A nostalgic journey through Matabeleland on the Rovos train

Just over fifty years ago, in September 1969, Barbara and I said farewell to South African friends who had travelled with us from Cape Town to Johannesburg, and we set off for our new life in Zambia, our first time alone in this vast continent!

The Great North Road took us on a 485 km journey to the Limpopo River, the border between South Africa and Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. After an overnight stop in the small town of Gwanda, we passed through the heart of Matabeleland and the anachronistic town of Bulawayo, with its 1950s cars, and roads, wide enough to turn a full span of 16 oxen, lined with jacaranda and bougainvillea. Then on to Victoria Falls along the straight 450km road through unchanging dense bush. At last we came to the mighty Zambezi river and crossed the Victoria Falls Bridge and into Zambia and the start of my now half century in the mining industry.

On the Victoria Falls bridge overlooking the Zambezi

So impressed were we with Rhodesia that a year later we spent a couple of weeks touring this beautiful country (YouTube), the 'bread basket of Africa'. The roads were immaculate, hotels and restaurants of a very high standard and the local people were friendly and accommodating. Rhodesia, like South Africa, was also under white minority rule, Ian Smith’s Government having declared unilateral independence from Britain four years earlier and there was a pervading air of optimism and confidence in the future of this small country, which had everything to sustain it, agriculture, minerals and enormous potential for tourism. Who could have envisaged that South Africa would enjoy peaceful transition to majority black rule under Nelson Mandela, whereas Rhodesia would be plunged into a bloody civil war, leading to the horrors of Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe?

Just over 50 years later Barbara and I travelled the same route last month after Flotation '19 in Cape Town, but this time by rail, rather than road, and through a very different Zimbabwe, economically ruined by the despotic Mugabe and his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa, known as 'the crocodile' because of his political cunning. The people of Matabeleland suffered the most under Mugabe, particularly in the early 1980s when he sent in troops to put down opposition supporters in this region.

We travelled to Victoria Falls by the Rovos train, South Africa's rival to the more famous but equally luxurious Blue Train, from Pretoria, the Great North Road running parallel to the train track for much of the route, and we entered Matabeleland as in 1969 at Beitbridge. 

Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn near Mokopane

The first of our three fine dinners, prior to crossing the Limpopo

The following morning we passed slowly through baobab country and almost 30 hours after leaving Pretoria we arrived at Gwanda, our first overnight stop half a century ago.

Baobab country

A short stop at Gwanda

The third day was particularly interesting as we travelled between Matabeleland's capital, Bulawayo, and Victoria Falls, passing through the vast Hwangwe National Park, where passengers could spot game from the train.

A late  afternoon game drive provided many with their first really close encounters with African wildlife, always a very special experience.

And what better way to end a memorable day than a sundowner in the bush before returning to the train to dress for the final dinner.

The following morning, exactly three days after leaving Pretoria, we pulled into Victoria Falls station and said our goodbyes to our fellow travellers and the exemplary Rovos staff and the end of a truly memorable journey. 

Victoria Falls would be the highlight of any itinerary to Southern Africa and can be reached via direct flights from Cape Town, so would I recommend the Rovos experience, a 3 night excursion from Pretoria?

For many of the international travellers on the train, this was their first experience of Africa and without exception they enthused about this mode of travel, a luxurious reminder of a bygone era. The service and food on Rovos were first class, and the journey delivered everything that was promised and more,  unlike the Blue Train from Pretoria to Cape Town, which promised a visit to the diamond museum and Big Hole at Kimberley, something which did not happen, and apparently rarely does.

But don't expect to glide smoothly through the endless and ever-changing African landscape. For most of the route, particularly in Limpopo, and much of Zimbabwe, the train bucks and rolls along the poorly maintained undulating track. However, if you enjoy train travel, meeting people of all nationalities and being transported back to a time of elegance where dressing for dinner was expected, then this is a great option for experiencing this most wonderful of continents, providing you can manage without those modern necessities internet and mobile phones for three whole days. Without hesitation we would recommend Rovos to anyone wishing to experience the magic of Africa in a relaxed and leisurely way.

And a final recommendation: Victoria Falls is not only a magnificent spectacle viewed from Zimbabwe and across the river in Zambia (see The Smoke that Thunders).

The Devil's Cataract, Zimbabwe

The Eastern Cataract, Zambia

The region teems with wildlife (see also posting of 26th November), so an evening sundowner on the Zambezi is highly recommended, as is a day excursion into Botswana to Chobe, perhaps Africa's most impressive National Park (see Nature's Paradise: Chobe, Botswana).

Evening sundowner cruise on the Zambezi

Elusive black rhinos near Victoria Falls

Some of Chobe's resident 120,000 elephants, the highest concentration in the world

If you would like to experience this 'taste of Africa' trip after a Cape Town conference, I would suggest that you contact MEI's excellent agent Rene Simpson (simpsontours@gmail.com) who will arrange a seamless, custom-made itinerary for you.

