Hi all
Well, we’ve come to the end of an absolutely epic African Road Trip and so it is with a due sense of sadness that this will be my final update. It's been a long time since we all first met in Cape Town 6 weeks ago but now that we’re all heading off on our separate ways it seems like no time at all. So I guess all that’s left for me to do is tell you all how our last few days in Ballito went.
On Friday, with the surf conditions looking epic, we made our way a little north of Ballito to the little town of Tinley Manor. The water was crystal clear and the waves were firing! I thought I’d paddle out first, just to see if the surf was suitable for our crew and after a good few poundings it became apparent that we might be better off surfing in Durban. So off we went, back to Durban in search of more manageable waves. We ended up scoring another classic winter’s surf in the Surf City. The guys and I paddled out to the bowl at New Pier while the girls sat a little further out at the wedge where they had the surf all to themselves. The waves kept coming in all afternoon and we surfed hard until sunset. On the way home we stopped by the Rudy Palmboom’s place on the Bluff to pick up a few board bags. Rudy is a legend in surfing circles and is continually turning heads whenever the surf is big, so it was a great opportunity for the guys to meet him. We didn’t stay long though, we needed to be back in Ballito to get in an early night.
On Saturday morning we got on the road early and headed north for my favourite game park in Africa – the Hluhluwe / Umfolozi National Park (good luck trying to pronounce that one correctly). With my background in nature guiding, this was a particularly exciting excursion for me as well. With my safari hat on my head, my binoculars around my neck and my trusty animal guide in my under my arm I was all set. It felt good to be back in the bush! We spent most of the morning and afternoon meandering through the park in search of Africa’s elusive Big 5 and learning more about a few of the other, smaller species that also inhabit the reserve. On our way out we ran into a huge herd of elephants which were coming out of the bush. They edged ever so close as they past the van on their way down to the water-hole, checking us out as they went. It was defiantly the highlight of the drive!
On our way back to Ballito I saw the sign to St Lucia, and seeing that we had some time I figured it would be a great place to spend the sunset. St Lucia forms part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park which is listed as a world heritage site for its pristine, undisturbed coastal eco-systems. It turned out to be a good call. The sky put on another stunning performance in typical east coast fashion. On our way our we even had the added bonus of watching a bloat of hippos come out of the estuary to graze in the evening. It was just too good!
On Sunday we had a lie-in and enjoyed a nice, slow morning in the sun. Caz and Lucy got some new sprays on their boards which came out really well! In the afternoon we headed out for a surf with Tammy-Lee Smith. Tammy is a professional surfer and is currently competing on the women’s WQS series. Last year Tammy won the ASP Africa women’s title and will be competing in the up-and-coming Mr. Price Pro which will be held in her home town this year. She has a real passion for Africa, in particular the Dolphin Coast where she lives and while she put us all to shame in the water, it was still nice to be out there watching a real pro in action.
Yesterday we snuck in an early session before heading out to Gateway for a few hours on the Flowrider. This artificial standing-wave is a lot more complicated than it looks. It’s still loads of fun though, and we even got to see 2 local league contestants, Wes Fischer and Mike Ostler, practicing some crazy airs. It was another fun-filled morning and after a little shopping we headed back to the hostel for our farewell braai and with Mike, Roz and Tammy.
It was the perfect end to another awesome African Road trip. This morning, after a few sad good-byes, we all parted company. It’s strange to think that, but 6 weeks ago we were all strangers to each other and now, after our long journey, we all share some amazing memories of classic times in Africa.
So that’s all from me, as I sign off the last time for African Road Trip May/June 2009.
Thanks for reading, and take care
Bevan