Wrap Up {Edition 13}

HELLO + WELCOME as we count down the final 6 weeks as we prepare to jump in our 4X4 and begin a road trip of epic proportions. From Sydney to London – with a whole lot of luck!

Here’s what’s been happening behind the scenes…

BOSSY FINDS THE BEST FOSTER PARENTS IN AUSTRALIA

 ^ Boss on his way to meet his new parents

We have a son. He is hairy. Stinky. Endlessly hungry. And highly emotional.

He also gives the best good-morning cuddles. Follows you around like the a shadow. Has a smile that reaches from ear to ear. And constantly makes us laugh out loud and makes our hearts fizz with love! He’s our Boss. Our beloved 10 year old English Staffy.

‘What’s going to happen with Bossy?’ has been weighing on our minds.

We recently headed out to introduce Boss to his prospective foster-parents. The verdict? They adore him.

He is a charmer afterall. But what is truely awesome is who THEY are! They are without a doubt the best Staffy parents Boss could have ever hoped for. Boss is going to become a city dog living in a big house with a big grassy backyard complete with fishpond for endless drinking. A foster-dad who he will keep company during the day and who just happens to be a renowned gourmet cook… who also specialises in gourmet doggie dinners. And a foster-mum who is probably as we speak printing off Bossy’s photo to frame and place on her desk, as well as planning a dog-friendly weekend away.

We walked out of their beautiful home on Friday night very grateful and feeling very fortunate. Bossy included.

TRACKS4AFRICA + SELF DRIVE SAFARIS

^^ Images courtesy of Self Drive Safaris

Upon receiving support from Tracks4Africa head office in South Africa we headed down to their Australian distributors Self Drive Safaris to collect a stash of T4A maps. Check the gear  out by clicking here.

We would like to give a big shout out to Self Drive Safaris. We reckon a lot of you would be really interested in what they do. It’s owned and operated by Mike and Linda. An adventurous couple who split there time between Africa and Australia.

What does their business mean for you? It means YOU can get your butt over to Africa and hit the open road and have someone do all the planning for you. In their words…

“This is a unique experience where you will drive yourself deep into the wilderness areas of Africa backed up by our support vehicle. The philosophy is “do it yourself” – you drive, set up camp, shop, cook and clean up.

On a Self Drive Safari, you get the adventure of doing it yourself but all the planning, routes, campsites and bookings done for you. All you have to do is arrive and travel through the remote and magnificent African wilderness where animals such as elephant, gemsbok, giraffe, lion and more roam free. You will also encounter many tribal cultures such as the Himba, Herero and Damara. During your adventure you have the security of travelling with a small group and the back up if or when you need it”

We realise (from your emails) there are a lot of people out there who would love to drive through Africa. Well, if you aren’t quite ready to buy a car, ship it Africa and head out on your own click here for more info at www.selfdrivesafaris.com.au

SHOWER INSTALLATION

The vehicle has now been fitted with a fully functioning hot water shower.

It pays to have a plumber as a team member! Yes. Yes. Hell, yes.

LOOT DELIVERY

More loot arrived this week! Hoorah!

>> Lonely Planet Africa Phrase Book which will allow us to become quattuordec-lingual(!!) including Afrikaans, Arabic, Ethiopian, Amharic, French, Hausa, Malagasy, Portuguese, Shona, Swahili, Wolof, Xhosa, Yoruba, and Zulu. 8 bucks well spent.

>> Bahco Mechanical Socket & Spanner Set a must-have for all things socketing and spannering on the car

>> 140+ decibal alarm

>> And of course our Tracks4Africa loot including: T4A GPS Maps on SD card (Full Africa Maps), Namibia paper map, Botswana paper map, Mozambique & Malawi paper map, and the Camping & Lodging Directory: Nambia & Botswana. More info on all our Tracks4Africa guiding goodness by clicking here.

We have also been watching a bit of The Long Way Round to get us in the mood for some overlanding action + organising our foreign transaction accounts (with zilch fees!) + minimising by carting off STUFF to goodwill and selling it on eBay + connecting with a charity in order to give back as we go + getting our brand spankn’ BF Goodrich tyres fixed yesterday (will post pics next week!).

That’s where we are at.

We would like to finish this Wrap-Up by offering you are heart felt THANKS for the encouragement and support YOU have been showing us as we get ready to take off.

All the best for your week ahead.

Cheers

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** Read more:  Our Plan + Wraps Ups + Pop-Top-Roof Video + Overland Vehicle Design Inspiration + DRIFTA factory tour

** Our favourite travel books: Over this way