RUDE AWAKENINGS AND CONCEALED BLESSINGS:

JACK & ABRAHAM: Two very kind gentlemen who got us some fresh water. Their bosses Phillip and Idah didn't want to have their pictures taken (I wonder why)

Contrary to the perfect day I had yesterday, my night wasn’t as peaceful. I don’t know whether it was because I’ve been sleeping too comfortably in the last week, or what, but I woke up in agony, every 30mins after 11pm.
My back was killing me, but it was all worth it, to lay there, with the sound of the rain lulling me right back to sleep. I could hear the baboons close by and made a conscious decision not to get scared, but to rather conceive them as our protectors, watching over us as we sleep. Think not, but could very well be, right?
We woke up early, but it was raining and misty outside, so I went back to sleeping. Maria was wondering around, but came back swiftly when she noticed that we were still surrounded by our friends, the baboons. Funny really.
At around 10am we heard a vehicle pull up into the driveway, and were ecstatic, because we still haven’t found any water, and were down to the last drop. Aren’t we silly girls, with all that water pouring down from the heavens above, and we never thought to collect any of that? Anyways, it was guys working in the Nature Reserve, and they were here to fix the electricity which was faulty at the camp site.
The one guy Jack was quite a character, and he was happy to help out with water. He sends Abraham, one of the guys that were with him, to fetch us some water from their offices, or somewhere. He suggested we stay put, because the weather had not cleared, and it was pretty cold out.
We were keen to move ahead as soon as possible, as the next camp site wasn’t too far, so if we ran into trouble with the weather, we’d be fine. Plans changed though, because Jack’s boss, Phillip came by, and he wasn’t a pleased man at all. He was fuming, because we had our dogs accompany us. Still a strange phenomenon to me, how all animals could be in a nature reserve, except dogs? It’s a pity that they’re kept from their natural habitat, just because we humans decided that they should be our pets.
Dante and Katryn are used to the wilderness, and have quite an amazing way with the rest of the animal kingdom. Usually, everything goes, except rats, those they have an insane desire to eliminate. In general however, they’re good dogs, and come when we call them, and are very well behaved. It’s like they understand what’s expected of them, and when.
Try and tell that to this ranger. He was adamant that we vacate the premises, and the Park. We packed up our bags, and escorted him back to their offices, where we spoke with the manager, Idah Mathe. She said that without permission, we weren’t allowed in the park with our dogs, and that we had to phone her on Monday, to start proceedings.
They were kind enough to give us a lift to the gate of the Park, where my brother fetched us, and brought us back home. Now we have to figure out where or how we are going to continue. We are a bit taken aback by what has happened, but we can always come back once we’ve reached our end destination, to complete our hike, provided we get permission of course.
It’s too late now to do much about anything, so we’re back to the drawing board, and will thus commence tomorrow. Never think you’ve got it all covered hey? Seems there’s always something you forgot to do. In our case, most definitely so.

I must say, sitting here, right now, with the wind howling around the house, I'm kinda glad we're not out there. It might've been nasty.
Good day, till tomorrow

AVON MORE CAMP SITE:

This was the first glimpse we had of the campsite. I was expecting to see Tink once we got there
A view from the top
A lovely spot to get lost in thought

EN-ROUTE TO AVON MORE CAMP SITE

A canon we found at the lookout point

She seemed to be working fine, but I still don't know where all that water goes, certainly not here
WOW, aren't they cute! Stood there looking at us for a long time.

BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES AND DISCOVERY:

BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES AND DISCOVERY:

