Margot and Zara writing March 11

Kgalagadi: Lion having a rest!

Margot’s writing March 2011

24/03 Lions at Kalagati

Yesterday was our lucky game viewing day. We did see jumpy springboks and beautiful elegant gemsboks but I think you have already guessed what the highlight was …Lions. Our first sighting of them were OK because they were lying under a big tree in the shade. But the second time there was a big pot bellied female lying half in the shade of a beautiful acacia. She didn’t even open an eye to peep at us as she was in an extremely deep sleep. We drove up next to her and I took some cool pic’s. Earlier on, we also saw a cheetah but from kind of far. The lion is my first favourite type of wild cat and for my next life, I think I will be one.

28/03 Sand dunes at Sossusvlei

Last Saturday, mum woke us up very early. She carried us carefully into the car. Then we drove away in a cloud of dust. When we were half way there, I asked dad where we were going. He said we were going to a place called Sossusvlei (Which means the pan of Sossus), where there are tons of huge sand dunes. We scrambled up one of them to see the sunrise and had breakfast at the top with Cherrios and Pronutro. We watched the Ghekos and Toktokies scurry away along the sand for a long time. They made funny little track that made groovy patterns on the sand. Back at camp, we went to the museum (or what seems like one). It said that the sand that forms the sand dunes comes all the way from the brutal strong Orange River, then thrown into the sea and then brought inland by the freezing Benguela current. It is then blown onto the land by strong sea winds. The sand from those sand dunes isn’t any type of sand you find at the beach, it varies from bright red to soft orange. The next day I was really happy to have a nice big sleep-in!

2/04 The Cheetah Chase

Yesterday, we were driving along in Ethosha Game Reserve when we saw some people had stopped. So we drove up next to them and we saw a cheetah in the long grass. The cheetah was walking away from us so we continued down the road until we found an off-road. We eventually found the cheetah again on a small ridge. The road went over the ridge and on the opposite side of the cheetah was a big herd of springboks. They hadn’t seen her yet and were lying down. The cheetah was stalking them and you could tell because she was crouching down behind a small shrub. Every now and then, she would move closer to the springboks. We all said that she was going to go for the little one lying down on our side of the little dry river bed. She kept crawling closer and closer, and when she reached the bottom of the ridge, she started jogging across the short grass. The little springbok only realized this only when the cheetah was half way across the road. Then, the cheetah bolted for the springbok. The frightened springbok got up and ran. He made a few sharp turns as if to get away from the cheetah but she kept right on his tail. Then the cheetah did a mighty pounce and jumped on the poor springbok. It took only 10 seconds for her to catch that springbok but if she had got her tactic wrong, she wouldn’t have had dinner for the whole day or even the whole week! We listened in silence to the gurgling noises of the dying springbok. All the others hadn’t a clue what had happened and moved closer for a better look. They got such a fright when they saw a cheetah suckling their best friend’s blood! We learnt a lot from that day: that the cheetah hunts with the wind in her face, the jacals are the first to the kill, the cheetah strangles its prey and lots of other things like that. I would love to have a pet cheetah to race my two cats Shaka and Hetfield.

Zara’s writing March-April

2011 20/03

Diamonds, diamonds in the earth, they are sold a thousand worth,

Some for rich men some for the stream,

Some for the queen who has a sparkle in her dream. Zara Inglis

24/03 Zara wrote this story in the Kgalagati Transfrontier Park (Kalahari)

Funny Mates!

We arrived at Nossob campsite on Wednesday. It was very late so we just had a pizza for dinner. The next morning we woke up and saw ten ground squirrels rushing to find food (Zara checked the spelling of squirrels in the dictionary by herself). When we saw nuts on the table, we rushed out of the tent and each grabbed a handfull of nuts and walked slowly towards them and threw a few nuts to them. They ate all the nuts and ran towards us. I had an idea: I put a nut on the ground. A squirrel ran to the nut and picked it up with his two paws and ate it. While he was eating, I put my hand on his back. He was so fritend (frightened). He ran away with his nut. His furr was very ruff and the tail was soft. When we had finished, we went for a game drive and saw lots of things.

