The Honey Badger Diaries
Our Honey Badger Always Has The Last Word
As we all know, Honey Badgers do not take kindly to being ignored. They’re feisty, resilient and crafty. Only she knows why her nose twitched out of joint. It could’ve been the Khoudom corrugations, tall trees, narrow roads, or a field mouse that might’ve done the trick. We’ll never know....
Keeping The Best for Last – Shametu River Lodge and Spa.
Camping on the Kavango River We were nearing the end of our holiday when we decided to spoil ourselves and indulge in a few days of Glamping. Yes, we were going Glamping! We'd laze at the poolside, bird watch, Loeries were building a nest in a palm tree on the deck overlooking the river...
Yzerfontein Revisited - A Celebration Of Our Freedom
We’ve benefited from a month of short weeks and long weekends. According to someone who has limited holiday time, if a worker took their leave on the 14th of April, they would use eight days of their annual leave, but they’d only clock back in at work on the 20th day after that on the 2nd of...
On A Personal Note – When A Spicy Curry Becomes Too Hot To Handle
Sometimes, during a journey, there comes a moment when one’s personal life gets in the way. Like a cloud bank before the sun, all the Kumbaya moments vapourise. Like a vrot kumquat, life sours bitterly. When you least expect it, the wind’s out of your sails, and you’re stuck rudderless in...
Rainbow River Lodge – Okavango River
Long holidays with many rendezvous, campsites and parks will eventually fill my mental melting pot into one large soup of sights, sounds and smells. My photographs serve to awaken my memory as I click through my albums distinguishing one campsite, experience or adventure from another. Spicing...
Travelling with Somebody. A Weekend in the Karoo - Kanniedood 4x4 Wild Camping
Two’s company and three’s a crowd. There are times when we have a very unwelcome guest in our midst. Her name is Somebody, and she’s the one that causes all the ructions. It’s almost impossible to pin her down, and she never owns up, apologises, or admits to being the culprit. Her shenanigans...
Wild Camping - Mudumu Campsite 3 - Second Time Lucky - The Caprivi adventure continues
It’s all very glamorous staying in beautifully appointed campsites with manicured lawns, five-star ablutions, and interesting restaurants. Even more so is gliding on a makorro and going for guided game drives. I'm not complaining. Still, we love doing our own thing. Besides, social...
Climbing the Skerpenheuwel To The Breede Otter Campsite -
When you’re a Grey Nomad, you’ll probably answer to Hodophile too, and we’re both. The Honey Badger stood forlorn, dusty and neglected in a barn behind a lock and chain, and she needed a weekend out, even if it's going loco on a road less travelled by us. My response to the Knight’s...
The Gondwana Collection - Getting Carried Away - A Handy Tip From Us
Doing your homework thoroughly before going on any trip is recommended; we all know that. We often have good intentions of following up on friends’ recommendations, advice, and experiences, but we rarely do when it comes to the crunch. The reasons are lack of time, procrastination, and the...
Calamity Jane Rides Again - Wild Camping While A Storm Brews
It is safe to say that life never runs as smoothly as we expect it should. While storm clouds were brewing, we went blissfully on our way, entirely unaware of our troubles simmering away. We left the leafy confines of Ngepi and made our way to a wild camping spot in the Mudumo National...
Island Style At Ngepi River Camp - Namibia
The marvellous advantage of writing or diarising is that Butch and I continually relive our adventures. Many of our conversations are rehashing and reimagining our trips which of course, inspire us to investigate future trips. I’ve just returned from an invigorating 27km bike ride, and I...
Casually Cruising The Khaudom National Park - North Eastern Namibia
Once again, we set off as early as possible. We had a big day ahead and knew the going wasn’t going to be easy. By all accounts, we were breaking all the rules. It’s suggested that one does the Khaudom in a convoy of at least two vehicles, preferably three. We have a Honey Badger, a Butch, and...
Namibian Bank Holi-YAY And A Flat Battery
You may well ask, “how the Dickens do you two do it?” We don’t know, and honestly, we try our best to avoid misadventures. But, as I remind Butch, nobody is interested in a boring story, and everyone loves a liberal sprinkling of drama and tension. Our excitement intensified as...
