Discover all you need to know to experience an outback adventure holiday - four wheel driving, camping, accommodation, facilities, services, and much more.

WILDEST SOUTHERN AFRICA - South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho.

Our 2009 trip was voted the best we had ever done – for wildlife, history, culture and scenery it was impossible to beat!

 

 

Meeting everyone in Pretoria we spent some spare time on a brief tour of the city and then, once we left the Farm Inn, we travelled north through areas haunted by the ghost of ‘Breaker’ Morant and the Bushveld Carbineers of Boer War infamy.

 

  

Then we traversed the mighty Kruger National Park, surely one of the greatest wildlife reserves in the world (have you seen ‘Battle of Kruger’ on U-tube - over 35 million people have?) spending two nights in this vast park, first at Shingwedzi Restcamp and the second night at Letaba Restcamp – our favourite camp in the park. Because it had been a very wet rainy season the grass and the trees, even up this northern end of the park was lush and green, making the wildlife viewing a bit of a challenge. Still we saw lots of animals although only a lucky few saw lions. The meeting with the elephant who wandered into the picnic area while we were out of our cars was memorable!

    

 

We then crossed the border into Mozambique’s Transfrontier Park, a wilder, remoter and far less visited place and then headed for the coast just south of Xia Xia. At Zongoene Lodge, right on the coast, we had two nights in luxury.

 

After an interesting drive through Maputo and while waiting (and having lunch) for the ferry across the river we headed into the Maputo Elephant Reserve.

 

 

 

 

Some of the convoy got caught and were stopped for some time by a very stroppy elephant which made three of the vehicles reverse up for 2km or so. Needless to say we were late into camp that night – right on the coast at Milli Bangalla. The swim in the surf that next morning was delightful!

 

 

 

We then headed north through the reserve which is exceedingly beautiful country with blue lakes, rolling grassed dunes with patches of forest dotted here and there. On the northern most point of the peninsula we stopped at Sante Maria to buy some food from the local market and to play soccer with the kids.

 

 

 

    

 

  

Next day saw us cross the border into Swaziland. This independent kingdom is a varied and an amazing place and while small, packs a lot of variety into it. At Hlane Royal NP, which is well known for its lions and white rhino an early morning game drive had everyone raving.Then we went to visit some of the artisans of this country (and spend some money) at the Swazi silversmiths.

 

Mlilwane National Park with its beehive shaped huts (where we stayed) and natural hot spring heated river were enjoyable as were the warthogs that come into the campfire and warm themselves every morning.

These very ugly but cute young warthogs knew how to get warm on a cold morning, soaking in the warmth from the camp fire at Mlilwane camp.

The cosy beehive huts in Milwane NP, and enjoying the hot spring.

 

  

Crossing the border once more back into South Africa we wandered through picturesque country to visit Hluhluwe - iMfolozi NP, once the Zulu kings private hunting reserve. This was the last great bastion of the white rhino and today the park is home to over 2000 of these animals and another 400 or so black rhino. As we headed west the wildlife viewing just got better and an early morning game drive had people spy lions, while a picnic stop for a mid-morning brunch had a cheetah wander past!

 

 

 

 

For the next couple of nights we stopped at the Blue Pig Farm and for a day with a local history guide took in some of the most poignant battle fields on earth that have helped shape this diverse nation of South Africa – Blood River (where 100 Boers beat back an army of 10,000 Zulus), Isandlwana (where the British army suffered their greatest defeat from a primitive (Zulu) army and Rourke’s Drift (where more VC’s were won in a single day and battle than anywhere else).

The Zulu Memorial at Rourke's Drift, this is one of the most beautiful memorials we have seen depicting a Leopard sitting on top of a mound of Zulu shields - it all tells a story. Our group listens to our local guide tell the story of Isandlwana.

 

Heading south we climbed through some of the most spectacular terrain on our planet as we entered the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park, which is also a World Heritage area. The scenery was amazing and again we were treated to luxury staying at Giant’s Castle Lodge. We all took the walk to the Main Cave, a very pleasant sojourn along a river and then up a more narrow, well treed valley to the cliff overhangs where San Bushman had once lived and painted on the walls of the cave. The art is pretty faint although a few can be quite clearly seen - many are reminiscent of the Bradshaw or Tiwi art you see in northern Australia.

 

 

The climb up the Sani Pass remains one of the great 4WD trips in southern Africa and we were blessed by a perfect day. That night we stayed on the lip of the escarpment at the rustic Sani Top Chalet (the highest pub in Africa) and just metres over the border in Lesotho. At nearly 10,000 feet it is cool all year around with lots of snow in winter.

The magnificent drive up Sani Pass - one of the greatest 4wd trips in southern Africa; Our little group enjoying the highest pub in Africa. (From Left to Right: Karen, Macca, Bertus, Viv & Ron).

 

 

Our route through Lesotho, which is a poor country and one of the highest on earth, took us up over 13,000 feet. Every now and again we came across herders with their sheep or goats and at the Mphere primary school we stopped and gave the teachers some books, pens and soccer balls. They got the kids out and they sung and danced for us – it was great!

