The Life and Adventures of Gregwah

I’ve been in the Eastern Cape of SA outside a little country town called Douglas. It’s about 1300km from where I’m staying and took 1.5 days in car to get there. Boy was it worth it! Beautiful veld, hard red dirt, small bushes and trees and rocks! I though our farm was rocky but this one takes the cake! We arrived at the property about lunch time on Thursday and immediatly set out on our afternoon hunt. We were hunting Springbok and Fellow Deer. I was primarily after a nice Fellow Deer for my first trophy. After walking for about three hours Charles and I finally found the group of bucks we were looking for and the stalk began. As we were stalking (along a road) our buddy turned up in the bakkie (4×4 ute) and scared the bucks another coupla hundred yards down the road, undoing all our hard work. NUTS! So we jump on the bakkie and wiz down the road towards our bucks… We jumped off and the buck we were after presented for a perfect shot at about 100m. This, however, was not real hunting as we’d used the bakkie to get upto these animals and I decided not to take the buck. We still had 3 days and I was only going to do this properly… anyone can shoot of the back of a vehicle. It was getting dark at this time so we grabbed shotguns and fired up the spot lights for rabbits on the trip back. Unfortunatly the rabbits were smart enough to hide.

The next day we were in the veld before sunrise. Carefully stalking and watching the wind. The wind kept changing making our life very interesting! We stalked very carefully, seeing many animals, some very close but none that we were intersed in taking. The next coupla days were the same, seeing lots but none suitable, the other guys got a couple of lovely trophy Fellow Deer and a Springbok. Having never been involved in the butchering of an animal before so it was very intersting to see. Nothing on the animal is wasted. All the meat is cut up and used. The skin and head are kept for curing and a trophy if desired. Even the bones are used.

The last afternoon saw us sitting in an area known for feeding. After a lotta waiting finally two buck show up and begin grazing… Alas they were only young and not really worth taking, especially as my first buck. We waited to see if any bigger ones arrived but they didn’t so we pushed on. About an hour before last light on the last afternoon we finally find the group of bucks again, they stand out with one white one. After carefull stalking we got close enough for a clear shot, however the bucks decided to play funny buggers and mix with a group of Eland (biggest antelop in Africa, and really expensive to shoot!) Needless to say I didn’t wanna stuff up and hit one of them. Unfortunately darkness fell without me taking a shot. A little disapointed not to get my buck first time out, but happy that I didn’t shoot one just for the hell of it- it’ll be doubly rewarding the next time!

My visa here runs out on the 6th Sept so once again I’ll be heading to Mozambique for a few weeks relaxing on the beach before meeting the guys I was hunting with for a deep sea fishing trip on the 23rd. Tough life huh? After that I’m not sure but it’ll be pretty close to me heading home me thinks…. I DON’T WANNA COME HOME!!!!! It’s true what they say, once Africa gets into your system it’s impossible to get it out!

Two flies decied to have a running race of two laps around the toilet bowl. For the first lap they’re neck and neck, on the second lap one fly disapears. Upon returning to the start/finish the first fly asks ‘What happened to you?’ the second fly replies ‘I got pissed off.’

Well it’s good to see that the World is still going to Hell in a handbasket, people trying to blow up planes and half the middle east is at war - all over who’s imaginery friend is best… I ask you is there any sense in this world? Yikes. Good on Dean Jones I say, what’s the world coming to when you can’t take the piss outta the way someone looks? It’s good clean fun and should be reinstated I say - God knows I’ve been on the recieving end of it enough! If people in this world grew up taking the pissoutta people and having it taken outta them then the world would be a much more pieceful place. People would develop a good sence of humour, be able to laugh at themselves and get a bit of a thick skin so that when someone rags on their imaginary friend they don’t get all upset and unleash a Jihad. And yes Glenny I think I’m in with a shot at the 8th wonder of the world. Would be pretty chuffed about that actually! I think the crux will come when I can plat it into my pubes and strum it like a harp!

In other news, spent the weekend away at a hunting property with a friends of Ed’s who is the Manager/PH(Profesional Hunter) of the property. A real boys weekend away, from the new photos posted you’ll see some photos of us shooting things. It was a group of 6 of us: Arnie and his 4yo Son Braum, Arnie’s father, Ed, Myself and Charles the PH. Drinking and shooting (not usually at the same time - one must make sure you get drunk before shooting or you might spill your beer) for the day then setting up camp out in the velt. We proceeded to cook and eat ONLY meat over a rather oversized fire, whilst drinking all that we brought. A good weekend was had by all. For all the freakin tree hugging goddamn hippes, we didn’t shoot any sweet little animals only targets. Animals are next time.

I’ve now got to run the gaunlet of muggers here in Nelspruit to make it back to the bus station. Wish me luck and I’ll see ya’s all later. Go Wallabies!