Elva’s latest travel adventure…. Perth and Cape Town and home!

In our last article, Elva was in Perth and about to board her Indian Ocean Cruise to Cape Town, South Africa. She now updates us on this third and final leg of her wonderful travel adventure.

“Now, aboard the Island Princess cruise ship and united with my son Bruce, I began the last leg of my ocean journey to circumnavigate the globe!

After seven relaxing days cruising across the Southern Indian Ocean, we arrived at Port Louis, Mauritius. This city has a quite wonderful, happy vibe, I enjoyed my visit there.

Another six days and we arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, ready for a new adventure!

We set off south to Cape Agulhas, the southern-most point of the African Continent. After a scenic drive we arrived at the wild, rugged, windswept coastline, where the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Southern Oceans meet. With a boardwalk up to an old lighthouse, which has saved many a ship from disaster.

It was exciting and thrilling to be able to stand with one foot in the Indian Ocean and one in the

Atlantic Ocean, both at the same time.

After battling the winds, bathing our feet in the historical waters and enjoying the views, we enjoyed a lovely lunch before heading back to Cape Town.

The next day we did some sightseeing of Cape Town and the surrounds. We visited the most southwestern point of South Africa, Cape Point, also known as The Cape of Good Hope, a picturesque peninsular. Then onto Boulder Point, via a coastal drive and the seaside town of Simon Town. Boulder Point is known for its colony of African Penguins. We loved watching the penguins waddle down the slope to the water, feeding their young and swimming in the ocean.

Next onto the picturesque coastal drive around Chapman’s Peak and Table Mountain, including the cable-car ascent of 964m above sea level. After the cable car ride, we had the most incredible views over Cape Town. A fantastic day.

The following day, after an early start, we flew to Johannesburg and had a connecting flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Arriving at our Lodge at Victoria Falls, we had an early night to be ready for the next day.

The next morning, we set off, crossing the border to the vast reserve of Chobe Nature Reserve, Botswana.

Beginning with a river safari along the Chobe River, we were soon captivated by many hippopotamuses, appearing as quickly as they disappeared. Many Elephants and their young came to drink and bath at the river’s edge. There were crocodiles and many varieties of birds.

This was followed by a land safari. We saw many herds of elephants, giraffes, impalas and other varieties of antelope, more hippopotamus and a pride of about ten lionesses laying in the sun. Another exciting, unforgettable day!

The following day, we took a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls. This enabled us to view the extent of

and length of this mighty wall of water and the Zambezi River, a natural border between Zambia

and Zimbabwe. What an amazing experience.

My son, Bruce, did a bungee jump off the Victoria Bridge, while I looked on!

We stopped for lunch at the incredible Victoria Falls Hotel. A gracious, Edwardian building, at which King George V1, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret stayed in 1947, during their tour of South Africa and the then Rhodesia’s.

We ended our journey on the African Continent, by taking an unforgettable sunset dinner cruise on

the Zambezi River, accompanied again by our hippopotamus and elephant friends. This took us to the

meeting of four countries, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. And as the sunset illuminated

the skies with such vivid colour and with the African Moon shining down on us, we concluded a

wonderful finale of another incredible chapter of my life and travels.