Day 036 > Monday 07 October

Hosted initially by the Rotary Club of Knysna, we began our South African leg today. Rotary South Africa have organised a full programme for the coming few days which include a number of interesting ways of transport, speaking engagements, fundraising and a great opportunity to visit some of the most amazing parts of South Africa.

Our day started with a quick tour around Knysna which took us up to a headland overlooking the estuary. As we watched a speedboat heading for shore I noticed something else in the water, a whale! We realised again what a wonderful privilege it is to be on this journey. Our first appointment was with a residential and day care workshop for people suffering from epilepsy. Run as a small business the centre provides work and care for those who suffer from this debilitating condition.

An Oyster Barge then took us out into the lagoon. Oyster fishing is a big industry here and we were given a great overview by Simon the boat driver. After an oyster lunch we boarded the Choo-Tjoe, a steam train which travels along the Cape Coast to George. Two and a half hours later we arrived at George to be met by Harve of the Oudtshoorn Rotary Club who drove us over the amazing Outenequa mountains to Oudtshoorn. There we had our first Braai (Bar-B-Q) of lamb and boerewors with the local Rotary members, a full South African experience.

Day 037 > Tuesday 08 October

One of the ways of transport we had been talking most about before setting off from England was riding Ostriches in South Africa, Today was to be the day. We arrived at Highgate Ostrich farm near Oudtshoorn and were introduced to our birds.

Ostriches are bread for their leather, their eggs (one scrambled would feed 20 people) and their meat, which is very low in cholesterol. Our guide, Claude, taught us so much about the industry and introduced us to young birds as they were emerging from their eggs, some just a few days old and mature birds that seemed to enjoy being ridden and raced like racehorses.

Could Mike stay on an Ostrich? the answer was, of course, yes (with a little help) We each took turns on these great big birds and guess who was the only one to fall off, me! Holding the wings and gripping tightly around the body with one's legs the birds are ridden while they set off in random directions and erratic speeds. Although they are huge they have the cutest faces and the feathers are beautifully soft.

Leaving the farm we set off for Mossel Bay and had another immensely scenic drive across the mountains. We were to take a trip on a pleasure yacht to a seal colony but despite the beautiful clear sunshine a storm was raging on the sea and the boat was not going to go anywhere. We settled for a quick tour of the town, managing to sneakily buy a birthday cake, candles and a Superman activity bag for Mike our cameraman who announced that he was 45 today. We held the party after an evening with Mossel Bay Rotary club in a retirement home they had helped fund. We were joined by local disabled athletes and shared stories of achievement and endeavour as we tucked into a fish braai.

Day 038 > Wednesday 09 October

Three new forms of transport were added today, thanks to the Swellendam and Worcester Rotary Clubs. We drove from Mossel Bay to Riversdale and then to Malgas, passing by fields of Ostriches, Springbok and wheat in the glorious sunshine. The constant backdrop of mountains around us was breathtaking. At Malgas we crossed the Breede River by way of a Hand-operated Pont, tranquil for us but back-breaking for the two crew.

At Swellendam we transferred into a couple of vintage cars and which took us to lunch with the Rotary Club and the town councillors. Following lunch we set off to meet our camels. Apparently the South African police used camels as their transport up until about 1948 but now, few remain this far south. Riding camels was one of the forms of transport we had often talked about. Whilst Caroline looked graceful, Miles looked distinguished, Mike looked noticeably uncomfortable. With no stomach muscles to compensate for the lurching forward and back as the camel stands up or the side to side swaying as it walks, Mike had to put up with me sitting behind him to hold him on. Nevertheless, we still all rode a camel as yet another "way".

We then transferred into the care of Worcester Rotary Club and set off to ride into Worcester on a "pump trolley" along the rail track. We only had to travel for thirty minutes or so and it was exhausting but these things have been used by the railmen to check the 1400 km of track in S.A.. Good luck to them.

At the end of a very full day we visited the "Pioneer School for the Blind" and gave a presentation concerning our adventure and our experiences before being taken for a well earned steak. (not camel or ostrich)

Day 039 > Thursday 10 October

None of us quite know how but Caroline managed to wangle a ride in a Porsche over the mountain road to Paarl. A storm had raged during the night and the clouds and some snow patches made the mountains seem very dramatic. We were heading for wine country and our first stop, organised by the Paarl Rotary Club, was at a winery where we jumped onto an old wagon, used by settlers in years gone by. Trotting past the vineyards in the sunshine, we headed for another winery where we enjoyed a morning tasting of local sparkling wine and other white wines. Back onto the wagon for a further twenty minutes in the sunshine and we headed off to lunch at a small business employing disabled people.

