The Wild Farm Backpakers Wilderness

So we drove from Mossel Bay to Wilderness and called into a shopping mall en-route for some proper shampoo and deodourant! We arrived at Wilderness 'The Beach House' and found ourselves booked into an 8 bed dormitory with a beautiful deck balcony overlooking the ocean. Once showered and refreshed,we booked ouselves in for dinner which was fire oven pizza cooked to your liking,, it was yummy! Whilst at the Beach House we took ourselves on a canoe trip ...

... is in a beautiful situation and has a lot going for it with the trails, the beach etc. But is very popular with people from Jo’burg etc so it does get very busy especially at weekends. If you like sociable camping then you would probably enjoy this camp. For us after living in the solitude of the African bush it takes quite a bit of getting used to being next to large numbers of people again. Each to there own way of life.

... had been quite the late one again. We just chilled out on the loungers in the hostel where we chatted to some other guests while we waited for our bus which was due at about 3.30pm. We met some truly interesting people at the hostel and again I was reminded of how lucky I am to have the life I have and of how lucky we are in Ireland. I had been getting a bit fed up of traveling but thankfully I have been knocked back into being grateful for what I'm seeing and the truly amazing people I am meeting.

... position, so technically I was surfing although not the most elegant of poses. I think I need a few more lessons. I'm booked to go horse riding tomorow morning and then a massage in the afternoon. I may try kloofing at some stage; whcih is climbing up big rocks up to 13 metres high and jumping off in to a river. I'll have to think about that one though, as I already have enough bruises from my previous antics. There's a great atmosphere here, very ...

... the cable car to the top of the Table Mountain. Unfortunately due to the high winds it was closed right up to the last day but we were lucky when on our last day the wind died down, the sun came out and on a gloriously hot day we managed to ride to the top enjoy the magnificent views from the summit. One of the things that really hits you when you first arrive in Cape Town is Table Mountain ...

WILDERNESS (GARDEN ROUTE) I spent a day in Wilderness, a small town at the base of the Garden Route, to break up the journey back to Cape Town and also in truth because i had been a little uncharitable with my views of the Garden Route and thought i should give it another go. Wilderness is gloriously free from the rampant tourist development that plagues the rest of the Garden Route now. It has a wonderfully preserved and intimate town centre and a pristine ...

... Africa with different values and beliefs, and they tell me that the ANC leaders are Mponde (who, as Zulus, they dislike) and that they only look after the welfare of the Mponde people, whilst the Zulu, Xhosa and other tribes are no better off than they were before. As Brad describes it: "Apartheid just changed colour. It's like having people from London, Essex and Kent and giving the government over to Wales." Listening to all this, I ...

... the best scenery for a canoe trip that I've ever been on. And being a Smith and a girl scout, I've been on quite a few. After a nice paddle up the river and spotting lots of birds we got out an hiked a nice 2-3km trail to a really nice waterfall. Unfortunately the water was frigid, so we didn't get in. If it was a hot summer day it would have been absolute paradise. (Note to anyone planning a trip to SA, while we've lucked out ...

... I want to see while I am here, but so little time:)I am already thinking of when i can come back to Africa to travel. I know it will be sooner than later! Next week will be a lot of fun celebrating the New Year with the children. We are planning a huge party, and the kids are excited that they get to stay up late and dance, eat sweets, and watch the fireworks! It almost feels like we are planning the Fourth of July because it ...

... north coast. Early morning arrivals ensured calm skiing conditions and the sighting of wildlife around the dam. Today we tried our hand at a bit of gambling at the Sun Coast Casino and brought home a total winnings of R800! Another early start for us tomorrow as we embark on a journey to Hluhluwe Game Reserve for two nights. So long suckers!!