Atur ulang pencarian
Peter CraigPeter Craig
SatelitEdit rute
Travel organiser and tour director at Viv’s Travel Bug
Former founding staff member and Deputy Headmaster Oxley College, Bowral Baca selengkapnya Burrill Lake, Australia
  • PelancongOxley in Botswana 4
    Hari 4

    Day 4. Kasane: game-viewing from jeep& b

    30 September 2019, Botswana ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    It was an early start this morning as we wanted to be at the Sedudu Gate for the 6.00am opening. A warm drink and a rusk started our day before we walked to Reception in the red-tinged dawn to board our park vehicles.

    It was a cold ride but we there on time and we warmed up as the sun rose. None of the elephants or giraffe of yesterday but we did see hippo and their babies grazing on the land adjacent to the Chobe River. Again we were fortunate to see two different lion prides (something not seen by last year’s Oxley students). Yesterday’s concern for a large sick elephant we found lying on the ground proved to be this morning’s meal for a lion pride.

    In this morning’s drive we saw some different species, including fish eagles, drongos, vultures, alarmed baboon troop and some warthogs. There were several mother and baby combinations of grazing hippos. After a stop in a ‘Stretch Point’ we slowly headed back to the Sedudu Park Gate, seeing groups of male and then female kudus on the way.

    Back at Thebie River Camp by 9.30 we enjoyed a late breakfast prepared by Munya. After that we had a lazy morning as the temperatures climbed toto the mid-30s. Some washed clothes, some played football, and all swam and adjourned to the restaurant for a cool drink. Lunch followed at 1.00 with more R&R until we left for our river cruise mid-afternoon.

    Our pontoon craft, after checking in to the park boat office, slowly explored the banks of the Chobe River. We got close to hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, lechwe, waterbuck, maribou storks and a pair of solitary elephants (where had all of yesterday afternoon’s gone?). As the sun dropped we completed our circumnavigation of Sedudu Island and followed the Namibian bank waiting for the sunset to develop. And it was worth the effort!

    We were picked up by Bheki and Brian and returned to camp to find Tempe Adams of Elephants without Borders visiting us. Tempe joined us for dinner before leaving to take up her shift with a new arrival in the baby elephant orphanage.

    It had been a hot day (37C) but a good one. The country had celebrated their 52nd Botswana Independence Day and we had seen a beautiful part of Africa.    Baca selengkapnya

  • PelancongOxley in Botswana 4
    Hari 3

    Day 3. Vic Falls, Botswana & our first g

    29 September 2019, Botswana ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    What a day! The Falls were great and a pride of lions at the end of the day was the icing on the cake!

    We started the day soon after 5.30 as the camp gradually awoke in the unfamiliar setting. Tents came down before breakfast and bags were packed. Munya produced a great meal which was most welcome.

    After breakfast we left the Shearwater Explorers Village camp and drove the short distance to the Falls car park where we met our guide, Innocence. He talked about the falls in front of a large diagram and then took us, walking on the back path, to the Victoria Falls bridge. From there we walked to Danger Point where we looked down at the Boiling Pot and the Zambian side - which had no water going over it.

    Gradually we made our way west to the waters on the Zimbabwean side where there was water going over the Main Falls and the Devil’s Cataract. We finished our visit with a look at David Livingstone’s statue.

    From the Falls, we left the township and headed west, reaching the Botswana border over an hour later. Formalities there finished with a walk through a ‘foot and mouth’ prevention chemical mixture, designed to protect Botswana’s cattle industry.

    From the border we drove the 20 minutes to Kasane where we had an hour in town while our crew shopped for fresh food. Once completed, we moved quickly to the nearby Thebe River Lodge campground, our home for the next 3 days. We put up our tents while Munya, aided by Bheki and Brian, prepared the ingredients for our DIY sandwich lunch.

    By mid-afternoon we were ready for our first game drive of our tour and were soon heading for the Sedudu Gate of the Chobe National Park in a Jeep and larger viewing truck. The landscape was incredibly dry with the only greenery on the floodplains and river bank of the Chobe River.

    However, in the 3 hours we were there, we saw some amazing game - including dozens of elephants , impala, kudu, giraffe, hippo, crocodile, Maribor stork, lilac crested rollers and vultures. The best was saved to last when were lucky enough to see a pride of 5 lions, dominated by a magnificent yellow-maned male. Fantastic!