@barrywills

Farewell to Africa until 2020

Barbara and I are now back in Cape Town after a wonderful few days in Zimbabwe's Matabeleland, impressed as ever by the friendliness of the people, despite the country's economic woes, which were certainly not evident at Victoria Falls, the country's premier tourist destination.

Our last two days were spent relaxing at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, which has a unique way of disposing of kitchen and restaurant left-overs and carcasses, by feeding them to hundreds of vultures each day. It's an amazing sight to see these raptors, which have been waiting patiently in nearby trees, swoop in and push and jostle with each other as they tear at the bloody pieces. Within 10 minutes it is all over, the birds disperse leaving only the bones, which are disposed of during the night by the hyenas.

The vultures arrive for lunch

Joined by Marabou Storks

For a feeding frenzy

Wild Africa's contribution to the circular economy is just one of the many reasons to visit Southern Africa's jewel in the crown. Apart from the magnificent waterfall, which we did not visit this time, the area teems with wildlife and is host to the 'Big Five': black rhino, lion, elephant, leopard and buffalo, originally named by big game hunters as the most difficult and dangerous to hunt on foot. Just before nightfall we were lucky to spot one of the most elusive and endangered of the Big Five, a black rhino with her calf, thanks to our expert tracker and guide, Charlie.

Bush braai with Charlie (right) and his trainee guides

You never know who you are going to bump into when travelling, and this time it was the IMPC's Robin Batterham, and his partner Anna, off on an excursion to the falls. 

We travelled to Victoria Falls from Pretoria on the luxurious Rovos train, a fabulous three day journey which impressed us so much that I will publish a travelogue in a week or so, as some of next year's conference delegates might be interested in doing something similar. 

The long journey back to Cornwall starts tomorrow, and we are already thinking ahead to next year in Cape Town. 

In February we will be at the Convention Centre for Mining Indaba 2020, then a couple of months later back for Comminution '20 at the Vineyard.

In October we will be back at the Vineyard for Hi-Tech Metals '20 and Process Mineralogy '20, and then on to the Convention Centre for IMPC 2020.

We look forward to seeing many of you in South Africa's Mother City.

@barrywills

Memories of Complex Ores '97 Bulawayo

Process Mineralogy '17 gets underway tomorrow in Cape Town, and 20 years ago tomorrow, across the Limpopo, our first and only conference in Zimbabwe commenced.

Terry Veasey

Complex Ores '97 was organised by CSM Associates Ltd, and Camborne School of Mines, and was held at the Bulawayo Sun Hotel. The keynote lecture was given by Birmingham University's Terry Veasey, who at that time was a visiting Professor at the National University of Science & Technology in Bulawayo. Below are some photographic memories of that brief but enjoyable time in Zimbabwe.

With the Veasey's and John Hope

Pauline Veasey, BW and Nadine & Jose Leseigneur

Dinner at the Nesbitt Castle, Bulawayo

Post conference lunch in the Matopos Hills with the Veasey's,
Frank Crundwell and Yaw Asamoah-Bekoe

Hiking in the Matopos Hills with Frank and Yaw
 

The Smoke That Thunders

Of all the places that I have visited in the world, the Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders), better known as the Victoria Falls, is the most wondrous. "Real Africa" has become a bit of a cliché but this area of the mighty Zambezi, the 4th longest river in Africa, is just that- real Africa, wild and magnificent.

The spray from the Falls rises out of the African bush

Zambia September 1969

This month I visited the Falls for the 7th time, and the experience never palls. Barbara and I first passed through here in 1969, en route to the Zambian Copperbelt from Cape Town (posting of 25 November 2010), but in all our subsequent visits we have been based on the Zimbabwean side of the river. This time we spent a week on the Zambian bank, thanks to the SAIMM Copper - Cobalt Conference at the Avani Victoria Falls Resort near the town of Livingstone and situated in the heart of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. The Zambezi forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, so the falls are shared by the two countries, and the park is 'twin' to the Victoria Falls National Park on the Zimbabwean side.

Victoria Falls is roughly twice the height of Niagara, but while it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is classified as the largest, based on its width of 1,708 metres (5,604 ft) and height of 108 metres (354 ft), resulting in the world's largest sheet of falling water.

To appreciate the full grandeur of the Falls you must take to the air, so we took a short helicopter tour to view the full width of the Zambezi plunging into the awesome crevice in the relatively flat plateau.

Geologically Victoria Falls is the result of soft sandstone that fills huge cracks in the hard basalt rock of the plateau. As the Upper Zambezi flowed across the plateau in ancient times, it found the cracks and started wearing away the softer rock, eventually creating a series of deep gorges. Geologists estimate that the river has been falling into these gorges for at least the last 100,000 years. As the rock wears away, the cataract follows these gigantic cracks and moves further upriver across the plateau.

