some photos for you

Africa is not for sissies!

Finally we have internet! J
It took a long time to leave SA and this I found frustrating! After spending a night a ZaZoe (really stunning place) we set off again…hoping to finally leave. Jen had a whole bag of oranges with her and was told by the boys to dispose of them if she wanted to carry on with the trip – apparently elephants like citrus fruit and will trample cars to get to them. She was very popular at the petrol station where she handed all the locals a dose of vitamin C. Upon arriving at Zanzibar order post we discovered it was closed and so we backtracked…for about the fifth time on that road. Eventually we crossed into Botswana. We stayed at a freezing Elephant Sands where I had a bad experience with Bushmans Insect Repellent – it took all my nail polish off! We met Gav and Jen at breakfast looking quite proud, they had arrived somewhere before the Austin’s. Their faces fell when they realised that we had packed and were ready to go – back to 2nd.
Things slowed down considerably once we arrived in Zambia, the official at the border was very methodical and took his sweet time. We found a stunning lodge called Shackletons, I think we all wanted to park off there for a few days, great hospitality and delicious food.
Travelling to Kafue we gave out lots of soccer balls to children on the side of the road. To hear their screams and see the pure joy in their smiles when they realised that we were giving them the balls was very humbling and emotional for me. Somewhere between Muluezi and Mulanga our SA flag snapped off the car, so Gav and Jen carried on with the patriotism and put SA ‘earwarmers’ on their mirrors. There was a lot of bundu bashing and tree bending, followed by a snacky lunch in the bush for some stamina. Amongst us there are 3 garmins and no two said the same thing whilst driving on the forgotten roads of the Kafue Park. Our vehicles were attacked by tsetse flies and so we all armed ourselves with repellent. However, when Jen and I had a roadside wee, we discovered that we needed to extend our area of ‘repellent coverage’ to our bums as well! Needless to say we are still scratching! We did 220kms in 9hours. In these parts, when asking how far something is, the answer only comes in hours rather than kilometres – understandable after this experience.
We were all looking forward to Kaingu, just to relax for a few days. What a nice surprise when it turned out to be a gem, with a beautiful location and great hosts. We went fishing on the Kafue, Echtbert did the steering, Jen and I relaxed and supplied the beer and the boys fished. Gav caught a lot of fish and dad…not so much. I kept everyone entertained by getting stuck in the mud and spending the next half hour trying to find a place to wash my hands, feet and hat without sinking again. We had a delicious bush lunch with cold beers – Africa is not for sissies! Gav commented that he enjoyed fishing ‘colonial style’ – not once did he have to touch the fish that he caught. Bright helped him out and was repaid by receiving the fish for dinner. After a serious night of ‘Jameson Raiding’, dad and I went fishing with Bright again – dad refusing to leave until he had caught a fish. Finally he reeled in a silver barbel and we were allowed to moor. When the sun had relented a bit, we took a trip to the iron smelter (very interesting) and then had sundowners and snacks on Shumba Rock. We were all sad to leave, after thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Having a drink with a very entertaining Andrew at Fringilla, he suddenly asked “Ok so who is the paedophile here?” This resulted in a roar of laughter and the explanation that we are related, both of us turning our heads ad showing our identical noses!
After Lusaka we experienced some hairy potholes! Jen’s theory proved to be very helpful – if you see skid marks, start breaking, some serious potholes will follow.
Currently we are at Kapishya hot springs, they are truly amazing and very beautiful. We explored Shiwa Ngandu this morning – very interesting - and are getting ready to watch the soccer now. Until next time…

Day 11 Alan's perspective

So much has happened since my last posting!

Once we left Shackelton's we headed off down a dirt road towards Kafue
National Park and Kiangu Lodge to do our first real bit of camping on the
trip. We intended to stay for three days.

