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2012 Under African Skies
  • The World on Two Wheels

2012 Under African Skies

Since reading the chronicles of Wilbur Smith, I had always been interested in the history of Africa. When the opportunity arose to travel there in 2012, I could not but jump at the chance. Read more
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  • The World on Two Wheels2012 Under African SkiesThe World on Two Wheels

    Khama Rhino Sanctuary

    April 21, 2012 in Botswana

    Saturday 21st April – Khama Rhino Sanctuary (725 km)

    Once again, we had a very early start to the day. This time our alarm was set for 5.15am in preparation for what was going to be the longest day of our entire safari – a bum numbing 725 km all the way to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Botswana.

    After a period of frenzied, but by now well practised, camp breaking we were actually underway by 6.50 am (10 mins ahead of our schedule). Our route took us back to Kasane and then south along the main national highway towards Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. We soon discovered that the roads in Botswana are “streets ahead’ of those in either Namibia or Zambia and we were able to make excellent time on wide paved roads all day.

    Not long after leaving Kasane we encountered the undoubted highlight of the day when a group of young lions were moving just near the edge of the road. I made a grab for my camera but was not quick enough to catch them before they slinked back into the undergrowth.

    The traffic was almost nonexistent, apart from when we passed through Francistown. With a population of 85,000 it is the second largest city of Botswana and is often referred to as the capital of the north. Gaborone, the capital, is about another 400km to the south. As we made our way through the afternoon peak traffic of Princetown, we could see it as a bustling, modern city. It had obviously come a long way in the 46 years since Botswana gained its independence.

     At that time Botswana was one of the poorest countries in Africa however it can now boast one of the highest growth rates in the world and is now regarded as one of the greatest success stories in Africa. Unlike many other countries in this region, Botswana has a stable democracy with virtually no corruption. As far as the country itself is concerned, 70% of Botswana is made up of the Kalahari Desert and, with a population of only 2 million people, it is one of the most sparsely populated countries on earth. Agriculture is only possible in a narrow strip down its eastern side where the rainfall is higher, and irrigation can be used to boost production.

    As we drove, we noticed that one of the most popular forms of transport for the locals were small donkey carts, pulled by between 1 to 4 donkeys. They were used for carrying a wide variety of goods and also as general people carriers as well. It was not uncommon to see numerous donkeys grazing by the sides of the road where they obviously serve a dual purpose as municipal lawn mowers.

    We finally rolled into the Khama Rhino Sanctuary at 5.30 pm and we were keen to set up camp before the sun dropped below the horizon. Once the sun disappeared the temperature also dropped quickly and this was actually the first night that I slept inside my sleeping bag. Outside it was a crystal clear, moonless night and the stars were perhaps the brightest we had seen in the trip so far. Each time I gazed up I was reminded that we really “Under African Skies”. Although the constellations were the same southern constellations that I was familiar with in Australia, somehow the feeling was quite different.

    Our campsite for the evening was the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. This was established in 1989 as a safe haven for protecting the highly endangered white rhinoceros. Over the next several years rhinos we relocated here from other locations and, according the latest figure the sanctuary is now home to 34 white rhinos and 2 black rhinos. (By the way the names “white” and “black” rhinos do NOT refer to the skin colour). The park is now protected by 28 km of electric fences, not only to keep the rhinos in but, more importantly, to help keep poachers out.

    After so many years of dreaming and reading about Africa it was still hard to believe that we were here in the heart of the continent. At the same time, I knew that our adventure was now rapidly drawing to a close. We were now rapidly heading southwards towards Johannesburg where our African odyssey would officially end. Although we had only been here a few short weeks I good easily see how Africa really could get into your blood. Over the centuries many Europeans have visited this continent and found that it so captivated them that they spent the rest of their lives here. It truly is a huge, wild and unforgiving continent but the beauty is astounding. In particular I would have loved to have spent some more time in Namibia and Botswana but that was not to be, at least not on this trip.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2012 Under African SkiesThe World on Two Wheels

    Limpopo River

    April 22, 2012 in South Africa ⋅ 26 °C

    Sunday 22nd April – To the Limpopo River and South Africa

    With the prospect of a less demanding day ahead we did not break camp till the relatively late hour of 8.30am. Because the day was a Sunday and, since Botswana is a devoutly Christian country with very conservative morals, we noticed many groups of people making their way to their local churches. We also found that we had to regularly stop to make way for numerous donkeys, goats, cows and assorted other animals crossing the road in front of us.

    Our first major stop was at the Limpopo River, which marks the border between Botswana and South Africa. With quickly cleared all the immigration formalities, even though one of our participants did not have the required Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate. We said goodbye to Botswana with a growing sense that our safari really was nearing its final stages. The simple fact was that we had all had such an amazing time that no one wanted it to come to an end, yet in two day’s time we would be flying out of Africa and heading back to Australia. On the other hand there is always something extra special about being back in your own bed and enjoying the luxury of your own toilet.

    Crossing into South Africa you immediately notice a big change in the standard of the infrastructure. Large modern farms with modern tractors were growing crops with the aid of irrigation from the Limpopo River. In many places you could be forgiven for thinking that we were already back in Australia and driving through somewhere in Victoria.