Today was a day for beautiful surprises, and of the most spectacular scenery anyone can ask for. According to the weather forecast, we’re supposed to expect rain, and very cold conditions, but thus far, it’s been gorgeous.
We hiked from Hunters Rest Hotel today, and it was very reasonable, as we hiked along a paved road most of the way to the top. There was a lookout halfway up, and we sat there for a while, energizing and enjoying the sights. We hiked along, and found some road workers, busy renovating a little bridge. We had about 2lt water left, and they pointed us in the general direction of the next fountain.
We hiked along, and I found myself thinking a couple of times, what a magnificent day! It was almost magical, and so many wild animals everywhere. We hiked for a little longer, when we stumbled across the most exquisite camping huts. Were it not for a parking sign we saw at the side of road, we would have never found it.
It looked like something out of a fairy tale. These two huts were nestled underneath a canopy of trees, and each had the shape of a tortoise. There were wooden steps leading up towards these huts, and a sheltered dining area, a boma in which to make fire, firewood, shower and the traditional outhouse. The doors to the huts were open, and inside there was only 6 mattresses. We put our bags down and walked around for a bit. It was so mystical, made me feel like I was 6 all over again. The dogs were in awe of our find, and they were obviously taken in by the amazing energy that surrounded us.
This place was called the Avon More Camp, and there was a sign that said Explorer Camp, heading in a different direction. We also found a plaque that said Rustenburg Nature Reserve on it, and so, we had an idea of where we were. The clouds were drawing closer, but still, the day remained glorious. Just as it was about to get dark, a troop of baboons came down to the stream to drink water. At first I thought we were trespassing on their territory, as you could see all sorts of evidence that they played here not so long ago. They seemed curious, and instead of leaving, they made a semi-circle around the camp site. I think they sat there all through the night, because you could hear them close by.
We were a bit scared but saw that they didn’t mean any harm, maybe they also just needed shelter from the storm that was about to rage. We went inside anyhow, closed the door and unpacked, had a light supper, and I got stuck in my thoughts, scribbled down some notes, and listened to music as I drifted off to sleep. I could hear the thunder even though the music was loud, and the lightning danced all around, quite spectacular I might say.
Sweet, sweet dreams…

OVERLOOKING THE OLIFANTSNEK DAM

This is why I do what I do. Is this not absolutely beautiful!

OLIFANTSNEK, AND THE NATURE RESERVE

We will probably hike along those ridges tomorrow, heading towards the Nature Reserve



















Olifantsnek




























Another glimpse of the Olifantsnek

BAD WEATHER, DELAYS AND INTERACTION

Since we came down off the mountain, on the 21st, so much had happened that resulted in a sad occasion, as we had to postpone our event on the 26th, thus having more admin than we dreamed possible.
One good thing was that I got to see my brother Jac, who was visiting from Wales. Fantastic, because for the first time in a long while, our family was complete, everyone safe and sound, and home!
We got to do almost all that was needed, and had some time to interact with friends, family, and new acquaintances. It was all good, but I must admit, getting back to the task at hand, like finally completing our hike, was becoming a pressing factor. We had a few obligations which needed our attention though, and some personal matters that needed resolving, so we had to bite the bullet, and wait.
Now we are back on track, and way behind schedule, so we’re going to try and do the last bit in good time, without missing a thing of course. The next stretch is about 150kms in distance, but we measured the distance on Google Earth, which only measures in a straight line, so give or take 150kms.
It is the most beautiful stretch however, and should be pretty exciting. We will try our best to update our blogs every day, all depending on how often we get to recharge batteries, etc.
We will announce the new date for the launch of Go 4 Good, in the next couple of days, and should you wish to learn more, visit http://rtbgo4good.blogspot.com for the latest updates.

MAJESTIC,HIGH, AND THE BIG CHILL

DAY 21:

We woke up early, and my dad was going to take us back to where we came down from. He picked us up around 9am, by this time, we were frozen to the bone. As we tuned in on the weather channel, we saw that a cold front has hit the country, and we were in for quite a surprise. Dad decided to drive up the Maanhaarrand road, which leads all the way to the top. Once we got to the top, we got out of the car, but my dad got back in immediately. The difference in temperatures was staggering! It literally took my breath away, scared the shit out of me too!
It has been a long, long time, since I last felt such extreme cold. Could hardly breathe, and when I did, felt like I froze inside out. Maria still had shorts on, so we changed and put on everything we had in our packs. Ironic, isn’t it? We send home all excess clothing with my sister yesterday, and now today, we need those. Dante and Katryn were equally cold, but if we kept on moving, and if, by any chance, we couldn’t anymore, and had to take a break from hiking, we all cuddled closer.
For the first time, since we’ve begun, we could see for miles and miles. The air was so cool and crisp, that it was the clearest day ever. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and so the cold didn’t really matter after a while. This was the furthest we’ve hiked in a day, thus far, and don’t ask me how far exactly, remember, no GPS, but I could see our starting point when we came down the mountain. We’ve hiked almost the entire day, and we were all exhausted. Out water was almost finished, and it was getting dark. The wind was howling, and we had to stand fast, or be blown of your feet. We decided to make our way down, hoping to find a warmer spot, and some water.
By now, we weren’t hiking anymore, we were stumbling over anything that was in the way, dark already, and too tired to speak. It was here, that my mother phoned, to ask if we were fine, and warm enough. We told her we were making our way down, and she insisted that they pick us up, as they were only 10kms away. Didn’t take much to convince us, and so we headed for the nearest road, to establish exactly where we were.
We were waiting for 5 minutes, which felt like 5 hrs. We were ready to keel over at any minute. Ooh, those limbz, didn’t feel like mine at all. We got to the guest lodge, just before 7pm. We had a drink or two with some of the guests, and then went for a warm bath and bed. I passed out, stone cold, the minute my head hit the pillow. Bliss…