The road was passable as dirt roads get, we passed tons of mud hut
villages. We stopped and handed out soccer balls where ever we found kids
kicking a home ball around. The home made balls are made of plastic bags
tied together to make a round object or else they use balls made of grass.
The absolute delight on the kids faces warms your heart!! Such a simple
gift but such impact.

The dirt road for the first 70 odd kilometres was pretty ok. Saw wild pigs
foraging in the mud, great sighting.
We got to a town called Mulubezi, we asked for directions and were pointed
in the general direction, it took about 15 minutes to find our way out of
the town as all that u had to follow was tracks.

The next stretch of road was definitely not expected!! I call it the road
from hell!! It was a track that our GPS guided us down, but this track has
not been used for a long, long time, it was overgrown with branches and
grass and full of ruts and corrigations.

The area was so remote it had the feeling we were really out in the wilds.
There was town marked on the GPS, Simamba, but when we got there it had
moved (who would blame them).
We got to the remote Park gate (a pole across the road) and wrote our entry
permits. The person before us had been there in April, he was a parks
official!

We entered the park and stopped on the track for crackers and cheese. The
road was BAD, we have pictures of Gavin and I pushing large branches off
the road whilst Jenny and Jessica drove the vehicles past.

Go North Go North!! Why?

We drove past a deserted ranger post and eventually at about 18h00 we got
to Nanzhila Lodge, 260 odd kilometres in 9 HOURS. Cars are full of dust. We
had to pitched our tents for the first time. It was freezing! We sat around
the fire and cooked boerewors, sweetcorn and butternut.

Got up at 6 the next morning packed up and headed off to Kiangu Lodge.

Saw Sable, Waterbuck and Lechwe, awesome sightings.

Drove through Ngoma and Itezhi Tezhi and stopped at the dam for a coke.

Off to the ex tarred road towards Kiangu. I really hope that our roads
NEVER get like these ones!!! Down to 25 kph again!! Pot holes!! A
understatement.

Eventually we got to the Kiangu turnoff but after 12 km we turned back as
the roads were to wet and frankly we did not feel like battling to get our
cars out of the mud every 5 minutes.

Took the next turnoff to the lodge and eventually we got there. What a
beautiful place!!! Situated alongside the Kafue river is this amazing place
that Tom, Vivienne and Vaughan have created!! Hopefully Gavin will get the
pictures posted today as well.

To our absolute delight Vaughan had organised that we did not have to camp
as he had upgraded us to Finfoot lodge.
The lodge is situated right next to the river and it is a very special
place to be in.

So this being Saturday we got to braai bake bread and have a drink knowing
that did not have to be up early the next morning. Lovely thought to not
have to drive again for a while.

Sunday Gavin and I repacked the vehicles to make our things more
accessible. Then repacked again! My deep freeze had packed up, all the ice
had melted!!

We packed a lunch box and went off up the river in a tinny (aluminium boat)

I got to use my new fishing tackle!! Echtbert showed me how to cast as this
is my first time fishing since I was about
Six. Gavin caught lots of fish, I caught nothing!! Was I ragged about it!

Went back to lodge, baked bread cooked chicken and yes, drank whisky.

Monday morning we relaxed and also managed to fix the deep freeze.

Jessica, Bright (old fisherman and lodge worker) went out fishing. Caught a
fish (barble). And we do have a picture to prove it.

We were taken to a very old african iron smelter and then off to watch the
sun set from a huge granite rock.

Saw puku buck.

Cooked dinner for everyone but did not bother with baking bread again.

Had a relatively quiet evening (by our standards) went to bed as we had a
early start to make on Tuesday morning.

Woke up Tuesday morning packed the car said our goodbyes and hit the track
(32 kms) out of Kaingu Lodge. Then we got onto the last stretch of dirt
road (48km at 20kph). 3 and a half hours later we hit the real tar!!!!!
What a pleasure!!

