Africa, Africa Overland
OUR AFRICA OVERLAND STATISTICS
Oct
HELLO + WELCOME to a special post where we wrap up our Africa overland statistics.
It’s a bit of fun for us to look back over the stats and think about the journey.
Let’s go!…
AFRICA OVERLAND ROUTE
:: From South Africa to the top of Egypt. We then shipped out on a trucking route to Turkey.
:: A closer look at our route with labels. Mapped with Tracks4Africa.
KEY STATS
Days: 279. That’s 9 months from 22 November 2013 – 28 August 2014.
Countries: 14
Kilometres: 32,576
Diesel Litres: 4294
Most days spent in a country: 63 days in South Africa followed by 48 Days in Malawi
Most expensive diesel: $2.25/L in Malawi
Cheapest diesel: $0.25/L in Egypt
Hottest Temp: 50’C+ in Sudan
Lowest Temp: -10’C in Lesotho
Most Rain: No idea how much, but the rain was so torrential in Botswana one night that little rivers formed an flowed past the wheels of the Troopy.
Roadkill: 0. There was 1 very lucky donkey we nudged and a hornbill who got momentarily tangled in the bull bar.
Beers + Sundowners: Countless!
TROOPY STATS
In our 1989 Land Cruiser Troop Carrier…
Litres per 100Km: 13.8
Flat tyres: 0! How? BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain + lots of tyre pressure switch ups.
Pairs Of Shocks: Just the 1. Bilstein is the only brand we will ever use!
Air filter replaced: 3. Precautionary.
Brakes replaced: 1. In South Africa as labour was far cheaper than Aus.
Major services: 1. Before setting off we gave the Troopy a real going over in South Africa as labour was far cheaper than Aus.
Checkovers, diff oil top ups, bolts tightened etc: Regularly!
Major Mechanical Issues: The Troopy started overheating and then after a bit of DIY it led to the fan bolts shearing off which left the fan dangling in the engine bay… in the middle of Etosha NP when we were on the lookout for lions and elephants! Luckily for us an exact replica of the water pump with the stud bolts we needed miraculously sat in the campground we were towed to. What are the chances!? Read more here.
Minor Mechanical Issues: Diff oil leak from axle seal. We replaced the seal a few times and eventually Toyota in Malawi was able to fix it for good.
KILOMETRES + DAYS IN EACH COUNTRY
South Africa: 7514 Km + 59 Days
Lesotho: 231 Km + 3 Days
Namibia: 5195 Km + 34 Days
Botswana: 1523 Km + 7 Days (Rainy season)
Zimbabwe: 2466 Km + 13 Days
Zambia: 801 Km + 3 Days (Rainy season)
Malawi: 2481 Km + 46 Days
Tanzania: 2912 Km + 16 Days
Rwanda: 435 Km + 10 Days
Uganda: 744 Km + 25 Days
Kenya: 2779 Km + 26 Days
Ethiopia: 2510 Km + 12 Days
Sudan: 1936 Km + 9 Days
Egypt: 1235 Km + 16 Days
WILDLIFE
Countless wildlife sightings, including: Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Elephant, Giraffe, Hippo, Zebra, Buffalo, Hyena, Crocs, Wildebeest, Mongoose, Meerkat, Baboon, Warthog, Bat Eared Fox, Jackal, Tortoise, Dung Beetles, Ostrich, Somali Ostrich, Penguin, Honey Badger, Bushbaby.
Antelopes: Oryx, Roan, Sable, Impala, Gerenuk (Giraffe Antelope), Kudu, Klipspringer, Nyala, Sable, Topi, Steenbok, Waterbuck & lots more!
Highly endangered animals: Rhino (27!), Desert Rhino, Gorilla, Grévy’s Zebra, Ethiopian Wolf and African Wild Dog.
National Parks Visited:
Chobe and Savuti National Park
Kalahari Desert (Kgalagadi Transfronteir National Park)
Hwange National Park and Matobo National Park
THE HIGHS
Fav Beers: St.George Pale Ale in Ethiopia. + 80cent Heinekens in Malawi
Fav Camp: The Haven, Uganda perched on the Nile, amazing showers and fed endless good food. Lake Malawi camps. The ‘special’ bush camps in the Serengeti – sleeping to the sounds of the great migration happening all around us!
