African Animals 2018

Here are a selection of animals seen on our African trip...no leopard unfortunately! 

Deadly Cape buffalo

White Rhino heading to waterhole

Ugly Wart Hog

Baboons - fun to watch their antics 

Impalas and Baboons at water's edge

Same water's edge - time for the elephants

Hippo Yawn

Stunning Male Lion

Cheetah proceeded to mark his territory on this tree

Wildebeests - just for you Ret

Hungry Hippo out grazing

Playful lion cubs

Zebras at Kruger

Giraffe near our camp

Makutsi Safari Springs 2018

After 2 days in Franschhoek, we flew to Hoedspruit near Kruger National Park for our 10 day stay at Makutsi Safari Springs where we met up with our ex-RAAF colleague Nadia. She had been here 3 years ago and had recommended it to us. When she knew we had booked to come, she decided to come back for a second visit. It was great having her here as she gave us some insider info which was handy - plus she was great company. 

Makutsi is a family run Safari lodge that covers about 500 hectares, but they share with a few other game parks with a total cover of 9,000 hectares. Our individual villas, known as rondavels, were only about 500 meters from the main office and central bar and dining areas, but we were not allowed to walk outside between the hours of 5.30pm and 7am. Shuttle buses would pick us up at our rondavel by 6.30pm for 7pm dinner - the driver had a strong torch (flashlight) and would check the area for animals before allowing us out of our door to accompany him. Last night I was waiting for the driver, and as it was pitch black, I put my head outside the door to see if I could see the lights of the bus arriving...I don’t know who got the bigger fright - me or the giraffe that was just outside my door! By the time I got my camera he had skittered off into the bushes! The biggest cause for concern here are the hippos. They have a waterhole not far from us, and they have been known to walk here to eat the fresh green grass that grows around this camp area.  A few weeks ago the staff found a hippo in the outside swimming pool (natural mineral water - no salt or chlorine). Hippos are the largest killer of humans in South Africa. The less worrisome Impala, monkeys and kudus are regularly seen outside our door. 

Rondavel 31 - Our Home for 10 days

Around Makutsi

Selection of Feathered Friends seen on this trip

Simba Sunset Stop

During our 10 days here, we did a safari every day except for one day when we visited a Canyon, and on our last day which we kept free to pack. Some days it would be a morning Safari from 6 - 9am, Or an afternoon safari from 3- 6 PM, or what they call a Simba tour which goes from 3- 8 PM. As the Simba tour coincides with sunset (around 6:30 PM), the driver stops the Safari jeep in a safe location and brings out an esky with a choice of beers, wines and soft drinks and sets out a selection of snacks including giraffe cabanossi! We aren’t usually allowed out of the vehicle, but we can on this occasion. The driver checks out nearby bushes and allows us to take a quick toilet break if necessary. What a fabulous way to enjoy the sunset. We also did a day safari to Kruger National Park, which will be covered on a separate blog. 

  

On Safari

The safari jeeps take a maximum of nine guests on the back, although for the first few days it was usually just us 5 (Jenny, Peter, Nadia, Murray and moi). The Makutsi drivers are driver and tracker combined. The adjoining game lodges use a driver plus a tracker sitting on the front of the Jeep. It is usually been our driver/tracker that have tracked the animals, and the other lodge jeeps have followed us. Only 2 jeeps are allowed at animal sightings at any one time, so as not to crowd the animals.

See Zebra in Background?

We have had some fabulous sightings of the animals – we’ve seen herds of 10 elephants ranging from little babies up to the matriarch and the big bull. We’ve seen lots of dangerous Cape Buffalo (one even head butted our Jeep)– they were the largest killer of the early settlers as their hard skulls deflected spears & even bullets, and they are downright ornery once injured or threatened. On several days we saw three beautiful male cheetahs- brothers. They are the fastest animal over a short distance. They can reach speeds up to 120 kph over 2-300 metres. Besides the lonely giraffe outside our rondavel, we have seen them in several areas around the Lodge here. Hippos are often seen in the pools around this area, however one day we were fortunate enough to watch a single hippo in a pond on his own frolicking in the water. I got the traditional yawning jaw photo, and a video of him doing a full roll in the water - his pink underbelly and feet we’re up in the air at one stage. He did about 7 rolls. We were all thrilled to witness such a sight - even the driver said he had never seen them do that many rolls. We saw lions - the proud male, and a few females - one had four 9 month old cubs. So playful! On our first encounter we were enjoying watching the female and her cubs, when all of a sudden we noticed the male lion almost at the back wheel of our Jeep. Talk about palpitations! Thankfully he was on Murray’s side of the Jeep and not mine, but then the lion stood up, and took off at an amazing speed to ward off some threat we couldn’t see - the driver said it was probably a leopard or cheetah. Scared us all there for a moment. 