28/03 We woke up at 5:30am to walk up a dune for sunrise. The dunes are very orange. We ran back to the car and went back to our tents. We went to the restarant (restaurant) and saw a piece of paper that said: “the sand of these sand dunes come from the rough and tough Orange River, then in the calm Atlantic and blown out with the stormy wind and shaped like they are”.

2/04 Cheetah Chase

We woke up as early as usual to go for a game drive. It wasn’t what we expected it to be. First we saw springboks and zebras. We drove on and saw a baby gnu. For the last ten minutes we saw nothing. We saw a car that had stopped. Then , we saw the fastest, spotyiest (spottiest) cheetah. We kept following it. We saw it going over a small ridge. We went around on a small road and over the ridge. Then, we saw it properly (properly). There was a herd of springboks so he stayd (stayed) right down. He went closer and closer to the road. Then he sprinted whith (with) all the springboks seeing him. It was spectacular! When he sprang up on the springbok and strangled it then the springbok gave up and died. We watched a bit and then we went back home. It is said that “the stronger you are and the faster you go, the more food you get”. Namibian dolls

School at Manutoni camp, Ethosha, Namibia

Margot and Zara Writing Jan-March 11

Margot’s Writing (Jan-March 2011)

5 Jan 2011 Plaits

Last Monday Siphesihle (my Zulu friend) asked if I wanted my hair plaited the Zulu way. I said “off course,I would love to”. So the next day, Spee (her nickname) brought her auntie’s friend from Mozambique who was staying with her and is a hairdresser to do my hair. She started with the hair behind my ear. At first, it really hurt but afterwards I got used to it. She took at least two hours to finish but it looked so beautiful though because it was zig-zagy at the top. It looked a little bit different to Spee’s because my scull is white and my hair is brown. I will probably take them out in two weeks or so. Now everyone thinks I am so beautiful.

13th Jan 2011 Waterfall

Last weekend our family went to Border Cave next to Ingwavuna. At first it looked like there was going to be a humongous thunderstorm because the sky was very black. When we arrived we could see the dumps of rain pouring down over Swaziland like a patchwork quilt. But we didn’t get rained on one drip in the night. The next morning, the sun was up so we went to find the waterfall that our friends were raving about. It took us a lot of explanation to get there but in the end we arrived. We had a wonderful time swimming under it and jumping into the nice cool pool. The others got cold very fast so we had to leave. I would really like to go back to that awesome waterfall.

18th Jan 2011 Kids Club

Last weekend my family and I went to Sodwana Bay because Enzemvelo KZN Wildlife Kids Club invited me and Zara. We went specially to see the turtles. There were lots of other nice children there and we soon made good friends. In the evening, we pilled into an army truck and set off down the beach. We drove for ages but we didn’t see any turtles. The next morning we woke-up very early to go snorkeling. There were lots of nice colourful fishes. We had a lovely day playing in the waves. That evening, we went on another drive but this time we went all the way to Mabibi and on the way back we saw two turtles on the beach. I really love Kids Club.

4th Feb 2011 The eye

Yesterday, we went to the Waterfront in Cape Town. We spent most of the afternoon in the aquarium. We saw lots of different fish. There were sharks and lots of other different animals. My favourite was the penguins feeking. Later, Granny arrived so we went on the Eye. Ot was really big. It went round four times. It was a little bit scary at the top because the wind was really strong and the cable car rocked from side to side. We had a really nice time.

12th Feb 2011 Elephants

Last weekend Mum, Dad, Zara and I went on a kids weekend. We did lots of fun kids stuff. The first night we stayed at Nibela Lake Lodge. Then on Saturday, we went to Endoneni to see the cheetahs and the next day, we went to bayete Zulu to see elephants. It was a very nice day and I think it was the best thing we did on the whole weekend. We were sitting in the boma sort of place and the elephants came right up to the fence and we hugged them and fed them. There was a big dad elephant called Rumbo, a mum elephant called Rachel and a small baby called Jabulani. Rumbo was the friendliest and so I fed him lots. We fed them horse pellets. When I looked at Rumbo, I could see he had really rough skin. I think elephants are so intelligent.

