19th June. Johannesburg

The two of us (sans Wynand) drove through J’Burg morning traffic to meet out guide for a tour of Soweto. KingG! was late arriving and apologized for the next hour of the four we spent driving around Soweto.

Soweto, named for the English abbreviation on South Western Township is a very unique place indeed. Many Africans were brought into the area for mining during the early 1900’s and during WW1 an Industrial serge then caused another influx of black workers. They were promptly moved from white populated areas and into this area.




It is now a city in its own rights with an estimated 5 million residents, of many different social-economic levels. It has the biggest hospital in the southern hemisphere (not built for the people of Soweto, just a coincidence) and has the two major soccer stadiums from the World Cup as well as another talent academy. Football in big in South Africa!

The first stop had us crying out loud.

Apartheid was alive and well in Soweto in 1976. The Bantu Education Act of 1953 stated that "Natives [blacks] must be taught from an early age that equality with Europeans [whites] is not for them." Black people were not to receive an education that would lead them to aspire to positions they wouldn't be allowed to hold in society. Instead they were to receive education designed to provide them with skills to serve their own people in the homelands or to work in labouring jobs under whites.”

The apartheid government spent R644 a year on a white child's education but only R42 on a black child. And decreed that Afrikans was to become the language of delivery in all schools.


On the 16th June 1976, thousands of high school children marched peacefully through Soweto protesting the use of Afrikans not English (or even their own language.) Part way along the march the police barricaded the way. Some of the children threw stones picked up from the side of the road. The police then set their dogs onto them. The children fought the dogs with stones, killing some – the police then opened fire directly on the children, and as they say “The rest is history”. 600 school children were killed.

The first kid killed was Hector Pieterson, and an amazing photo was taken of 13yo Hector’s body being carried out by another lad, accompanied by his sister. We both cried like babies as we stood before the monument. Looking at this photo was literally painful, the dead face of Hector and the agony and grief of the boy carrying him. And when the context is known, it is made all the worse.Soweto, named for the English abbreviation on South Western Township is a very unique place indeed. Many Africans were brought into the area for mining during the early 1900’s and during WW1 an Industrial serge then caused another influx of black workers. They were promptly moved from white populated areas and into this area.

Soweto, named for the English abbreviation on South Western Township is a very unique place indeed. Many Africans were brought into the area for mining during the early 1900’s and during WW1 an Industrial serge then caused another influx of black workers. They were promptly moved from white populated areas and into this area.


It is now a city in its own rights with an estimated 5 million residents, of many different social-economic levels. It has the biggest hospital in the southern hemisphere (not built for the people of Soweto, just a coincidence) and has the two major soccer stadiums from the World Cup as well as another talent academy. Football in big in South Africa!

In 1918 in a small Africa village, a child was born named – Madiba or said in the native tongue - xoili(pop)lala man’de(pop)la . The name meant “Father of a Nation”.

He started school at the age of 6. As the children walked into the classroom on the first day, the white teacher assigned them all new names. xoˈliːɬaɬa manˈdeːla was to be known as Nelson Mandela. He went on to became a militant anti apartheid fighter, ending up with 27 years incarcerated on Robben Island off Cape Town. In 1990 he was released from Robben Island and led the ANC in negotiations which eventually lead to the establishment of equal democracy in South Africa in 1994 and to became the first elected President of South Africa. In 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for his work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa"

Stunning! In less then two years he went from prisoner (for violent acts) to Nobel prize winner and within four years the father Democracy in a country of 40.4 million people.

Soweto has so many different socio-economic regions. From the classic tin shanty towns, to ‘Low cost accommodation’ – tiny besser brick one room houses, to small houses to quite nice (if small) homes. KingG! took us to see his house. It was a 2 x 4 meter block building with a tin roof and no power or plumbing. He shared it with his two adult brothers. We met some gorgeous little kids who were the best posers we have seen, they came out to meet us, followed us around and were very interested in us and in the camera.

We made quite the tourist attraction for the locals, with everyone stopping to look at the whities, an uncommon sight. In particular when we went down into the tin shack areas where most people don’t go.

