BEYOND THE CAVE - The Washout Trip

 

Day 1 

 

So finally the day came and it's time to hit the water.
Departing from Klein Pella rivercamp and dressed to cope with the blistering sun.

 

Hitting the first nice rapid:

 

Time for lunch snacks:

 

 

 

Nappy Run Rapid:

 

Time for some fly fishing:

 





 

Finally reached the first campsite - Jack Daniels (± 14 km )

Gathering wood and starting fire

 

 

 

 

 

Time to do the bread thing.

Steak is the main course with some "roosterkoeke" on the side.

Big team effort with the bread.

 

Steak burger with cheese and tabasco . . . . . . we ate like kings !

 

 

A very exciting and succesful day 1 comes to an end

We are privallaged . . . .

 

 

Day 2:

After a quick breakfast it was time for the Jack Daniels rapid.

Jack Daniels - on the rocks !!

 

 

 

Day 2 is a maize of channels and good navigational choices a must.

  

Jors was prepared with Google Earth Maps  !!

 Because of the low waterlevel, the boats had to be dragged over the rocks in some places

 

Stop for lunch



After a grueling 20 km, we finally found an overnight spot.
Brandy never tasted that good before !!!

 

 

 

A bee insident got us down from there in a jiffy !!

 

 

A hard day, with a beaut of an ending



 

 

 

 

Day 3:

 

Day 3 started with an early fire.

Had some dew during the night and sleepingbags were slightly damp.

Piet Fluit kettle supplied hot water for coffee and breakfast

 

 

 

Again some fishing on the way

 

 

 

Lots of birds on the river

 

 

 

A weir caused kilometers of hard rowing on what seems to be non moving water.

Stretching the back a little !

 

 
Finally reaching the weir

 

Relaxing while on moving water again 

 

 

South Africa supplying electricity to Namibia

 

Decided on this spot for a campsite (my favourite of the trip)

A level grass bank !!!

 

 

 

 

 

Still eating steak and bread in the evening.

Got a good nights rest.

 

 

Day 4

Fishing jackpot day !!!

Spend about 4 hours in a great fishing spot.

 

Hidrating and cooling off . . . . . . .

 

 Due to a rocky campsite, we slept on the boats

 

Still eating steak on day 4, this time with smash as a side dish

 

 

Day 5:

Got up early for some fishing

 

 

Then, a little insident . . . . .

Caught my biggest yellowfish of the trip

Wanted a photo of it, but had to carry it to the other side of the river to the camera.

Just as I got to the cameraman, the fish escaped from my grip.
Grabbing for it, I got a finger caught in the second hook.
Eina !!

 

 Got my picture taken, with both me and the fish hooked up !

 

 

Took some serious pulling with the leatherman to get it out !!

 

 

We didn't have far to go to our last campsite (about 3km from the pickup point)

Got there early and had no shade from the sun.

Not to worry, because Jors had a plan !

 

 



 

 We drank some wine and had a go at our last snacks !

 

 

 Late afternoon and some last fishing were done

 

We made pasta and drank more wine.
Started talking about the next cavemen adventure . . .


Then Jors saw a pack of Barbel on the hunt in the river and he was determined to catch one.
And so he did, because that's what cavemen do

And so . . . . an amazing trip comes to an end . . . . . . and we return to our caves recharged.

 

 

 

 

 

Post Script:

We thank the Lord who created us able and kept us safe on this trip and also for creating special, beautiful places like these for us to enjoy.

Thanks to our wives for granting us this opportunity and for looking after the cavekids on their own.

Thanks to everyone who was concerned and in spirit with us.

We roughly covered 80 kilometres of the Orange River from Klein Pella to Goodhouse.

We caught more than 200 yellowfish between the 3 of us.

All fish caught, were released unharmed.