Trip report for Northern Cape, Namibia and Botswana
October and November 2011
Day 5 Sunday 23 October 2011 - Hobas to Luderitz
Day 8 Wednesday 26 October 2011 - Sesriem to Walvis Bay
Day 16 Thursday 3 November 2011- Around Halali Rest Camp, Etosha National Park
What started off an invitation to Cathy Morris’ 50th birthday party in Etosha rather quickly developed into an opportunity to explore the Northern Cape and Namibia. Having acquired a LR Defender 130 Td5 last year, and having had a cab put on the back ealier this year, there was a sudden mad rush to get the vehicle ready for a 3 week trip!
I decided to make an extended trip of it, hoping to explore the Norther Cape and Southern Namibia before the party. With Dena (the wife) unable to join me due to work commitments, and my regular travelling partner Heine only able to join me a week or 2 after I planned to leave, the preparation took on new urgency, having to travel alone for a while.
After many late nights (and much cursing and threats at suppliers) I was eventually ready to leave!
Day 1 Wednesday 19 October 2011 - Johannesburg to Vryburg
Distance travelled - 416km
Temperatures - Min 7.4C Max 27.1C
I started off a lot later than anticipated due to late work commitments and packing and thus my hopes of reaching Springbok and doing most of the mileage in the 1st day did not materialise.
The drive between Johannesburg and Vryburg can only be described as dull and the bit between Wolmaransstad and Schweizer-Reneke is really pot-holed and bad. I eventually arrived in Vryburg at around 15h30 and went straight to Kameelboom Lodge as I had stayed there before. The camp is small, neat and tidy but suffers from being right next to the main road. Cost was R50pppn. I stopped so early in the day as I thought it prudent to check the vehicle over after day 1. I also went for a quick 5km jog down the main road to loosen up and learnt very quickly how strong the wind can blow in Vryburg.
What I learnt today……. when packing, finish each job. While tying down the shower cubicle the night before I left, I jumped down to get a 2nd strap, got side tracked and didn't finish the job. When I arrived in Vryburg, the shower cubicle was gone!
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| The Kameelbook Lodge campsite |
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My 1st wild animal on the trip, a banded mongoose
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Day 2 Thursday 20 October 2011 - Vryburg to Springbok
Distance travelled – 808km
Temperatures - Min 7.7C Max 25.6C
Another long uneventful day of driving, eventually arriving in Springbok just after 4pm. This is relevant as the Goegab Nature Reserve (and the campsite) closes at 16h00 every day. Further, if you are in the park, you cannot leave until 07h30 in the morning as the gate is locked! I could see the campsite from the gate and it did look nice.
I eventually settled for the night at Springbok Caravan Park which was pretty decent and clean. It also, however,suffers from being too near a main road i.e. the N7. Camping cost R70pppn.
I met Mike and his wife while there. It turns out they have been living out of their caravan for 9 years since retiring as it is cheaper than owning a home!. They have been around South Africa a couple of times and “stay in a town long enough so we don’t need to come back again”
What I learnt today…… how to sail my landrover! With strong cross-winds all day, driving such a large and un-aero-dynamic vehicle presents its challenges. And having done only a few hundred kms in the vehicle since the rear cab was fitted, it turned into a very long, very cautious drive. Know your vehicle before you go on a trip!
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| Needless to say my vehicle was not authorised! |
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| I would love to hear the story behind this |
Day 3 Friday 21 October 2011 - Springbok to McDougall's Bay
Distance travelled – 315km
Temperatures - Min 10.8C Max 31.7C
The drive from Springbok to Hondeklipbaai is totally awesome.Along the way, I ran into a local who had run out of fuel and been stuck for 36 hours at his vehicle. I was the 1st vehicle past in that time! His friend had left the vehicle that morning to find help, and not returned as yet. I took him home to Soebatsfontein just in time to reach his friend walking into the village. Our 30 minute journey was fascinating hearing a local’s opinion of everything from Graeme Smith to De Beers. His comments/opinions are not included here due to too many expletives Anyway, he is a fence builder on a 2 year contract to (re)fence a portion of the Namaqua National Park which is quite a challenge considering he is not allowed to drive off the road so needs to carry everything (poles, fencing, cement, water etc) wherever he is erecting the fence.
Hondeklipblaai may be very picturesque but the town and camp site are pretty much a dive. I could not even enquire about staying at the campsite as it was deserted. I took a few pictures and left pretty quickly.
Permits for the West Coast diamond road are a formality at Koingnaas. All you need is your ID book. The security people were very friendly (obviously they do not see too many people), and were more than willing to explain all the features in the area. The Koingnaas campsite was closed but they could not tell me why.
The Noep chalets look awesome. Unfortunately neither Alette (0832867080) nor Dudley (0833052569) were there, nor did they answer their phones and the place was deserted for the hour I waited there.
