South Africa – Gazing the Garden Route

October 16-19

Hello everyone!

For most of our week in South Africa, we were based in the coastal town of Mossel Bay. Occasional high-rises loom over the enticing Indian Ocean breakers which lap the smooth sand. Not that we would be swimming; the number of great white sharks in this area is said to be quite high.

Santos Beach, in a cloudy Mossel Bay

We went straight...for about 2 metres, then
lay out our towels, quite far from the sea

The town is also often known as the entry point to the so-called ‘Garden Route’. It’s often described as a ‘must-see’ for people who visit South Africa, which is strange as it’s actually quite hard to pinpoint what is a ‘must-see’ aspect of it.

Major cities lie some way to the west (Cape Town) and east
(Port Elizabeth) of the Garden Route

Surfing is a popular attraction on the Garden Route,
even with the sharks

 The route stretches for about 300 kilometres eastwards along the southern coast. Having had the guided tour of Mossel Bay from our friend Nerina, we ventured out each day to find places of interest. Mainly beaches.

Wilderness

Knoetzie

A short drive from the main town along the route, George, is the wonderfully-named village of Wilderness. The change in the landscape is as stark as it is stunning. Thick forests tower above the water, just a few hundred metres away from the shore.

A fresh catch for lunch

It wasn't as warm as it looks - we had to sit behind a dune
for protection from the wind

That forest is, bizarrely, shaped like a map of Africa. If you squint. Just as impressive was the sight of paragliders negotiating the strong winds to land from the headland onto the beach below.

And the bit with no power...that's Malawi!

Two of these gliders seemed destined to crash at one point,
 though probably missed each other by a comfortable margin

The halfway point of the Garden Route is a sleepy town called Knysna. The area contains a lovely, calm lagoon.

Small boats moored around the pretty lagoon at Knysna

The calmness dissipates somewhat when you see the lagoon from above and observe where the water enters the lagoon. The ‘Two Heads’ guard the scenic town and showcase the power of the waves when they crash and clash against the rugged rocks.

Imagine a boat from 400 years ago trying to enter that...

The Heads are also described as 'the resting place of many
fishermen'. Lovely thought, that...

Near Knysna is a place called Knoetzie which I had seen recommended on a travel blog. It looked simple enough on Google Maps…

17 minutes, they said...try double that.

…whereas the reality was slightly different and unsuitable for our little Polo…

One of the smoother sections of gravel KP undertook

The township at the entrance

The beach itself, down a series of uneven, haunting steps, seemed abandoned. An old castle hung precipitously on the edge of the higher land above. A hidden treasure of a place, though a bit eerie.

Step through to find beach bliss...

Buildings are few and far between, not to mention unique
in architectural style

Exploring Knoetzie

I guess the allure of the Garden Route is the ‘route’: the journey. The allure is certainly strong, though we’d have enjoyed it more if the temperatures had been stronger as well.

A mountainous pass between Outdshoorn and George

Rolling down a hill from Wilderness, with a lagoon on the right

The views when driving are spectacular, just as they were when we were driving along Route 62 on our way to Mossel Bay. Once again, some lovely drives around this lovely landscape.

Windy, wavy and wonderful

Love you all

Matt

South Africa – The road to Oudtshoorn and its ostriches

October 15-17

Hello everyone!

South Africa is quite big – 3 times larger than Germany – so getting to a small, specific place can be quite tricky and time-consuming. The upshot is that the journey can be often as wonderful as the destination, bringing you closer to things you wouldn’t normally see.

Hannah’s friend, Nerina, lives near Mossel Bay, which is said to be one of the jewels of the Garden Route: South Africa’s well-known and frequently-visited southern coastline.

A beach at Mossel Bay

  

Getting to Mossel Bay from Malawi involves two flights (with three take-offs as the first plane collects passengers from Blantyre) and a long drive east from Cape Town.

Day 1: fly from Lilongwe to Cape Town via Jo'burg...

Day 2: drive from Cape Town to Oudtshoorn along Route 62

  

The route taken is a popular and stunning drive called ‘Route 62’, which takes your car up, down, through and around beautiful and diverse landscapes. We were driving to Oudtshoorn, a large provincial town, before heading to Mossel Bay.

A peak in Haweqwa Catchment Reserve, near the Winelands

A tunnel in Hawequas Mountain Area

A couple of stops were necessary to savour the beauty of the backdrops surrounding us. We parked at a wine reserve and café atop a hill near the village of Nuy. It seemed packed considering it was half past ten in the morning on a Sunday; I got the impression that places like this are the equivalent of village pubs in the United Kingdom, where families get together and spend a lazy morning or afternoon.

The view from Nuy Wine Reserve

French Twist, complete with bacon, cheese and fruit

Later down the stretch was a village called Barrydale, which was essentially a community of bed and breakfasts and cheap eats. One place full of character, not to mention calories, was an Americana joint called Diesel ‘n’ Crème. Sickeningly sweet and sumptuous shakes.

