IN FLIGHT WITH THE FISH EAGLES – NAMIBIA, BOSTWANA, ZIMBABWE

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Vis Arend

Bachelor Dog
Joined
Nov 14, 2010
Messages
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Location
King William's Town
Bike
Honda CRF-250 Rally
This trip was not planned in the real sense of the word.  Yes, we did plan for it but not as usual, the plan only really got together in the last 2-3 months.  The final direction / route only got together in the last two weeks
At first we would join the Nam bash and from there proceed to somewhere around Aba Huab and explore the area there and return back home. 
Then things changed as my parents asked if we could take them to Windhoek to visit family.  Our plans were then to trailer the bike up to Windhoek and from there do the Ugab region and up to Ruacana, proceed further into Angola to see Leba pass and then to Flamingo lodge, then back to Windhoek.
Once again plans changed as my parents were not well enough for such a long trip by car.  By this time our leave were secured and we were ready to leave on the 23rd of April 2013.  We then decided on the following route.

King William’s Town to Marydale
Marydale to Naute dam (Namibia)
Nuate dam  to Bullspoort
Bullspoort to Windhoek via Remshoogte
Stay a couple of days with family in Windhoek
Windhoek to Goanikontes (Swakopmund)
Goanikontes to Rhino camp in the Ugab river.
Rhino camp to Aba Hoab via Gai Ais fountain and Doros crater)
Aba Hoab to Kwowarib
Kwowarib to Epupa
Epupa to Swartbooisdrift
Swartbooisdrift to Ruacana
Ruacana to Rundu
Rundu to Katimo Malilo
Katimo to Kasane via Vic falls
Kasane to Planet Boabeb
Planet Boabeb to Ganzi
Ganzi to Gobabis
Gobabis to Gochas
Gochas to Molopo lodge
Molopo lodge to Verneukpan
Verneukpan to Graaff Reinett
Graaff Reinett to King William’s Town

This would be the general direction and we decided we can make changes as we go along.  A couple of things that we wanted to do was to enjoy this trip as much as possible, to see Gai Ais fountain, to see desert elephants, to see the ever elusive desert rhino, to visit Vic falls and to see some elephants on route through Botswana.  Botswana was included as a recce for future trips. 

Day 1 King William’s Town to Marydale

We were ready as could be and the bike was packed with her brand new tyres.  On the morning of the 23rd of April we were early birds and on the road at 20 to 6.  It was still dark outside, but I had new HED lights fitted, and what a way to test them.

The route for the day was from King to Marydale, passing towns such as Cradock, Middelburg, De Aar and Prieska.  This day would be tar, we wanted to get as far as possible on the 1st day.

On the road again early morning



Packed and ready at our first stop.


The road was quite boring, we stopped at Cradock for a Wimpy brekkie and well deserved coffee.
Another stop just before Middelburg


Some twisties on route to De Aar.


The map of the planned route


The road was strait and boring, some time to play.




Check the kilos out, this would change though………


On the way to Prieska


Smoke break


The little church in Prieska.


In Prieska we stopped at ETS furniture store, we wanted to greet the man, but unfortunately he was out of town to attend to his mother in Cape Town.  Sorry we could not meet ETS, and we hope your mother is better.  Maybe next time.

We then stopped at the local butchery for supplies that evening.  The people are very friendly and they got great meat on offer.


Marydale was reached just after 17:00.  We booked in at the Hotel and had a lovely braai with Prieska chops to end the day.






The owner of the Hotel warned us that the little ones cannot keep their hands of that do not belong to them, so we made our own homemade security system. 

 
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