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Island Blue Again - December 2002
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One visit to paradise is never enough! The
forest was lush and life brimmed everywhere after the first rains of the
season. Each discovery more breathtaking than the last and then the denouement
of the terrible secret that lies in the midst of the splendour. How our profligacy
has destroyed our land and its people!
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Ash River - December 2002
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The only river south of the Zambezi with water
and it was running at record levels. Fast with lots of strainers and ice
cold *brrr* A nice days run and you can schnack dikkus in beautiful Clarens
afterwards.
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Swiftwater Rescue Course - November 2002
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Strainers, foot entrapments, deadly boat
eating swimmers and enough rope to hang an army with. Hugh was in his
element setting the problems and watching us @#$@ them up completely! A
major wake up call and full on experience at the same time.
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iSLAND bLUE - October 2002
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Paradise found, if only for a brief moment.
Blue green pools, tingling waterfalls and incredible geology in a place
that is remaking itself as you watch. Everybody came away with a sense that
they had really experienced something very special.
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Kayak Intro Day - October 2002
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With the start of the wet season it was time
to get some new people into the boats. Sometimes they were a bit younger
than expected (and occasionally of a different species) but it was all lots
of fun.
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Formal Dinner - October 2002
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Tuxedos, long dresses and a five course meal
in a forest grove on the farm Diepkloof in the heart of the Soupansberg
mountains. The venue was breathtaking, the food, haute cuisine and the
Aussies lost the cricket match on Sunday - Hoorray.
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Lake Victoria Circumnavigation Expedition -
July to September 2002
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Paul and Chris spend 5 weeks on the water with
a small motor and a powerkite in a brave attempt to see as much of the lake
as possible. We are glad they are both out of hospital at last. An epic
trip that will see a full write up as soon as they are recovered enough to
tell us about it.
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Spitzkop, Namibia - July 2002
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Well, it was there so we climbed it ! And of course it was a huge epic - take two
sport climbers and a very-out-of-practice trad climber and send them to climb a huge
inselberg in the middle of the Namibian desert and what else would you expect <grin>.
It made for a very umm, memorable (?) trip ... and the eye candy in Windhoek was just a
bonus.
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Drakensberg - June 2002
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We worry about Archie and Marietjie. Really we do !! Sensible, normal people would
have gone climbing at Spitzkop, but no, they insisted that they wanted to
go hiking in the snow on the 'Berg.
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Wolkberg
Weekend Hike - June 2002
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In the Magoebeskloof mountains of Limpopo
Province is the Wolkberg Wilderness area. The whole area is dominated by
Serala peak. Paul, Joey and Holger went to have a look.
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Dragon Boat Festival - May 2002
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11 metres long with a well disclipined crew of
16, drummer, Karen, and El Kapitan, Tony, the Explorer's Dragon
really flew. Three wins and two losses and it was a great day's racing in the
Autumn sun. Pictures soon.
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Usutu
River and Ngulube Classic - May 2002
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Time to get in some late season paddling in
the Bulungapoort gorge and to ride the Ngulube Classic Mountain Bike race
through Mlilwane Game Reserve. Lots of fun was had with the Pioneer
Adventure Club who joined in. Awicked run of the waterfall by the Raw
brothers enlivened things.
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Thunder Alley - April 2002
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A group from the CSIR and Brandcliff High
School came along to find what everbody from the previous year had raved
about. Clear skies, full moon and lots of water not to mention Bridget's
fantastic catering - Life is beautiful. If you are not a member but would
like to come along in September have a squiz at our Orange
River rafting trips page
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Woody Cape Dunes Hike - April 2002
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Sea and sand and sundowners on the beach - the truly beautiful hike in the spectacular dunes
of Alexandria Bay in the Eastern Cape is just a wonderful way to idle away one of those
long teacher's holidays that Heidi is known for. With a first descent of the Aliwal Spa
just
to make things interesting !
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Orange River - Vioolsdrif to Sendelingsdrif - March 2002
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Working at Iscor means you get to take long holidays. And Marietjie is a teacher so
she gets long holidays too (and afternoons off). So Archie and Marietjie and friends
(who also work at Iscor or are teachers) took a week off to do the Vioolsdrif to
Sendelingsdrif section of the Orange River.
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Orange River - Skuitdrif to Pelladrif - March 2002
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With still more leave to use up Archie and Marietjie dragged a whole bunch of
different friends (who probably also teach at Iscor) down the Skuitdrif to Pelladrif
section of the Orange River. Some people just have it so tough <grin>.
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Malibamatso River - April 2002 |
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Deep crystal clear pools and continous class 2
and 3 creeking - thats what we were expecting. A desperate shortage of
water mean't we didn't see too many rapids but it was nevertheless an
inspiring trip through the Lesotho mountains.
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Upper Letaba River - March 2002 |
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Jono bought a brand new kayak ... and (in a momentary lapse of reason) decided
that the tight and steep Upper Letaba was the perfect place to give it some character !
It turned out to be spectacularly pretty ... and very creeky ... and Jono's beloved old
Diablo is now sulking in the garage !
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Usutu River - March 2002 |
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With all the local rivers feeling the lack of rain it was time to head for
Swaziland and the mighty Usutu - and the big'ish rapids and holes, not to mention
the waterfalls, the portages and fixing Maria's car made for a very memorable trip.
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Kayak School II - March 2002 |
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Interest from the rolling clinics and the reportbacks from November's school was so
good that we put together another school with a fresh 7 particpants. Again Hugh had
to rescue many swimmers and dispense lots of advice to save us from ourselves.
Anybody up for a swiftwater rescue course next season?
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Vaal River Introductory Trip - Feburary 2002 |
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In a spirit of mad evangelicism to share our passion for rivers (well , actually to raise
much needed funds for new rafts) we dragged 10 of Sharon's students from Midrand Graduate
Institute down the Vaal one Sunday - and by all accounts they had a fine time. Some of
them were even keen to come back for more !
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Eskimo Rolling Clinic - February 2002
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With kayaking catching on in a big way it seemed a good idea to start teaching people
to Eskimo roll - so one Sunday afternoon in the pea-green Hyde Park School pool
five intrepid beginner's submitted themselves to our tender mercies and by the
end of the afternoon we had 3 and two halves rollers. And the next weekend we did it
all over again ...
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Groot Olifants River - January 2002
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A much lower river level this year made for a mellower trip compared to the rollercoaster
ride the previous year - but there was still a lot of swimming done and the
expressions on Marietjie's face alone were worth the trip !
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