the way back to Cape Town we stumbled on a couple of Southern Right Wales breaching a couple hundred metres from the coast.
Just before the shark latched onto the cage.
Our final time in Cape Town was split between fare welling new friends, eating up a storm in the great restaurants and making a visit to Robben Island, the infamous prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for the majority of his 28 years in jail. The island itself is a pretty barren place and the prison nothing special for those who’ve visited Alcatraz or Auschwitz, but the tour is brought to life by the guides who are all former political prisoners themselves jailed for their part in the fight against apartheid.
Nelson Mandela's prison cell.
The final act of the time in South Africa was a visit to Cape Town Stadium, which was built for the recent football World Cup, a visit occurring some four and a half months after a visit to the Birdsnest, the Olympic Stadium in Beijing. If there is ever an opportunity for re-training in the future, then stadium architecture is probably a good path for Mat to take.
So this blog is being pulled together in the departure lounge of Sydney airport, following a week spent in Adelaide and Melbourne seeing good friends (apologies to anyone who thought the blogs came in real time!). In a few hours, the curtain falls on another epic travelling effort, encompassing 17 countries and three continents. In Africa alone, we covered 10,000 bum numbing kms in the truck, while overall we’ve spent 23.5 of the 153 days on the road in some form of transport. Good time for writing any of the 17 blogs posted or the 130 postcards sent.
Overall we managed to take 18,000 photos, of which 4,900 survived the cut (another cut would seem necessary), whilst 26,000 micrograms of doxycyclin in 200 microgram instalments have entered our systems in order to avoid malaria. We’ll arrive in New Zealand on schedule and under budget which is a project manager’s dream, and in a weird coincidence, we write this blog sitting beside a Buddhist monk from Luang Prabang in Laos, the city where 112 days ago we learned of the Christchurch earthquake centred a few kilometres from where we will spend Christmas tomorrow.
The highlights of our travels are too numerous to list, and lowlights nothing more than a good travelling story for future dinner parties. And after almost 4 years away from New Zealand, we arrive home with no regrets and fond memories of the 61 countries visited in that time. For those of you back home, we’ll be in contact as we traverse the country attending the nuptials of good friends before settling down in Nelson and resuming employment (groan). For those still in the UK, enjoy the white Christmas and get your butts back to NZ soon, we miss you all.
In the words of one of the world’s most famous rabbits, that’s all folks.
Overall we managed to take 18,000 photos, of which 4,900 survived the cut (another cut would seem necessary), whilst 26,000 micrograms of doxycyclin in 200 microgram instalments have entered our systems in order to avoid malaria. We’ll arrive in New Zealand on schedule and under budget which is a project manager’s dream, and in a weird coincidence, we write this blog sitting beside a Buddhist monk from Luang Prabang in Laos, the city where 112 days ago we learned of the Christchurch earthquake centred a few kilometres from where we will spend Christmas tomorrow.
The highlights of our travels are too numerous to list, and lowlights nothing more than a good travelling story for future dinner parties. And after almost 4 years away from New Zealand, we arrive home with no regrets and fond memories of the 61 countries visited in that time. For those of you back home, we’ll be in contact as we traverse the country attending the nuptials of good friends before settling down in Nelson and resuming employment (groan). For those still in the UK, enjoy the white Christmas and get your butts back to NZ soon, we miss you all.
In the words of one of the world’s most famous rabbits, that’s all folks.
Nice one!
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