We crossed the Tiaeeng Pass – the highest road pass in Southern Africa – before passing the Oxbow ski slopes and the small ski resort tucked into the valley below the surrounding high peaks. We arrived at the Oxbow Lodge and a few of the group went fishing with a couple catching a nice trout.

A stop next day at the Leribe Craft Shop where handicapped women make a range of magnificent products out of mohair and wool had everyone buying something for such a good cause.

As we climbed the Mafika Lisiu Pass to 3090m we stopped where two women and a bloke were bringing cut grass down from the steep mountain side to the edge of the road. The grass, used for weaving, basket making and a host of other things, sells for 20R a bundle in the market. Each lot weighs in excess of 20kg – and they carry it on their heads down bloody steep mountains!

At the top of the pass you also enter the Bokong Nature Reserve, this 1970ha reserve being one of the highest in Africa which has a number of bird species only found in these high mountains and plains of Lesotho.

The next day saw us travel through Mokhoabong Pass, Cheche Pass, Blue Mountain Pass and the aptly named God Help Me Pass. All the while the lower slopes of the mountains were dotted with family farms and fields while the higher slopes were occasionally dotted with a winter hut or a yard. This was pretty bleak country used for summer grazing and we passed a few people with their sheep or goats. It was a very spectacular drive.

Our last night on the road was at Malealea Lodge, probably the closest we came to a tourist spot in the whole of Lesotho. The layout of the lodge, which was once a trading post, is a bit higgledy piggledy but it is pleasant enough and very popular. They do a lot for the local community who they employ and from here you can take horse rides for a day or more into the surrounding mountains.

That evening the choir came along for a sing-along followed by the Sotho Sounds Rock Band playing their home made instruments. The drum was made from a 10-gall drum covered in car rubber, the drumsticks being strips of car tyre. The guitars were made from sticks and oil cans. They were fabulous – the music fast and furious with a definite African beat! They have been to Oz for the Adelaide Festival of Arts and the Perth Festival by all accounts. We left a heap of sleeping gear along with books and pencils for the school as well as a couple of soccer balls.

From there it was back into South Africa and the long but easy haul back to Pretoria and the Farm Inn.

Believe us, everybody had been spell bound by the varying cultures, the incredible vistas, the amazing and diverse wildlife, the vibrant history and the challenging four wheel driving.

 

Bertus Hanekom – South African Guide and all round good bloke!
Bertus is one of the best tour guides in South Africa. He is able to speak 6 languages, English, Dutch, Afrikaans, German, Zulu and a bit of Portuguese too!  Bertus has an extraordinary amount of knowledge stored in his brain on all manner of subjects and can gives our guests comprehensive information on the history of an area and culture of the people.

It would be difficult to find anyone with more facts and practical understanding than Bertus with regard wildlife. His knowledge and skills about wildlife and the creatures of South Africa, especially the birds, butterflies and game you find in the Southern parts of Africa, would be hard to surpass!  Having Bertus as our guide has proven to be an experience in itself.  He will show you tracks, teach you calls of the wild and he will assist you to spot the numerous mammals, reptiles, insects and birds you’ll see whilst on the expedition.

Bertus is registered with THETA and SATOUR. He has been guiding for almost 20 years and we have yet to meet a better (and nicer) person who is so passionate about the Culture, Wildlife and History of South Africa.

He has been working as a tour guide since 1990. In 1995, Bertus entered the life of a conservator when he worked in the, then Wintershoek National Park and became their first game ranger. In 1996 this exceptional man did free-lance guiding for Denake Safaris.  In 1997 Leiland Reisen and Bertus Tours was formed and Bertus was placed as the Tour Leader and Interpreter for the tours, which covered 27 Countries.

After working at Mkuze Falls in 1999, Bertus then began work for Inyaminga Safaris where he learnt the art of Butterfly guiding and went on fishing and bird safaris in Mozambique.  From 2002-2004 he was assisting the National Parks of Mozambique with their problem animal control.

Since then, Bertus has been guiding in so many places it’s difficult to keep track, but he has guided for Australian Geographic, Global Contact Travel – Belgium, Highline Travel, Kioni Private Safaris and Thompsons.
It is an honour and a privilege to have Bertus Hanekom on our Legendary Outback Expeditions team.

 

 

proposed departure for 2010 - August & September
for more information click on this link

 

For further the details check out the LOE web site at:

http://www.loe.com.au/

You can also contact Macca & Karen (details below) should you wish to discuss further. We hope you can join us on our next “trip of a lifetime”.

Happy Travelling,

Ron and Viv; Macca and Karen

For more information on the trip and costs, contact:

Karen & Macca (Anthony) McDonald,
Red Desert Tours & Catering,
PO Box 53, Kinglake, Victoria, 3763.
Phone/Fax: 03 5786 2004           Mobile: 0412 179 688 (Anthony)
Emai:l macca@red-desert.com.au
Web www.red-desert.com.au