South Africa Reflections

Here's a video that I put together that sums up our amazing time in South Africa. It really was a most memorable trip. Enjoy.

South Africa - April 2010 from Chris McMorris on Vimeo.

Bouldering at Uvongo

We had spent a further 10 days (unplanned) in South Africa - but we certainly weren't complaining. Emily and I had both been in contact with our employers in the UK and we had both been told that we would still be paid our usual salary, regardless of the situation. An excellent problem to have!

We were lucky because we had Bini's folks to stay with and we had spent most of the past week lounging around on the beach and generally just chilling out. As we had made the most of our time in South Africa, we hadn't had a great deal of time to just chill out and enjoy the good weather - so now we were certainly making up for it! But today was our last full day, as we had managed to get booked onto flights back home tomorrow. Originally I was a little concerned about not getting home for another three weeks (which was what we were told originally) because I was due to lead my first Project for GWC on 10th May - so I really needed to be home to sort things out.

Bouldering at Uvongo beach, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Bouldering at Uvongo beach, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

We spent today at the stunning Uvongo Beach. While the others topped up their tans for one final time, I turned my attention to the shady sandstone cliffs towards the back of the beach. As I got closer, I could see a couple of bolts glinting in the sun; sport climbing routes. There was a very prominent overhanging roof a short way from the ground that was just crying out for some bouldering. The rock was a little damp but the friction wasn't bad and there where lots of big features to grab hold of to pull along the roof of the overhang. It didn't really matter that I was without my rock shoes, as it was mostly all about the arms. I had great fun traversing along the roof and occasionally pulling up and through on to the main headwall of the routes. The lines didn't look too difficult (as the difficulty seemed to be pulling over the initial roof to gain the main face) and certainly looked worthwhile. Wish I had a rope and some 'draws.

Bouldering at Uvongo beach, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Bouldering at Uvongo beach, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Bouldering at Uvongo beach, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

A great end to an amazing trip.

Tala Game Reserve, Durban and a big cloud of ash

After an amazing time in Cape Town, we all headed back to Pietermaritzburg for an excellent few days of Greek-style South African wedding celebrations. Bini and Terri had a great day and it was great to meet all of their friends and family. We were due to fly home to the UK in a few days but we were keen to make the most of our remaining time in this amazing country. We borrowed a couple of cars for the day and set off for Tala Game Reserve, just a short drive up the road. It was nowhere near on the same scale as Hluhluwe Umfolozi and was more like a commercial wildlife park. However, as the others hadn't experienced that until now it didn't diminish the day in the slightest. It was a great place and had most of the usual animals that we were all keen to spot - the highlight was the hippos in the middle of the lake catching some rays.

Rhinos at Tala Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

A Giraffe at Tala Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Zebra at Tala Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

The next day we said our goodbyes and headed to Durban airport to start our journey home. However, at the Emirates desk we were refused check-in and told that they weren't allowing any more passengers into Dubai airport (where our connection was) due to the Giant Volcanic Ash Cloud. We were told that they didn't have any more information for us at this stage and said that we had to call a number to try and get booked on the earliest available flight - because at the moment we were booked on a flight on 9th May 2010! Realising that we were stuck in South Africa for the foreseeable future, we all made plans to go our separate ways and make the most of the extra few days. Terri and Bini were going to head back down the coast to Margate and spend some time relaxing on the beach while the others were keen to head to Hluhluwe Umfolozi to have a proper safari experience. Emily and I decided to head back to the excellent Blue Waters Hotel and spend more time exploring Durban. It was decided that we would all head to Durban and have an evening meal together to reflect on and discuss our options over the next few days and how we were going to arrange to get home. We all headed to Durban and parked at the brand new Moses Mabhida football stadium - built for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. It really is an impressive sight and if you're visiting Durban it really is a must see attraction. The main feature of the stadium is the giant arch that spans high above the pitch and, of course, has a funicular-like train that travels up to the viewing platform at the top of the arch. Of course, being British and tourists, we jumped at the chance to look at the amazing views over the Durban skyline and to watch the sun go down - spectacular. It also gave me the opportunity to scout out the possibility of trying the Big Rush bungee swing tomorrow. It looked like a brand new and highly professional setup - unlike the one I had seen a few weeks ago at Oribi Gorge. After a nice meal, we all parted and Emily and I headed to our very comfy room in the hotel just up the road.

The Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa

The next morning we headed straight back to the Moses Mabhida stadium and I signed myself up for the bungee swing. After filling out the usual disclaimers, I was fitted with a rather shiny and new-looking Petzl full-body harness. I was then taken through the jumping procedure on a small platform in the reception area, as Emily looked on taking pictures. As I was getting geared up, a tour group of local primary school children came in and a few minutes later one of their teachers was gearing up beside me. The two of us where then led outside and were clipped onto the via ferrata-style setup to walk up the many MANY stairs to the jump platform. Meanwhile, Emily headed into the stadium to take pictures and document the chaos. As we climbed the steps with our instructor, the teacher told me that they were here on a school outing and part of the deal was that one of the teaching staff were able to have a jump for free; she drew the short straw. When we got to the platform at the top of the steps, we were able to look around and down into the stadium; getting an idea and a feel for the exposure - an amazing situation. In the stadium below, we could see all the kids waving, chanting and gazing up at us. I quickly suggested to the female teacher that she should go first so we weren't keeping the kids waiting! Without hesitating, she stepped forward and headed down the ladder and out onto the final platform. The kids below started to cheer loudly and chant her name and she was clipped into the bungee and was now ready to go. The instructors gave her a countdown but she froze at the last second, hesitated and then stopped completely at the edge of the platform; terrified. The instructors gave her some words of encouragement and started the countdown for the second time. This time she didn't hesitate and took a big step off the platform into the stadium - much to the delight of the class below. As I watched, I noticed that she got a good few seconds of free-fall through the air before the bungee kicked in - cool! She was winched back up to the platform and soon standing next to me again with a huge grin on her face. "It's brilliant!", she shouted at me. I turned around and made my way down the ladder onto the jump platform - no turning back now. I was soon clipped into the bungee, standing on the edge of the platform and gazing down towards the pitch below.
The count down began and I took a moment to look around and take in the situation and the stunning views all around. Then I took a big step forward. There was certainly a good few seconds of 'air', as I headed straight towards the perfect grassy playing surface, before the bungee kicked in with a gentle kick. Then I took a giant swing towards the other side of the stadium - on the way back I looked over and waved at Emily who was videoing the whole thing. It was a surreal experience dangling there in the middle of the empty stadium and being hauled back up to the platform - crazy stuff! After a long walk down the steps I was back on the ground a grinning at Emily from ear to ear - what an experience!

Practicing the jump before heading up to the roof for the real thing...

Inside the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa

Looking up to the jump platform inside the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa

Climbing down onto the jump platform - no turning back now...

Hanging in the middle of the stadium after a very big swing

On the way down after the jump... buzzing!

Nearly back on solid ground

We then headed to the massive Gateway Shopping Centre a short drive up the road. It was a pretty impressive place and they even had a large indoor climbing wall and a surf / wave simulator.

Wave simulator at Gateway Shopping Centre, Durban, South Africa

"The Rock" climbing wall at Gateway Shopping Centre, Durban, South Africa

This evening we headed back down the coast to Margate to spend a few days with Bini and Terri.

Table Mountain and Cape Town

On Sunday we took a flight from Durban to Cape Town and got settled into our huge luxury villa that Terri had organised for us. Later that evening, the others joined us from Edinburgh and we soon had a cracking BBQ (or braai - as they say here!) on the go. We had a great view from our balcony of Lion's Head and enjoyed an amazing evening sunset.

