Crossing The Limpopo River from Zimbabwe to South Africa

Our return to South Africa was purely for business and to transit to the Mozambique coast.Having said that we did meet up with Christo and Eloise, fellow V-Strommers we met in Luderitz, Namibia, several months past.

Braii with Christo & Eloise

We had a lovely time and as with all South Africans we have befriended the welcoming hospitality was heartening and generous.

Now thats a big tree!
Grant and Michael at the Boabab Bar

Beer in the Boabab Tree Bar

We spent several days in Louis Trichard, enjoying both Christo & Eloise and Michaels (Moto Friend) company before continuing on to Pretoria with the intention of acquiring new passports. Ours were almost full.

Lekker Brekkie with Eloisie and Christo

Before leaving Louis Trichardt Michael arranged for us to be interviewed by the local newspaper.

Now we have been on Mexican Radio, Colombian and Argentine television and South African news print…. If only all these interviews resulted in cold hard cash… we’d be laughin’.

Interview at the Mirror Offices

Arriving in Pretoria on a hot Wednesday afternoon, finding accommodation and after a pleasant sleep heading out to the internet.

It was here that our trip was to come to a sudden and possible terminal end with the news that our finances were not as sound as we had imagined. Our investment company was going through a stage of unflattering press and with the current world economic climate was causing many investors to pull out, thus putting pressure upon the company.

For a week we sat and waited in somewhat droll and wintery weather, thankfully, in our small timber cabin.

It was depressing and disheartening as we made numerous phone calls organising bike and our transport for the return to Australia, and yet again being thrown into our past lives, unable to continue our dream of riding our Miss Piggy back to Australia.

Yet another roadside picnic, this time near Nelspruit

We discussed our situation at length and in depth, around in circles, always coming to the conclusion that we were not ready to end our travel, even on a temporary basis. It was a shit of a time, but as they say in the classics 'Shit Happens'.

However, on the sixth day, some what sounding like the story of creation, we were to gain further information from home that was more confidence inspiring and gave us the impetus to continue, at least until Nairobi or for a further three months.

We will re-assess the situation at that point.

BORDER CROSSING
South Africa - Mozambique

Leaving South Africa
* Purchase Mozambique Third Party Vehicle Insurance
* Stamp for immigration
* Vehicle Carnet Stamped (People will try and tell you that you need to fill in a Vehicle Exit form, if you have a Carnet you will not need to fill this form in)

Enter Mozambique
* Pre-purchase visa in Pretoria or Nelspruit (you can purchase a visa at the border, however, the lines are very long, they often run out of stickers and often turn people away), prices vary for each country
* At the border Pay ZAR$37 (US$5.00) to immigration entrance fee
* Immigration will put a sticker and a stamp next to your visa
* Pay a further ZAR$47 (US$6.50) for entrance to Customs
* Have Carnet stamped