Check the South Africa Page to see our visit to Zama Zulu Cutural Village and Hluhluwe Animal Park.

  Yes, he did it! A solution for the twins!! Two U Bolt through mast head, attached to which was a 12mm eye bolts to which a block was attached. Winched up the mast, Bob made the repairs and those monoliths flew once more – until this day, that was. Only hours into daylight disbelief […]

Fishing stories this trip were the tales of the ones that got away. Behemoths aplenty resided well below the surface of the seas we discovered, as time and again fishing tackle went missing in great numbers. Two of the lures remained behind to tell the story: one scarred deeply as razor sharp teeth etched trails […]

The first days out, winds were sublime. Late afternoon upon us this particular day, we were both in the galley, me preparing tea and Bob procuring an afternoon drink when the emission of a loud popping sound, followed in its wake by a muffled thud, promptly caught our attention. Whilst Bob raced upstairs, I rapidly […]

Excitement of the day occurred first thing. Upon awakening, I entered the pilot house as the whirring of the fishing line commenced. Mental faculties poorly operating as a result of sleep deprivation, looking at Bob the only sounds emitted from my mouth were, ‘Fish! Fish! Fish………….’ Bob glanced askance at me, with total lack of […]

The one thing we discovered about Cape Town, was that there was no in between when it came to the wind: it was either blowing a gale or absolutely nada. One could also be in Cape Town with the wind at Force one, and around the corner at the Cape of Good Hope it would […]

We’re off. Exquisite weather, little wind after winds of up to 42 knots racing through last night.

Sunday afternoon saw us taking a few hours off of our departure preparations: with the intention of returning to South Africa for further exploration, we haven’t been too concerned about the lack of time spent exploring. The countryside itself reminds us of good old Oz in may ways: rugged and dry. For our Carnarvonite friends, you will be amazed […]

South Africa, a fascinating region of the world. An ancient, harsh land eroded by time and its elements, its magnificent animals leaving you in awe of their power. Animals aside, many were the times we commented upon how similar the country itself reminded us of home, but that wasn’t so surprising when one considered the […]

The following days found us driving Cape Town in search of batteries and a new aluminium whisker pole. Initially travelling by taxi, we drove through what was once a suburb lived in by the wealthiest of Afrikaans and had since become a middle class sector. Pointing out a series of yellow multi storied apartment buildings […]

Mid-afternoon, Gratis entered the gentle swirls of the eastern coast of South Africa once more. What wind there was came from the South – upon the nose. With sea swirls flowing beneath, we were entertained by a mama Pacific gull educating her fledglings in ocean flying. Off, she would take, only to land a short […]

Midnight, the alarm rudely emitted its piercing cry. Finally, the long awaited weather window had arrived and a northerly was gently kissing the air. A final perusal of the weather predictions online, Big Bertha roared to life. Mooring lines released, Gratis gracefully glided into the darkness. With the coming of full daylight, it was possible […]

Preparations for the move are coming along: food stowed, repairs made…… It’s now just wait for the weather window. Video editing has commenced. With some rain predicted, another visit to the parks is imminent: with water pooling in a region that is currently rain deprived, that’s when the animals appear. Our friends from Thor espied […]

Scroll down to the 2nd January to see the pics and spiel. http://gratisaustralis.com/the-journey-so-far/journey-the-world/2014-2/richards-bay-south-africa/ A bit more on Daily Snippets. http://gratisaustralis.com/preparations/ Some information to be found about South Africa and the places we’ve been. http://gratisaustralis.com/the-journey-so-far/journey-the-world/2014-2/richards-bay-south-africa/south-africa-useful-information/

Time is a passing and work on Gratis well under way. The engine maintenance is practically completed and the replacement of the flood pump hose continues: good quality product is required, otherwise the oil destroys it. Images from the first day in Hluhluwe have been completed and are now on the page for South Africa. Another week […]

No images this morning. Believing we were heading to Bayeto Zulu Elephant Game Park and informed the drive was only 45 minutes duration, we were surprised when the distance was much greater. With no sign posting, which puzzled us a little, we continued onward, for our information came from a local in the marina who knew the […]

An early rise, and on this rain cloud morning we departed for Hluhluwe and our accommodation, Hluhluwe River Lodge, just an hour and a half north of Richards Bay. The red marks our trip to our accommodation, the blue the unexpected exploration we had on the Saturday. Eucalyptus plantations – the trees originally brought in from […]

Thanks to Somalian pirates the traditional and much easier northern ‘Milk Run’ route through south East Asia, India and the Suez Canal is no longer an option, and it was armed with this foreknowledge on the possible conditions to be faced that we commenced our first Oceanic crossing. For many geographical and climatic reasons, the […]