Life of Brian-oz style

sorting out the trip ,packing ,carnets,licences,crating the bike.etc.are just part of the deal.Ive now got to learn how to do this computer stuff,not that im complaining, its all fun .Africa, what does that do to the mind,well i can tell u it seems to worry many of my friends and facinates others.Ive been on the move for over 3 years now sort of drifting from one place to another, never knowing where ill be next.The time has been used up travelling Australia,Vietnam,Canada,Alaska and a little of the USA.Now its time to do Africa.Ive learnt a lot,read a lot,chatted a lot and even seen some d

Not long now. The bike is actually going to Adelaide, South Australia to be sent from there. Seems that Sydney had to much on over the new year or something was amiss.

Recieved the Carnet documents just in time. Something ive learnt now is the Carnet must be signed off at the Customs House with/when the bike goes. The little things that need to be sorted, my hint to others is to get things done early so as to save on stress.

I saw something from the plane that ive not seen in a long time , RAIN .
After 22 flying hours , arrived in Joburg 6.30am to rain . Australia has been and still is in one of its worse droughts in 100 years so it was rather a shock and lovely for me to see rain .

At the airport i was meet by a local who i had been in contact over the net , a big thank u to u Ian .

Well for me getting around Joburg is a bit of a struggle . I have not figured out how top use the local transport system yet . I did a paid tour to Soweto the other day 31/2 - 4 hrs cost R330 plus tips which as an Australian i dont understand . I gess im wealthy by their standards but i dont have a never ending pile of cash . The joys of being a self funded traveller .

My bike arrives on the 23rd of Jan . so ill have lots to tell about the exact cost and details of how i got it from Australia to South Africa .

Somethings just dont go smoothly. No bike and when it does arrive (thurs. so im told) it will cost me over $3000.00 aus. to get it. The great thing is the guy at this end has said i can unpack it at their depot. This will be a great help to me.

While ive been waiting ive taken many walks. but the most fun was catching the local 'Black Taxi's' and the general 'Big buses'.

great, fantastic and lots of other words discribe Kruger Park. Took time out to go look and im very pleased that i did. I only saw a very small amount of the Park, but what a part i saw. I got to see all the Big 5 and lots more besides. I have now got hold of the bike, DR650. It was all there at the freight recievers in Joburg. The people at this end could not have been more helpfull, well actually they could have put the bike together for me.

The town of Potch (Potchefstroom) would go under the list of the friendliest towns i have spent time in. All the people that i spoke to and spoke to me where just great.I feel so pleased that i got to spend time with the people of Potch.

Canon Roadhouse is a nice place just out of the Fish River Canyon, a place of great gorges, views and hot springs. I spent 2 nites there under the shade of one of the many trees that are part of the campsite. A little on the roads and the bike. I find the roads(dirt and bitument) so far in great condition. Most people i meet ask me how the bike handles it all, its a little hard to explain to people who dont ride, but i do my best. The bike is a standard DR650 suzuki. I have a 33litr fuel tank and have not done anything to the front forks or handle bars.

Leaving Potch was hot hot. I took time out from riding to stop in at a bike pub about 100ks from Potch, but the noise from the music box put me off and i was on the road again. As it was so hot the towns between Potch and Kimberly had no real interest for me. Arriving in Kimberly i headed straight to the local B/P,GreatBatch Guesthouse and Backpackers. I fully recomend this place, has secure parking, swimming pool, pool table, bar, i could go on but its best to just go visit.

At the camp i had by myself at Sossusvlei, i was the one to be checked out. Owls in the tree above me kept a close eye on me during the nite and even came within a foot of my head in some closer inspections.At the camp i had by myself at Sossusvle, i was the one to be checked out. Owls in the tree above me kept a close eye on me during the nite and even came within a foot of my head in some closer inspections.

From the sand hills i headed nth for my meeting with Peter(duchman) at Solitaire. Now Solitaire is named so because of the, u gessed it, the Solitude.

I camped that nite at Aussicht camp. A spot about 5 ks off the main road, i was a little worried on going in as the sign at the junction said nothing about BEER. I was to arrive to a friendly greating and my first words where, 'all this way and no beer' i had a joyfull reply from the manager to say 'YES' we have beer.

I spent 2 nites at the camp, having a tour of the old gem stones mines and looking through the benoculas at the wonderfull hills and gouges that make up the area.

Border crossings, i dont know if its just me but i get a bit nervice. I have no idea what im doing, things seem to happen but not in any order. I had to pay to get me in, plus the bike plus the road tax plus the insurance. All up it cost some R350, to come and visit Zambia. For that u get to ride over a lovely Bridge into the country. Its all an experiance i gess.

At the camp south of Lasaka i meet a couple(Ernest and Astrid)that where down from the Copperbelt. Its just amazing how things happen. Id been talking to others about the Copperbelt, and felt it as a place id like to visit, and here am i meeting people who not only live there, but would like me to come and visit them.

The next morning i got their address/phone no. in Ndola, one of the main towns in the Copperbelt, and said id see them in the next week or so.

Well we shall try again, i wrote a lot yesterday when i got to Muzuzu, all was great till the power went off and i lost it all.

The people in Ndola where fantastic to me, i stayed around over a week. They took me to a game park with a lake, went to a lodge and when we got there it was closed and flooded, went out riding, with Ernest on his Quad bike. Did so many things it was great.

The town near the Ntumbachushi falls is Kawambwe, i stopped at the local servo to fuel up. No power said the attendant, but we sell from a 20 ltr plastic container. Ill have one, and when i came to pay i realised id used all my money getting across the border. Of to the bank i go with the attendant in tow. No ATMs here, well that was an interesting morning. Me sitting at the very clutered and small office of the Bank manager, changing South African Ran for Zambian Kwacha.

The nite out on the road seemed to revive me. I felt real good in the morning and had a great ride back to Mporokoso. On the road i meet some workmen with a broken down tractor. I stoppped as they waved to me, they asked me to tell their boss at the town of their problems. On getting to Mposokoso i found the boss of the boys id meet to relay the message, i also found the correct road and headed to Kasama, a day out but well and happy with my new tyre.

At the border post of the Congo is a little township, not that i stopped, but i had people yelling at me, staring, or just motioning for me to come to them. My gess is i would have been hasseled to buy something, well i never stopped.

Karong is by the Malawi Lake and this is where i was camped, very close to the waters edge. Unfortunatelly the locals running the camp/lodge had no idea about rest at nite. On the second nite there i was that upset at their noise - voices and music at 2 in the morning i got up and said my peace, and thats what i got. In Karong i did find an internet cafe. Cafe in the Africa ive seen has nothing to do with coffee and cake. One lonely computer in a vacant room is the norm.

From The Fat Monkey i moved down to Zomba. I meet and chatted to 2 AIDs Volenteer workers at Fat Monkey, who told me that the Mt. at Zomba is very lovelly. The winding road up the mountain and the views over the plato? where some of the best ive seen since i was in Alaska, fantastic.

Wow, Vilankulo, is amazing, ive never seen anything like it. A cyclone or 2 came through a few months before i got there and its rather flatterned. I did not see a straight or undamaged building on my ride through town.