A BLOG ABOUT OUR TRIP TO THE WORLD CUP IN SOUTH AFRICA

This is a blog to share information with our friends and family about our upcoming trip to South Africa to follow Australia in the World Cup, see the other Big Game in the Kruger Park and see the country where Pamela was brought up.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

The Birds Have Landed...

Got home around 5.30pm yesterday - pretty uneventful flights - happy to be back in time for the quarter finals - we managed to stay in SA longer than England and Australia!

Now Brazil are out and Africa has been robbed of a semi-finalist by the dastardly Uruguayans we're going for the Netherlands to win it - though in our family tipping comp all but Joe have favoured the Germans - he is still tipping the Argies - we shall see...

We've now uploaded a load of photos taken at the games we went to and in Lesotho. They are on the 3 relevant pages on this blogsite - just go to the tabs at the top. Feel free to post a comment if you like...

Friday, July 2, 2010

Now Reached Singapore...

...and its 27 degrees at 5.30am!

Will soon be off on the second leg to home.

Plane full of Fanatatics - like them we lasted longer in SA than our team.

Looking forward to re-entering a brave new Staray lead by a woman - will it look any different??

Will avoid any sexist comments - surely there have been none so far in Julia's reiegn???!!>???

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

POLL RESULT - and more...

Been out of telecom access for 3 days in Lesotho - but now back on the road to Joburg.

The answer to our poll was...

...ELEPHANT!

We arived at our first camp in the Kruger in the dark and were guided to our tented camp by a ranger. Before we could get there we saw a family of elephants taking an evening drink at a waterhole - this was followed by Pamela using her old African detection skills to spot a couple more in the undergrowth a few metres from our camp.

Its been amazing to see (or not see) how even elephants are well camoflaged in the bush - our prize sighting of a lepoard sleeping up a tree was coutesy of a group of experts who had been put onto it by a tracker - we happened to be passing - it was a very special sight!

We've been lucky enough to see rhino, elephants (loads), impala, kudu, herds of pythonesque wildebeast, buffalos too, lotsa zebras and giraffes, warthogs, hippos, hyenas, jackals, honey badgers, otters, squirrels (a big fave), baboons, tortise, vultures and many more. Will post up some more photos.

The Kruger landscapes and the whole of SA - have been stunning too.

Have covered a lot of km and are now close to joburg from where we fly out tomorrow.

We finish up today with a visit to Pamela's old home where she was raised (apparantly not in the jungle after all) when we get back to JB - then a family braaai.

Today is the first day without a world cup game on since we've been here - we've watched a heck of a lot as its taken the country over - we finished up yesterday with a rather special time with the Kick for Life HIV/AIDS charity in Lesotho including a game of our own - more on that soon..

Lesotho by Joe

For the past two days we have been in Lesotho.

The first night we stayed in Morija which is just off the capital, Maseru. It was really nice. Me and Talia played uno with some English blokes.

Today we drove to Malealea. It is a nice big camp with a rec room with snooker, ping pong, a ripstick and a foozball machine. Its also got a swimming pool and a TV to watch the football.

I played a game of football with a local team for a HIV|AIDS charity. It was 2-2 but we won on penalty shootout. I was the only one on the pitch who was under 20 years old!! (Dad was the oldest!!!)

I took one of the penalties, I sent the keeper the wrong way but I hit the post!!!! The pitch was mostly soil and the grass was extremely lumpy so it was very slippery.

We went on a horse ride this afternoon for about an hour and a half. Overall I’ve really enjoyed Lesotho.

Joe

Monday, June 28, 2010

More Kruger + Bylde River Canyon...

...a few shots from yesterday...Yes - we've finally got a Balmain tractor...You need one when you meet theseSwim at the camp - note the impala springing in the background - and Joe's rather lovely explosive shorts!!!

Then on to Blyde River canyon and the 3 Rondavels --- hmmmmmm, where have us Ozzies seen something like this before....????........

No Russian Linesman This Time!

As Joe wrote - we just went to the England Germany game - they lost 4-1 and England were lucky to get 1.

Whilst one goal was ruled out they would have needed a bucketful to overcome the old enemy. They simply weren't very good - a lot of overpaid poms who are too old and slow - at least when we lost to them we only had 10 players!

Good game nonetheless - Germany look pretty good - though they may find it harder against a team with a decent defence.

We've now finished off all our games we're attending - we've been to 7 - averaging 3.5somethin goals a game - great stuff - more details of which later.

Meanwhile tomorrow we're off to Lesotho to play a game of our own - check out the Lesotho2010 page on this blog for details...

Rubbish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just got back from the England Germany game.

RUBBISH!!!!!!!

John Terry was man of the match for mistakes, Glen Johnson close behind and Gareth Barry comes in third. Calamity James also lived up to his name with that second German goal.

Well now I have a back up plan if I can't play for Aus or SA it can always be England. It makes me glad as an Australian to watch the old enemy thrashed.

The only negative was getting covered with beer by some annoyed England fan who was not happy.

never mind.

All good.

Joe