Hilux 4x4 Forum

Ek so graag die res van daai fodies ook wou sien... die loose it phodies.

CasKru wrote:Ek so graag die res van daai fodies ook wou sien... die loose it phodies.

Nou gee jy my mos 'n idee......

Reel 'n aand Hennie bring pics, gooi op big screen, en hy vertel storie

OOOOMS wrote:

CasKru wrote:Ek so graag die res van daai fodies ook wou sien... die loose it phodies.

Nou gee jy my mos 'n idee...... :mrgreen:

Reel 'n aand Hennie bring pics, gooi op big screen, en hy vertel storie :idea:

:D:

Dit kan dalk werk.

Your photos are outstanding, Hennie!!


-F_D

@ Warthog:

Die wildebees (herbivore) migration in Serengeti, soos ek verstaan. (Sorry, let me rather ask in Eng.)
The wildebeest (herbivores) migration in Serngeti, as I understand it,
http://www.wildwatch.com/great_migration/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

happens in a circular route. Were you not worried that you may miss the whole highlight?

Mark, the migration is in a circular clockwise route roughly across Serengeti, Masaai Mara in Kenya, and then back into Serengeti and Ngorongoro.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serengeti" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Although the migration is dependant on rains and grazing, it is happening in the western part of Serengeti more or less during June-July every year, when they move north over the Grumeti river to Kenya. If you go in Oct-Nov, you will find them in the eastern part, where they calve on those endless palins we drove through on way to Ngorongoro.

That was why Dewald specifically planned the trip for us to drive up on the western side of Tanzania, and enter Serengeti from that side. So, we were quite certain that we will see at least some of it.

warthog wrote:Mark, the migration is in a circular clockwise route roughly across Serengeti, Masaai Mara in Kenya, and then back into Serengeti and Ngorongoro.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serengeti" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Although the migration is dependant on rains and grazing, it is happening in the western part of Serengeti more or less during June-July every year, when they move north over the Grumeti river to Kenya. If you go in Oct-Nov, you will find them in the eastern part, where they calve on those endless palins we drove through on way to Ngorongoro.

That was why Dewald specifically planned the trip for us to drive up on the western side of Tanzania, and enter Serengeti from that side. So, we were quite certain that we will see at least some of it.

So if I understand corretly you drove against the migration?

You do understand correctly indeed, Sir.

warthog wrote:You do understand correctly indeed, Sir.

Cool, just wanted to confirm, tx

We're back... Again, I have no words that can add anything to these following pic's. The first lot is Hannes' pics.
Next morning we woke up to this...
During the night there were a herd of buffalo around our camp. We went down into the crater after picking up our obligatory guide.
Then we were down in the crater.

Now I can finally get to sleep

:wink2:

These are some of mine.
We saw this a huge number of Game drive vehicles in the distance. To say it was congested is an understatement...
I wonder if she realises there is easy meals just 2 metres up..
After inching our way forward, we saw the reason for the congestion. He had his work cut out to keep about 5 jackal and the same number if hyena at bay.
You will not believe it, but with 2 lion not more than 20 meter away, our guide then got OUT of Jan's vehicle, and walking around in the congestion, started directing the traffic and ordering the guides driving the vehicles around!!!

When we got back about an hour later, they were in orderly fashion. (NB: count the Landies...)

Great, some more

Like flippen Jhb N1 at 16h30 month end on Friday afternoon........

(Sorry to keep you awake Mark)

The last of the Ngorongoro pics.

We found an elephant and some hippo in a pool. Suddenly, a huge number of hippo popped out of another pool to our right, like flying ants after rain. They just kept coming and coming over to the other pool...
I got them in formation, but no matter how much I shouted, they refused to get (fly) in step...
The exit road is closed for 6 months for maintenance, so we had to use the long way (nearly 2 hours) out of the crater. The landscape was beautiful.
About 200 m from camp's entrance, Hannes found these okes. We heard that they are allowed by the armed guards to come into camp at night to drink from a dam, who follow them around, and when they've drank their fill, the cocking of a guard's AK47 is enough to make them leave...
A last view of camp at Ngorongoro. Another magical place...

Wow nice

Must have been almost sad leaving such a beautiful place with all the wonderful experiences you experienced

True? Or what was going through your mind?

O, I was sad more than once leaving wonderfull places.

But as you will see, it wasn't quite over yet. There was still much more to come. As bil Jan said as we drove away from Lake Manyare:

"En so ry ons Malawi toe..." (and so we're driving to malawi...)

warthog wrote:O, I was sad more than once leaving wonderfull places.