Drove to Lusaka to exchange dollars for kwachas as the petrol stations only
take kwachas. Then off to Fringilla which is a lodge, farm, butcher etc all
in one. We arrived at about 16h00 and decided to stay the night as they had
wifi and cold beers!!! Met George, Andrew and Julie. They own the place.
George is the dad and what a gentleman, such a interesting person who could
not give us enough advice about the road further into Zambia. That night at
the pub we chatted to the hooligan Andrew (son) and laughed at his stories
and his take on life.

Wednesday morning still no connectivity!! Oh well blog can wait. Andrew
took us to the butchery where we bought rump. T-bone and lamb chops for the
next few days. George took Jess and myself into the back of the butchery,
awesome watching what they do.

Then off to Kabwe.

At about 16h30 ish we came across a American lady on a bicycle in the
middle of nowhere. She waved us down and asked if we coud help her as she
still had 45km to cycle and it was getting dark. Gavin and I strapped her
bicycle on The Beast's roofrack (hey we are in Africa) and she and Jess sat
on the front seat together.

Then the S hit the fan!! Without too much warning pot holes appeared
everywhere. With my foot flat on the brakes we hit the first one with a
crunch.
Thereafter the road was hell again, pot holes trucks. Ugh!! It was getting
dark and we did not want to be on the road because of the trucks and pot
holes but we still had to drop the lady off as well as find a place to
stay.

We eventually dropped her off in the middle of no where and she peddled off
into the sunset leaving us to move on the last 100km ish to where we could
stay. The last hour was done driving in the dark with trucks coming at u
without any lights, pot holes all over the place and not much of a sense of
humour. Jess had to help me spot the holes. Jenny had said just look for
the skid marks on the road as this would help see the holes.

We eventually got to our turnoff to drive the final 25 km to Muntinondo
camp site.
Arrived in the dark. Helen and Danny fed us pumpkin soup with a dash a
chilli and cherry and then bangers and mash!!! Lovely food. Everyone went
off to bed and I sat around the fire chilling.

We are now at Kapishya (Mark and Mel own it) and had a 2 and half bottle
night with Mark. Went and sat in the hot springs early this morning with
Jess - lovely and hot.

Saw the Manor House and now we are about to huddle around a TV to watch the
opening ceremony and first match.

As a final word, Jess and Gavin will also be adding their thoughts so the
blog might become repetitive for those of u following. Sorry but this way
we are recording different perspectives.

Is it not just amazing how life is?

Regards

Alan Austin
National General Manager Sales & Marketing

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Day 4 Elephant Sands

Up early and off to the Botswana boarder post Zanzibar, which was closed, so back down the road we had now travelled 4 trying to find, petrol , a bed to sleep and a open boarder post and eventually after 3 days of driving we managed to eventually to cross the first boarder post. Slept over at elephant sands, a great place if you like elephants. After dinner on our walk back to our chalet we bumped a elephant and Jen made a run for the showers. Needless to say, I could not get Jen out. Eventually I had negioate the Ellies and go and fetch the car to pick up Jen who was quite prepared to sleep inthe showers. Very cold night. Tomorrow a new country.

