Blog
Keeping the flame alight
In my previous blog, I wrote of road tripping to Cape Town, along with trips to battlefields, Manyoni Rhino Reserve and the like. We love travelling, and this month were fortunate enough to take dear friends to their timeshare at Hazyview and enjoy some time in the...
October musings
It is often said that if one enjoys your job, you never work a day in your life? I certainly love my chosen vocation, and never cease to be amazed by the variety and challenges it presents. Clients engaged me to join them at Manyoni Rhino Reserve to share a story...
Hope Springs eternal
Traditionally in the Southern Hemisphere, Spring began on 1 September. Thirty years ago farmers in the KZN Midlands were planting maize by mid-September after the first rains. Climate change has seen the seasons retarded by 4-6 weeks, and indeed the Midlands is...
We can travel again…
No doubting Lock-down has been a challenging time for almost all South Africans. Perhaps less so for government officials, seen attending funerals puffing cigarettes, and others who have been on full salary, but for most of us a very difficult time. The President's...
Lock down extensions and so forth
The recent winds and subsequent movements of the grasses have given me much food for thought. The veld grasses in front of our home swirl and wave in the wind, rather like velvet. Metaphorically I think about our government, swirling and waving in the face of this...
The Passage of Time
Today marks 100 days since the first Covid-positive case returned to South Africa from Europe, and what a time it has been. Not only for South Africa, but for much of the world. It is often said that Time means little to a fence post, but a great deal to a human...
With frost, some Freedom beckons
I took a long walk early this morning, grateful that I am able to walk unassisted after my motorbike crash a year ago, and importantly to reflect on quite where we are at. I love the cold, and walking in a white, frosty environment this morning did my soul no end of...
Come what May
Thank Heavens for late season rains over much of the country - let us hope they assist in producing bumper maize and cereal crops. We are going to need them. Zimbabwe even moreso. With self-isolation after my Antarctica/Argentina/Chile trips in February and March...
Video making for beginners
Corona virus has forced so many of us to reconsider our vocations, or at least how we fulfill them. Our computer expert son takes delight in telling us that we are technological dinosaurs. We were clearly born BC - Before Computers. As a result the very notion of...
Lock down versus Open up
In these most bizarre times of our generation, there is much to ponder. One of my very special friends from Army days, now living in Nelspruit, suffered a life-threatening motor vehicle accident some 15 years back. His brother's health has collapsed completely...
Strange times we are living in
A little over 6 weeks ago I left home, on two wildly exciting voyages which included Chilean Fjordland and Antarctica. Coronavirus had just been announced in China, but who would have imagined how this virus was about to change global dynamics. In the interim...
Life’s great surprises
Today finds us in Puerto Montt in Chile, and I am taking a moment to reflect on this journey thus far and take stock - something I have been unable to do hitherto. The schedule has been full, with meetings, crew drills, induction training, online training, deck time...
Punta Arenas, Chile ~ 17 February 2020
After a wonderful overnight stop in Ushuaia, and glorious transit along the Beagle Channel (Glacier Alley) then Magellan Strait we stopped early this morning at Punta Arenas “Sandy Point” in Chile. Glacier Alley is extraordinary in having glaciers running down to the...
Victory to the Penguins
We have come to the end of a seriously intense 6 days in Antarctica, where the team have worked 10-12 hours days, ashore. The weather has been very kind to us indeed, with no landings cancelled, although wind prevented the kayakers going out every day. Yesterday we...
Onwards from Addis Ababa
After my singularly uninspiring layover in Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, we boarded a Dreamliner bound for Buenos Aires via São Paulo. Interesting how São Paulo never featured in any communication, or the ticket, until I reached the departure gate? Being...
En route south
Friday was busy packing for 6 weeks in Argentina, Antarctica and Chile, working on a ship. The start of my day was made extra special by Rosalie and Susie Crutchley (Strange) very graciously giving me three of Jack’s beloved Bonsais. A wonderful link to a quite...
Back across the Drake Passage would you believe
Following on from my last post, we had a frantic day in Ushuaia yesterday. It was sad bidding farewell to 170 guests, many of whom had become friends. The atmosphere within this last complement of passengers was fantastic. Ed Sheeran's party were reluctant to leave...
Going South to Antarctica
Ushuaia ~ 8th December 2019 With great excitement I find myself back in Ushuaia, southern Patagonia, about to embark on a month in Antarctica with A&K, not having done so since 2017. The SA Airlink official in Pietermaritzburg at 5.45am wanted to try and book my...
Travels to southern Patagonia
With great excitement I find myself back in Ushuaia, southern Patagonia, about to embark on a month in Antarctica with A&K, not having done so since 2017. The SA Airlink official in Pietermaritzburg at 5.45am wanted to try and book my luggage through to Ushuaia -...
November musings
Our last blog was sent from Montreal before flying to Kangerlussuaq in south-western Greenland to board an expedition ship, to sail the infamous North-West Passage. Connectivity onboard prevented our sending daily blogs, unfortunately, despite my preparing one for the...
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