But as you will see, it wasn't quite over yet. There was still much more to come. As bil Jan said as we drove away from Lake Manyare:

"En so ry ons Malawi toe..." (and so we're driving to malawi...)

Suppose sad is not the correct word to us in this context........?

Sadness perhaps?
Cheerless?
Subdued?

I don't know, difficult to describe. But I know that weird feeling

OOOOMS wrote:Suppose sad is not the correct word to us in this context........?

Sadness perhaps?
Cheerless?
Subdued?

I don't know, difficult to describe. But I know that weird feeling

In a certain sense is the correct word.

Sad in a sense of knowing that I will probably not see places like Serengeti and Ngogrongoro ever again... If I am at all able, I'll do it again, but in reality, I doubt it...

Then apart from the sights and experiences, we stayed over at truly amazing places, and I was sad, not only disappointed, a number of times because of the fact that I will probably not return, that we did not have more time to spend at those places as well.

Cheerless? Subdued? That happened more and more often towards the end of the trip- which is why the decission to do Malawi on our way back, was an excellent decission, because it gave us something else to look forward to after leaving Serengeti.

Excellent, Awsome...words cannot describe this trip report, except maybe... ENVY

Great TR - keep it coming, its a long way from Jozi to Malawi - there must be Pleeeeenty left

Hennie, jy't lank genoeg break gevat! Kom nou!

Mud Dog wrote:Hennie, jy't lank genoeg break gevat! Kom nou!

Ek stem.............. :wink2:

A magical report - words so well arranged that all my senses were/are engaged. Thank you. My favourite photos - the 2 cats facing opposite and your daughter's tree. Looking forward to the rest.

Dankie Hennie

Sorry for the delay- some other people also wanted this report... and thank you...

It was a short drive of some 60 km to Lake Manyare. We had planned to camp at the Wild Fig camp site in a town nearby, but the camping sites in those areas do not cater for caravans, only tents. It was a very nice place, green grass, lots of shade, but all they had for us was the parking area. So we turned around to Lake Manyare Nationa Park- and were just in time to book in. Beautiful campsite in the forest, some grass, clean ablutions…
There are some of these trees at the entrance- with hundreds of some kind of marabou(?) in it- the white is poo and pee… and it smells appropriately…
Next morning some of us had a quick drive through the nearest part of the Park, but apart from Hannes who pic’d some of the usual suspects,
And one not so usual one
there were not too much else to see.

We left for Arusha, and parked the vehicles at the Shoprite centre. We promptly parked ourselves in a very nice coffee shop, and had some of the local Tanzanian brew- and bought some too. We were told about shopping at the market, but only Hannes and his family found the Masai market, which is the place to be. We ended up strolling through the public market with some very interesting sites. We duly gave the local economy a boost, as quite a few t-shirts and shuka’s (the brightly colored Masai garments) were bought.
(Speaking of which, don’t just buy the local things just anywhere. We bought a shuka at Serengeti Gate for US$10, in the market the starting price was US$40! It was a very nice one, and I eventually ended up paying US$12 for it. Literally just across the road in the Shoprite centre a garment shop was selling them for US$8…) We left Arusha to Moshi, our target for the day. Just outside Arusha we had the privilege of this…
Mount Kilimanjaro. It was absolutely awesome. As we drove past, it was visible for only about a half hour, before the clouds closed it again. We believe it opened just for us, and specially for bil Jan, who had climbed it about 4 years ago. It was really very special for him.

We arrived in Moshi, and went to the Honey Badger. They also mainly cater for bacpackers and Mount Kilimanjaro climbers, so again we were offered camping in the parking area. It was late, and as they opened their kitchen for us and gave us three course meal- we stayed for the night…

Ek was die een keer op 'n Nag rit in die Kruger Wildtuin. Toe kom ons ook op 'n paar Maraboe af. Die veldwagter vertel ons toe dat die voel oor sy eie bene urineer en ontlas om hom self te beskerm teen bakterieë en infeksies vir wanneer hulle in die verrotte vleis van karkasse ens rondloop en eet .

OOOOMS wrote:

CasKru wrote:Ek so graag die res van daai fodies ook wou sien... die loose it phodies.

Nou gee jy my mos 'n idee......

Reel 'n aand Hennie bring pics, gooi op big screen, en hy vertel storie

Nooi my ook net asb!!

