Photos from the trip

Here's a few pictures from our trip...











Trekking in the wet!




Building the climbing frame at Mpondweni School



Another day of trekking












Cycling team with David Oldfield ( ex pro footballer ) on left



Preparing for the zip slide



The long long cycle challenge over rough rough terrain




Communal dining



Presenting the bikes to the kids



Playing with the kids




Dave Raine and Dave Hodgson checking on blog at Spion Kop Lodge




Another wet challenge!




Giraffes and antelope in the wild - from horseback!


Enjoying the finished frame



Final relax in the Indian Ocean



That's all for now!

Day Eight

The morning after the night before. The breakfast room in the hotel echoed with relived funny stories about the night before. Everyone is still intact and there's no unfortunate incidents to report. Some of us were swimming in the Indian Ocean at 7am! Warm water, sunny and apparently this is winter in Durban. Crazy. We all did some shopping for friends and family and enjoyed our last few beers before getting onto our bus, Brenda, for the last time. At Durban airport we said our goodbyes to Brian our cook and Noel our driver. They had become part of the group and we have all learnt so much about African customs and traditions from them - particularly relating to marriage.

Durban to Jo'berg and then on to Heathrow. The last flight reached new lows in travel hell. Half the toilets were out of action, the screens weren't working, the food was plastic and it was very cramped, but our spirits remained high and that ironic British sense of humour remained present throughout.

Final tally - we're all back safe, with all challenges completed.

Thanks for reading!

Dave Allan. (8am, 14/6/09)

Postscript to Day Seven

Our last evening in South Africa was spent at a restaurant in the harbour area of Durban, with sharks swimming in a large tank, looking down on us while we were eating. It was really novel and the food was very good. As it was our last night, nobody drank any alcohol and we were all in bed by 10pm.....

Maybe not!!!

What really happened was that stories from the week flowed with the alcohol, right through to the early hours, and Durban knew we had been there!

Dave Allan (7.40am, 14/06/09)

Day Seven

Today was our final challenge day with water rafting races down the river next to our lodges. The current was modest and the water not too deep but the event was physically demanding. We had to get the inflatables down a steep bank to the edge of the river, and back again. No drownings or duckings but there were definitely some hurt egos!

We left the lodgings at Spion Kop after paying our huge drinks bills for the evening's entertainments and moved on to the Mpondweni School to see the jungle gym being used. We passed on food, T shirts, trainers and other items to the children. Smiles and goodbyes.

Next is the long drive to Durban and we'll be faced with the vast contrast of a large urban city with the wildness of the bush. Now we are looking forward to food, recovery, stories and preparation for the long journey home.

David Allan (7.20pm, 12/6/09)

Day Six

Up at 7.30 this morning and still no fluffy white towels and slippers. Today we were trekking in the mountains in Drakensberg National Park. The word undulating has new meaning for us all after the steep ascents we had to conquer. I was full of cold but drugged myself up so I could carry on, and some of the party are feeling the effects of the challenges with various ankle and knee injuries.

We covered 12 km on the hike, ascending 700 metres to 9000ft and were rewarded with spectacular views. The descent was tricky, but everyone has completed all the challenges so far. We've got a quiz this evening and we're preparing for yet more adventure tomorrow, with watersports on the itinerary and then breaking camp.

Dave Allan (6.55pm, 11/6/09)

Day Five

Today we travelled on to Mpondweni School, where we built a jungle gym and donated the bikes that we had struggled so hard to ride earlier in the week. The bikes were given to children who walk up to 10kms a day to get to school. They really will make a difference to their lives. We also donated pens, paper, footballs, T-Shirts and other things to help.

We were all humbled by their struggle to get by and it was astonishing to see how little they have. We sang with the children and the staff and it's a day we'll never forget.

We finished the day with some horse riding, where we saw giraffes, zebra and impala close up and in the wild.

Dave Allan. (7.10pm 10/6/09)

Day Four

We were up at 6.30 this morning, even though some of the group were playing cards all night and didn't even make it to bed until 3am!

We travelled to the Spion Kop Activity Centre, where we took part in challenges including mountain boarding, quad biking, archery and even going down a 300 metre zip wire. There was one injury, when someone fell over on a quad bike, but fortunately, they are only in minor pain.

So, after a very hectic morning, we went to Spion Kop battlefield in the afternoon, where we enjoyed a 5km hike. While walking through the bush we saw a family of giraffes and zebra in their natural habitat and even some eagles! The landscape was incredibly impressive. In the evening, we visited a local historian to find out more about the locality. A long day, but all still in one piece.

David Allan. (6.29pm, 9/6/09)