Circumnavigation of the globe

COOKS CATALOGUE


MONTH
May 2009

COUNTRIES
Australia

SITES

Nimbin Mardi Grass, Byron Bay (witnessed a water spout – similar to a tornado), Robina, Dreamworld Amusement Park, Surfer Paradise, Brisbane, Queensland Museum, Lake Cootharaba, Hervey Bay, Frasier Island, Airlie Beach, Whitsundays Islands, 1770, Cairns; The Great Barrier Reef, Ellis Beach, Daintree National Park; Aboriginal Kuku Yalanji Dreamtime Rainforest Walk, Cape Tribulation.


Wildlife: Iguana (digging up and eating turtle eggs nest), dingo, possum, python, turtle, crocodile, dolphin, white tip reef shark, stingray; too many fish to mention on the Barrier Reef, fruit bats, sea and wedge tail eagle.


TOP MOMENTS

1. Sailing around the picturesque Whitsundays islands for 3 days. Helping hosting the sails on a retired 30ft racing yacht and reaching speeds of 12 knots. Stopping to snorkel the clear waters and walk the white sandy beaches.
2. Off road extreme driving the beaches and rough tracks of Frasier Island for 3 days. Taking on some seriously bumpy tracks and rocks, camping in the dingo infested sand dunes and eating fresh fish every day (caught by Chris). The biggest bonus was the free upgrade from a Suzuki Jimny to a Toyota Landcruiser – lets off road.
3. Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef – too many colours, fish and plant life to describe in this underwater Garden of Eden. A natural wonder of the world for very good reason, its amazing.


LOWEST MOMENTS

1. Waking up to a flat battery on the Landcruiser on Frasier Island. Luckily a camping neighbour had some jump leads.
2. Playing a very large fish (i think it was a shark) for half an hour only for the hook to come out.



SCARIEST MOMENTS

1. Driving over very lumpy rocks and also coming very close to a dingo on Fraiser – Lil
2. Hoisted up to 30 meters and being dropped free fall on the Giant Drop at Dreamworld - Chris

UNSUAL FOOD

Shark (under the marketing name of Flake)
Pippies (a shell fish collected by us)
Candle Nut – aboriginal food.
See fish section.


MOSTLY MISSING

A good pillow – inflatable travel pillows just don’t cut it.

MOSTLY HAD FILL OFF

Bad driving – tailgating, undertaking, pulling out in front, speeding, road rage – no wonder there are so many crashes in Queensland.

QUOTES

‘Are dare any of dem dare blik fellas like me?’ Kevin, Indigenous fella who made our boomerangs asking about London.

‘I only know the football towns’ – an English ambassador to a German women, its makes me so proud.

‘Are you a chef?’ - An impressed guy at a camp site to Chris, looking at our meal of; Aussie steak, garlic / brie mushrooms and chilli grilled tomatoes with rocket salad. Mouth watering – yum.


SUPRISING FACTS

‘K’Gari’ meaning Paradise - Frasier Island is the largest sand island in the world. 120km by 15km has been created by 800,000 years of long shore drift.


FISH CAUGHT

13 small ones. 2 pan sized Dart, 1 medium Bream and a Whiting. The big one got away (i know the usual fisherman’s tale).

BITES

Lil = 10+ mosi / 200+ bed bugs again
Chris = 20+ mosi

TAN
Gravy

NEXT ON AGENDA
Fiji for Lil’s birthday then extreme sports of New Zealand.

Darwins Discoveries

MONTH
April 2009

COUNTRIES
Australia - (or Horse trailer as they pronounce it)

SITES

Melbourne - Australia Centre for Contemporary Art, MCG for an AFL game, Kilda, Queen Victoria Market, Federation Sq Centre for Moving Image, Great Ocean Road (Rip Curl Pro Surf Contest) / Robinvale - Murry River, Motor Cross Track / Sydney - Opera House, Harbour Bridge, State Library NSW, Museum Contemporary Art, Powerhouse Museum (Star Wars Exhibition), National Maritime Museum, Bondi Beach, Manly, Max Brenners Chocolate Cafe, The Gap, Anzac Day (Beer and Two Up - Chris was $30 up) and / Blue Mountain - Pulpit Rock and Fire Trail.

