Day 2 – June 1, 2009 – Baobab Lodge via Martins Drift to Khama Rhino Sanctuary

On Monday 1st June we slept in. After a nice hot shower in the outhouse shower Elaine prepared a lovely omelette for us. We lazed around and eventually left Baobab Lodge at about 10h30 that morning.

Martins Drift border post was not too busy. We had a bit of a delay getting through the Botswana side mainly because a queue had formed at the insurance agent’s desk.

We paid the following:

RTP Road Permit P80
NRF Road Fund P40
MVI Road Insurance P50
We filled up with diesel at Engen garage Martin’s Drift. We then pulled over to a picnic area near the garage and Elaine served us a lovely ham rolls meal for lunch.

From Martin’s drift we headed for Palapye. During the night at Baobab Lodge we had decided that we were a blanket short and headed for the Pep store in Palapye where we parted with P150 for a lovely warm blanket. From Palapye we headed for Khama Rhino Sanctuary via Serowe. Pipeline construction was in progress all the way from Palapye to Serowe. Chinese contactors. We adhered to the speed limits’; very tiresome 80 km speed limits for many kilometres. We soon saw the benefits of adherence when we noted unmarked Botswana traffic Police pulling over offenders. The police vehicles are fitted with speed detection devices and can detect speed of moving vehicles both from oncoming traffic and traffic to the rear.

We stopped at Serowe to top up with diesel. We were erring on caution, rather having too much than too little fuel.

We arrived at Khama Rhino Sanctuary at about 16h45pm. We noted the bush was very thick so very unlikely that we would spot Rhino. We decided to give a game drive a miss and rather set up camp, have a shower and relax.

The ablution blocks are small A-framed thatched affairs. We were lucky to find luke warm water. The decision was made to do a spatch chicken braai that evening. A large overland truck pulled up in the adjacent site. We prepared ourselves for the worst. The over Landers were jovial but well behaved. The first night in Botswana was very enjoyable. It was amazing to see so many stars in the sky.

Day 1 – May 31, 2009: Durban to Baoboab Lodge, Swartwater (Near Martins Drift)

The waiting was over. May 31, 2009 dawned. We left Durban at 07h15 am in the morning and headed for Baobab Lodge situated 20 km from Martin’s Drift. It was a long day in the car. My Isuzu KB 300 D-Teq Auto 4x4 towed the trailer with ease. But it is an uphill climb to Johannesburg from Durban and we were averaging a rather thirsty 14.5 L/100 km. I used the cruise control and set it at 120 km /h. The Isuzu easily maintained this speed.

In the mail I received a fine of R300 some four weeks later with a photograph of my vehicle doing 98 km / h in a 80 km / h zone close to Shell Ultra just north of Harrismith. Fellow travellers, you have been warned!

We stopped off briefly in Johannesburg to look for a 12 Volt fluorescent light. An inspection light that we had purchased had failed the evening before while we were packing. We were down to one fluorescent light. Another lesson learned. Test your kit properly before embarking on a long journey. 4x4 Megaworld at Edenvale was closed (Sunday) and we were not able to find another outlet. Also the clock was ticking.

We routed via Potgietersrust (Mokopane) to Martinsdrift. Once we left the N1 the traffic thinned out considerably and apart from having to contend with driving into the setting sun the trip from Potgietersrust uneventful and the road in excellent condition.

We arrived at Baobab Lodge at 17h30 in the evening. A warm log fire was burning in the boma in front of the lovely wooden cottage we had been allocated.

Baobab Lodge is accessed by taking the Swartwater gravel road at Marnitz for about 7Km. It is the second Swartwater road after Baltimore +- 160 km from Mokopane/Potgietersrust. Baobab Lodge is on a farm owned by Henk Malan and run by his wife, Anel. They can be contacted on anel.malan@worldonline.co.za. Our accommodation cost us R200 per person and was well worth the cost.


A very pleasant evening was spent around the fire and we took advantage of the coals to braai juicy steaks. The beds were comfy

Where It All Started....

This whole Botswana thing started happening when we walked into the House and Garden Show in Durban back in July, 2008. We had been camping in KZN at various KZN Parks and also Caravan Parks since 2002. So far we had never ventured further and were convinced KZN had all we were looking for when it came to camping holidays. We had built up a fairly comfortable selection of camping equipment over the years.

But something was missing.

When we walked onto the Afrispoor site and started talking to Afrispoor owner, Dave Coombes we knew what it was. A mobile home offering the comforts which we prefer to have when in the bush; but with the functionality of being set up and packed quickly.

The Afrispoor trailer was ordered and then the planning began.

I spent hours scanning the overland community websites. At first the plan was bold. We were going through Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia on trip #1. The research revealed that this would not be that easy. Botswana seemed very much the destination of choice for the Africa Overland beginner.

Veronica Roodt’s Shell Guide and maps were purchased. Plans were made, changed and changed again. We learned the hard way not to take for gospel everything everyone writes on the forum.

Our one big worry was would the batteries supplying power to our National Luna hold out; and if they failed in the bush what then? Some may scoff at our decision. We bought an Engel Generator which later came into use.

Perhaps some mistakes were made due to our inexperience with a trip of this magnitude. We realized we had to reduce the luxury kit we were used to carrying with us until now. Perhaps we did not reduce enough. The Botswana trip proved “less is more”.

Initially our daughter, Kylie, and her fiancé, Scott, were going to accompany us. On Friday 24th April, 2009 we were preparing to travel to Lotheni for the long weekend when we learned that Scott had been retrenched. We felt sick and wanted to cancel the Lotheni weekend. Scott insisted we go ahead and joined us. This was good practice for Botswana in that the trailer had to be hauled over some pretty rough berg roads and Lotheni does not have electricity. It was also cold at night.

During the weekend we discussed Botswana and Elaine and I decided that even though Scott and Kylie had to pull out which meant no back-up vehicle we would still go ahead with the Botswana trip.

Scatterlings of Africa

Scatterlings of Africa
Copper sun sinking low
Scatterlings and fugitives
Hooded eyes and weary brows
They are the scatterlings of Africa
Each uprooted one
On the road to Phelamanga
Where the world began
I love the scatterlings of Africa
Each and every one
In their hearts a burning hunger
Beneath the copper sun
Ancient bones from Olduvai
Echoes of the very first cry
"Who made me here and why
Beneath the copper sun?"
African idea
African idea
Make the future clear
Make the future clear
And we are the scatterlings of Africa
Both you and I
We are on the road to Phelamanga
Beneath a copper sky
And we are the scatterlings of Africa
On a journey to the stars
Far below, we leave forever
Dreams of what we were