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South West Africa Expedition log 14 April - 10 May 1989  
             




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8th Bulawayo (Hillside) Scout Group
South West Africa Expedition 14 April - 10 May 1989

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I know that youngsters who become involved in outdoor activities are delighted and surprised when they discover spontaneous comradeship, self-discipline and respect, not only from eachother, but also for the wonders of creation. Instruction and education are incidental and unobtrusive, not structured or forced because normal, in-the-run-of-things events each has its own particular impact, whether it be the experience of sleeping under the stars, or the visual stimulus of a panoramic view or the casual encounter with a bird, animal or plant. Wind, snow, heat, rain, water, all these elements are instructions in their own specific ways. The creator reveals himself in all his splendor and a few lines from an open bible on top of a rock at the right moment can have more effect than a dozen periods of religious instruction. And when a youngster has learnt to smell water, to sing with the wind, caress a plant and he has felt the sand between his toes, then you have gained another environmentalist. When the flight of an eagle brings a tear to his eye, when he boasts about the scratch marks on his legs, and when he laughs spontaneously in a clear pool, then you have a disciple.
And this should be our aim: to create disciples who will spread the word of nature! But in our modern times this is no easy task.
Alex Basson

SOUTH WEST AFRICA EXPEDIDITION
14 April-10 May 1989




Foreward

It was only after the expedition which enfolds in the attached record was over that I met its leader, Norman Scott, in the street and he told me about it.

Having started my Scouting career, more moons ago than I would like to count, with the 1st Windhoek South West Africa Group, first as a Cub then as a Scout, I was fascinated by the story.

The expedition was undertaken at a time of political turmoil and upheaval in the history of that vast, at times desolate, but nevertheless fascinating country. It is a harsh and uncompromising land and takes its toll of the unwary who enter the formidable areas unprepared. There are tales too numerous to relate of persons lost in the Kalahari on the East and the Namib on the West.

All praise to Norman and his modern day explorers, my only regret is that I didn't accompany the expedition.

D ANDERSON
VICE PRESIDENT
MATABLELAND SCOUT COUNCIL




NAMIBIA : APRIL - MAY 1989

That day, early in the morning. Jesus, two men and twelve scouts set out on a long journey to the other side of Africa. They left behind all those who love them.
During the journey, a furious storm came up, and they were all frightened. They called to Jesus, he came and calmed their fears.
He said to them, "Why were you afraid, have faith in me, have trust in me."
Mark ch 4, vrs 35-40. Adapted to suit the occasion.
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From all sides of our society youngsters are pressurised - the schools, the churches, the media - all demand top performance or full involvement.
The teenager has to face, not only tremendous peer pressure, but also adult pressure and so we dull our youngsters into technological-mechanical beings for whom the experience of merely being a child has become a lost memory.


Expedition Members

           Norman Scott - Group Scout Leader
           Malcolm Ross

           Graham Ross - Troop Leader
           Mark Ralphs - Senior Scout

      Okuakuejo Patrol

      P/L Luke Maloney
      A.P.L Sean Willis            
      Simon Campbell
      Bruce Dickinson
      John Jones

      Halali Patrol

      Colin Campbell
      A.P.L. Grant Dickinson        
      Dafydd Jones
      Gordon Wood
      Glyn Maude




Leaders Comment

'There is a stoic tenor to this landscape, to its people and its past. Essentially it is a desert land; along the entire Atlantic coast the Namib is parched and raw; to the East the Kalahari is harhly arid; along the central escarpment forbidding mountains rise like jumbled paleolithic hand-axes; the Highlands give some respite; while the North can lavish water over a landscape sometimes green and sometimes aching with drought. This is Namibia - for the undiscerning, a place at best inhospitable : but for all who appreciate the unique, a singular world in every part of its existence.'
Anthony Bannister
Peter Johnson


We in Zimbabwe are extremely fortunate in that we have in close proximity so many interesting and undeveloped areas to which we can travel. The vast expanses of wilderness populated by wild animals and in the main devoid of human habitation provide us with a unique opportunity of experiencing to some degree Africa as it has been for centuries, yet to be able, through a network of roads, some mere tracks, some modern highways, to penetrate those areas which offer adventure and excitement.

This, the latest Troop expedition, follows in the wake of the Mulanje Expedition of 1986 and the Okavango Expedition of 1984. Each expedition has had a common objective and that is to provide an opportunity for the Scouts to appreciate the inter-dependence one country has on another and to see and learn about other countries, their flora and fauna, peoples and cultures who are closely associated with Zimbabwe.

Unlike the two previous expeditions, this expedition did not concentrate on a particular area, instead it covered the whole country. Also, it was unique in that South West Africa is in transition, a transition of being dominated by South African politics to becoming the independent majority ruled country of Namibia. To help in this transition the expedition was privileged to witness the various peace-keeping forces of the United Nations, UNTAG), a phenomenon we in Southern Africa are not accustomed to.

One may wonder why I had chosen South West Africa for the 1989 expedition, for it was well known that the political climate was not favourable and therefore probably not safe. Three factors were the basis for my choice :-

The name "Caprivi Strip" held a fascination for me ever since as a young boy I had heard stories of dense jungles, wide open spaces teeming with game, huge rivers and of old German forts.

A friend, Hylton Garriock, had been a safari tour operator in South West Africa for a year and on each tour he had sent post cards from such places as Namutoni, Okaukuajo, Twyfeifontein, the names of which sounded fascinating.

Time was running out for South West Africa. A new political order was to be installed in the near future and I wanted to see for myself what South West Africa with its strong German influence was like.

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SWA Map

So the choice was made. I did not have any detailed maps of South West Africa, so I scribbled out a rough itinerary and sent it to Hylton. By return post he sent me a box of brochures and reams of his own notes on where to go, what to see, how far it was and a myriad of information, all essential in the planning of expedition. I am indeed very grateful to Hylton for his enthusiastic response to my request for information and his offer of further help if needed.

Malcolm Ross, who had taken part in the Okavango Expedition in 1984, readily agreed to join our latest expedition and also to also loan his Land Cruiser. This vehicle, together with my Short Wheel Base Land Rover, resolved the transport problem. Instead of borrowing a trailer as I had done in the past, I decided to make my own. So, with Malcolm's invaluable assistance we made one specifically designed for expedition work.

The external expeditions that the Troop had mounted at regular intervals over the past few years had provided a training ground for the Scouts who had taken part. Now as seniors, I gave them the opportunity of organising the expedition. They set about their tasks with great enthusiasm and some of them had to start working several months in advance. In particular, I would like to thank Graham Ross who undertook the task of catering and also organised the special expedition plates and mugs. Grant Dickinson, who, using Hylton's notes and books, drew up the itinerary and gave us daily briefings as the expedition progressed. Grant also designed the expedition logo. Luke Maloney, who worked closely with Grant on the itinerary, had the task of recording the trip and eventually producing this report. Also contributing to the success of the expedition were Mark Ralphs - entertainment; Shaun Willis - religious observances; Dafydd Jones - First Aid; Colin Campbell quartermaster; Simon Campbell - treasurer; Bruce Dickinson "Muchanic". The remaining expedition members, although not given specific tasks, helped where needed so that everyone made a contribution to the expedition.