Fav Wild Camp: Camping in the middle of the deserts of Sudan.
Fav National Park: Ruaha, Tanzania. Read more here.
Fav Supermarket: Mzuzu, Malawi
Fav Bread: Flat bread in Wadi Halfa, Sudan
Fav Luxury Lodge: The Olive Exclusive, Windhoek, Namibia + Damaraland Camp in remote North West Namibia +…actually all of them!!
Fav Animal Sighting: This is a tough one… ++ The huge tusked elephant who wandered into our remote camp into Savuti NP in Botswana while we were cooking dinner. ++ Kariega’s huge heard of elephants that sniffed us as they waltzed past within arms reach. ++ The pack of African Wild Dogs we saw playing by the side of the road for an hour ++ The Rhinos… rolling in mud, drinking at waterholes, standing in defensive poses, sniffing us out, charging us. And especially the baby rhinos. ++ The lions and cubs who jumped across the river in the Serengeti. ++The elephants wading across the river at sunrise in Ruaha (and Chobe) and the lion who couldn’t be bothered to move off the road.
Fav currency: Malawi… because it afforded so much!
THE LOWS
Worst head on collisions avoided: 2. For one we had to drive off the road and for the second the other car flipped down an embankment.
Worst Animal Experience: That time a snake slithered into the shower. Honourable mention to mosquitos biting through the tent netting and to the tetse flies of the world.
Worst toilet: On entering Ethiopia. Plus an honourable mention to the ladies loo on the Aswan ferry. Just don’t breath, look down or wonder why! Because everything you are thinking… the answer is yes!
Shootings Witnessed: 1.
MEMORABLE DAYS
5 Best Days:
*** The moment we opened the shipping container in Durban, South Africa and rolled Troopy out onto African soil! We were feeling absolutely daunted by the journey ahead but so excited and pumped.
*** Being right in the middle of the great migration in the Serengeti. Seeing the migration cross the river while being stalked by water jumping lions and avoiding crocs who were waiting with their mouths open.
*** The day we drove in northern Kenya on the Marsabit to Moyale Road experiencing the isolation and out of this world tribal cultures.
*** Kirst’s 30th Birthday on Lake Malawi; waking up on the shores of Africa’s Great Lakes, reading the best book, hiring a private yacht, snorkelling, the blazing sunset and settling in for a dinner Gareth had organised with freshly caught fish and a home baked cake. Wow! Seriously, wow.
*** A private game drive in Shaba National Reserve in Northern Kenya – a sighting of 5+ desert lions on a kopje, sun setting, gin & tonic in hand with the wind in our hair.
And… because we apparently cant count to 5
*** Wild camping by the lake in Wadi Halfa, Sudan where we were greeted by a local fisherman and gifted desert cucumbers.
*** The day we crossed Africa and realised our dream of crossing the continent by car!
5 Tough Days:
*** The night Gareth fell ill. He sweated and shook all night. The following weeks we had multiple trips to the hospital. It was quite a moment when he and a Masai Warrior sat in the same room to have their blood taken at the same time.
*** The day the Australian embassy was in tense lock down in Kenya because terrorists had just murdered 70 people on the coast. The security told us their greatest fear was terrorists opening fire in a traffic jam. A very unsettling thought as we spent the next week driving around the area to organise visas.
*** The day we saw someone shot in Egypt and slept just a few doors down from a police checkpoint that got fire bombed. A few days prior we arrived and I sat back in a cab with Anne’ and through a few tears felt it – ‘It doesn’t feel like we’re in Africa anymore…’ That sucked.
*** The day we drove for 15+ hours and into the night through Ethiopia. Something we said we would never do.
*** The day we were told by the Ethiopian embassy to ‘cancel your plans’ as they would no longer issue border visas.
OTHER STUFF
Visas required prior to reaching the border: 2. Ethiopia and Sudan.
