Toyota athletes face major new challenge - Sept 29, 2008

Marathon men David Grier and Braam Malherbe at the home of the 4x4 Toyotas that are used as support vehicles during the Miles for Smles Coastal Challenge.

Toyota-sponsored athletes Braam Malherbe and David Grier are just days away from the world first of ‘running a smile’ around the entire coastline of South Africa – but the bigger challenge remains of raising more than R3-million for a children’s charity.

“Excitement and exhilaration levels are building as we get closer to our destination of the Mozambican resort of Ponta do Ouro,” Braam said, “but we run one day at a time, with each day bringing fresh challenges and new adventures.

“Running a marathon a day, six days a week, is obviously a massive undertaking,” David insisted, “and sometimes the pain and exhaustion is suffocating, but you simply push on, reminding yourself of all the children whose lives will be changed forever by the money raised for Operation Smile South Africa.

“Our goal from the outset has been to raise R1 000 for every kilometre we cover, which will translate into an objective of more than R3-million when we clock up around 3 300km at the finish in Mozambique next week.”

The two never-say-die Capetonians made history in 2006 when they became the first to run and hike the entire length of the Great Wall of China, completing the equivalent of 98 marathons in 98 days of running.

“It was only after we returned home from that epic endurance test that much of the money for the children came pouring in,” they recalled. “It seemed as if people were holding their breath to see if we could achieve our objectives, before committing hard-earned funds to this worthy charity. More likely it was because much of the publicity came weeks and months after the event.”

Already more than R1-million has been raised with a major role played by the Round Table organisation which adopted the Cipla Spar Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge 2008 as their official charity for the year.

Saturday was a day of highlights with the mayor of eThekwini, Obed Mlaba, enthusiastically welcoming the runners to Durban while the chairman of the South Coast branches of Round Table SA, Steven Bell, presented a cheque for R250 000 to Operation Smile.

Another highlight was running past Toyota South Africa’s manufacturing plant in Prospecton, near Durban, where the team’s 4x4 support vehicles – a Hilux double cab and three Fortuners - were built.

“The vehicles have been such an important part of our lives during the three months we’ve been on the road, “ team member Geoffrey Smith enthused, “and we got a real kick out of seeing the plant where they were actually produced.”

“Without our four rugged 4x4 Toyotas the Coastal Challenge would not have been feasible, with major flooding, mud and deep sand adding to the challenge and the fun for the support crew.”

Often the support team have had to make major detours to reach the runners who hug the coastline wherever possible, running along beaches, hiking trails, and roads and tracks.

This week they’re running up KZN’s North Coast to Richard’s Bay and St Lucia, where they will experience some of the wonders of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly Greater St Lucia Wetland Park).

Online donations can be made on the Operation Smile SA website where the runners’ daily progress can also be charted. Visit www.milesforsmiles.co.za and www.toyota.co.za and see Geoff Dalglish’s blog on http://ciplasparmilesforsmiles.blogspot.com/

Finding peace in the wilderness - Sept 26, 2008

Africa’s wild places could hold the key to humankind’s tortured quest for inner peace and joy.

The pressure of running a marathon a day, six days a week, is relentless, not only for athletes David and Braam, but for all the Miles for Smiles support team. But some of us, at least, are discovering, or rediscovering, the soothing balm of the wilderness.

Wilderness therapy ... when you stop your 4x4 and switch off the real magic begins.

I’ve long been aware that I am often only truly at peace in the wilds, and find it easiest to switch off my overheated brain when I’m far from the madding crowd, communing with Nature, rather than being busy, busy, busy while trying to meet too many self-imposed deadlines.

It is essential to find time to slow down and be quiet, even if only for a few minutes. And if we look, there are so many places to do this.

Of course, the idea of wilderness therapy isn’t exactly new. Poets, philosophers and naturalists increasingly recognise the role of the wilderness in maintaining a balance in our lives.

It is to wild Africa - the cradle of humankind - that we can return to at least briefly escape the pressures and stresses of modern life, and re-establish a connection with the land and ourselves.

As Ian Player, founder of the Wilderness Leadership School, observes in his book Zululand Wilderness: “On frequent visits to Europe, the United States, and the Far East, I have noticed that among people there is a weariness caused by travel without purpose.

“Instead of pilgrimages there are escapes. Africa can reintroduce this pilgrimage and give a new dimension to travel linked to our new age of exploration, not only of outer space but also of the inner dimension of humanness.”

He maintains that in our national parks and game reserves the ancient spirit “older than the spirit of man” still survives.

“What we have in these places,” he says, “is the most precious of worldly gifts, a sense of the spiritual connection between human beings and the land. If we protect and nurture this wilderness it could be our greatest contribution to the modern world and, sensitively managed, it could provide enormous benefits to us because it is a renewable natural resource.”

I am happiest at home in Cape Town when I’m climbing that iconic flat-topped mountain, sometimes following a path named after former Prime Minister, General Jan Christiaan Smuts.

