Cairo to Cape Blog
1 - 22 February 2009
Livingstone truly lived up to the expectations of the group. The Victoria Falls was everything everyone imagined it would be, if not better; an afternoon/evening on a sunset cruise with alcohol included saw everyone a little "happier" than usual, rhino trekking was a hit as was the rather informative Livingstone museum. It was time to continue.
Chaos on the Kazangula Ferry
Just before leaving Livingstone we read an article in SA4x4 magazine about the Kazangula ferry - the ferry that takes us across the Zambezi River from Zambia into Botswana - the article talked about how chaotic and difficult the crossing was. With everyone prepared for long delays and queues (strict instructions to keep the vehicles bumper to bumper) we arrived at the border/ferry port. Much to our disappointment the crossing was far from chaotic and the queues non existent; we merely cruised across into Botswana.
Arriving into Kasane at the same time as a huge thunder storm; our tents were up just before the heavens opened. The heavy down pour lasted about 40 minutes before the clouds cleared and the sun shone once again. The afternoon was spent on a game viewing boat cruising up the Chobe River. Much to the delight of Jenny there were hundreds of elephants playing in the shallows with massive hippo pods close by, crocodiles happily sunned themselves on the shores.
The following morning we headed out on a game drive though Chobe National Park; with the exception of a young bull elephant only a few feet away from the vehicle the game was rather mellow. Botswana was experiencing an exceptional wet season hence the grass was high making game viewing not ideal. Nonetheless the scenery and birdlife made the morning rather enjoyable.
 Off-Loading, Kazangula Ferry |
 Croc, Chobe River, Botswana |
You are my prisoner
After the morning at Chobe we continued into the Northern part of Namibia or better known as the Caprivi Strip. This part of Namibia has been the scene of many conflicts over the years and up until only 7 years ago was deemed unsafe to travel through. With the fighting over and an excellent infrastructure making travel very easy we decided to take this route. The Caprivi Strip is also where the first prisoner of war was taken in WW1 - the English Colonial was entertaining the German Colonial (the Brits occupied Rhodesia and the Germans Namibia - of course was Rhodesia and German South Western Africa in those days) when the announcement was made that the war had started. The English Colonial turned to the German Colonial and rather politely told him that he may finish his tea and scones but "to let you know you are now my prisoner".
The Caprivi strip is a perfect place to nip back into Botswana to explore the Northern part of the Okavango Delta. The Delta is alive with over 300 bird species and numerous mammals and of course reptiles. Huge crocs roam the water ways, hippos wallow in the warm water while King Fishers swoop from high above to feast on the catch of the day. A relaxing couple of days on the Kubu Queen houseboat with Greg the Fisherman were an ideal way to explore the area. Sue and Russ both caught Tiger Fish - a fishermans dream catch in Africa; the others all had stories of the one that got away!
 Game Viewing, Okavango Delta |
 Okavango Delta Tiger Fishing Trip |
Wild dog
As we drove through the northern part of Namibia we were treated to a remarkable sight. A dozen or so African Wild Dog was sitting on the main highway! Wild Dog is rare to see at the best of times, to see a pack so close is not a common occurrence. It was not until later that day that Sue and Russ told me that one was injured and the rest of the pack were waiting for her to pick herself up and move to safety.
We continued our journey toward Etosha stopping enroute to see the World's biggest Meteorite. Etosha, although rather wet, didn't disappoint. Alive with wildlife in the northern part coupled with a lot of muddy tracks gave the vehicles a bit of a workout and a temporary new white paint job!
Namibia is traditionally the land of desert and rocky outcrops. However an unusually wetter than normal wet season transformed Namibia from dry desert to lush green fields with bare mountains creating a dramatic backdrop. We had to change our planned route slightly as we had heard from locals several roads had been cut off due to rivers flooding deeming them impassable.
 Wild Dog On The Main Highway, Northern Namibia |
 Antelope, Etosha |
How to Pat a Cheetah
From Etosha we made a nightstop at a local farm and cheetah reserve. In Namibia cheetahs are deemed a pest and farmers have the right to shoot them. An increasing number of local farms have established reserves for cheetahs. As well as protecting it gives a unique chance to get very close and pat "domesticated" cheetahs. We stopped at one started by a mate of ours Mario; who has 3 domesticated cheetahs and over 40 wild ones living in designated areas on the farm. The wild cheetahs come from surrounding farms, the farmers call the guys at the Cheetah Farm to tell them a cheetah is taking livestock, the boys then trap the cheetah and relocate to the farm. One cheetah has recently given birth to 3 cubs - a rare event for cheetahs to breed while in captivity! We were greeted upon arrival by a young giraffe, found abandoned a few weeks before and rescued by the Cheetah Farm she has decided to hang around for a while!
Our next stop Skeleton Coast; a desolate stretch of nothing but sand, wind and treacherous seas made this part of the western coastline dangerous for ships evident with the number of shipwrecks. Cape Cross, houses the largest Cape Fur seal colony in the World. Thousands of seals lounging on the beach while others hunt for food for their young ones, while others surf the waves. The noise is deafening and the smell takes some getting used to, nonetheless the sight of tens of thousands of seals in one location is amazing.