3 rd June

To date the trip has been awesome for me. The problem that I had on the first day with the alternator and regulator on The Beast was a curved ball from the left side for me. Tense moments, varied thoughts, lots of whisky and good company. Then off to the Botswana border post called Zanzibar. Time flew and we decided to stay this side (SA) for another night. We found a stunning place outside Swartwater called Zazoe which was run and owned by a Dutch couple.
For dinner Jess made us toasted sandwiches on the braai. Jenny had leftover Kentucky and coleslaw.
Early the next morning we headed off to fill up with petrol and then travelled along a 25 km stretch of dirt road to the Zanzibar border post but only to be told that the river was too high so we would have to go to the Martin's Drift border post! About turn again!
The roadside has the most amazing Baobab trees.
On day three we crossed over into Botswana at long last!!
We headed off to Nata some 472 km away.
The thing that strikes you when you travel through towns and the countryside is how clean everything is. Litter is scarce, the locals seem to have a pride in everything around them which is more than can be said about South Africa.
Jenny and Gavin have given a few of the soccer balls away to the locals who really seem to appreciate the gesture.
We passed through Nata and stopped at a place called Elephant Sands Lodge. We decided not to camp and stayed in chalets. Frankly we should of slept in our tent as the room had no windows and it was freezing cold. You got to wake up with a cold nose and neck the whole night! The highlight was watching a herd of elephants drinking and bathing at the waterhole in front of the pub.
We headed off to Kasangulu and Kasane the next morning. Bought meat and vegetables for the next 5 days (and beer).
Drove through the top of the Chobe Reserve to Katima Malino where we crossed into Namibia and then into Zambia. At the Namibian border they wanted to take our meat away from us but we were eventually able to keep it all.
I have to say that so far our border crossings have been nothing but a pleasure. Everyone has been so pleasant.
Tonight we have stopped over at Shakeltons - a stunning fishing place on a oxbow of the Zambezi river.
Jess, Gavin and I pumped up two soccer balls and took them to the local community school where 22 odd girls were playing soccer on a dirt field. They were blown away when we gave them the balls. Awesome to see that small gifts are still appreciated.
Tomorrow we set off on a 300 km dirt track road towards Kafue. No clue what to expect.
I am looking forward to the solitude and stillness of where we are off to!

Day 2 still in south africa

Eventually Alan's "sliver beast" fired into life at 15:00 and we sped on to zazoe, still in south africa . After garlic and cheese toasties on the braai we sat discussing the world at large and non sexual cerebral issues that gav doesn't understand. After the jameson raid we endeavoured to repack our cars in the dark and then gave up and went to bed, ready for an early start tmr - to hopefully finally get out of SA!

Day 2 in Africa

Day 2 on our trip and we have only managed to get to mokapani (this town looks like Potgietersrus to me) and we have had our first breakdown. Alan's cruiser alternator is now out of the car and been repaired by Toyota. We simply can't go on without the fridge that keeps the ice not working. Spent the night at a lodge just outside the town. Great food, people and of course pub. Woke up early to go and check the progress of .... Still not ready. The girls were robbed this morning by the local monkies who only managed to get a box of rusks and a old boiled egg.

Challenges

A vehicle might be serviced, checked and checked again, but there will always be something that escapes the most prepared traveller...

I just got a call...

Outside Potgietersrus, The Beast (Alan's vehicle) decided that the Alternator no longer wanted to go to Uganda. B&B overnight and off to Toyota in the morning for a new Alternator!

These are the things that make the journey interesting and test your sense of humour.

Well, they can always have a drink, they have enough Jameson's to float a boat or sink a ship?

and the journey begins......

At 1pm today, the team set off for distant lands. The last few Soccer balls, old clothes and pens were crammed into the vehicle and after a few hugs and tears (mine) they were off.

Tonight I cheers to a dream realised, may we all achieve that goal during the journey we call life.

Bon Voyage

No More Sleeps!!

Today has at long last arrived!!! This past week-end was spent running around buying the final bits and bobs and fitting the final little things to the vehicle (the bottle opener was the most inportant!) as well as packing and re-packing all the kit.

Popped around to Gavin to watch rugby (team lost) and had a awesome time! I must say it has become pretty obvious that there are so many people out there that have dreams that they are not striving to do. The amount of people that have said "you are so lucky to be doing this trip" has made me wonder why if you have something that you really want to do, you do not get out and do it. There will never be the right time! I am just so excited that Gavin and I are realising one of our Dreams.

One final meeting at the office today and then we leave at 12h00. We drive for 472 kms to Batseba (28 Degrees 47'33.51" S 28 Degrees 12'42.30" E) which is a farm owned by a friend of mine. Jaco has allowed to stay there for the night before we cross over at Zanzibar border crossing into Botswana. Once into Botswana we drive to Nata or further.