Beating The Odds - Navigating Namibia Naturally
Thanks to Boris Johnson, who tried to win Browny points, South Africa was again back on the red list, banning all travel to and from our country. By the stroke of a pen, millions of travellers could unpack their suitcases, lock up their passports and go out and buy a Christmas tree they were...
Being Gobsmacked By Beauty - Nieuwoudtville And Biedouw Valley
In the grand scheme of things, three OMG’s in one day aren’t that bad, but, you see, I’m not that sorta gal. But then again, I’m known to have a mouth on me. My expletives were utterly spontaneous, what my eyes saw my mouth exclaimed before my brain had caught up. My most vivid memory of...
Exploring Van Rhynsdorp and Garies - Unlocking The Door To Spring -
Maskam Guest Farm and Klipkraal Campsite. Day two of our blooming bonanza road trip started bright and breezy. But, we needed to get off the N7, the busy main artery from Cape Town to Namibia. Blooms, still closed made splashes of colour, like a Jackson Pollock canvas, on the verges...
Flower Power - Camping Around Namaqualand
TOP OF PIEKENIERSKLOOF - KARDOESIE CAMPSITE AND ON TO CLANWILLIAM My best memories of childhood holidays were waking up reluctantly at 4h00 on the morning of our departure. Then we could get away with travelling the first bit in our PJ’s and being squashed up against my brothers, who...
Spring Shenanigans and Daisies with Honeyed Hearts
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESSFUL FLOWERING IN NAMAQUALAND. Within a matter of hours, we had the Honey Badger packed, our bikes strapped on, our picnic basket brimming with delicious goodies, the fridge stocked, and meat in the deep freezer for six braais. My tummy clenched and unclenched like...
Clickety Clack Closer To Home
Camping in Rawsonville - Goudyn - Stillewater on the Smalblaar River You might think it’s ridiculous to go away for the weekend, and all you do is go off to the next hamlet. As soon as I step into our Honey Badger to spring clean and spruce it up, make my bed and pack my goodies into the...
Shell We Go West?
Exploring the West Coast National Park and Groenrivier. With the sun on our backs in the morning, we set off from Upington to Springbok. All along the Orange River aqua systems through vineyards, date palm plantations, water mills and the legendary Pink Padstal where stocking up on books,...
We're On The Bus Gus
We had to fetch the Honey Badger in Upington. Our immediate thought was a rental car, but the logistics would be a nightmare. Flying was out of the question, too expensive. Driving up in our car was not an option either; two vehicles on the road would be ridiculous, which left us with no...
Ewe Herd We Explored The Kgalagadi?
We shrew did and Veareax eagle to meet you! I Gnu we’d have a fabulous time. I haven’t felt the sun on my skin for days and feel cheetah'rd. That’s the sort of thing I do when I’m cold. With this thought, I decided to cheer myself up and click through some of my photographs of our recent trip...
The Chase – Homeward Bound
There comes a time on every trip that one’s nose turns homeward bound. In Afrikaans, one likens it to a spirited horse stopping in his tracks, cocking his head and galloping back to his stables. Nothing can stop him when his head’s down. Indomitable they are then. Our heads turned when...
The Honey Badger Headlines - The Annual Moan Report
Many a sailor or boat owner will attest to this truth. Boats are dry docked for longer periods than they’re afloat. Our darling Honey Badger never lets us down in that department either. When the one problem is sorted, she springs a leak somewhere else. I think she’s just...
Fab Four Ride Again - Kraalskloof Campsite - Slanghoek
Glamping in the mountains My sister-in-law Sue needs no introduction, albeit to say she’s one tough cookie and doesn’t take no for an answer. Trouble came in the form of an email from the proprietress of a campsite she’d reserved for the weekend, situated on the banks of the Breede River. ...
Death And Mourning In Times Of The Corona Virus
Maybe it’s just me who dwells on death today as a photograph pops up on my screen, taken three years ago, before the unthinkable. One of my very best friends passed away and will never feature in another photograph. Technology and Social Media is our new memory keeper. ---oOo--- With...
