The Honey Badger Diaries

Hats Off To Hoedspruit - Highlighted By Our Antares Bush Camp Experience

Hats Off To Hoedspruit - Highlighted By Our Antares Bush Camp Experience

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries / Videos

When we heard our friends from England, who lived in the New Forest, decided to pick up sticks and move, lock, stock ‘n barrel to South Africa, I was impressed, but when we heard Hoedspruit was their first choice to settle in, I had my doubts. More fool me. A reasonably sized town surrounded by...


Kruger National Park And The Story Behind The Story

Kruger National Park And The Story Behind The Story

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries / Videos

It is an undisputed fact that the Kruger National Park is our national treasure, and SANParks is probably one of the few state-run enterprises that works and has improved over the years. They have all my support and admiration for doing a sterling job. My photographs are just a random,...


Highways and Byways to Hoedspruit. Places We Saw And Friends We Met

Highways and Byways to Hoedspruit. Places We Saw And Friends We Met

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries / Videos

Maun is not my favourite place, possibly because it’s a neither-here or there sort of place. It could also be the flashbacks I have of our off-road caravan’s demise and the dreadful trip back to Cape Town we had. Our poor caravan was in a dire state and looked like a sardine tin with a...


One, Two, Three, Four-tee-Four Elephants - Elephant Sands - Nata -Botswana

One, Two, Three, Four-tee-Four Elephants - Elephant Sands - Nata -Botswana

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries / Videos

My Sister-in-law Lol is a loyal follower of our travels. When she realised, we were at Elephant Sands. She wrote, “I’ve often been to Elephant Sands near Nata, a lovely spot, but in all the years, we never saw one elephant! Good luck."     While Butch was doing our registration, I...


Drotsky’s Cabins with Kat-‘n-The-Four-Kin-Airey’s  – Botswana

Drotsky’s Cabins with Kat-‘n-The-Four-Kin-Airey’s – Botswana

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries / Videos

Skedaddle is what we did to meet up with the Aireys who were in search of a Honey Badger. Nothing beats meeting up with family, particularly when you’ve been starved of your familials like we have, especially over the festive season when we all experience a little slump. Sometimes, late at...


Rain, Subtropical Gardens And A Host With The Most

Rain, Subtropical Gardens And A Host With The Most

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries / Videos

When rain falls, one can expect the vegetation to change, the dry air cools, and humidity takes over. Our travels in the desert were ending as we climbed the plateaus. Small wizened trees gave way to taller, leafed trees, and game farms made way for subsistence farming. Dry riverbeds...


How Etosha Got Its Name - A Lesson In Following Our Daydreams

How Etosha Got Its Name - A Lesson In Following Our Daydreams

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Once upon a time, when pharaohs were building Pyramids, a guy called Noah from Goa (just kidding, Mesopotamia) got it into his head to build a ship. Why? The message in a daydream was clear. “A flood covering the whole earth is nigh. Build a ship, Noah!” Noah proclaimed it would be made...


Visiting A Himba Cultural Village

Visiting A Himba Cultural Village

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

It was my idea to visit the Himba Cultural village, and Butch obliged. He paid the R400, and arrangements were made. The guide would be alerted all in good time for preparations. We’d go for our bike ride. En route back to Oppi Koppi, we’d pop in as it was on our way. We arrived on the...


Patio Prattle and Die Vingerklip– Oppi Koppi Rest Camp

Patio Prattle and Die Vingerklip– Oppi Koppi Rest Camp

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

An Extract From My Notes  “I’ve positioned myself near the electrical plug and hotspot, hoping a solid Wi-Fi signal will enable me to write. I must catch up with some emails, update Polar Steps and write two blogs. My fingers are poised just above the keys, ready to strike the first letter. My...


Resuming The Journey And Why I Wear A Hat - Munsterland Guest Farm - Khorixas

Resuming The Journey And Why I Wear A Hat - Munsterland Guest Farm - Khorixas

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

We’ve been on the road for five months. The Honey Badger is our tiny home; although snug, we have a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and dining room, and here I sit and type in my “study”. It’s currently raining. We find summer rainfall quite a novelty. Whispy, feathery clouds build up into...


Boldly Bowled Over By Boulders -  Spitzkoppe

Boldly Bowled Over By Boulders - Spitzkoppe

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

The big smile and spring in Billy’s step when he entered the house couldn’t hide his happiness. He beamed. There was a new lightness about him. Like water cascading over smooth polished rocks, his zest bubbled and gushed, and words tumbled out excitedly. He’d just returned from a fortnight...


SMS –Sand, Mist, Swakopmund

SMS –Sand, Mist, Swakopmund

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Thirty years ago, before the SMS, my telegram to family, anxiously awaiting my safe arrival in Swakopmund, would’ve gone something like this. “Safe arrival. Sand, mist, Swakopmund.” The charge, twenty cents, the message would be relayed by telex or morse code to the Stellenbosch post office....