15th Feb 2011 Elephants 2

Elephants are the most intelligent animals I have ever met. When we went for an elephant interaction at Bayete Zulu, we were in the middle of nowhere with a two feet electric fence separating us from the elephants. We also had a very nice guide called Francois. He taught us lots of things about elephants. Now, I know that elephants walk on their tiptoes, that they have Jacobson’s glands just under their trunk that are really cool because it is like the elephant’s computer (eg an elephant was trying to push this tree down and she is in oestrus and she is gone in the direction of South). Isn’t that amazing! We learnt lots of other things too like that they have 100,000 muscles in their trunk. After his long speech, the tree elephants came to have some food. Their were a little family with a dad called Rambow, a mum called Rachel and the baby called Jabulani. Rambow was really relaxed so we could touch him lots. When we gave him the horse pellets, he would feel how much there were and if there weren’t enough, he would come and plead for more. When I stood between Rambow’s tusks and looked up into his eyes, he curled his trunk around me and I have never felt happier in my life. I would really love to have a pet elephant but Dad says an elephant is too big!

16th Feb 2011 Archeology

Last weekend Zara and I made an archeology site in our garden. We know how to make them as we have been to Border Cave and that is where they found the oldest baby bones in SA. I think our archeology site is really cool because first we dug square holes and found lots of small bits and pieces that we pretented were bits of human bones. Then, we put all those bits and pieces in a box and got some rubbish bags, filled them with sand and sat them on the edge of the holes. Then, so that the sides didn’t fall in, we put wet sand on them. Our archeology is the best one I have ever seen.

22nd Feb 2011 A Year at Mseleni

We have spent one year at Mseleni. Before I was in a rush to get home but now I could stay forever. We have made Mseleni our home but now we have to move on. I have to find someone to look after my cat Shaka. The house is nearly empty. I do want to leave because we are going to have a great time travelling in Southern Africa. But I also don’t want to go because we have to take the most disgusting malaria tablets so we don’t’ get malaria and I promise you, they are disgusting as we had a test try two weeks ago but we only have to take them once a week. I am really going to miss that little Shaka because I found him when he was a tiny kitten. I am also going to miss waking up in the morning grabbing a granadilla or a mano. And the thing I will miss the most is going to Wentzel’s house to watch a movie or jump on the trampoline. I think they will be really sad too. On Friday evening we will camp at the lake and have a braii. So, goodbye everyone at Mseleni.

8 March 2011 Beading

Last weekend Zara and I went to Haggis, my Dad’s friend’s house. We went there because Mum and Dad were maintain biking with Haggis’ partner. While they were gone, Zara, Haggis and I went to “Bead and Beyond”, a really cool bead shop with about every beads you can imagine. Haggis bought us trillions of beads. We also chose some beads to make mum and dad a necklace. We nearly spent the whole day beading. Then, when we had finished our necklaces for mum and dad, Haggis said that we could make lots of necklaces and bracelets and sell them to the locals on the way so we could get some pocket money. My favourite bracelet that I have done is a bracelet with big blue beads with smaller green beads and tiny red ones in between. Most of the bracelets we made are African themed. I think we are going to be rich!

14 March 2011 Golden Gate (Drakensberg)

On Friday last week, we stayed at Sani Pass top (2865m). To get there, there was a really steep mountain that was a zigzag gravel road (lucky we didn’t have the trailer!). Sani Pass is in Lesotho (a very poor country in the middle of SA). The next day, we drove through Lesotho to Golden Gate back in South Africa, It was really sunny when we arrived so we decided to set up camp. That evening, there was so much rain that Mum had to dig a trench around the tents. The next morning, we woke up and it was sunny again. Zara and I spent most of the morning making things out of clay that we found next to the river. Soon after, we went on a nice walk in the mountains. Dad read one of the brochure that we found at reception to us about the history of Golden Gate. He said that Golden Gate was named after the two huge cliffs on either side of the road and in the evening, the light shines on the cliffs and it makes them golden. Today we might go horse riding in Lesotho. I am mad about horses so I think it is going to be so fun!

