Reimposta ricerca
This is not a holiday!!
Attualmente in viaggio
  • Misadventures Of Wanda

This is not a holiday!!

Join us as we travel back to South Africa to move our car from Cape Town to Pretoria exploring along the way Leggi altro
SeguiPanoramicaPanoramicaCalendarioCalendarioCondividiCondividiLista dei desideri
Prima i più vecchi
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Kalahari Trails Day 2

    29 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We had a great nights sleep wild camping in the Kalahari. It was unbelievably quiet and we really feel this place is wild even though we are only 2km from the main house.
    First thing I did was light the donkey boiler so we would have hot water to shower. Then we both had a couple of coffees and rusks. Unfortunately the boiler went out so my shower was Luke warm but Ellie managed a hot one an hour later after egg scramble for breakfast.
    At 10am we left camp and started driving towards the house but just a few meters from the camp we spotted funny footprints in the sand. They went all the way down the road about 400 meters and we got out to look and it looked like someone had pressed 3 fingers into the ground. We got our tracking book out and it said aardvark. We were very excited.
    Straight away I started to track it leaving the car in the sand track. Ellie started to come but once we got to the first sand dune she stopped and I carried on. I tracked the footprints for another 15 minutes before losing them but I was adamant that if I had someonelse with me I could track it further.
    We headed upto the house because aardvark tracking had cooked us in 30°c heat and we got a cold drink from the fridge and had Malva Pudding and Ice cream with one of the staff, who told us that she would take us to see the meerkats they had just released later on.
    We headed back to camp and I was desperate to find this aardvark so we donned our trousers and hiking boots. Got 3 litres of water and set off.
    We were amazed at how far the aardvark could walk. Up and over several sand dunes, Around in circles and over the salt pan where we lost the tracks several times and spent ages trying to find them, but we did and carried on.
    Another storm started blowing in and we had already walked 2.6 kilometres. I knew if we didn’t find it soon the tracks would be washed away and our one chance would be gone. Then finally we found it’s Den, we could believe it, we had tracked an aardvark for 3km and we had a trap camera.
    I rubbed the trap camera in Sand to mask our scent and then set it and placed it in front of the huge hole. Then we marked it’s location with what 3 words and my hiking app and found our way back to a track and then to the car.
    By the time we got back it was 3:30pm and we were cooked. Literally. But in our opinion it was worth it.
    Just as we got back to camp a huge thunderstorm broke above us and there was so much thunder and lightning but not that much rain on us although we could see it all in the distance. Some of the thunder was so loud it cracked and made us jump.
    After an hour of sheltering in the caravan we came outside and the storm seemed to have circled around us from our left to the right and had grown and was now getting closer so we headed back into the caravan. At first I had the back door open and then everything on the horizon disappeared which meant heavy rain was coming.
    The wind picked up and the rain sheeted down sideways. The thunder cracked and the sky lit up. It was really scary.
    Water forced its way through our zips and we lifted the mattress up to protect our bedding. Then it started seeping through the wall in one side as the wind was so strong it was just forcing it through the canvas. It was seriously extreme for about 30 minutes. Then it just stopped and thunder rolled around.
    Marrellie, one of the staff came down to check in us just as I was lighting the fire for dinner. Tonight we should have been having Wors and mashed potato. She said the storm looked like it had stalled and we could see that and 10 minutes after she left it started to blow back in.
    At first it seemed like a light shower so we took shelter in the shower and then someone opened the floodgates and the rain fell 10 times harder than before. The thunder cracked right above us and the lightning show was as scary as. It was hitting everything. Water rushed into the campsite and you could easily see how you could get caught out in a flash flood. This was intense.
    Then there was a loud crack right next to us that sounded like an explosion. The rain was no so hard on the tin roof we had to shout to be heard and the lightning was all around and the ground was shaking.
    We couldn’t see the car just 20 meters away but after what sounded like an explosion I said let’s make a run for the car. It’s grounded because of the rubber tyres.
    Ellie ran to the car and I ran to the caravan, grabbed the car keys then jumped in the car. We were both soaked to the skin in under 10 seconds.
    I told Ellie water was pouring in the caravan and we’d have to sort the bedding out later.
    The storm started at 5:45pm and the heavy rain lasted until 8:30pm. The thunder lasted until 9:30pm. Our bedding and mattress was soaked through but luckily we have the mattress from the second bed, bedding wise we had Ellie’s travel blanket and a horse blanket for under our mattresses.
    We had to settle for eating chuckalucka potatoes in the caravan and at bedtime the temperature was 16°c and the horse blanket was just big enough to cover our shoulders or our feet, not both. We were in for a rough night.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Kalahari Trails Meerkat Sanctuary