We had been very worded up to be vigilant in Soweto and to expect to see some horrors and perhaps be in danger – at least in danger of being stolen from. But this was not the case at all. Let me tell you, you are in far more danger of theft in the heart of Rome or Paris. True, it is sad to see the poor conditions that some people live in, with no electricity, tiny buildings and a need to cart water from far away. But who is to say this is poor? It is only a poor way of living by the western standard. The sad part is that there is such a humungous gap between the affluent and the poor. Worse though is that there really is not the level of equality in this country to allow the people from places like this to rise if they desire. Though Apartheid is gone and great advancements have been made, the racial divide is astounding. And the attitude is hard to describe without being offensive but disheartening and frustrating. There is a lot to make you think here.

Our next stop was quite a different one - the Cradle of Humankind museum and the cave in which several deeply significant archaeological finds have been made. The site is where ‘Mrs. Plez’ and the ‘Tung child’ remains were found, as well as ‘Little Foot’. These are remarkable finds of early hominids, Australopithecus examples that were an early stage in human evolution.

We had a lovely lunch at the café at the site with spectacular views then looked at the museum and did the cave tour. We were well warned beforehand about the several hundred stairs and the 1m by 1m tunnels we would need clamber through at some points throughout. And as far as caves go this one was pretty cushy. Alas, the American family on the tour bitched and moaned the entire way down, at one point commenting that they really ought to blast some of the tunnels out to make walking through easier going. Yes, great idea, lets dynamite the hell out cave that has been in use by hominid beings for a couple of million years, great idea! And all so you don’t have to duck your head. Interestingly the main bitcher though that leather thongs were appropriate footwear for a caving trip.

It really was remarkable to stand in this cave – which was stunning in its own right – and touch the same walls that the creatures that are ancestors to every single human on the planet touched.

After this we headed back into J’burg and back to the Venter’s house. We first had to return the car to the airport that is. For a good ol’ South African Braai, that is, a barbeque. Now South Africans love a bit of meat, and by that we mean a freaking shitload of meat. Beef steaks, beef sausages, pork flaps and the best part…warthog sausages and a salad and potato bake. So, much the same as an Aussie BBQ though with a tad more meat, and the incorporation of game meat which is absolutely delicious.


Pumba is yummy!

Another lovely night and we headed back to our hotel to re organize and get ready to head off on out first safari the next day. :D

18th June. Durban to Johanesberg

We started with a morning visit to the Casino.  The Top Gear guys were in town and running a two-day extravaganza so we thought we would attend… …not really.  We heard there was a Fish Spa there, so off we went.  Shoes off and feet in with the munching little fishes. It was just as good as the first time (when we did it in Crete last year) and made us feel lovely.

We then headed off to Phezulu to see Zulu dancing, and it was amazing.  Such an awesome looking people and SO very very athletic.  The dancing included leg kicks where their feet went above their ears, and that’s the men. One of the ladies was a ‘fortune teller’ like a Sharman.  She looked just like Rafiiki in the musical version of the lion king. 

The whole show was great including head man having only two wives and needed another and thought Raina might be a suitable candidate, eyeing her up and giving coy little looks. When they tried to get Sarah to remove her shirt and bra, as it is the custom that single women do not wear clothes on top she regretfully declined.

Their clothing was adorned with ostrich feathers and bright beads. They wore rattling anklets made of crushed down soft drink cans. The drumming was great as was the slapping of the thick hide shields that they struck with the spears in a rhythmic beat. 

We called into the local shops in the tiny town of Bothar.  The meat was …….not to our liking.  There were brisket steaks that were about 60% fat, and meat of a grey color. And we were pleased to see they were giving free rabies shots in the car park that day.  We spent nearly $1,000 having our rabies immunization and lots of people had told us that ‘it was unnecessary’ etc.  But the locals need it and they don’t go out of the way to pat animals – Do they Sarah?

Driving along we saw a big sign saying ‘No Hawkers’.   Sarah was quiet confused as to why you would not be allowed to go hunting in the area with your pet Falcon.  Maybe they were fond of their rabbits (or whatever small creatures lived there) and so didn’t like falconry.

The Drakensberg Mountains is a long chain that runs form the coast back up to nearly J’Burg. They contain South Africa’s highest peak.  We saw them as we flew in and decided that South Africa was a really flat country…..except when it isn’t.

