The backbone of our DNA

Camping with Howling Moon tents

Masha and Renier

The Howling Moon science lab

There is a time drawing closer that I don’t even want to think about. The end of the 2010 Outreach is approaching... 

Hendrik and Donnovin

Every year it is the same. The group gets together on day one and is not at team yet. They eye each other, trying to remember names and designations. Everybody tries to look busy, but really only sort of gets in the each other’s way. Gerhard is scratching his head, trying to figure out who to put together in the vehicles. 

While all this is going on, there is a team of just three guys methodically sorting out the Hiluxes and Fortuners. It’s amazing, when Hendrick, Donnovin and Eric begin, there is a mountain of stuff that looks like a complete 4x4 Megaworld store next to the vehicles. You look at it and you look at the packing space on the bakkies and think, nope, this time they’re not going to get it all on. Next time you walk past them, the pile of stuff is basically gone. And there is still place on the vehicles.

There is a complete home-from-home village loaded. With a Howling Moon tent for everyone. Enough National Luna fridges to keep enough food frozen or fresh and for water, cool drinks and other stuff. Met eish, ja... Pots, pans, gas cookers, water, wood, you name it. Plus a power supply system with inverters et al capable of coping with laptops and recharching cameras for 17 scientists and a bunch of journalists. Not to mention Foeta and Anel bringing the whole SABC along...

Isa cooking with gas

Erik and Donnovin

Then we travel. The convoy of 14 vehicles is no joke to control. Radio procedure boxes the vehicles in. Imagine refuelling at a garage. Two rows of vehicles, filling up one by one on one account. 

Hendrik

Somewhere along the way we pull over at a picnic site for lunch. Out come the sandwiches, cold meats, fresh fruit and more. Somebody had to prepare that. I’m coming to that. 

A few hours later we arrive at our campsite, somewhere in the middle of nowhere. That’s the great thing about Gerhard. He scouts like crazy before the actual trip to find a place away from everything, offering a paradise of fauna and flora for the scientists. And he works with contacts. Thanks to Sanparks and Cape Nature, the Outreach was treated like royalty. 

We had to drive through Port Elizabeth to get to our perfect spot in the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany hotspot. But Gerhard landed us in the middle of nowhere and at first the spot looks beautiful, but barren, unlived. Not home. Then in less than an hour the guys build a village. Once again Hendrick, Donnovin and Eric shuffle stuff around to make a kitchen and a social area appear. Asterix and friends, eat your hearts out, this is a real village. 

But that kitchen that they’ve constructed is the heartbeat of it all. That’s where you’ll find Elmarie and Isa, feeding the Outreach. And yet again, Asterix eat your heart out, your wild boar is no match for their masala chicken, waterblommetjiebredie, steak and ostrich braais, snoek and crayfish. 

Klipbokkop Girls (Alida, Delouise, Isa and Tanya)

Thank you Klipbokkop team for looking after the Outreach. Come to think of it: I’m tired of the limelight; tired of being a celebrity. If you’ll have me, Gerhard and Elmarie, I’m retiring on Klipbokkop straight after this Outreach. 

View the route we travelled today: http://gpsed.com/track/5061178322394720646