He put his love of the mountain so eloquently when he said: “When we reach the mountain summits, we leave behind us all the things that weigh heavily on our body and our spirit. We leave behind all sense of weakness and depression; we feel a new freedom, a great exhilaration, an exaltation of the body no less than of the spirit.”

Noel de Villiers, founder of the non-profit Open Africa organisation, which is dedicated to unleashing the spirit of Africa with the creation of a network of tourism routes between Cape Town and Cairo, talks of ”the yearning of people everywhere to reconnect with the Earth and with their roots.”

And Africa, with its abundant natural resources but shortage of cash, is in a unique position today to offer what so many wealthy people in advanced countries desire – that reconnection with nature.

“In the African bush, far away from the surroundings you are accustomed to, you feel as though you have come home,” says Noel. “Some say it is because your spirit recognises the birthplace of its origin. Others say it is because of the silence, because of the overwhelming presence of the Creator. But nobody really knows.”

Many centuries ago the Latins described this mystique as mal D’Afrika, or the malady of Africa, with the French today referring to it as mal d’Afrique.

Former US President Theodore Roosevelt once said: “There are no words that can tell of the hidden spirit of the wilderness; that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm.”

And Chief Seattle, a Native American, put it so eloquently in a speech back in 1854: “If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected. Every part of this earth is sacred to my people.”

Dawn on the Wild Coast and moments of peace before another busy day begins.Photograph: Geoff Dalglish

Whatever your explanation or understanding, the important thing is to get out there and experience Africa’s wild places yourself. But be warned: it will change you forever.

COVER UP! - Sept 26, 2008

Our Miles for Smiles Double Cab Hilux is sporting a smart new Beekman Super Canopy. Geoff Dalglish reports.

Flashback to an earlier Hilux ... Geoff with a Toyota equipped with a Beekman Super Canopy.

The first fortnight of the Cipla Spar Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge included storms and massive flooding on the Cape West Coast, which brought home to the team just how vulnerable your equipment and belongings can be without proper protection on an extended expedition.

On arrival in Cape Town we called in on Beekman, one of the pioneers in the canopy business with the family-run operation having produced more than 150 000 canopies since 1972 and emerged as one of the most respected names in the industry.

I’d already enjoyed faultless service from a Beekman Super Canopy fitted to a Hilux Legend 35 which had adventured throughout Southern Africa, including trips to Botswana’s Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Kgalagadi and the Namib Desert - so it was the obvious choice for the team’s new-generation Double Cab. Well, several thousand kilometres and nearly three months later, we can report that the product has lived up to all expectations. It is tough, stylish and enjoys a reputation for durability.

Originally started as a business run from a garage by Adriaan Beekman, the Beekman company is now an approved supplier to Toyota, General Motors, Isuzu and Nissan, boasting a national network of agents, depots and dealers to ensure availability of a range of quality products and full after-sales service.

Contact: Tel (021) 948 3701, email sales@beekman.co.za or visit http://www.beekman.co.za/

Wild Coast heaven - Sept 23, 2008

Hluleka Nature Reserve is another secret hideaway discovered by the Miles for Smiles team...

Eagle's view - Sept 22, 2008

Eagle's view ... the Port St Johns river mouth from the top of towering sandstone cliffs above the town.

Pssst! - Sept 22, 2008

For once in my life I was in no particular hurry as I headed out of Coffee Bay, enjoying the road less travelled as I meandered parallel to the coast in the direction of Hluleka Nature Reserve.

Imagine my surprise when I became aware of a rhythmic ‘pssst, pssst, pssst’ through the open driver’s window. Oh No, I thought. Surely not a puncture!

Stopping I confirmed my worst fears and established that I had time to drive to flat ground, choosing a village’s sports field where I could change the tyre safely at my leisure.

By the time I’d unpacked the back of the car to get to the Fortuner’s toolkit, I’d become the main event with a crowd of youngsters gathering and animatedly discussing my progress.

This would be a tyre change, and possibly a puncture repair, like they’d never seen and I congratulated myself on the foresight to pack my ARB compressor pump in its handy carrying box, along with my robust exhaust-powered airjack. Both quality items, purchased from 4x4 MegaWorld some years back, had proved invaluable in the past.

Soon a determined young man strode up confidently, assessed the scene and announced that he’d take over. “Where’s the jack,” he demanded? I pointed at the airjack and he pretended that he knew what it was, although was clearly puzzled.

His command of English rivalled my grasp of Xhosa and we had a comedy of errors as he removed the airjack connection from the exhaust each time the car was high enough to work on. Eventually we got it right, and I used two plugs to seal a gaping gash in the tread, but decided to use the spare tyre instead anyway.

Splashdown ... Braam and David hitch a ride with a Toyota Fortuner support vehicle at the end of a day of wading, swimming and paddling across numerous river mouths, some inhabited by huge sharks.