The Road

The Road

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Our journey is nothing like The Road, a post-apocalyptic novel by Cormac McCarthy, where an ailing father defends his son as they slowly travel to the sea. The novel’s main themes are Faith, Trust, and Doubt. In the harsh world of The Road, everything depends on trusting or distrusting...


Finding Order Unexpectedly At Tsauchab River Camp

Finding Order Unexpectedly At Tsauchab River Camp

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Have you ever entered a room and felt utterly overwhelmed by the décor, the sudden onslaught of colour or the furniture placement? I find antique shops with the clutter of overstocked bric-a-brac or art galleries where paintings hang too close together and where colours, textures, and...


First days in Namibia – Lapa Lange Guest Farm

First days in Namibia – Lapa Lange Guest Farm

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Early this morning, before I could decide how the weather would turn out, my beloved left with our Honey Badger in tow to have new tyres fitted, have a bull-bar attached, as recommended by other overlanders, and to install a Thule storage container, our current one is far too heavy. He did warn...


The Joys of Travel Are A Mata of Taste – Mata Mata

The Joys of Travel Are A Mata of Taste – Mata Mata

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

We have to own our retirement, make the most of it, see the adventures, challenges and be unapologetically thrilled by all the opportunities thrown at us. You say. I say, who would’ve thought it possible that we could sit here, on a fine Sunday, my fingers flying over my keyboard, while...


The Company We Keep – The Da Silva’s - Nossob – Kgalagadi

The Company We Keep – The Da Silva’s - Nossob – Kgalagadi

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Butch and I have just returned from the bird hide where we’d spent a few minutes in the hope of seeing and ticking off some birds on our list. There wasn’t one. Not even a laughing dove. We did enjoy the ground squirrels digging and dashing and chittering about though.  This morning we'd...


Picture A Meerkat In The Wild

Picture A Meerkat In The Wild

Posted in The Honey Badger Diaries

For one of my upcoming blogs I decided to delve into my photographs, download them, and while I have the opportunity, and a work day, do a quick search for the Meerkats, and then post them as a file.  Here they are. I'll let them speak for themselves. This is the little family unit, or...


Nature Calls - Askam And A Meerkat Sanctuary

Nature Calls - Askam And A Meerkat Sanctuary

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Before I start with this blog I must tell you why it’s published after my Kgalagadi blog. I always upload my Word documents onto my admin page, then I add my photographs individually. We are at the mercy of whatever Wi-Fi connectivity we’re in range of. At the moment it’s not good. Slow...


Sitting On The Fence In The Kgalagadi - Nossob

Sitting On The Fence In The Kgalagadi - Nossob

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

It’s midday,  I'm sitting in the Honey Badger typing this blog. Now and then, I look up, binoculars at the ready, and see small critters sitting or clinging to our fence. They’re our pole dancers. My company is a lizard, Cape Glossy starling with a slurred warble, an ever-chatty...


Maintenance Steps, Malls and Mosquitoes in Upington

Maintenance Steps, Malls and Mosquitoes in Upington

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Although I am very much a creature of habit, e.g. I use the same brand of toothpaste and tomato sauce as I did when my mom did the shopping and, I still wear the same brand of knickers, and have used the same fragrance for 40 years, I am not keen to repeat experiences. Firstly, life is too...


Medjool Dates In Klein Pella

Medjool Dates In Klein Pella

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Upington feels like our home away from home. But first, we had to get there. It was Thursday, and I’d made a pinky promise a year ago that I would never spend another weekend in Upington. Come hell or high water, I was sticking to my guns.  We left the Richtersveld on a bright sunny day,...


Rich, Richer, Richtersveld

Rich, Richer, Richtersveld

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Writing the Richtersveld’s story is way above my intellectual abilities, and articulating eloquently about this extraordinary place is an injustice to the reader and the Richtersveld. Often the less one knows is dangerous, and the more you know, the more intimidating the subject becomes. I am...


Third Time Lucky - Goegap Nature Reserve - Springbok

Third Time Lucky - Goegap Nature Reserve - Springbok

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Sometimes, one must read and adhere to the rules to sidestep disappointment—case in point. Goegap Nature Reserve.  On two previous occasions we've stopped at the gate to stay over and wondered why no one opened it. It’s because they close at 16h00 every day. Not a minute earlier nor a minute...


Going Green - Wild Camping At Groenrivier

Going Green - Wild Camping At Groenrivier

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Our driving times have changed since aquiring the Honey Badger and especially since retirement. The journey starts when the key goes into the ignition. No longer do we rush to get to our destination instead we enjoy every moment  of the roadtrip. In doing so we have become more aware of...


Two Nights In Strandfontein A Reflection

Two Nights In Strandfontein A Reflection

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

I’ve been to Strandfontein twice before and enjoyed myself thoroughly on both occasions. Once with dear friends from the UK who were our frequent travelling companions during the summer months when they were Swallows to our shores. On the last trip, we wild-camped for a night in the picnic area...