DAY 20: OMARAMBA, REST & THOUGHT

DAY 20:

Even though there were no alarms going off, I woke up at the same early hour as every other morning. I knew I didn’t have to get up today, and that was a great thought, but the day was beautiful, and Natasha was going to come and visit again, so I got going.
How fantastic to wake up to a fresh cup of coffee? Thanks Maria. Dante was also up early, and befriended another dog who seemed to live in the bush behind our room. He came looking for his sister a couple of times, but she only made an appearance much later, when she briefly stuck her head out from under the blankets, and then almost immediately crawled back.
Natasha arrived around 11am, and made us a killer breakfast of bacon, eggs, mushrooms, cheese and toast. Mmmmmmm. She also brought soup bones, and lovely stewing meat, which she prepared for the dogs. Think they love seeing her more than we do. We hung out till late afternoon, and she brought some newspapers, so we chilled, chatted, and just had a fabulous afternoon.
The rest of our day consisted of catching up on emails, phone calls, and packing. We got ourselves cleaned up, and ready for bed quite early, but I didn’t fall asleep till very late.

There was a lot said and done today that made me think. It’s so good sometimes, when the world and everything around you comes to a stand still. Good that there’s always that moment where you have time to reflect.
I wonder about many things. I wonder about the world that we live in, and I wonder if people are happy, and I wonder why they’re so angry. I’ve had angry moments in my life, many, but that road leads nowhere, besides, what in the world could be so horrible, as to make a precious gift such as LIFE, a misery?
I find it so difficult to read the newspapers, because it’s the most depressing, disheartening and desperate means of observing. Just glancing at the Rustenburg Herout, made me reaffirm what I believe in so much. The Government, any Government, is just a representative, defending a country’s economic and moralistic values. Strange how the majority of residents in some countries, do not support those values? Who maintains then, what those values should be, or how they should be interpreted?
When the hand of the law cannot be trusted, where do you go? When the system is cruel and unkind, what do you do? I understand, for the first time ever, how desperate an act of discrimination can make you feel, but I also know that nothing justifies killing someone, or waging war, or anything in the name of anger and revenge.
It would be quite extraordinary if we could all live in peace and harmony, but this will never be, as long as there is someone who is greedy, envious, jealous, or who seeks power, etc., etc. These emotions, and that is just what they are, should never have gotten so out of hand and so all consuming, to ruin lives, and leave stains of despair.
I have had a blessed and beautiful life thus far, and I am ever thankful for that. I have come to many a crossroads, and haven’t always chosen the right way, but because of that, I have had an unbelievable journey. Anything, be it the happiest moment of your life, or the most humiliating, or the saddest moment, it’s something to be savored, because tomorrow it’ll be gone, and there will never be another moment quite like it. To understand happiness I guess you really have to experience pain.
I have had the privilege to have interacted with many people in my life, and while some have been negative, they’ve all been significant, and make me who I am today. This is why I love and cherish every one of those people, who have left me with something to think about, or who have inspired me to do better, and who have granted me the opportunity to forgive, and to be forgiven.
We are all given the same opportunities, and to me that represents the ability to rise above one’s disabilities. A choice, in other words. I have to always remind myself of that, when I am faced with everyday life stuff, but there’s freedom in knowing that you make your own choices. It took a while to grasp, and I’m still learning, but what a revelation, and suddenly every day is a surprise.
Idealistic to think that a whole nation will wake up, knowing that the choices they make today, determines how tomorrow turns out.
These are just some of the things I wonder about, but I guess the beauty is to have something to believe in, something to reach for, to be an anchor for many and to have someone to lean on. Then it doesn’t matter what happens, but you know that nothing is impossible. That is why I love what I do so much. Every day, there is something new I learn about myself in terms of the impossible, and all of a sudden there are so many possibilities, and it doesn’t all revolve around myself anymore either, the more barriers I break down inside, the more available I become to others and live the life that was designed for me.
Okay, enough already.
Bed time, good night
Sweet dreams

HIKING AND RELAXING

Katryn and me, taking pictures



Maria, Dante and Katryn, at the highest point



My babies, comforting each other

DAY 19:

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
Maria, Katryn & Dante, the road to Omaramba
The Four of us Relaxing and watching rugby
Mom and Natasha
Steff Papendorf