The Drakensberg’s  (pronounced as in Dragon) are so named as they really do look like the back of a dragon sleeping in the ground.  The country was quiet Western NSWish with these giant bluffs and peaks rising up (not dissimilar to the bottom of Utah).

We took a turn off and drove through township.  It was mid afternoon so hundreds of kids were leaving school.  There were all so amazing, looking so happy, everyone chatting and yelling.  Of course they walked all over the road – even the tiny ones as cars speed by at 80ks.

Between Durban and J’Burg there is a toll way.  But you don’t just stop once and pay.  We stopped about 6 times and paid amount varying from 8.73RAN  to 50.32RAN giving a total of $185RAN (about AUD$25) which on the average South African wage is quite substantial.

Mind you the main roads are amazingly good. Four lanes in most parts with a limit of 120ks and brilliant surfaces. Suppose they need to be so that you can swerve safely to miss all the pedestrians.  The verges are really well maintained and they mow and then bail the hay. 

So we made it to J’burg and went home to Wynand’s house to meet his parents. It was fantastic to finally put faces to the names and meet his family. They had some Biltong ready and waiting for us. Biltong is South African jerky, but it isn’t dehydrated, it is hung and dried. And it shits all over jerky. Yum yum yum yum, yum. :P

We then went out for a lovely dinner at a meat restaurant. Now we have been to Texas and we have eaten massive steaks many a time.

Ummm, no we haven’t. I chose the small T-bone, it was 500g. So much meat. And then dessert. Oh god, the food, so much food. So a brilliant night topped off with more springbok shots (peppermint liqueur topped off with Amarula). Lovely

17th June - Mossel Bay to Durban

This idea I will put down 100% to Wynand, ‘lets get up by 6am, go fishing on the beach and get some sunrise photos’. What on earth convinced Sarah – the spectacularly accomplished sleeper-inera – to go along on this folly is something one may never grasp.

At 7:15 when the sun was still not up and a line not in the sea (due to the inability to see) a decision was made to give up and go have some breakfast, where we discovered from the hotel employee setting up for early breakfast that the sun does not rise till about 7:30 in the Southern Cape. Lol, damn.

But in all seriousness, mornings will never actually kill me, no matter how much they feel like they will. And the early morning beach was nice.

The breakfast at this place was omg-extrodinar - best omelet ever.

From there we set of to go see us some Dassie (or Rock Hyrax). A small rodent like animal, that is actually a not too distant relative of the elephant. As excited as we both were for the big, exciting animals we will be seeing on safari, this is one of the animals Sarah in particular has been most excited to see.

We went to a point on the coast where Wynand was pretty sure we would see some. A great bonus for Sarah was that this point was also an extremely significant archaeological site. Home to the worlds oldest discovered shell middens (trash heaps) and thus the first evidence for sea food exploitation in the world, at 120,000years ago. Woooo. Big deal. It’s a gorgeous cave on the seaside with centuries of soot on the walls and roof.

But – I hear you asking – did we see any Dassie?

Did we ever? Yes we did! So many. The rocks right up to the water were absolutely swarming with them. At first they were quite hard to see because they look just like rocks. But as you look you can start to pick out one, then two, three, four, etc. the longer you look the more you see.

They were so damn cute! So so so cute. And then they start running, and the 
cuteness expands tenfold. They seem to have a very different morphology that makes them run in a very different way to say a mouse or other rodent. Each one is a fat little ball of a creature with its legs positioned very much under it, rather then on the sides of its body. The way they run, they fling their legs out in front of themselves and bound across the rocks with such grace and assurance of step. Their body shape does not seem suitable for gracefully bounding across the rocks, they are fat and round, with short legs and no tails. But their behavior completely bellies the assumptions you could draw from their shape.

In telling stories to Wynand about my propensity to touch wild animals (and as a result often be bitten by an astounding array of animals) and the necessity for rabies protection shots, there may have been a degree of doubt and skepticism. This was smashed when Sarah eventually encouraged a few to eat from her hand and even let her pat it. Winning!

From the dassie stop we set off towards an ostrich farm. It was easy to tell when we were getting close as we entered ostrich territory, passing tens of paddocks full of ostriches. We got to the farm and started with a tour of the farm, a short introductory video, a look at the food, eggs (which we got to stand on, real fresh eggs that are able to support the weight of a person without breaking). The farm works by taking the eggs that the females lay and placing them in an incubator. This means that the ostrich keeps on laying until she has a full batch and the farmers get more. One female can lay up to 60 eggs in a season. The farm incubates 2,000 eggs at a time.