Wildlife: Grey kangaroo, koala, camel, fox, superb fairy wren, perigan falcon, dolphins / seagulls attacking a bait ball about 1 km from the coast (as seen on blue planet) and monitor lizards.

TOP MOMENTS

1. Si and Kerri's baby 'Ruby' arriving a week early - holding your mates baby when she is only half an hour old, amazing. Ruby, Ruby, Ruby... nan nan nan nan nanaaaaa.....

2. Mountain biking the Oaks fire trail in the Blue Mountains - High speed, mini jumps, rough track, stunning scenery and train back up the hill - top adrenalin stuff.

3. Unofficial Hodnet Primary School Reunion - Seeing old friends Paul Stenton, Simon Lovegrove, Steve Jones and Rob Martin. Strangely half my old class mates now living in oz!

LOWEST MOMENTS

1. Constant rain on the Great Ocean Road - what happened to all that oz sun we signed up for.

2. The conscience kicking in when we found the captain birds eye lookalike (80 yr old guy) driving licence in his wallet after finding the $700 hard cash first. Damn conscience, of course we returned it.

SCARIEST MOMENTS

1. Holding baby Ruby after just being born - so tiny and fragile.

2. Standing up on the road level of the harbour bridge - that was high enough for Chris.

UNUSUAL FOOD

Bread crumbed Murry Yellow Belly Perch.
Cold Rock ice cream - any flavour of ice cream with any added crushed choc bar - web had Oz Vanilla with Cherry Ripe and Tim Tams.
Andrews CS home brew larger - The Aussies are home brew obsessed.

MOSTLY MISSING

Mates.

MOSTLY HAD FILL OFF

Rain.

QUOTES

'Your face is like reading in a car. Its alright to start with then after a few minutes it make you feel a bit sick.' - Comedian at the Melbourne Comedy Festival. We went to see 'Jim Jefferies' very good but i cant put any quotes from him, far too blue and un-PC.

'I don't give a f*cking sh*t if your a Taurus' - Bouncer to Liannah in Melbourne after a request for ID. She was in fact saying she is a Tourist (therefore did not have any ID). The non amused bouncer did not see why her star sign stopped her showing ID.

'Oh yeah, that's a go, too easy' - Si Lovegrove sounding very Aussie after 8 years in Oz.

'The voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in my life, and has determined my whole career.' Charles Darwin 1867

SURPRISING FACTS

Peppers that are red, yellow and green are all from the same plant just picked at different times.

FISH CAUGHT

3 - A Murry cod and 2 golden perch (one large and tasty one).

MOSI BITES

Lil = 3
Chris = 1

TAN
Health glow - No change from last month. Its been raining a bit.

NEXT ON AGENDA

Sydney to Cairns. Then Fiji.

_________________________________________________________________

COUNTRIES
Oz – down under

SITES

Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Art Gallery of WA, Kings Park, Cottesloe Beach Sculpture Exhibition, Old Fremantle Prison, Maritime Museum Shipwrecks Galleries, Rottenest Island, Warren National Park and Walpole Tree Top Walk.

Wildlife: Kangaroo, wallaby, dingo, snake, bobtail gecko, quokka, huntsman / orb spider, seals, dolphins, kookaburra, sea eagle, parrots, and pelican. and a barking owl (we both held this on our arm)

TOP MOMENTS

1. Weaving our way though the flooded paperbark woodlands and billagongsbillabongs in Kakadu NP on an aboriginal boat tour. We learnt about the bush skills and beliefs of the aboriginals.

2. Cruising about in the Swan River Harbour on a - Cruiser 560 Express - 58ft speed boat. Chris got to drive it and we stayed the night on aboard it in the marinaharbour over looking Perth city. Check it out on: http://www.endeavourboatsales.com.au/cruisers_560_gallery.asp

3. Experiencing the flavour sensations of chilli rose, honey beer, white chocolate liquor and creamy brie whilst tasting wine, beer, chocolate and cheese tasting in Swan Valley and Margaret River areas.