17 March 2011 Horse Treck

On Monday we left Golden Gate to come to Malealea Lodge in Lesotho. It was a really long drive because we had to drive half way around Lesotho. We didn’t drive through Lesotho because people said the road was really rough. As soon as we got to Malealea, Zara and I wanted to explore everything but it was nearly dark so we went to listen to the Malealea Band playing instead. Later that evening Mum made us a nice lumpy warm butternut soup. The next morning, we woke up bright and early because Dad said we would go horse riding for two days. I was so excited because horses are my favourite animals. We had a quick breakfast and then sprinted at full speed up to the stables. They saddled the horses for us and as quick as a flash the horses were ready to ride. Michel and Chere were our guides and Michel put me on a small grey thin horse called Topy. At first, I didn’t think she was pretty but now I know she is the best horse in the whole world. Zara’s horse Supertex was the prettiest as she had a half moon on her forehead and she was a light brown creamy colour. Mum’s horse Bofo was a chestnut colour and she hated Dad’s horse Boulette. Boulette was a dark brown horse and he was a classic dominant male and every time Mum tried to overtake him, he would either kick of bite. The start of the ride was pretty easy because it was on the road but as soon as we got to the cliffs above the river, it got hard. We had to go down the cliffs on horse back, cross the river and walk up the other side! My Topy did all this without problem except that he stumbled once or twice on the down hill. At the river, Chere and the packhorse crossed first. Then Topy set off like a bullet across the river after them. She had a delightful swim but we did get across. On the uphill, it was much easier for the horse so it took half the time than going down. After 6 hours of riding, we arrived very tired in a little village. We took the horses’ saddles and halters off so they could graze. All the village houses were made out of stone and we soon made friends with the local children. We made a little shelter and a small dam that overflowed. We slept on mattresses in a small stone hut with mud walls and floors. The next morning, we left for Malealea at 7:15 am but this time, we rode past some bushman’s paintings. We walked 15 minutes down to the caves. The pictures were really cool because they were on a real rock and not in a museum. On the way back, the horses were fidgety and trotted when we didn’t want them to. They were so happy to get home and went straight to eat hay. Last night we camped at Malealea in the rain and it is still raining. I hope it doesn’t rain tonight too!

Zara’s Writing (Jan-March 2011):

5 January 2011 We went for a walk at Ithala. We found an enormous spider. It was on it’s nest. It had two spikes on its sides. It was a nice red color. We had to go past it. Howe wold we do that? We went around it! Then we carried on up the hill and back down again. 20 january 1011 Kids Club We went to Sodwana bay loge wiht (with) Kids Club. We were staying there for two nights. The first evening we went in a big army truck. We drove on the beach for owers (hours) on anb (and) on. After, we stoped (stopped) we saw a huge net. Nets are not good for turtles. Turtles eat blue things. We found a blue net. Turtles get cowt (caught) in nets. The next evening we went on the same truck. We saw lots of turtles. But they did not lay eggs.

1st Feb 2011 My visit to the Cape Town Aquarium.

I went to the Cape Town aquarium. It was fantastic. We saw a huge moray eel. She was lying in the rocks. We also saw the biggest frog in Southern Africa. It is called an African Bullfrog. We saw rockhopper penguins and African penguins. I love the aquarium.

8th Feb 2011 I went on a long trip to Namibia. It was funny. We went up steap (steep) and slippery mountains. When we got there, it was the middle of the night. I went to bed. Good night!

11th Feb 2011 Our sand museum.

My sister and I made a sand museum. We made lots of cool things out of sand. The sand was hard. We had a graet (great) time. I love sand. We got a stick and drew the outline. We rubed (rubbed) a stick on the hard sand. Then we pulled the hard sand off the other hard sand. We had lots and lots of fun.