Finally, my sincere thanks to Malcolm for his help in the preparation of and during the expedition. Also my thanks to the Scouts for taking part in what turned out to be the longest expedition we have undertaken to date, for in the 26 days we were away from home we travelled a distance of 7 665 kilometres.

Once again it was an honour for me to have led a contingent of Scouts from the 8th on an expedition.

N. SCOTT
EXPEDITION LEADER

kopje






Narrative


Much pre-planning and preparation had gone into this, our expedition to South West Africa.

A trailer was built, equipment was checked, food was bought, and the vehicles were checked and checked again.

Then, on the night before our departure, all the packing was done at Mr Ross's house where the trailer was "waiting" for us. This was when most of us saw the trailer for the first time. We packed all the food into the black metal trunks, which we were to become so familiar with during the next few weeks. The trunks were all packed into the lower partition of the trailer, with the exception of the daily rations, utensils, and kitchen trunks, which were packed in the Landcruiser. Suitcases and rucksacks were packed on the roof rack of the Landrover. (Nguluvane).

When everything was packed, we were all given our expedition T-shirts. We were all told that from now on, Mr Ross would be called "Mac", and we were then given hats, with the compliments of AMES and Mr Ross.
hylton's plates & cups
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Victoria Falls

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Special enamel plates and mugs for the expedition, compliments of Tregers and Mr Buckle, were then packed in the utensils trunk, and we then went home for the night while Norman, Mac and Graham adjusted the trailer suspension.

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The early hours of Friday morning saw a group of scouts and parents congregated at the Scout Hall. We were all there at 6.00 a.m. (well most of us), in our new hats and shirts for the team photie. We listened to Mr Dickinson, who read a most fitting passage from the Bible after which Mrs Dickinson read our morning prayer - we had one of these every day at our morning briefing - and then, having said our goodbyes, we set off at 7.00 a.m. All in high spirits, we were now starting our expedition, driving out of Bulawayo along the Victoria Falls Road.

We travelled through extensive teak forests, passed the two large, ringed teak trees at the 70 km peg and in no time we had reached Gwaai River, where we stopped for fuel and cokes. From Gwaai to Victoria Falls - the countryside changed from relatively flat surroundings to more Matopos-like terrain as we approached the Great Zambezi Valley area. We arrived at Victoria Falls village at lunch time, and when we had all eaten, we drove down to the Falls which were in full flood.

An hour later, we walked over the bridge and crossed the border into Zambia, with no problems at all. Jon, a friend of the troop who was on the Mulanje Expedition, met us here and he then escorted us into Livingstone on a road along the bank of the Zambezi.
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The water level was just 2,5m below the record level on the 8th March 1959.
Camp was set up in Livingstone at Mr Lowe's workshop - the same place we had stayed at on the Mulanje expedition, and after dinner Jon gave us a talk about the political unrest in South West Africa. He also went over the route we would take the following day to Katirna Mulilo, and talked briefly about that. Showers were then had by all, and it was time for bed.

The next day, after breakfast was eaten and the fuel tanks had been filled up, we went to see the Zambian side of the Falls. Then, having had a quick tour of town, we returned to the workshop, hitched up the trailer; and after waving goodbye to the caretaker, we were off out of Livingstone along the border road to Katima Mulilo, where we arrived later that afternoon.
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UN Forces


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Sunrise over the Zambezi


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The road was tarred all the way, though it had many potholes, except for the last bit which had been repaired. We passed through mopane scrub most of the time, with lots of swampland. Lunch was eaten on the roadside, and we all ate while admiring a rainbow-like "halo" which had formed around the sun and was complimented by an additional ring of clouds.

We came to the Zambezi River once again, and crossed it on a twinned engined pontoon which had been supplied by Finland to promote transport in the area. We were checked by Zambian soldiers and then boarded the pontoon, which was fairly long and held our two vehicles, the trailer, us and a few local travellers, with still quite a bit of room to spare. We crossed the river at quite a fair speed and drove up to the Zambian customs and immigration office.

Having gone through with the formalities here, we were searched again, and then we proceeded along a winding and somewhat overgrown dirt road which skirted around a previous barricade of barbed wire. This road, each side of which there seened to be barbed wire everywhere, led to a fort where we stopped for directions to the Katima Mulilo Police Station, where we were to get our passports stamped by the South West African Police.

From the Fort (We were now in South West Africa) we proceeded along a well graded sand road towards town. We went past the turn-off for town, passed the power station and turned left into the police station where a blue lamp was lit above the door. The officers in charge stamped our passports and we drove out to the "Zarnbezi Lodge" where we set up camp for the night, after toasting to South West Africa with cans of Windhoek Lager.
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The Zambezi Lodge, although expensive, was a motel and camping site with a wide range of first-class facilities. That night John and Bruce were initiated - it was their first expedition - my how red they went! That night we slept on the southern bank of the fast flowing Zambezi River. Mac really slept in style - while we rogues roughed it on the lawn, he had his stretcher laid out in a little umbrella-like rondavel at the riverside with his white lacey mozzy net hanging from the roof. Gosh!

It was now Sunday, already the third day of our expedition. After we had had breakfast and packed up, we got a permit to travel through Western Caprivi, and left Katima Mulilo along the B8 driving through the town - a very small place with just a few shops. The road along the Caprivi was a long and straight one.

It was a graded dirt road, and was very dusty. Sean was initiated on the way to our lunch stop at Popa Falls. He obviously didn't wash - his face was black, and he had tattoos drawn all over him. Well, well, well, we stopped halfway through the morning for a biscuit and cooldrink break. The terrain was very flat, and just before lunchtime, we stopped at a U.N. check-point and had our photos taken with some Norwegian soldiers. Soon after, we arrived at Popa Falls, where we had to pay to go in. We had lunch and then left after swimming in the river. The falls were not impressive at all. That afternoon we continued along the dusty road and saw a convoy of U.N. troops who saluted us as we waved to them. They were all very friendly and drove white vehicles which had blue United Nations flags flying high.

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Rundu to Grootfontein

After hours of dusty travelling we came to the tar road leading to Rundu. This was of course welcomed with great jubilation by all. We stopped in Rundu for the night - a small town on the Okavango River. Having set up camp on Rundu Beach in drizzling rain, we ate dinner to the sound of crickets limbering up for their night's performance of song in this serenely romantic spot in the middle of Africa. Well, it was still drizzling when we had finished eating, so after Scouts Own, conducted by Sean, the more adventurous of us took a brisk walk up to town to see what the night life was like. It was, of course, non-existent, so after visiting the Kavango Motel, we were soon back and into our sleeping bags for the night.

