It has been almost four years since our last big overseas adventure, so it is time to dust off the travel blog again!
This trip will be a little different from our previous travels. Chris and Danielle are now being joined by Karl, aged three, and Isaac, aged one. Travelling halfway around the world with two small children will either be a wonderful family adventure or a terrible logistical mistake. Probably a little of both.
We leave New Zealand in early September and, after a very long day of flying, arrive in Johannesburg. We will spend our first night near the airport before continuing to Cape Town once everyone has had at least some sleep.
We have allowed ourselves a couple of quiet days to recover from the flights and work out what time zone everyone thinks they are in. After that, we will spend several days exploring Cape Town. Our plans include visiting the penguins, attempting Table Mountain and generally moving at a pace suitable for a three-year-old and a one-year-old.
From Cape Town we head into the Winelands, where we hope to ride the Winelands Light Railway, see some giraffes and perhaps even manage to visit a winery or two. How sophisticated the wine tasting will be with two toddlers remains to be seen.
We then fly across the country and make our way into Kruger National Park for a few days of self-drive game viewing. This is probably the part of the trip we are most excited about.
Karl is particularly keen to see hippopotamuses, giraffes and rhinos. Isaac has not expressed a strong preference yet, but will probably be satisfied by anything large that moves. Chris will also celebrate his birthday while we are in Kruger, which should be slightly more memorable than spending it at home or at work.
After leaving Kruger, we have allowed several quieter days at a lodge near the park. There are vague plans involving massages, the spa and not spending quite so many hours in the car. Whether the children agree with the “quiet and relaxing” part of the plan is another question.
The main reason for the trip is to celebrate the wedding of our friends in South Africa. After the wedding, we will gradually make our way back towards Johannesburg, with a few more stops and possibly a visit to Sun City along the way.
We will begin the long journey home in early October, eventually arriving back in Northland after nearly a month away.
It is a fairly ambitious trip with two small children, several flights, multiple rental cars and plenty of accommodation changes. We have tried to leave enough slower days in the plan, but we are also expecting that at least some of it will change as we go.
As with our previous trips, we will try to post regular updates and photos here so our friends and family can follow along.
This will be our first big overseas adventure as a family of four, and we are excited to see how it unfolds.
Wish us luck!
Chris, Danielle, Karl & Isaac