Lion's Head, Cape Town, South Africa

Terri had arranged a driver / tour guide for our time in Cape Town and he called round to discuss the itinerary and the plan for the next few days. We were planning to pack a lot in and we were going to start with Table Mountain. I had been reading a few guidebooks and quite fancied walking up and then taking the cable-car back down. I figured that this was a good balance between doing the tourist and making the most of the chance to climb one of the most iconic mountains in the world. As we didn't have any proper gear and were short of time, any non-tourist route up the mountain was out of the question. So the sensible option was the straightforward route up Platteklip Gorge. I knew that we would have to leave early (before sunrise) because the sun would bake us on the way up. Emily and I made a plan and arranged to meet the others up on the summit; they were planning to get the 9am cable-car to the top. I spoke to our guide about it and he looked at me as if I was nuts but after explaining my background and experience to him, he seemed more accommodating and understanding. He arranged a taxi for us for 5am and then he drove me up the road to show me where the start of the walk was and he also picked me up a map from the information centre - well... it was more of a leaflet actually! Feeling good about the plan we made sure we were packed and ready to go.

Sunset from our villa, Cape Town, South Africa

The taxi collected us on time at 5am and dropped us at the start of the walk on Tafelberg Road. The air was very hot and humid but it was still pitch black. As we headed up the excellent stoney path, we had an amazing view over the city in the dark with the lights twinkling in the dark. Every time we paused and looked back, the view changed slightly as the sun started to come up. As we climbed higher, the light got brighter (as the sun got higher) and the views got even better. There was a slight haze in the air over the city as the sun came up and the temperature quickly rose. We were very glad that we left early and weren't walking the whole time in the baking sun. We were soon entering the gorge and nearing the top. We passed a few folk coming down from their daily jaunt around the mountain - not a bad way to start every day. The route up Platteklip shouldn't be underestimated; it was rather steep in places up large stone steps and would certainly be tough in the heat of the midday sun. When we reached the top of the gorge we looked back and had a great view down to the city, framed by the gorge on either side. There was a trig-point style marker at the top of the gorge to mark the junction in a few of the trails on the mountain - we turned right and headed towards the summit and the cable-car station. The path was still good and very obvious until things got a little more interesting as we approached some smooth rocky slabs. There were chains for us to hold onto as we made our way onto the flat summit ridge. A little further and we were sitting on the benches at the summit lookout admiring the breathtaking vista that lay before us. The best thing was that we had the whole summit to ourselves - not a tourist or even another soul to be seen - we had beaten the first of the cable-cars of the day. It was a great moment to share and we both felt it was well worth the effort and the early start. The view was simply mind-blowing and the pictures just don't do it justice. Soon the first cable-car arrived carrying the others and after many more photos and a quick coffee we all headed down in the cable-car. What a start to the day!

Cape Town before the sunrise from Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

Watching the sunrise over Cape Town from Platteklip Gorge, Table Mountain, South Africa

Nearing the top of Platteklip Gorge, Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

Our guide congratulated us at the bottom and we all loaded into his mini van to begin our tour of Cape Town and the surrounding areas. Our first stop was Hout Bay and a short boat trip out to seal island and back again. I wasn't that bothered about the seals to be honest and I spent most of the time staring up at the very impressive face of The Sentinel and wondering if there were climbing routes up it. If there are then they must be up there with one of the most amazing settings in the world.
We headed on towards the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point for a spot of lunch and some more stunning views towards Cape Hangklip.
After lunch we visited the Penguins on the beach at Boulders, which was a total tourist trap and not very natural in the slightest - but still a nice place to see. We finished the day's tour with a dip in the sea at Muizenberg... without the sharks thankfully! What an amazing day.

Looking down through Platteklip Gorge, Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

Lion's Head and Signal Hill from the summit of Table Mountain with Robben Island in Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

On the summit of Table Mountain with Lion's Head behind, Cape Town, South Africa

Emily and I at the Hout Bay viewpoint with The Sentinel behind, Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Hangklip from Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

After yesterday's early start and rather energetic intro, today was far more leisurely and relaxing. It basically involved being driven around vineyards and wineries to taste lots of different South African wines - a great time to have a driver! It was clear that wine was becoming big business in Cape Town and in particular the areas around Stellenbosch. Ernie Els even had his own winery and I managed to find some rock to climb there! Our final stop for the day was at the Spier winery and this was a particularly amazing place as it has a Cheetah Sanctuary where we were able to meet and stroke tamed Cheetahs - an unbelievable experience. We finished the night with an excellent all-you-can-eat buffet at Moyo.

