CAMPING IN LUXURY

We met Janes Coetzee on the riverbank, and he had heard about our journey downstream. He invited us to stay with them, but they have 4 rather BIG dogs, so we opted to camp next to the river. The Coetzees are very hospitable people however, and fetched us to join them for meals and hot showers. We spent a couple of days here, and it was rather difficult to leave eventually. We had the best camping spot ever. It beats finding a suitable place in between shrubs and tall grass with a likkewaan as your next door neighbour. The mosquitoes are relentless though, doesn't matter where you decide to camp.

ORKNEY - FROM BOAT CLUB TO GOLF CLUB

Orkney was an absolute blast. Shortly after departing from Kleinparadys, we arrived at the Vaal River Boat Club desperate for internet connectivity. Karel Mini and a couple of other guys we met through referrals, was so kind to offer us work space and a room for the night, should we need to stay.





















Spent a night at the Orkney Golf Club after a grueling hot day on the river. We suffered against serious head winds earlier in the day, but the water was beautifully calm in the late afternoon. This part of the Vaal offers a variety of water activities and is especially great for kayak enthusiasts.

KLEINPARADYS, COENIE & HIS PRINCESS PETRO & A WEEKEND OF FUN...

We arrived at Kleinparadys later than expected, and we were completely finished at this point. Petro's uncle owns this little paradise outside Orkney, and they were all there to welcome us.
It was an absolute treat, and we spent the weekend hanging out, reviving our aching bodies and having a good time, thanks to Petro and her stunning family.

ANDRE, LIESI & THE DEEP WATERS HOTEL

We were supposed to meet a friend, Andre, at the Scandinaviadrift Bridge around lunchtime, and according to some, it was almost 17kms along the river. We had an early start, and started paddling like animals. The river once again changed a bit, and we met some people fishing on the banks, but eventually all I could think was to paddle and not feel, or think. We had a head wind, which was slightly bothersome, and very few rapids, which made for intensive paddling.

Eventually, I asked everyone we came across, how far it still was towards this bridge, and the first group said 2kms, the second person said 8, and the third said 2. Confusing if you ask me and never ask anyone who hasn't actually paddled the distance, how far it is. Anyhow, it turned out to be all of the above, so the third was spot on.It was the happiest face, to see Liesi and Andre waiting on the banks, just before the bridge. I still had another 500m to go, but it felt like I couldn't bridge the gap. It is always brilliant to see old friends.

We sat for hours catching up, we almost forgot about dinner. We had a barbeque and for us there was the most delicious butterfish, salads, sweet potato and garlic bread. It has been a long time since I ate so much, but the food was so good, I had to go back for more.
Liesi helped Maria set up camp, as we were going to camp on the riverbank. There was going to be a party with the band M2 performing tonight, but since I have never heard of this band, and we were having a good time on our own, we decided to enjoy each others company until it was time for bed. This was a truly magical evening.

ELGRO RIVER LODGE

It turns out, the most amazing couple runs Eerstegeluk, and a pity we only really met and spoke on the day that we left. They are Pieter and Linda Gericke, and they have lived here almost all of their married life. Linda used to be an airhostess, until she married Pieter, and they seemed to have lived here happily with their 3 sons of whom the eldest is almost 40. If you want privacy, simplicity, a fabulous fishing spot and beautiful, romantic evenings, this is the place to visit.
I was sad to leave, as they were a wonderful inspiration, and very easy to get along with. We headed out a bit late, and had our first weir to jump. This one was fairly high, and once we considered all the warnings about drowning, we transported our kayaks safely to the other side, and tried like hell to break free from the hyacinths and get back in the main stream. The rest of the way, we had continuous rapids, but nothing serious. The only trick was not to get stuck on the rocks, of which there are many.

We passed a couple on holiday, and chatted as we drifted forward. There were many islands, an abundance of wildlife and rapid moving water. It was lovely. It was clear that we were outside of the dome area now, because the mountains became smaller, till they virtually disappeared and made way for dense bushes on the river banks. It was late afternoon when we saw what looked like a lodge on the right-hand side of the river. The Elgro Riverlodge was a very welcome stop, 'cause I was tired and thirsty. Gerhardus welcomes us, and immediately offered us something to drink. Later on we met Riaan, also a manager and some of the guests, Hennie and Marc, who were delightful company. Seems Hennie is a regular here at the Elgro, which is a fishing hot spot, and a stunning getaway from city life. Not too far from Johannesburg either.