LOWEST MOMENTS

1. Sleeping in the campervan in Kakadu with extreme heat, 100s of mosi’s and bed bugs in the bedding. It was the most uncomfortable 2 nights sleep we have ever had. Awaiting compensation from Wicked Campervans for bed bugs.

SCARIEST MOMENTS

1. Close encounters with several large spiders. On bush walks, in toilets and in the gap of the car door – Liannah.

2. Walking the wobbly metal structure walkway, 40 metres up in the tree canopy of Walpole - Chris

UNSUAL FOOD

Kangaroo meat – In the form of ‘Kanga Bangas’ and smoked steaks.

Witjuti Grubs – Chris only

Wild Oz Turkey and bush fruit chutney

Seans homemade ‘hotter than the sun’ chilli biltong.

Brads homemade ‘rocket fuel’ blackcurrant moonshine.

MOSTLY MISSING

Football – Playing and watching (especially Liverpool thrashing Man U.) – Chris

My Wardrobe – a wider selection of clothes than the creased ones in my backpack and some glamorous high heels – Lil

MOSTLY HAD FILL OFF

Aussie costs – bring back the Asian prices.

QUOTES

‘Are you falling asleep or just passing out and dying?’
Liannah to Chris – at night in campervan at Kakadu Park. The van was like a tin can sauna.

‘I thought my accent were bad’
A Yorkshire man working in a supermarket. When Chris asked ‘Can you tell me where the ice is?’ he thought Chris said ‘Can you tell me where the oysters?’

‘When the wind came its was like a steam train running into the house, it was an incredible shock, it felt as though the house lifted up and sat down again. That’s the sense of power it was, one of those great steam trains ramming into the house, it was an incredible power, it was just unbelievable.’
Aussie lLady describing Hurricane Tracey 1976, Darwin. Over 80% of the buildings were destroyed in one day.

‘I like collecting yams and plums and hunting for file snake, goanna, fish and porcupine or almost anything that’s edible. Most of all it’s a good feeling because when you’re out there and you get something, after you have eaten it you feel so happy that you have worked for it. Hunting is hard work.’
Jessie Alderson – Murumburr Aborigine Clan, Kakadu

SUPRISING FACTS
Australia has the second highest obesity rate in the world. The 1st, no surprises - USA.

Before Australia was fully mapped post 1700’s it was thought to a huge land mass which was about 3 times bigger than North American and Canada combined, it covered the entire southern tip of the globe and stretched all the way to South America. When it was 1st discovered they called it ‘New Holland’.

FISH CAUGHT
Only one – but a badge of honour in the Northern Territories – A Barramundi.

MOSI BITES
Lil – more than Chris this month = 20+ (bed bugs 395)
Chris = 10ish. (bed bugs 125)

TAN
Toffee

NEXT ON AGENDA
More Australia - East Coast

COUNTRIES

Thailand and Indonesia

SITES

Ko Phang Nga - fire beach party / Ko Toa - Chumpon Pinnacle, Twin Peaks and Mango Bay dive sites / Koh Sok jungle, lake and cave / Phuket and Phi Phi - 'The Beach' from the film and Hin Daeng and Koh Ha dive sites / Bali - Batur volcano / Lombok + Gili Islands - Shark Point and Manta Bay dive sites.

Wildlife:In the water too many to mention them all but some are; dolphins, stingray, turtles, black and white tip reef shark, flying fish, cuttlefish, manta ray, nuddibranch, angelfish, trigger fish, clown fish, trumpet fish, jellyfish, barracuda, parrot fish, lobster, moray and snake eels. On dry land; civet cat, long and short tailed langur / maca monkeys, hunter spider, cave cricket, wild pig, tawny owl, white egret, asian fish eagles, king fisher, giant hornbill, skink lizard, frogs and toads.

TOP MOMENTS

1. Our 1st scuba dive in Ko Toa. A very serene, peaceful and floating feeling with a rainbow array of coral and fish in crystal clear waters.

2. Snorkeling the bays and rocks around Thailand and Indonesia. A neon coloured explosion of reef, fish and sea creatures. Everywhere you look you see something new.

