Dusty Ramblers

02/01/2024

Out of the belly of King Neptune? Amazing what one finds washed out on the beach. Can play havoc with the imagination.

22/12/2023

The last few days we have been kidding around a bit.

04/12/2023

Rather late than never 😃
The last bit of our Africa trip according to Google Maps.

02/12/2023

Today we did a short, moderate 7km hike with the Voetsac hiking club at the beautiful Van Stadens Flower Reserve, just west of PE. Got the heart rate going again. Izzy Leask

18/11/2023

Robberg in Plettenberg Bay never disappoints. A few added staircases and ropes that weren't there the previous times we were here. Another beautiful part of our country. One of those hikes that you can just do over and over again.
A special shout out to Mike & Amalie from 7 Bunker Ave Guesthouse in Plettenberg Bay. Phenomenal and genuine first class hospitality where they treat you like old friends. If ever you are looking for a place to stay in Plett, look no further. https://7bunkerave.co.za/
7 Bunker Ave

04/11/2023

What a journey! 92 days. 9 different countries. 55 different camp sites. Nearly 15 000km on all sorts of roads. Met so many interesting people from all walks of life. We experienced the heart beat of Africa on our adventure. Soon Wayne & Izzy will embark on their caravan tour through South Africa. Thank you for travelling with us!

02/11/2023

Beautiful rolling green hills, small and big Hole in the Wall, Seafood, Crayfish, hiking of the Wild Coast. Due to the weather we didn't spend enough time, but it was a great experience.

29/10/2023

Just some random photos since the start of our journey.......ask questions, we'll tell no lies!!

29/10/2023

A wet and misty Hogsback. Log Fires to keep dry and warm. Spoilt with wonderful hospitality by Andre & Anneen, thank you! Check out the Waterwheel House for accommodation in Hogsback. The Waterwheel House

27/10/2023

Finding Nemo? Where's Wally? Is it Izzy?
Looking for that perfectly round pebble.

25/10/2023

The view from my window. Wild Coast.

22/10/2023

And of course..... Lesotho landies and lovely local lager.

21/10/2023

Lesotho. Majestic mountain kingdom.
Lesotho certainly showed off her beautiful country of mountains, rivers, waterfalls, snow, friendly and humble people. It was a cultural experience and we loved it. So many times we stood humbled, in awe and without words whilst experiencing the most beautiful nature scenery. The Basotho people are friendly and true to their culture. It is like a work of art and seeing a story unfolding when watching them proudly wearing their Basotho blankets and hats whilst going about their daily chores in their neat and tidy villages, herding their sheep and cattle, or pack donkeys.

Info on Katse dam and the Lesotho highlands water project assisting South Africa:
https://lhwp.co.za/dam/

17/10/2023

About...bbrrrr... this...bbbrrrr... morning...bbrrrr....

16/10/2023

We woke to a light dusting of icing sugar this morning. Brrrrr!🥶

15/10/2023

Beautiful countryside travelling from KZN South coast through East Griqualand to Sani Pass.

15/10/2023

Just come up Sani Pass. One hour and 1500m difference between the 2 photos. Temp difference 18 - 7 degrees (without the wind chill factor).

13/10/2023

Our journey through September.

10/10/2023

Wayne Leask & Gaby McDonald talks about how we customized our vehicles for our 90 day Africa Adventure trip. Maybe this might help someone with their setup.

09/10/2023

Mozambique, land of sand, warm ocean swimming, 2M, R&R, Prawns, Periperi Chicken, street vendors, street bars, coconuts, cashew nuts and lots of litter. It was good!

06/10/2023

House on Fire, Malandela, Swaziland. It simply touches something stored in the back of one's being.

06/10/2023

No prizes for guessing the country responsible for these local brews.....

06/10/2023

An afternoon well spent. Izzy said "let's go local". Best prawns and chicken in town. With bread, secret sauce and peri-peri.
Then 8 guys arrived, on a manne-trip from GP. Good entertainment as they'd handled alcohol in various ways.

04/10/2023

"Lekker" is n "lekker" Suid Afrikaanse slang woord. Dis "lekker". Die kos is lekker. Om te kamp is "lekker". Om te hike is "lekker". Die natuur is "lekker". Die gevoel is "lekker". Die lekker is "lekker". Hy/Sy is "lekker". He is n "lekker" oke. Sy is n "lekker" vriendin. Ag "lekker" man! Ons kom "lekker" oor die weg. Hy was "lekker" dronk. Local is "lekker". Afrikaans is "lekker". S*x is "lekker". Die lewe is "lekker".
"Lekker" food. "It's going "lekker". It's a "lekker" day. "Lekker" music. He's got himself a "lekker" bike. I had a "lekker" sleep. We had a "lekker" braai. "Lekker", lekkerder, lekkerste. And then we sommer made it:
"Flekker" which means Flippen Lekker. It is lekkerder as lekker. It's "flekker" 😂

03/10/2023

Hlane Game reserve, Swaziland, Eswatini. A small game reserve where we enjoyed a game drive and saw Nyala, Impala, Kudu, Wildebees, Giraffe, Elephant, Hippopotomus and Rhino. So beautiful.

03/10/2023

02/10/2023

View from my window. Beautiful Swaziland. Eswatini.

