Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park: Road less traveled

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The concept of a mighty trans-frontier park linking South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe has always fascinated me. If you ask Google it will tell you it exist but in reality South Africa can’t find a viable option of sharing their precious and well guarded game with the other two. This means crossing the border into Mozambique at Pafuri and then again into Zimbabwe at Sango to get to Gonarezhou. The spin off is that this add on gave Mick a chance to say cheers to his mentor and friend who was killed near Mapai 40 years ago plus the chance to stay at Dumela Wilderness safari on the banks of the Limpopo.

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Dumela is run by a South African couple, (who lived in Knysna, small world) Lourens Jooste and his wife have been doing Missionary work in the area for years and have loads of all the gear, no idea stories. He’s happy as Larry but I got the feeling his wife was longing for a more temperate climate, something less than 45 degrees in summer. The tented camp is of the glamping style. Proper beds, shower, flush loo but with the sounds of hippo munching 10m away and a close encounter with a snake that had Greg dreaming of wild beasts that night.

For Mick pay his respects we travelled to Mapai for the day.The main road to Mapai (R222) is equipped with a functional toll gate. The fee R100 every time the boom lifts. The road would be termed, single track, if you were talking mountain bikes. Not a patch of tar ever. 90km takes about 3 hours (even with DB driving). Florence and some trusty coordinates took us straight to the spot and Mick was finally able to say cheers to his friends. The town of Mapai was bustling with the business of electioneering but Orlando’s guest house still managed to rustle up some authentic Peri peri chicken and a few Dms to help the mood.

Getting to Zim required crossing two major rivers. The formidable Great Green Greasy Limpopo and the Nuanetsi. I’d psyched myself up hoping like hell I wouldn’t have to be embarrassingly unstuck. The indignity, the mighty Limpopo was nothing but a trickle. I did have my first lesson on 4×4 sand driving. Think it just made Brett more anxious about seeing his beloved landcruiser setting off with me at the helm.

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Deep rural takes on a new meaning when you travel through these isolated places. Its a marvel that children actually get educated and some sort of health care is delivered. It’s a tough life of survival in this beautiful land. The trees are next level in size and nothing can beat the cool of a shady tree. We had to stop for me to take photos of some flowers and Greg went off to find new birds to add to his list.

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Part of the drive takes you alongside the Zimbabwe, Mozambique border. High tech, impenetrable fence! No wonder half of the diaspora manage to find their way to SA without the pain of Bietbridge. A few trust poles, still in a straight line. While i was taking photos the rest of the team searched for treasures. Zelda be sure to ask Greg for your Emerald necklace. Brett offered to polish the stones in his bullet tumbler. At last a decent reason for the tumbler.

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The Zimbabwean custom officials were friendly and very diligent. The lady who helped us carefully scrutinised all our US$ and rejected at least 5 for not being clean enough. Apparently the banks don’t accept bent, torn, dirty notes…………yeah sure. Rands were carefully stored in a back pocket waiting for their secure home. The police were fascinated with Greg sitting in the back seat with Claire in front. Shaking their heads they asked him if he had no power. On the Zimbabwe side the Bulawayo bound train was waiting for the throngs of passengers making their way back from shopping in Mozambique. Imagine the luxury. Certainly no bed, not many seats and a day and a half travel for about 700km. Thanks Florence, I love you.