We slept in a beautifully decorated, comfortable room, of which the bed was sent straight from heaven. Lucky me! A hot shower remedied all other ailments, and I barely ate dinner before I fell asleep.

EERSTEGELUK

Up bright and early, but we only had to be ready by 10am, when Francious was going to take us back to the water. Smittie came by to finish off the seats he had built for the kayaks. They are very primitive, but will do the trick, I'm sure. It was 11:58am when we got to the water, and we chatted for a little while before saying our good-byes. This was our last familiar stop before embarking on completely unknown terrain. It was amazing to spend time with these individuals. They all went out of their way for us, and I appreciate it more than you know. I will always remember you fondly, and hope our paths will cross again. Francious, Smittie, Leane and Tabs, thanks for sharing...

Once in the water, I felt at home. I love being out here, love the water, love every single thing that surrounds me, love this moment...
A breeze was making ripples in the water, and it soon picked up into a rather strong head wind. I had to put my everything behind each stroke, or else the wind would get the better of me. Most of all, I had to prevent turning sideways when a vicious gust came rushing through, because it would surely tip the boat over. I was getting hungry and Katryn asked nicely to be grounded for a bit, so I suggested we find a place to stop for lunch. We saw some people at a house on the right hand side, and called out to them, to ask where we were allowed to stop, and they suggested we get out right there and take our time, till we are ready to get back on the water. Joyce even offered to make us some coffee. It was magic, to be sure.

After about 30mins, we were back on the water. Smittie, your seat is lovely, but my ass was starting to hurt. Ag, it's all good, I'll just shift positions every so often, even though that didn't help much. I kept to my right, because the wind seemed less fierce closer to the banks. I am continued to be amazed by the bustling activity in the water and on the banks. The lizards are rather big, and we saw one walking Hyacinths. It was such a kodac moment, but due to poor and wet conditions on the raft, I missed it...
At around 4am, I was getting tired, although the colors and reflections on the water were so beautiful, it was a pleasure to paddle some more. We were on the lookout for a place on the left hand side of the river, called Eerstegeluk, and we were to recognize it by the wooden deck built amongst some eucalyptus trees. It was 6.30pm when we finally found it. We've only paddled 11kms today, but it sure felt like 50 to me.
Eerstegeluk is the most idyllic little place next to the river, rustic and somewhat primitive with a romantic feel to it. Love it!!! Francious had suggested this place, and said he would make arrangement for us to sleep over, so we could literally just unpack when we get there. I was so hungry and tired; I almost didn't spend time to appreciate my surroundings. I made a quick pasta and pesto, which tasted like heaven to the hungry.
Too tired to do anything, but we had a quick wash, coffee, and off to bed. Sweet, sweet dreams and I hope that tomorrow is as beautiful as today was. Thank you everyone for a beautiful adventure....

VENTERSKROON, GHOST TRAILS & FABULOUS PEOPLE

Today was a day off the water for us. A lot of catching up to do, and blogging, blogging, blogging. I am so far behind, but with a little effort, I'm sure I'll catch up soon enough. Francious and Leane invited us to dinner tonight and Smittie offered to make us special seats to go on the canoe's which would elevate us a little. He quickly went to town to get the materials, and to get us some fresh supplies. These guys are quite amazing to say the least.
A very nice surprise when Christo joined us for dinner at the Tea room. I had such a good time. Francious and Leane were the perfect hosts, and made a phenomenal feast for dinner. We had good wine, and exceptional company. Christo Meyer entertained us with stories of times gone by, of Venterskroon back in the day, of ghosts that walk here, and so many more fascinating stories. It is rare to find someone who knows so much about the community he lives in, and who actually cares enough to make a constant contribution towards making it possible for others to enjoy its wonders.
We were exchanging ghost stories until we all went our separate ways. Francious and Leane invited us for a quick coffee at their place before we walked home. Walking home was quite the experience. We had to walk by the old hotel, which is supposedly haunted, because a lot of killing took place here, executions, etc. Dante walked in front and Katryn behind us, all the way home, like two little angels, keeping the evil at bay.
I think they also had a fabulous time, because Francious' Boerbull, Sheila and Dante took a liking to each other. Odd combination, but cute as ever! Katryn was growling for a long time, sitting underneath the table, wanting to attack any dog that came close. Their Jack Russel, Seun, tried desperately to get Katryn's attention, but it was only towards the end of our evening that she warmed up to him a little.
The minute we got back, I hit the sack!!!
Thank you so much guys for a wonderful, wonderful time spent here...