14th Feb 2011 I wrote this story for Zara: Bayete Zulu We went to Bayete Zulu to touch the elephants. It was marvelous. When we came into the gate, we saw a man who opened the gate for us. He was so nice. We saw the three elephants coming. He took my sister and I to feed and touch the elephants. Then Mum and Dad came to join us. We sat down on a chair and the guide told us all about the elephants. Elephant can feel danger in their legs.They can hear the very, very low rumbling voice of other elephants. That’s how they talk. Elephants stand on their tiptoes. After that, we gave horse pellets to the elephants. The Dad was called Rumbo, the Mum was called Rachel and the baby was called Jabulani. Rumbo has a collar so that our guide knows where he is. He is the only one with a collar because the tree elephants always stay together. Our guide sometimes goes down in his bakki, finds the elephants and says “Home Gate”. And the elephants go to the gate by themselves. I love elephants!

24th Feb 2011 The mud bug.

I found a little patch of mud in the middle of my garden. I thought it was a good place to plant something. So I planted something. The next day, they werr (were) not what I expected. I did not see it spouting. Then, I found a bug, a brown bug. It was a mud bug!

8th March 2011 Mary Mac Geyss what?

We went to Mary Mac’s house. We swam for a long, long time. We had lots and lots and lots of fun. We played ships and sumbereens (submarines). Ships and sumbereens is a very very fun game. I love Mary Mac.

17th March 2011 We went for a two day horse ride from Malealea Lodge. We went to a small hut. On the way, we went down a big cliff. It was very rocky and my horse (Supertex) and I were terrified. We slipped and tripped and jumped. After the big downhill, we crossed a big, bad, brown fast flowing river. My horse was so thirsty. When we got to the other side, it was only uphill. Then we got to a small arewa where we had a snack. We jumped onto our horses and we zoomed off. “Feuf, we’re there!” I adore horses!!

Cheetah Chase

Sand Boarding in the Swakopmund sand dunes, Namibia Insect on wire, Kgalagadi National park

CHEETAH CHASE

For Ilda, Margot and Zara after we all witnessed our first Cheetah chase at Etosha Game Reserve, Namibia 1st April 2011

Proud and elegant in golden grass
A lithe cat in another class.
Its ears pinned back to catch the sounds
Sniffing the breeze, watching mounds.
She glides along like a shadow
Crouched and waiting in a hollow.
Across the plain the Springbuck graze
Oblivious in the sun they laze.
They bleat and frolic and lie around
Enjoying the rich grass abound.
Ever closer the fine cat does steal
Preparing her attack with zeal.
Downwind she waits like a rock
Watching her prey, taking stock.
Then suddenly she strides towards the herd
And up above a massive bird.
A vulture watching like a ghost
Waiting to pounce and make the most.
But now the Cheetah is in full dash
And only then the buck sees the flash.
In a flurry she’s on her feet
Soon to be Cheetah meat.
Her frantic sprint is in vain
The cheetahs speed is insane
They twist and turn in a fatal duel
The cheetah’s strength oh so cruel.
Her lethal claws tear into flesh
Blood spews forth red, and fresh.
In a cloud of dust the race is done
The cheetah her vital trophy has won.
And suddenly again all is serene
Maybe it was all just a dream.

More lions, Golden sand dunes, Namib desert and more rain….