    There was mad rush afterwards to exit the park at the mandatory 6.00 pm but we just made it. Back at camp, exhausted but happy, we unwound before dinner and then showered before bed.

    It had been a special day for all involved    Baca selengkapnya

  • PelancongOxley in Botswana 4
    Hari 2

    Day 2. Arriving at Victoria Falls townsh

    28 September 2019, Afrika Selatan ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    It was a long night - 11+ hours of flying time - and everyone tried to get some sleep. The plane was full but South African Airways looked after us well.

    We landed at 4.45 a.m., passed through Customs into a very quiet airport, and headed for a cafe to use as a base for the next few hours. Everyone did a bit of exploring to kill time. Even managed to introduce kudu and ostrich biltong to a few prepared to experiment. At last our flight time to Zimbabwe crept closer.

    It was a full flight on a SAA Airbus 320-200 that took us north on the short trip (about 1:20) to a very dry Zimbabwe. The Customs there have to be one of the slowest in the world. It took us longer to get through Customs than it did to fly from Johannesburg !

    Once through we were met by the ATC safari team of Bheki and Munya (last year’s cook), and the minibus driver, Brian, and taken into the village and our campground at Shearwater Explorers Village . Our tents were already up so a quick move into them followed and we were soon ready for a walk into town.

    We visited the beautiful old colonial Victoria Falls Hotel, with its flags still at half-mast for Robert Mugabe. It has a great ambience and the view down the Zambezi Gorges below the Falls never fails to impress. From the colonial-era hotel, the destination of European flying boat passengers in the mid-20th century, we walked to the Outlook Cafe, perched above the first of the rapids below the Falls. Unfortunately the rebuilding program after a disastrous fire there had not been completed and our visit was brief. On our walk we had seen mongoose, monkeys and baboons.

    From there it was a case of curio shopping, bargaining with the vendors, or returning to camp for a swim or shower. By 6.30 we had all changed and were ready for an evening of fun at the Boma Restaurant. The venue gradually filled up and throbbed to the sound of bongo drumming. To their credit, most of us tried some of the local foods on offer among the international fare - crocodile, and impala cold meat, eland meatballs, kudu steak, guinea fowl stew, mopani worms, etc. The food was good and once that was over everyone was given a bongo drum and the fun started. Hair-braiding experiments were tried. Exhaustion began to set in but most managed to get on the dance floor before it was time to head back to camp and a welcoming bed.

    It had been a very, very long day and the group had done remarkably well. A quick debrief with plans for tomorrow discussed and soon the camp was silent.

     Our first day in Africa was a huge success.    Baca selengkapnya

  • PelancongOxley in Botswana 4
    Hari 1

    Day 1 Leaving Australia

    27 September 2019, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Well, we have all made it safely to Sydney Domestic Airport. Plenty of excitement & trepidation for the unknown. Had a gathering of the whole group and Mr Craig took everybody through tour expectations and group dynamics. All set to go with long flights and an overnight ahead of us.Baca selengkapnya

  • PelancongOxleyinBotswana3
    Hari 18

    Final leg of the journey

    15 Oktober 2018, Inggris ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    It was a smooth overnight flight through to Perth with most sleeping.

    Going through Australian Customs in Perth those with woven items as gifts had them taken away from them. Arabella managed to set off the security with her knee brace but apart from that everyone is now looking forward to getting home and seeing family.

    They were a great group to take to Botswana and represented Oxley with pride. The relationship with the Maun schools has grown stronger and everybody has benefited from this.

    My thanks go to all the students and Tim Dibdin and Rani Ritchie for making this Botswana OSSO a success.    Baca selengkapnya

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  • PelancongOxleyinBotswana3
    Hari 17

    The return home

    14 Oktober 2018, Botswana ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    It was a very quiet start to the morning as we were in no hurry to leave Sitatunga. Breakfast was 8.00, bags packed by 9.00 and tents cleaned soon after.

    We were in Maun by 10.30 and visited Peter Craig’s friends’ shop, opposite the airport entrance. Dr Tim Liversedge, and wife, June, have an upstairs video viewing room above their shop and we watched a biographical account of Tim Liversedge’s life. He has been internationally recognised as a naturalist and cinematographer and his contribution to the growth of tourism in the Okavango and Maun regions is enormous. The film was both fascinating and inspiring.