OMARAMBA, SPAR, AND THE BULLS

DAY 19:

We woke up early, and packed up as the sun showed its glorious face. I was somewhat stiff, but felt quite amazing considering. We had a long hike before we reached the foot of the mountain, and then quite a way before Omaramba. We found a jeep track which was such a fresh change from the rough terrain of previous days.
We hiked like two girls on a serious mission, and what more serious than a hot shower. Cleanliness, there is much to say about that. The dogs also seemed livelier than yesterday, as if they knew what was waiting. I think they were also gagging to get washed up and groomed. We hiked past a couple of farm houses, all the time hoping and preying that somebody would drive by and give us a lift to our dreams. Like Maria said earlier, ‘the road to your dreams always seem a little harder’ is so true.
No luck however, and we walked, and walked, till we couldn’t walk no more. So close and yet so far away. We eventually reached the Barnardsvlei road, a gravel road, and knew we were not so far anymore, when a guy named Steff Papendorf stopped and offered us a ride. He had an airplane, or parts of one on the back of his truck, which left very little room for all of us. Dante and Katryn kept stepping on the wings of said airplane. Needless to say, that our lift didn’t take us much further than at least 1.5kms. Steff dropped us off at a short cut, or at least it presented itself to look like one, and we headed towards Omaramba.
Our short cut however, just never seemed to end. Eventually, we found the main road, and didn’t exactly know which direction to hike from there, but we were just too tired to think at this point. We turned right, and walked over a hill when we saw the glorious sign post leading towards our dream, on the left hand of the road, about another 500m further. I think we must’ve looked like something out of fright night when we stumbled into the reception area. The ladies just gave us one look, and saw that we needed our room without delay. I want to say thank you to everyone at Omaramba, and especially to Ernst Kleinhans for our fantastic rooms, and a wonderful stay. It’s gorgeous!
It took us a while before we could collect ourselves enough to take that long awaited shower. Another added bonus today is the Super 14 Final, and it’s the Bulls against the Sharks. The atmosphere was amazing, only we were so tired, that we could hardly sit up straight.
Natasha went to pick up more supplies at the Tuscany Spar in Rustenburg, once again, thank you Gerhard and Emile, you guys thought of everything, even some extra treats for the dogs. You guys are the greatest! She came round just before the rugby started and my mom came along which was a huge surprise. There’s something about having your mother around when you need some pampering. We went to the pool area to join in the festivities, but not for long though, decided to prepare something to eat, and just have a quiet evening. The Bulls won! They scored the most beautiful try in the last 5 minutes, and so well done! It was great!
Irrie and Tash left early evening, and so me and Maria just watched some tele, a novelty at this point, and caught up on emails. Maria and the dogs fell asleep shortly after, but I was suddenly wide eyed, and wondered around, till I found some great company, and sat around chatting till 1am. I didn’t realize it was that late though, and when it started drizzling, I came back in.
We’ve had a busy, eventful day, and I am just glad that tomorrow we’ll take a day off hiking. Need the break. I think my babies didn’t know what hit them with all the meaty treats and soft bed that they get to sleep on tonight.
Sweet dreams all

FALLING, FATIQUE AND TONQUANI GORGE

DAY 18:

Firstly, a happy birthday to my big brother Daan. I hope you have a beautiful day and many more to come. Love you madly, and wish I was there.
We woke up bright and early. Strangely, it was not as cold by the water side as it was on top of the mountain. Packing up today, was quite a breeze. We actually had a beautiful start to a very typical morning. Packing up didn’t seem like routine, it was actually quite enjoyable.
We started our hike, with the beauty and mystery of where we were, still fresh in my mind. We hiked to the top of the escarpment, but as usual, just as you think you’re on top, there’s another ridge, as high as the previous one awaiting.
The rocks today, are quite a challenge to get through, but our road nevertheless. It was a beautiful hike, and there were many valleys and gorges that we had to go through. We decided to get on with it, so we didn’t have too many rest intervals. We wanted to get to the Hekpoort tower early enough to explore the surrounding areas, but sadly misjudged the distance. As the crow flies, it couldn’t be too far, but hiking it, a completely different story.
Once we got to our destination, we realized that the Tonquani gorge lay below us, so we kept on hiking, in the hopes that we’d find a camp spot or a clearer idea of what lay below. This was one of the most beautiful, awesome sights I’ve seen this far, and I know that every time we stumble upon something beautiful, I think this, but it’s true. This gorge is as intimidating as it is awesome. As we walked down, the smallest little stream was flowing down ever so gently into a pool, which ran down into another pool, until all this water came together and formed a waterfall which cascades at least 200m down below into the gorge. The rock walls surrounding us, was of the most impressive rock I’ve seen thus far. Made me feel very small, and looking down into the valley made my stomach drop to the floor. Awe inspiring!
It was so sad that we couldn’t stay here forever, but it was getting late, and we had to get a move on. My Achilles was inflamed, and giving me a hard time, and I found it difficult to move too quickly, but we had to start making our way down the mountain, as we had a room booked at the Omaramba holiday resort tomorrow, and the idea of a hot shower, was something that simply couldn’t wait.
We hiked, slowly down, and Katryn was staying very close to me, almost trying to encourage me or something, when I stumbled over some rocks, and to avoid stepping on her, I dived to one side, and fell hard to the floor. I fell so hard, that Maria heard it all the way in front. I felt like such a baby, because it wasn’t a second before the sobs started. Thought that my body had come apart, but other than a couple of bruises, grass burns, and a fat head, I was all right!
Today felt like it truly wasn’t my day, and before long, the distance and rocks has taken its toll. We were both finished. We looked around for a place to camp, as it was quickly getting dark. We found that we were in the midst of a cattle grazing area, as there was a water crib, and there were troughs with feed. This was the only area reasonably flat enough and so we cleared away as many rocks as possible, and pitched our tent.
Morale was a little low tonight, and bodies tired and bruised. We nibbled on some smoked mussels and provitas, and lay down to sleep. Never thought this day would ever come to an end and rough surface or no, passed out for dead.
I think today’s greatest challenge was to enjoy and take in, the wonder and beauty of this day, and not to give in to feelings of pain, fatigue and self pity. Think they call it mind over matter, right? Wouldn’t say I completely mastered this theory today, but that’s today.
Sweet dreams, and may this beautiful weather persist!

Tonquane Gorge, and our way there

The mountains are beautiful, any way you look at them. The smog is just a pity
Vulture restuarant, nearby the gorge
The Peglarae, rare aloe plant which can only be found in the Magaliesberg

DAY 17: BLISS, POOLS, AND A BEAUTIFUL END TO A HECTIC DAY

Our knight in shining armour: thanks dad for being you



Even Dante enjoyed the water, and splashed about for a while



Maria splashing about in the stunning cold pools, MAGIC

WHERE ARE WE?!

DAY 17

We woke up this morning, feeling pretty destitute. Our water was finished; we only had enough tuna and provitas for breakfast, and no more cigarettes! Beginnings of a disaster. Okay, like I said before, we thought we were at Castle gorge, or at least close to it, so we phoned some of the farmers living in the area, to confirm our suspicions.
First we phoned George & Christelle Smith, and then Mr. Conroy, and they concurred. Next thing, I spoke to my mother, and she was such a sweetheart to suggest that they’d bring us some more supplies, seeing that we weren’t that far from home. What nobody understands however is that we have no idea what goes on below, as far as directions go. Only thing we can say, is what it looks like from up here, and describing the color of the rooftops below, just didn’t seem like enough to go by.
Uschi, from the MCSA, faxed them a road map, of how to get to the Castle gorge, thanks Uschi! Around 11am, I spoke to my dad, and he was a little lost, asked if I could see him. Couldn’t, but I ran down, all the way, to the foot of the mountain. After a long search, we finally found each other! Yippee!
He was such a honey, to bring around some sausage and steak, which we threw on the gas barbeque, and thus, had the most delicious lunch. He couldn’t stay too long though, so we said our good-byes, and away he went. Thanks dad, you’re the best!
Some nice treats, lots of water, 4lt Coke, sigs, and a wholesome meal, now tell me, how fortunate are we? This is the first time, ever, since we’ve started our adventures, that we’ve had someone bringing us supplies, or rescuing us when we were lost, unless of course you count the ones who disappeared as soon as they appeared, as if by design.
We forced everything into our bags, and headed in the direction of the pools, this time, we knew where we were going, and if we couldn’t find it, means we’re really stupid!
What an absolute paradise! This was sure worth every bit of being lost and confused! The water originates from a spring, and then cascades down, into a valley. I have no words, it’s so stunning! We were so overwhelmed by our find; we went swimming in the icy cold pools. It was so nice, the cold didn’t matter really, in fact, it was refreshing after a couple of long, hot days. We set up camp, and hiked in and around the valley for a while.
It’s night time now, and the sounds quite different from other nights. The sound of the water streaming down, beautiful. Anyway, I’m going to enjoy this for a while, then have an early night.
Sweet dreams