Photograph: Geoff Dalglish

All was well I thought, but the adventure was just beginning.

My helper confided that while we’d been changing the wheel one of my bags had apparently been stolen. He hadn’t seen it happen, but was clearly outraged. I couldn’t see anything missing, but asked what he suggested. “We must talk to my father,” he insisted.

We drove to a nearby hut and there was much discussion and hand-waving as the local village headman was apprised of the situation. “Wait by that horse,” I was instructed, watching with interest as the headman strode towards some nearby huts, my helper shaking his head and repeating: “He’s a thief, a thief.” He seemed quite distraught.

A few minutes later the headman returned and presented me with my toiletry bag, all its contents intact. The person who had liberated it had done a runner, but I suspected there would be harsh justice on his return.

With my helper acting as an interpreter I explained what the Miles for Smiles mission was all about, adding that crime perpetrated on tourists would drive them away, further compounding problems of local impoverishment.

All of this was explained to the nearby villagers in the local tongue, the headman exercising his traditional authority in an easy, relaxed style.

I gave them both warm handshakes, my sincere thanks and a small financial reward each, my helper pleading for me to find him a job, any job. His name is Bathanda and he’s a personable young man of integrity who can be reached on (073) 032 7195. Maybe somebody has something appropriate to offer him?

Hluleka Nature Reserve

Hluleka could be another name for heaven and is at the end of a long, dusty road devoid of any useful signposting. Fortunately it featured on my Garmin Quest’s screen, my lady ‘Samantha’ providing with a number of helpful voice prompts.

I’d hoped to book us there for the night, but the reserve was closed until November when superb wooden chalets on stilts will provide awesome sea views over a beautiful and protected bay. Like so many other places we found on the Wild Coast, it is a piece of heaven and a place I intend to return to when I have time on my side.

While we waited for David and Braam to appear over the nearest hill, we swam and lazed and counted our blessings to live in a country of such unsurpassed beauty.

Heaven on Earth

There have been so many gems along the way that have astonished and delighted us. Highlights of the past week have included visiting Hole in the Wall and getting the guided tour of Port St Johns from John Costello, owner of the Outspan Inn and co-author of a magnificent coffee-table book, Mkambati and the Wild Coast.

He insisted on taking us to the local airstrip for sundowners, treating us to an eagle’s view of the
and estuary far below our perch on towering sandstone cliffs. It is a sight never to be forgotten.

Port St Johns has attracted travellers and adventurers through the centuries with a rugged coastline rich in diversity and wilderness, a series of hiking tracks allowing today’s visitors to follow the trails of early shipwreck survivors who must have marvelled at the pristine forests, rivers and waterfalls.

The area retains much of the appeal I remember from my first visit more than 30 years ago, although the town centre is scruffy and littered, and there seems little appreciation for the incalculable value of the surrounding indigenous forests and precious biodiversity.

A popular pastime seems to be connecting with the environment via the local brand of marijuana, which is smoked openly. Whatever pushes your buttons, I guess, although I get high enough simply from the awesome beauty of this coast. It is remarkable!

Visit www.portstjohns.org.za and email tourismpsj@wildcoast.co.za

Walking on the wild side

A personal highlight this week was probably my 13km, three-and-a-half hour hike with Braam and David from Umngazi River Bungalows to Port St Johns, which gave me a taste of what they’re experiencing along the Wild Coast.

Normally I’d have allocated up to five hours for this rugged hike which includes brief forays on the beach, trekking through indigenous forest and along the hilltops with some steep ascents and descents. It is breathtaking in its beauty, although the pace was punishing for someone who sat too long in a 4x4 these past few weeks. Our two Miles for Smiles heroes tackled the climbs at much the same speed as the flat sections so I had really push myself, my lungs gasping for more oxygen while the muscles in my legs burned with the exertion.

Hey, who’s complaining? It was awesome.

On TV tonight - Sept 17, 2008

Be sure to catch us on DSTV's Kyknet's Kwela programme tonight in a slot between 8pm and 9pm - we spent all of our Port Alfred rest day filming a couple of weeks ago, including a couple of scenes with the vehicles, so hopefully it will be good for all our major sponsors.

Conditions were appalling with a howling wind which should make for good TV.

Hole in the Wall - Sept 17, 2008

Photo opportunity ... Toyota runners Braam Malherbe and David Grier ranked Hole in the Wall as one of the most beautiful sights yet during the Cipla Spar Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge.
Photograph: Geoff Dalglish

THE PLANET NEEDS YOU! - Sept 16, 2008

Hiking for several kilometres along the coast yesterday I came across the tracks of 4x4s, quad bikes and mountain bikes and figured that only the latter were legal, the others flouting the controversial Beach Ban.

During the Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge we’ve celebrated the role of the custodians of our coast – official and unofficial – while lamenting the actions of poachers and some fishermen and 4x4 adventurers.