    We said goodbye to the Liversedges, and to Senatla and to Dany who came to the airport to wish us well.

    Our SA Link flight to Johannesburg was an hour and a quarter and we landed on a wet runway and a considerable drop in temperature. Through immigration and security we headed for the cafe we knew well and based ourselves there for a few hours, killing time until our flight to Perth.    Baca selengkapnya

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  • PelancongOxleyinBotswana3
    Hari 16

    Horses & game

    13 Oktober 2018, Botswana ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    We split up today into two groups, with one riding in the early morning and the other in the late afternoon. This was to beat the heat of the predicted 37C (fortunately there was no humidity) so we managed quite easily.

    So, it was a 6.45 breakfast for all with the riders departing soon after on a truck while those remaining at Sitatunga went about their chores (some washing, repacking of suitcase, etc) before relaxing by the swimming pool or in the restaurant area.

    It was a lazy day in part, an opportunity to unwind after a busy school week. When the first group returned we all lunched together and then roles were reversed and the second group departed at 3.00.

    At the horse stables, managed by Welsh girl, Liz, half learned to groom a horse while the others rode out in search of game in the private reserve. During the day riders reported seeing giraffe, eland, zebra, springbok, ostriches and impala and often at quite a close range. After an hour, roles were reversed so that everyone rode and groomed .

    It was a memorable experience, well-coordinated by Dany Hancock of Rides on the Wildside who was enthusiastically with us all day.

    At dinner that night, back at Sitatunga, well-prepared and presented by Shah, we were joined by Sedie School Head, Senatla Mokobela, and Dany and Liz from our horseback experience. It was a most suitable grouping for our final dinner in Botswana.

    Everyone had enjoyed their ride (in most cases their first ever) and the experience of seeing wildlife close up on horseback was something special. The farewells to Dany and Liz were genuinely touching.    Baca selengkapnya

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  • PelancongOxleyinBotswana3
    1
    Hari 15

    Our last school day

    12 Oktober 2018, Botswana ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    We had a slightly earlier start this morning so that we could be at Mathiba Memorial Primary School by 8.00. As usual, our 40 minutes ride on the back of a centrally-benched truck through sandy scrub, dry farmland and Maun’s urban spread, was accompanied by waves from children heading to school.

    We arrived at Mathiba with the school gathering for assembly and waited until it was over. Then we split up into our teaching groups, some going with Std 3s and others with Std 2. Since the morning started relatively cool most groups were soon out of their classrooms and playing games in the sandy surrounds. Much fun, laughter and shrieking.

    By 9.45 we were reluctant to leave Mathiba but we were required at the Sedie School Form 3 Presentation ceremony and so said our farewells. It was the final day of the school year for the Sedie Form 3s as they had completed their exams and next year will attend a senior secondary school somewhere else.

    The programme showed an 8.00 start but things started to happen from 10.15. Apart from handing out academic, leadership and sporting awards (Peter Craig & Tim Dibdin did the Bronze Awards - a certificate and dinner sets) there were several entertainment activities.

    A DJ kept music playing whenever nothing was happening. We had a student bible group choir, professional dancers (polka, hiphop and traditional), a guitar-playing singer, a guest speaker, Mrs Mokobela (the Head) and a past student.

    Nearly 5 hours after it started, Oxley were invited to sing to the large group still assembled. They rose to the occasion by adapting a song the polers had taught them in the Okavango, a repetitive song that started with ‘Beautiful Africa, I will never forget beautiful Africa’.

    We left Sedie with the ceremony still going, having felt that we had fulfilled our obligations. An hour in town gave everyone a chance to drink, eat and buy gifts to take home .

    Back at camp we either swam or played volleyball before dinner and returned to these activities afterwards. In our tents by 9.30 with all in good spirits.    Baca selengkapnya

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  • PelancongOxleyinBotswana3
    Hari 14

    Maun's educational institutions

    11 Oktober 2018, Botswana ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Today started, after the usual breakfast and truck trip into town, with a visit to the Maun Senior Secondary School. Set on a large campus which included administration and classrooms but also boarding and staff houses, we learned that the school was run by a Protestant church and was government assisted. Students from Sedie Junior Secondary School could advance to this school .

    After an introduction by a Housemaster, we walked slowly around the premises, and the library/computer room in particular.