The first of the series of gorges

The Victoria Falls bridge from the Boiling Pot

From the first gorge the river takes a zigzag course through the gorges. When it travels through the second gorge, it passes along a pool known as the "Boiling Pot." During high water this part of the river is filled with heavy turbulence and whirlpools. It is often at this location that objects, animals, and sometimes people, are deposited along the edge of the water after they have been unlucky enough to have been swept over the falls.

A short walk down to river level in the boiling pot is definitely worth the effort and always a good place to relax and talk to local people as the river races towards the Victoria Falls bridge which spans Zambia and Zimbabwe, and also the location of one of the world's most famous bungee jumps.

Meeting friendly locals by the Boiling Pot

The river continues zigzagging through a total of six gorges, which range from 400 to 800 feet (120-240m) deep, before settling into a steep-walled chasm known as the Batoka Gorge which is filled with wild rapids, providing one of the world's most spectacular white water trips. In the distant past, each of these gorges has been the location of an earlier version of Victoria Falls which has moved further upstream as the river has eroded away the sandstone. After travelling a further 120 miles (200km) the river empties into the man-made Lake Kariba, and then on into Mozambique and the Indian Ocean.

From the Zambian bank of the river the well maintained trail begins at the Eastern Cataract and leads to the Knife Edge bridge, which often provides a drenching due to the close proximity of the falling water, and then on to the view across the second gorge and Danger Point in Zimbabwe.

The Eastern Cataract

The Victoria Falls and Knife-Edge bridges

Crossing the Knife-Edge Bridge

The Falls viewed from the second gorge

Looking across the second gorge to Danger Point in Zimbabwe

No visit to the Falls is complete without viewing from the Zimbabwean side, and we walked across the Victoria Falls Bridge into that beautiful country, like Zambia populated by friendly people, despite its economy and tourist industry being ruined by its despotic leader. But things are obviously improving, and Victoria Falls town was vibrant with many street cafes, and new luxury lodges have sprung up since our last visits, such as the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, where we stopped for coffee and from the decking watched shy kudu drinking from a small waterhole, watched with interest by vultures in a nearby tree.
Victoria Falls Hotel is one of the great hotels of Africa. We first stayed there in 1970, and expected faded Victorian elegance this time, but were pleasantly surprised to see it in pristine condition, and had an excellent lunch on the terrace with the Mosi-oa-Tunya in the distance.

The magnificent Victoria Falls Hotel, Zimbabwe

Then along the track from the hotel to the Rain Forest, to pay our US$30 entrance fee to view the Falls!

The Devil's Cataract

The Main Falls

Approaching Livingstone Island

Sitting in the middle of the river on the very edge of the abyss is Livingstone Island. It was here that the Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone was taken by dug-out canoe, and became the first European to view the Falls on 16 November 1855. As was the tradition in those times, he named them after his Queen. In his diary he wrote: “....scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.” We visited the island for High Tea and a wet and muddy tour to view the Falls from only a metre or so from the 350 ft plunge, the highlight being a rather scary, but unforgettable, dip in one of the deep pools by the long drop.

An extreme close-up view of the Falls from the Livingstone Island rock pool

A view of the rock pool from the Rain Forest

From only a short distance upriver it is hard to imagine that the river will soon take its precipitous plunge into the giant crack in the surrounding plateau, and a cruise on the Zambezi is a wonderful way to enjoy an evening sundowner, watching hippos in the tranquil waters while Africa provides one of its spectacular sunsets.

Cruising the tranquil Zambezi

Further upriver the Chobe River in nearby Botswana empties itself into the Zambezi, and we spent a day across the Botswanan border in Chobe National Park, famed for its teeming wildlife, particularly the greatest concentration of elephants anywhere in the world (see also posting of 22nd July).

By the Chobe River, Botswana

This was a short break that I would recommend to anyone. A very relaxing way to see "real Africa" without the long demanding drives that we have experienced in East Africa, Limpopo and Namibia. However, be aware that what you see at Victoria Falls is very seasonal, due to the distinct rainy and dry seasons in this part of Africa. The minimum flow, which occurs in November, is around a tenth of the April figure; this variation in flow being greater than that of other major falls. July is usually an ideal time for visiting this area. Although it is easily accessible from Cape Town if you are attending an MEI Conference, there is a fair chance that after a November conference, at the end of the dry season, the Falls may be less than spectacular, as the photo below shows, taken during my visit in September 1995.

The "Falls" in September 1995

I can guarantee, however, that if you visit after a March or April conference you will be rewarded by an awesome spectacle of the Falls in full flood, although this is not a great time for photography, or for keeping yourself and your camera dry!

"Viewing" the Falls in full flood

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