The coastline around Kleinsee is beautiful. I did enquire at one of the security gates about camping overnight at one of the fishing huts but no-one seems to know who to ask.
Eventually ended up at McDougall's campsite in Port Nolloth. It is a great camp site when empty and when the weather is nice.
What I learnt today……. Just because a campsite is on T4A does not make it good. There needs to be some sort of rating system or a photo gallery website.
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| The road between Springbok and Hondeklipbaai |
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| A baby tortoise who was not troubled by me at all |
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A panorama (my 1st attempt ) of Hondeklipbaai. The campsite
is in the right hand corner
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A panorama (my 2nd attempt and slightly better) of Noep
Chalets
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| On the beach near Kleinsee |
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| Sunset at McDougall’s Bay |
Day 4 Saturday 22 October 2011 - McDougall's Bay to Hobas
Distance travelled – 439km
Temperatures - Min 13.2C Max 33.6C
Entry into Namibia at Vioolsdrif from problem free and very quick. On the Namibian side there was an old rusty sign warning about the import of animal and animal products, but no-one asked nor was my vehicle searched. A road tax of N$200 is payable
There are many lovely and quiet roads to drive in southern Namibia with plenty of open spaces. The German Outpost 4wd trail is well worth a drive. It is not challenging but is nice and isolated away from main road. There is no permit required for this trail.
A permit (however) is required for the Quiver Tree Forest 4wd trail that must be obtained in Aussenkehr (I cannot recall exactly where but it is signposted at both entrances to the trail). Unfortunately, this is north of the trail entrances so entails turning back down the road, something I did not do.
Ai-Ais rest camp, where I had originally intended to stay that evening, looks nice enough (other than a sewerage problem and related smell) but as I had arrived too early in the day, I moved on.
The Hobas camp is great other than the fact they run a generator from 5am to 11pm every day! It is pretty discreet but still noticeable. Camping is N$100pppn.
The Fish River Canyon (about 10km down the road) is stunning, although full of tourists when I was there. The start of the Fish River Canyon Trail is also there, which has got me thinking……. Entrance to the Fish River Canyon is N$70.
What I learnt today..... Stop for every opportunity, even if it means turning back. You will never know when you will be there again.
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| Parking problems in Port Nolloth |
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The 1st locals I saw in Namibia
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| On the German Outpost 4wd trail |
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Ai-Ais campsite
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Somewhere between Vioolsdrift and Hobas
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The Fish River Canyon!
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Distance travelled – 443km
Temperatures - Min 13.9C Max 34.7C
It was an enjoyable drive from Hobas to Luderitz on a good road with numerous animal sightings along the way.
The wild horses near Aus proved to be one of the highlights of the trip. Not only did I see the horses (nearly a hundred actually) but I also witnessed a mare giving birth a mere 50m away! This also resulted in one of the moral ponderings I went through on the trip. While watching the birth, with the mare laying on the ground and the foal already half out, a man from Gauteng who was in the hide with me suddenly decided the mare was having complications giving birth. He duly went down to the mare and pulled the foal out. This raises a number of questions….. was the mare indeed having problems? If so, surely one must let Nature take its course? Or is it fair to watch an animal suffer needlessly?
Be that as it may, it was a wonderful experience, only partially spoilt by an overzealous person.
What was also fascinating was watching the “horse politics” where every stallion in the vicinity, other than the father, tried to get at the foal with obvious intentions to hurt/kill it. Fortunately, a rather aggrresive mother and father prevented this.
On the way to Luderitz, I stopped at Kolsmanskop only to find it is only open between 08h00 and 13h00. Not a problem though, as with only one road into and out of Luderitz, I would stop there the following day on the way out.
Luderitz on a Sunday is pretty much a ghost town like Kolmanskop. Not even the petrol stations were open. Shark Bay campsite, which is in town, looked okay but was very exposed to the howling wind. Diaz Point campsite was a little better but is a long way out of town. Although I had a relatively protected position from the wind, it was still strong and uncomfortable to the extent I ate and was in bed by 18h30 (the campsite was deserted so I had no-one to chat to). Hot water is provided via a donkey system so you need to “book” your shower times. All said though, it is a very picturesque camp site, with the waves breaking 20m from your tent.
What I learnt today..... always pack a wind-breaker. Thought the ambient temperature only dropped to 13.9C, the wind made it freezing as I had no warm or protective clothing.
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| The wild horses near Aus! |
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The mare and foal just after birth!