Family shadow on Sossusvlei sand dune

More lions, Golden sand dunes, Namib desert and more rain…. 23rd to 30th March 2011 Nossob campsite in the far north of the Kalagadi Transfrontier Park is remote, has an awesome pool and is frequented by dozens of ground squirrels which Zara befriends in minutes and (naughtily) has them feeding out of the palm of her hand. We feel relaxed here and pause for some rest and time to do a bit more school work. The small visitor museum is excellent and provides good material for a natural history quiz for the girls, honing their knowledge on amazing birds here like the Lappet faced vulture with its massive beak for disemboweling the carcass and displays on Leopard, Meerkat and Brown Hyena to name a few. It is also a time to reflect on where we are at and what we are up to. We have been on the road for nearly a month and time hurtles by and I am sure this will all be over faster than we can imagine. Already days of the week have become irrelevant, the date vaguely interesting, my razor lost and world news somewhat distant. Our programme revolves around trying to get some schooling done (averaging 3.5days per week of formal schoolwork and then plenty of teaching on the trot including talking books (thanks so much Leigh!), crosswords, museums, historical and geographical sights and wildlife) and we remain in contact with the girls lovely teacher Lesley in New Zealand. Ilda continues to do magic and stay Zen and remains enthused with the whole programme. There is the occasional anxiety that our kids are turning into intellectual retards traipsing around African campsites, but overall we reckon that this trip will stand them in good stead! The family experience has been amazing. No more is Dad on call, tired or grumpy and we are moving and living as a cohesive unit. The girls are involved in the camp and Margot can pack up her tent in minutes and is a great help. Zara needs a bit more encouragement but does well and both of them have adapted amazingly to this peripatetic existence and itinerant classroom, one day in a game reserve, the next in the desert. Otherwise we drift northwards taking in the sights, reading lots and fussing over what my physio friends call the ADL’s( activities of daily living) cooking, washing, packing up etc which seem to take up far more time than I would have hoped! Our aim is to reach Rwanda by June where we will spend a month and I will work as a volunteer in a Mission Hospital.

Oryx at the Kgalagadi National Park, SA

Lions at the Kgalagadi

Dry Nossob River bed, Kgalagadi

Donkey cart heading West, Namib desert, Namibia Camp #17, Sessiem, the gate to Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namibia From Nossob we head west to Mata Mata camp site still in the Kalagadi park and that night need to prepare supper in virtual darkness thanks to a plague of moths which seem intent on penetrating ones nasal passages and becoming part of the dinner stew. The drive over is memorable for an epic lion sighting where three females virtually walk into our car! We sit back and enjoy the spectacle of them firstly drinking at the nearby waterhole and then holding an attentive vigil down-wind of the hole, occasionally crawling up to sniff the breeze and cowering at the bush line with ears back searching for dinner. We are torn away by the deadline and need to be back in camp by sunset. The campsite has a floodlit waterhole and we see a few jittery Oryx come down for a drink. Our fellow travelers are also interesting and we have met all sorts. Sadly children are lacking as most must be at school and we hope, as we progress north, to meet more over-landers with kids. Many of the travelers are retirees and then there are a number of the big over-land trucks carrying excited backpackers, until we hit Namibia where the Germans seem to migrate like thirsty wildebeest.

Sossusvlei sand dunes at sunrise, Namibia

From Mata Mata we ease into Namibia and are amazed by the amazing dirt road which is smooth and fast. We cover some big miles traversing the country to get to Sesriem and the amazing Sossusvlei sand dunes. Margot’s school dictation sets the scene. “The sand dunes at Sossusvlei are one of the great wonders of the world. Their magnitude and beauty defy belief. Every day hundreds of tourists flock to marvel at this natural wonder. A sixty kilometre drive along a sealed road takes you to within five kilometers of the vlei and the final short section involves a fun filled and challenging 4x4 track. The sight that meets you is indeed breathtaking and is best viewed as the first soft trays of dawn caress the mammoth orca coloured dunes. The dunes are formed from sand carried by the mighty Orange River which, after being deposited in the sea, are carried northwards by the icy cold Benguela current and then blown back onto land by strong sea winds. Up to four thousand cubic metres per year of sand serve to keep the dunes well stocked.” Incredibly here we meet up with our good friend Sarah, and her family, from Mseleni and share a walk in the Sesriem canyon and a lovely ice-cold beer.

The road to Swakopmund is a jaw rattling corrugated epic, but we make it in one piece. We stop in a hamlet called Solitaire for world-famous apple crumble and then at the Rockstock Ritz, an eccentric igloo-shaped lodge in the desert, for a cold beer. The country changes dramatically and by the time we reach Walvis Bay we are surrounded by complete sand with golden coastal dunes. It is a relief to see the Atlantic and we celebrate with dinner at The Tug, a superb restaurant next to crashing waves, and sip on chilled, cool, crisp Sauvignon. Mary and Richard Baines (parents of long time varsity mate Stu) look after us in Swakop (thanks so much!) and we love the mood of this coastal town with its wide streets and laid back feeling. The town is a buzz because the local Swakop river is in flood and is flowing into the sea for the first time in about 100 years. We join the excited throng to witness the spectacle. The rough road took its toll on the car and I take the plunge and have the shocks replaced by a local mechanic. An expensive and tiresome business but we are certainly riding more smoothly now. After visits to the museum, sandboarding, a morning waterfront trot and plunge in the sea (a lot warmer than Cape Town!), and kite flying with Mary we are back on the road and aim North West.