Male Lion behind us

They have white rhinos in the park here, however they are de-horned to prevent poaching. Poachers kill the animal to take the horns and then leave the animal dead in the park. It’s a big problem in Africa. We have also seen springbok, wildebeests, Impala, bush bucks, kudu, duiker (smallest antelope), monkeys, baboons, warthogs and zebra. Some others have seen leopards a few times, but they are elusive creatures and we haven’t seen any ourselves. I will put photos of the animals in a separate blog.

We were only a few days into our Makutsi stay when we heard the sad news that Jenny’s mom Roma had passed away back home in Australia. They had to fly home at short notice for the funeral. They flew back to rejoin us in Johannesburg then the four of us flew to Frankfurt for the start of our European travels. Nadia left us in Johannesburg to fly home to Australia. I doubt if any of us will ever be able to forget the amazing safari memories we shared at Makutsi. 

Africa Travel 2018

Franschhoek, South Africa 2018

Our next stop was Franschhoek (French Corner) located in the Western Cape Region -  in the famous wine region of South Africa and is about 75 km east of Cape Town. It is the second oldest European settlement in the Province after Cape Town. What a scenic part of the country. Our first stop was in the pretty university town of Stellenbosch, and we took the opportunity to do a bit of souvenir shopping.

Views of our Accommodation

Our accommodation had been upgraded to ‘garden villas’ and the complex reminded us of Tuscany. 

Our rooms were amazing – we had an entry foyer where tea, coffee and a mini bar could be found, then you walked into a huge lounge room complete with an overflowing fruit basket and a roaring gas log fireplace. From there you go into a huge bedroom that has doors out onto a big patio area. The bathroom had a claw foot bath, separate shower, toilet and bidet and two sinks. I think I would be correct in saying it was the most luxurious hotel room that I have ever stayed in. On our first evening it happened to be Mother’s Day, and so Jen and I didn’t hesitate in celebrating our motherhood at the restaurant in our villa complex. 

The next evening we went into town for dinner and had a fabulous meal. Our accidental restaurant selection proved to be an excellent choice! 

Wine tasting

First winery stop

Cape Town, South Africa 2018

Pretty Harbour in Cape Town

The next day we flew to Cape Town where we had another enjoyable 2 days. We did a local tour of Cape Town visiting the botanical gardens where we saw the national flower, the Protea, and we did a day trip down the Cape of Good Hope - the furthest south-eastern most point of South Africa. 

African penguins

We went down via the western side and stopped to visit the lighthouse there, then back up to Cape Town via the eastern side of the cape, calling in to see an African penguin colony on the way near Simons Town. Most female penguins were sitting on eggs, or already had brown furry chicks in their sandy 'nest'. Sadly the penguin numbers are dwindling, and considering that we saw a mongoose boldly eating an egg at the back of the colony, I daresay that is one of the causes of their demise. 

Table Mountain was shrouded in cloud on the day of our tour, and so although it was a fine day, it would have been a worthless trip up the mountain as there was no visibility to Cape Town below. Instead we visited Signal Hill, and witnessed the midday firing of the Noon gun - or cannon - a practice begun in 1806 so that the sailors could check their marine chronometers and reset their time if necessary.

I daresay everyone has heard about the Cape Town drought and how the city was heading for Day Zero when it was predicted the city would run out of water. Some recent rains had raised Cape Town dam water levels from 11 up to 16%, but rest rooms at tourist facilities reminded us to conserve water, and most only provided hand sanitizer but no running water. Hotels ask guests to refrain from having baths and some have removed bath plugs from the rooms. 

Jen at Cape of Good Hope

Bo-Kaap Area

During our tour we walked around the colourful old Malay quarter. Our guide said the Bo-Kaap area was originally where early Muslim settlers lived. They tended to be skilled tradespeople such as tailors, shoe makers and so on. Apparently their houses had to all be painted white. After apartheid forced changes, the occupants decided to paint their homes bright colours. 