A LONG DAY

We packed up and immediately headed for the water, because we wanted to reach Venterskroon today, and had no idea how far it was. We just knew it was within our reach. One bigger rapid at Ben Joe which we knew about, and it wasn't that bad at all. The water cascades down a mini waterfall, and into a little gorge. We had to carry our kayaks around the fall to the gorge. There was a rope that came across the river at the end of the rapid, which is a bit irresponsible, I'd say, but we maneuvered around it. This was such a pretty sight, and we hung out for a bit before paddling on. There were a couple of guys standing in the middle of the river, fly-fishing. The river is quite shallow in places, and this is the spot where the yellow fish spawn, but nobody had caught anything yet. Some of the properties along the riverbanks are just gorgeous. There are many resorts, campsites, guest lodges and guest farms.

We drifted some stretches and paddled others, the river slowly moving us along. The next rapid had quite a steep fall, but was easy enough. Then we came to a part in the river where we could hear the rapid, but couldn't make out what it looked like from the water, so we got out on the right hand side, and walked up the hill to get a better view. I couldn't see too much from up there, but we decided to gun it anyway.

Halfway down the rapid, I lost my paddle trying to loosen myself from a rock. I paddled like a maniac with my hands, trying to catch up. Happy days! Found my paddle, all is well... The stretch of water following the rapid was very flat, but once again, it is BEAUTIFUL out here. I would recommend everybody does this at some point in their lives.
It was getting late when we saw some familiar spots, indicating that we have reached Venterskroon. We got out at the Coetzee's property who didn't mind our intrusion. We unloaded the kayaks and Rika offered to take us to the house we were supposed to stay tonight. Francious from Dome Adventures weren't quite expecting us today, he thought we had passed days ago, but he sorted us out in a flash anyway. We were two chiki's tired and sunburnt, so a long hot bath, dinner and bed pretty much summed up our evening.

HMMM, THOSE SUNSETS

TO LAZY DAYS AND BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

We were packed and ready to go quite early for a change, but the camp was in a state of slumber. Pieter was nowhere to be found, and we had to settle the bill, so we waited. At around 10, Maria went to wake him up. Eventually, he opened the bar, and we stocked up on some cold drinks and ice. Pieter suggested we all have a "regmaker" which resulted in us sitting at the bar until well after 2pm. It was so nice; we almost decided to stay over again, because we had met some really cool people. Everybody started arriving for the girl's birthday party, and the mood was picking up from the laying low of before. Fresh souls were moving into the campsite. Pieter and Annemarie Knox were amongst them, and it was especially these two who made it difficult for me to leave. Lovely people.

We thought that even if we just paddled for an hour, at least we'd be moving, so we continued, said our good-bye's and got back into the water.
I got a bit drenched in some little rapids, where the water just spilled into my boat, but other than that, the water was amazing. We cruised on for about an hour or two, before we found a very nice spot to camp on the right hand side. We had to carry our gear for a bit, and hoped that our canoes would still be there when we needed them again in the morning.

Christo Meyer found us along the riverbank, because we had contacted him about the piece of land we were on, to find out whom it belonged to, and if it would be cool if we camped here. It was nice to see him, but he didn't stay long, just chatted for a while, and commented on the time it has taken us to get to this point. I could see how this could be so funny, because it has taken us 4 days to get here, which is at most a 2 day trip. We're not in a hurry however, and I'm more scared of missing anything, than getting to Bloemhof in record time.
We had a quick dinner, and an early night.

HADEDA CREEK

I would say we're getting better at this. It was around 3/4pm when we reached Hadeda Creek. Maria stayed on the kayak with the dogs, because Pieter has two beautiful big dogs named Simba and Tripod (he had lost a leg, hence the name), and we didn't know how they'd react towards each other. Turns out it was Pieter's 30th birthday. There were two big groups who had checked in when we arrived. The atmosphere was festive and we were quickly swept away into a lazy late afternoon of drinks at the bar. The mixture of sun, excitement and alcohol didn't quite agree with me. I felt heavily intoxicated, so I excused myself, unpacked my kayak and went in search of our room in the tented camp, which Pieter had organized for us.