    28 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    This morning we overslept and got up at 5:45am. The mongoose had, had a field day overnight eating our left over pork fat and it was all gone.
    I had a banging headache and didn’t feel much like doing a game drive but I did want to see the cape foxes again. We managed to get to the gate at 6:15am and then my plan was to do the maximum speed limit of 50kph up to Kij Kij and that’s pretty much what we did. There was only one other car on the way.
    We got to the cape fox den and they were nowhere to be seen. I was gutted but the weather was cooler and cloudier today so they had probably gone in for the day and after 20 minutes of waiting we gave up. We drove to the picnic sight done the loop and made back for camp.
    Ellie wanted to see the owlets again and 20km from camp we slowed down to check the trees and I saw a young cape fox just sitting at the side of the road. I couldn’t believe our luck as he just sat there looking straight at us and then was joined by another. We had this whole sighting to ourselves too and got some great pictures as they were much closer than the ones we found yesterday.
    After the foxes we slowly drove back checking the trees and we eventually found the one with the owls and three of them were lined up next to each other like bookends keeping warm.
    Back at camp it was now 9:30am and today was moving day. We weren’t in a hurry because our next camp is just 30 minutes away so we went to the shop and brought some bread and eggs for breakfast and then gave the mongoose our old eggs. They loved them.
    We finished packing up and were ready to leave at midday and we took a slow drive 20 miles down the road to the Kalahari trails meerkat sanctuary. We would be spending tonight completely off grid away from everyone and tomorrow moving to a camp with power and after checking in and saying hello to 2 meerkats that had just been rescued we took sand dune and salt pan road to our camp approximately a kilometre away.
    We just layed our bed out as we were moving today and just as we made coffee the heavens opened for the first time on this trip and we had a huge thunderstorm. Ellie and I took shelter in the tin shower cubicle at our camp.
    We were living the dream………..
    When the rain eased up we drove back to the office and now the pans were flooded and were unbelievably slippery. It was like driving on an ice rink even in four wheel drive. Just before we got to the office we found a meerkat Den and they were all sticking their heads out watching us, even the babies.
    At the office we paid for the camp and got talking to one of the staff and she told us at night they collect scorpions to feed to the meerkats and get roughly 100 in a 20 meter square. She also told us there was an aardvark here so we will be putting the camera trap out tonight.
    We took a slippery drive back to camp and yet another storm passed overhead but by dinner time it had passed and it was cold enough to light a fire and cook burgers on it. Then we stoked the fire back up as the sunset and more storms came in. By 8pm we had lightning going off all around us and after taking a few shots on my camera we headed in for the night.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Kgalagadi Twee Rivieren Day 3

    27 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We were up at 5am this morning and were 3rd in the queue to get out the gate. The gate is crazy because someone has to get out of the car and physically slide it open. That’s fine on the outside but on the other side you could easily be the next meal do as we pull up to exit we always drive slow and check every bush and tree.
    We decided we would drive the Nossob road today and the sun was in our eyes for alot of the way going in which was annoying. Obviously we were looking for big cats but anything rare would do.
    40km in and we got to Kij kij water hole and hadn’t seen anything to note except birds. As we pulled past the watering hole there was a cut in to the left overlooking an old dry waterhole, we drove up into that and on the way out I saw what I thought were baby Jackal sitting by a small bush about 20 meters away.
    I took the camera out and focused in and out popped mum from a hole in the ground and it was family of cape foxes. Super rare and we had the sighting all to ourselves. We sat there watching and got some great pictures until a few more cars pulled up and then the foxes went in for the day.
    We continued going on passing the picnic site and scanning the area until we got to a water hole where there was a carcass of some animal. Here we stopped, had our rolls and fruit and then made our way back to camp stopping at Jackal den we found yesterday to get some more shots. Just before camp we found a tree with 5 baby owlets in.
    We got back to camp at 11:30am and mooched around for abit photographing the mongoose in camp and then we popped over to the pool to cool off in the 35°c heat after that we popped to the shop and picked up some meat for tomorrows dinner.
    At 5pm I lit a fire ready for dinner and by 6pm we were having Texan pork steak and vegetables. We cut the rind off and fed it to the mongoose and the loved it. Then we washed up and watched as everyone else lit there fires at 7pm. The campsite looked amazing with all the little fires. We were in bed watching TV by 7:30pm and by 9pm we were done with the day.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Kgalagadi Twee Rivieren Day 2

    26 ottobre, Sud Africa

    Today we were up at 5am and after a couple of coffees we drove to the security hut at 5:55am to pick up our driving permit and then we headed through into the Kalahari. We were 3rd in and at the first junction the first car drove straight on towards Botswana and Nossob camp and us and the car in front turned left to Mata Mata and Namibia.
    Within 10 minutes we had our first big cat sighting of a male lion right next to the road. The car in front of us got to him first and hogged the whole sighting so we didn’t get great pictures.
    We were pleased with that sighting and dropped back from the car in front to stop eating his dust as he sped up and 10 minutes later I spotted a leopard laying down in the grass 200 meters away. The car in front drove on and then we had this sighting to ourselves. The leopard stood up and started walking along the dunes and we managed quite a few pictures. Then it got to a tree and climbed up and just flopped on a branch and we got more great pictures all to ourselves before another few came.
    We drove on and got to the junction for Mata Mata and the dune road and at the side of the road I spotted meerkats.
    We turned right onto the dune road and it seemed quite sparse of all wildlife until 25km when we came across 2 cheetah on the ridge line of the sand dunes. They were too far away to get good pictures but it was still a good sighting.
    At the end of the dune road we turned left heading to the picnic area and we stopped here to use the toilets before turning around and heading back to camp this time taking the Nossob road.
    20 minutes along the road we spotted a female jackal hunting and watched as it caught and ate a ground squirrel. Then it caught another and started walking down the dry river bed. We followed and managed to track it all the way to its den where it had 5 cubs and it was an amazing sight and we were close enough to get good pictures. Then on the way back we spotted 2 male and 2 female ostriches herding 49 chicks across the dry river bed.
    We finally got back to camp at 2pm where I had a quick shower and then opened my birthday cards and at 4pm we headed back out.
    It is only a 30mph speed limit in the parks and I rarely even do that and driving slow we managed to get as far as the Jackal den before having to turn around.
    We got back to camp at 6:45pm and handed our pass back in at the security hut. After that I lit the Braai and cooked a massive 1.2kg Wors for both of us for a birthday dinner. Because we got back so late by the time we finished eating it was 8:30pm and bedtime.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Kgalagadi Twee Rivieren