01/10/2023

Haenertsburg, the village with the sweetest, "prettiest" smells due to all the spring blossoms. Beautiful green, forest and mountains, filled with very friendly people who really care for one another and the small communities they live in. We were lucky to experience the yearly spring fair in full swing, hike the trails and get to know some wonderful local residents. Francois & Sonja welcomed us with open arms, ready with our own private camp site at their home.
Three Rondawels, Blyde River Canyon, Bourkes Luck Potholes, God's Window, Pilgrimsrest, etc. The Lowveld is definitely worth a visit. I think we still have the most beautiful country.

01/10/2023

On our journeys we have found other countries more expensive than South Africa. Tourism is huge in these countries (except Zambia) and probably provides their livelyhood, so they capatalize on international tourism and charge european rates. In Namibia our groceries were on par or a few cents more than in RSA. Fuel was about a rand cheaper. Accommodation prices varied, from very expensive for a very run down and dirty camp site, to very affordable for a well maintained and clean facilities. Transacting was easy, as you could pay in Rands or by card where the card facilities were available. Keep in mind that you pay additional fees per transaction when using your RSA bank card and these fees vary from business to business. Remember to activate your cards for international use.
In Botswana the fuel price was much the same as RSA because of the P**a being stronger than the rand. Groceries were generally more expensive in Botswana, but still acceptable. Accommodation in Botswana is extremely expensive and private camp sites do not allow any discount for SADC citizens. It was very difficult to obtain P**as, most exchange companies in Katima Mulilo and at the border post did not have P**a available. In Kasane we managed to exchange Rands for P**a at 1:1.68 conversion. Very expensive. They also accept American dollars.
Zimbabwe is on a whole different scale. They prefer American dollar as payment. The people are poor and they say they live to merely survive because of the exhorbitant prices of goods. The cheapest bread was R22,00 RSA or Z$5632,00. Diesel cost RSA R33,00 per litre. A 1kg tub yoghurt Z$36999,99 or RSA R144,00. A medium Aero chocolate slab sets you back Z$20480,00 or RSA R80,00. A packet of bits of bacon 250g is RSA R114,00 a packet. Onions RSA R140,00 per kg. Meat is unaffordable and looks horrible. A 300ml beer in a bar is American $3 or RSA R60,00. Needless to say we did not buy groceries and did not have a beer in a bar.
In Zambia the diesel price was fixed at the equavilant of R26,88 per litre and Malawi R33 per litre. Mozambique R29,83 per litre. In Zambia and Malawi meat was very scarce unless you eat goat or chicken hanging next to the road, covered in flies. At one stall in Zambia you could even buy braaied rat on a stick. The shops only have the most basic items. Oh and if you see a town marked on the map, it is not really a town, but a trading post where the people from different trading posts trade their goods and produce with each other.

21/09/2023

Turning directly south after the Nyamapanda border post, we were greeted with many Beware of landmine signs and the bushes cordoned off whilst the military teams unearthed and deactivated the mines. Scary stuff. Yet the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe proudly showed us her picturesque beauty. We had a wonderful Farm stay with strong Debbie who farms all alone on her small dairy farm Nyamoro, near Nyanga. Here we saw a calf born and spent a warming, welcoming evening with our hostess. The road to Mutare was filled with a caleidoscope of stunning autumn coloured trees. Another farm stay at Chimanimani was also unique as Tempe took us for a short hike into Chimanimani mountains to swim in the cold mountain waterfall rock pools. We have met such friendly, warming and welcoming hosts along our trip already .

21/09/2023

The roads are often very entertaining!
The most people we saw on one motorbike was a family of 6 ! Right in front just behind the handlebars an 8 year old boy was sitting, behind him, his father driving the bike. Then a 5 year old boy, a 3 year old girl, then the Mother with a baby strapped to her hip and a rucksack on her back. None with helmets.

21/09/2023

We had an amazing experience at Lake Malawi. When we arrived, the lake was beautiful, only to be woken up by gale force winds causing waves, like the sea. Walking along the beach we found ourselves watching out for dolphins and whales like we usually do, only to remind ourselves that this is a 'fresh' water lake, nothing like the sea.
Two days later on a windless, 45°C day, we went on a boat where Danny fed the Fish Eagles. We spotted at least 4 breading pairs in a 3km stretch along the lake. We also got to swim amongst the colourful cichlid fish. The lake is 80km wide and it is 570km long. So blessed!

21/09/2023

We have had temperatures averaging around 35°C and our hottest record at 45,5°C. This would be unbearable had it not been for.......

21/09/2023

Been having some beautiful scenery in the Eastern Zimbabwe highlands.

31/08/2023

Not all of travelling Southern Africa is tough there are some pleasant things to do like indulging in their local brews......

30/08/2023

Some more on Victoria Falls.

30/08/2023

"Do not stop dreaming! One day your world-peace-dream will inundate the entire world" Sri Chinmoy

28/08/2023

Oh this is Africa!

27/08/2023

The Quadripoint at Kazungula bridge.

27/08/2023

We visited Africa's 4 corner quadripoint where the borders of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe all meet below the Kazungula bridge, which is 970m long. It was an interesting boat ride with many animals to see amongst Africa's beauty.