Boats required: 3. Onto the continent. Off the continent. Ferry between Sudan & Egypt as the road was inaccessible.
Most serious navigating challenge: Kampala, Uganda and Nairobi, Kenya without getting stuck in any traffic! Whoo!
Best meal invention: Gareth using the blow torch to melt cheese on nachos!
Gear that rocked: SnowPeak Fire Pit. Bilstein Shocks. Drifta fit-out. RedArc Flexible/Foldable Solar Panel. CGear Mat. TrueBlue Outdoors canvas bags and organisers. Everything we did with the Expedition Centre. BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain tyres. The Long Ranger water tank. LifeSaver Jerry Can.
Washed clothes by hand: All 9 months. The last time we saw a machine was in South Africa.
FACEBOOK CREW
When we first hatched a plan to drive across Africa it was our goal to share the journey with as many people as possible. In the hope that we might encourage people to travel there themselves.
We could never have imagined that we would end up sharing it with thousands of people and be cheered along so generously.
Here’s a snapshot of the messages people sent our way when we posted “We made it across Africa!”
Thanks guys… you are amazing.
Thank-you so much guys. We’ve loved having you along for the ride.
We’d love to hear from you in the comments below! Are there any other stats you are curious to know? Tell us and we will try to answer.
Cheers,
Note: At the time of travel the AUD was = to the US. All $ are in AUD.
You might also like to see how we built our expedition vehicle and take a look inside the rig.
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Top stuff guys,
It must be great for you to look back over all the stuff you saw in Africa.
The real big question is…
How much did traveling through Africa cost?
Not after start up, shipping, ect costs. Just daily living costs (accommodation, fuel, food and attractions)
you started out posting up all your expenses but I see you have taken that down which is a bit of a shame.
Even a rounded off $$ per day would be awesome.
Cheers,
Ben
Congratulations guys
Know how you feel. 2 yrs ago we drove from Valdivostok to Europe and Morocco in our Troopy
She now has a new home in Devon and I will buy another next year
We contemplated driving home thru Africa but thought it would not be possible
I am now inspired to follow in your wheel tracks
Nick
Hello Gareth and Kirsty,
I really enjoyed your updates and this Stats summary. Congratulations on the whole adventure.
I am an Aussie living in Kiev, Ukraine and have a dream of driving from Kiev to Kiewa (near Albury), in a 1980’s Citroen CX station wagon. It has high clearance (adjustable hydraulic suspension) and front-wheel drive. What do you think the challenges would be? I am currently visiting Kenya and the roads from Nairobi to Maasai Mara are rough but doable. The river crossings would be the biggest challenge I can see. Let me know what you think?
Shane
Hey guys great reading the stats highs and lows of ya trip! What a journey!! just want to say you defiantly inspired us to take of and we always looked to you guys for inspiration, thinking “they did Africa to Europe” “wow”, also when we were having a hard day we would think imagine in Africa lol!! hehe been great following the journey and seeing all the great photography! We are going to continue on with Australia and get to all the points N, E, S, W! Look forward to a catch up on the east coast!! Cheers Justin and Philip
Hi Kirsty & Gareth
You are awesome! Congratulations.
What a trip and thanks for sharing your stats. Super interesting to read. It’s the perfect inspiration for our next big trip 😉
By the way, your Troopy is a real beauty. We sold our Troopy last year in OZ and we miss it a lot. It’s such a reliable car and for us the perfect car for Overlanding.
Safe and happy travels,
Reni
Some brilliant detail here – you guys have covered so much in your troopy, and the adventures are awesome to read.
Cheers Aaron – hope you are enjoying your own travels 🙂
Epic journey – Bravo to you two! I have lived in several African countries and it would be a dream for me to drive through Africa in the future.
Not sure if you have been asked this question about the choice of your journey. Why did you choose to travel up on the eastern side, rather than western side, through West Africa up to Morocco and Across to Spain ?
Cheers,
Azzeddine
Wauw, looks like an amazing experience! I love the African continent and I am planning to drive from Belgium to South-Africa up on the eastern side. Do you have any gpx files that you could share? This could help me a lot in planning our route.
Thank you!
Cheers William