The situation is certainly much improved, but there needs to be a more universal respect for the protection of our coastline, and more thorough policing by the authorities.

All of which raises a familiar issue: do th actions of 4x4 owners really have an impact? Yes, unfortunately they do, and here’s what’s behind all the rules.

Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is the key to a healthy environment. The loss of one or more species, through the thoughtless actions of humans, often creates a disastrous chain reaction.
Consider that more than 100 plant or animal species are pushed over the brink of extinction each day, and you begin to appreciate the magnitude of the problem.

The Gauntlet ... a 4x4 on the legally guided Forbidden Land Trail in Namibia.

The balance of nature is a delicate thing. But the boom in 4x4 sales in recent years, and the go-anywhere ability of off-roaders, exposes formerly untouched areas to a damaging influx of traffic and human activity.

Even a seemingly harmless action like driving along a beach can have far-reaching consequences. Take turtle hatchlings, for example. They’re programmed to head straight for the sea and if they tumble into tyre tracks, they end up going left or right in the tracks where they’re easy meat for a multitude of predators.

I remember all too well a late-night quad bike blast down a Mozambique beach late a few years ago. It was exhilarating, satisfying my craving for speed, but on my return I witnessed a scene of terrible carnage with dead and dying ghost crabs where I’d ridden. I felt nauseated by my thoughtlessness and vowed never to be so irresponsible again.

I’ve since read an estimate that in certain beach areas a vehicle crushes three ghost crabs every kilometre it travels.

Happily, since the imposition of the Beach Ban we’ve seen a resurgence of threatened birds like the black oystercatcher which are sensitive to human disturbance, including 4x4 driving..

“Oystercatchers are territorial, which means that all the elements they need must be present in their environment at all times of the year,” said Professor Phil Hockey, an ornithologist at the University of Cape Town. “If one element goes, the bird goes with it.”

And oystercatchers aren’t the only victims. “You read a lot about oystercatchers because they’re obvious and people notice them, but they represent a host of other animals and fauna.” Many experts believe that the indirect effects of 4x4s can be more insidious than the direct damage they cause.

"People are actually a lot more dangerous. Thanks to 4x4s, they now have access to areas that were once remote, providing protected refuges for various species,” said Professor Hockey. Linefish stocks are a good example. Certain species in once-remote areas are now severely depleted, as their former refuges are now so easy to reach by 4x4.

Likewise in estuarine areas, 4x4s rapidly destroy sensitive saltmarsh vegetation that provides habitat for crabs, shrimps, fish and birds, while the burrowing organisms of the intertidal sand and mudflats are easily crushed.

Vehicle traffic can also compact the sand into a hard, inhospitable surface, preventing settlement by plants and animals.

Also under threat are ancient shell middens. Not only do they provide invaluable information about changes in climate, animal and plant life, they also offer clues to the lifestyle of strandlopers of prehistoric times. These middens, which are accumulations of shells that may contain stone tools, shards of pottery or bits of bone, can date back 120 000 years.

Environmentalists have long appreciated the value of a pristine unspoiled environment, but it can also play an important tourism role, bringing much-needed funds to impoverished communities.

So we need to think twice about the impact our passing (legal or illegal) might have.

Ready for take-off - Sept 15, 2008

Geoff does his seagull impersonation...

Paradise lost! - Sept 14, 2008

There’s an African proverb that says: ‘Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned to you by your children.’

And surveying the breathtakingly beautiful landscapes of the Eastern Cape’s Wild Coast I’m reminded again and again of our responsibility to a sustainable future.

This is a paradise with remote beaches butting up against rolling green hills and jagged cliffs, and mostly there is not a soul in sight, your footprints the only ones in the sand.

But all is not well in paradise with avaricious mining companies again focussing their beady eyes on this coastline while attempting to con impoverished locals into believing they’ll bring a bright, long-term future. Their track record says otherwise.

The reality is that they are smash and grab operators with all the ethics and social responsibility of your average opportunistic burglar, caring little for the wasteland they create in places of former beauty.

Chatting to hotelier Conrad Winterbach at Wavecrest Resort Hotel I meet a kindred soul who is passionate about the environment and alarmed by plans to dramatically degrade it.

He echoes the sentiments of the proverb I quote: “We are the custodians on behalf of future generations,” he insists. “For this reason, no group, individual or currently incumbent political party has the right to enrich itself, or its generation, at the expense of the planet and those who will occupy it in the future.”

The resort itself is a gem situated on the pristine mangrove-lined Nxaxo estuary, surrounded by magnificent dune forests and endless expanses of beach. But there has already been uncontrolled chopping of mangroves in the estuary and young hardwoods in the forests and untold harm has already been done by ill-considered actions, or a lack of action by the authorities.

He argues eloquently against mining as an even greater evil, scoffing at suggestions that the mining companies will rehabilitate the land they ravage. We all know that is at best PR-speak and at worst a wicked lie. You cannot recreate a pristine mangrove forest and estuary. Not in a thousand years!

