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18th - 23rd april

Overlanding across Afica in our Land Rover Defender: Zimbabwe

Andy Lees
2006-05-16 14:38:30

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stones whose sharp angular edges punished the tyres. at the boom i signed us in, the only tourists to visit this month; there had been a couple of others in march and a few in feb but that was it. this was confirmed when we visited the park headquarters the following morning to be greeted with - "are you the two that should have been here last week?". we camped that night in a stunning location right on the edge of the escarpment with breathtaking views down onto the plains below.

the roads were bad, the grass was high, and the bush thick. we didn't want to use too much fuel looking for game so we thought we would let the game come to us. we spent the next day at a hide watching waterbuck, buffalos and elephant come and go.

we had been assured that there was running water at the campsite and as we hadn't been able to shower the night before we were looking forward to a wash. a quick examination of the campsite revealed a rusty old pump that looked as if it had ceased working eons ago. so we got out our super solar power shower, left it on the roof of the land rover to heat, then hung it from the vehicle and had a shower in the open air safe in the knowledge that we were the only ones in the park.

hwange national park - 21st april

we left chizarira for another national park, hwange also known as wankie. we had heard many woeful tales from south africans that all the game had been hunted, that the park wasn't what it was. from other travellers we had heard nothing but good things. so we were going to see for ourselves. at the headquarters we realised we were $1 short; not being ones to normally beg for money or ask for anything, andy went outside and spoke with some friendly looking visitors. it was with their $1 note we were able to enter the park for a 2 night stay.

we liked what we saw from the moment we arrived. they had a pub. the waterbucks head welcomed the two of us with ...