The night was miserably wet and not much sleep was had by anyone, so the next morning, the duty patrol supplied coffee in bed. Dafydd was presented with a Noddy Badge - this is what he said the night before "Dont' get up yet, Norm, stop faffing! The storm's still 14 km away .." Needless to say the rest of the conversation was drowned by the rain as it began to pelt down on the tarpaulin. Still on the 'B8' we travelled to Grootfontein, that morning,and on the way out of Rundu we saw another U.N. convoy. We took photographs of some of the vehicles and continued along the road. Later in the morning we stopped next to a look-out beacon tower for a biscuit and drink stop.
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From the top of this tower, photographs were taken of the road ahead of us which stretched as far as the eye could see without a single bend. We arrived in Grootfontein in time for lunch, which we ate in the local caravan park. After lunch we drove into town to cash travellers cheques and do a little shopping. (This is where Mac introduced everyone to F.O.E. - Ahem!) After filling up with fuel we went to see Das Alte Feste (the old German Fort). The Fort now serves as a museum, though unfortunately it was closed on Mondays.

Next to the Fort was an old steam roller and behind the fort, in a fenced area resembling the local rubbish dump, was the "Grootfontein". This, needless to say, was a mere trickle, seeping up from the rubbish-strewn mud, There was a deep narrow trench-like feature which at one time the water had run through in the direction of the swimming baths. It was then back into the vehicles, and we were off to the famous Hoba Meteorite which is the biggest in the world and was discovered in 1920 by Jacobus Brits.
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The Hoba Meteorite

Soon after driving through expansive wheatfields the road to Hoba meteorite came to an end - in front of a curved stone wall where there was an information centre and a caretaker who charged us a nominal fee to proceed along the path towards the meteorite, which apparently weighs 50 ton. It is almost 3m long and up to 1m thick. According to scientific calculations, the meteorite struck the earth 80 000 years ago.

Well, having seen the meteorite, we trundled off towards Fort Namutoni in Etosha National Park. We passed a convoy of South African troops which had stopped to change a blown-out wheel. We passed the turn-off to Tsumeb and soon got to Namutoni turn-off where we turned left and saw some giraffe along the road,

(Norm saw lots of them) before reaching the gateway to Etosha. The gateway was impressive - a white, battlemented fort-like structure with thick walls. Unfortunately, since we had arrived just after sunset (7.00 p.m.), we were not allowed to go on to Fort Namutoni but we were given a camp site just inside the gate on the right. We washed and repacked the trailer and laid the tarpaulins out to dry, but alas, it rained again that night.,

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Fort Namutoni


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Etosha Pan


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Halali Camp

Up early the next morning, after breakfast Norman was awarded a Noddy badge for thinking that cows were giraffes the night before - perhaps it was that the light was fading? well, we then set off to the fort, which was most impressive.

The present building was reconstructed according to the old german plans by order of the historical monuments commission, and is presently used to accommodate tourists. The hotel rooms inside the fort were very nice and had a rustic sort of character with the wooden-shuttered slit windows like small cupboards all along the walls. We went up to the top of the tower where the flag was flying. The whole surrounding countryside could be seen, with Fischer's pan to the North East. The museum inside the tower was very interesting and housed an excellent model of the original fort in a glass case.

After buying stamps at the post office, we drove off into the game park. We saw thousands of animals in Etosha, a list of which can be seen in appendix C. From Fort Namutoni we made our way along the road skirting the edge of the pan, then took a turning into grassy scrub. We then returned to the pan and drove out into the middle of it to a viewing spot.

This salt pan was so unbelievably vast, with miles and miles of flat, sun-baked earth. All very impressed, we headed 'inland' once again and drove to Halali, which was to be our lunch stop. After lunch we drove on down to Okuakuejo, the Southern gate of Etosha National Park. The set up at Okuakuejo was great, with every imaginable facility at hand (except a golf course). The highlight of this campsite, however, was the floodlit waterhole. This was unique and there seemed to be animals there the whole time.

Believe it or not, it rained on us again that night, or was it in the early hours of the next morning? But, good Boy Scouts as we were, we were prepared, and had everything under cover.

On Wednesday morning, when breakfast was over and we had packed up camp, we went to the reception to enquire about the Skeleton Coast road and to visit the Museum near the office, where a range of displays were to be seen, depicting the natural history of Etosha.

It turned out that we would have to scrap the idea of going down the Skeleton Coast, as we would have to pay the same amount of money as we did for going through Etosha. We would, however, be driving along some of the coast from Hentiesbaai to Swakopmund.

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So after climbing the Okuakuejo tower one last time, we piled into the vehicles and waved goodbye to Etosha, as we set off out the gate, along the tarred road to Outjo. Between sleeping and singing songs, we soon arrived in Outjo, where we stopped for fuel and swarmed into the quaint little shops to admire all the german foods and costly curios. The Outjo Bakkerei was full of delicious german delicacies, and the bottle stores there were full of german wines and liquors. Norm got us a german sausage from a delicatessen and we devoured it with zeal. Driving past the old German water tower we had a quick look around town before leaving.

We left Outjo and stopped for lunch about 10 km outside Outjo on the road to Twyfelfontein. After lunch we pushed on, taking the turn-off to rock finger (vingerklip).

This road passed through the Ugab valley, where absolutely magnificent scenery lay before us - where gorgeous canyons (pun!) displayed a majestic array of mesas and buttes. This was indeed a moving sight. When we got to Rock Finger we photographed it from the road as the farmer was charging to let people onto his land and go up to the great column of layered rock.

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Trailer Repairs


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Petrified Forest


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Welwitschia


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Twyfelfontein rock carvings


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Road to Brandberg

Carrying on along the road, we entered a T.T.L.sort of place where the road became rather bad and then turned from bad to worse; and Mac heaved such a sigh of relief when we reached the "main road" once again. But alas, we were soon brought to a halt as the shackle bolt had sheered on the left wheel of the trailer, most probably due to the condition of the previous road. Well, well, well. The wheel had moved right back and was rubbing against the body of the trailer so while Mac, Norman, Graham and Bruce fixed this the rest of us mucked about with the rugby ball. It was dark when we were ready to move on again, the trailer having taken almost 2 and a 1/2 hours to fix and at about 7.45 p.m. we were off again towards Khorixas, 30 km away. The rest camp where we stayed was about 14 km out of town and had ablutions, a bar and a shop. That night, P.L's council was held.

After breakfast on Thursday morning when we were packing up camp, Norman and Mac took the trailer into Khorixas to get it sorted out properly. Then at 11.00 a.m. when the trailer was repacked we left the campsite and went into Khorixas for fuel. A very small town, Khorixas is the administrative centre for Damaraland. Leaving Khorixas on the C39 we drove to the Petrified Forest, a site littered with petrified wood. The landscape along the route was superb. We were shown around the Petrified Forest by a National Parks guide who was very interesting, though he could only speak Afrikaans. Mac translated most of what he said for us at the time and some of his stories were very good.

This was where we saw Welwitschias for the first time. There were quite a few of them. We then carried on along the road, towards Twyfelfontein, and stopped to look at a rock which resembled a boat - this, our guide at Petrified Forest had explained to us, was "Noah's Ark".
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We arrived at Twyfelfontein at 2.00 p.m. This was an extremely arid "basin" surrounded by mountains of chopped rocks. There were only a few scattered remains of buildings; only two of them still intact - one a wooden hut and the other a small house. This is where the african caretaker lived with his family, a dog and a few scrawny chickens; the only water supply being the contents of a small bowser.