Waiting for the next episode........

Some Tanzanian road shops, Hannes' en Jan's pic's

This promised to be a very long day, some 650 km from Moshi via Mwanga, Same, Korogwe and Charlindze.

Moshi and around is serious sisal and charcoal country.
In Charlindze I had my first flat tyre in 90 000 km when I picked up a piece of blade in the garage where we took on fuel.

We were supposed to camp at Riverside Camp just short of the Mikume National Park, but that campsite was nonexistent when we reached it. We pushed on through Mikume, with another 250 km to go to Iringa, the next major town.

Hannes then discovered the Tanswiss Camp site just past Mikume. Very nice, situated at exactly the right place for us. It was a bit busy with amongst others a touring truck with some 28 tourists on board operated by a couple from Bellville.

The next day is definitely one of the days that we will never forget, especially Hannes and us. We left earlier than Dewald and Jan, as we both had flat spare wheels to repair in Iringa, and Hannes wanted to visit Neema Crafts Centre. A short distance from Tanswiss, as we drove over a little up a long narrow valley opened up. It took me little while to realise what it was I was seeing. The whitish plants on the mountain on both sides of the road was Baobabs. Literally thousands and thousands of Baobabs, just there, for kilometres and kilometres of this valley. It was absolutely amazing, heaven in my mind is a close match to this.

Again, there is no words or pic’s that can do justice to the enormity of the presence of such a number of these majestic pieces of art. Ja, ja, I know, I’m getting carried away here, but was stunningly awesome. I just drove and drove. These are all Hannes and Jan’s pic’s.

Wonderful plant's the boabab
Tx Hennie, I am getting used to the post pattern, every weekly night :wink2:

pragtig wat n voorreg om so in afrika te kan rondry ........ons kom ook daai aand na die presentation toe maak dit so n ala voetspore presentation, toegang is vir die klub fondse of watookal

I'm also definately in. Pleeeeease just don't make it in the 2nd half of October as I'll be in Bots. Would like to hear the story live and see some of the other pics.

We had our spare wheels fixed in Iringa, had a walkabout in the crafts market and lunch at Neema while we waited. We wanted to push as close as possible to the Malawi border, and Dewald managed to find a campsite between Iringa and Mbeya. He did not stop at Iringa, and drove on ahead. The campsite was also non-existent and we decided to push for Mbeya, where there was a mission. Hannes and I left Iringa a only a minute or two after Jan, but we got caught in a stop-and-go just outside of town, and got left behind.

Exactly halfway between the two towns, Hannes called me on the radio- there was a funny noise at his left rear wheel. There was absolutely no place to stop, very steep shoulders both sides. I found a spot about a kilo further, turned around and went back. It was getting dark, and I couldn’t really see anything, but did not like the sound it was making. I remembered a layby about a kilo back, and we crawled there slowly.

I did not like what I saw- there was one wheel stud missing, and another of the wheel nuts I unscrew with my hand, and the remaining three were stuck - when Hannes had his flat tyre in Serengeti, the wheel nuts weren’t locked… All the tools etc was with Jan, about 60 km ahead of us and out of radio range, and with Dewald, who was already in Mbeya, some 100 km from us… I called him on his cell and we discussed the problem.

We boiled water, and poured it on the remaining three wheel nuts. I tightened them as best I could, and after a prayer, set off for Mbeya at 30 km/h. It held for about 4 km, when Hannes called again. I stopped, checked- two more studs were now missing. No ways we could continue on. There was a twee-spoor just there. I walked in, and found a little clearing about 30m from the road. I parked Forest and Gump, and took Hannes’ Cruiser and van in voetjie vir voetjie. We made camp just there.
No fire, had sarmies for supper, and a beautiful night sky. It was actually quite nice. Next morning shortly after 07h00 Jan & Dewald were back- raided the right back wheel for two studs, stuck the in on the left, and we left at about 11h00.
Work just fascinates Hannes and I, we can sit and watch it fot hours...
Meantime Alta and Liza found a set of new studs and nuts in Mbeya, on a Sunday. We joined them at the mission, where they had to camp in the parking area of the mission (think our campsite next to the road was better). We replaced all the studs, and left for Malawi at about 15h00.

The scenery out of Mbeya to the Malawi boder was unexpectedly beautiful.
The soil must be extremely fertile, the people grows all kind of produce just everywhere where there is a piece of land, right up to their houses.
Bananas, tea, all kinds of vegetables, just about anything.