Instead he campaigns for a carefully orchestrated tourism model that will create opportunities for locals, with the potential to develop games parks and nature reserves in the uninhabited coastal zone.

Spin-offs would include the further development of horse and hiking trails; whale and dolphin watching and deep sea safaris.

Fertile soil, a moderate climate, reliable rainfall and an abundance of rivers, streams and springs also make this coast a potentially rich farming area, instead of being laid to waste by over-grazing.

It is time for all us to look deeply inwards, examining our consciences and finding ways to ‘tread lightly’ upon Planet Earth, the endangered home we share with a multitude of other species. We need more Conrad Winterbachs to stand up and be counted.

Wavecrest - Sept 15, 2008

Dawn at Wavecrest … and the serene picture that could be threatened by mining and ill-considered practices.
Photograph: Geoff Dalglish

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE - Sept 13, 2008

Hey, this isn’t fair!

Thousands of hikers from around the world are probably proud of the fact that they have successfully completed the five-night Wild Coast Meander, celebrating some of the planet’s most awesome beach scenery.

And for mere mortals rather than super athletes like David Grier and Braam Malherbe it is a worthwhile achievement and a wonderful gift to body and soul. After all, what could be more uplifting than gently strolling down pristine beaches from one resort hotel to another? And to top it all, cheerful porters from nearby villages transport your main luggage, leaving you to shoulder a light daypack with hiking essentials like a camera, sun-tan lotion, towel and packed picnic lunch.

But super-heroes David and Braam compressed the normal 55km five-day route into a day and a half, and that despite sections of the trail and beaches damaged by recent storms. OK, so they’re not normal.

Both, though, have vowed to return for a more leisurely exploration, which is something all reasonably fit and healthy types can and should contemplate.

Does the idea appeal? Then follow the advice of American rock musician Lou Reed and “Take a walk on the wild side.”

I write this at Kob Inn, the usual starting point of the trail around 205km from East London, except that we’ve done it in reverse, travelling in the other direction. Today is a rest day for us all and I can think of nowhere I’d rather be, listening to the waves breaking a few metres away. In fact, even in campsites along the West Coast we weren’t this close to the beach. This truly is heaven, with nothing stretching ahead of me today other than a lazy breakfast, a long walk in the direction of The Haven Hotel (our next stop) and maybe some quad biking.

Daan van Zyl and the Kob Inn team are really rolling out the red carpet for the support crew.

Last night David and Braam were guests of honour at a black tie fund-raising dinner in KZN and are making their way back to us, this time with the help of an aircraft and a trusty Toyota Fortuner.

But I digress – back to the Wild Coast Meander.

It is the brainchild of Nita Ross who saw beach hotels on the brink of financial collapse in the wake of the 4x4 beach ban, as well as impoverished local communities in need of a reliable revenue stream. Presto! She came up with the idea of portered walks linking coastal hotels, recognising that there is no greater sensory experience than soft sea-sand beneath bare feet and the warm caress of the Indian Ocean as you explore deserted beaches, fringed by rolling green hills.

If you’re really into it, and I am, link the Wild Coast Meander and Wild Coast Amble to create an eight-night package. This way you still start at Kob Inn, but get to sample Mazeppa Bay Hotel, Trennerys, Wavecrest, Morgan Bay Hotel, Haga Haga Hotel, Crawfords Beach Lodge and Cabins and Glen Garrif or Inkwenkwezi.

Or if you just feel like chilling for a few days, select one or two of these and park off for a while. In that case you can drive directly to the lodge of your choice, normally peeling off the N2 highway and heading for the coast on dirt roads...

Otherwise you get yourself and family or friends to East London and are transported to the start of the Meander, then fetched at the finish.

At the end of each walk there’s the pampering of a hot shower and a hearty meal, inevitably followed by animated discussion in the pub. Successive days dish up delicious differences, each of the participating hotels having its own unique character and attractions.

How tough is it, most people want to know, fearing that they might be in for an Everest-sized endurance epic.

Your most important clue comes on the first morning when the porters arrive, most of them young women who are either barefoot or in slops, chatting and laughing as they too are about to enjoy a day’s outing.

While I’d recommend comfy shoes for the sections when you detour slightly inland to avoid the occasional rocky outcrop, you too can stroll barefoot. And if David and Braam aren’t part of your close circle of friends, it is a gentle pace, averaging around 13km a day over mostly flat terrain.

If you are fit it’s a breeze, and if you aren’t you’ll be in better shape at the end of the week.

You walk with a local guide while the porters drop your bags at the next hotel, before returning to their village. It is a win-win for everybody: hikers have it easier, the locals enjoy a revenue stream and hotels are boosted by their walk-in guests.