I had to lie down for a while before I got my stuff together and headed towards the showers. Dinner was at 7pm. so that left me with less than 30mins, and I was so hungry, I could eat a horse!!! The food was divine to say the least. I dished up way more than I could handle, but I managed very well thank you very much. We had offered to run the bar if Pieter needed us to, seeing as it was his birthday. The atmosphere at the bar was playful and everyone was going for gold. When they started hoisting themselves upside down into a canoe which is attached to the roof, downing shots of tequila, that's when I started to get worried. I haven't recovered quite yet, so we agreed to disappear for a while, and come back later. The day has taken it's toll on all of us, so we chilled for a while, and retired to take a cat nap, but we only woke up again around 12pm and realized with a shock, that we had probably missed the entire party. I keeled over and went back to sleep.

DEPARTURE

We were packed and ready to rock by 9am, but waited for Awie to portage us back to the water. We all bid each other farewell, and today Awie brought a third person to help load the kayaks, less difficulties. Once we on the water, it was around 11am. The day was beautiful, and we paddled along every channel again, it was great fun. There were a couple of rapids, one on which I got stuck, but nothing serious, in fact it was fun. Once we got to a bigger one, we contemplated which way around, and after going through the whole scene of anticipating the waters, feeling that rush of fear, then the rush of adrenaline, and so on and so forth, we went down, this time a bit easier than before.

THE LONG WAY DOWN TO DIMALICHITE

Awaiting us is a rapid which is very bony, has big rocks sticking out, and it has a steep downward slope. I think it is do-able, but I sense that Maria doesn't necessarily agree with me so slowly but surely, all horror stories of people drowning, and the force of the water snapping your kayak in half if you get stuck and turn sideways. I remember about washing machines, and suction power that renders you helpless. Okay, so I start agreeing with Maria, it does look a bit ominous.We opt to go around the side, lodge ourselves on the rocks and with the rope, slowly maneuver our kayaks down to the bottom. This only took forever, and quite frankly is much more dangerous than gunning it down the good old-fashioned way, but regardless, once we finally got to the bottom, we were hardly saying a word to each other, and my legs were banged up. The scenery was so fantastical, that we soon forgot our ordeal and just paddled on silently.


It is super enjoyable to cruise around in the little side streams, even if it means paddling all the way back. The sights are stunning, and the wildlife is something else. It's a bustling nest of activity in those narrow little channels in between the islands. The birds are gorgeous, I could observe them forever. It's as if everything is in unison, and for this instant I am a part of the equilibrium.
A serious wind starts blowing just off the side, which makes paddling seem useless, because it's a mission to keep the kayak straight, and I'm not even talking about moving forward. It is getting late, so we push forward, on the lookout for a place to camp, when DiMalichite appears on the left hand side. There were a few people camping along the riverbank, some chalets, and what looked like a shop. We paddled closer and Maria got out first, in search of an office of some kind. I stayed with the dogs, and they were so cute, waiting all patiently for Maria to return before they could get out. It's been a hot day, and we were all gagging to get out of the sun, but still we waited patiently. Maria came back in a little truck, and Awie and David helped us to pick the kayaks up onto the back, and took us to our camping spot. Awie is such a delight and thought we were crazy to paddle with such heavy packed kayaks, as it took 3 of us to lift it, with great difficulty.


We stopped by the shop to get some provisions, and found out more about DiMalichite, which is a family run business. It is great for camping, fly fishing, whitewater rafting, hiking, and all the other stuff that makes a holiday out in the wilderness a cool idea. The chalets are also really nice, and there's a swimming pool and Jacuzzi too. First thing I did after unpacking and setting up camp, was to have a bath. The bathroom was quite nice, and there were 2 baths and 3 showers.
Dante and Katryn were roaming around like they owned the place, and they were playing their silly little games, which made me smile and feel a little silly myself. Maria made a dashing supper consisting of chilli beef soya with onions, tomato and pasta. It was a beautiful night, the stars were bright, and I lay there listening to the sounds of silence for a long while before I drifted off to sleep.