Last Friday!!!

So at long last Gavin and I have our vehicle back and we are now able to pack all our goodies in the back.

The feeling today is one of happiness and sadness as there is always so much going on around you that you feel that by going away for so long you are being irresponsible, but as my boss said, there is never a good time to go on leave. To be leaving Fiona for a month is quite something for me!

Vehicle at Last

Thanks to the guys at Northern Offroad my Vehicle is eventually ready, only 100 km on the clock and 15 000 km to go. Off home to pack , watch the rugby and leave for Africa.

Ten days have past and SIX to go!!

Last week was hectic from a work perspective! Spent Monday to Thursday travelling but stayed in communication with Northern Offroad, who are preparing our vehicles. My vehicle was nearing completion but Gavin's has a bit of work still to be done. Fiona picked up the Landcruiser on Thursday whilst I was still in Cape Town. I got back Thursday night to the Beast parked in the drive way!!!! What a sight, what a feeling knowing that the trip was now really a reality for me!!! The Rooftop tent and spare wheel carriers that I had fitted looked awesome. I grabbed the list of things that I had done to the vehicle and began checking them all, VHF radio fitted, new seat covers, fire extinguisher, gas bottles, jerry cans, diff lock breather pipes and oh yes a cup holder for the odd beer!

Unfortunately when I opened the newly fitted spare wheel carrier the locking pin got stuck and I must of forced it and bent it!! Damn!! So back to the workshop to be fixed alongside the aircon and the second battery system.

Next challenge was that the vehicle registration papers had the incorrect registration number on it, imagine trying to explain that at the border posts!! Still trying to sort this issue out but hey there are still four working days before we leave.

On Friday I received a stunnning gift from some of the people I work with, a espresso machine, coffee from Rwanda and a small primus stove. This is awesome as most of the countries that we are travelling in produce their own coffee. I have visions of us sitting around a fireplace in the middle of nowhere having a hot cup of coffee (and a whisky or two). Oh yes they also gave me a pith helmet that I have to wear at every border crossing - if not I will be punished with a drink of Gavin's choice!

Gavin and I picked up my vehicle again on Saturday from Northern Offroad and took it for a drive to see if the intermittent jerking had been fixed - nope! That very second when the jerking started again was a pretty low point for me, I really did not want to take the Beast back to the garage another time as I still needed to do things to it at home. Dropped it off at Toyota and now I am hoping that they are able to fix the problem.

Reality is that this time next week we will be in Botswana regardless of all obstacles!!

North my son, north....... yay!!

Painful day!

Today was about paperwork and doctors!

We saw the doc today so that we could chat about the different medicines we would require, malaria, voltaren, antihistamine and other wonderful sounding things!!! Then off to the clinic for the dreaded injections, yellow fever, cholera, typhoid, tetanus, hepatitus A and B...... aweful!

Then off to the AA for a international drivers licence and lastly off to physio to sort out the leg, back and shoulder.

Lastly, but not least I got to go and buy a fishing rod with weird and wonderful looking hooks and sinkers......

Time flew by!!!!

During this time we bought the odd map of the different countries we intended exploring, Gavin decided that he and Jenny would travel all the way up to Spain from Johannesburg!! I opted out of the extended trip but was pretty committed to travel as far as Uganda with him and then back alone. Hey two months off work for me was a mission already, imagine extending that?

The plan was as follows, leave Johannesburg on the 1st June, travel through Botswana as quickly as posssible so that we could have more time for the distant countries. The only date set in stone was that we had to be in Uganda on the 1st July as we have permits to see the gorillas in Rwanda on the 3rd. I would meet Fiona in Uganda and she would then travel part of the way back with me as she has work commitments. I was pretty happy doing the "up" trip on my own. I am very comfortable being alone and we all need quiet time. Fiona was not the happy that I was doing the "up" trip alone but she could not take the same amount of time off that I was, so......