    25 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We were up at 6:30am and my back felt much better. After a couple of coffees we packed up and were ready to leave at 8:15am and we popped over to our neighbours Trevor and Linda said goodbye and left.
    Our first port if call was Kakamas and being a Saturday it was absolutely heaving. The black social thing to do is meet up around the shops even if they aren’t actually shopping so we drove into the car park over a high kerb for the entrance to the KFC drive through and out the other side and left. There was nowhere to stop so driving along I set the sat nav for our next destination, Upington which was 115 miles away.
    It was literally a straight road all the way and we hardly saw any traffic. Arriving at upington it again was heaving and even though I had set the sat nav for chequers which is quite a posh supermarket this particular one was in a predominantly black area. Luckily I had looked at the area yesterday and found a mall and we drove through the sketchy part and to the mall where there was a Spar and a Chequers.
    After finding somewhere to park we headed to Spar first which took an hour, then I wanted to go into a bookshop to look for a couple of reference books and then we wanted to get extra shopping in chequers. All in all we spent 2 hours shopping.
    Back in the car it was 12:45pm and it was another 130 miles to our camp so we set off and left upington. 20 miles outside upington we came across a sign that said fuel 167km. That was going to be our next fuel station in the town of Askem but we didn’t have enough to get there. At 50 miles to go the fuel light came on and we still had 80 miles to go so we stopped at the side of the road and with surgical precision got the spare Jerry can off and emptied 20 litres into the tank and got going. The road was dead and we saw probably 4 cars and Lorry’s all the way to Askem.
    At Askem we refuelled and had just 20 miles left of driving and at 4pm we arrived at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. This is the real Kalahari.
    We stopped at reception to check in then went through the South Africa border post and found our campsite at Twee Rivieren.
    We have been here once before and are excited to be back and setting up camp we were joined by a yellow mongoose and some laughing doves that appreciated the shade of our awning.
    It took a while to set up and it was so hot we decided to put both the awning sides out to keep the sun off.
    Once the camp was pitched it was time to light the Braai and I made burgers again.
    After dinner we watched an amazing sunset over the Kalahari excited to see what tomorrow’s first game drive would bring.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Augrabies National Park Day 4

    24 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    I was up at 6:30am and had, had a pretty good nights sleep although it was above 30°c until just after midnight when a cool breeze picked up for a few minutes .
    After Ellie had,had breakfast Trevor popped over to make sure I was ok and then he gave me 2 more tablets. I popped one straight away and then prepared to do the game viewing area again. This time I put a rolled up blanket behind me as a lumbar support.
    We left camp at 9:15am and drove through the 3 rivers. The lumbar support and tablets were working and by the time we got to where I turned around yesterday I felt good and we carried on. Our first animal sighting was of giraffe which we couldn’t believe as this is desert. We carried on driving and then saw more giraffe in the dry river beds as we crossed them. Then we drove to our first viewpoint of echo canyon which was spectacular.
    We carried on and at the 30km mark we decided to do the smaller 33km loop and pushed on, down the gravel tracks negotiating the lumpy terrain in 4x4 mode. We saw loads of birds, even 2 with a tiny baby no bigger than my thumb, and 2 that looked similar to the Kori- bastard that just disappeared when they ducked down.
    Then we saw a bearded dragon who turned his neck black as he was angry with us and on the return loop we saw mountain zebra. It’s unbelievable how any of these animals survive. There’s no shade for the bigger animals and the heat is extreme.
    We were surprised how much we enjoyed the game viewing area. The landscape is absolutely spectacular and just keeps changing. They think the black rocks out there are 190 billion years old.
    We finally returned home at 2pm and my back seemed much better, I got out of the car and it didn’t hurt.
    After lunch of an omelette we popped back over to the shop for ice creams and then headed back to camp and popped over to the pool to get out of the 46°c heat. It wasn’t quite as unbearable as yesterday as there was more of a breeze.
    Back at camp it was now 4:30pm and after checking social media for an hour or so and having a mongoose come and join us in camp we started dinner. We had Texan pork steak and vegetables and we cut the fat off the pork rind to leave under the trailer with the trail cam running. Then at 8pm we headed in for the night to watch tv.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Augrabies National Park Day 3

    23 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    I was up at 6am and my back was killing me. I couldn’t even sit in the chair properly so I thought sitting down in the car would help and decided that today we’d drive the game area.
    We left camp at 8:15am and it was already 30°c and rising. We drove to reception, turned right and then turned right again into the game viewing area. This was far bigger than we thought because the first section is 30km long until you get to a 4x4 section and 2 loops. The 4x4 section is an out and back road but you have to go with 2 vehicles and then there is a loop of 33km or 56km both bringing you back to the 30km stretch that gets you there.
    To start with we had to pass through 3 sections of river and straight away my back was hurting and after passing through the third I told Ellie to drive. By the time we got to the first viewpoint I couldn’t go any further and we abandoned the day.
    Back at camp we went swimming and then went back to the caravan for lunch. The temperature was unreal 38°c in the shade and 49°c in the sun.
    We headed to the shops for ice cream and then back to the pool to cool off again, the pool is the coolest area here and that’s where the wind seems to be strongest so it’s easy to cool down.
    Just before dinner our neighbours Trevor and Linda came back from their day at the hot springs and invited us over for a chat. They ended up giving me a tramadol and paracetamol tablet that I took after dinner and at 8pm when we went in to watch tv my back had stopped hurting.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Augrabies National Park day 2

    22 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    We were up at 7am and after breakfast we walked over to the shop for a look around. My back was still hurting and we’d been issues with a severe heat warning so hiking today was out of the question.
    Monkeys came and invaded the campsite at 10:30am and I stood on guard with some small stones and the catapult. I only had to fire it twice as they got nearer testing our defences.
    We were the only ones left in camp by 11am and Ellie took our washing over to the ablutions to clean it, then we decided to go for a swim in the pool and chill out in the sun loungers. It was the windiest place in the camp and after getting out of the cold water it was freezing but refreshing.
    For the rest of the day the temperatures started to soar and by 4pm it was 35°c in the shade and just over 43°c in the sun. It really was roasting and the hot wind felt like an oven door opening but constant.,
    At 4:30pm a few more campers started arriving and they seemed to all settle around us even though there were hundreds of free spots. Our closest neighbours walked over and introduced themselves.
    At 5pm I lit the Braai and made handmade burgers and at 6:30pm the temperature was still 33°c in the shade.
    We headed back over to the falls to watch the sunset from a different angle which was nice and then I went for another swim in the dark to cool off.
    At 8pm it was still 30°c as we lay in bed watching the tv with our fans on the coldest it was going to get was 22°c and that was at 4am. It was going to be an uncomfortable night and at 10am I took another cold shower before we settled un for the night.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Augrabies Falls National Park