We were lead all over the dusty, rocky, sun-baked slopes to fine sets of rock engravings depicting eland, gemsbok, and various other antelope. Elephants and ostriches were portrayed too; and a very good ostrich adorned the angular slab-like roof of a small cave. There were also engravings of animal spoor.

After this hot, but very interesting guided tour, we set off to see the Organ Pipes, eating lunch on the way. The Organ Pipes were only a 15 minute drive away and were in a small donga by the side of the road, ranging from one to ten foot in height.

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Organ Pipes


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Our next stop that afternoon was Burnt Mountain, which was like a large coal heap. One of the characteristics of this vast area around us was the predominance of bold contrasts in the colour of the ground and rocks. At Twyfelfontein, the area was draped in a red-ochre-sort of dull brown; and now we were surrounded by ashen greys and pitch black rock.

We made our way to the C35 and drove in a southerly direction towards Brandburg, where the world famous. rock painting of the "White Lady" is to be found.

After some searching, referring to maps and doubling back, we eventually arrived at the foot of Brandburg and set up a kitchen in the car park, where we slept under the stars after eating dinner. Looking up at the majestic rock massif in front of us "Konigstein", we fell asleep hoping it would not rain during the night.

It didn't rain and early the next morning we set off walking up along the rocky riverbed towards "The White Lady", with Konigstein towering to the right of us. A 20 minute walk brought us to the rock Hylton had described.

We then came to a small rock shelter in which was an iron cage enclosing an intricate frieze on the rock wall of the shelter, and a visitor's book was in a small metal box attached to the side of the "cage". We looked everywhere for the White Lady, and Bruce was the first to see her. At the heart of this magnificent frieze she was about 40 cm high; holding an olympic-like torch in her right hand and a hunting bow in her left. There were several (8) other smaller but similar figures in other parts of the frieze.

Leaving the shelter, we got back to the vehicles half an hour later, and left Brandburg in the direction of Hentiesbaai. We travelled through the very arid terrain of the desert, and arrived at Hentiesbaai just before 1.00 p.m. A short visit to the 'Iburist Information building revealed that the Cape Cross Seal Colony was closed, so we were not able to go there. Well, just one of those things. After filling up with fuel and buying bread for lunch, we stopped a little way south of Hentiesbaai for lunch on the beach. We swam in the sea for the first time on the expedition - it was great! The sea was quite warm and the waves were lekker.

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Swakomund


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Rest Camp


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Walvis Baai


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Martin Luther


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Mac's Noddy Badge


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St Theodosa


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Expedition Members


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Windhoek Station

After lunch we proceeded down to Swakopmund which was a wonderful little seaside town with a lot of German influence. The architecture here was splendid; the beach was superb; and the atmosphere was great. Many of Swakopmund's old buildings stand as nostalgic relics of the German occupation at the turn of the century. Among these are the lighthouse, the railway station, the beautiful Woermannhaus, and the old Bezirksgericht (District Court) which was modified after World War 1 to become the summer residence of the territory's administrator.

That night we stayed at the Swakopmund Rest Camp in little A-frame chalets, almost resembling Swiss alpine cottages.

A great night's sleep was had by all and on Saturday morning after breakfast, we all trooped into town for a few hours to see all the shops, the museum and other places of interest. Then, all too soon, it was time to leave and make our way down to Walvis Bay.

We crossed the Swakop River and, in doing so, we crossed over from the rocky desert to the sand desert with its enormous dunes. We all had to have our passports stamped at the border control (we were entering a South African enclave), and then we turned off the road to go "dune-boarding".

This didn't work out very well - we all slid down one of the sand dunes on pieces of corrugated cardboard. Then we tried using the plank from the seat in the back of Nguluvane - that worked well and as we slid down the dunes, the sand "sung".

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Shortly after, we got to Walvis Bay where we went to visit the wharf. Spending an hour or so here, we drove around town and then set off along the road back to Swakopmund. Passing through Swakopmund we took the B2 on an easterly route to Windhoek. We stopped just outside Swakopmund to see the "Martin Luther", an old steam traction engine imported from Germany to establish transport routes into the Desert. It broke down, however, was abandoned.

That night was spent at a lay-by in the desert. There was quite a strong wind but we all slept fairly well behind our windbreak of tarpaulins.

Sunday the 23rd was spent travelling to Windhoek on the B2, a good tarred road passing through the arid terrain of the desert with mountainous horizons.

Sunday the 23rd was spent travelling to Windhoek on the B2, a good tarred road passing through the arid terrain of the desert with mountainous horizons. In the morning we passed through Usakos and stopped for lunch under a fly-over just past Karibib. In Karibib we stopped for fuel and bread at the garage. The proprietors there were a charming couple, who were very friendly, most helpful and gave us some german sausages for us to have with our lunch.

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Passing through Okahandja that afternoon we arrived on the outskirts of Windhoek at 6.45 p.m. Strangely enough it was dark already perhaps because we were further east - and we could see the lights of Northern Windhoek before us.

We drove along the road for what seemed to be ages before we reached the city centre of Windhoek where we turned into Kaiser Strasse. We went into the Sentra Winkel (a large departmental store) to get information about the Scouts in Windhoek and for direction to the nearest campsite. The shop was nearly closing for the night but a lady gave us some names and numbers to phone. When we couldn't get through, a chap there called Gary who took us to "Gran"s house where he was boarding. "Gran" was very kind and made us all coffee and milo, fed us with rusks and let us watch TV while Norman got in touch with the Scout Leader of the 1st Windhoek Scout troop. His name was "Badger", and he soon arrived at "Gran"s house (everyone seemed to know where it was). He put us up for the night in the 1st Windhoek Scout Hall.

The Scout Hall was a new one, completed in 1987, and was very nice. That evening, Norman, Mac and Badger discussed Scouting, while Gary and Grant discussed the itinerary for the next few days.

Gary and Badger unfortunately were not able to have supper with us, but before they left us for the night, we presented them with an expedition plate and mug each. After supper, we concluded the day with a Scouts' Own.
23-world

Monday was spent in Windhoek. In the morning, after Luke was awarded the Noddy Badge, we left the 1st Windhoek Scout Hall and we were taken to GILSWA (The Training Headquarters for South West African Scouts and leaders), where we were to spend our second night in Windhoek. The facilities at GILSWA were superb and included a scout shop, administrative office, 1st class lecture room, small hall, kitchen, lounge/corrinon room/dining room; and then the adjoining function Hall GILSWA 2. All of us were very impressed. We trundled off in the Land Cruiser to town at about 11.00 a.m.

