After watching satellite phones on Ebay for some time, we have finally purchased one at a reasonable price from the UK. It is in pretty good condition and seems to be working, which is always a plus! Now just to wade through all the satellite phone plans and work out which one will fit our needs the best.
Dec 222010
Dec 192010
This weekend we did a sand driving course with the Toyota Landcruiser Club at Stockton Beach. We had a great time! Once again, it is amazing what our cars can actually do. Whilst I don’t think we’ll be driving over sand dunes in Africa, we will definitely be driving on sand tracks and the course has certainly helped us to understand the basics for sand driving.
Dec 152010
We have finally committed to hiring a vehicle, have made the booking and paid the deposit. Just have to hope now we have picked the right company and everything will be ok! (I’m sure it will). I’ve added an update to the vehicle page to explain how we decided to hire rather than buy a vehicle.
Dec 132010
My leave has been approved, so I officially have a job to come back to!
My flights are booked using frequent flyers and I managed to get a bargain price for Wayne’s ticket, saving $800 off the price of a return flight to Johannesburg. We’re definitely committed now!
Dec 052010
Last weekend we u
ndertook our first 4wd driver and recovery training with the Toyota Land Cruiser Club at their Willowglen property near Goulburn.
The weekend was fantastic! We tackled roads that we would never have even contemplated attempting previously. We learnt how to negotiate steep, walled creek beds full of rocks. To traverse steep tracks full of deep holes and covered with gravel, wind our way through the bush and do water crossings. Recovery training was also part of the weekend and we learnt how to winch, use snatch straps and hi-lift jacks.
On top of that we met some great people and will hopefully be putting our new skills into practice with some club trips before we leave. (We are doing a trip in September with them).
I think we both feel a whole lot more confident in our ability to make our way around Africa and tackle the roads ahead!