    21 ottobre, Sud Africa

    We got up at 7am and had,had a great nights sleep after our relaxing hot tub.
    It was moving day again and I undone the drain for the hot tub and then made tea and coffee.
    We had only unhooked the car and flopped our bed out so packing up was easy and just after 8am we left Star Wors and made our way to Augrabies Falls.
    I had made notes if the journey roads saying stick to the R27 until the N14. The R27 turned out to be the longest tar road we had ever driven. The sat Nav said turn left in 230 miles and it was a straight road through the desert. We passed roughly 10 coal trucks and petrol tankers and apart from that this road was Baron. 100 miles in and we came across a very small town with a patrol station and filled up, then it was back to the road rippling with heat haze for another 130 miles.
    We got to Kakamas a little town about 30 minutes away from Augrabies and then stopped in the spar to get 4 days worth of groceries. Then it was just a 20 mile 30 minute drive to Augrabies Falls National park.
    We got to the camp after checking in at 3:30pm and found a nice pitch we thought was in the shade but once we had set up and the sun started setting it started to burn our legs. At 5:30pm it was still 34°c in the shade. After a light dinner of chicken salad we went to look at the falls which were fairly quiet to the last time we saw them 4 years ago. Then it was back to camp and at 7pm it was still 32°c.
    I decided to head for a cold shower to cool off before we headed to bed at just after 8pm.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Star Wors

    20 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We were up at 6:30am. Today was moving day again and as much as we’ve enjoyed the Tankwa Karoo National park we’re sick of the dust and our lips are really sore because of the lack of moisture in the air.
    At 8:30am we left our camp site and drove to reception to drop the keys off for the toilet snd kitchenette. Then we set the sat nav for our next destination, Star Wors Village. It was 110 miles of dusty gravel roads and it was no more the 50mph max all the way. We had driven the entire length of the R533 gravel route which is over 100 miles long and we’d added an extra 60 miles travelling in and out of Tankwa.
    Just as we got to Calvina we stopped and topped the tyres back upto pressure with our new compressor. It had been a godsend and because we could air down and back up we hadn’t got any punctures.
    We stopped in Calvina at the Klipwerf Padstal and had a lovely breakfast. Then it was another 40 miles of driving to our rest stop for the night, Star Wors Village.
    We arrived at 1:40pm and it was everything we had expected. Off the main road, down a 1km gravel track and then we came to some stone structures made out of boulders. We had seen this place on YouTube and for one night it is a great quirky stay.
    There are only 3 camps here, Darth Vader, Jar Jar Binks and we are staying at Yoda.
    To enter the village we passed through 2 cars that resemble something from mad max with bulldozer fronts and spikes all around, lining the village are the heads of stormtroopers on spikes and at the centre is a cast iron robot with the heads of stormtroopers laying at his feet.
    We have to stay in our trailer but we do get a huge shaded area to cook and wash up and our shower room is called Yoda and looks like something from tatooine. It’s an amazing place.
    Before we arrived we already ordered wood and a Star Wors made on the farm snd that was waiting when we got here. There is also a hot tub which we’ve decided to pay extra for when we got here just so we can sit in it in the dark.
    At 5:30pn I started the fire and cooked Wors and Chuckalucka potatoes. Once that was done we still had to wait for the hot tub to get warm.
    At 7pm the water in the hot tub was warm so we donned our swimming stuff and got in. As it got dark we lay there watching the stars come out, it was really amazing. It was like the bath that never got cold and at 9pm when we finally got out it was bath temperature and we were very relaxed.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Tankwa Karoo Day 3

    19 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We were up at 6:30am and after 2 quick coffees we were ready to leave. My back was killing me on the uneven humps in the roads so Ellie said she would drive for the first time.
    We set off just after 7am and we engaged 4x4 to get out of the camp and then we drove exactly the same route as yesterday. We saw lots of springbok and Oryx, the jackals were in the same place as yesterday but we didn’t see any cubs today and the waterhole was dead.
    Wildlife was pretty sparse in general and once the 4 wheel drive track was done we stuck to the main gravel roads looking for cape cobras.
    We started looking on the gravel roads at 9:30am and didn’t actually find one until 11am and literally as soon as we saw it, it shot down a hole. We weren’t sure it was a cape cobra until we were right on top of it because it was so dark but once we were next to it we could see the yellow markings.
    We didn’t see anything after that sighting and headed back for camp, this is where we spent the rest of the day and it was actually quite productive as we fixed our slide our draw in the nose cone of the trailer and sorted our ammo boxes and tools out.
    At 5pm we lit the Braai and cooked a pork Texan steak while Ellie fried up some potatoes and onions and corn on the cob. It was a good dinner.
    After the washing up we climb the nearby hill to watch the sunset and then at 8pm we headed in for the night.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Tankwa Karoo Day 2

