There is lots of catching up to do since we got on the road in Mollie and Melissa … so we will try to post a few quick updates.
Waiting at the Port – Here’s how the story unfolded
We finally get word that the cars will be available on Friday, August 2nd. We learn this on Wednesday afternoon. Barry and I are in the Drakensberg Mountains, about three hours from Durban, and Rob is due to fly back to Durban from Victoria Falls on the evening of August 1st. Craig is set to arrive from Perth on August 2nd, so everything seems to be falling into place.
Barry and I drive to Durban on Thursday morning, eager to hear that the cars are finally available. We hand over a significant amount of cash to the shipping agent to cover their portion of the transport costs.
Friday morning arrives, and we rush to the designated location—one of the container handling depots at the port. (Durban Harbour is a vast complex.) ( 2 August 2024)
We reach the gate and confirm that our container is indeed there, but the gatekeepers won’t let us in without safety vests. After a small fee, we borrow the vests for the day.
It’s a waiting game—a long waiting game.
Just a few meters away is our 40-foot container, holding two treasured cars. We’ve been waiting for this moment for five weeks, and the anticipation is dragging on.
The customs officer needs to come, and the paperwork must be completed. So, it’s going to take a while—possibly longer than expected.
When they finally arrive, they go through a meticulous process of checking all the container numbers, taking photos, and filling out paperwork. Then the moment comes: the seal on the container is broken, and the doors are swung open.
And yes, the cars are there.
We’re allowed to push them from the container into the warehouse. The customs officers have the Carnets (the car passports) and verify the vehicles’ serial numbers but look at nothing else.
We ask for the Carnets, but they tell us, “No, we must go back to the office to stamp them. They are no good to you without a stamp.” We ask, “When will that happen?” They reply, “Oh, we don’t go back to the office until Monday.” The customs officers tell us we can take the cars and get the Carnets later.
The container depot staff are very accommodating, but they need to confirm that all bills are paid before releasing the cars. (These staff also helped us get a great curry from the canteen for lunch.)
We discover that the bills have been paid, but the shipping company still wants a copy of the stamped Carnet. That won’t be available until Monday.
By now, it’s 3:30 pm, and we’ve lost the battle to release the cars.
So, we head back to Ballito (which has become our second home by now) and pick up Craig, who has just flown in from Perth via Dubai to join us.
We spend the weekend regrouping and planning our next attempt for Monday.
After waiting for business hours to resume and doing a bit of shopping, we finally get the news: all paperwork is complete. “You can pick up the Carnets from such-and-such address and go get the cars.”
And, to our delight, it actually happens.
We drive back to Ballito (about 40 km north) on the Durban freeway system, now in Mollie and Melissa, and plan to head northwest. We are thrilled to be asked to come via Fugitives’ Drift. https://www.fugitivesdrift.com/