Storm brewing in the desert, Namibia

Swako river in flood in the Atlantic Ocean

The road to Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberge (burning mt.) at over 2700m, is so straight that the road and telephone poles converge and then disappear in a shimmering haze that plays tricks on the mind. Coastal blue sky gives way to towering coal black cumulus and we find ourselves in a catastrophic thunderstorm with sheets of rain, daggers of lightning and a desert road that rapidly becomes a river. We are late so check into the backpacker of the Brandenberg rest house and feast on delicious Gemsbok steak and cold Hansa beer. Basil, the proprietor, (not quite Faulty Towers, but something like that) insists that Ilda and I try his “Brand-water”, a homemade spirit washed down following a generous sniff of snuff and a blast from a mallet which gives a sensation of a massive explosion somewhere beneath my pituitary gland that certainly nearly blows my head off! The girls love the place with its massive pool, talking parrots, kittens and quirkiness but we throw caution to the wind and elect to press on to Etosha. We stop at the incredible red mountain with its tumbling and giant granite marbles and enjoy a wonderful couple of hours amble up a cool stream to see the famous “White Lady” rock art. Estimated to be about 2000 years old the well preserved paintings were initially thought to represent an early European white female settler but sense has prevailed and current thinking is that these depict a medicinal ethnic ritual in graphic detail. After lunch we press on to Etosha, apprehensive that we may find it submerged thanks to record rainfall. The park is greener and wetter than ever with the famous dry pan now a lake. Unperturbed we check into the camp and enjoy a bit of R&R with a fabulous pool and clear skies. We do get our first taste of scary pricing at R500 night just to camp! Fortunately we negotiate a bit of a discount as SADAC members (of course we are South African!) and thus free up a bit of cash for beer! Game is scarce, Germans are prolific, Black backed jackals patrol the campsite and a 04.00 excursion to the floodlit waterhole adjoining the camp was fruitful only for sightings of Giant eagle owl and spectacular stars. The Leopard still evades us!

Dinner in Swakopmund Namibia

Desert drive with storm ahead

Sandy after "Basis's bomb"

Branberg mountains, Namibia

Bushman's paintings, Branberg Mountains, Namibia

School at Namutoni camp, Ethosha, Namibia

Muddy Hyenna

Black Rhino grasing!!

Secretary bird and Cheetah after chase

Typical scene at Ethosha

Ponies in Lesotho, Big Hole, Augrabies and on to Kgalagadi.

Augrabies Falls National Park

Ponies in Lesotho, The Big Hole, Augrabies and on to Kalagadi Transfrontier park

14 to 22^nd March 2011

After a fabulous run in the hills and a wealth of game including Eland, we farewell the red cliffs of Golden Gate national Park and arc around the kingdom of Lesotho, to enter via the capital Maseru. The border crossing is a breeze and I have to smile at the official’s total disinterest in the fact that, as a family, we are travelling on passports from three different countries. Maybe this will come back to bite us later though! We avoid Maseru and head instead for Malealea, about an hour towards the foothills of the mountains, where we are welcomed by the “Gates of Paradise Pass” which indeed provides a vista that is a taste of what is to come.

Horse trek in Malealea

Our delightful hosts allow us to camp next to one of the chalets as the campsite is full with “Contiki-type” over-landers and we are able to use all the excellent facilities. This place is a gem, calm, clean and colourful with a local band and choir performing each evening. We waste no time and give in to the girls pleading to go riding and set off on a two day trek the following morning. Our Basutho ponies are perfect with docile temperaments, which makes me feel a little bit happier about cow-girl Zara being on her own. The first descent and river crossing, however, had even Ilda and me gulping back a hint of anxiety, but the girls handled it, like the ponies, in their stride.

