Meandering in Madagascar & a little more ambling in Africa…via the Hunter Valley

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JohnM

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Tomorrow it’s on the bird PER-SYD on the first leg of six weeks in the African region :D.

The impetus for this trip is to visit Madagascar for the first time. But as I need to go through South Africa on the way, I figured I may as well use the opportunity to do some more travel in, and revisit some parts, of southern Africa which is one of my favourite regions.

But… why via the Hunter Valley you may ask:confused:.

As some of you already know, Bindibuys and Mr Bindibuys are heading off in September on epic F-based travels until November. As a result of a chance remark on ‘View from my ‘office’’ last year, I am going to housesit BB Estate in the Hunter Valley while the BBs slum it in F and on the other side of the world.

Travelling from PER to JNB via SYD gives me the opportunity to spend an extra day in SYD in order to travel to the HV, meet the BBs and scope my upcoming responsibilities – and the opportunities it is going to offer to travel around the mid-N coastal region of NSW.

On Tuesday it’s the QF bird on redemption in J for the trundle to JNB (at last look it was showing as an unrefurb’d B744 and I’m in 1A - natch :cool:).

Here’s the plan after I hit the deck at JNB: Overnight there and rent a car the next morning to head out for a loop to explore the Drakensburgs for about 10 days before heading over to Antananarivo (aka ‘Tana’ – TNR) for a 16-day tour in Madagascar (independent travel by car is regarded as generally impractical in Madagascar), then over to Kasane (BBK) in Botswana via JNB to join a 14-day overland tour of Botswana and Zimbabwe before flying out of Victoria Falls (VFA) (Zim side of the falls) and home in early August.

While Botswana, like Namibia and S Africa, is an easy place to travel independently by rental vehicle, doing so in Zimbabwe – especially solo – is probably impractical/inadvisable.

I’ll be home for about five weeks before packing the car for the drive to BB Estate over about 10 days, using the opportunity to visit friends in Canberra, before ensconcing myself in BB Manor for about 7 weeks.

I’ve always wanted to drive across the Nullarbor again since doing it quite quickly over 35 years ago, so this makes a great opportunity for a more leisurely experience. Following return of the BBs in early November, I’ll drive directly back to PER in order to be home for AFF10 on 11-12 Nov and a 50[SUP]th[/SUP] year reunion of my school leaving class :shock: on Sunday 13 November.

All-in-all, these plans should keep me fairly well occupied for the rest of the year…

The flight routing.

Flights.JPG

General route plan for S Africa.

S Africa.JPG

Madagascar and Botswana/Zimbabwe routes.

Madagascar.JPGBotswana.JPG
 
I'm all ears for this one :)

Went through Graskop on the first trip to SA when visiting God's Window and Blyde Canyon.
Madagascar sounds really interesting - waiting to read the TR.

You do realise that BB's place comes with a bit of acreage to mow???
Actually my brother & SIL just finished sitting a place in Victoria where they found out after he arrived that there were quite a lot of stock to be moved around, horses to be brought up for the farrier, llamas to be checked on as well as cut the wood for the wood fired cooking. He enjoyed it and is a lot fitter now than he was at the start (not so sure about SIL)!
 
I'm all ears for this one :)

You do realise that BB's place comes with a bit of acreage to mow???
Actually my brother & SIL just finished sitting a place in Victoria where they found out after he arrived that there were quite a lot of stock to be moved around, horses to be brought up for the farrier, llamas to be checked on as well as cut the wood for the wood fired cooking. He enjoyed it and is a lot fitter now than he was at the start (not so sure about SIL)!

The chance remark that I mentioned was that I have 'farm-sat' my friends' full working farm between Busselton and Margaret River ;):cool: several times. I am an agricultural scientist by profession, so it shouldn't hurt too much :p.
 
The chance remark that I mentioned was that I have 'farm-sat' my friends' full working farm between Busselton and Margaret River ;):cool: several times. I am an agricultural scientist by profession, so it shouldn't hurt too much :p.
I had a feeling you were in the 'farming business' so to speak so it'll be a piece of cake for you. And a chance to meander round the HV a bit (more). :) Not only that but the weather should be pretty decent as well, though the west does hold its own in that competition.

I'm just waiting for taxiing on your TR :)
 
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Sounds like a fantastic trip! Looking forward to the next instalment
 
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Checked in for this! Looks amazing!

Happy travels JohnM. :)

I'll look out for you as SYD-JNB & return, usually passes right over my house. Easy to pick out over the usual 737 traffic at altitude.
 
Live update..... JohnM is now on the M1 driving to Sydney from his day in the Hunter. Only 1 bottle of Brokenwood Semillon drunk over lunch.
 
Live update..... JohnM is now on the M1 driving to Sydney from his day in the Hunter. Only 1 bottle of Brokenwood Semillon drunk over lunch.


Hope NSW POL are not reading the 'live update' ;)

"seriously officer, I only had one" (bottle)
 
Danged app still insists I'm not logged in, so there goes hope of any live posting.

Thanks, BB and Mr BB for a very pleasant day showing me the lie of the land and for lunch.

Now at SYD Rydges and on the bird to JNB in the morning.

I'll be baaaack in about 6 weeks!
 
Danged app still insists I'm not logged in, so there goes hope of any live posting.

Thanks, BB and Mr BB for a very pleasant day showing me the lie of the land and for lunch.

Now at SYD Rydges and on the bird to JNB in the morning.

I'll be baaaack in about 6 weeks!


John, as far as the app goes. I'd try to uninstall it, the reinstall. Might be worth a shot?

Should only take a few minutes. Hope it works, because love to see this one live updated. Cheers and happy travels!
 
John, as far as the app goes. I'd try to uninstall it, the reinstall. Might be worth a shot?

Should only take a few minutes. Hope it works, because love to see this one live updated. Cheers and happy travels!

Now that I'm on the road, it's too late as far as I am concerned. The danged thing won't even load on my iPad; at least on my iPhone it loads.

Also, as mentioned in the OP, my chances of live TR in Madagascar are zilch anyway. I'll put the whole thing together when (if, in the mind of some friends :p) I return. Bear with me!
 
You only just got back from your previous trip, are you ever home or just not liking Perth winter.

Parts of this trip will be interesting, and yes since a major AFF app upgrade ages ago AFF just doesn't work the same on a mobile device.
 
That's OK, we'll just amuse ourselves here until you get back, imagining what you might be seeing and experiencing.

Monkey1.JPG


Mon2.JPG


Mon3.JPG
 
Perfect! We're looking for some African inspiration ... looks like I've landed in the right spot! Safe travels.
 
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