Less than a decade ago many of the beaches would have been churned up by 4x4 vehicles, often crushing the eggs of nesting birds and killing countless ghost crabs and other shoreline creatures. Today the coast is mostly as magnificent as it must have been centuries ago.

Because of Braam and David’s pace we leapfrog some of the usual stops, overnighting at Crawfords, Trennerys and Kob Inn, stopping for breakfast at Wavecrest, where we meet with hotelier and environmental crusader Conrad Winterbach (see separate blog), also dropping in on Mazeppa Bay to enjoy a picnic lunch of our own making on the lawns.

Sometimes we share the idyllic scenes with local fisher folk, also meeting Transkei cattle that come down to the beach for salt. If you’re lucky you might enjoy a performance by inshore dolphins, or engage in some whale watching during the season.
 
We’d originally planned to overnight at Wavecrest Resort, which nestles on the banks of an estuary that supports the continent’s southernmost natural community of mangroves, and had promised Braam and David the treat of a full body massage and relaxing sauna, but time and the tides were against us.

Trennerys Hotel was also a rush-stop, but I recommend Trevor’s Walk to anybody with more time. It is a gentle guided three-hour exploration of riverine forest along with a boat trip through an extremely narrow gorge. At the end of the boat ride there’s a magnificent rock pool where the more adventurous can take a leap of faith from a high ledge.

So, as you can see, Life is sheer hell here in paradise!

Inquiries: Wild Coast Holidays: Tel +27 (43) 743 6181, email meross@iafrica.com, website www.wildcoastholidays.co.za

Kob Inn: Tel +27 (0) 47 499 0011 or +27 (0) 83 452 0876, email info@kobinn.co.za, website www.kobinn.co.za

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Chuck who??? - Sept 10, 2008

Who's Chuck Norris? Toyota has super athletes David Grier and Braam Malherbe who 'towed' the team Toyota Fortuner through the dunes at Begha Mouth.

Photograph: Inga Hendriks

Global Warming - Sept 10, 2008

Wild, wild seas and massive storm damage in recent days has prompted fresh debate about issues of global warming and the need to protect Spaceship Earth on which we are all travelling.

Geoff and his daughter Bonnie during a recent Wild Coast Meander.

Of course, some folks still argue against seemingly overwhelming evidence presented by environmentalists and scientists. My answer is simple: “Yeah, global warming is a myth and the earth is flat!”

What is heartening is that there seems to be an increased awareness and a shift in consciousness. More and more people we meet along the way share urgent concerns for our environment and attribute the extreme weather conditions to global warming and the attendant climate change it brings on.

Seeing waves breaking over the N2 highway on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth certainly brought home the enormity of the crisis we could all be facing along the coast of South Africa.

Rising sea levels will disrupt communications, flooding roads and railway lines and will cause massive damage to some of the country’s most prize real estate. One study I’ve seen shows how my home in the Kommetjie-Noordhoek area of Cape Town will become part of an island cut off from the rest of the Mother City.

I guess that’s good and bad: up until now I haven’t been able to afford a seafront home. But that’s most likely still a few years ago so I won’t plan on commuting in my kayak just yet.

Meanwhile we continue to celebrate our good fortune on the Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge, enjoying the most remarkable places, many of them being well-kept secrets.

Today, thanks to the generosity of Ian Crawford we find ourselves at Crawfords Beach Lodge and Cabins at Chintsa East, around 40km from East London along the legendary Transkei Wild Coast. We’re staying in two three-bedroomed cottages overlooking the beach that forms part of the popular five-day Wild Coast Amble. The team joined our two action heroes, Braam and David, for the last part of their day’s run and happily they slowed to a pace we could keep up with.

It was a taste of the sort of fun possible when you book a place on one of the major hikes in this area, the best known of which are the Amble and Wild Coast Meander. Both are five-night delights in which you hike from one resort hotel to another, with porters hefting your main luggage.

If you haven’t tried this sort of outdoor holiday, it needs to go to the top of your To Do list. Being addicted to hiking beaches, I’ve twice sampled this stretch of coastline in the past couple of years and loved every second of it.

This time, I’m providing 4x4 backup for Braam and David, but hope to get in some beach-time in between stints in the Toyota Fortuner, which is my faithful companion on this three-and-half month adventure. I’ll have good things to report in a couple of days.

Visit www.wildcoastholidays.co.za and www.crawfordscabins.co.za

Toyota runners follow footsteps of shipwreck survivors - Sep 1, 2008

Extreme athletes David Grier and Braam Malherbe are running a rugged route to Mozambique that claimed the lives of all but a handful of shipwreck survivors more than 350 years earlier.

Perhaps appropriately the two Capetonian runners faced howling winds, driving rain and gale force warnings as they shadowed a hiking trail into Port Elizabeth pioneered by the crew of the Portuguese galleon Sacramento, which slammed onto the rocks at Schoenmakerskop on June 30, 1647.

