St Georges College North (Buenos Aires) tour of South Africa – August 2007

Now see the Photos!

Mon - Day one:
The group arrived in East London on the East Coast of South Africa at around 17H00. Unfortunately 14 of the bags were missing including the hockey sticks. We reported these and then made our way to Stirling High school for a welcome reception in the school long room. The group is most warmly welcomed by both the Stirling staff and students and enjoys a good South African braai (barbecue). Later we were informed that the bags had arrived on a SAA flight so the bus driver returned to the airport with Dick to collect theses. Unfortunately on returning to the school we discovered that one suit case was still missing as well as a sports bag. This was reported to SAA.

The students were then hosted out to local families and departed with their hosts while the teachers drove out to Crawford’s cabins, a beautiful seaside resort 30km's up the coast. On arrival they were most impressed with the stunning rooms and setting.

Tues - day two:
The students returned with their hosts to school where they spent the morning interacting with the local students before leaving for a visit to the beach as it was such a beautiful day. From Nahoon beach it’s off to Vincent Park shopping centre to explore the SA shops and enjoy lunch. From here it was back to Kat Leisure Park (synthetic hockey surface stadium) near Stirling school for the first match. Unfortunately the St Georges girls struggled with borrowed sticks and lost the game 8 - 0. The boys rugby match started at 15H30 at Stirling and was well supported by the locals students hoping to catch the eye of the Argentine touring party. The rugby did not go too well and Stirling ran out comfortable winners. On the positive side though is the fact that the Cambridge coach made the effort to come and watch the match and now has a good idea of what strength the St Georges boys are and will match his side accordingly.

After the match it was on the coach and back to Crawford’s cabins with the entire group. The students are most impressed with the resort. Unfortunately it’s dark and although they can smell and hear the Indian Ocean they are unable to see it. They are in for a lovely treat in the morning. SA Sports Tours spoils them with a wonderful welcoming barbecue which is enjoyed by all. They are also presented with some really lovely tour shirts from SA Sports Tours which the students and staff are most grateful for. My office has spent the best part of the day chasing up the lost luggage, but alas has enjoyed no success.

At 13H05 in the morning I get a phone call from Dick that one of the boys is concerned about an eye injury sustained earlier in the day. I drive in to the resort and we take Dick, Diego and George through to the medi clinic to have his eye checked. It turns out its nothing serious and the doctor gives him some drops to ease the pain and explains it’s just the white part of the eye that has been slightly bruised and scratched. We return happily to the resort. George will see the doc again on Friday to make sure no infection sets in.

Wednesday - day three
Well it’s a glorious day. The weatherman predicts it will be 27 degrees Celsius. The kids will enjoy the beach this morning before departing for a small poor rural school nearby to do a presentation and a small donation as well as watch these kids put on a traditional dance. Diego amuses us with a local campside Argentine dance and before long has everyone participating. I manage to hide behind my camera and thus spared the embarrassment of prancing around like a beetle. From here it’s off to lunch at the Fish and Farrier restaurant close by and then a safari game drive at Inkwenkwezi game reserve. Dinner tonight is back at Crawford’s. In the meantime we continue our quest to locate the missing luggage.

The group enjoy the guided game drive in open topped Land rovers and return to Crawford’s for a quick shower before driving to the Spur restaurant for a hearty meal.

Thursday - day four
After another huge breakfast the group are free to explore Chintsa beach. After lunch it’s off to Cambridge High to watch Cambridge play Stirling, in what turns out to be a really tense match. At the conclusion of the game the students are placed with their hosts. I am really pleased that after much investigating we finally locate Chris Ceppi’s missing case along with the hockey sticks and the missing kit bag.

There is always a little anxiety when being billeted but many of the boys are delighted at being placed with families with daughters.

