Hi, thanks for taking a look,

We went back to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland in January 2006. The country (South Africa) is going downhill rapidly and I don't expect another visit from us is on the cards until the country/government improves the political situation and the crime rate. Dispossessing white farmers of their land and killing 6% of them doesn't really make for a holiday environment. Is South Africa the Zimbabwe of the early 21 century? It looks that way I am afraid to say.

Note:   This page was certainly NOT sanctioned by

The background to this photo is a very dry Zambezi River at the famous Victoria Falls compare this one to the amount of water that was flowing a couple of years ago. (See the next photo on this page) Just a comment here added 16.11.04 - whilst that madman is still president stay away from Zimbabwe I am just glad I saw the country before it's recent demise)

Both born in Scotland we emigrated to live in South Africa in 1984 and frequently visited areas such as Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls, Etosha, Kalahari-Gemsbock National Park, Okavango, Kruger National Park, Gona-Ra-Zhou, etc whilst we lived there. Now living in Australia, since 1987, we still find that the draw of the African bush keeps us returning there about every 18 months or so depending upon the political situation. Everybody I know that has lived in Africa cannot get Africa out of their blood and they keep yearning to return. Our last trip  back  was in August   2004. Visit the continent and see if you have the same experience.

Another site that you may be interested in is How to Make Real South African Biltong - a traditional South African delicacy which is a must for travellers. Real South Africans won't set off on a drive of any significance without a bag of biltong or droë wors by their side.

A bit of a difference. These pictures were taken during the famous Flight of Angels over the Vic Falls and if you ever visit the Victoria Falls a trip on the Flight of Angels is a must, forget the cost the sights are breathtaking. Large quantities of water from the Zambesi River are used for irrigation by other countries and this must be restricted to preserve the flow of the river at, and below, the Victoria Falls. If you think this opinion may be at a difference to other pages on this site just go and visit Zimbabwe, Zambia, et al, and then tell me where you think the real environmental problems are. Australia or Southern Africa? Whilst in the area you might care to visit Gona Re-Zhou National Park in the south east of Zimbabwe, bordering Mozambique, where there are far too many elephants for the 7,500 sq km National Park. The recent fighting and poaching in Mozambique have resulted in the elephants migrating to the relative safety of Gona Re-Zhou National Park. This National Park can sustain a population of about 4,000 elephants not the current numbers of 7,000+. They are destroying the National Park but the culling of elephants is not permitted in Zimbabwe, unlike South Africa, where the potential over population of elephants is controlled. It may appear harsh to cull elephants but for their long term survival, and the long term survival of the other animal inhabitants of National Parks in Africa, it is essential. I really enjoyed my holidays in Zimbabwe but I doubt I shall ever visit again as that dictator Mugabe has totally wrecked a once beautiful and relatively prosperous country and it would be foolhardy to travel until the political situation changes dramatically - like his death would be a good start.

Sorry about the quality of this photo but it was taken shortly after dawn using ASA1000 film and it has also been compressed, it was taken using a Ricoh camera with a 400mm lens and a 2x converter.

What a magnificent sight we saw this morning. On the morning drive just before breakfast, we watched three lions bring down and kill two wildebeest in the southern part of the Kalahari-Gemsbok National Park in the west of South Africa bordering on Namibia. A sight to behold and I don't think we'll ever be so lucky again. Magnificent to see such nature in the real world. The lions were still protecting their kill three days later but the hyenas and jackals were close by waiting to move in on the leftovers, with vultures flying overhead. Eat your heart out and go see it all for yourself. Sorry to sound like a tourist advertisement but I love the African continent and the wildlife. Contact the South African Tourist Board for yourself or contact the African Travel Gateway for more information or just to wet your appetite.

Another interesting site, with a fair amount of statistics (good for comparative purposes), and well worth having a look at is this African Site. WARNING: This site can be a bit slow to download - it just depends who is peddling the bicycle in southern Africa! Information on every country on the African continent is available from this page - if you are interested it is worth the wait.

Take a look at a collection of African Signs. For some reason Africans have a knack for creating amusing signs.

African Sunsets with a G&T in hand are just perfect. . . . . . .

Have a look at the Photo Album and remember in southern Africa they also have less flies than Australia!

"Nokosi Sikele iAfrica" (God Bless Africa) is now part of the South African National Anthem.

The note below is a reminder of the situation that many Africans face on a day to day basis. It will not be too long before South Africa becomes a basket case just like Zimbabwe - mark my words - the writing is already on the wall.

This is a note that was left by our African maid one day back in 1986 when we lived in Johannesburg. The English is not great but hell you get the message, it just left me almost speechless when I read it. Is this the way to achieve democracy? For ease of reading the note says:- Dear Sir Could please find me an empty room from your friends I will pay for it I don't want to stay at Soweto because they always fighting and burning the other people So I'm scared Thanks