Excitement was abound when Gavin found himself a vehicle, the Landcruiser bakkie!!! I had also by this time sold the 80 series and bought a 100 series which was pretty well kitted out and only done 50 000 odd km's.

We now started to kit the vehicles out with all the toys that we would require, rooftop tents, water tanks, larger petrol tanks etc Lots of money but fun!!

You hear and read stories about people taking months to plan their trip into Africa... Oops we had better get cracking....... We invited my friend and neighbour, Peter Lamberti around to assist us with the route as he had spent alot of time in Africa. After a few whiskies we had a broad outline of the trip (direction at least).

Gavin's vehicle was completed and then he wanted to do a trip to Mozambique to test it out and spend his birthday there with friends. Disaster struck on the way to Mozambique when he was hit head-on by another vehicle!! Luckily Jenny and Gavin were not hurt but the vehicle was a rightoff.

Gavin and Jen decided that they would no longer be doing the trip which was a huge blow to me but after a few whiskies I was resolute in my decision to continue without them. This meant that I would be doing the "up" trip on my own. Fiona was pretty unhappy about this new turn of events but hey this is my dream!

After a a couple of weeks (too many chirps from so many friends) I asked my youngest daughter Jessica if she would like to accompany me on the adventure, shoo what excitement!! And so the planning continued!

We were not going to be doing the original route as Zambia had had their best rains ever and I was unsettled about the one vehicle possibly getting stuck.

Never the less Jess and I started to talk about what we wanted to see and do, what we wanted to take to eat!! Jess started looking at recipes that we could use. Lots of fun and bonding!!

Three weeks ago Gavin arrived at my house with another Landcruiser!! Yay, he was back with us. This fact that he was able to get himself another vehicle was awesome but now he had to start kitting the vehicle out all over again (lucky him, he gets to have fun twice). Both our vehicles were at Northern 4x4 for a bit of work to them, one more than the other!!!

With 25 days to go Gavin and I decided that we had better get our travel plan together. Our next shot at the route was again over a few whiskies with the another traveller of note (Vaughn), but now there was a bit more detail added, distances, places to stay, petrol stations and places to eat etc. Gavin poked fun at all the reading I had been doing about the route but hey here's hoping it pays off.

With many trip to the workshop (and Cesco's) our vehicles are nearing completion. Goodies purchased include a leather bound case that holds 5 whisky glasses and a bottle of single malt!

We are now 16 days away from the start of the trip and I am like a little child! Hopefully I get my vehicle back on Monday so that the final things can be done to it.

The Dream

For many years I have wanted to travel across Africa on a motorcycle but there was never enough time. We are always so "busy" with our lives we miss out on doing the things we are most passionate about. Last year I had an offroad motorcycle accident which resulted in me being inactive for a long time. There I was, a fairly active person, hobbling around on crutches with a pretty messed up knee and a broken collarbone (never mind the reputation!). In my mind I replayed the accident over and over again but frankly, there is no excuse for being fool hardy.

Whilst lying on my back recuperating I realised that life is actually far to fragile and short to delay the things one has a real desire to do. Having had to rely on Fiona to assist me with normal day to day things that we all take for granted, having friends and co-workers running me to and from the physio and work, the penny dropped, what if my injuries had been worse?

So whilst at this stage I am not able to do the trip on a motorbike I became pretty focussed of doing a trip into Africa for myself. Life is a great thing as we are surrounded by opportunities every single day, the key is to recognise them and make the most of them.

One day my good friend Gavin and I were sitting having a quiet drink and we got chatting about doing another trip into Africa, and so the thought process started....

I was a proud owner of a 80 Series Landcruiser and proceeded to make a list of modifications that I would have to do to the vehicle to make it "comfortable" for the trip!! One day I showed Gavin my list and he said great, all he has to do is buy a vehicle!! And so we had the makings of a trip!!