Day 17: Sun 16th Feb: Chitimba Camp Leaving our shack behind we pack five of us into two vehicles and we head off for the Livingstonia Mission Station which is on the top of the plateau. Our guide opts to stay in camp and have a rest day. We travel up the most incredible 4x4 track either of us have ever seen. Thanks to all the rain, the mud is thick and slippery and Simon becomes most proficient at persuading the Doddle to continue forward motion - even if it ...

Day 15: Fri 14th Feb: Steps Camp Site, Senga Bay to Sunga Moyo (near Chinteche) along the Lake. Today is Valentine's Day and (as usual) Lyn is many steps ahead of me and presents me with a card this morning. Karlien even has some chocolate and a little flower for the ladies too! Yes, I am pathetic and know my debt is mounting to my wonderful wife - some expensive hotel and spa time coming which I will gladly cough for. On the drive this morning we pass thro...

Day 10: Sun 9th Feb: Livingstone Bush Front to Lusaka Pioneer Camp This is a long haul but on a road that's very good for 80% of the way to Lusaka, with only one police check point outside Livingstone and none after that. Lusaka looks like it's booming as we drive through and is very busy even for a Sunday afternoon! There are all the RSA stores present (including Woolworths Food) and a couple of grand shopping malls (could be in any reasonably big town in RSA)....

Day 6: Norma Jean's to Gweru Antelope Park An uneventful tar journey takes us to a detour suggestion (by Lyn and I) from the planned itinerary and takes us back to over 2 years ago, when we walked with lions at this park, a most amazing experience. The trip goes through the Great Dyke which gave rise to several gold, silver and platinum mines which are in the main now defunct. There is an old drive-in just outside Gweru "The Flamingo" obviously now in disrepai...

Day 5: Tuesday 4th February: Camp Africa to Great Zimbabwe Ruins (near Masvingo). End Odo 2366 Today is the official start of the trip and we mosey down the mountain to take photos with the local news hack then set off to (the notorious) Beitbridge Border Post with Zimbabwe. It takes about an hour and half to reach the border and then an hour and a half to get through (which is apparently quite good) - only one s***ty official who initially gives us only 3 (or...