Albino Squirrel in Company's Gardens

Namibia 2018

Safari Jeep that met us at airport

After 2 days in Johannesburg we flew north to Botswana and transited by safari Jeep and then boat into Namibia to Chobe Safari Lodge - only accessible by boat. Due to heavy rains up north in Zambia, the Chobe River was in flood and some of the resorts along the river were closed due to flooding. Fortunately our lodge only had to close one villa, however if the flood waters kept rising their staff quarters would be flooded and they would also have had to close. We had 3 days at that lodge and it was the most amazing experience for the four of us. 

Our individual chalets were all located on the river's edge, and due to the floods, the water was only inches from our front patio at one place. The chalets housed a queen size bed with a bed net to keep out the mosquitoes. We weren't keen to contract malaria, so we sprayed with DEET regularly and used the bed nets each night. At any one time, there were usually only 3 chalets occupied - ours, Jenny and Peter's and one other couple which ensured very personalised service. Our hosts joined us for most of the evening meals, and often joined us for breakfast too. Between 5.30 pm and 7 am we were unable to walk to the villas without a guide with us, as hippos and other animals roam the camp overnight to eat the lush grass. We were collected from our chalets and escorted to the main building to board the safari boat each morning, and escorted to our villas after dinner each evening.

Various views of inside and outside our chalet

Each morning at 6am we boarded a safari boat to see the sun rise and watch the animals come down to the water. Hot tea/coffee and snacks were available on the boat to tide us over until we returned to the lodge at 8am for breakfast. We would get off the boat and walk straight into the dining area to order our hot breakfast. Then each evening at 4 PM we boarded the safari boat and headed out with our choice of drinks (beer, wines, spirits, soft drinks) on board and several tasty snacks. For 3 hours we would watch animals as they came down to drink in the river. We saw elephants, hippos, Impala, monkeys, kudu, crocodiles and numerous birdlife. Around 6.30pm we would sit and experience an African sunset before heading back to the lodge for dinner. 

Dining area

The open air dining room looked out over the Chobe river and was a most delightful setting for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They switched it around a little and one day served us lunch with table service out by the pool area and then one evening we had dinner out under the stars. Very memorable. Wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks were readily available for lunch, dinner and anytime in between. 

Aboard boat heading out for sunset safari

Sunset safari

We could have stepped out on the shore 

We  had the opportunity to visit a local village - one of our staff came from that village. It was very basic, with no electricity apart from an ingenious set up from a battery terminal, and some solar charging of mobile phones. The floods had caused many adobe huts to be evacuated and the inhabitants were camping in makeshift shelters on higher ground. The children went by canoe to school a few villages away.

Jenny is handing out gifts to village children 

Canoe ride where the bird life was prolific

On our last full day at Chobe, we were sitting having lunch with our hosts Andre and Anne Marie when we mentioned that we had yet to see giraffes. The host was surprised and pointed to the opposite bank of the river on the Botswana side, saying that they often saw giraffes over there. With that, Murray’s beady eyes picked up movement on the far bank and sure enough, the movement turned out to be giraffes. The hosts invited us to pop into the boat and motor straight across the river to check out our first sighting of giraffes in the wild. We were stoked. There were several giraffes and a herd of impala - the animals are often seen together, as they are look outs for each other. We had a great introduction to the African wildlife at Chobe, and the Safari Lodge laid it all on for us. 

First giraffe sighting...

Africa 2018

This has been our first trip to South Africa, and I must say that we have not been disappointed. I do not know what I expected, but it has been all that and more. We flew the 14 hours to Johannesburg with our friends Jenny and Peter, and we were all looking forward to our African experience. 

Our travel agent Steve organized the Africa component of our trip through a company called Bench Africa. What a hassle free way to travel in a third-world country. We did not have to worry about security or transport, as everything went like clockwork. All tour drivers were punctual and very accommodating. The majority of the tours that we did in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and even Chobe in Namibia, were private- just for the four of us. 

Our first stop in Africa was Johannesburg and after a night’s sleep, we were picked up to do a tour of Soweto (stands for South West Township). It has slum areas, a high unemployment rate and a very sad racial history. 

We saw Nelson Mandela‘s tiny home where he lived before he was incarcerated on Robin Island, and also his latest home where he lived with his wife Winnie. Across the road and down a few blocks from Mandela's original home, Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s current home is located. 

Throughout the country you can see accommodation areas known as Mandela Projects - housing for the poor that are built with solar panels (for power and hot water). They have been a welcome improvement from the hovels many still live in that only have an out house, no bathroom, no running water and no electricity yet house 8 people. Apart from the poor areas, Johannesburg could be mistaken for any large city with its multi-lane highways and modern shopping centers. 

