The Red Earth of Africa….

In April 2009 on the plane ride from Johannesburg, South Africa to Benin, West Africa we stopped in Brazzaville, Congo to pick up more passengers. It was in this stopover as I sat staring out of the window wondering how I had found myself in West Africa that a lovely South African called Beth approached me to ask if I was heading to Mercy Ships in Benin. She proceeded to sit down and in her lovely friendly way put me at ease instantly as we chatted, I was so grateful for this encounter because as she headed back to her allocated seat the plane began to fill to the brim with African people and culture shock set in. Since that day and throughout my time on Mercy Ships she has been an incredible blessing and on many occasions I believe my angel.

Beth left Benin a week before my time on the ship was finished to come home to Cape Town, South Africa which is why I have had the opportunity to explore more of Africa on my journey home to New Zealand.

I was born in South Africa in the Northern Transvaal so it is very exciting to come and view some of the country that I have grown up hearing about for the first time. The adventure began on the 7^th of November as I arrived in Cape Town to find freezing temperatures, winter at my toes along with the realization that I have actually forgotten what it feels like to be cold! Despite the rainy, freezing conditions of Cape Town I had a wonderful few days discovering the beauty of this city, climbing Lions Head and driving out to Cape Point. The views and sights are spectacular here and it did not take me long to realize why people are drawn to this country.

On the 12^th of November we took a flight from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth where we drove on to Grahamstown, where we were picked up by Beth’s brother and taken to the Kwandwe Game Reserve in which he works as a Ranger. The next afternoon as we began a tour in the Game Reserve vehicle which is specially designed to climb difficult terrain and we were given strict instructions not to stand up as the animals are very used to the vehicles and see them as an unthreatening object; however as soon as you change the shape of the vehicle they no longer recognize it as unthreatening. My eyes were truly opened to the beauty of wildlife as we witnessed two lionesses searching for their four lost cubs, a black rhinocerous (which is very rare), a white rhinocerous and her 3 month year old baby, a cheetah, zebra and lots of buck and warthogs.

It gets very hot on the Game Reserve and the best sightings of animals are usually early in the morning and late afternoon so the next morning we were up at 5am. I loved every minute of the drive and marveled at the stunning landscape and rich red earth of the African soil that covered the 22,000 hectares. The trip started off hot on the trail of two lionesses (different ones from the previous day) and a male Lion. He was magnificent and I now understand why they call him King of the Jungle, I was awestruck. We followed him further down the road until we came across a teenage elephant who was keeping an eye on his herd and thoroughly enjoyed selecting particular plants from the area. He decided he wanted to let the Lion know who was really the boss and after some trumpeting and ear flapping he charged the Lion in full stampede, who ran away with his tail between his legs. Maybe he is not the King of the Jungle after all?

After this excitement the rest of the morning was filled with amazing eagles and many different kinds of birds, monkeys playing in the trees and zebras with their lovely stripes. I was a little disappointed about not seeing any giraffe however as we packed up back at the lodge I prayed that we would see some before we left the Game Reserve; and on our drive out we came across a herd of fourteen-it was a fantastic ending to incredible wildlife.

Our next destination was Barkley East to visit Beth’s family who own a large amount of farmland in the area. Along the way I saw Township’s (African communities) covering the land that lay beneath the towering mountains. I caught only a glimpse of the poverty as we drove past each settlement yet it was enough to stir my heart once again for Africa and I saw many similarities to West Africa flashing before me as I saw their need so clearly evident. It occurred to me that South Africa (in those parts) is more of a third world country than people realize.

The breathtaking sights at Barkley East were mindblowing and it was the combination of the surrounding mountains (one which is a volcano), the lush farmland, valleys and magical sunset that warmed my heart to the place (despite the freezing temperatures). Snow was forecast, regardless that they are heading into summer here and I was slightly nervous we may be stuck there for the remainder of the trip! Meeting Beth’s Afrikaans family over a real Afrikaans braai (where I did not understand a word) was a great treat and an opportunity to witness some true Afrikaans culture.

One lovely night in Barkley saw us on our way to the community of Maclear to visit a University friend of Beth’s who owns ten dogs, the house and noise level was impressive! After a good nights sleep she took us out to a farm which was an hour out of town to meet some friends of hers who encouraged us to go and visit the waterfall on their land. Words cannot describe how lovely it was as we headed through bush and behind the waterfall in caves that had naturally formed-I felt refreshed by the sight and crisp air surrounding us.

Driving down the Garden Route was a special experience as we were able to see Lagoons, the sea and forests all along the way. After one night in Storms River we went for a walk out to the Tsitsikamma Forest National Park across swingbridges and in the sunshine. After 8 hours of driving that day we arrived safely in Cape Town where the journey all began. There were so many moments where I thought life could not get any better than this and then another great blessing would come our way-I feel so rich (no not actually financially) in my life right now but in my heart:)

After an indescribable time….Kenya, Uganda here I come.