    Unfortunately, towards the end of our tour, Arrabella slipped and her knee dislocated. After consultation with their staff, an ambulance was called and eventually Arabella was treated by paramedics and later seen by a doctor. She, Mr Dibdin and her friends rejoined the group after lunch.

    The rest of us were bused north of Maun to the University of Botswana Okavango Research Institute, along with an equal number of Sedie students. We were told how the Institute operated (post-graduate studies or scientific researches) and we were shown the library and the herbarium.

    From the Okavango Research Institute we all returned to Sedie School where we had our packed lunch (in the Heads of Department staff room).

    After lunch, we walked along the road to nearby Mathiba Primary School where we were enthusiastically mobbed by the Std 2s who had finished school for the day. Once we were able to extract ourselves from them, we were allocated two Year 3 classes to teach. Breaking the classes into smaller groups we taught in pairs and had great fun for the next hour. Nobody wanted to stop when school ended for the day at 3.30 - but we have been invited back for another session tomorrow morning.

    As with our earlier arrival, our departure was somewhat chaotic with hundreds of primary students enthusiastically surrounding us. Eventually we got on to our truck and we left the school pursued by excited ‘Mathibans’ running after us.

    We stopped in the mall in town to stock up with drinks and snacks before heading back to camp at Sitatunga.

    Within a relatively short time, we were all aboard a couple of jeeps which transferred us to the local football field and netball court adjacent to the highway. As news spread that we were there, villagers emerged from all directions and before long the boys were involved in a football match refereed by Tim Dibdin and the girls took on the locals at netball. Everybody had a lot of fun!

    A beautiful sunset brought the games to an end and we returned hot and dusty, but satisfied , to camp for dinner. Waiting for us there was Dany Hancock (of Rides on the Wildside, our Saturday’s horse game ride) who had just popped in to say hello.

    After dinner we did some preparation for our last day at school tomorrow and were all in bed at an early hour - totally exhausted!    Baca selengkapnya

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  • PelancongOxleyinBotswana3
    Hari 13

    Mathiba Primary, the clinic & the old br

    10 Oktober 2018, Botswana ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Breakfast was at 7.00 in the camp restaurant and we were ready to depart at 7.30 for our first day of teaching primary students. 40 minutes into Maun and we entered the school gates to find all 1100+ students waiting for us.

    The Mathiba Memorial Primary School Principal, Noah, and his Deputy, Patricia, greeted us and the students sang several songs of welcome. From the outside Assembly, we all moved into the staff room, for further introductions. We were told how much Mathiba appreciated the link with Oxley and the funds that have been raised for their projects.

    Noah took us on a tour of the school including their computer facility and the kitchens that fed the 1000+ students at lunchtime.

    When we arrived at the Std 2 (our Year 2) classrooms we were allocated groups of about 4 students to teach. Much beneficial activity took place in the next hour as the Oxley students provided something different and interesting. It was a great success.

    By 12.00 we managed to extract ourselves from the excited Std 2s and we walked across the road to the local clinic. Although it provided support for any medical needs, the main emphasis in the talks given by the medical staff was HIV/AIDS. Three different staff talked to us and there were plenty of Oxley questions. Several Oxley students added information to their research projects.

    From the clinic we walked along the road the 800 metres to Sedie Junior Secondary School where we relaxed in the shade until the change of class bell occurred. Allocated a ‘buddy’ everybody went off to two classes before a late lunch: which was held in the smaller staff room, with food provided by Sitatunga.

    (News came through at lunchtime that the Ritchies had arrived back in Oz and had been able to visit Mum/Grandma)

    After lunch we climbed aboard our truck and followed by two minivans carrying Sedie students, we drove out to the Old Bridge over the Thamalakane River, north of Maun. The idea here, in this picturesque setting, was to walk slowly across the rickety bridge with your buddy, getting to know each other. After a while, everyone returned, collected a rubbish bag and gloves, and wandered along the river bank in pairs improving the environment by picking up rubbish.

    About 5.00 the mission had been accomplished and we said goodbye to new friends and headed back to Sitatunga. The locals challenged us to a game of football before dinner. The Oxley girls provided a cheer squad and the boys were allowed to win. Challenges have been issued for a return match tomorrow evening, with the girls playing netball.

    Pizzas for dinner tonight (a great effort by camp cook Shah) and we were joined by Sedie School Head, Senatla Mokobela who came out to say hello.

    It had been a good - but busy - day    Baca selengkapnya

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