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| The foal’s first wobbly steps, about 10 minutes after birth |
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| Fending off agrresive stallions! |
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| The noble Gemsbok |
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A Ruddy Turnstone (not a great shot but I like the name)
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| A Kelp Gull battling in the wind |
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And a juvenile for good measure
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A view of Diaz Point and the lighthouse
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Day 6 Monday 24 October 2011 - Luderitz to Sesriem
Distance travelled – 506km
Temperatures - Min 12.1C Max 35.4C
The trip to Kolmanskop was enjoyable, and does present many photo opportunities. Entrance was N$55. There are guides available but I chose to rather wander around by myself.
The drive to Sesriem is, despite being long, very enjoyable. I really enjoy the open spaces and sparseness. Some may, however, find it dull.
Sesriem is a bit of a tourist hub and very noisy for me after a few days of relative solitude. Much to my surprise, Sesriem Rest Camp was full and they could only accommodate me in the overflow campsite that is quite a distance from the ablutions (and right next to the busy entrance to Sossusvlei). I declined and went across the road to Sossus Oasis Camp which fortunately had space. It has very nice campsites but is pricey at N$265pppn. I then went back to Sesriem Rest Camp to get a permit at N$70 for Sossusvlei for the next day. I also learnt that it is a bit of a conspiracy as only campers at Sesriem Rest Camp can enter Sossusvlei at sunrise and others can only go in at 06h15. A lovely swim in a relatively cold swimming pool ended the day nicely.
What I learnt today….. Luderitz should not be more than a lunch time stop-over. Maybe stay at Aus and make a day trip of wild horses, Kolmanskop and Luderitz.
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| On and on and on...... |
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| Mini salt pans near Luderitz |
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Dust problems!
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| Proof of what the wind and sand can do! |
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100 years of damage!
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| One of the ablution blocks |
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Old road signs don’t go to the big scrap yard in the sky, they become
roofs at picnic spots!
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The view from the picnic spot where I had lunch!
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Day 7 Tuesday 25 October 2011 - Sesriem to Sossuvlei and back
Distance travelled – 141km
Temperatures - Min 14.1C Max 35.9C
In light of the relatively large crowds I decided not to chase the sunrise and it proved a wise decision. The area first thing in the morning is like Johannesburg during peak hour traffic and resulting in a dust cloud hanging over the area. Instead I went for a nice early run where I found out how hard it is to run in thick sand!
My delay worked well, as when I finally entered the area, I was the only vehicle going in with quite a number of vehicles going out. What was surprising was that the road from Sesriem to Sossouvlei is tar nearly all the way!
I was patting myself on the back even more when I got to Dune 45 and was the only person there, which was just as well as then no-one heard my panting for breath as I climbed the dune. It is a walk well worth doing as the views from there are phenomenal.
The last few kms of the drive to Sossouvlei are quite thick sand and a 4x4 is definitely required (so is a bit of skill in light of the 2 4x4s that were stuck and abandoned along the way). Much to my surprise when I got to Sossouvlei, there was water! And birdlife, 12 species to be exact! It was also a bit of a tourist mecca with maybe 100 people strolling or hiking around. Beautiful nonetheless.
What was very disappointing on the way back to Sesriem were 2 dead springbok on the road, obviously having been hit by reckless speeding idiots…..
I decided to spend another evening in Sesriem to catch up on washing etc. Yet again Sesriem Rest Camp was full and I managed to get the last campsite at Sossus Oasis Camp. It would appear booking is definitely necessary.
As I was setting up camp, I noticed that the people in the next site were the same ones I had seen in Luderitz and duly went over to introduce myself. It turned out they were from Sasolburg in transit to Henties Bay and had trailer problems that were still being attended to in Luderitz. I was immediately invited to a prawn dinner, followed by what turned out to be a long and whiskied night…….
What I learnt today..... I wonder why some people actually go on trips. They race there to race a quick look to race back. Rather stay at home. And try not to kill any animals on your way out please……..
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| A view of one of the Sossouvlei dunes that looks identical to a painting I have from Dane Willers! |
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The start of the climb up Dune 45. It is a lot larger than the photo
will have you believe
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The view from the top of Dune 45
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Sossouvlei, full of water!
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Distance travelled – 392km
Temperatures - Min 15.1C Max 36.2C
I took a nice early morning stroll down Sesriem Gorge. Obviously the masses find the Sossouvlei all conquering as in the hour I was there I saw no-one else. There were signs about having a permit but no one stopped or asked me. It is quite stunning in its own way and well worth the 5 minutes drive.
The drive to Walvis Bay was pretty uneventful, with the Kuiseb Pass being a nice distraction from a relatively straight drive. I will try and camp in the area on my next trip.
As I was approaching Walvis Bay, and with the wind blustering, I decided to forego camping for the night and spoil myself at a hotel. This would serve another purpose in providing me with secure parking for my vehicle when I was on an intended boat ride the next morning.
I eventually settled on the Protea Hotel after struggling to find places that could fit my vehicle’s height. Once set up, I went about booking a boat trip for the next day which was duly done through Levo Tours, who’s pamphlet I found in the hotel lobby. I then doodled around town the rest of the day and was quite surprised at the size and modernization of Walvis Bay.