3. Watching and helping an Indonesian guy land a 40-50 lb dolphin fish. Caught on a handline off the back of the Bali-Lombok ferry. (Chris)

4.Surfing the wave breaks on Kuta beach, Bali. We both managed to stand up (for the 1st time) and stay balanced on a wave for several seconds. Totally radical dude!!!

LOWEST MOMENTS

1. Realising we had been ripped of and paid twice what we should have for a tuna fishing trip. Having to argue for several hours to get most of the money back, except about 5 pounds.

2. The underwater Olympus camera deciding it did not want to be waterproof anymore and filling with water whilst snorkeling. It now refuses to work.

SCARIEST MOMENTS

1. Wading chest deep in water through a dark jungle cave tunnel, surrounded by spiders, bats and catfish (Lil).

2. Snorkeling with black tip reef sharks at Sharks Point, Ko Toa. They were not massive (1.5 to 2.0 meters long) but there were schools of 5 to 6 cruising around us only a few metres away.

UNUSUAL FOOD

Not too many weird food but plenty of very nice food. However we did eat a very strange dim sum like green parcel with banana and coconut inside.

FRUITS

Pomelo - sweet green grapefruit

White Mango - blander and less sweet than the regular green mango. Not very nice.

Snake fruit - sweet fruit with snake skin like skin.

MOSTLY MISSING

Being able to drink free clean tap water.

MOSTLY HAD FILL OFF

Early morning wake up calls from roosters (4am) and praying at Mosques (5am).

QUOTES

'It iz diving Liannah, itz not naturalle' – Freddie, French PADI dive instructor, Ko Toa.

'Hong Thong, same same but drunker' – Bom, Koh Sok jungle trekking guide

'Oh my god what have I just done?'– Rick, Phuket. Realising he has liberally sprayed his underarms with a fly killer instead of a deodorant can.

'I give you special honeymoon price' – Nearly every market vendor in Bali

SUPRISING FACTS

Bali grows wine vines and makes their own wine.

If you are rich enough you can have up to 4 wives in Indonesia.

Over half of Hollands dry land in reclaimed from the sea.

FISH CAUGHT - None, although i did help land the Dolphin fish. Also felt a bit weird about catching colourful tropical fish.

BITES and STINGS (new name)- Chris mosi 30+ (also drove into a bee on a scooter which stung me in the throat) Lil mosi 10+. We both got many small stings from microscopic jelly fish whilst diving.

TAN - Demerara sugar

NEXT ON AGENDA

Australia - West Coast Darwin to Perth

www.aquaticazen.com

MONTH
January 2009

COUNTRIES
Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia

SITES
Hue - Citadel, Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Presidential Palace, Temple of Literature (with the Hanoi Kids) and Halong Bay
Vientiane, Vang Vieng – tubing on Nam Song river, Tham Jang caves and Luang Prabang
Chang Rai – Hill tribes of Akha, Lahu and Karen, Chang Mai and Bangkok – Royal Grand Palace, CAT Building, State Tower, Lumphini Park, Baipai Cooking School, Atlanta Hotel, Brown Sugar Jazz Club.
Kuala Lumpur – Petronas Twin Towers, Batu Cave and Pulau Perhentian Kecil coral reef.

Wildlife: Black Eagle, Sea Hawks, Hunter Spiders, Jungle Cock, Giant Gecko, Monitor Lizard, Phosphates, Star Fish, Giant Clam and 100s of butterflies and tropical fish.

TOP MOMENTS
Being interview in the street by HTV (Hanoi TV news channel) on new years eve.

Taking on the very high rope swings and zip lines over the river whilst tubing in Laos.

Shooting a local hunters rifle that we met along a mountain trail whilst trekking.

Finding 1500 Baht on the floor – equivalent to 30 pounds – does not sound a great amount but in Thailand this would buy: 30 beers or 8.5 full body massages or 3 to 4 nights accommodation.

Northern Thailand Trekking in the mountain jungle and staying with hill tribes.

Staying on the Malaysian tropical island – deserted beaches, coral reefs and turquoise water – it was like the Lost island without the others and polar bears.

