Trip 1 - planning

Well the week has had little time to focus on planning our first little road trip to get away and celebrate my birthday (9/11) - but I have driven the household mad as every thing I have been doing afterhours has included a map & included chatter about where we could go as well as the pro's & con's & the dilemma of accommodation availability.

The desire has been to head up the West Coast towards Namaqwaland in order to view the flowers - my preference in terms of travel is always last minute planning (usually the week before we due to leave) with a strong element of spontaneity. Well, what I had not realised is that accommodation is extremely limited in this region and most of the places that have caught my eye have been full given that it is their peak season! So slowly the intended trip has morfed and the route has changed as I receive feedback that the desired spot is full. Lesson to self for next year - book long in advance!

Another consideration is that we travelling with a 2 year old, so the distance in the car on any one stint cannot be too long otherwise I am sure it won't be fun for any of us. I have been researching quite a broad area that went from Lambert's Bay in the south, inland including the Northern Cedarberg, northwards to Nieuwoudsville (for some reason I have this intense desire to go to this town - who knows why?) and then towards the coast near the Namaqua National Park. I was particularly interested in sourcing accommodation in the Northern Cedarberg Area - the Biedouw Valley, but accommodation did not materialise (another trip for sure).

So I have now managed to secure accommodation at Melkboomsdrift Guest Lodge www.melkboomsdrift.co.za, on a farm between Vredendal & Lutzville. Something about the position appealed to me as we should be really close to the flowers, beach and mountain - hopefully easy day trips away & lots of entertainment for James. It also provided meals which I really don't feel like having to organise myself this time, so it all seems to be coming together.

Some interesting books that I have enjoying reading this week which have really been an inspiration in the planning & setting of the atmosphere:

• 4x4 Routes through Southern Africa - still not confident enough to do any of these serious routes, but certainly it has inspired me to really get into the vibe of off road travel
• Passes & Poorts (Getaway's top 30 scenic mountain routes in the Western Cape) - I have always loved the idea of driving remote mountain passes and done quite a few in my Honda previously which given its low chasis has not always been ideal
• The Greenwood Guide to South Africa & Namibia (Handpicked Accommodation) - love the idea that its sister book is about Accommodation in New Zealand which is another place I would love to do a serious road trip in a camper van one day. Plus, the choice of accommodation is brilliant - will certainly be testing a couple of their recommendations over the next few months
• Obviously lots of searching on the internet, but what I have realised is that a lot of these smaller spots just are not on the internet or are not set up suitably to be returned by a search engine

Anyway, that is about it - all that is left is to finish the week at work & then pack the car and start driving.

Context as perspective

This is not primarily to become a serious, serious 4x4 driver! This is just a tool to create the space that I have lost in order to find what is important to me, to re-identify those elements that at a soul level I need in order to feel fulfilled and complete. Unless you are an extremely self aware person or you have already taken the time to work out what you personally need - certainly I find that when life gets busy, and believe me, being a mom and working full time certainly creates an environment with little space for self! I forget what I need to ensure I remain soulfully rich.

There were 2 things that I particularly loved as a child - spending endless hours in the wide open spaces of our neighbourhood; back in the early 70's. Where I grew up there were still lots of fields filled with trees, areas of suburb that had only been laid out with the initial roads being dirt tracks where houses had not been built yet - probably only 20% of the houses existed versus how that suburb is known today. We used to spend hours cycling in these areas just having fun, enjoying the freedom of being on the bike, riding through puddles when it had been raining, eventually only going home because we were either thirsty or hungry.

The other activity that was always a special one, was on the last day of every school holiday I would get on my bike and head off down the main road towards Simonstown on my own, loving the solitude, the wind on my face, the beautiful coastal views & a good day would mean I cycled all the way down to Simonstown where I would then investigate the village & on a bad day (namely the SouthEaster was blowing really hard) I would only get as far as Dalebrook which would mean a couple of hours pottering on a beautiful little beach close to Kalk Bay playing in rock pools & enjoying a swim in the tidal pool.

Whenever I get to a point in my life where I realise that I have lost that connection with myself & I take time to reflect, it is these 2 visions that come back to me & I remember how important time, space & solitude are to me – for me those times were extremely happy times.

So as Lance Armstrong so aptly titled his book “It’s not about the Bike – My Journey Back to Life” (certainly a book well worth reading). It is not about the 4x4 – it is about the journey of self discovery where the vehicle is but a partner & enabler.

The start of the journey

For many years I have had the dream of one day owning a cruiser and heading off on dirt tracks far from the city, just enjoying the wide open spaces with a total sense of freedom and space. Lots of silence and time to think, get in touch with ones soul and really be close to who you are.

Just over 3 years ago I finally plucked up the courage to get my motorbike learners licence (closely correlated to turning 40!) and started going from shop to shop to source what I deemed  my dream bike. My only problem was that the types of bikes that really appealed to me (e.g. the Triumph Rocket 3 Touring) were far too big for a beginner to ride! I had to make peace with the fact that I had quite a way to go before I would be riding into the distance on anything other than maybe a 250cc until I learnt how to ride! And this was far from appealing ....

Fortunately, I was saved from having to potter around on a little city bike when I fell pregnant and I  decided to put this whole crazy idea on hold as that would be the responsible thing to do. Who would want to risk having a broken leg and a young child at the same time - certainly not I.

Well, I did not give it another thought until 2 weeks ago when I came upon an excellent compromise that would still get me out into those wide open spaces in a much safer and socially acceptable family manner - a 4x4! I could indulge my desire to learn something new by embracing the fun & challenge of taking on the finer details of 4x4ing as well as integrating my desire to escape the city while involving the family too. It was a win-win on all fronts.

Tuesday I took ownership of my first 4x4 and I am totally excited at the new experiences that I know will come with this next adventure ....