Gary met us in the car park opposite the Sentra Winkel and from there we all walked up the hill to the "gingerbread" building of Christuskirche and on to the Alte Feste which now serves as the City's museum. On the verandah of the old fort were old horsedrawn fire carts, german cannons, a coach, a gun- carriage and a rickshaw. Inside the fort were cultural history displays - kitchenware, chests and trunks, cameras and a series of rooms fully furnished with everything from the colonial era. The furniture, clocks, gramophones, glassware and collection of musical instruments were all most awe-inspiring.
24-church

In the courtyard of the fort, adorned with wrought iron spiral staircases leading to the turrets, was a collection of small meteorites.

In the centre of the courtyard was a small shelter holding a bell. Leaving the fort, we split up to go shopping and sight-seeing. We all bought our own lunch and spent the afternoon looking at all the magnificent shops, the park and all sorts of other places of interest.

At 5.00 p.m., we all met up again at the car park where we had left the cruiser that morning.

On returning to GILSWA, Norman took the Catholics to mass at St. Mary's Church (which boasted two slender spires and superb stained glass windows), while Mark and Graham made supper.

The Colonel - of whom we had heard so much about - came to meet us that evening and introduced himself to us as "Radish". We thanked Radish for his kind hospitality and presented him with an expedition plate, mug and T-shirt. The mug and plate were put up in the common room and then Radish had to go home.

After supper, we showered and washed clothes - a much needed job.

After breakfast the next morning we packed up all our katunda and cleaned up - leaving GILSWA spotless! The scout shop was then opened for us and before we left Radish presented us with a little shield as a memento of our stay with the Windhoek Scouts. We in turn presented Radish with a Noddy Badge; not for a blunder, but for being so good to us and "embarrassing" us with his hospitality and generosity - he had given us an overhead projector for the 8th Hillside and the Matabeleland Training team. He, of course, had to go down on his right knee and go through with all the ceremony associated with a Noddy-badge presentation.

Having shaken hands with Radish, we waved goodbye as we headed for the city centre where we sent Angie a telex from the post office to say "Having a great time. Tell all parents". A few last minute groceries were bought and we were off again out of Windhoek along the B1 in a southerly direction towards Rehoboth. At Rehoboth we stopped to see the museum - an old Baster-style house recently renovated. Inside the museum we were given a most interesting talk about the pre-history of Rehoboth by a lady archaeologist. We went with a girl who had come from England to see the Rehoboth spa.
25-rehospa
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Roadside dinner

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Oanob Dam


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Puncture repair


It was about 5.00 p.m. so we decided to stay at the Spa for the night, though we had travelled very little that day.

Having an early start on Wednesday, we ate breakfast when we reached the Gamsberg Pass - a scenic mountain pass en route to Sesriem Canyon (our lunch stop for that day). During the morning we travelled through the Kuiseb and Gaub passes which were also very scenic. On stopping at Solitaire for fuel and cokes, we noticed a slow puncture on a front wheel of the Landy. This, fortunately was the only puncture or tyre problem we had throughout the expedition. Having changed the wheel, we were on the trail again. We arrived at Sesriem Canyon for lunch - the same german couple who we had seen at Etosha and Swakopmund were there (we knew them quite well by now) and they thought the feathers on Mac's hat were great.

26-castle

Sesriem Canyon was an incredible feature a narrow but very deep canyon with an almost stagnant river lazily wending its way far below us as we stood at the top, admiring the beauty before us.

After lunch we set off South for Duwiseb Castle. Passing through another mountain pass that afternoon, the Zarishoogte, we turned off onto the 831 where the road had just been graded. At about 6.00 p.m. we pulled off into a layby for the night, not far from the turn-off to Duwiseb Castle, which we would be visiting the next morning. The puncture was fixed and a delicious dinner was cooked and devoured. Thursday morning saw us on our way to Duwiseb Castle. Gary and "Gran" at Windhoek had told us about it - Captain Von Wolf retired from the German army to build his castle in the middle of the arid, unpopulated terrain of South West Africa. All the fittings, decorations and furniture were brought out by ship from Germany so the buiding has a charm and beauty of its own. The Castle, completed in 1909, is now open to tourists.
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Duisweb Castle


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Kokerboom


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Luderitz


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Kolmanshoop


Spending a couple of hours at the castle, we then returned along the road to the 831. All along the road Goshawks sat on the fence posts and telegraph poles like sentinels, surveying the surrounding vastness, eyeing any intruder.

Soon we were on the C14, driving South to Helmeringhausen where we stopped for fuel. The one-street-town of Helmeringhausen was a farming town, with an hotel, garage, a few houses and shops, and a museum. The ground was plagued by devil thorns. We all went over to see the musemun, an open-air one with displays of farming implements, pumps, carts and carriages; ageing and baking in the hot sun. We bought some hot bread from the bakery and drove down to the river to eat lunch under the coolness of the shady trees.

After lunch we proceeded along the C13 to Aus, where we would go West along the B4 to Luderitz.

Going to Luderitz was great - it was like traversing the Sahara Desert. (Imagine that!) The road was sometimes covered in sand, and alongside the railway line which was also covered in places.

We reached Luderitz just as it was getting dark, and drove out to the camping sites on Haifisch Island, now a peninsula, as a road was built up between the island and the mainland. There was also a lighthouse and hospital on Haifisch Island.

The whole campsite was rocky and sandy, and very windy, so we set up camp quickly and soon had the vehicles and trunks set up as windbreaks. After dinner, some of us walked into Luderitz to see the town, after which we went to bed.
27-diaz

Early the next morning, after a hurried breakfast, most of us piled into the Landrover, and drove around to Robert Harbour to go on a boat trip out to Diaz Point and Halifax Island. We boarded two schooners, one of them named "Sedina", owned by Mr & Mrs Wedell. The boat trip was magnificent, we were greeted by the fog horn near Diaz Point as we passed the lighthouse. We saw seals and dolphins - the dolphins actually led us back to Robert Harbour, where they left us to return to their "territory".

Luderitz, a quaint fishing village and one time diamond area, was fascinating - if there were no cars, one would think that time had stood still for over eighty years. The village boasted some superb architecture, and beautiful coastal scenery. In the afternoon, we visited Diaz Point and the Old Whaling Station, where the old blubber-boiling pots still lay baking, corroding, and disintegrating under the hot sun.

After another night's camping on Haifisch Island, we left Luderitz.

Not far out of Luderitz, we turned off into Kolmanskop which, now a ghost town, sprung up during the diamond boom when over 17 million dollars worth of diamonds were discovered within the first two years of the discovery of the first diamond in the area.

All the buildings in "Kolmanskuppe" were built in "Jugend Steil", a main feature of this being the painted and stencilled motifs on the interior walls. Wallpaper, panelling, and plaster work of all sorts were all painted on the walls, sometimes being very colourful. About an hour and a half was spent walking around the buildings at Kolmanskop - there was a large recreational hall, comprising billiard rooms, a bowling alley, function halls, and a main stage and auditorium, still the bigest in the vicinity of Luderitz. A ball was held in the main hall in 1988, 300 people having attended it.

Other buildings we looked through were the old retail store (now the museum), the bakery, hospital, and several houses, some of them badly ruined and almost engulfed by sand dunes.

