Starting in Spain over 7 months ago, we had a solid trip itinerary planned out for when we made it to Southern Africa with ‘Helga’, our Landcruiser. Shortly after Christmas in Cape Town we were hoping to scoot up through Springbok and across the Namibian border, with dreams of driving the sands of the Skeleton Coast. But with the Christmas cheer and pending New Year celebration making us a little home sick, we have decided to head back towards the Drakensberg to spend time with friends. It looks like Helga needs to have her injectors and plugs looked at anyway so we are also taking advantage of our mechanic in Durban being open over the New Year’s period and have booked her in as well.

We left ‘Helga’ with Rory from Rorys Garage in Pinetown, Duban, and took a rental car to drive up into Underberg to spend New Years under the shadow of the Sani Pass of Lesotho. It is a massive shame but  we have decided to miss Namibia and Botswana this trip. With only 2 weeks to drive through them (if we didn’t need to have a few things repaired on the car) we would have to rush through, driving around 400kms per day. Its not our style to drive everyday and not having the chance to soak in the culture and atmosphere that enbodies both Namibia and Botswana alike. Sadly, its something we will need to explore on our next visit to Africa.

So instead, once we have ‘Helga’ back we will be driving up into Sodwana Bay to dive one of the most talked about sites in Africa, and then into Lesotho to explore the mountains and culture of the Basotho people.

Still running on the high of encountering the Great White sharks we trundled into Cape Town from Hermanus and pitched our little blue tent at Ashanti backpackers under the watchful eye of Table Mountain. This city was already incredible.

It is the 23rd of December and before we settled into the Cape to experience the different side to South Africa that we had heard so much about, we needed to deliver Helga to the AA (Automobile Association) of South Africa and have a vehicle check completed. In order for us to sell the vehicle, especially to the individuals who are currently in the UK and have no chance of viewing the vehicle before purchasing, we needed to have a full check completed by a third party. After traveling almost 13,000kms in our beloved ‘83 Landcruiser and given the roads have been an excellent blend of deep sand, treacherous potholed roads, and skinny dirt tracks with elephant sized boulders we knew there would be worn parts that needed replacing and areas that needed attention. After all: we would be dissapointed if after our 8 month intrepid adventure we came out with no evidence that we traveled across Africa!

After 2 hours we had Helga back with a crisp AA vehicle report and a checklist of things that needed replacement! A new front propshaft, two replacement glowplugs, suspension bushes, attention to the winch and a handful of other items that in the grand scheme of things was a fantastic result. The next few days leading up to Christmas we had a few things to think about in regards to getting our checklist of items looked at, the first issue was that the majority of mechanics and workshops close up shop until around the 4th of January. This means we need to replan our trip into Namibia and look at other options, as there is no point traveling into the dry, hot desert on the hunt for an open workshop. But we have a few days to think it through, and Christmas is creeping up closer and closer!

Christmas day came and although this year has left us feeling a little homesick, missing family and friends, we managed to chow down on prawn cocktails (obviously Ben couldn’t, but after discovering that the chef had forgotten to cook them not many people went back for seconds… thankfully you can eat prawns raw, albiet a far less appealing texture than normal), ostrich and beef steaks, and turkey stuffing. Not quite the home cooked Aussie Christmas lunch that generally comprises of the barbequed steaks, prawns, cray and salmon, but still lovely. We met some fabulous people – Sam, a girl from the UK (can’t remember where…), and Ben and Neil, a gorgeous couple from Bristol who made us laugh constantly!!! A great day was had by all… In the afternoon, the five of us took a trip in Helga up Table Mountain and did the ever famous cable car trip up to the trip. We saw the sun set on Chrissie Day, 2009, with the best view in town, and at a very, very high viewpoint! It’s a must if you come to Cape Town. But word of caution, take a jacket… its COLD up there!

Boxing Day saw us driving and riding down on Cape Peninsula, checking out the most south western point of Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, cycling through the Cape Point National Park on the Baz Bus cycle tour and visiting the penguins at Simon’s Town. The evening was spent catching up with a very old friend that Kate hadn’t seen in years, Quan, who is living in Cape Town for 6 months. He and his girlfriend joined us for a few drinks and Quan and Kate ended up dancing to 60s and 90s music in the middle of the bar!! It was nice to have a friendly face about that Kate knew from Hobart. The next day was down to Camps Bay, a famous beach here, with some of the coldest water we’ve swam in this trip – not unlike Tassie, but quite hard for us to take after 27 degree days on the east coast of Africa!! A day at the beach is always a great day… and the best to end this visit to Cape Town.

Running out of time here in Cape Town, and we need to make a few serious decisions on the next leg of our trip. Do we travel the 2000kms into Namibia and make it to Swakopmund before we put some love back into Helga at an open workshop? Or do we head back along the Garden Route and the Wild Coast to Durban to check back in with Rory from Rory’s Garage in Pinetown (just outside of Durban). Let’s sleep on it.

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Life long friends. That is the only way we can describe our recent travel duo, who over the last few months have been playing leapfrog with us from the class five rapids in Jinga and the farting silverbacks in Bwindi, through the parched savanna of the Serengeti and the crystal shores of the Zanzibar islands, zigzagging through the baobabs scattered along Lake Malawi (in between midnight runs to find diesel in the country’s capital) and deep into Mozambican diving territory on the cyclone swept shores of Tofo Bay. Our new leapfrog pair are yours truly: Jan and Trevor.

If you have checked out their website (Gap Year 4×4 on our blogroll) and read their posts, Jan, Trevor and the two of us hooked up with the Danby family in Dar es Salaam, and the eight of us packed up the vehicles and headed for a holiday over to Nungwi on the northern tip of Zanzibar.

It really was the highlight of our African adventure to date. Diving Mnemba Atoll, snorkeling Shane’s Reef, and learning the most profound environmental statements from our lovable instructor Carlos; “Fush are friends, not food!” made relaxing by the beach bar of an evening that little bit easier. But we cannot forget the seafood. Even though they are friends, not food, our favourite haunt just north of East Africa Divers cooked up mouth watering calamari, dorado, fresh snapper, and great chups! To top off a stellar week of diving, chillaxing and seafood we were all privileged to be invited to Sonia Danby’s 9th birthday party, celebrated on the beach in style.

Katie and I have made it into South Africa now, after surviving the coastal gales that have rocked the Mozambican coastal towns of Tofo and Ponta do Oura, and will be meandering into Durban in a few days where we are desperately looking forward to smashing down a bunnychow with our new life long friends, J&T! We have to thank them both for adding flavour and constant antics to our amazing eight month African adventure, and after some quality time in so that we can scoot down to Tasmania together and smoke a sheisha on the white sands of our East Coast.

Definitely check out their website on our blogroll and if you can, support their efforts building a medical centre in Zambia with the SOS Children’s Village by donating through their site.

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