    At midafternoon we pulled into the Mabula Game Lodge and were excited to find that we had the option to upgrade to small bush huts instead of erecting our tents. Although our tents were spacious and we had all become quite proficient in erecting and packing them away, faced with the choice of a tent or a real bed, I grabbed my bag and headed for the nearest hut. It was a relief to be able to leave the tents in the bus. This also gave us some extra time to relax and explore the surroundings.

    One sour note on the atmosphere was that Mabula is a Game Lodge, meaning that foreigners (mostly Americans) can pay a fee and then come to shoot the animals that are within the park. In the office there were dozens of photos of the smiling faces of rich Americans carefully posed with their massive guns and their dead springboks, warthogs, wildebeest and the rest. In fact it looked like they had carte blanche to shoot anything with four legs. There was a family of tame donkeys wandering about the campsite and we found out that some shooters from the USA had recently shot the male donkey to use for bait to attract leopards so that they could shoot them. Personally, I cannot begin to understand this mentality. I will never be able to regard it as “sport” as the Americans do.
    Perhaps it would be more “sporting” if they faced a lion in the wild armed only with a spear like the Masai warriors do. That way the lion would at least have a sporting chance at survival. When a rich westerner armed with a powerful rifle with a telescopic sight and sitting in the back of a 4 wheel drive confronts a defenseless grazing springbok, it does not seem like an even competition to me.
    We had been warned not to wander far from the campsite lest we too become unintentional collateral targets for trigger happy shooters. The following morning, we heard the sound of a large calibre weapon being fired close to camp and could not help but wonder what type of innocent animal the victim had been.

    After dinner we had time to express our thanks to Tickey and Richard for the fantastic work they had done for us. We also shared some of our reminiscences of the trip we had enjoyed together. I retired to bed with a jumble of memories and emotions rushing through my head. The world that we had been so immersed in for the past few weeks would soon be nothing but a memory as we all returned back to our regular lives in Australia. I wondered how much each of us would be changed by the sights and sounds that we had witnessed together.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2012 Under African SkiesThe World on Two Wheels

    Pretoria

    April 22, 2012 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Monday 23rd April – Final Stage to Pretoria

    Our final day on the road dawned fine and clear. I awoke early and wondered around the campsite listening for any sounds that would indicate that someone else was awake. It was not long after sunrise that the still air was shattered by the reverberating sound of a large rifle shot. On the other side of the camp the two remaining donkeys were grazing innocently among the trees. It made me feel nauseous and I realised that I was ready to leave Mabula Game Lodge and get away from this type of mentality.

    Our destination for the day was the city of Pretoria, the administrative centre of this half of Africa. The South African parliament sits in Pretoria for 6 months of the year and in Cape Town for the other 6 months, apparently in an attempt to appease both sides of the nation. The actual drive should not have taken too long but we found ourselves hopelessly delayed by massive road works for no less than 60 kilometres. We had to stop frequently and wait for directions to proceed through the dust ahead. This slow progress meant that we did not arrive in Pretoria until late in the afternoon.

    Pretoria is a large city with a population of approximately 2 million people. It is a sister city to the larger Johannesburg which is about 40 km away. As we followed the freeway to the city centre I could not help thinking that it looked a lot like Melbourne (or any other modern city for that matter). The Union Building is situated at the highest point in the city and offers a panoramic view over the entire Pretoria region. This imposing building is the official seat of the South African Government. We stopped to admire the view and to wander through the manicured gardens opposite. This also gave us the final opportunity to do some friendly bargain hunting from the traders selling handicrafts in the street. All through the trip I had been admiring the painted ostrich eggs which had been selling in every market place. It was outside the Union Building in Pretoria that I finally became the proud owner of an egg of my own, although I wondered how I would get it safely all the way back to Australia.

    We climbed back aboard the bus and drove for another hour or so to our hotel near the airport. It may have been near the airport, but it was not near anything else. We appeared to right in the middle of an industrial zone next to the freeway.
    Although the TV in our room did not work, the bed was warm, and it was a nice way to finish our last night in Africa.    Read more

  • The World on Two Wheels2012 Under African SkiesThe World on Two Wheels

    Goodbye Africa

    April 24, 2012 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Tuesday 24th April – Goodbye Africa

    Since our flight was not due to leave until late in the evening, I had requested a late check out from the hotel. Although I had been assured on three separate occasions that this would be OK, I was not impressed when a hassled looking assistant knocked on my door at 10 am asking why I was still in the room.

     Apparently communication in the Safari Club Hotel is not their strong point. I packed as quickly as I could and carried my luggage to the lounge room where some of the others were already waiting.

    Another group of our people had chosen to spend the entire day on a tour of Johannesburg but the rest of us had chosen to have a quiet day before the long trip home. The only problem was that it quickly became boring, just sitting and reading the old magazines so we decided to go straight to the airport and do the rest of our waiting there. At least there was more to see and do there.

    We were met later in the afternoon by the rest of our group, and we all survived the long flight back to Australia without incident. And in case you were wondering about my ostrich egg, fortunately I did get it back to Australia in one piece and it now proudly sits in the bookshelf in my study – a great reminder of my time in Africa.    Read more

  • Trip end
    April 25, 2012
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