    18 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    I was up at 6am, much earlier than normal but we want to see if we can find an aardvark while we’re here and we won’t find one in bed.
    By 7am we had,had 2 coffees each and left camp and took a very slow drive to the main gravel road and we spotted a jackal.
    On the main gravel road we drove past reception and then turned left onto a 4x4 trail and started to head towards a watering hole, here we spotted lots of springbok and oryx, then we found a family of jackals and the cubs were running around playing.
    After that we found quite a few ostrich and I managed to find 2 ostrich feathers next to the road which I picked up and then I spotted an ostrich egg.
    The 4x4 trail took us the best part of an hour and back on to a solid gravel road we headed away from the camp and to the edges of the park where we spotted a cape cobra in the road. This is the deadliest thing in the park. We didn’t manage to get a good shot and were both disappointed and we turned around and headed back into the park until we came to the turning for Ganagas Pass. Here we turned left and drove for 10 miles until we came to the pass.
    This is a single track gravel pass and is unbelievably steep and scary with several 180° switchbacks. It is open to cars but I’m not sure if a normal car would make it. The views on the way up were unbelievable, this is where we wish we had the drone. At the top of the pass we did a U turn and headed back down. I engaged the hill descent mechanism so we didn’t slide right off the edge. It is crazy that there are no barriers or anything to stop us just falling off the edge.
    At the bottom of the pass we headed back to camp and half way back I spotted another cape cobra and this one had his fan open. Ellie managed to get a good picture and a video of it shooting down a hole after a gerbil. We were super pleased.
    We got back to camp just after midday and Ellie made ghostie toasties for lunch and we spent the rest of the day chilling at camp as my back was hurting.
    At 4pm Ellie made muffins with a mix we brought in our last shop and the omni oven, for a first attempt they came out pretty well and while she was doing that I cleaned the truck bed of the car and put some draught excluder on the back door to stop dust getting in. This is the problem with the Tankwa, everything is so dry and dusty it gets everywhere. No sooner have we washed our hands then they are dirty again. Dust is in places we didn’t know existed, it is a nightmare.
    At 5:30pm we had pasta for dinner using up the last of our fresh produce and for desert we had the muffins topped with golden syrup, it was all really tasty. Then we sat around the fire watching the sunset until 8pm.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    The Tankwa Karoo National Park

    17 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    This morning we were up at 6:30am. It was moving day and what with all our awning sides and various other bits we had left out we had no idea how long it would take to pack up.
    It didn’t take anywhere near aslong as we thought and we were ready to leave at 9am, an hour earlier than I thought.
    We had a mega drive ahead of us today all of it off-road.
    Our first stop was 35 miles away at the beginning of the R533, the longest dirt road in South Africa with no towns, or petrol stations. The Tankwa Padstal, this place is world famous as the best and only stop in the R533 and is really quirky. It has a huge UFO planted into the ground outside with a couple of concrete aliens next to it, the Padstal itself has a shop of emergency things and sweets and then there is the restaurant and bar.
    We decided to stop for breakfast and whilevEllie was boring and had a cheese toastie I had a full babalas. I had no idea what that was until I asked and what u got for breakfast was a culinary delight of chips in a bowl topped with bacon and sausage, then a beef Pattie and a fried egg topped off with grated cheese. It was tasty but heavy going.
    We left the Padstal at 11am and we weren’t sure if the temperature but it was seriously hot.
    I set the sat nav for our next camp, the Tankwa Karoo National park. The drive was unbelievable. The landscape is just totally baron but it’s apparently full of life. How we just don’t know.
    The temperature outside just kept climbing and Ellie jumped out of the car twice to take pictures and burnt her feet. This is the most remote we have ever been, you can easily see how you could die out here. It’s hot, there is nothing for miles and miles, our next closest town is over 100 miles away. Even from the park entrance it was another 25 miles to the reception area and from there another 5 to our campsite.
    We are staying at the Perdkloof Camp and it really is remote and totally off grid, and considering we have only travelled 70 miles as the crow flies the temperatures have doubled at it is 44.5°c in the sun and 34.5°c in the shade. We have no idea what the temperatures will be tonight.
    On the way to camp we saw springbok, and steenbok, and a red antelope we hadn’t seen before. At camp we have 2 Franklin grouse for company and we did have a mongoose come ti visit at 3pm.
    We spent the rest of the day trying to shelter from the sun under the awning.
    At 4:30pm it suddenly came over very grey snd the wind really got up so we thought we’d better head back to reception to do a weather check and that’s when we realised it wasn’t going to rain we were experiencing a dust storm. From out of nowhere we had gusts of 40mph and the sun totally disappeared and when it did the temperature dropped.
    We headed back to camp and lit the Braai while Ellie made salad and I cooked the Wors and Braai rolls, by the time we came to eat the wind had dropped off and the sun was setting.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Kagga Kamma Day 3

    16 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We got up at 7am and as I boiled the kettle for the second time our gas bottle finally gave out. We did have the small stove with just 2 small cans of gas but didn’t want to use them unless it was absolutely dire.
    On the way past the toilets Ellie got talking to our neighbours and they brought us around a kettle full of boiling water and a little stove and gas like ours. We were too polite to say we already had one of those.
    They did mention that reception might be able to sort us some gas so at 9:30am we headed up to reception.
    They didn’t have gas and we had just missed the weekly supply run but town was only an hour away so we decided to head there ourselves and did the 40 miles on dirt roads at 50mph. It was great fun.
    Town was Op De Berg and we had seen it in the map but it was tiny. Little did we know that it was practically tun by a company called Agrimark and was a huge general hardware store that did anything you could ever need. On top of that there was a Spar Supermarket next door.
    We went straight into agrimark, got both our gas bottles refilled and also got a few other bits including a funnel for our Jerry can and a hot water bottle each. Then we decided to fill up with diesel. After that we went into the Spar to restock our supply’s and get our neighbours a huge carrot cake. Then it was back in the car and back to Kagga Kamma.
    We finally got back around 2:30pm and although the sun was burning down it was a cold wind and we both started to burn outside.
    At 4pm I decided to head into the pool before it got too cold and then we went to the reception area and sat in the car to message Ben. Today would be our last day with Wi-Fi until Tuesday as tomorrow we head to the Tankwa Karoo national park along the longest dirt road in Africa with no shops or petrol stations.
    At 5:30pm I lit the Braai and we had Texan pork steaks and mash potato with sweetcorn in the cob for dinner.
    After washing up we watched an amazing sunset as the temperature rapidly dropped and at 8pm we filled our hot water bottles and climb into bed.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Kagga Kamma Day 2

