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Camping in the Swan Valley with your Best Friend

Posted on May 6, 2023 by karenkerr602836356

Camping in the Swan Valley Perth Australia

1. Logue Brook Campground, Hoffman

The spacious Logue Brook Campground is a great base for a range of water activities, including swimming, fishing, water skiing and launching canoes or kayaks. Nestled amongst peaceful state forest, there are 126 powered and unpowered campsites and plenty of amenities on offer – making this a great camping spot for those who’d prefer to not sacrifice the small luxuries.

Distance from Perth: An hour and a half on State Route 2 and South Western Highway.
Amenities: Long drop toilets, gas and electric barbeques, a playground and the Lake Brockman Tourist Park café.
Cost: $10 per night for adults, $2.20 per night for children aged between 5 and 16.

Remember, unless you’re in a designated off-leash area, always keep your dog safely restrained and stay away from areas with 1080 baits. These poisonous baits are lethal for domestic pets. Look out for signs warning about baits, ticks (that could lead to ehrlichiosis) or other harmful objects in the area – and also, check the location of vets nearby so you know where to go in an emergency.

2. Banksia Tourist Park, Hazelmere

The powered pet sites at Banksia Tourist Park are ideal for a break from the city, at under an hour from the CBD. The park is situated amongst tranquil bushland at the base of the Perth Hills, and offers plenty of amenities, spacious sites and plenty of recreational areas to unwind at.

Doggy day care is available at the park for $20 per day if you’d like to explore the surrounding national parks (which are not pet-friendly). And if you’re searching for a peaceful spot to walk your pup, the off-lead Greenslopes Dog Park is a short stroll from the park.

Distance from Perth CBD: 30 minutes on National Highway 94.
Amenities: Ablution and laundry facilities, and an off-lead dog exercise area.
Cost: $38 per site per night.

3. Woodman Point Holiday & Caravan Park, Cockburn

If you’re keen to take your pup seaside, book a cabin or site at the dog-friendly Woodman Point Holiday & Caravan Park. The vibrant park is jam-packed with amenities and fun activities for the kids, and is a great base if you’re eager to explore the neighbouring coastline, the Woodman Point Ammo Jetty or any of the dog-friendly cafes, beaches or even bars in the city of Fremantle.

Distance from Perth CBD: 35 minutes on State Route 2.
Amenities: Activity room, barbeques, camp kitchen, a kiosk, laundry, playground and swimming pool.
Cost: $22 per night for an unpowered site, or $32 per night for a paved, powered site.

4. Marrinup Townsite Campground, Holyoake

The 100 camp sites on the grassy Marrinup Townsite Campground are an idyllic spot for a quick getaway from the city. Situated a few kilometres from Dwellingup, these camping grounds previously catered for Italian and German prisoners of war – and today, you can take your dog on the 4.5-kilometre walking trail which connects the campsite to remnants of buildings from this period of history.

Sites can’t be pre-booked at this campground, and you’ll need to bring drinking water with you.

Distance from Perth: One hour and 20 minutes on State Route 2.
Amenities: Picnic tables, wood barbeques and longdrop toilets.
Cost: $8 per night for adults, $3 per night for children aged between 5 and 16.

5) Pinjarrah Holiday Park, Pinjarra

Situated on picturesque farmland, the Pinjarrah Holiday Park offers 70 dog-friendly grass sites and plenty of amenities for campers. The lower 100 acres of the property is an off-lead area for dogs; making this a popular destination for larger dog owners who require plenty of space for exercise.

Other animals you may find at the park (and on the park’s working farm) include the owners’ cows and horses, and a few native red-tailed black cockatoos, kangaroos and rabbits.

Distance from Perth: An hour and five minutes on State Route 2.
Amenities: Onsite laundry, camp kitchens with gas barbeques and campfires (in-season).
Cost: $12.50 per night for adults, $7 per night for children.

Camping at the Victoria Falls

Posted on April 30, 2023 by karenkerr602836356

White Water Rafting on the Great Zambezi

Lying between Zambia and Zimbabwe,the Zambezi River, below the Victoria Falls, is one of the world’s most renowned stretches of white water in the world.

The rapids are mostly graded 4 and 5 (6 being impossible to run.) However, most of them don’t need much skill to handle and thus absolute beginners are allowed onto virtually all of the rafts.

You can find all types of accomodation here ranging from camping to 5 star hotels.

https://www.victoriafalls-guide.net/victoria-falls-accommodation.html

During high water there is a tremendous amount of spray and strong whirlpools and undercurrents. These are a sight to behold but can be very dangerous. However during low-water months (roughly from August to January) you can experience the play ground of the Zambezi.

You will have an ideal combination of unspoilt wilderness, some of the finest game and birdlife in the world, truly excellent river guides and a wide range of options to suit all tastes.

White Water Rafting

A typical rafting trip will start with a briefing, covering safety and health issues, giving the plan for the day and answering any questions. Once you reach the ‘put-in’ at the river, you will be given a short safety/practice session to familiarise yourself with the raft and techniques that will be used to run the rapids. Basically you just have to go with the flow 😆

A trained river guide pilots every raft, but you need to decide whether you want to go in an oar boat or in a paddle boat. In an oar boat expect to cling on for dear life, and throw your weight around the raft on demand – but nothing more. Oar boats are generally easier and safer because you rely on the skills of the oarsmen to negotiate the rapids, and you can hang on to the raft at all times.

