South Africa Stories

What a week! Never have I had so many firsts and ticked so many life boxes in such a short time. I met up with cousin Emily in Durban and we drove down to pick up brother Steve in East London, before continuing all the way along the stunning Garden Route to Cape Town. Having adventures all the way. Here are just the highlights:

Day 1: Skydiving over Pietermaritzburg. A husband and wife team (she flies the plane, and he throws himself out of it) took me up to 11,000ft where we jumped and freefell for about 40 seconds before I got to open the chute myself and steer it towards the final landing spot.

Day 2: Snorkelling the Sardine Run on the Wild Coast (so called for its rugged landscape, big waves and big sharks). I joined up with a guy who was taking a small group of friends (6 professional divers) out on his boat for a day. We went zooming up and down the coastline, looking for flocks of sea birds diving into the water to mark the shoals of sardines, and the predators who pursue them in a constant feeding frenzy. We were not disappointed. I got into the water 3 times. The first time, 4 of us were snorkelling alongside a manta ray when one shark, then two, then more appeared from the murk. Before we knew it, there were 50 to a hundred copper and black tip sharks around us (8 feet long each). We stayed in a tight group as they circled around us and the two guys with spear guns were having to poke away the sharks who came too close. Equally exhilarating and terrifying! The second time, we got into the middle of a ‘bait ball’, where dozens of dolphins corral a shoal of thousands of sardines into a dense cloud and then take turns to shoot through it grabbing the trapped fish. The water was thick with sardines and Common and Bottlenose dolphins all around, clicking and whistling to each other as birds peppered the surface, diving in at high speed and snatching at the fish. The last time, we were lucky enough to cross in front of a pod of humpback whales (the fourth pod we had seen that morning). A couple of us got into the water and swam gently towards their path. A few moments later, an enormous adult humpback came cruising past, not 8 feet away, turning side-on to look at us, then showing us its belly and diving down into the murky depths. Some people search for their whole lives for sights like these, and we had 3 in one day.

Day 3: Elephant-back Safari. Just the three of us, with one elephant each. No saddle or platform – just sitting astride the neck of an adult African elephant, with a ‘driver’. We even got to feed them by hand. It is amazing how gentle such an enormous animal can be, and by the end I was truly speechless. It was a surreal experience.

Day 4: Canopy Tour and The World’s Highest Bungy Jump at Bloukrans. We spent the morning in the forest canopy, zip-lining down cables strung between treetop platforms. A little further down the coast, a massive road bridge spans a valley in the Storms River region. Swan diving off the 216m drop was one of the most thrilling things I’ve ever experienced. But all I could think as my feet left the edge was “what have I just done?!” The acceleration is breathtaking and the freefall seems to last forever until the reassuring pull of the elastic kicks in.

Day 5: Ostrich racing, Crocodile-cage-diving and Cheetah petting. Ostrich farming is big business in the Eastern Cape, and some farms will let you ride the birds. Hanging on for dear life is probably more accurate. Their speed is remarkable and they can throw you off with a sudden stop (as I discovered the hard way). Nearby, a wildlife park allows you to get close to some of the predators. I got into a cage the size of a small phonebox and was lowered into the croc pool. Two reptiles of around 12 feet and 15 feet respectively were my bathing companions and one of them even had a go at biting the cage and pushing its snout through the bars. I got to stroke its tail as it cruised past. After drying off, I was taken into the Cheetah enclosure with two adolescent cats. The friendlier one acted just like a domestic cat, purring as I scratched behind its ears (but a purr strong enough to feel the vibrations in your body) and even licking my leg affectionately. They are majestic creatures and I felt truly privileged to interact with it, (and not be torn to pieces!). I want one.

Day 6: Oysters and wine Knysner runs an annual oyster festival, where we gorged on shellfish, before visiting the Robertson wine region further south to taste their latest offerings. A very indulgent end to a thoroughly adrenaline-fuelled week.

Next weekend: Cage-diving with Great Whites.