    15 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    It was a very cold night, down to 2°c and that is the coldest we have ever had it in South Africa. Ellie slept in 5 layers and even I slept in clothes.
    We had nothing planned for today so around 11am we headed up to reception and told them we were going to do the 4km hiking trail and look for rock art. This country is unbelievable as the hiking trails here take you straight into spider, scorpion and snake territory with no warnings but at home we get warned about adders in the sand dunes.
    I predicted 4km would take us an hour but it didn’t. All of the rock art was off of the trail and there were no markers so we really had to hunt for it, we weren’t sure where we were allowed to walk. After an hour we had found a couple of bits but had only done 1.5km so we got a real march on. The trail went down into a river bed then we climbed up rocks, through holes in the rocks and down the other side. None of it went straight and it reminded us of a trail a toddler would make for there parents it was so wibbly wobbly.
    We finally finished the trail just before 2pm and we decided to get lunch un the restaurant and catch up on our social media. I had a honey glazed halloumi wrap and Ellie had the chicken wrap, both were tasty.
    After lunch we returned to camp and it was now 3:30pm so we decided to go for a paddle at the pool where we got talking to our neighbours in camp 4 and some older South Africans swimming.
    After a quick swim it was back to camp to light the Braai and the temperature was dropping rapidly again and the wind was getting up. After our dinner of Wors and potatoes we closed ourselves into our new awning and brought the Braai inside with the last of the hot charcoal. It was now freezing outside. At 8pm I took the Braai back outside away from camp and then we went in for the night to watch tv. It was set to be a very cold night.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Kagga Kamma

    14 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    We were up at 7am and atlast we had,had a descent nights sleep.
    After breakfast of eggs and avocado on toast we slowly started packing up until at 10am we were finally ready to leave.
    Our first stop today was the stadstal rock art and cave which a 20 minute drive away. The rock art was first and they have been beautifully preserved.
    The rock paintings at this site were done by the San (Bushmen). These hunter-gatherers, whose more ancient ancestors lived in the Cederberg for over 500 000 years, began painting on the walls of shelters in the Western Cape at least 5 000 years ago.
    Rock paintings, like these, were inspired by San religion. They were done by medicine-men or shamans who had supernatural powers. The paintings illustrate the experiences of the shamans who used their power to make rain, heal sick people and control game animals. They do not illustrate the everyday life of the San. The shamans, like religious leaders in their communities, kept the San people together through their beliefs. The paintings were part of this important social process in much the same way as Christians, Jews, Moslems or Buddhists decorate their churches, synagogues, mosques and temples to inspire their followers.
    The San stopped painting about 200 years ago in the Cederberg and Koue Bokkeveld because their economy and society was disrupted by European colonists. European farmers began to settle in the Olifants River Valley from the 1720s. Historical records tell of fierce confrontations between the San and the settlers. Boer commandos killed many San who were feared because they stole the farmers' livestock and defended themselves with poisoned arrows. The descendants of the San hunter-gatherers became farm labourers or moved to mission stations, towns and cities.
    From the rock art we moved to the cave 5 minutes up the road where parking was tight and we had to unhook the trailer and spin it around and then reconnect it.
    Obviously the cave dates back to even before the rock art and the formations of it were amazing.
    At 10:45am we finally left and made our way out of the cederburg wilderness and into the Karoo. It was gravel the entire way and we crossed low bridge after low bridge which would have been flooded had it rained and then we drove the Katbakkies pass, it was slow going at a top speed of 35mph.
    At 1:30 we reached our next camp. Kagga Kamma and we are now in the middle of the Karoo desert. For this camp we will be completely off grid. No power and no water.
    We checked in and we were at camp 5, the most private and out of the way camp here. We hadn’t booked it that way we were just lucky.
    We drove down the deep sand tracks passing little chalets and huge rock formations until we came to a giant rock formation with the swimming pool at the front. From here we turned right and drove around the giant rock to the end where we found camp 5. This place looked like bedrock from the flintstones. We have the most amazing view of the desert with mountains as a backdrop and we quickly set up the trailer.
    I went for a quick swim and then at 5pm we decided to hang out new awning sides as the temperature was dropping rapidly.
    We’d had toasties as soon as we had set the trailer up and didn’t fancy dinner do we popped to the bar for a couple of drinks and to use the Wi-Fi and got back to the trailer at 7pm, then we had an omelette each for dinner.
    The wind was now getting up and it was cold. Even I had put trousers and a jumper on and Ellie was now wearing 5 layers and her coat. We even put the new awning doorway on to close ourselves in.
    At 8:30pm we headed in to watch the kindle and it was freezing.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    The Wolfberg Cracks