The business seemed very active, making leather goods, garments and heating elements amongst other items. Many of the staff seemed to be volunteers, including Saeron, a Rastafarian, who volunteers one day work at the workshop and another day each week at a local hospital.

Following our "working lunch" we headed for Stellenbosch, still in the winemaking region to meet with the Somerset West Rotary Club members who took us straight to another wine tasting.

In the evening we headed to the coast and joined a Rotary Club meeting at the Strand where presentation was given to an audience of Rotarians and people with disabilities. Nikki, one of the girls talking to Caroline, had just passed her driving test. Nikki had no arms and was eating her ice cream with her toes.

Day 040 > Friday 11 October

Today was going to be our grand entry into Cape Town on the Harley Davisons. We had all been talking about it for ages and were promised a convoy of riders, police escorts and banners in the streets welcoming us and we woke early, excited. To add to the excitement, Caroline had been offered an early morning flight in a Cessna 173 and I was very grateful for the chance of joining her as the "official" photographer. WOW, the morning was beautiful and the scenery was fantastic. From being collected by Peter to our return, including a 35 minute flight and getting the plane out of the hanger the whole thing took just over an hour and we were back for breakfast before the rest of the gang knew we had gone. The highlight of the short flight was seeing Caroline's face as she took the controls and headed back to Stellenboch airfield.

So, off to meet Ad and the Harley Owners Group (HOG) who had turned out for the trip into Cape Town. All was just as planned but we hadn't predicted the sensation noise as about 50 Harleys started up in unison. Half an hour, cruising in the sunshine, we arrived in the city centre with its stunning Table Mountain backdrop. It is so good when a plan comes together.

Welcomed at a civic reception given by the mayor, we were made to feel, yet again, that our bizarre adventure was catching the interest of all who we meet around the world.

The group split for probably the first time since we left home. Caroline and Miles went to a the Athlone School for blind children, which has the most fantastic facilities and atmosphere.

Mike and I visited a rather run down rehabilitation hospital for people with spinal injuries and talked to recently injured patients in a number of South Africa's 30 languages, through interpreters of course.

In the evening, the team received a standing ovation after talking at a gathering of Rotary Clubs from all the areas we visited. Fifteen South African Rotary Clubs had been involved in total and it is they who deserved the applause for the way they had worked together to make our visit so special. There was still more to come.

Day 041 > Saturday 12 October

Today's programme looked insane. It included all the things normal visitors to Cape Town would do in a week!

At 07:00 we boarded the ferry to Robben Island, famous for it's incarceration of Nelson Mandella for so many years. We were guided around the prison by Eugene, himself an ex-prisoner, who gave us a brief insight into the history and struggles of South Africa.

We were then helicoptered back to the Waterfront of Cape Town, including a quick whiz around the face of Table Mountain, picked up by electric buggy and taken for coffee before being given a tour of the harbour by the Harbour Police.

Then we were up in the cablecar to the top of Table Mountain. Somehow the cloud cover didn't seem to matter as we sat and watched the Dosses, trying to work out why they are supposed to be the closest relative to the elephant. We
agreed that this was a very silly theory indeed.

Down we went and headed for the Kirstenboch Botanical Gardens, a calm haven and sanctuary on the North side of Table Mountain. The sense of peace was incredible as we made our way through the gardens to lunch.

Well, that was the morning done, a quick speaking engagement over lunch to help us relax and then off to a horseriding facility for the disabled. Another warm reception, tipsy tart, tea and sweet cook cakes and a gallop through the fields on the horses in the sunshine capped a very full and exciting day. Mike spent time sitting under a tree, talking to and encouraging recent amputees, which he really enjoys. Sadly, we heard that the SARDA horseriding facility was under threat of closure as the land they were renting is wanted by the government to provide new housing. Some 25 million Rand were needed in a few months to enable them to stay where they were. This would be such a loss if a solution isn't found.

Our last evening in Cape Town was spent eating at the Hildebrand restaurant at the waterfront. The restaurant is owned by Linda who had co-ordinated our programme in South Africa. Linda had done so much for us, we will be eternally grateful.