Janet A Wilson

SOUTHERN AFRICA

Tom and I lived in the wilderness shortly after we were married. Tom was working as an exploration mineral geologist. I loved our lifestyle, the wilderness, and our only neighbors, the wildlife.

Calgary

  • Calgary City, a city of towering office buildings
  • The Peace Bridge crosses Bow River to the Calgary business centre.
  • Tom’s office and desk.
  • Janet is planning and writing out our packing lists.
  • Janet sorted out medications for the medical aid kit. We took a year’s supply of prescription medications, antibiotics and other medications we may need.
  • Janet said, “I will be back,” to Bailey, her labrador.

 

JHB to CT

  • Seeing our Land Cruiser for the first time in Johannesburg or, as South Africans say, Joburg.
  • Entrance to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg (a must-see).
  • Photographing the wildflowers en route to Namibia.
  • Arrival in Cape Town.
  • Receiving our off-road expert qualification. Little could I have imagined how skilled I would become as a serious off-roader. There was not a track I would not tackle.
  • Packing our Land Cruiser, too much stuff. That is a fridge at the back. On top is the rooftop tent.

CT to Richtersveldt

  • We are finally receiving our Carnet de Passage, the colonial bureaucratic document for border crossing that few officials could read or certainly needed help understanding.
  • Heading west to towards Namibia. A typical South African scene with the windmill in the distance.
  • The track to Richtersveldt National Park, a hidden gem among South African national parks, was a sight to behold. The rugged terrain, the vast expanse of untouched wilderness, and the unique flora and fauna all contributed to a truly awe-inspiring experience.
  • Meeting the locals who live there and fellow South African campers.
  • The awful-tasting mudfish caught and cooked for supper.
  • And my love of birds.