    13 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We didn’t sleep well again, which was a pain as today we had a mega hike planned today and as soon as we got up at 7am we started preparing. I filled all the water bottles and our new 2 litre bladder bag and Ellie made us chicken mayo sandwiches to take with us and after a couple of coffees we were ready.
    We jumped in the car just after 8am and drove around the campsite and upto an electric gate we had been given the passcode to when we checked in. We punched in the code, drove through and then drove the 1.5km to the parking area.
    Once at the parking area we both donned our hats, I grabbed my camera bag that also contained my food and a water bottle and Ellie grabbed her rucksack with a water bottle, sandwiches and the bladder bag, then we set off down the valley of the red gods and into the mountains.
    Within 30 minutes we were both knackered. Our legs were burning and we had climbed 150 meters from here the hike just got more technical and I would say it was actually more of a climb. We kept stopping for water and Ellie’s legs were burning, we would walk for 10 minutes and then stop for 2 and after an hour we were both sweating in places sweat shouldn’t be.
    2 thirds of the way up it was now a full on climb as we pulled ourselves up and over boulders. Our next obstacle was the cliff ledge as we had to negotiate walking around the edge of a huge free standing cliff face using ropes while we walked on a skinny ledge and then finally we came to the mouth of the cracks.
    It was here that we met a group of elderly South African hikers and I helped them up into a ledge before Ellie and I stopped for lunch to let them get further ahead.
    After a 20 minute break Ellie and I negotiated entering the Wolfberg cracks by chimneying up the side of 2 rocks and grabbing hold of a rope that had been fixed in place and then pulling ourselves over a huge boulder, we were in the first crack.
    Above us was a huge arch and a couple of smaller ones and we had to climb over and shimmy under massive rocks to get good pictures. We stayed in this section of the crack for about 20 minutes and as we started to move further up the South Africans started walking back.
    Initially they said the path was blocked but it turned out there was a path but they couldn’t reach it so we said we would carry on and look for ourselves, then they said if we could get through could we help them and off we all went.
    Another 100 meters up we came to a vertical shaft and a rope hanging off the side about 10feet up. Then there was a wooden block screwed in the wall and a boulder. Above the boulder was another rope set to one side and about 15 feet up. This was going to be a real challenge.
    I started by wedging my feet against one wall and my back against the other. I chimneyed up to the first rope and got a good hold putting my foot in the block and climbed onto the boulder. Then I chimneyed up the wall grabbing a small ledge and pulling myself up to the next rope and then it was a full pull of my body up onto another boulder belly first. Here I had to lay on my back and slide through a tiny gap and when u came out the other side I had to pull myself up and out vertically where it opened up into a slot canyon. Obviously I could get through so I slid back through the gap in my back and helped Ellie up. Then I talked the South Africans what they needed to do and I pulled all 11 of them and Ellie Sherpad there bags up and down the slot canyon, it took us 90 minutes but to be fair these guys were an inspiration as the youngest was 62 and the oldest was 73.
    At the top of the slot canyon they gave us a guard of honour with their walking poles.
    At the top they tuned right heading to Wolfberg arch and we headed left and back down the second crack which was definitely a climb and not a hike.
    It was unbelievably treacherous and one wrong footing could send us 600 meters straight down. It was like this for the first 45 minutes of the decent until finally we joined the path we had ascended on and we could walk even though they were big steps down.
    We got back to the caravan at 2:30pm and we were knackered. We had climbed 2200 feet that over 600 meters almost vertically. We had walked over 4 miles and it had taken over 6 hours. The first thing e both did back at camp was take a long shower.
    I kept an eye out for our South African neighbours and they eventually got back at 5:30pm just as I lit the Braai.
    We set one awning side up as the wind started to get up and it kept us warm while we cooked and we had our first Wors of the trip with fresh sweetcorn on the cob and relish. Then we pulled the Braai into the awning to keep warm before heading to bed early.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Sandrift Holiday Resort

    12 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We were up at 6:30am and once again neither of us had slept great. We had lots to do today including clearing the room and loading the trailer.
    Small jobs still needing doing on the back of the trailer and we palmed our suitcase and old tarpaulins off into Duncan’s section for recycling. This was great because over there I found a brand new ground sheet, and some books and maps for Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Mozambique. These would have cost a fortune. We also scrounged a second gas bottle.
    At 11am we were ready to leave and our first stop was to get gas but everywhere was closed as it was Sunday. This was our first rookie mistake of the trip.
    Our next stop was Chequers in Malmesbury for our first full shop. We don’t know when we will pass a supermarket again and it could be up to 2 weeks so we really stocked up and when all the fresh stuff is done we have pasta. We also brought 20kg of charcoal for cooking.
    Once that was done it we were on our way and it was 50 miles down the N7 and then we turned right into the cedarburg wilderness and we hit gravel. Then it was another 30 miles completely off-road before we got to our first campsite.
    Sandrift Holiday resort. I’ll be honest I was dreading this place because anywhere we have stayed that says resort tends to be for the cheaper people looking for a good time with no rules but I couldn’t have been more wrong. We are now in South Africa’s wine region and we had to check in at cederburg wines. After that it was a short gravel drive to our camp and to enter we had to cross over a beautiful bridge that is often submerged.
    We pulled up at pitch 14 and the camp was beautiful and empty except for 1 other trailer and a small tent. We pulled the caravan into position and Ellie suggested we put the fridge on electric and I said we shouldn’t have to worry now we have our new stuff and the charger should have charged the battery to full on the way here. I opened the phone connected to the smartshunt and it read 86%. Disaster. It hadn’t charged.
    Cutting a long story short I checked everything. I had all the tools out and my obvious guess was I had done something wrong. But on the other hand I had checked it when we left and it was working.
    We pulled into Sandrift and set up at 5pm. At 8pm in the dark, I finally worked out it was nothing to do with my wiring and Duncan’s mechanic hadn’t done the positive connection up on the battery when he reconnected it.
    I could have cried and I’m not sure if it was anger or relief.
    Then it was time for dinner and it was just a quick cold chicken salad and then we went to bed.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Putting it all together

