We're hunting wabbits

A group of 120 fanatics had an early rise this morning with the opportunity to go on a safari...yes, in true Steve Irwin fashion, the fanatics were in search of the big five. So a 5.30am start for a 3 hour bus ride to the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Reserve. Now the brilliance of these reserves is that there is no fencing and the animals are not captured and placed within the environment. They are at home and we are in their territory. There are gravel and sealed roads winding amongst the thick foliage, and the 9 seater 4-wheel drives just manage to fit through in some areas with branches brushing the sides of the car. And when you realise how close you actually come to some of the wildlife, scary thoughts start to conger.

I must admit that this was one of the events of the tour of which yours truly was most looking forward to. Unfortunately we only had the opportunity to spend 3 or so hours venturing through the harsh vegetation, but the opportunity to come across the Lion, Cheetah, Elephant, Rhino or Water Buffalo (the Big 5) in their own environment and up close set an air of expectation for all. Sadly for us, the day was cold and windy, so the chance of seeing any of the pre mentioned was less than the norm.

Unfortunately for us, the Lions, Cheetah’s and Elephants were too elusive, however one lucky group of 9 managed to see a Lion feeding some 10 metres from their vehicle. Fortunately for the group, we had one of the more successful days of the touring party, coming across many giraffe’s, Water Buffalo, Impala, and even the great white Rhino. It amazes me how close to the animals that you actually are at times before you can even pick them out. At one point a 6 metre giraffe appeared approximately 5 metres from the vehicle, and walked along beside us and around the vehicle. For that one minute in time I thought I was a cast member in Jurassic Park. It was another experience within this beautiful country that we will never ever forget.



On the return to Durban HQ, we managed to catch the game between Spain and Switzerland. And so on the last game of the first round for each country came the first upset of the tournament. For many, the Spanish are the outrageous favourites, so for European minnows the Swiss, the result was met with absolute euphoria around Durban, and it will be very interesting to see whether Spain can recover to move through to the knockout stages.

Tonight’s entertainment at HQ took us back to our teenage years. The fanatics were treated to a night live with Fatboy Slim. Even the panel managed to cut a groove to the world renowned DJ. Charlie’s wife was seen to set the dance floor alight with her light footed steps, however some of the movers and groovers would have done better to pull up a bean bag as the heavy feet almost managed to register on the Richter scale....I’m no Fred Astaire, but it’s amazing what a castle lager or two can do to one’s rhythm and flare.