The ostriches are farmed for both feathers and meat. The feather trade, traditionally and still supports Carnival in Rio.

They brought one in to let us look at and see the anatomy etc. Out guide (Mats, an awesome dude) explained the plucking process and the handling tricks. To be handled the birds are blindfolded. They wacked a hood on one on the bird in question, and it was hysterical watching its reaction to the sun being turned off. The ostrich’s brain is smaller then one of its eyes, not making it a very bright bird, though it does have quite remarkable eyesight. So the poor thing really looked confused and unable to explain the sudden darkness.

Now for the best part. Sarah got to ride one! She was admittedly a little apprehensive about the prospect because ostriches really don’t look as though they have been suitable to be ridden (as horses are).

However after 5 seconds on the back having been told the proper riding position, leaning back with legs wrapped under the wings in front of the legs, she was loving it! They chased it around the yard for a couple of laps, Sarah giggling hysterically on its back. The movement is bizarre, kind of wobbly all over but remarkably smooth and comfortable.

Brilliant! She thinks she should ride them all the time.

Then after this fantastic ride we went and thanked the ostrich by eating its buddy. We had an ostrich steak and K-bab. It was delicious, a weird meat somewhere between chicken and beef. Something I would eat a lot of if it were available at home.

Along the drive Raina saw a cat running across the road just ahead, then had to reconsider her assumption as the shape was not quite right for a cat. IT WAS A MONKEY! On the side of the road it joined its two buddies. Sarah, in the back, tried her best to whip out the camera as we passed, but failed to get the lens cap off in time. So there are some lovely photos of a lens cap here.

Including the monkey a few very exciting things happened in a very short span of time. Another hundred meters on there was a broken down car with its entire engine block sitting on the road behind it. Next there was what appeared to be an entire family standing on the roadside of a car on the road. Next there was a hitchhiker signaling, and Wynand pointed out the other guy hiding in the bushes (possibly waiting to hijack any who stopped to pick him up??? reenforces the 'don't pick up hitchhikers rule' :P)

We flew to Durben where Wynand and Sarah developed a fabulous system for transporting our luggage. :D

16th June – Cape Town to Mossel Bay

We woke up and got our stuff together, had out B&B breakfast and hit the road.

Our first stop was a gorgeous peninsular where Wynand and Sarah walked far out on to the rocks and explored the rock pools and rock formations. We all had a great time taking photos and (for Sarah) posing like an explorer atop mountainous peaks. The rocks were strewn with bull kelp that had washed up and was in various states of drying up. Wynand picked up a piece of fresh stuff and wiped out his pocket knife quick as a flash and sliced it in half. It might sound mundane and inconsciquential but the texture of the inside really was fascinating.

We left there to get back on the road. On the road we actually saw a lot worth talking about such as the guys who stand on the freeway (albeit in a slow moving part) and sell their wares to the drivers. Everything from in-car phone chargers to wooden snakes to stuffed Smurfs and then fruit (presumably raided from the nearby orchards).

We also passed by a few squatter camps, these are the communities of people refugees/displaced people/disadvantaged people (it really is hard to explain) who live in shacks crammed together. These are, I guess, slums and really quite sad in that they are so close to Cape Town – a major and completely westernized city. The camps themselves are undeniable pretty in their rustic appeal and the use of color and graffiti and most of all the repetition though everything they stand for is the opposite. The shacks are made of bits and pieces, mostly tin, and are tiny little buildings surrounded by hung washing and fires. The camps are gigantic, they span on and on and just keep going – and these are small ones compared to say Sawato in Johanesberg.  

The people from the squatter camps use the free way to walk on which presents a bit of a confronting problem. South Africa, apparently, is the only country in the world whose freeways are complete with ‘watch for pedestrian’ signs. The entire side of the road is lined with people, men, women and children. Some carrying water buckets to lug water home, carrying wood, some with things to sell and some with nothing just going about their business. The government had put up walking bridges over the freeway which most seemed to use, yet some still just cross apparently. Scary.