 Pet Cheetah |
 Shipwreck Skeleton Coast, Namibia |
Little Germany in the middle of Africa
Swakopmund is an old German settlement, everyone speaks German, the restaurants serve German food, and the streets are clean and ordered.... definitely a step out of Africa. Swakop boasts adventure sports, great beaches, fabulous bakeries and informative museums. We spent a couple of days exploring the town, relaxing and catching up on domestic duties. Peter and Linda traded the landie for a dune buggy for a few hours of adrenalin over sand dune.
Make a Plan
Again the rains came, and once again we were receiving reports of flooding on several roads. Our next destination was Sesriem (or better know as Dune 45) 300kms from Swakopmund on good dirt roads - with 2 river crossings; both had in the previous 2 days burst their banks and cut the road off. Several locals told us we should be OK in landies but do not cross if the water is flowing (Namibian rivers often rise and fall in a few hours, the water is not necessary the problem, whole trees swept away in heavy rains make crossing rivers a problem).
As we headed toward Sesriem, it was evident the roads had been flooded but the water levels had dropped nicely making our passage bumpy but do-able. We arrived at Sesrium by mid-afternoon, enough time for everyone to head into the Namib-Naukluft National Park to explore the desert, dune 45 and Sousselvei oasis.
That afternoon the heavens opened; here we were in the middle of the Namib desert and the wind picked up to a gail and raining heavily. The boys were rather amused at the sight of 2 young American girls trying to rescue their tent as it rolled away in the storm - in their bikinis!
 River Crossing, Namibia |
 Namibia Landscape |
The rain continued most of the night. Sue and Russ rose early in the morning to drive out to Sousselvei for sunrise, upon returning at 8am they told how the rivers had increased and some serious 4x4ing was needed to drive around. With another 300kms on dirt through the mountains we decided the earlier to head out the better - after all we may need to divert our route through Windhoek adding an additional 300kms onto the day. We left along the road toward Luderitz, the first few kms were boggy, the first river was flowing but was still passable and we were on our way. The further away we drove the drier the roads became.
Diamonds are Forever
Kohlmanskop, 14kms from the windy old port town of Luderitz, is an old ghost town reminiscent of the diamond rush in the 1900s. The Germans, while building the railway from Luderitz to Windhoek, discovered diamonds in this area. By the 1920's Kohlmanskop was a buzzing, lively town with electricity, champagne, caviar, a bowling alley and even an ice machine! By the mid 1950s the drop in diamond price and better deposits found elsewhere in the country left this town as a mere reminder of its hay-day.
A tour and a few hours to explore the area had everyone walking with their heads looking down at the ground!
The Grandest Canyon in Africa
With the days hot and sun beating down on us it was the first time we really felt like we were in Namibia as we drove the dusty road to Fish River Canyon. Fish River Canyon is the Grand Canyon to Africa - a masterpiece of art from Mother Nature; carved rocks over millions of years to produce a Canyon over 170kms long and up to 27kms wide in certain points. The full scale of its expanse can only really be appreciated by the air, although our vantage point at the top of the Canyon certainly showed her in her true glamour. Everyone headed off in different directions along the rim looking for the best spots for the ideal photo. We spent a full afternoon exploring the area by vehicle on rough 4x4 tracks and by foot.
 Fish River Canyon, Namibia |
 Kholmanskop Diamond Ghost Town |
Into the Winelands
Our final country and destination - South Africa. The border crossing was very easy although we did lose out fruit at a fruit fly inspection point. The minute we crossed into South Africa I felt like I was back in Australia. The first 400kms strongly resembles the Flinders Rangers - rocky outcrops, rolling hills and salt bush as far as the eye can see. If it wasn't for the road signs in Afrikaans and warnings for springbok instead of kangaroos one would truly believe they were in South Australia. We made excellent time on the superb roads (wide, straight and no pot holes!) we decided to push on a bit and spend our final night before Cape Town in Stellenbosch - the Capital of WineLands.
Final 50kms
We set off down the N1 highway toward Cape Town our final destination. The air was filled with a mixture of excitement of making the 17,000 plus kms from Aqaba, Jordan and sadness in the knowledge we were about to depart for our homelands. The clouds in the sky nicely represented our feelings. We arrived in Cape Town at our hotel tired but with a sense of satisfaction and achievement - we did it!
We shared a final evening meal, chatted about the good times, remembering the quirky events along the way and the characters we met.
Our final day was spent back in the winelands, tasting wines and enjoying lunch at a local winery, the evening was topped off at the Cape Town Botanical gardens with a glass of wine in-hand listening to a live classical orchestra.
10 adventurers, 5 landies, 4 months, 18,500kms, 12 countries crossed the African continent from top to tail.....Cairo to Cape - The Long Way Down.
At this point I would like to make special acknowledgment to the people who made this happen;
Peter and Linda from Auckland, New Zealand - well known off-roaders and overlanders (most of the pictures on the blog are courtesy of Linda and Peter). Every day was an adventure!
Sue and Russ from Sydney, Australia - our 5 star travelers turned hardened overlanders!
Hans and Jenny from Napier, New Zealand - sailed from Germany to NZ 25 years ago and never left. Adventurers at heart.
Fred from Auckland, New Zealand - a tough Kiwi and the most relaxed person most would ever meet.
Ingrid from Hamburg, Germany - a pharmacist and horse breeder incredibly active and young at heart.
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