Our tour through Southern Africa began in Zambia and on arrival into Livingstone we were transferred to our accommodation on the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles upstream from the Victoria Falls. Arriving in plenty of time before the tour began I made the most of the opportunities available in the area - this being one of Africa's adventure capitals offering a range of activities, from bungy jumping to sunset cruising. Our first day was … [Read more...]
Falling for Africa
"Only two of us have had malaria so far," said Heidi as I joined the group of seasoned overlanders in their fifth week on a truck safari from Nairobi to Cape Town. "Weren't you taking malaria stuff?" I asked naively. "Yeah, but it doesn't always work," was her heart-stopping response. I added 'contracting permanently-relapsing malaria' to my list of African hazards to watch out for - something I thought I'd taken care of with a quick trip to … [Read more...]
Maun, Botswana
I remember looking out my window on the night flight from Europe to South Africa and seeing nothing but black below. No city lights for hours. Not until the next morning when the plane was over South Africa, were any signs of civilization present. On that flight I tried to imagine what it would be like to actually be in one of those areas that seemed so dark from above. Well, we finally entered this part of Africa when we crossed the "veterinary … [Read more...]
Bunbury, Western Australia
Bunbury and the South West area of Western Australia (or WA) is one of the world's great places to live, with a Mediterranean climate, sandy-white beaches, beautiful native forests and all the infrastructure expected of a modern western society. Bunbury is the major city in WA's South West region, that is also home to other centres such as Busselton, Margaret River, Donnybrook, Manjimup, Augusta, Pemberton, Collie, Harvey and Bridgetown. … [Read more...]
Busselton, Western Australia
The first recorded mapping of what is now Geographe Bay and the eventual town of Busselton, was in 1801 by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin, from the ships the Geographe and Naturaliste. The Bay was named after his ship whilst the river was named the Vasse after a sailor who went missing in mysterious circumstances. The area was settled in 1832 when families from the Augusta area, led by John Garrett Bussell, traveled north to farm the … [Read more...]
Zimbabwe & Zambia: The Zim and Zam of Victoria Falls
Dear Friends, "I can't leave this place. Africa is in my heart'I love the unpredictability here; today we have food, tomorrow we might not". These were the musings of Ivor, a white Zimbabwean grocery store owner we met in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Ivor was one of the few white Zimbabwe citizens left after the country's strong-man president Robert Mugabe changed the constitution to allow himself unlimited terms and, in 2000, instituted a series of … [Read more...]
Safari West, CA – The Safari
Soon after pulling into the entrance of Safari West we hopped into a waiting 1952 Dodge Power Wagon Jeep and we were greeted by a young fellow in the driver's seat named Billy. Billy was born and raised in South Africa. His father was a bush pilot and Billy grew up around wild animals all of his life. He would be our driver and guide for the 2.5-hour tour. His background and insights into the animals and their behaviors was invaluable. The … [Read more...]