A One Night Stand - Cremorne Holiday Resort - Port St John's - Fabulously Flamboyant
Tick list travel or dashing from one place to the next; doing over-nighters doesn’t do it for me; although, I do get it. Sometimes there’s no option. For me, travel is about exploring. My curiosity about a place, its people, history, art, architecture needs in-depth investigation. Before...
Wonderously Wild – Mdumbi Backpackers
ROADTRIPPING THE TRANSKEI is one of a few places that make me feel as if I’m in another country. The people are cool, the weather’s divine, the landscape so different from ours, even the history’s different. Due to various reasons and circumstances, many people find themselves...
Tranquil Transkei - Mazeppa Bay Revisited
Promises made have to be kept. That’s a golden rule. Melissa, our niece, took up a position as a Dietician at a rural hospital in the Transkei. We applauded her for her decision to spread her wings, step out of her comfort zone and make a lifetime of memories. At Christmas time in 2019,...
Searching For Magic Mushrooms - Hogsback - Eastern Cape Province
My Grandmama told me about the Hogsback. In the early 1930’s she’d haul my aunt, my Dad, a French nanny and a German wet nurse, by train from Cape Town and steam off during the hot summer months to sojourn in the cool, misty Eastern Cape Amatole mountains. In tow, her best friend, Margie...
Hoo-Ray It's holi-Yay!
There were a few weeks to go, before the summer holidays would break the monotony of 8 months under house arrest, while we continued enduring the lockdown. Like a bolt of lightning on a summer’s day, a nephew and niece took up our holiday home for three weeks. They were determined to make...
Glamping in the Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park
Butch and I have never camped in a SANParks campsite. We prefer to stay off the grid or do wild camping as one does in Botswana and Zimbabwe. Without a doubt, our favourite camps being Polentswa and Rooiputs on the Botswana side. This time we were putting SANParks to the test. The...
A Saffa Safari - A Road Trip To The Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park
Do yourself a favour. Make a reservation, pack your tent and raid the pantry. Dust off the ammo boxes. When you've done all that grab a few T's, a pair of shorts and your favourite flip flops. Don't forget last year's stretched and perished bather. It will do. Believe me. Now, head off to...
My Fear of Failure - An Albatross
The deadweight of the rotting Albatross I was lugging around was weighing me down. Day and night, I was consumed by fear, uncertainty and doubt. Knowing I had no choice, my fate sealed. The reality; Butch's sight is compromised. If we continue to believe that our retirement dream to travel...
Rainy Days And Sundays - Butternut Relish
Inclement weather is expected to dry up in October. The rain running rivulets down the window panes as I type is a surprise. Shouldn’t be, you’d think, but, we’ve had such good weather for eight straight weeks, that I was ready to rip out the old bather to wallow in the shallows with...
Why Fly - Gifberg Holiday Farm
I jolted, something wet was slowly snaking its way across my belly, gathering momentum as it slipped around to my back. We'd just returned, unpacked, and put the washing machine on heavy load, after a longish weekend, at the very remote GIFBERG HOLIDAY FARM near Van Rhyn'sdorp. I’d...
My Namaqualand Journal - Madeliefie, Pietsnotjie, Katstertjie -
Every year at about this time a wayward uncle would stop over in his rusty, vintage Kombi, to stock up on fresh supplies, before setting off on his annual pilgrimage into the Namaqualand to paint. My father-in-law would beckon him into his flat, stepping back from the front door, frowning...
Wandering Closer To Home - Slanghoek - Kraalkloof Camp
Butch and his colleagues meet up in their library every morning for coffee. He says “sometimes we talk law, but, mostly, we just catch up and chat.” Everyone knows our story by now, and often good trip ideas are shared. Last week he was tipped-off about a camping spot on a farm in the...
Still Wandering - Gatsrivier Guest Farm
With dust billowing in our wake, we made our way from the Tankwa farmstall back onto the main road (a 70km detour, I was told) to continue our meanderings in search of peace. The road north became quieter, and farmsteads became fewer. In the Karoo, sustainable farming can only be on vast tracts...
Wandering into the future – Matroosberg Nature Reserve
It's no use crying over spilt milk. We’ve had our chips, and now we must suck it up and move on, without the help or approval of the government, closed borders or the WHO. Our lives are still in our hands. What we do with the situation takes some creative thinking and a will to do something...