Typical Slum Area

The Sands of Time...

Don't die of shock. Yes, I have finally returned to update the blog after a hiatus of 5 months - gosh, where did those months go? The sands of time keep slowly sifting through the hourglass. You see, I regularly put my photos up on facebook, and it is not until someone asks what we have been up to and they mention how quiet I have been on my blog that I remember that not everyone is on Facebook!

So just to catch up very quickly, the end of 2017 saw Murray grow a moustache and beard to raise money for Movember, a charity that raises money for Men's Health. In the photo above we not only see Murray's moustache and beard before he shaved it off, but also my eldest brother Tracy (second from right), flanked by two of his sons (Greg and Matthew), my eldest sister Gemma (second from left), her husband Bill next to her, and one of their 5 daughters (Claire) who always has the biggest smile and is at the back (3rd from left). Then the host and hostess - my second eldest brother Tony, and his wife Yudian, and last but not least, my youngest sister Ret wearing black and white (next to me in the front) and her husband Peter (hiding behind Ret and Yudian!). This was an early Christmas sibling reunion, as Gemma and Bill had plans to spend their Christmas with family in Perth. 

Christmas was another lovely event in our Christian calendar, and we had several social celebrations. My Ballina girls group had our annual Christmas lunch and exchanged small gifts - mine were all home cooking (Thermomix) goodies. The four of us did a lot of fun things during 2017 - we exercise together on Mondays, walk together on Tuesdays, and usually manage to have lunch once a month. Three of us attended an evening at a witty show Menopause Musical - great laughs. Our annual weekend trip for 2017 was to Yamba. 

Carol, Julie, Trish, Jenny Christmas 2017

Rose made a delicious Christmas cake this year: Siblings: Rose and Ret in front, and Tony and I at the rear

Happy 94th Birthday Dympna - L-R Kath, Anne, Murray, Dympna, Pat, Mary and Marie

At the end of January, my dear Aunt Dympna celebrated her 94th birthday. She enjoyed several  celebrations, but this one was at our place, where we invited just a few of her friends to dinner. In this photo we are on our back patio having pre-dinner drinks (Aperol/champagne spritzers) before moving inside for the main event.

Some of you ask about my nephew Jackson - he turned 4 at the end of last year and is growing up into a delightful and much loved little boy. Here he is collecting easter eggs this year. 

My bookclub group resumed in February 2018 and our first meeting was to be held on a refurbished ferry owned by Dona, one of our members. Dona kindly took us all onboard, and we had a gentle boat ride up the river, with some of us trying our hand at steering the boat. 

The most exciting thing to happen to me this year has been the engagement of my eldest son Benn to his lovely Daina. Benn first brought Daina to meet us in Canberra in August 2006, and since then, they have had many great escapades together. Their latest adventure was a tall ship's experience in the Antarctic, where Benn took things to another level by proposing to Daina. Both families couldn't be happier.

To celebrate the engagement, Benn's dad (my ex) Wayne, and his lovely lady Wendy (on the right of the photo below) joined us with friends and family on the Gold Coast.

A toast to Benn and Daina's engagement

Now it is time to start packing for our next adventure - Murray and I are flying to South Africa with Jenny and Peter. We will spend almost 3 weeks in South Africa and while there at our safari camp, we will be joined by an ex-RAAF colleague friend of ours, Nadia. After South Africa Jenny, Peter, Murray and I fly to Europe where we will do a 14 day bus trip with COSMOS. We also toured the UK (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) as well as Spain, Portugal and Morocco with COSMOS on previous trips, and they have been a wonderful tour company that suits our needs. 

After our bus tour ends, Jenny and Peter fly to the UK, and we will continue on in Europe for a few more weeks (visiting Amsterdam, Dubrovnik, Medjugorje and Sarajevo) before our final stop - a week in Hong Kong. It will be our first visit to Hong Kong, and a few friends have passed on some handy sight seeing tips and general Hong Kong info to help us to get the most out of our trip. Thanks Meg, Eliza and Hume! 

I daresay the next blog update will be from South Africa. Here's hoping a few elephants and giraffes appear for a photo shoot. Meanwhile, I'll leave you with this photo taken on Thursday this week, with Gemma and Aunt Dympna - autumn has arrived, but we are still able to enjoy glorious sunny days.