Note that the climb up and out of the gorge at the end can be steep and tiring, especially in hot weather, Most companies offer a heli-raft combo, whereby you can opt to fly out instead at additional cost. Beyond the obvious advantage of ‘taking the easy way out’, the heli flight is an exhilarating end to an exciting day, zipping you out of the gorge with a bird’s eye view of the rapids you’ve just run and the Falls as well.

Rafting operators

There are a few white water rafting companies including Shearwater, Safpar Rafting and Shockeave adventures and they all offer different aspects of the river. Safety comes first and you have to have some level of fitness to attempt one of these unforgettable experiences.

The rapids are numbered from one to 23, starting from the Boiling Pot, so it’s easy to make a rough comparison of the trips on offer.

Canoe Safaris

For the Intrepid Traveler
there are a number of Canoe safaris on offer.

All gear and provisions are carried in the canoes and overnight stops are made at specific camp spots on islands or on the mainland.

All meals are prepared by the guide and canoeists assist with camp chores (erecting tents, fetching water, cleaning up etc.).

Ablutions are rudimentary and sleep arrangements are two-man bow tents or under mosquito nets draped over a paddle. These safaris operate on both the Zimbabwean and Zambian shorelines.

Devils Pool

Swim to the edge of the largest sheet of falling water in the world on a tour that takes you to Devil’s Pool at the rim of Victoria Falls. A guided tour is the only way to reach this unique and thrilling natural infinity pool. Plus, a guide provides security and ensures you don’t take any unnecessary risks throughout the tour.

https://discoveringvictoriafalls.com/blog/devils-pool-victoria-falls/

Bungee Jumping

Bungee Jumping can be an exhilarating adventure or a dangerous pursuit. You can decide! 😆

https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/AttractionProductReview-g293761-d21021258-Bungee_Jumping_at_The_Victoria_Falls_Bridge-Victoria_Falls_Matabeleland_North_Prov.html

Hiking

Hiking is an age old tradition and much has been discovered through this persuit. There are many walking tracks and guided tours around the Falls but be careful, as the animals might win in a confrontation 😮

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attractions-g293761-Activities-c42-t183-Victoria_Falls_Matabeleland_North_Province.html

Riding

Just as Rhodes and his crew did on first finding the Falls. Take the family for a ride around the Falls on horseback and experience history in its raw form, imagining what they must have felt like all those years ago, discovering ´the smoke that thunders’ and the great Victoria Falls. One of the seven wonders of this world.

https://www.wildhorizons.co.za/wildhorizons/see-and-do/victoria-falls/horse-riding/

Markets

Markets can be intimidating so do a bit of research before you get started.

https://www.viator.com/Victoria-Falls-tourism/Tips-for-Visiting-Craft-Markets-in-Victoria-Falls/d5309-t11885

US 🇺🇸 is the currency widely accepted in Zimbabwe

Currency Converter

https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

Now go and enjoy!

There’s so much more to do and explore.

Camping in Zanzibar

Posted on April 30, 2023 by karenkerr602836356

Campyourworld

The Spice Islands

Zanzibar is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of Tanzania and consists of many small islands and two large ones, Unguja and Pemba Island. The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja.

A beautiful tropical place to visit.

One of Zanzibar’s main industries are spices including cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and black pepper and Zanzibar is often called the “Spice Islands”.

There are also many fruits growing in this tropical monsoon climate and some of them we had never heard of before. Here are just a few.

Bungo Fruit · Durian · Baobab · Passion Fruit · Jackfruit · Bananas · Mangoes · Coconuts.

We found this little fella surprised to be photographed!!

The capital of Zanzibar is Zanzibar City, in which Stone Town is situated. It’s narrow streets, coral stone buildings and spice markets make it a wondrous place to explore and the city is a centre point of Zanzibari culture.

Fresh fish and meat! 😯

Stone Town is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is famous for the elaborate wooden carvings which can be found in the doors of most buildings in the city. The carvings are all subtly different in their designs, reflecting social status, ethnicity, and religion; some designs feature verses from the Quran.

The majority of the population are moslem with only a 1 % Christian minority.

Christ Church Cathedral and Former Slave Market Site

Stone Town was host to one of the world’s last open slave markets, presided over by Arab traders until it was shut down by the British in 1873. The slaves were shipped here in dhows from the mainland, crammed so tightly that many fell ill and died or were thrown overboard.

Camping with the Flamingos in Botswana

Posted on April 30, 2023 by karenkerr602836356

Camping with the Flamingos

One of the phenomenal celebrations of nature!

Flamingos are the most incredible wading birds. The name flamingo comes from Portuguese or Spanish flamengo which means “flame-coloured”.

Their bills are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from food and their diet is largely animal and plant plankton. The flamingos famous pink or reddish colour comes from carotenoids in their diet. It’s just like us feasting on hundreds of carrots!

While camping in Botswana, we managed to find the most beautiful and majestic playground for these birds and ourselves! The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in Botswana are one of the most spectacular, ever changing, never changing places, gifted to us at no charge.

At one time the enormous Lake Makgadikgadi covered over 30 000 square kilometers but now only the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans remain. A huge expanse of water, so surreal when the wind dies down creating the perfect picture.

The Makgadikgadi Salt Pan in Botswana is one of the largest salt flats in the world.

We often used to take the 230km trek from Francistown to the pans especially in Winter when the sun, which shone most days, warmed up those aching bones! It was actually surreal being in the middle of a huge dried-up lake with nothing but sand and salt and stark contrasts of pink, blue and green.