I decided to have dinner at the hotel and have an early night, only to share the restaurant with about 200 old Chinese tourists. The shortness of most of the people, and all the nodding and bowing and nattering made it look like a B-grade movie and I really wished I had found a campsite after all.
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| The Sesriem Gorge |
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Cars II, Solitaire style!
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Day 9 Thursday 27 October 2011 - in and around Walvis bay
Distance travelled – 0km
Temperatures - Min 13.4C Max 24.8C
I had a fabulous morning cruise, in wonderful calm seas, with tons of dolphins, seals and birdlife to see. There was even a champagne and fresh oyster lunch in the harbour, surrounded by seals!. I highly recommend LevoTours (www.levotours.com). The cost was N$480pp. I think the smaller boats, like I was on, are far more fun and personal than the larger tour operator boats.
I decided to spend another evening in Walvis Bay and so enjoyed a long 10km run along the esplanade. There are some really lovely homes in Walvis Bay right on the beach front. Walvis Bay is also well stocked to resupply on a trip, with an excellent Spar, Pick n Pay, CNA and all the fashion retailers.
To avoid the Chinese masses at the hotel I had a look at the restaurants in the area but eventually spoilt myself at Nandos!
What I learnt today...... Taking a jog is really a great way to see places and details you would miss in the vehicle.
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| Cleaning out for oysters cages |
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Just a nice view in Walvis Bay
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| Very “tame” pelicans make for nice photo opportunities |
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They are very graceful in a clumsy sort of way
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My best photo of the dolphins. They are very difficult to photograph,
particularly I a rocking boat.
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| Some of the many Cape Fur Seals in the area |
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| Even cute seals have a sharp end! |
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They make big jellyfish in Namibia. That is my size 11 shoe!
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Day 10 Friday 28 October 2011 – Walvis Bay to Windhoek
Distance travelled – 423km
Temperatures - Min 14.3C Max 33.4C
I took a quick drive around the jetty area, which is very picturesque, followed by a quick drive up the coast to Swakopmund. This town looks far larger and more cosmopolitan than Walvis Bay and I will definitely spend more time there on my next trip.
After an uneventful drive to Windhoek, I met up with Noel and Bronwen O’Sullivan and spent a lovely, if somewhat wine hazy evening with them!.
What I learnt today...... There are no laundromats in Windhoek! Fortunately the O’Sullivans came to the rescue.
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The jetty area in Walvis Bay
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| On the beach enjoying breakfast (me, not the vehicle) |
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On the coastline between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund
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A rather solemn looking church on the way To Windhoek
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I did not test their marketing
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| Making friends with Noel’s landy |
Day 11 Saturday 29 October 2011 - Windhoek to Gobabis
Distance travelled – 204km
Temperatures - Min 16.0C Max 29.3C
After collecting Mandy (Heine’s much better half) at the airport, we drove through to Gobabis to meet up with Heine, Nick and Hester in Gobabis. They had already set up camp at Xain Quaz Camp. This is a really nice campsite with plenty of trees and decent ablutions. The camping cost was N$70pppn.
We then went through to Gobabis to watch the Currie Cup final and ended up at Ernies. Depsite the result (me being a Sharks fan) it was an enjoyable evening.
What I learnt today ..... There are not many Sharks fans in Gobabis!
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Not a good sight with a hangover
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Fellow spectators during the Currie Cup final!
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Day 12 Sunday 30 October 2011 - Gobabis to Harnas Wildlife Foundation
Distance travelled – 120km
Temperatures - Min 17.1C Max 32.5C
A first for all of us, the camp-site provided us with coffee and rusks (which of course arrived about 15 seconds after I had just made coffee)!
After a quick morning drive we arrived at Harnas Wildlife Foundation, all bushy-eyed and excited to see the rehabilitation work being done. Saying we were disappointed with the work being done is an understatement. The place is more a petting zoo than a rehabilitation centre. I am no expert but you should not be hand-feeling young leopard and cheetah if you intend to release them back into the wild. We did the afternoon walking tour (N$150pp) and got to hold and play with all sorts of young animals. Our guide was unable to explain to us how this helped their mission of releasing the animals back into the wild. So if you want to hold a young leopard, by all means go, but don’t go there with your tree-hugger hat on.
What was probably the worst for us was seeing a very old lioness laying in her own waste in what was effectively a fenced-off car park. Our guide claimed this was Elsa of the movie fame, though a little googling shows this to be false. It is even extremely doubtful that the lioness was Little Elsa (one of Elsa’s cubs) who was last seen a long time ago in the Serengeti. The guide further claimed she was the oldest lioness in the world. When asked why she was still kept alive when obviously too old to look after herself, he explained that she still appeared in movies and made money for the Foundation........