Posted it twice- sorry..

warthog wrote:Posted it twice- sorry..

Reading it twice - still interresting

The exit out of Tanzania and the entry into Malawi was the quickest and most painless of the entire trip. (Think it helps if you cross just 45 min before the border posts close on a Sunday) Less than a half hour for both! Wasted another half hour waiting for third party in Malawi.
Then Malawi hit us- suddenly hundreds of bicycle both sides of the road, and even more people all going somewhere…in the dark - less than nice.

We arrived at Chitimba Campsite, nice place, but they were very full with tour groups, fancy-dress party at one group. Owner, a Dutchman, was very friendly, offered to make us space. Dewald said he was going to check out next door at Hakuna Mutata. I asked the owner, think his name was Gert, if we could have a beer in his pub while we waited to hear from Dewald. “No, not if you’re going to the neighbour” was his response. Dewald called us over shortly afterwards.
What a really nice place. It was nearly empty- run by Afrikaans guy named Willie, and his Malawian right-hand named Maggie. They have camping on grass, but we chose to set up camp right on the beach. Let out some air from the tyres, and pulled in- after Jan got stuck first…
We spent two nights here, the boys played their hearts out in Lake Malawi’s luke warm water and playing soccer with some of the local kids.
We amply supported the local woodcarvers and were again sorry to leave. Willie and Maggie made our stay special, he knows a lot about Malawi, and just getting info in Afrikaans was very cool.

That it.....????

Nice pics Heniie and Co

Baie nice Hennie - ek word elke dag meer en meer jaloers

Gripping stuff Hennie - the Ruhua valley (baobab valley) is on my top 10 list of favorite places. Glad to see they've fixed the road - it used to be a real car breaker.

zepplin wrote:Gripping stuff Hennie - the Ruhua valley (baobab valley) is on my top 10 list of favorite places. Glad to see they've fixed the road - it used to be a real car breaker.

I just love this page 6 of this report Every time I open it, have another look at the trees

zepplin wrote:Gripping stuff Hennie - the Ruhua valley (baobab valley) is on my top 10 list of favorite places. Glad to see they've fixed the road - it used to be a real car breaker.

It is one the most awesome places I have ever been in my life (think you might have gathered). The road is excellent- definitely one of the better roads in Tan. For some or another reason though many of the trees closer to the road have white paint markings on- almost as if they were counted and marked...

Eish..............and there it happens again......

it almost midnight... and no show of Hennie.....




But we are still on page 6

Mark, the Ruhua valley is beyond verbalization & pics don't do it justice. You gotta get up there. There's a magic campsite just before you start the climb out the valley towards Mikumi from the Iringa side, called Baobab Valley Rest Camp - beyond words. Three days there is a minimum - just to take it all in. I plan my trips to stay there rather than Tanswiss in Mikumi. Not that there's anything wrong with Tanswiss - I've stayed there too - but the valley is just something else.

zepplin wrote:Mark, the Ruhua valley is beyond verbalization & pics don't do it justice. You gotta get up there. There's a magic campsite just before you start the climb out the valley towards Mikumi from the Iringa side, called Baobab Valley Rest Camp - beyond words. Three days there is a minimum - just to take it all in. I plan my trips to stay there rather than Tanswiss in Mikumi. Not that there's anything wrong with Tanswiss - I've stayed there too - but the valley is just something else.

Definately noted! Tx Steve

Is this valley also known as the Rift valley? I searched Ruhua valley, but came up with zilch.

Note baobab's live up to 3000 years old

My internet was down last night :x

I will finish up the trip report over the weekend.

zepplin wrote:Mark, the Ruhua valley is beyond verbalization & pics don't do it justice. You gotta get up there. There's a magic campsite just before you start the climb out the valley towards Mikumi from the Iringa side, called Baobab Valley Rest Camp - beyond words. Three days there is a minimum - just to take it all in. I plan my trips to stay there rather than Tanswiss in Mikumi. Not that there's anything wrong with Tanswiss - I've stayed there too - but the valley is just something else.

Eish, pity we didn't know about that site... Would have loved to stay there, but then we would not have had time to spend at Lake Malawi...

