I decided about late October 2018 to have another trip to Southern Africa and Lesotho in March and April following. I had been following the fortunes of South African Airways closely in Media and decided flying with them again was risky owing to the ir financial woes and risk to me of cancelled flights etc. After a domestic flight from Hobart to Melbourne on Virgin Airlines my Singapore airlines flight left Melbourne on 19th March around 745pm for 7 hours flight there, a 2 hour stopover until another 10-11 hour flight to Johannesburg.arriving there at 6am on Wednesday 20th March. I had a day and night to rest up before the Premier Classe train to Cape Town was scheduled to leave around 10.30am on Thursday 21st March. I woke early around 530am exactly 24 hour after touching down at Johannesburg Airport (O R Tambo) where I was met by hotel car and driven to Protea Parktonian Hotel at Braamfontein just 800 metres from the long distance train terminal at Johannesburg Park Station. The journey was about 3/4s hour late leaving but train started edging its way out through Braamfontein Marshalling yards about 11.20am crawling slowly through Joburg's western suburbs with unscheduled stops around Westbury and Newclare before heading southwest into the farming districts towards Potchefstroom and beyond. Evening dinner served on train as it sped past MAkwassie wheat silos in North West province and darkness fell around 645pm. I woke predawn to get some filming of train passing by the wind farms on mountain tops between Hutchinson and Three Sisters as sun rose shortly after passing through Nelspoort and the abruptly named little stop at "Juk". Rest of the day was its usual scenic karoo self until train was forced to stop at Kraaifontein - 30 kms out of Cape Town. IT looked like a long delay was imminent so i phoned my Lesotho friend Teboho who arranged to collect me in his minibus taxi in 12th Avenue Kraaifontein right side where the train had been stopped. About 45 minutes later I was dropped off at Greenmarket Square outside the Market House building where my self catering apartment was waiting. It was close to 8pm by the time I sat down there and told Teboho to come meet me the following day as he had to head back home to Kuilsriver. It was great to see him again after 13 years.
- Күн бұрын
Melbourne to Cape Town via Singapore & Johannesburg 19th- 22nd March 2019
- Рет қаралды 700
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