That said, the camp sites are awesome and well worth a stop-over. Just don’t encourage the ostriches. Once we got over the thrill of having a flock of ostriches in our camp site, they became really irritating and were impossible to get rid of.
A few notes… the entrance has moved to the south east corner of the farm, about 4.5km east of the old entrance. There is also an ATM, wi-fi and limited cellphone reception.
What we learnt..... The debate is very much open, not so much about the success of the rehabilitation program, but whether they are doing the right thing in the 1st place. I do not think so…...
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| Coffee and rusks provided! |
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The ever cheerful and jolly masked weaver
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| A view of the Xain Quaz Camp |
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Well hello!
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The most effective ostrich deterrent…. An impromptu rendition of Mary
Poppins!
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| A bat eared fox (canned, not shaken) |
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| A puddy tat with a very sharp sharp end! |
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Nick and Hester doing their game-ranger impersonation
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| Heine “cheetah’ing” on Mandy! |
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Graveyard for the rehabilitations that did not work……
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This is not how you rehabilitate a cheetah…..
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A very nifty idea for outside seating!
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| One of the animals that no-one wants to rehabilitate…. Or feed…. Or touch |
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| Why my camera strap is now a little worn |
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Elsa, or Little Elsa, or whoever, apparently the oldest lioness in the
world, laying in her own waste
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| How I feel some mornings |
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A whole lot of mongooses/mongeese/mongii ?
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Day 13 Monday 31 October 2011 - Harnas Wildlife Foundation
Distance travelled – 0km
Temperatures - Min 12.4C Max 31.8C
My morning jog turned into a gauntlet when the same pesky flock of ostriches from our campsite kept charging me when I ran. We then went on the Animal Feed drive (N$250pp) that just reinforced our opinions that Harnas is more a petting zoo than a rehabilitation centre. All the animals have names (which is okay)…. All of them also come running when they are called (which is not okay for a rehabilitation centre).
The drive was also the only time we got a clear answer on the success of their rehabilitation and release program….. 3 cheetah in 20 years! And all 3 were killed within 6 months of release!
Make up your own mind http://www.harnas.org
What I learnt today... ostriches chase you when you run!
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The picture that sums up Harnas for me…. Mighty the cow grazing merrily
alongside 4 lions
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| Fortunately this trip report does not include sound effects J |
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Feeding time for the "wild" cheetah……
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| A Caracal! |
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The campsite at Harnas
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Day 14 Tuesday Tuesday 1 November 2011- Harnas Wildlife Foundation to Waterberg Plateau National Park
Distance travelled – 470km
Temperatures - Min 14.7C Max 35.0C
After the ostrich attacks the morning before, and having seen the (I thought) rather scimpy fences holding in the lions et al, I decided to forego my morning jog.
After an uneventful drive we arrived at Waterberg Plateau National Park. It is a lovely park with great campsites and ablutions. It is also a birder’s paradise. I probably twitched about 40 birds in the space of 24 hours, including a pearl-spotted owlet that, after Heine played its call through his tablet, duly landed in the branch right above his head!
Although we didn’t hike/climb to the top, I did take a nice walk near the base of the plateau. The bird trails are awesome.
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A Pearl-spotted Owlet who developed affections for Heine’s tablet!
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| A Burchell’s Starling enjoying a buttery lunch |
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| I love bee-eaters, even this relatively dull Swallow-tailed Bee- |
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Hello!
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The Waterberg Plateau NP campsites
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A few of the hills from the campsite
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Day 15 Wednesday 2 November 2011- Waterberg Plateau National Park to Halali Rest Camp, Etosha National Park
Distance travelled – 432km
Temperatures - Min 19.4C Max 40.60C
After an awesome morning run around the park, we left for Tsumeb for refuelling and lunch and, thereafter onto Etosha. As our booking only started at Halali the following day, we thought we would spend the evening at Namutoni Camp. Much to our surprise they were fully booked, but were able to advise us that there was plenty of space at Halali Rest Camp. Despite the afternoon heat, there was prodigious animal and bird life.
Surprisingly, there was plenty of water in the Pan!
I have always felt they could do more with the camping sites at Halali Rest Camp but they continue to be rather barren and dusty with limited shade (which is really required with daytime temperatures over 40C). Anyway, the camp is clean, tidy, has good ablutions and has an awesome waterhole you can walk too.
What I learnt today… all the animals and birds at Etosha appear to have been to school… they know just where to positions themselves so the sun is behind them and there is a branch/log/ant-hill between them and the camera.
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Sunrise from my RTT in the Waterberg Plateau NP!