Seventy two castaways then began an epic 1 300km overland journey to Delagoa Bay in Mozambique, with just nine surviving the gruelling six-month trek to what is the present-day Mozambican capital of Maputo.

Braam, a 50-year-old environmentalist who works in youth development, said: “On a storm-lashed day like today it is easy to imagine what might have happened to those luckless mariners, although their subsequent ordeal must have been infinitely more challenging than anything we’ll experience, with the added hazard of wild animals like lion and elephant roaming feely along the coast.

“We also have the benefit of our Toyota 4x4 support crew, superb maps and the welcome choice of following the beach or nearby roads and tracks along our 3 500km route.”

David, a 48-year-old chef and restaurant owner, is passionate about the South African coast they’re running at the rate of around 45km a day, but holds it in deep respect. “Divide the number of known shipwrecks by the length of the coast and you appreciate how dangerous it was and still is today, with a wreck for every kilometre of coastline.”

For centuries the southern tip of Africa was a formidable barrier to sea travel because its rugged coast was pounded by fearsome waves and ferocious storms; and it wasn’t until the 15th century that Portuguese and Spanish caravels launched an exciting new period of exploration.

Arriving in Port Elizabeth on Sunday was cause for celebration as the runners passed the 2 000km barrier during the Toyota-supported Cipla Spar Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge, which started in the Namibian frontier town of Oranjemund two months earlier on July 1.

This week they continue their fund-raising run towards East London and Durban, with plans to finish in the Mozambican holiday resort of Ponta do Ouro, where they hope to swim with dolphins.

The goal of the challenge, which is supported by Toyota South Africa, is to help change young lives forever by raising R3.5-million for reconstructive surgery for more than 600 children with facial disfigurements.

The first 26 operations were performed this past week at the Madikane Ka-Zulu Memorial Hospital in the Eastern Cape hamlet of Mount Frere with members of the Miles for Smiles team on hand to offer support and encouragement to the children.

David and Braam’s daily progress can be charted on the Operation Smile SA website where online donations can also be made. Visit www.milesforsmiles.co.za and www.toyota.co.za

Losing your heart - Aug 31, 2008

A little girl has ambushed my emotions and stolen my heart.

Five-year-old Zama, the daughter of a cleaner from the Free State town of Vrede, came into my life unexpectedly this past week and has taught me so much about myself.

I’d driven Braam and David more than 600km to the Madzikane ka-Zulu Memorial Hospital in Mt Frere, in the former Transkei homeland, to meet with children due to undergo facial operations – but had done so with mixed feelings. I couldn’t bear to look at photographs of similar children before their ops, and wasn’t sure I really wanted to be around little people with such dreadful disfigurements.

On arrival I’d volunteered my services and that of my Miles for Smiles team Toyota Fortuner, so it was no surprise when I was asked to respond to a distress call. Little Zama and her mum, Nompumelelo ‘Mpumi’ Makhubo, were stranded at the roadside after the bus they were travelling in had caught fire.

David accompanied me and after a series of telephone calls (thank goodness for cellphones) we located each other and were greeted by grateful hugs.

Despite her disfigurement, Zama’s personality immediately shone through. By nature she is friendly and outgoing, although some days she’s begged not to go to pre-school because the other children laughed and mocked her.

Over the next couple of days in the build-up to the operation, which reconstructed her mouth and nose, we saw her often and were awed by her sunny personality. Once I stepped into the corridor and she came from nowhere, rushing towards me and leaping into my arms. I hugged this little bundle of joy and wondered how anybody could have ostracised her for her looks. Her inner light shines so brightly!

We were with her as she was wheeled into the theatre and for the first time she looked frightened although child psychologists had played with her beforehand and tried to prepare her, even playing with the anaesthesia mask she’d have to breathe through to put her under.

Normally I’m rather squeamish and didn’t think I’d be capable of watching the surgeons at work on her, but in the end I did, trying to send her positive loving energy. It also gave me time to appreciate the ‘dream team’ of medical professionals that surrounded her, working tirelessly and skilfully to change another young life. They are a remarkable group of volunteers from throughout South Africa and around the world.

Sadly we couldn’t be there to welcome her after the op, but we’re told she has been helping all the other children, covering them and making sure they’re snug beneath blankets.

She really is an angel and we’re all richer for having met her.

If you’d like to help children like her, online donations can be made on the Operation Smile SA website where the runners’ daily progress can also be charted. Visit www.milesforsmiles.co.za and www.toyota.co.za

Toyota runners fund life-changing operations - Aug 29, 2008

Macho athletes Braam Malherbe and David Grier have run through 2 000km and two months of pain and adversity without protest, but their tough guy images crumbled this week when they came face-to-face with young children destined for life-changing facial operations.

Caption:Courage and optimism ... Braam Malherbe with Zama Makhubo before her life-changing 'Smile' operation.

Photograph: Geoff Dalglish

Both were moved to tears when they met the youngsters, most with grotesque facial disfigurements that have made their lives a torment of mockery and psychological abuse, causing their families untold anguish.

