On Tuesday 6 August – finally are on the road … We left Ballito around 9 am, We say goodbye to the team at Ballito Accommodation ( see picture of the team ) … they helped us heaps – as we came and went from Ballito while waiting for the cars ( see https://www.ballitoaccommodation.co.za/) . We take a route on secondary roads, heading northeast. We passed through sugar cane country and then climbed up onto the escarpment—a tough climb for the old girls.
We traveled through private forestry areas (blue gums, pines, and I think an acacia grown for firewood or charcoal). As the landscape dried out, it became rugged country, primarily populated by goats and some tough cattle.
We were absolutely thrilled to stay at Fugitives’ Drift. A very, very big thank you to our hostess, Nicky. (see https://www.fugitivesdrift.com/)
They assisted with some quick maintenance and, most importantly, took excellent care of us.
Micko provided great advice about our route for the next couple of days and shared valuable tips for traveling through West Africa.
I truly recommend that anyone visiting South Africa make a point of visiting Fugitives’ Drift. Learning about the astonishing history of the colonial era and gaining an understanding of the Anglo-Zulu Wars will deepen your appreciation of our shared history.
Check out the Fugitives’ Drift website for more information. ( See https://www.fugitivesdrift.com/)
Oh, and on our first day out, while driving through Rorke’s Drift (about 7 km short of Fugitives’ Drift), Melissa got a flat tire! Our timing could not have been better, as school had just let out, and around 50 kids, along with a local adult helper, came to watch.
We got some footage, and Rob decided to teach the kids the Hawthorn football song. It was quite a scene.
Our first stop after leaving Fugitives’ Drift was the tire shop in Dundee. The team at Best Drive Dundee quickly helped us out, as recommended by Micko from Fugitives’ Drift.
Check out www.bestdrive.co.za or their Facebook page.
With two new rear tires on Melissa, we were off and heading northwest towards Botswana.
Day 2: After a brief stop in Dundee for the tires, we headed to Newcastle, where we stopped at a shopping mall for supplies.
The countryside is a mix of rolling hills and plains, gradually leading to the veldt—rolling plains primarily used for stock, with some occasional irrigation and evidence of maize crops. It’s generally dry, and eucalyptus trees are among the most common we see as we head west and then gradually northwest.
As usual, whenever we stop, locals are eager to chat and find out what we’re up to! They are always friendly and happy to offer advice.
We keep on moving towards the South African Botswana border as quick as we can … meeting people who are astonished at what we have planned …. meeting people driving old cars to Morocco – is kind of odd .
Overnight around now I have the idea that we need to establish a “GoFundMe” page to see if we can raise any funds for children’s education – in the first place for the KHULA Foundation that has been established by Fugitives Drift and others . ( See https://www.khula-education.org/ ) More about this latter.