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| A gravestone at the German cemetery within the Waterberg Plateau NP |
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| A stunning shot of a Black-shouldered Kite |
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An elephant having enjoyed a roll in the white Etosha sand
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Day 16 Thursday 3 November 2011- Around Halali Rest Camp, Etosha National Park
Distance travelled – 73km
Temperatures - Min 19.7C Max 42.7C
First thing in the morning I was off on a solo game drive, heading west while hugging the Pan. The game was again out in force with me sighting lion, jackal, hyena, elephant and all the normal suspects in the 1st 30 minutes. The highlight was definitely finding a black-backed jackal cub right alongside the road. The bird watching was also excellent
The balance of the day was spent around the swimming pool due to the excessive heat. A bit of excitement was a dust devil coming right through the campsite. It was fun watching the tourists in one of those fishbowl busses looking like they were witnessing the end of the world. Fortunately it missed our camp by about 30m!
Bud and Cathy and crew arrived around 5pm and we had an awesome braai, despite a very strong and dusty wind. Not many of us survived till midnight to celebrate Cath’s birthday at the waterhole. The politics between an elephant and a rhino while there were fascinating.
What I learnt today…. Take nose spray to places like Etosha. Your sinuses dry up rock hard in the dry heat, with all the related problems. Nose spray eases the problems and the pain
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| I have always found Hyena fascinating. |
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A picture only a twitcher would enjoy. A yet to be identified LBJ
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| An old male lion |
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A Northern Black Korhaan fluffing up while showing off to his lady
friend.
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| I just really like this photo of 6 lionesses |
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A Black-backed Jackal cub!
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The dust devil causing havoc!
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Day 17 Friday 4 November 2011- Around Halali Rest Camp, Etosha National Park
Distance travelled – 0km
Temperatures - Min 17.3C Max 36.1C
After a few jogging laps around the inside of the Halali fence, I went on a drive with Heine and Mandy. It was to hopefully bring them luck after my great drive the morning before and their rather barren one. This plan worked with numerous sightings, including a lion kill and the jackal cub I had seen the day before.
After the drive, another lazy day was spent around the pool. Fortunately, with cloud cover, the weather was not as hot as the days before.
That evening we had Cath’s 50th dinner party which was a formal sit-down dinner organised by the camp restaurant. It was an awesome evening in a lovely setting outside in the open air.
What I leanrt today…. In extreme heat always close your gas bottle when not in use. I did not and the gas pipe swelled so much it went rock hard and was very close to popping. Fortunately it was spotted in time before my gas bottle emptied itself.
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A beautiful lioness enjoying a morning drink!
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| Another shot of the adorable jackal cub |
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A lion alongside the remains of a zebra kill, with jackal and vultures
scrapping in the background
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| Halali Rest Camp |
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| An Africa Red-Eyed Bulbul, common to Johannesburg, that has a beauty all of its own. |
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| Dinner is served! |
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The birthday girl doing the cake thing!
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Day 18 Saturday 5 November 2011- Halali Rest Camp, Etosha National Park to Shamvura Camp, Caprivi
Distance travelled – 677km
Temperatures - Min 15.1C Max 35.6C
Time to start heading home, so we got off to an early start due to the long drive planned that day. Yet again, some excellent game viewing, including a leopard standing right in the middle of the road!
Then followed a long and uneventful drive, with us eventually stopping at Shamvura Camp in the Caprivi. This was a return to a camp we had enjoyed an awesome Xmas at a few years ago and it great to return. Mark, Charlie and Bokkie (those who know him love him) have not changed a bit. Unfortunately Ottie learnt about the finer things in life (i.e. lady otters) and went rogue. And Dena’s sunglasses, that she had left there 2 years ago, were returned!
After an interesting chat and a few beers with the trainee ranger (I think his name was Robyn) we all had an early night.
What I learnt today….. Nambia is a very large country with lots and lots of dead straight boring roads.
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A (I think) puff-adder catching the early moning sun.
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| The road to nowhere..... |
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The awesome Etosha Pans!
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Another stunning picture of the beautiful Etosha Pans!
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A beautiful leopard!
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Day 19 Sunday 6 November 2011- Shamvura Camp, Caprivi to Ngepi Camp, Caprivi
Distance travelled – 96km
Temperatures - Min 20.3C Max 36.8C
Rising early, I went for a slow run through the local village which resulted in many stares and laughing…. I guess they don’t see too many white guys panting along the road in the Caprivi!
We did the short drive to Ngepi with a little trepidation due to a lousy experience the last time we were there, but this time everything was great. Ngepi is a really great campsite and it is well worth spending a day or 2 there. Campsite 4 is awesome! Cost was N$90pppn
We had a nice lunch at the bar and then booked for the sundowner boat cruise at N$175pp. The cruise is good fun, nice and relaxing, but is more for bird watchers than anyone else.. There is prolific bird life and, of course, hippo!