Friday - day five
After another full South African breakfast it’s off to Nahoon beach to meet with Dean Knox and his team from Jonginenge. Dean provides the students with four activities, canoeing on the Nahoon River, surfing lessons, abseiling and sand boarding. All have a wonderful time as they rotate between these four but the surfing seems to be the most popular activity. After a quick lunch of a boerewors roll which is very traditional to South Africa (sausage on a roll with sauces) it’s off to Cambridge for the girls hockey match. This proves to be really tight game with Cambridge being one nil down to St Georges North with one minute to go before they force a short corner and score the equaliser. It’s off with the host families for the evening and much fun is had by all.

Saturday - day six
The group eat with their hosts before meeting back at the school. The reserve girls play hockey against the Cambridge second team, while the boy’s rugby side take on Cambridge. The rugby match is a really close game with Cambridge winning by three points thanks to a last minute drop goal from their fly half. We enjoy a bit of excitement as the bus driver Danie, manages to flatten the Cambridge schools gate post while reversing the coach. After a quick meal at Cambridge, it’s onto the bus for Port Elizabeth which is about 300 km’s west of East London. It’s a pleasant trip in the super luxury coach and we make PE just before dark and check into the Humewood Hotel right on the PE Beach front. Dinner is at Panerotis pizza, pasta restaurant next door to the hotel.

Sunday - day seven
It’s nice and sunny but there is a cold wind around. After an excellent breakfast some of the group decide to explore the beach front while others take to bargaining with the local traders at the flea market.

The students check out a 11H00 and by 12 H00 we are on the coach and headed for the Addo Elephant park. On arrival we all enjoy a good lunch before hoping on board the coach for a tour of the Addo elephant national park. Unfortunately time is limited as lunch took longer then expected, but we do manage to see a few elephant and plenty of Kudu and warthogs. At 16H00 it’s back to the city to meet up with our Westering hosts. Westering is a lovely, middle class government school. The students are well received by their Westering hosts and I am assured they will all meet up later that evening at a friend’s house. This will be supervised by adults.

Monday - day eight
The staff are up early and at Westering school by 09H00 to meet the students. After a check with the group they are happy that all the students are comfortable and that there are no problems with the hosting. From Westering it’s off to Greenacres shopping centre to exchange dollars into rands. The group enjoy the opportunity of wandering around the shopping centre and eventually settle on lunch at the Wimpy (a well known burger franchise establishment, similar to Burger King). Back to Westering High to get the girls changed and warmed up for the hockey. The match is played on grass which suites St Georges. Westering score first by way of a field goal mid way through the first half. St Georges press hard to fight back but the score remains 1 – 0 at the final whistle. The rugby boys make their presence felt during the match with vociferous vocal support for the girls.

The rugby match is played at the conclusion of the hockey. The boys put up a brave fight but end up losing 34 points to 5. Their defence is much improved from the Stirling match and one can see a marked improvement in the performance. Westering treat the group to a fantastic after match meal, which is enjoyed by all. Many in fact return for seconds.

Tuesday - day nine
We collect the group at 09H00 at the school and head of on the N2 highway for Knysna which is roughly 300 km’s west of PE. This is a really pretty stretch of coast. The group make two stops the first is at Storms River Bridge for lunch and the second at Bloukratz bridge to watch some rather silly folk bungy jump. Many of the students decide it’s something they would like to try but he staff are having none of it.

In Knysna we check into the Ashmead resort before departing for the waterfront. The group explore the town centre and the waterfront before settling on Supper at Panerottis at the waterfront. Back to the resort after dinner where the staff encourage students to turn in early as we are planning to leave at 07H00 the following morning for Cape Town.