    11 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We both woke up at 6:30 with banging headaches and we knew we hadn’t drink enough water yesterday. It doesn’t actually feel that hot yet and as we’re busy we’re forgetting to drink so today we’ll have to make a real point of it.
    By 8am I was ready to start wiring up the battery but I thought we’d better put the box together first, so we went and found Duncan and Ellie who run African overlanders and we got a saw. Then we cut a few inches off of the box planter we found yesterday for £11 and within an hour we had bodged together a battery box and even found a piece of wood to make a lid.
    Then it was the moment of truth and I put the box in, placed the battery inside and connected it.
    I flicked the switch and it was a little disappointing that when all the lights came on there wasn’t a trumpet fanfare. I had wurer everything up correctly first time and we were ready. Then I programmed the dc to dc charger and the solar charger and networked them to our smart shunt telling the whole system what battery I had. Then we tested the mains power, it worked. Then we plugged in the solar panels and it worked. We could see exactly how much power was going in and what was going out. I felt very smug!!
    Our room looked like all our belongings and everyone else’s had been tipped in from a passing truck. It was a tip so we worked out how many more ammo boxes we needed for storage and then headed out to go outdoors and picked up 5 boxes and a bladder bag for hiking.
    When we got back we tried out our new awning sides and then loaded them into 3 ammo boxes and then put the tools away. Then we tested our new compressor by pumping up the tyres on the truck before stowing that behind the passenger seat. Everything has to have a place and everything has to be out away and stowed properly, otherwise the back of the truck is overwhelmed with all our stuff and we can’t get anything in.
    By 7pm we had pretty much cleared our room and packed the caravan up. It was at this point we realised we didn’t refill our gas bottle but it’s to late now.
    The back of the car looks neat with everything in boxes and the caravan is ready. Tomorrow our journey north starts.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Cape Town

    10 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We had a good nights sleep and were awake at 6:30am. I made coffee in our room and then went for a shower. We had a very busy day ahead of us and most of it involved driving to collect things we had ordered or shopping for equipment for the trip.
    We left African overlanders just after 9am and our first stop a private house in Cape Town to collect a 200ah battery for the trailer I had ordered via WhatsApp. The guy I had found was super nice and messaged me Monday to say the battery had arrived. Unfortunately he wasn’t there to speak to but his son gave us the battery and I paid and also left him a six pack of beers.
    Our next stop was the echo centre to collect our awning that we had ordered 6 weeks ago and surprise, surprise it hadn’t arrived and they hadn’t let us know.
    They phoned the courier while we were there and said they would be there by 1:30pm which was fine as we had more stuff to get.
    Next stop was the safari centre where we brought an air compressor and indeflate pressure gauge for a small fortune but this is a necessite rather than a luxury. Where we are going we will need to deflate and reinflate the tyres multiple times.
    After the safari centre we headed to McDonald’s for lunch and then to the builders warehouse where we found a planter made from wood that we think we can bodge into a battery box, rather than pay echo £300 for one.
    Then it was back to echo to collect our awning sides which had finally arrived and then it was a long drive to chequers for food shopping before heading back to African overlanders.
    It was now 4pm and now we had everything we needed and straight away I started getting in with putting in our new Dc to Dc charger, our solar controller and a smart shunt so we know how much power is going in and out. Most of the wires I had pre cut and I just had to contend with the original wiring but once that was sorted it was a fairly easy process except for the fact I had to work in a tight space. While I did the wiring Ellie washed and bleached all the cutlery, utensils and hard surfaces in and out of the caravan.
    I finally finished all of the wiring at 7pm and we think it’s all done except for wiring up the battery. Tomorrow will be the real test.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Johannesburg to Cape Town

    9 ottobre, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We slept pretty well albeit uncomfortable and woke up with 90 minutes to go. For an 11 hour flight this was really good for us.
    Once we had landed in Cape Town we rushed to customs with our hand luggage, went almost straight through with no hold ups and then went to baggage retrieval.
    We waited and waited, 5 minutes went by and then 10 and just when we thought our case hadn’t made it it came up the travellator and we grabbed it with a sigh of relief.
    Now we had no time to spare and we ran to internal departures and rechecked our case in to Safair and then watched it go off again. This was the real test. Would it get through South African customs? Although it was an internal flight.
    We boarded the plane at 11:30am and it was another 2 hour flight to Cape Town. I slept pretty much most of the way.
    Once we got to Cape Town there was no customs and we waited and waited for our case and again after 10 minutes it came up the travelator.
    We had made it and it was a great relief to now have proper tools and all the equipment to make ourselves off grid, our next stop was a steers restaurant to get food and then we went to the car park to get collected by Tanya, one of the workers from African overlanders to go and get to our car.
    We arrived at African overlanders at 4pm. Our car and caravan looked good and the car started first time. We were a little disappointed that mould had started to grow in parts of the caravan and our pillows were ruined but it was just going to take some cleaning and wiping. It could have been a lot worse and we have 3 days before we move into it.
    Our first job was to open the caravan up and get some air around it and then we drove to chequers for bare essentials, we finally got back and to our room at 6pm and thus is when we stopped for the day. It had been hectic and stressful but we and all of our stuff had made it.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
  • Misadventures Of WandaThis is not a holiday!!Misadventures Of Wanda

    Home to Cape Town

    8 ottobre, Inghilterra ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    We left our house at 9;30am and took an easy drive to Ellie’s parents in Chelmsford. The traffic was good and fast flowing.
    This is where we were leaving the car and I put it onto a trickle charge for the next 2 months.
    We were excited about this trip but at the same time very apprehensive about our suitcase that we had added as an extra later on after making the booking. Last time we took 2 gas stoves for camping, this time we were taking all the electronics and tools to keep us off grid. Buying them in the UK and importing them ourselves had saved us £250 if we could get them through the airports.
    In the case was a 50 piece socket set, a roll of spanner’s, wire cutters and strippers, 20 meters of 16 gauge wire with cut with connections on the end, a Dc to Dc charger, an Mppt solar controller, a smart shunt, double sided tape and multiple fuses.
    Yes this would look like a giant bomb on the X-ray machine!!
    We wrapped the suitcase in cling film and left Ellie’s parents at 4:30pm and got dropped at Chelmsford train station and then took the train to terminal 5 at Heathrow.
    At Heathrow we were amazed that there were no BA staff and it was self check in and self weigh the bags. Our bag came in at 22kg and I wished I had put the last 2 spanner’s in to make the weight up.
    I attached the label and the case rolled off and we wondered if we would ever see it again or would it get blown up.
    Our flight left at 9:30pm and after dropping a couple of sleeping tablets we waited for the lights on the plane to go out and then we fell asleep.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione
    Inizio del viaggio
    8 ottobre 2025