After the cruise we ended spending a great evening with 2 dutch couples (not known to each other) that ended a little later than planned.
What I learnt today…. Britz 4x4 obviously do not give even basic training to the people who hire their vehicles. One of the couples we met got stuck, having no idea how to lock the manual hubs on the vehicle.
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| Our campsite at Shamvura |
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| The beautiful White-Bellied Sunbird |
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The very colourful Green-Winged Pytilia
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| Probably true in a way…. |
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He was too quick for me to see him….
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The view from our campsite
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| A legavaan (rather that than a crocodile) |
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| The not too common Levaillant’s Cuckoo |
Day 20 Monday 7 November 2011- Ngepi Camp, Caprivi to Audi Camp, Maun, Botswana
Distance travelled – 472km
Temperatures - Min 25.7C Max 40.0C
Again I had a long leisurely run, this time from Ngepi Camp to the main road and a little beyond. You may not feel it too much while driving the track, but there is a lot of thick sand!
The long drive, briefly in Namibia and then through Botswana, only continued to confused us regarding the vet posts and the transportation of meat. At the Mohembo border post and the next 2 vet posts we were simply waved through. At the 3rd vet post the official searched my fridge and when he found a container of vegtable noodle stuff, I told him I was a vegetarian and he searched no further. At one of the vet posts (I cannot recall which one) we had to walk through the dip.
We stopped briefly at Drotskys Cabins. The campsites at 1st looked very nice but it became apparent that they were infested with vervet monkeys and mosquitos, neither of which I am fond of. I am not sure I would want to camp there in the future.
Audi Camp in Maun was nearly empty and cost P47pppn. After a nice swim and an early braai we all went to bed, only to be disturbed all night by noise from all around outside the camp. It may be time to find another stopover. We will be trying Crocodile Camp next time.
What I learnt today…. Everyone, including all the officials, are utterly confused and inconsistent regarding searching vehicles and confiscating meat etc. We were waved through 3 times and searched once on what was effectively the same road….
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Ya well no fine! This is better explained here
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| Guess where we stayed…. |
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The pool area at Audi Camp
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Many of us have had a beer or 10 under this lampshade
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Day 21 Tuesday 8 November 2011- Audi Camp, Maun to Itumela Rest Camp, Palapaye
Distance travelled – 611km
Temperatures - Min 19.2C Max 37.0C
Again, a dull, uneventful drive, only broken by a vet post with a search…..
We again stopped at Itumela Rest Camp, but found it exceptionally noisy (more so than normal) and infested with mosquitos. Cost was P75pppn. Again we may need to find another stopover in the area. Palapaye is a convenient spot as it is only an hour from the border (Stockpoort).
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Me trying to look handsome (and failing miserably). At least the vehicle
looks good!
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The new power station in Palapaye, that which with all sorts of rumours
of Chinese control etc…
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Itumela campsite
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Day 22 Wednesday 9 November 2011- Itumela Rest Camp, Palapaye, Botswana to Bedfordview, South Africa
Distance travelled – 549km
Temperatures - Min 18.3C Max 33.6C
After a quick border crossing at Parr’s Halt/Stockpoort we were expecting a quick drive home. Little did we know of the shambles that is road works between Vaalwater and Modimolle(Nylstroom). The 60 odd kms must have taken us 2 hours. I doubt it will be finished before the December break so avoid the road if at all possible.
All in all an awesome and varied trip. Being a bird watcher and a lover of mountains and valleys and openness more than elephants and lions, I really love Namibia. Travelling and camping in Namibia is also far better than Botswana and Zimbabwe, with everything working and (nearly) everyone efficient.
Namibia will definitely be in my travelling plans in the future!
A few notes on my vehicle.
The vehicle is a 2004 Landrover Defender 130 with a Td5 diesel motor with +- 180,000km
Apart from all the standard features of the trip=prepared vehicle, mine has the following:
- camper on the back built by Alu-Cab
- Front Runner bullbar with Warn winch
- Unichip performance chip
- 95l reserve fuel tank by Front Runner under vehicle
- 95l water tank by Front Runner under vehicle
- 3 Yellow Top batteries to keep the beers cold
- Engel 40l fridge and 40l freezer
- 100W solar panel
- National Luna battery management system
- 100l water tank in the rear cab by Alu-cab
- a million other things
The vehicle was trouble free during the trip and I only had minor issues that were quickly sorted.:
- I had a gas leak that required another clamp
- the reserve fuel tank pump stopped working but since we were only a day away from home, it was not necessary to fix
With the vehicle weighing over 3 tons when fully loaded, the fuel consumption (detailed below) averaged out at 8.14km per l.... most impressive!
