Willmore Adventures: South Africa: The Wild West and The Wild Coast…

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Wild seems to be an appropriate word to describe the start to this year. Whether it’s been a lost hippo roaming the streets of our neighbouring suburb Fourways; a brush with the darker side of humanity and life in the city of Johannesburg; or an experience in the most remote and untouched part of South Africa; It Has Been Wild!

Just your average local news...

There was a two-week delay to the start of the school year out here in SA as we rode the second wave of Covid (which was just as well with a hippo on the loose). We decided to have some batteries wired up to the mains electricity due to government power outages being ever more frequent. As a result of this power supply unpredictability, batteries are in high demand as well as being an expensive commodity. In a population where so few can afford them, and at a time where job security is so fragile, crime is unfortunately inevitable. Our engineer, Neville, fitted ours without a problem, but as he returned to complete the job on the second day, fully laden with the batteries for his next client, he was hijacked at our security gate by two gunmen who stole his van, with the batteries inside, and drove over him as they got away. Thank goodness he was just bruised and shaken up, and not more seriously hurt, and thank goodness for a security check point before our house, otherwise the action would have unfolded in our front garden, with all the children at home learning remotely. South African’s are hardy folk, because they have to be, and so within two days of his ordeal, Neville was back to finish the job, albeit staying alert and in a bit of pain. It is without doubt the darker side of South African life and a product of the wealth divide ever present in day-to-day life. For one day it came uncomfortably close, and our little estate became like the Wild West!

Home learning: the 2021 way...

The entrance to our estate and the
spot where our engineer was hijacked.

In February we joined Laurence’s university friends for a long weekend camping on the Wild Coast. A place so remote it took twelve hours to drive there, along dirt roads, through jungle, and around goats, cows, pigs, chickens, and the occasional machete wielding four-year-old! We shared a beach with a herd of cows and goats, and a river with some jumping fish. The children roamed wild from dawn til dusk, only to return for food. To the local tribe it is called Pondo Land and is the area that Nelson Mandela grew up. To me it is the most beautiful place on Earth, and I could have stayed forever…

An African rondavel. Country living.

Our descent into Manteku Camp, Wild Coast.

A beach to ourselves...

Except for the herd of cows and goats!

At the mouth of the Mzintlava River.

Joel as my spotter on the canoe.

Manteku Camp.

A local Pondo lady using a poykie pot
to cook traditional bread.

All the kiddies playing together on the sand dune.

We have been lucky enough to squeeze in a second weekend away camping this March, before Summer finally draws to a close. Just north of Johannesburg, in Magaliesburg, there are some beautiful gorges, so we went hiking and rock pooling there with friends. At the campsite we were raided routinely at dawn by a troop of monkeys which, as Brits and therefore new to this experience, we thoroughly enjoyed. Our unfortunate teenage camping neighbours, who were yet to rise one morning, had three monkeys sitting like humans in their camping chairs and hammock, helping themselves to some pringles left out on the table from the night before. A South African man, who was perhaps not enjoying the moment like us fresh faced foreigners, came bounding out from behind a bush to spoil the party; with arms spread wide, carrying a rock in either hand, and making deep guttural grunting noises like a big monkey, he scared the party revellers away! If ever there was a real life ‘Animal Farm’ moment, this was it!

The girls enjoying a rock slide in the river.

Rock pooling in the gorge.

A monkey hanging out with us on our car.

So, there we have it…wild animals, wild humans, and a wild world. South Africa has it all in spades, and the Wild Willmore’s are fitting right in…

Lots of love to the Northern Hemisphere as you finally emerge from winter. I hope Easter is a truly joyous celebration. Let the Covid compliant Spring and Summer adventures begin!

Jess xxx

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