Zara with locals on overnight camp

The experience is unforgettable with panoramic views of Drakensberg-type mountains, numerous clear river crossings and lots of opportunity to interact with the locals as we pass through their villages. Sadly my Sotho is limited to “Dumela” which gets us an enthusiastic response anyway. We overnight in a mud hut with the locals and Margot and Zara defy linguistic barriers and are building forts and dams with the local kids in no time at all. A stroll around the village is rich for the cultural experience; an elderly ‘gogo’ inhales vigorously on her snuff and outlines the production process; another ‘mama’ leans over her black pots which steam with delicious concoctions which Margot pleads for instead of our stodge; herd-boys return home with their bell-ringing goats and cows and, while the women labour, the men chatter idly under a brush shade that serves as a chicken roost at night.

Bushman's painting

We return home the next morning via some exceptional Bushmen paintings which incredibly are about 23 000 years old and depict beautifully the life of these first settlers of Southern Africa. Back at Malealea our hosts invite us to braai with them and a rainy rest day is perfect for the girls to get back to school.

Basutho boy

Basutho hut at overnight camp

Back on the road we elect to head back into SA and west to Bloemfontein and get there late thanks to continual roadwork which plagues SA roads right now. The stop is worth it though and I am relieved to pick up my credit card and we visit the world renowned Oliewenhuis Art Museum which houses a fabulous selection of South African art. After a good coffee in the gardens we continue our sojourn west towards Kimberly where we camp for the night.

Margot showing distances covered from Mseleni to Kimberley

Kimberley Big Hole

An early start sees us first in the queue to visit the Big Hole which is the biggest manually dug hole in the world. The diamond rush in the late 1800’s triggered SA’s industrial revolution and De Beers is still today one of the leading diamond producers world-wide. The 800m hole is impressive and a viewing platform gives us a bird’s eye view but it is the short movie in a spanking new theatre and the underground mining experience with noise and blasting included that gets the girls vote. Margot and Zara now know that the 4-C’s of cut, colour, clarity and carat is what diamonds are all about. Good luck boys!

School at Golden Gate

We follow the sun traversing the Northern Cape and then following the mighty Orange River (a tributary of which we had crossed on our ride in Lesotho) to Upington. This is a part of SA that I have not visited and conjures up memories of military call-ups in the bad days. The country is arid but cultivation is rich along the river with miles of vineyards and is now Irish green. We refuel (at nearly R10 per litre!) and push on to Augrabies national park, so named by the Khoesaan people for whom “Aukoerbis” meant “place of great noise”.

Looking down towards the valley of the Orange River

This is familiar territory for me having been here in my varsity days when a white water kayaking trip nearly went badly wrong and watching the incredibly powerful, surging brown water made the hair stand up on the back of my neck

Augrabies Falls- 600 cumec's

The falls are staggering in their might and signs of the recent 6700 cumec flood abound with trashed viewing platforms and walkways and driftwood perched high and dry. Half the campsite is closed thanks to the flood carnage but we find a grassy patch under some trees where school can happen once again. Ilda does magic with the school programme and miraculously keeps the girls attention. They revel in the swimming pool with the outside temp at 35degrees Celsius and I enjoy a sunrise run along the Dassie trail with lots of rocks and river crossings and spectacular views of the gorge. A large troop of baboons prevents me getting to Arrow point but the walk onto Moon Rock for the sunrise is spectacular.

Orange river gorge at sunset

We once again squeeze everything into the Pathfinder and drive due north. The scenery is stark and so it is a relief to arrive at the Kalagadi Transfrontier Park which straddles Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. Rains have been good and so the grass is long which makes for difficult game viewing but excitement abounds in the campsite and there is talk of numerous cat sightings. We rise early for a spectacular sunrise and are treated to a large herd of soaked Springbok and sightings of the majestic Gemsbok with his sword like horns. Signs in the park point to camps nearly 250km away which reminds us of the enormity of this amazing wilderness. Tomorrow we dive to Nossob camp on the Botswana border about 150km away and from there on to Namibia.

Mighty Orange river at sunset