Leaving Kolmanskop, we carried on along the B4 towards Aus, where we stopped for fuel and drove along down to the shady valley by the railway line for lunch. Facing us was an old house built in 1926, alongside the Bahnhof Hotel. After lunch, we left Aus on the B4, and we were back to travelling through the vast sweeping terrain interrupted by darker, graceful mountains and hills, some like fiat-topped plateaux. The tar road ended about 5 km out of Aus, and we were then travelling along a graded dirt one.

The countryside now dotted with anthills, we passed a herd of caracul sheep, and eventually reached the turn-off to Bethanie where we were to see the oldest house in South West Africa.

On entering Bethanie, we stopped to see Captain Frederick's house - a small stone building, built halfway through the last century, similar to the one at the Old Jesuit Mission near Old Bulawayo. We then made our way to the "Schrnelen Huis", in which was a small museum display including a write up about some singing rocks which were on a farm in the district.
28-hut

Well Norm decided that we just had to see these singing rocks, so we wouldn't go to Keetmanshoop that night as planned - we would double back to see the singing rocks.

Along the dirt road to the farm, Mac was quite sure that Norman and Grant were actually trying their hardest to avoid tar roads cornp1etely!

Anyway, we eventually came to a shepherd who was busy putting 507 Karacul sheep in their pen for the night. He spoke Afrikaans, so Mac - our chief linguist and translator - spoke to him. He (the shepherd) gave us directions to the farmhouse where we met up with a most unsociable farmer who told us that the rocks were not on his farm but on his son's, and that we could not possibly go there.

The farmer wouldn't allow us to camp on his farm, so we trundled off again to the main road. 50 km later we reached it and stopped at a lay-by on the Konkiep River by the Hennie Cloete Bridge. Supper was eaten and then we were all more than ready for bed.

Sunday again - after Breakfast, Simon and Dafydd made flapjacks and then we were off along the trail which was now a tarred road. After filling up with fuel at the Konkiep Service Station, we were off to Keetmanshoop, just over 100 km away, through similar, but much more vegetated terrain as the day before. At one stage along the road, the sedimented layers of the kekerboom festooned hills were most impressive, and were just like map contours!
29-plan

On the way to Keetmanshoop, we turned off to see an old German Fort (There must hundreds of them!!). Passing some old stone cattle pens, we crossed a river and climbed up a steep hill. There were ruins of old stone buildings to the left and right of the road. On the left, fairly near the top of the hill was the fort. The fort comprised two rooms connected by a narrow passage with a door at each end. There was no roof, as with all other buildings, but the stone and mortar walls were seven foot high.

Spending at least two hours at the fort there were all sorts of interesting articles in the rubbish dump - our next stop was at a lay-by on the Fish River. A refreshing swim was had by all, and some empty jerry cans made excellent "rafts".
30-luderitz

Arriving in Keetmanshoop at 2.00 p.m. for a late lunch, which we ate while sitting on the shady lawn in front of the police station, looking at the Eagle Monument and watching the local street urchins savging each other.

Our next destination was the Fish River Canyon; so returning along the B4, we turned into the C12 at Seeheim. Now we were on a dirt road running parallel to the railway line from South Africa, and this is where we saw the first train that was actually running - all the others we had seen on the expedition had been placed in front of railway stations as monuments (we were beginning to wonder whether or not they really did have real live trains in South West Africa).

Stopping at Holoog (a small railway siding), we walked over to see an old kiln on the left of the road. This was the one Jon had told us about in Livingstone. Then, when Gordon had had a look at yet another GM Chevy part we were off again along the road. The sunset was magnificent, so we stopped a little way along the road to take photies, all of us singing "On Top of the Wor1d".

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Fish River Canyon

When we eventually arrived at the Fish River Canyon (the Northern Viewpoint), it was dark, but we could still see the shine of the river meandering far below us under the moonlight. There were two camp sites here, sheltered by a curved stone wall. One of them was occupied by the German foursome who had been on the boat in Luderitz with John and Bruce. Supper was on the go ininediately.

"Oh Gosh!" Graham suddenly exclaimed, "as he opened a trunk, "I didn't know all this was here!" Graham had just discovered half a trunk full of baked beans. This was definitely Noddy Badge material - we had had far too nuch of this delicacy as it was. Anyway, after we had eaten, etc., we sipped our milo and went to sleep.

31-furnace

We were up early the next morning to see the sunrise over the canyon, where the sunlight gradually crept over it. Before the German Folks left, they pooled together and very kindly gave us some money - this was a great help, as now (much to Mac's delight) we would be able to stay a night at AiAis (the hot springs at the southern end of Fish River Canyon). After breakfast, and when the trailer had been packed, we presented Graham with the Noddy Badge for his faux pas with the Baked Beans. 36 tins - imagine that! Scouts Own was then held as we had missed it out the day before. Sean gave the sermon, and Mark read the prayer (at the beginning of the narrative).

The descent into the Fish River Canyon took us 45 minutes, and we were greeted at the bottom by the cold and refreshing though mirky, water of the Fish River. We all had a glorious swim, and had biscuits and cooldrink on the "beach". Some unsuspecting fellows then went for another swim, only to find themselves having to streak across the open beach for their clothes, as some tourists had just reached our spot. Oh dear, dear!

Well, when everyone was dressed again, we started our ascent, and 50 minutes later we emerged at the top of the canyon once again. It seemed much easier going up than going down.

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AiAis Hot Spring

Our lunch stop that day was Hobas (a new camp that was still being built). After lunch, we collected some firewood in case we couldn't get any gas for cooking at AiAis, and then we set off for AiAis, collecting more firewood on the way.

On arrival at AiAis we booked in at the office and visited the shop. When camp was set up, we emptied the vehicles and gave them a good spring-cleaning. Everything came out of the Land Cruiser even the non-removable plastic carpets were removed so that they could be removed of every bit of dirt. When the vehicles were cleaned thoroughly, we went for a swim,
32-face

and then ate supper which was delicious - fresh food for a change. After another swim in the hot water of AiAis, we had some russian sausages as a special treat. After all, it was our last night in South West Africa. We also made popcorn, and after drinks on the terrace across the road and one last swim, we went to sleep.

After breakfast on Tuesday morning, we filled up the gas bottles and fueled the vehicles. Then, after a final swim in the pool and a team photo, we left AiAis, giving two chaps a lift to the N1 as they were looking for a lift to Windhoek. One of them was from Holland, and the other was from England; and in fact, one noticeable point about AiAis was that there were people there from all over the world - people in search of adventure. Some of them had completed the Canyon Hike and some were on their way to the Orange River where they were to go rafting. Norman spoke to one man who was actually from Bulawayo!

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Social Weavers Nest

Having dropped the two tourists off at the N1, we soon arrived in Karasburg where we bought bread for lunch. Lunch was eaten about 10km past Karasburg on the way to Nakop on the border. A train passed by - the second one we had seen on the trip - and we all waved to the friendly driver. Just after 2.00 p.m., we were on the road again, all aboard for Toytown!
33-train

We stopped at a layby for our mid-afternoon biscuits and cooldrink, and then drove on to the border. All along the road, Social weaver birds had built their nests on the telegraph poles, "dressing" them grass skirts. Some of these nests were massive. At the Nainibian BDrder Checkpoint at Ariamsvlei, we just had to fill in forms. 15km past Nakop, we came to the South African Checkpoint, where we filled in more forms and got our passports stamped. Both of these checkpoints, like the one at Walvis Bay, were set up in tents surrounded by sand bags.