Camping in St Helena Bay And Beyond

Camping in St Helena Bay And Beyond

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

The drive to Paternoster along the dirt road maintained by Spoor Net is a dream, we always take it. This time there was a hold-up with works going on which meant we had to return to the tar road, but eventually we made it back onto gravel.  It is the more scenic route. Paternoster is...


The Burst Geyser A Tale Of Woe Not Wow!

The Burst Geyser A Tale Of Woe Not Wow!

Posted in The Honey Badger Diaries

Every morning Butch spoils me with a mug of freshly brewed coffee and one rusk, which I relish and enjoy in bed while I complete my daily Woodoku. There’s an App; look for it. Woodoku is better than any word game. Addictive and good for the brain, the advertisement said. I get up when I’ve done...


Langebaan – Greece On The West Coast - Leentjiesklip

Langebaan – Greece On The West Coast - Leentjiesklip

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

It’s hard to believe that we’ve only visited Langebaan on a few occasions, and the last time was decades ago with a friend who had a timeshare unit. With very little knowledge, Langebaan never featured on my bucket list. There’s no specific reason we always skipped it on our numerous west...


Adios Amigos, Bon voyage, Goodbye, Sala Kkuhle, Totsiens, Tata, Laat Waai Meraai The ABF

Adios Amigos, Bon voyage, Goodbye, Sala Kkuhle, Totsiens, Tata, Laat Waai Meraai The ABF

Posted in The Honey Badger Diaries

At last, we had our ducks in a row, settled accounts, repaired, fixed, maintained and reassured ourselves that we were ready to roll. All we had to do was pick up our Honey Badger, sell my car and say goodbye. The first person on my list of goodbyes was a visit to my great friend...


FAQ – Answering All Your Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ – Answering All Your Frequently Asked Questions

Posted in The Honey Badger Diaries

We are chatterboxes, as you know, and every time someone stops for a natter, we often answer many of the same questions, especially from folks planning or in the throws of a build. Because we’re en route with very little data and wifi connectivity, we thought we’d answer the FAQ in a blog. ...


The Nitty Gritty Of Getting The Ball Rolling.

The Nitty Gritty Of Getting The Ball Rolling.

Posted in The Honey Badger Diaries / Musings

In life, taking the first step is possibly the hardest; that fact was evident this weekend as I watched my Granddaughter Miss Maeva take her first wobbly steps and reluctantly let go of her dad’s fingers. She’s been crawling for months, and we all expected her to bounce up onto the soft,...


The Right Side Of The Tracks - Wild Camping

The Right Side Of The Tracks - Wild Camping

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

If I could have my life all over again, one of the career choices I’d consider would be to become a train engine driver. I love trains in any shape or form. As a child, one of the highlights would be my journeys to and from boarding school by steam train. The clickety-clack would lull me to...


The Old And The Nieu Bethesda

The Old And The Nieu Bethesda

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Visiting Nieu Bethesda is like visiting a favourite Grandmother. You know their smells, their curves, the colour of their curls. Her soothing voice is constant. Reliable, patient, and her devotion is unconditional. We’ve introduced our friends, shared experiences at dinner parties, and...


Butch’s Request

Butch’s Request

Posted in The Honey Badger Diaries

Hi faithful readers, followers of my blogs or first timers.  We need to pick your well travelled, adventurous brains. We are getting excited about our adventure into Africa, which we hope will commence in the next few weeks. One of the things we have picked up in reading various blogs by...


Wild Camping At KaKhulu Karoo

Wild Camping At KaKhulu Karoo

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Like everyone else, I love a riddle, or a lekker ou skinder, but this visit left me with more questions than answers. The ninety-minute drive from Graaff Reinet on the Janzenville road was lovely, with breathtaking views of a rugged Karoo landscape carpeted in deep orange. Aloes were in...


Winter Wandering Into The Great Karoo

Winter Wandering Into The Great Karoo

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

We picked up sticks and turned our nose northeast to Graaff Reinet. To celebrate the 4th of July, we stopped for tea and cake at Sophie’s Choice, a fascinating coffee shop just south of Willowmore. Quirky is the only word to describe this worthwhile stopover. No one can resist exploring...


Whether we can, Weather we can’t!

Whether we can, Weather we can’t!

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Our little holiday depended on weather conditions. Where are the days when we could determine weather conditions by experiencing the day, e.g.putting your head out the door, or feeling inclement weather in your bones,watching a mountaintop being covered by a cloudy cloth used to be a good...


Life After The  Great Trek

Life After The Great Trek

Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Our gut is our best indicator of all things good and dire. We have been incredibly fortunate on this journey as all the keys have fallen into place. For us a good indication that we’re on the right track. Anyway, that’s how I see it. This time the dealer is on our side.  Exhausted after weeks...


Our Honey Badger Always Has The Last Word

Our Honey Badger Always Has The Last Word

Posted in The Honey Badger Diaries / Musings

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....