I can't believe it's already day three. Time really does fly when you're having fun. We're exactly halfway through our adventure, and what an unforgettable journey it's been so far; shared with a fantastic group of guys, flying incredible machines, and visiting some truly remarkable places.
Emile, Renier, Johann, Charles and the Lama
Today's itinerary took us to what is arguably one of South Africa's greatest natural wonders: the Augrabies Falls, a 160 nautical mile round trip. The falls are located near Upington, which by now everyone knows is about 175 km from our home base at Goerapan Lodge.
Upington itself has a rich history. It began as a mission station in 1871 and is now the nearest major town to both the Augrabies Falls and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
I was last in Upington in 1976, when I was herded, like so many others back then, onto a train at Pretoria Station, en route to Grootfontein for deployment further up north following the collapse of Portuguese control in Angola. It was a four-day journey. The only vivid memory I have of our brief stop at Upington Station is of Sergeant Major Watters, clad in full kilt, playing “Ug I and Gloria, the Boys from Pretoria” on the bagpipes while the bewildered locals looked on.
Upington also boasts a noteworthy airport. It offers scheduled flights via SA Airlink, and thanks to its high elevation and hot climate, one of its runways stretches to 4,900 meters, making it the fourth longest in the world. This allows even Boeing 747s to take off fully loaded.
But we didn't need to land at Upington. After all, we fly helicopters, we can land almost anywhere. And compared to Haksteen Pan's massive 20 km gravel runway (where we did land), Upington's "mere" 4,900 meters doesn't seem quite so impressive!
Approaching the falls, situated in a nature reserve and subject to strict overflight regulations, we made sure to stay within legal limits. Luckily, I had my trusted Canon with a long lens ready and I was able to snap some close-up shots of the gorge and falls as we flew over. The view was absolutely spectacular, breathtaking, even. Another dream realised, and another box ticked on the bucket list.
We touched down at the pristine gravel airstrip of Dundi Lodge, located near the falls. The lodge itself, nestled in the heart of South Africa's largest table-grape producing region, was a peaceful oasis. Its tranquil, spacious courtyard was the perfect place to relax after a long, yet incredibly scenic flight over ever-changing landscapes.
After some refreshments and another refuelling session, we walked to the field where our trusty steeds were being prepped for the return journey. The flight home was smooth, and soon we found ourselves back on the patio, (our little slice of heaven) reminiscing about the day's adventures and marvelling at everything we had seen.
Peet and son Dawid and the R44
Tomorrow promises a new adventure. Peet Mostert, the mastermind behind this incredible safari and a man whose knowledge of the region and its people is nothing short of encyclopaedic, has crafted an itinerary where dull moments simply don't exist. Peet's calm and cultured voice over the radio telling a story or recounting a legend of the barrenness that we were flying over made this suddenly coming to life and brought something special to the trip.
I could not wait to see what he has in store for us.
Fuel Consumption Day Three
R44 ZU ROP 97
Lama ZU RPH 500
Allo III ZU REC 540
Gazelle ZU ROC 150
R44 ZU RIO 147
.jpg)