Could be Route 62, could be Route 66...

The Cruella de Ville: Belgian chocolate and
strawberry compote

 The sugar helped maintain alertness for the remainder of the drive to Oudtshoorn, though the soaring peaks of the cliffs and snaking roads through towering passes were worth staying awake for.

Mountains in the Klein Karoo

Coming down from the mountains towards Oudtshoorn

Oudsthoorn itself is unspectacular aside from hosting a massive amount of feathered friends.

The largest and fastest bird in the world

Ostriches only have two toes - one to hold
them upright, and one for balance

  

There are quite a few ostrich farms in Oudtshoorn. Through friends of friends of friends, we were able to get a complimentary tour of the Safari Farm, which has three types of ostriches and a collection of emus from Australia.

This is the Kenyan Red ostrich, the most aggressive of the
three types

Emus are slightly smaller than ostriches

 Initially we walked around an enclosed section of the farm, which allowed us to balance on some infertile eggs and feed some of the hungrier birds.

These infertile eggs weigh about 1.5kg and
can hold over 200kg when horizontal

         

Later on we piled into a tractor and drove alongside the ostriches, whose curiosity brought them up close and personal with us.

That big toe can do a lot of damage

Finally, we were taken to a room where they showed us how they use the ostriches which they breed.

Ostrich leather is the second strongest around, after kangaroo

                

1kg of ostrich feathers used to be worth more than 1kg of gold

  

Most interestingly, we found that the males do a strange dance as a mating ritual.

As with many places in South Africa, Oudtshoorn’s ostriches were a pleasant surprise. The journey to find them, along the twists and turns of Route 62, was just as enjoyable and highly recommended.

Love you all

Matt

Malawi – Whiling time away in lovely Nkhata Bay

September 21-24

Hello everyone!

Malawi has many national holidays. None fall in September but, in exchange for sacrificing a weekend for a workshop, our school gave everybody a Friday off towards the end of the month. After 11 consecutive school days, we needed a bit of rest and relaxation, which meant heading to the northern shore of Lake Malawi.

Nkhata Bay: a paddleboarding paradise, if that's your thing

The view from the toilet

We were specifically aiming for a place called Nkhata (un-KA-tuh) Bay, which is about six hours away from Lilongwe. It’s the length of journey which is a bit pointless to do on a regular weekend but becomes more feasible with an extra day. Even so, we stopped in a village called Mzimba for the night on route, resting in a strange, seemingly half-built hotel complex. Most places were full, which seemed bizarre on a Thursday night with no public holiday following.

Don't be fooled by Google - just getting to Mzimba took five hours

Our rest stop in Mzimba

The Bradt guidebook describes Nkhata Bay as ‘one of the best-kept secrets on the African backpackers trail’, and it’s easy to see why. It is in a lovely spot, with the lake water being much clearer and pleasant to swim in than in many other areas of Lake Malawi. A combination of sandy beaches and rocky shorelines line the bay.

The rocky entrance to the water at Mayoka Village, where we stayed

Chilawe beach

The water is also quite tranquil in the bay, allowing you to explore using a variety of water sports gear. Owing to an ongoing ear infection, I needed to keep my head out of water. This didn’t work so well when our canoe rolled two of us into the water as soon as we left the bay’s calm waters. Twice. I did say quite tranquil…

Kayaking early in the morning

A picture from our canoe, taken before we started falling in!

Time seems to move slowly in Nkhata Bay, as if the air has been infiltrated by lethargy. When your main aim is to relax, it makes for a perfectly chilled atmosphere, though it does reduce your desire to explore and see much of the area beyond your backpacker lodge. We drove through the town, seeing its small fish market, on our way in and out. I’m telling myself that I will explore more of the land when I return, though part of me is happy to admit that lethargy will probably take a beautiful stranglehold over me once more.

An internet image of Nkhata Bay's town centre

Even four-leggeds buy into the relaxed vibe

One upshot of our accommodation, Mayoka, being situated slightly from the town was that the number of hawkers and sellers was minimal: a massive contrast with other places on the lake such as Cape Maclear. It was generally quite quiet, allowing us to wind down and enjoy the beautiful blue.

An afternoon view of Nkhata Bay

One of many colourful geckos which inhabit the area

Part of Nkhata Bay’s charm is probably its location. Being far away from Lilongwe and Blantyre, Malawi’s two largest cities by some distance, limits the number of people who visit.

Many more boats would be visible in a more touristy area

Throwing a Nerf Vortex with locals on the beach

Probably my favourite location on Lake Malawi thus far, Nkhata Bay was definitely worth the long, arduous drives to and from Lilongwe. It will always be a welcome destination for a long weekend, or perhaps even longer. None of us wanted to get back to school after slowing down along the still shoreline of Nkhata Bay.

Paddle boarding in the sunshine

The sun setting on our time in Nkhata Bay

Love you all

Matt