LOWEST MOMENTS

Deli Belly - It was only a matter of time in Asia. Laid up in bed for 2 days, trust me you don’t want the details. Chris lost 2kgs.

The moment the computer in the internet café wiped our entire cameras images (about 1000 / 5 weeks worth). The camera was showing – camera contains no images. Lucky later retrieved by a camera shop.

SCARIEST MOMENTS

Whilst hill trekking, encountering a massive spider sat in a web above the outside toilet. Also the many spiders around us in the caves. (Lil)

Across the top bridge between the Two Towers of the Petronas building. At 41 floors up at a height of 452 meters is not a good place for a person with vertigo. (Chris)

Climbing 3 km down a deep dark passage in a cave to reach a pool at the end. Alongside spiders as big as your hand, muddy pools, low rocks and stalagmites. (Lil)

Jumping off a very high diving board into a river whilst tubing in Laos (Lil)

Whilst snorkelling, trapped on the seaward side of a coral reef and not being able to find the channel back that we originally swam through.

UNSUAL FOOD
Pigs intestine (Chris) – a Thai delicacy usually eaten raw but cooked especially for us.

Jaew Bawng – Dried sweet / sticky Buffalo skin made with chillis.

Sticky bamboo rice – cooked and served inside a bamboo stick.

Fish head curry

Roti Canal – a nam bread served with curry sauce eaten cold for breakfast.

Coffee – super sweet and thick coffee served with condensed milk.

Mulberry shake – an usual flavour

Betel nut (Chris) – not technically food but a nut wrapped in a leaf with lime that is chewed in the corner of the mouth, used as a stimulant by elders in tribes and makes there mouths bright red.

Fruits – (new category)
Loganberry – a small lycee type fruit, very sweet.
Mini Banana – small sized more sweet than UK. Roasted on street BBQs.
Rabutan – Red spikey lycee type fruit, very sweet.

MOSTLY MISSING

Friends and family at Christmas and New Year

Chris’s Ferndale home cooking

MOSTLY HAD FILL OFF

Noodle soup

Loud bus karaoke music

QUOTES

‘Very good question Liannah’ – Homie, hill trekking guide

‘ Whilst we were in Laos we were invited to dinner at a mans house to eat some Quai. This means penis in Thai, not wanting to be rude by turning the invite down we questioned the menu of Quai. It was at this point, to our relief, we worked out Quai in Laos is actual the word for Buffalo pronounced Qway in Thai.’ – Homie, hill trekking guide

‘You are beautiful lady’ – Randon women, by the lake in Hanoi to Lil. (She has had this a few times in SE Asia.

‘Can we pay some money to get our 30 day visa’ – Liannah, inadvertently attempting to bribe the Thai boarder guard. He was having none of it.

‘Thy body is in jail
But thy spriit, never
For the great cause to prevail,
Let thy spirit rise for ever ‘
1942, Ho Chi Minh

‘Unity, unity, broad unity
Success, success, great success ‘
1951, Ho Chi Minh

SUPRISING FACTS (new category)

Vietnam is the worlds second largest coffee producer.

Laos is the most bombed country per capita (30% failed to detonate) and has the largest amount of unexploded land mines.

Malaysia produces massive amounts of crude and palm oil.

Thailand’s love and respect for the Monarchy especially the King is taken to the extreme. Its illegal to step on money or lick stamps / before movies and at bus and train stations the national anthem is played and you are expected to stand with your arms by your side / every home, restaurant, street and vehicle has a picture of the king and queen.

FISH CAUGHT
Zero – a very sad month for Chris – fishing only once and entire boat blanked.

MOSI BITES
A constant 2-3. A peak in the amount when we were attacked in the Malaysian jungle including 2 ant bites for Lil, one on the eye lid.

TAN
An even caramel brown. Time on the beach has eliminated farmer tan.