We said good bye to Willie and Maggie, and drove through Mzuzu and a rubber plantation all along Lake Malawi to Livingstonia Beach resort further south. (Lake Malawi is also known amongst locals as the Calender Lake- it has 1 river through which water flows out, 12 rivers feeding it, it is on average 52 miles wide and is 365 miles long). Again, a beautiful campsite situated right next to a resort.
We had our only bad weather of the entire trip, as the wind blew really hard for the entire time we spent there- swimming was banned due to dangerous conditions (water is much colder here than up north). Campsite was grass (although you can also camp on the beach), clean and hot showers, and really beautiful scenery made up for it. Another memory that will stay with me for a very long time was the near constant calling of fish eagles here. We (especially Hannes and Louize) again gave the local economy (wood carvers) a rather good boost.

We left rather late for a shortish drive on a good tar road to Zomba. Outside Zomba we drove up a very steep road with beautiful views to the escarpment, where we camped in the forest at the trout farm.
Also a really beautiful site, and it was bitterly cold that evening and night, even colder than Ngorongoro. Not that it deterred us from having our (by now) customary starters and poeding.

And then: The kuier around the fire, no matter how cold...

(The ablutions weren’t good- new bathrooms are being built, but are unfinished and were already used. We chose to rather walk to the toilets at the office, than to use the existing long-drop).
But the site and the scene: awesome.
From there it was unfortunately rather boring, hard driving through Mocambique, (where we slept at Chicamba Dam, via the Zimbabwe Ruins (where Hannes and us stopped) to the Lion and Elephant. We said our farewells to Louize and Hannes and the boys at 04h00 the next morning, as they left early with Dewald because he had to return his rental vehicle the same day. Jan and we left a while later, and we split at Polokwane after coffee with Sis-in-law Heleen.

One last post to come...

Agenee Ek dink die is seker een van die posts met die meeste views amper 2070

The drive home was very long. We immediately missed the chatter over the radio, which has been part of our lives (drives) for the past four weeks.
(Brian Doerksen’s song “Creation calls” milled in my mind over and over again)

We arrived home at about 18h00 on Sunday, July 22, 2012. It was over...



As all of us (with difficulty) fell back into the normal routine of school and work over the next days and week(s), I think we all experienced exactly what Hannes expressed his concern about during the last week or so of the trip- when you get home, people will ask you “So how was it?” and what, what do you say? How do you share this? Because there truly, simply are no words…
(Except maybe one, whispered very quietly, as in merely exhaling: “wow”)

I also experienced a (now nearly familiar) feeling, of a kind of emptiness, as if there is a hole in my heart where somehow some of me have leaked out.

And then I realised: I have lost another part of my soul. Only this time, I won’t ever find it again, as I don’t have any idea where to even start to search for it, along the 9 500 km of African roads, awesome sunsets, amazing animals and fantastic nature scenes, wonderful people, angels in human form with or without saint’s names, local people and children just carrying on with their daily struggle to survive, roadside scenes of so many things that flash through your memory like one of those old 35mm films, some of the most beautiful campsites imaginable, dust, more dust and "The Ancient Dust of Africa", clear and crisp lakes that look and feel exactly like the sea, a non-stop wonderful kuier for four weeks with close family and close friends over radios in the vehicles, around camp fires, under clear African skies…


I think it’s fitting to close with 2 of Dewald’s pic’s, as his commitment, hard work, dedication, and time made this trip possible.
(NB: I merely wrote up the story, put the words in sequence. I did not make the trip happen, we were so blessed to be part of it. The pic’s are a mix of everybody’s.)

Finally: I leave you with a last thought (or a line from a song):
“Our God is an awesome God…”

Dankie vir n uitstekende post met mooi foto,s en beskrywings. Ek kan my amper daarin in lewe en voel of ek saam was.

WOW :!: :!: :!: :!: what a trip that must have been.

brilliant absolutely brilliant :!: :!: Thanks Hennie & co.

WOW!!!

Tx again Hennie and family, for sharing this awsome experience with all of us

It was wonderful :!:

Thanks Hennie. Wens julle was op 'n langer vakansie dan het ons darem nog prentjie en stories gehad om na uit te sien.

Baie dankie vir die wat jy gedeel het.

Regtig baie mooi, dankie

Baie dankie vir hierdie mooi en intressante trip report.Dit is n trip wat nie vir almal van ons beskore is nie.

Baie dankie Hennie dat jy die spsiale ervaring met ons gedeel het - dit was lekker om die storie te volg en die fotos te kyk. Dit is , ek glo ons almal se droom om die trip eendag te doen - dit maak 'n mens net meer gemotifeerd om daarvoor te werk.
Well done

A very big thank you for a very captivating trip report and awsome pictures.I envy you guys.