RAPIDS & VICIOUS DOGS - A ROCKY START

We were up bright and early, making sure that everything is packed and ready. It was such a mission to decide what goes and what stays on the bike. Our previous river experience has taught us that everything could be lost in an instant, so we had to think carefully. We also had to double check that our bikes were packed and ready for transportation. I was sad to see old Silver go. I don't really like the idea of my bike going somewhere without me, but sure it wouldn't be too long before we were reunited...
Danie picked us up with a magical old Ford F250 which he had just bought at an auction. Bikes and canoes all had a place at the back of this old truck, so off we went. He dropped us off at Rocky Ridge, just outside town where we launched our canoes. He first had to show us how everything is tied to the top and gave us some pointers on safety and how to maneuver around the islands, before he put us in the water. This was the scary part, because never ever before had any one of us been on a sit on top kayak. We were used to the Croc, and this was a completely different ball game. I think Danie must've laughed himself silly, as we circled, and tried to keep our balance. We encountered a couple of rapids, mostly Class 1 and 2's, but got stuck on the rocks a couple of times, which was a bit scary in the beginning, because the pit kept filling with water, and so fast, I thought we were gonna sink. Katryn just looked at me as if to say, "well bloody do something and quick!” I had to launch myself on the rock and tried desperately to free the kayak, and once it was free, I had to jump in or be left behind, because the water was moving fast. The scary thing about getting stuck is that the water moves with such a force, and is pushed into the kayak from behind, and once it gets sucked in, especially sideways, you're done!!!

A couple of groups came past us, as we stopped before every rapid, because it was the safe thing to do, and Maria wasn't comfortable with gunning it yet. We have all the time in the world, so I guess a few stops here and there are fine.
By the time we got to SanWa, just before a Class 3 rapid named Gatsien, I was soaked, so we got out, and got some drinks from their bar, and the dogs ran off and played for a while, relieved to be off the water, or rather stuck on rocks. We contemplated staying over, but things didn't work out that way, so we had to go through the rapid. Maria suggested that she would take the cameras and other stuff to the other side, and I take the kayaks through the rapid. Without the dogs to worry about, I was quite keen.
I took my canoe through first, and it was exhilarating! Not as bad as it looks at all. Next I took Maria's kayak, but this time I wasn't as lucky. I went in, and just as I thought that I've made it, I flipped. I tried to remember about floating feet first downstream, but the kayak was getting away from me, and was lying on it's side, so I abandoned reason and swam for all I was worth to get to it. The life jacket made swimming rather cumbersome, and despite my efforts, it felt like I wasn't moving closer at all. Finally I got to it, but found that I couldn't flip it back, no matter how I tried, but then, thankfully, I drifted against a rock which I could lodge myself onto, and thus succeeding to flip the kayak on it's bottom. I couldn't get in though, so I had to swim it back to shore. Wasn't half bad, didn't get hurt, no harm done, so all's good.

It was getting dark, and I was drenched and shivering cold as we paddled towards the right, where we saw a house. We had no idea who lived there and thought that we would walk up and ask if there was anywhere we could camp. Maria walked up, but soon afterwards came down screaming for us to run. Following in her footsteps was a small little Dutch hound, but around the corner came a massive Boerbull. Once Maria reached the gate, she turned around and shouted at them to stay put! Funny enough, they did. I then volunteered to go up, because I thought they seemed nice enough dogs. I was chatting with them for a bit, moving closer, when I saw people walking down the path. I was relieved, because it spared me having to brave the dogs. Problem is, that with the lady and her kids came another Boerbull, and this one had no mercy. She came storming towards me, and I just stood still, I mean, what can one do??? Sjoe! There were moments when I stopped breathing as this dog just kept on charging. I told it to stop, but had to step a couple of paces back, or else it would've floored me. I think the owner got an even worse fright than me, but she was super friendly, and suggested we camped on an island nearby called De Graaff island, because the dogs would probably not like it if Dante and Katryn invaded their territory.
By the time we reached the island, I was frozen. The nights are still cold, and being soaked didn't help much. Maria found a spot to camp and offered to make dinner. I was relieved, so first I got rid of the wet clothes and got myself dry and warm, pitched the tent and lay in my sleeping bag for a bit before I joined Maria by the little fire on the rocks.
We sat there for a while, stars so close you can almost touch them, the sound of water cascading all around. I am thankful in this moment for the privilege to be here, and to be surrounded by all this. This moment, is why I do this...