Ernie Els' vineyard, Stellenbosch, South Africa

A spot of chimney climbing practice at Ernie Els' vineyard, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Emily and I with our new friend at Spier Cheetah Sanctuary, Cape Town, South Africa

Today we were heading back to Durban so that Terri and Bini could finally get married but before we jumped on our plane we made a quick visit to Robben Island to learn a bit about South African history. It was a very interesting place and full of history and terrible tales - well worth a visit.

Table Mountain and Lion's Head from Robben Island, Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town is one of the most amazing cities I have been to so far but couldn't be more different to the South Africa we had experienced so far - very different to Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Certainly a more westernised, busy and expensive place; somewhere I would jump at the chance to revisit later in life.

Champagne Valley, Drakensberg

After a long drive yesterday evening, we arrived safely at The Champagne Castle Hotel - situated deep in the Drakensberg Mountains. En route from Durban we drove towards an stunning red sunset behind the mountains. Unfortunately by the time we arrived at the hotel, it was completely dark and we had no idea what the surroundings looked like.

Champagne Castle, Drakensberg Mountains, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

In the morning we were treated to the most spectacular view of the mountains all around us. It turns out that the hotel is actually situated directly under the Champagne Castle ridge and we had great views of Cathkin Peak (3149 m), Sterkhorn, Mount Memory, Monk's Cowl and Dragon's Back. A stunning view that I would struggle to survive. I suddenly wished that I had done a bit more research into the mountains and that we were staying longer. I was drawn to the ridge but we had not the time or any equipment. Still... an amazing place... that must be revisited in the future (something else for the list!).

Champagne Castle, Drakensberg Mountains, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Emily and I at Champagne Castle, Drakensberg Mountains, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

We set off down the road again down the Midlands Meander tourist route towards Pietermaritzburg.
It would be the big day for Terri and Bini very soon and we were due to stay with Terri's parents in Pietermaritzburg. Before the wedding the plan was for us all to head to Cape Town to meet up with the rest of their UK guests - can't wait!

Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve, KwaZulu Natal

Over the past few days we have been on an amazing journey on our self-guided safari around the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve - what a place.

Our transport around Hluhluwe Umfolozi, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

We had a three hour drive North after stocking up with supplies and leaving Durban. The road was mainly highway until we turned off for the Reserve and the things became more 'rural'. There was a bit of confusion when we arrived - no record of our booking for some reason - but luckily there was space in one of the camps for us. Once we had checked in and booked our place on the night safari, we headed to our camp to unpack our gear. There was only one way to describe it: glamping! It was basically a very nice and fully equipped chalet with a tented roof over the top; very nice indeed. There seemed to be a lot of signs all around warning about the dangers of the big five... not a fence in sight...

Giraffes, Hluhluwe Umfolozi, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

We headed out in our 4x4 armed with only a map and our sheer excitement at seeing some animals in the wild. We tried to take every turning we could and drive along every road possible but we soon discovered that we had underestimated the scale of the reserve; it was huge! We knew that we simply wouldn't have time to do it all in two days but we wanted to try and see as much as possible. It was great fun not having a guide and to have the freedom to head to wherever the road took us... and even more fun having an extremely powerful 4x4 to tear around in without any restrictions! We came across lots of animals in our first afternoon. Many Giraffes, Rhinos, Impalas, Buffalos, and Elephants but the big cats remained elusive and hidden. I was surprised at just how many animals we spotted without difficulty and the place and situation really did have a wild feel to it. We had a close encounter with a rather angry and rather large elephant who took an extreme dislike to our vehicle. It was then a bit of a rush back to the main HQ for the night safari that began at 7pm.

Rhino, Hluhluwe Umfolozi, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

The night safari involved a large group of us being driven around in an old opensided-truck with seats on the back while some of us held high-powered search lamps pointed outwards into the bush. We were lucky enough to see a group of Hyenas (unmistakable by their bright yellow eyes in the dark) and a fully grown male Lion. We headed back to our camp buzzing from the most amazing day of animal spotting.