Date Town Odo Fuel Cost Distance Kms/l R/km
20-Oct-11 Kuruman 174 984 69.82 754.06 555 7.95 1.36
20-Oct-11 Pofadder 175 470 65.66 698.21 486 7.40 1.44
21-Oct-11 Springbok 175 668 25.92 273.70 198 7.64 1.38
22-Oct-11 Port Nolloth 175 986 37.11 404.04 318 8.57 1.27
22-Oct-11 Noordoewer 176 154 24.40 245.95 168 6.89 1.46
23-Oct-11 Aus 176 705 72.48 732.05 551 7.60 1.33
24-Oct-11 Luderitz 176 884 23.58 233.90 179 7.59 1.31
24-Oct-11 Sesriem 177 366 67.97 674.25 482 7.09 1.40
26-Oct-11 Sesriem 177 519 16.84 167.50 153 9.09 1.09
28-Oct-11 Walvis Bay 177 902 49.06 470.98 383 7.81 1.23
29-Oct-11 Windhoek 178 325 58.45 574.55 423 7.24 1.36
30-Oct-11 Gobabis 178 539 32.85 325.55 214 6.51 1.52
02-Nov-11 Tsumeb 179 236 85.96 851.00 697 8.11 1.22
05-Nov-11 Namutoni 179 629 43.03 432.00 393 9.13 1.10
05-Nov-11 Tsumeb 179 749 16.99 168.20 120 7.06 1.40
05-Nov-11 Rundu 180 069 42.67 422.45 320 7.50 1.32
07-Nov-11 Divungu 180 312 33.02 326.91 243 7.36 1.35
07-Nov-11 Maun 180 753 55.39 484.33 441 7.96 1.10
09-Nov-11 Ellisras 181 587 58.17 623.03 834 14.34 0.75
09-Nov-11 Bedfordview 182 136 67.36 721.48 549 8.15 1.31
Total/Average 946.73 9 584.14 7 707 8.14 1.24
Namibia will definitely be in my travelling plans in the future!
A few notes on my vehicle.
The vehicle is a 2004 Landrover Defender 130 with a Td5 diesel motor with +- 180,000km
Apart from all the standard features of the trip=prepared vehicle, mine has the following:
- camper on the back built by Alu-Cab
- Front Runner bullbar with Warn winch
- Unichip performance chip
- 95l reserve fuel tank by Front Runner under vehicle
- 95l water tank by Front Runner under vehicle
- 3 Yellow Top batteries to keep the beers cold
- Engel 40l fridge and 40l freezer
- 100W solar panel
- National Luna battery management system
- 100l water tank in the rear cab by Alu-cab
- a million other things
The vehicle was trouble free during the trip and I only had minor issues that were quickly sorted.:
- I had a gas leak that required another clamp
- the reserve fuel tank pump stopped working but since we were only a day away from home, it was not necessary to fix
With the vehicle weighing over 3 tons when fully loaded, the fuel consumption (detailed below) averaged out at 8.14km per l.... most impressive!
Date Town Odo Fuel Cost Distance Kms/l R/km
20-Oct-11 Kuruman 174 984 69.82 754.06 555 7.95 1.36
20-Oct-11 Pofadder 175 470 65.66 698.21 486 7.40 1.44
21-Oct-11 Springbok 175 668 25.92 273.70 198 7.64 1.38
22-Oct-11 Port Nolloth 175 986 37.11 404.04 318 8.57 1.27
22-Oct-11 Noordoewer 176 154 24.40 245.95 168 6.89 1.46
23-Oct-11 Aus 176 705 72.48 732.05 551 7.60 1.33
24-Oct-11 Luderitz 176 884 23.58 233.90 179 7.59 1.31
24-Oct-11 Sesriem 177 366 67.97 674.25 482 7.09 1.40
26-Oct-11 Sesriem 177 519 16.84 167.50 153 9.09 1.09
28-Oct-11 Walvis Bay 177 902 49.06 470.98 383 7.81 1.23
29-Oct-11 Windhoek 178 325 58.45 574.55 423 7.24 1.36
30-Oct-11 Gobabis 178 539 32.85 325.55 214 6.51 1.52
02-Nov-11 Tsumeb 179 236 85.96 851.00 697 8.11 1.22
05-Nov-11 Namutoni 179 629 43.03 432.00 393 9.13 1.10
05-Nov-11 Tsumeb 179 749 16.99 168.20 120 7.06 1.40
05-Nov-11 Rundu 180 069 42.67 422.45 320 7.50 1.32
07-Nov-11 Divungu 180 312 33.02 326.91 243 7.36 1.35
07-Nov-11 Maun 180 753 55.39 484.33 441 7.96 1.10
09-Nov-11 Ellisras 181 587 58.17 623.03 834 14.34 0.75
09-Nov-11 Bedfordview 182 136 67.36 721.48 549 8.15 1.31
Total/Average 946.73 9 584.14 7 707 8.14 1.24
Nice walk down memory lane
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