Now we were in South Africa. When the sun set, we pulled off the road for the night, just over 40km from Upington. After we had eaten supper, we made sarmies for breakfast the next day so that we could have an early start.

The next morning, we got up with a freezing gale around us, and after getting some hot coffee inside us, we were on the move, eating breakfast on the way to Upington. At Upington, we filled up the vehicles with fuel, and took a quick walk around town.

The pretty lady in the tourist information bureau was very helpful, but she didn't have any maps of South Africa, so we walked down Scott Street - yes Norm's chest swelled with pride - and bought a map from the Caltex Service Station. Before going back to the vehicles, some of us went to see the elegant, blue-painted church with the tall steeple. It was a national nonurnent, and no wonder; the church had a marvelous pressed ceiling, and a grand pulpit and baldicino. The interior looked very similar to that of an opera house, as it had a tier of pews upstairs as well. The organ was upstairs in the balcony, and had a magnificent array of pipes.

In no time, we were all off on the road to Kuruman. Our lunch stop was at Olifantshocke in the caravan park, where all had hot showers before eating lunch. Passing through Olifantshocke after lunch, we saw the little "Olifant" at the side of the road. We then took the turn-off on to the R27 to Kururnan, where we arrived later that afternoon, filled up with fuel once again, and went to the library where the information bureau was situated. The lady there gave us a few brochures and directed us to Moffat's Mission and The Eye (Die Oog).

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Robert Moffat - Kuruman


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Mafeking Museum

Both these places were extremely interesting. We visited Moffat's Mission first, and then returned to town to see The Eye, an enchanting oasis delivering 18 million litres of clear fresh water daily!

Well, by now we had decided not to visit Kimberley as planned, because our funds were running out, and the trip there would entail a considerable amount of extra mileage. So, we were now on our way Mafikeng via Vryburg.

As it was getting dark, we turned in to a side road for the night, just under 77km from Vryburg.

Thursday was a very cold day, and so when we got to Vryburg, we treated ourselves to hot dogs to warm ourselves up. Arriving in Mafikeng at 12.45 p.m., we found that the museum was closed; however, when Norman phoned Mr. Minchin, the Chairman, he very kindly agreed to open it up for us.

Because it was raining, we ate lunch on the verandah of the Museum, and just when we finished, Mr. Minchin arrived in his white Beetle to show us around. First, we had the privilege of listening to a tape of B.P. talking about the Mafikeng seige and all the bluffing on their part to defeat the Boers. We then walked through the museum, which in spite of its small size, had lots to see, and was very interesting. The scouting display especially was very good.

When we had looked at everything, Graham presented Mr. Mirichin with an expedition plate as a token of our appreciation for him sacrificing his afternoon for us to open the Museum. Then, having said goodbye, we left Mafikeng for our next stop - Rustenburg. It was still very cold, and it had started to rain again. Then it began to hail. Shame - poor Mac (The Land Cruiser of course had a terrible leak in the roof).

On arrival in Rustenburg, we went to the school to see Therea - Mark's sister, but unfortunately, she had gone away for the long weekend with a friend. We drove out to The Kloof for the night (it was dark now), and what a wonderful site - caravans everywhere, a great festive atmosphere, lots and lots of dollies, and the mouthwatering aroma of braaing steak wafting in the air.

Norman however, was not charmed by this sight, and much to the dismay of some of us, he decided that this was not the place for us. Oh, well, we then carried on towards Johannesburg, and found nice scenic little spot to stop for the night. That night, everyone slept well - it had been a long day, and the hard ground seemed like a feather matress.

Friday, 5th May - Colin's Birthday Oh shame, the poor fellow was now 17!! Ahem, when Colin was thoroughly awakened by agonizing birthday bumps, we ate breakfast and packed up ready to go. Then having push-started the Landy, we were off towards Johannesburg.

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Happy Acres

At Magaliesburg, we stopped at Happy Acres to see the Cauldwells, who invited us to stay with them while we were visiting Jo-burg. We of course, took up their kind offer, and were shown our room at once. The Cauldwells were very kind to us, and gave us all our meals during our 2 - night stay with them. They also did our washing for us.

That afternoon, we went shopping at Westgate in the Cauldwells' star Wagon. After supper, Cohn cut his birthday cake, which tasted great - thanks Mrs. Campbell.

Saturday was spent in and around Jo-burg; shopping, sightseeing, and visiting friends or relatives.

On Sunday morning, after we had had breakfast and had packed all our katunda into the trailer and vehicles, Harry (Mr. Cauldwell) took us around Happy Acres, showed us all the greenhouses, the "zoo" and the old mill. We then had our morning meeting, during which we thanked the Cauldwells and the Happy Acres staff for all their kind hospitality. Graham presented the Cauldwells with an expedition plate, mug and T-shirt, and then a Noddy Badge went to Harry for "embarrassing" us with his kindness. We thanked them all once again, and then waved goodbye as we left Happy Acres.

We visisted Norman's brother and his family, then after Mac has done some shopping, we visited the Crisps, where we made lunch on their verandah while we waited for Glen to get home. We dutifully doused him with mercurochrome and gave him a suitable mugging, after which we left Johannesburg via the Savins' house.
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The highway out of Jo-burg was very busy, with a terrific amount of traffic. We passed through a toll-gate where we had to pay Rl,50 per axle (R7,50 altogether). By now the traffic had subsided a little, but averaged 140 cars per kilometre, passing as from the opposite direction. (There's good calculating for you!). After passing through Pietersbtrg, we stopped for the night at a memorial to the Trichardts' trek to Lorenco Marques, which passed through that particular site in 1836 to get water from the Sand River.

The next morning, we drove to Beitbridge, stopping at Louis Trichardt on the way. Our last fizz pops and Fanta Peaches were bought in Messina, and then we crossed back into Zimbabwe.

We had lunch at a lay-by opposite the Elephant and Lion Motel, where we met a man called Princeloo, who offered to have us at his game ranch for a braai that night. Well, dinner was delicious - Mr. Princeloo gave us Boerwors, and a huge box of biltong for us to eat the next day on our way home.

Up early on Tuesday morning, we had breakfast of grapefruit segments, and thanked Mr. Princeloo for his generosity and kind hospitality. We left the ranch at about 6.30 a.m., and Mac, since he had to be back in Bullies early, drove straight there, arriving in Bulawayo at lunch time.

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Expedition Dinner

The rest, those in the Landy, went to Masvingo to pick up the uniforms at the country club, as we were meant to have our expedition dinner there that night. They had a "Survivor's Luncheon" at the Country Club, and then drove to Bulawayo, arriving there at about 5.00 p.m.

