Bucket list - Jongomero and Siwandu tented camps

August 2013 was a great month.  I travelled back to Tanzania with my husband. This time it was exclusively for a holiday - the one we never got  when his company cancelled his leave last year. 

Chaos at Dar Es Salaam airport. For some inexplicable reason the porters unload the carousel and stack the suitcases in the most inaccessible corner of the waiting area. Perhaps it's a clever ruse to ensure they get to carry the travellers luggage! We had stuck bright green smiley faces on our cases and were able to spot ours in the pile without too much bother.  Then it was through passport control - I wondered why they required finger prints from both hands from me and only the right hand from everyone else? Considered asking but passport control officials are universally grumpy people and I didn't want to start the holiday off on a bad note. Had time to buy a local Sim card and airtime for the exorbitant  price of US$2, before the driver was ready to take us to the hotel.

As we had a day and a half in Dar es Salaam we were able to visit the staff at the GHAWA house in Msasani Village and spend some time at Slipway markets and shops at the Waterfront before the real adventure began.  

A 5:15am call saw 2 rather sleepy travellers catching a taxi to the domestic airport where a Cesna 208B and a very fidgety young South African pilot awaited us. After 40 minutes flying we dropped a couple off at Selous then it was another hour and a half to Jongomero Camp in Ruaha National Park. Warning to anyone considering this trip - make sure you visit the loo before boarding. I was really grateful to find very clean ladies amenities at the airstrip albeit  starting block style! 

Bryan the camp manager and Modest our allocated guide were at the airstrip to meet us. All the askaris and waiters were at the camp to greet us with a welcome song, an ice cold flannel and glass of cold mango juice before settling in to listen to Gerald give us the low down on the camp.  While he was talking we were treated to a show. A herd of elephants were crossing thewere crossing the dry river bed. One decided to attempt to climb the embankment right next to us.

Swim on the wild side

I have knocked a few items off my bucket list now.  I have managed to visit my sister in England a few times (that's for another day), I've experienced the most amazing luxury African safari (again for another day) and I have been swimming with the Whale Sharks!

The latter was an  experience of a lifetime. My gorgeous other half arranged the most amazing birthday gift - a trip to Exmouth in Western Australia. Exmouth is about 1300km north of Perth, on the tip of the North West Cape. A long drive and not a cheap venture but worth it.
 

Western Australia

Cape Range

We travelled to the Ningaloo Marine Park area that extends 260 kilometres along the west coast of the Cape. The crew on board our boat provided us with masks and snorkels (I was incredibly lucky to be given prescription goggles) and took us to the deeper water within the lagoon for our first snorkelling experience. The water was incredibly warm, somewhere between 26–31 ̊C. We were treated to some beautiful corals and amazing marine life, including a gorgeous turtle. Everything seemed incredibly tame, but probably get quite miffed with all these people ogling them.

Turtle

One of many fish

Next we travelled out to the deeper open sea area where we hoped to see the big fish.  We were told that the water was quite a bit cooler so were provided with wet suits and given a comprehensive explanation of what we should and shouldn't do near the Whale Sharks.

Crew giving us instructions

The crew were incredible.  They divided us into two groups. One in the water and one out so as not to overwhelm the marine life. We were the first group to get into the water.

A Whale Shark

I was not anticipating the huge swell; where I was fine in the boat in the water I suddenly become seasick and couldn't keep up with the group. Fortunately they had a small boat on the look out for laggers and I returned to dry "land" aka the boat. One of the other tourists gave me some ginger to suck and I immediately felt a little better.

Success

                                                                When it was our turn to go out again, I didn't hesitate.  The swell was either smaller or I just coped better but it was fantastic. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     I was able to keep up and there was no nausea. We did 4 or 5 swims, and each time were lucky enough to see one of these magnificent creatures.

You are supposed to keep to the side and slightly back from the Whale Shark's head so avoid making it dive into the depths of the ocean. However inadvertently

Looming out of the murky sea

I got an incredible fright when I found myself directly in  front of a huge gaping mouth. It's very, very difficult to
                                                                      back peddle with flippers on!                                                                                                                             

The Whale Shark is the one in the background!

                                                                 By the time the last couple of swims came around I needed a toilet break. I know people say just use your wetsuit but I couldn't bring myself to that, so off with the suit.   

Of course I couldn't get it back on in time, so braved the water without it.  It most certainly was not cold however I didn't think about stingers and such like.   

Vlamingh Head Lighthouse

                                                                  The excitement of swimming with the Whale Sharks was over way too soon.  I would highly recommend it although it isn't a cheap trip.  The rest of our short stay was taken up with local sightseeing.                                                                         For the hardy adventurers there is the SS Mildura Wreck, ironically only 80m from shore, near the  Vlamingh Head Lighthouse. 

Migration

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

The sea here is significantly colder and frequented by many sharks although this  doesn't seem to deter the seasoned divers.

Wetlands

We visited the American Airforce Base - no longer in use but rearing to go then ventured through the Cape Range National Park to Yardie Creek                              

Emu

                                                                                                                                         On the way we crossed paths with local pedestrians.      
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                     
         

Yardie Creek

A slow paddle up the creek to view the spectacular multi-coloured gorger with its
permanent water , fed from the ocean was a relaxing was to enjoy a warm afternoon.