NEXT ON AGENDA

South Thailand Islands, Indonesia and Oz

See Vietnam photos on our flatmate Tom's site. Copy and paste link below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomgurney/sets/72157611704166587/

The Mahout Memoirs

MONTH: December 2008
28.12.2008

COUNTRIES: Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam

SIGHTS: Sentosa Island – Luge, 4 D Cinema, Red Dot Museum, Asian Civ Museum, The Khmer Temples – including Romulus, Wat, Thom and Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider Temple), Tonle Sap Lake boat cruise and homestay, S21 - Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, National Musuem (Phnom Penh), War Museum (HCMC), Mekong Delta, Chi Chi Tunnels Tiger Falls – Dalat and Hoi An Old Town.
Wildlife: Crocs, Catfish, Monkies, Pythons, Rats and lots of birds.

TOP MOMENTS:
1. Boat trip in the Battenbang bird santary and climbing the 15 metre high viewing platform. Loads of birds including Asian Fish Eagle, Black Spotted Peligan, Egerts Cormorants.
2. Easy rider motorcycle tour from Dalat in the central highlands to Nga Trang on the beach.
3. Elephant ride in Lata lake.
4. Shooting AK47 – Chris Only
5. Price a round of 11 draft beers at Bai Hoi came to 55 dong = 1.80 pound

LOWEST MOMENTS:
1. Rain on Christmas day.
2. See the evil things that happen in torture camps (Khmer Rouge) and in the Vietnam War (or the American War as they call it here).
3. Eaten alive on lake boat homestay – Lil had 19 bites in the space as big as your palm and 29 in total.

SCARIEST MOMENTS:
1. Underground in the Viet Con tunnels – Lil only
2. Crossing the insane traffic in HCMC – just following a local to stay alive.

MOST USUAL FOODS:

Flame roasted Frog.
Roasted silk worm
Cockles
Chicken head and neck
Raw sugar cane

MOSTLY MISSING:
Hot shower
Normal toilet

MOSTLY HAD FILL OF:
Hawking and spitting – grim.

QUOTES:
‘Hey lady you wanna buy water...... hey lady you wanna buy baby’ – Cambodian lady outside Angkor Wat holding baby. (still not really sure how much she was joking).

‘Study is not important. Whats important is work and revolution’ - Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge.
'Its better to arrest ten people by mistake than to let one guilt person be free’- Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge.

‘Photo on passport here, you very handsome man.... today you not look so good’ – brutally honest reception girl to Tom (old ferndale house mate) first thing in the morning.

‘We are going to bomb them back into the Stone age’ – Curtis Lemay, Commander US Air Force, 1965.

‘I fall asleep in my Tuk Tuk, my boss have to wake me up’ – Driver an hour late to collect us at airport.

FISH CAUGHT: 14 including a large / tasty bream (Lil) / 2 small ones (Chris)

MOSI BITES: Lil = 30-40. Chris = 5-10.

TAN: Same same, no different.

NEXT ON THE AGENDA: Laos and Thailand

COUNTRIES: South Africa
SIGHTS: Garden Route – Birds of Eden , Monkey World , Knysna Lagoon, Dias Museum / Cape Town – Table Mountain, Cape Point, Kirstenbosh Botanical Gardens, Long St Bars, Camps Bay, V+A Waterfront / West Coast – Paternoster, Iziko Fossil Park, Cape Columbine Nature Reserve. Wildlife: Pegiuns, seals, dassie, right whale, flamingo, yellow billed kite, rock kestral, marsh hare, vlei rats, puff adder (skin of), baboon, cow shark, franklin, camelion and fish eagle.
TOP MOMENTS:
1. Catching loads of fish (including a large whitesteinbras) in the sunshine on the houseboat in Knysna Lagoon.
2. Taking a break in Cape St Francis and seeing our friends Paul and Taryn. Beating Paul at pool and fishing.
3. Wine tasting in the Cape Town area of Constancia.
4. Getting a great deal on our curios – exactly what we wanted for a cheap price with no hassle.
5. Seeing a large cow shark being caught and landed in Laangban lagoon.
LOWEST MOMENTS:
1. Losing to Paul twice at golf.
2. Paul and Taryns car breaking down hlf way through the trip.
3. Getting stuck on sandbanks twice. The first in horizontal rain. The second time for about half an hour as we pushed off one onto another.
4. The England v SA rugby game.
5. My hangover after a Saturday night on Long St (the worst so far) - Chris

SCARIEST MOMENTS:
1. Drifting towards steel oyster beds whilst stuck in the Kysner Lagoon – Lil
2. A close encounter with a very large male baboon – what are you meant to do? Run (it followed), clap hands and shout ‘yah’ (it ran faster at us), scream and make your self look big with arms in the air in last minute panic (luckly this one worked when it was half a meter from us). Adrenaline and heart beat very high. We had no food, i think it fancied Lil.
3. The 200m high cable car up the side on table mountain – Chris only.