The next stop we made was in a very Dutch area at the southernmost point of Africa, the point where the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean meet. We stopped at the point and took some great photos of the ocean and the anchored boats, all in bright colors. We also had some lunch here - some calamari and mussels. The calamari here is seriously exquisite (or at least all that we have had has been).

The landscape here is phenomenal, it is as if someone has chosen little pieces of landscapes from all over the world, put them in a processor and chucked the contents out in the Cape. As we drive by we will see a flash and think, wow that’s like Wales, or New Zealand, or central NSW, or the Snowy Mountains, of the Scottish Highlands, or the Braidwood area, of the South Coast, or Alaska, or Yorkshire, or India and sometimes a flash that looks just a bit like the classical Africa you see in all the documentaries. And yet all this comes together to make something completely unique and distinctly South Africa.

The mountains too are spectacular. No one told us about mountains in South Africa, but they are phenomenal.

From here we went on to Mossel Bay, along some more stunning landscape and seaside with a crakalackin’ sunset.

We made it to Mossel Bay and another stunning B&B, we skipped dinner, well and truly full from our massive breakfast, calamari lunch and a brief icecream and chocolate pig out at a rest stop. We hung out in the common room, had a drink and Wynand and Sarah played a round of pool. Sarah’s move to avoid procrastination and pre-sink the eight ball was rejected by Wynand and so eventually the game swung in favor of him.

Another great day, with a lot of observing.

Friday 15th June - Cape Town

After a lovely nights sleep it was up and into action.

Breakfast was great, sitting in the sun looking at the ocean, Lions Head and Table Mountain.  The fog was gone by the time we got up so we didn’t see the ‘table cloth’ on the mountain.

The drive to the cable car station was stunning.  Table Mountain is a massive mountain slapped just in from the sea. It’s 1100 m high – virtually straight up!  With a flat top. Its 3 kilometers long and the rise would only be about 10 meters from the highest to the lowest points. You drive about half way up then catch the cable car.  It goes up for 1200m on a 45 degree angle. 

The whole mountain just looks time a gigantic stone block – it’s made of sandstone that has a grey crust over it. When the edge is broken you see the glorious orange colour in the stone.  It is far more resistant to erosion than normal sandstone. 

Where you get to the top you are blown away by the amazing environment up there. On a world map, showing the different eco-systems for the world, there is a tiny little one called Cape region , just covering this tiny area.  There are 2200 species of plants on Table Mountain – that’s more than in the whole UK!  We saw lots of birds and lizards but no mammals.  Except for a collie if you want to get technical.

There was also a Soccer ball vending machine.  Just what you need on top of a mountain! We presume it is still there from the World Cup last year. 

We then made our way back down to the Waterfront district.  Like most modern cities on the coast, Cape Town has a stunning waterfront.  Buskers, heaps of people trying to sell their tourist junk, beggers, street people, tourists and locals.  We went to a lovely Belgium Beer Bar and had a coffee.  Well, Sarah had coffee and was happy. Raina had a Belgium Berry Beer. Yum. It tasted more like fruit juice then beer and was very refreshing – but also like a fruity cocktail. Lovely mix.

As we sat at the table, watching the world, we saw our first “African kill”. Right in front of us a water bird caught a good sized fish and had lunch!

Cape Town has a giant Coke Man. It looks like a massive Lego construction but is actually made of coke pallets.  It was Coke’s modern art display for the World Cup. It really is cool, so has been left there.

We wandered around the status of the four World Peace price winners and were inspired buy such words as Nelson Mandela’s “Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.”

We drove around a variety of suburbs, from the very rich to the not so rich. The houses are so beautiful.  The water view, rich houses were stunning. Great big rendered houses with huge windows, yuppie balconies and razor wire.

The not so affluent areas where rows of terrace houses, all painted in different bright colours and in various states of repair. Not so much razor wire – just bars. It was so pretty.

Next was a drive down the coast to the town of Hout - at the bottom of the Cape, rumored to have the best seafood in town.

We had a Seafood platter – salmon and other fish, squid, tiger prawns, salad and a full – big – cray.  It fed three of us.  And with soft drinks and coffee cost 500 ZAR - about $60.

An Awesome day in Cape Town

Add caption Table Mountain