Well, now we had all returned home, after a truly fantastic expedition which had taken us through five countries, travelling a total distance of 7 665 km; on which we saw and experienced the beauty, splendour and mystique of a part of Africa; sharing our joys, sorrows, hopes, fears, happiness and conraderie with our friends - fellow scouts.

As an apt conclusion to our South West African Expedition, we held our Expedition Dinner that night in the Bulawayo Sun Hotel.

It is an experience like this that etches yet another beautiful picture in our hearts and minds. It is an experience like this that we remember forever.

36-landies

And may I say..........
Treasure the Memory.



LUKE MOLONEY
EXPEDITION SCRIBE



SAFARI TO SWA

The pleasures of seeing new places but not necessarily new faces had always appealed to me. China, Iceland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand plus the many tours I had made around our own country and Africa had given me itchy feet.

Perhaps I was born in the wrong generation - the travels of Marco Polo, Bartholomew Dias, Vasco de Gaina, Van Riebeck and mare latterly Scott and Hilliary had been my favourite reading at school and even now my dust covered bookcases at home are full of travel books including tour brochures and maps from many parts of the world.

Other than the smaller deserts nearer home I had never experienced a desert holiday and this and a visit to India and the Amazon were top on my itchy foot agenda.

Through the "Norman Scott Expedition Bureau" I was able in a little way to satisfy my desert lust.

The excitement of planning, packing and preparing vehicles and trailers overtook the worry of the war being waged in the north of Namibia.

All too slowly the time of departure drew near and all too soon it was over, leaving a greater desire to return and in a less hurried manner enjoy and endure some of the more special desert experiences.

Magic names Halali, Namutoni, Okaukuejo now conjure up visions of nature, battles, uprisings, unrest and wars of long ago. Petrified trees, burnt mountains, grotesquely gouged canyons, medieval landscapes, shimmering sand dunes gave us glimpses of time standing still for a short while for us to enjoy the past. Bushman carvings and paintings and stone musical organs showed us the playgrounds and hunting grounds of those special little people who, being hunted themselves, sort refuge and survived in the inhospitable desolate desert.

The early century German culture with its extravaganza and pomp so out of place in the desert of survival. Cities, towns, villages, ghost towns, rivers, dunes and sea - a land of contrasting beauty with animals and insects adapted to live in that hostile world.

A land opened up by the London Missionary Society and Evangelic Lutherans, fought for and developed by the Germans and settled by a cosmopolitan group of diverse persons, Kavango, Herero, Bushman, Tswana, Damara and Basters, a fascinating people in the land of contrast.

A land well worth another less hurried visit. Thanks to Norman and the boys for a wonderful experience.

THE TOURIST

Appendix A

                                     INCOME         EXPENDITURE
$R $R
Camp Fees
Contingency
Donation
Food
Petrol
Diesel
Oil
Repairs
Gas
Insurances
Camp Site Charges
Entrance Fees
Boat Trip
Miscellaneous
2100

233
2520
295
140



1580
470
130



110



43



301
1054
886
27
68
14

313
157
100
35
2333 2920 2333 2920

Costs not recorded. as they were covered by donations: Expedition hats and T-Shirts, enamel and china plates and mugs, lunch in Masvingo, end of Expedition dinner in Bulawayo.



Appendix B

THE RUGGED ROAD TO ADVENTURE

The monotonous whine of the electric starter as it tried to coax the freezing engine into life and then the clatter of the diesel engine finally shattered the early morning tranquility. Having rudely woken up the world he could now perform his toiletries. With the engine now running at 2500 rpm the voltmeter needle slowly crept to the magic 12 volts at which stage he could plug in his Remington rotating head electric shaver and settle back, adjust the rear view mirror and enjoy an early morning shave.

As he ground through the previous day's stubble the reflection in the mirror told the story.

The night had been rough and long, a final hot cup of milo held in the wrong hand cost him another 20c fine - and then to bed.

The felt covered army pattern mark 2 type water bottle which comfortably held two litres of boiling water was an ingenious substitute for a bed warmer, and anyone who inadevertently saw the bottle by his bed would only assume it was drinking water (our rugged pixies don't use Hot Water Bottles or Bed Warmers).

Well the Hot water Bottle had somehow sprung a leak and saturated his neatly concealed Dunlopilo matress - which a certain young lady had given him on the pretext of being cushions for the passengers. And that was before the rain came. Who else could organise a dry desert expedition to coincide with the I.T.C.Z. being directly over our flight path.

And to cap it all during the storm a few of the less rugged pixies had discreetly crept into the vehicles to sleep hoping not to be seen and to get back to their normal rugged sleeping spots before first light.

Unfortunately the cold wet night speeded up the call of nature for the tourist and he was able to take flashlight photographs of certain rugged big pixies sleeping cozily in the vehicle shattering the myth of the "rugged road to adventure". "Drat tourists and their cameras and I hope his B... spools don't develop.

Postscript:
This spool was actually double exposed after all!

THE TOURIST

Appendix C

ANIMALS SIGHTED
37-buck

....all things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small....

* * * * * * * * * * *

Throughout the expedition, many animals, birds (of both feathered and non feathered varieties), reptiles and fish were sighted, and not one day passed without us seeing game. We passed through several game reserves, sanctuaries and parks, but a great percentage of the wild animals we saw were in the Etosha National Park. Game Reserves, however, were not the only places where we saw game - we saw many animals along the roadside too. Marine biology was not overlooked either and we saw many a dolphin and seal in the icy sea at Luderitz.

Back on dry land, domestic animals were also seen; such as herds of caracul sheep, goats or cattle; and even the odd chicken, goose, hound or pussy cat.

The following is a list of the animals seen on the expedition.

+ Dead;
* Seen at "Happy Acres", Magaliesburg;
# Innumerable seen

Gemsbok 51
Zebra 865
Impala 20
Springbok 3 713
Wildebeeste 127
Kudu 25
Hartebeeste 22
Waterbuck 20
Giraffe 28
Elephant 1
Black Rhino 3
Lion 1
Jackal Silver 6
Jackal Red 19
Brown Squirrel 6
Baboon 70
Duiker 6
Vervet Monkey 10
Hippopotamus 4
Rabbit +2, 1
Merecat 1
Domestic Cat #*
Domestic dogs #*
Horse *1
Goats 300
Sheep #
Caracul #
Cattle *#
Guinea Pig *#
Mouse *#

Lizard *#
Legavaan 1
Grass Snake 1
Cobra +1
Black Mamba +1
Puff Adder 1
Chameleon 1

Egret #
Ostrich 340
Secretary Bird 2
Cape Vulture 5
Goshawk #
Hawks 2
Tawny Eagle 1
Eagles 2
Crowned Guinea Fowl 25
Blue Crane 2
Vultures 2
Kori Bustard 3
Black Korhaan 2
Lilac-breasted Roller 3
Hornbill #
Maribou Stork 1
Black Stork 1
Storks 5
Cape Starling #
Black Raven 1
Hoepoe 4
Nightjar +1
Purple-crested Lourie 1
Budgerigar #

Seals 500
Dolphin 20
Crab *3
Tropical Fish *#




Acknowledgements:-
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