 

Yardie Creek Gorge

Yardie Creek is a spectacular,  multi-
coloured gorge with permanent water fed from the ocean. We saw lots of black-footed rock wallabies hiding  in the safety of the sheer gorge walls. 

Oyster Stacks

     Next on the trip was a visit to a couple of beaches. One was Turquoise Bay! As the name suggests the water is an exquisite turquoise colour. It was great to don the snorkel and goggles and allow the current - Turquoise Bay Drift - to pull us over the colourful coral and shoals of fish.  Some hardier people on our tour ventured out to the reef where they encountered reef sharks. They are supposed to be non-threatening sharks, but not long after getting home the news reported a woman being bitten. Not the type of thing I relish.                

Further along was the Oyster Stacks. It was getting a little chilly by then and we passed up the opportunity to swim again.                                                          
                                                                                         

Exmouth Beach

We stayed in a lovely friendly B&B just out of Exmouth so a walk to the beach was essential. The beaches on this side of the peninsular are significantly different - all ironstone red and rocky. The sunrise made it well worth the visit.

'I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!'

My Country. Dorothy MacKellar

                                                                                                     

                                                                            

                                                            

                                                                             

                                                                                                                                      
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My Bucket List

I always think of overseas travels as the great adventures and brush off the holidays at home as mundane.  It doesn't have to be so. Adventure requires something novel, be it in the people we meet, unusual creatures  or wonderful landscapes we see.

I am making a bucket list of things I want to do before I "kick the bucket" - not that that is top of my list! I don't want to die doing the same old thing day in, day out.  I am hoping that my bucket list will provide opportunity for me to live life to the maximum.  I started my list after watching the the movie of the same name with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, realising that I had achieved a lot of the things I had already hoped to.

I don't want to set myself up for failure and disappointment if I don't achieve everything on my list, so I will have to consider if it's achievable. I'm certainly no Shackleton as I do like my creature comforts. Mostly I want to travel to certain places and see certain things.  

My bucket list is fairly small at this stage but is evolving 

• Visit my sister my often
• See more of Western Australia
• Swim with the whale sharks
• Visit the Galapagos Islands
• Take a Cruise to Antartica
• A luxury safari in Africa

I have done some pretty awesome things in my life and so I will probably have to make a list that is already done - a list to leave for my son to read, and aspire to.  He may also consider that perhaps I wasn't such a boring old fart after all!!  I read somewhere this is known as an Anti Bucket list

Lived in London

Place called home

42 Orlando Rd, Clapham Common

We left Rhodesia in 1978 on a working holiday. It was only for a year in the first instance but we were entranced by the availability of entertainment and the freedom to travel.  We never gave much thought to the appalling place we lived in. It was an adventure.


Travelled Europe in a Kombi
We saved enough to leave our jobs and set off in the Kombi that was to be our home for many months. Our aim was to see as much of Europe as we could - and we did.  Money ran out so we didn't get everywhere we wanted but it was so much fun.  We met wonderful people along the way, including those that were ultimately responsible for our move to Australia.

Big Red

Rain and shine

Skied on the highest summers peak in Austria 

Kaprun, Austria

More down than up

Eastern Block - Bulgaria, Rumania and Yugoslavia
The ablution blocks were very challenging in the eastern block countries.  I think I developed a dislike of camping here.

Lenin, Sofia

Russian Orthodox Church

Seeking the past in Greece
We arrived in Greece during a heat wave.  Some days were hovering around 40 degrees. It certainly didn't stop us getting around.  There was a scout jamboree on in Athens at the same time and who should we meet but Martin's younger brother Neil representing the scouts in Bulawayo.

Parthenon, Athens

Delphi

Topless bathing in Mykonos
We took the cattle class ferry to the islands sitting on deck with the locals who gorged themselves silly then were promptly sick when the swell got up.  Not recommended.  The islands were beautiful. We camped on Mykonos. The only site then was the nudist beach. Because it had been very hot in Athens we had very little with us. Unfortunately  the nights and the open air showers were very cold.

Mykonos Paradise (nudist) beach

What were you thinking?

Chilled in Corfu
Paradise I could have stayed forever

Paleokastritsa beach - clearest coldest water ever

Hippy campers

Famous Italian sites
We arrived back in Italy during a petrol driver strike and had to spend quite some time at a site in Brindisi.  We made a number of local friends and ate lots of pasta.

Leaning Tower of Pisa (when you could still climb it)

Streets of Pompeii

View from the Vatican

St Peter's Bassilica Rome

Spanish Steps Rome

Trevi Fountain

Piazzale Michelangelo Florence Italy

Switzerland and beyond

It was all awesome

Brien Lake Interlaken, Switzerland

Greifenstein Vienna Austria(Grey Danube)

Heidleberg Castle, Germany

Marseille

Monte Carlo

Monaco

 Pampeloma

Strasbourg France

Traben Trarbach Germany

Grand Place, Brussels

Mannequin Pis Mandarin Costume Brussels

Once we got to Brussels our trip was nearly over. The plan was then to return to London. I would get work while Martin sold the Kombi.  Then we were to head to America. Freddy Laker was at his peak and flights were cheap.  Friends who lived in our house in Clapham were returning to Australia via the US and South America and another friend wanted to join us before returning to Africa.  

That story is for another time.