MOST USUAL FOODS:
Fish selection – Caught by Chris: Spotted Grunter, White Steinbras / Other: Cob, Yellow tail, Pickled Snoek, Western Rock Lobster, Bokkoms (dried fish biltong ).
Oysters – Raw (farmed and natural) and cooked with cheese, bacon, breadcrumb or herbs.
Mealie maize, ham and beans.

MOSTLY MISSING: A good cuppa tea
MOSTLY HAD FILL OF: Overpriced accomodation

QUOTES:
‘ White wine is not good for me, it does funny things’ Taryn whilst holding a large bottle of white wine.
‘You always tell me to do stupid things like this – just let it climb on you foot Paul – why do i listen to you’ Fella to Taryn at Birds of Eden, unable to remove a parrot that took a liking to his shoe lace.
‘Peaches and plums good for your gums’ - Africa fruit seller, Laangban
‘ I not speak very lakka english’ – 5 year old African girl, Paternoster.

FISH CAUGHT: 1 Steppie (Lil) / 1 White Steinbras and 2 Gully Sharks (Chris)
MOSI BITES: Lil = 0. Chris = 0. A pest free month.
TAN: Ovaltine – blending like a local.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA: SE Asia – Thailand TBC. Otherwise Veitnam 1st.

COUNTRIES
Swaziland
South Africa – Zululand, Drakensberg, South Coast, Wild Coast, Sunshine Coast and Cape St Francis.

SITES
Cuddle puddle – hot springs
Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary – opens park with abundance of wildlife
Execution Rock – 3000 ft rock that Zulu leaders threw rivals.
The Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park
Shaka’s Rock – a coastal rock that a Zulu leader threw off his rivals.
Sani cave paintings – one of the oldest and most preserved cave paintings in southern Africa
The Wide side, Cape St Francis – wild rocky coastline.
Wildlife: Eagle Owl, White lipped herald snake, moray eel, mongoose, tortoise, whales and dolphins.

TOP MOMENTS
Playing and drawing pictures with the kids at the orphanage.
Learning to surf.
Sharing the largest pile of braai-ed crayfish we have ever see with a bunch of Africaans bikers at Port St Johns.
Eventually catching some fish.

LOWEST MOMENTS
Losing to the village idiot (Fella) at golf by one point.
Being a golf and fishing widow (Lil)

SCARIEST MOMENTS
Meeting a croc face to face on the edge of the estuary whilst fishing.
Getting caught in a lightening storm on top of a mountain.
Taking a ride in a taxi mini van at high speed whilst the driver listens to happy hardcore.

UNSUAL FOOD
Poikkie – a SA stew, not an Irish gypsie
Bunny Chow – curry inside half a loaf.
Crayfish on mass
Spotted grunter

MOSTLY MISSING
Pork pies and scotch eggs

MOSTLY HAD FILL OFF
Rain and wind – isn’t this supposed to be Africa.

QUOTES
Watch that salty - Mart, Ozzy bloke
Tea Addicts – Geoffery, Dutch bloke
Bloody fish catchers – Stoney, not happy Saffa local.

FISH CAUGHT - 6
Spotted grunter (large 40cm)– Kromme River (Chris)
Spotted grunter (mini) – Kromme River (Lil)
Sand shark, 2 x Stingray (one large)– St Francis
Steinbras (small) – St Francis

MOSI BITES
About 20 odd each - Balito Bay – both got eaten.

TAN
Healthly glow (caramel) – restricted to farmers tan.

NEXT ON AGENDA
Graden route to Cape Town.

thumb=http://photos.travellerspoint.com/147417[img=http://photos.travellerspoint.com/147417/Picture37.jpg