But thanks to the fund-raising Operation Smile South Africa initiative, many will now have the chance of a normal happy life after free corrective surgery performed by a dedicated team of medical professionals that includes volunteers from around the world.

“Suddenly what we are doing is real and urgent,” Braam said. “Meeting the children and spending time with them has been a profoundly emotional experience.”

David was visibly moved when he watched one child’s operation. “What the surgeons are doing is magical, with a beautiful little face emerging,” he insisted.

The two Capetonian athletes, who made history when they ran the 4 218km Great Wall of China in 2006, are now ‘running a smile’ around the coastline of South Africa to raise funds for the children.

This week the Miles for Smiles team took four days off from their historic run to travel to the Eastern Cape town of Mt Frere and offer support to more than 50 people with disfigurements, 26 of whom were selected for immediate corrective surgery at the local Madikane Kazulu Memorial Hospital after an in-depth screening process.

Seven others are expected to undergo life-altering operations in coming weeks at Durban’s Albert Luthuli Hospital.

The goal of the Cipla Spar Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge is to help change young lives forever by raising R3.5-million for reconstructive surgery for more than 600 children with facial disfigurements.

Toyota South Africa is playing a major logistical role, providing four Toyota 4x4s for the runners’ support crew, as well as transporting the medical professionals in a trio of Toyota Quantum buses.

Earlier in the week David Grier and team member Geoff Dalglish travelled nearly 100km in one of the Fortuner support vehicles to fetch Mrs Nompumelelo Makhubo, a cleaner from Vrede in the Free State, and her five-year-old child Zama, after the bus in which they were travelling had caught fire. They were on their way to the hospital in Mt Frere and had already travelled throughout the night.

“Everybody is doing their bit to help,” Geoff said. “Besides meeting little Zama has been a gift to us all. She is such an affectionate and spontaneous child; she immediately ran to David and allowed him to pick her up in his arms, smiling delightedly despite her disfigurement.

“Her mum told us that often she didn’t want to go to pre-school because some of the other children made fun of her. She said a number of earlier hospital visits had been fruitless, but she felt that her prayers would be answered this time. And they were, with Zama among those selected for surgery this week at the superb Mt Frere facility.

“While some children were terrified at the idea of going into hospital, she was excited and treated it all as a great adventure, responding enthusiastically to all the love and care around her.”

The runners, who are both devoted parents, have bonded strongly with individual children, offering hugs and words of support before their operations, watching them during surgery and waiting to welcome them afterwards.

The team of unpaid medical volunteers is being led by Prof Anil Madaree, head of the plastic surgery unit of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Online donations can be made on the Operation Smile SA website where the runners’ daily progress can also be charted. Visit http://www.milesforsmiles.co.za/ and http://www.toyota.co.za/

Water of Life - Aug 28, 2008

One of our most precious gifts in life is being able to breathe unpolluted air and to drink pure, clean water drawn from a pristine environment – but how many of the six billion inhabitants on Planet Earth can claim that?

The well-being of countless millions of humans is seriously compromised by contaminated environments, while numerous species of fauna and flora join the extinction list every week.

During the Olympics we saw the extreme measures the Chinese were forced to adopt to reduce pollution levels, taking millions of cars off the road and shutting down industries – just so athletes could function normally without damaging their health in the filth that Beijingers breathe day in and day out. It will ultimately take that kind of drastic action, and a complete rethink of priorities, to ensure our survival and to safeguard the planet that is our only home.

Happily we are blessed with role models who care deeply about the earth, like Braam and David, who are spotlighting the environmental issues during the Cipla Spar Miles for Smiles Coastal Challenge.

Human ingenuity is also on our side with the Smiles team having had the chance to sample a product called Eco Aqua. Put simply you can feed in sea water or water from a stream or river through an inlet hosepipe and seconds later enjoy pure, clean water that is absolutely safe to drink.

Developed by Jan Olivier at his engineering works in Strand, near Cape Town, it is attracting widespread interest and is clearly a device with a bright future as the world’s supply of fresh water becomes ever more critical.

A bonus with this unit is that it has a high capacity although the unit is somewhat bulky and heavy, also requiring mains electricity or a portable generator for its power supply.

What’s really exciting for 4x4 adventurers is the news that Jan is applying the innovative technology to a compact and portable unit that makes extensive use of light mass plastics and will be able to run off a car’s 12-volt battery through a cigarette lighter.

I remember all-too vividly an international Camel Trophy expedition in the 1990s when we spent more than an hour a day using a hand-pump to force polluted river water through a filter to ensure adequate drinking water for the following day. It was exhausting and time-consuming.

Soon I hope to put Jan’s compact Eco Aqua machine to the test.

Caption: Cheers … Braam Malherbe savours a glass of pure, clean water courtesy of the team’s Eco Aqua purification device.