supplies – Clancy Abroad

Powerline wild camp to Camelthorn Farmstay

The wild camp next to the powerlines was good. Quiet, a few cow bells, no people. I got going and drove the 10km back to Rakops. I arrived at the ATM. Joy! There was a queue. So I joined the queue (I think I was person number 6). I got out the maximum I could withdraw twice. The max withdrawal was about $A300. So equipped with all this cash I headed to another of the supermarkets. The first one has almost nothing. The second one was better stocked, and I bought some apples (I had run out a while back). I wanted some potatoes,but they only sold them in 10kg bags, so it was too much for me. I tried the hardware for some disposable gloves (greasing and oil changes) but didn’t see any. I contacted Camelthorn to see if I could get a campsite, and they got back to me to confirm. It was about 90km to Camelthorn. The last 6km was a sandy track, and I had to stop and lower the tyre pressures a bit.

So I arrived at Camelthorn, great campsite.They have a viewing deck that looks over a waterhole in the river that I went down to look at. There was close to 100 zebras, more than I had ever seen in a group.Plus there were a couple of Elephants, a couple of Hippos, some wildebeests , and a lone antelope.

I went back in the evening. There was a floodlight, and I could dimly make out an elephant and some zebra, but not much else.

I did some washing.Its been two weeks since I have had enough water to do clothes washing. The best of all was the shower. I had spent two weeks using a solar shower bag with 4 litres of water in it, it was great to have unlimited water.

The zebra and more from the viewing platform

Johannesburg to Spioenkop Dam to Kloof

We flew back to Joberg from Italy arriving on the morning of August 8th. First job was to drive to Blue Hole where I had left the awning and seats for some sewing work. Blue Hole put on a new awning, with thicker reflective material, new awning bag, and made two new bags for the folding chairs, plus a couple of seat covers. They did a great job, and it was cheap at $A280.

Then it was of to Harvest Place shopping centre for supplies for the next few weeks.

The next day we went to lunch with Marion and David the couple that run the storage place Airport en Route. We went to the Shed and Silo about a kilometer away. It was packed out, we had to wait about 30 minutes for a table, but it was a nice lunch.

Next day we headed out at around 9am headed towards Durban in KZN. Traffic was light as it was a long weekend. It was a holiday on Friday for Woman’s Day in South Africa. 337km out at around 5pm we arrived at a campsite at Spioenkop Dam nature reserve. A few other campers at the reserve. We had power and reasonable ablutions.

Next day it was back on the road and back to the N3. We had lots of the traffic on the N3, it was the last day of the holiday weekend. A long stretch of roadworks that were tricky to navigate. After a bit over 200km we arrived in Kloof where we are staying for 6 days in an AirBnB.

Great Zimbabwe Ruins

After a night of power which was great, we woke to rain and cold. I decided we needed to get some more clothes washing power so I walked in the rain about 3km to the nearest village to get some. I got back with the washing powder, it was still raining. We decided that the forecast for the afternoon would be better, and we would head to Great Zimbabwe ruins about 2pm.

We walked the 700m to Great Zimbabwe ruins, and paid for a guide. Stephen had been a guide there since 1985, and was very knowlegable. Stephen took us through the museum, with a torch, because there was no power. He did well considering the circumstances. We then walked on to the great enclosure, which is quite something, and then we climbed the hill, into the clouds.

Camped in the rain amongst the permanent tents (empty) at the Great Zimbabwe Hotel

Hiding out from the rain in the camper, drying clothes with the heater on.

part of the wall of the great enclosure, 5 m high

One of the corridors between inner and outer walls of the Great Enclosure

The herringbone pattern at the top of the wall of the Great Enclosure

Stephen, our guide, heading up the climb to the Hill complex

The entrance to the enclosure at the top of the hill

The pulpit, the highest point on the Hill complex

Woodlands camp Francistown to Tantebane Game Ranch

Another cold morning, it got to 5C inside the camper. I was reluctant to start the diesel heater too early because its a bit noisy. I packed up and headed back to Francistown. I visited the Spar and one of the -a least three- shopping centres in Francistown. I got even more supplies, convinced, probably wrongly, that I will not be able to get anything in Zimbabwe. I then visited another Builders to get some contact cement and this aluminum angle I am seeking. When I walked in I was offered free popcorn, and interesting incentive to get customers to shop on a Sunday morning. I managed this time to get my Aluminum angle and proceeded to cut it in half with a hacksaw so I could fit it in the roof.

Then off to the Puma service station where I filled Clancy and four jerry cans, 146 litres, as fuel is cheap in Botswana, and expensive, or hard to get in Zimbabwe.

Then it was up the road towards Tantebane, and after that the Zimbabwe border. I got to Tantebane, and was directed to my campsite. A few campers already here (South Africa school holidays…), and it does seem they have crammed as many in as possible. However I am here for three nights, and I have got a good campsite well separated from other campers. No mains power so I set up the solar panels to keep me powered. I am now 45km from the Zimbabwe border.