Elephant, Hluhluwe Umfolozi, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Elephant, Hluhluwe Umfolozi, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

This morning we woke early and packed up everything into the car so we were ready to leave the reserve whenever we wanted. We were keen to make the most of our final morning in the Reserve so we headed North to a section that we were yet to explore. A short way down the first track we came across a couple of rangers who were out of their parked jeep and looking at something down the hill through their binoculars. We stopped and asked them what they had spotted. "Lions", they replied grinning from ear to ear. Sure enough, as we gazed over the grassy plain below us, we could clearly make out a pride of Lions sprawled out basking in the morning sun - what a sight. We watched them for a good while before moving on towards the exit gates to the North. Just when we thought nothing could top the Lions, we rounded a corner and found our way blocked by a huge herd of Elephants crossing the track ahead of us; we counted more than 30 altogether - an absolutely mind-blowing sight.

A Lion in the night, Hluhluwe Umfolozi, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

We were reluctant to leave but we knew that we had a long drive ahead of us; back to Durban and on through Pietermaritzburg to spend the night in The Drakensberg.

Durban and Margate

Emily and I are currently in South Africa combining our friends' wedding with our Easter break. Over the last few days we have been mainly based down the coast in the seaside town of Margate - Bini is from here and we have been staying with his parents.

Highest gorge swing in the world! Oribi Gorge, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Don't fancy it...

Highest gorge swing in the world! Oribi Gorge, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

The other day we visited the Oribi Gorge and the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve. As well as being a truly stunning natural feature in the landscape, Oribi Gorge is also home to the world's highest gorge swing - which I was keen to check out. Bini's folks had given us a lend of their courtesy car (their car was in the garage being fixed) for the day; a classic VW City with no A/C! As we left the built up areas of the coast and headed further in land, we passed quite a lot of townships and got an idea of what the real South Africa was about. It was quite an intimidating experience at first but we soon realised that it was just a different way of life. We left the main road and the road quickly turned into a dirt track - we noticed that all the other vehicles we met were 4x4s and there we were in our wee City... hilarious. After about an hour we arrived at the main gorge entrance, parked the car and got out to explore. It was now midday and the sun was beating down on us from the clear blue sky. The gorge was an amazing sight and it was certainly unlike anything I had ever seen before. As for the swing... it looked like a bit of a cowboy setup and the gear (harnesses, crabs, etc.) all looked a bit old school and looked like it could do with a safety inspection! Because of this, I didn't fancy it - I had also been told that there was a new bungy swing that had opened in the new football stadium in Durban which sounded much more appealing than what I was currently looking at!

Oribi Gorge, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

A typical South African road...

A typical South African car...

After deciding against the swing, we explored the gorge - there were a couple of trails around the top and a couple of rope bridges to cross. We then headed down the road again to explore the main game reserve. We paid our entrance fee and were simply given a map of the reserve. We spent some time exploring and spotting some of the animals. It was good fun but the animals weren't that exciting to be honest. The highlight was certainly the viewpoint with the viewing platform out over the side of the gorge. Standing there we really got a feeling for just how massive it was and the scale of the whole place.

Oribi Gorge, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Oribi Gorge, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Oribi Gorge, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

After we had told everyone back in Margate about our great day out, it was recommended that we go on a 'real' safari. To be honest, we hadn't even considered it because we didn't think we had time. But when we looked into it we realised that we could hire a 4x4 and drive there ourselves and still make it to Pietermaritzburg for the big day.
So yesterday we hired a brand new dual cab Toyota Hulux 4x4 and made our way up to Durban. We checked into the Blue Waters Hotel and went to explore the brand new uShaka Marine World. It's a really great place, especially for kids, and would recommend it to anyone visiting Durban and the surrounding area. It would seem that the South African government has spent a great deal of time, money and resources getting Durban ready as one of the main citys to host games in the Fifa 2010 World Cup - and it looks fantastic!

Oribi Gorge, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Impala. Oribi Gorge Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

Durban Beachfront, South Africa

Durban Beachfront, South Africa

Clown Fish, uShaka Marine World, Durban, South Africa

Tomorrow we are heading further North to the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve for our very own Safari!