Wednesday - day ten
My alarm goes off at 05H30 and after a quick shower I am packed, dressed and charging around knocking on doors in an attempt to wake the group. As I am sure many of you parents know this is no easy task. Needless to say we make the 06H15 target for breakfast and are on the road by 07H00 much to the surprise of the coach driver. We make two stops en route, the first in Riversdale, and the second in Riviersondereind. By 13H30 we are at the University of Cape Town hockey stadium and ready for the first match. This proves to be a close affair which the girls eventually lose 2 – 1. The boys once more support the girls until just short of half time when we transport them over to the school campus in Tokai for the rugby match. Again the rugby match is a hard fought affair with no quarter given. The Reddam boys however prove too strong and run out 29 – 3 winners. The St Georges boys put up a brave fight right to the final whistle and their performance is vastly improved from the first match. Speaking with many of the spectators I discover how impressed they are with the St George’s boy’s big hearts and fierce tackling. The after match function is a low key affair as it’s a public holiday the following day and many of the Reddam boys have rushed away to leave with their folks on a long weekend. I join a couple of the St Georges boys on the field for a kick around with a soccer ball and discover why Argentina has won 3 soccer world cups. Manuel who apparently plays for River Plate shows me a trick or two with a round ball.

From Reddam house it’s off to the Cape Suites Hotel to check in and unpack. This is a very comfortable 4* suite hotel which the group are most impressed with. Dick is especially pleased that he has a separate room from Diego and respite from his snoring. Back at the hotel we decide as a group to visit the V & A Waterfront. The driver has knocked off for the night so it’s into taxis and down to the waterfront. We all meet back at a central point at 11H15 before returning to the hotel.

Thursday - day eleven
After another full South African breakfast it’s off to the Waterfront once more to change dollars into rands and do some shopping. From here we head off to Canal Walk shopping centre for a quick bite to eat and an hours shopping before heading off into the mountains for the overnight camp next to the Breede River. The weather report tells us to expect a cold front and already we can sense the change in the weather. As we near the Hottentots Holland mountain range we notice snow on the peaks and the wind has picked up. On arrival at the base camp it’s really quite cold and windy.

Accommodation is in very rustic wooden bungalows with zipped shade cloth entrances, much like a tent. Dinner is a traditional “Potjie kos” chicken stew (cooked in a three legged black pot over an open fire). Everyone seems to enjoy this and it certainly makes a change from burgers. After dinner the entire group congregate in the boma to enjoy an evening of cards, singing dancing, you name it. At 12H00 the camp leader decides enough is enough and it’s off to bed for all. The driver and I share a bungalow with Dick and Diego and I finally get to find out just how loud Diego can snore. Apart from the cold the wind is awful, possibly the worst I have experienced and there are times one feels its going to blow the roof off.

Friday - day twelve
We wake up at 07H00 to the sound of the wind howling and a further forecast of rain on the way. Our guides are already upstream inflating canoes when a decision is made with the camp leader to abandon the paddle due to the fast flow, high water level and adverse weather conditions. This is disappointing for all but we just feel it’s in the best interests of the students.

It’s back on the coach and back to Cape Town where we make a beeline for the Canterbury factory shop in the Salt River area. Most of the boys and girls purchase some form of Springbok apparel. We also look through many of the other factory shops in the area before heading for the dining room at the Cape Suites where we overwhelm the staff with orders of toasted sandwiches, burgers and calamari and chips. From here it’s off to the rooms for a shower and unpacking before heading off to Canal Walk once more for which will probably be the last opportunity to shop on this trip.

Saturday - day thirteen
Its an early start as we have a booking for a tour of the District 6 museum at 09H00. Unfortunately the group spent a good deal of the night up chatting with one another and the Kingswood group who are on tour with us at the same time. As a result we have a number of young folk sleep-walking at breakfast. At district 6 they receive some history on the apartheid system and the forced removals of people of colour from prime areas in the city to make way for white settlement and development. From district 6 it’s off to Green market square, the big informal market in the centre of Cape Town. After much negotiating and bargaining we travel along the stunning coast line to Hout bay where we enjoy lunch at the famous Mariners wharf. Unfortunately Chapman’s Peak drive is closed so we are forced to take the alternative route to Cape Point. The group are enchanted by the coastline and the sightings of Southern Wright whales found close to the coast line with their calves. As always Cape Point is quite spectacular, the more energetic make the effort to walk up to the view point from the lighthouse while the rest board a funicular that involves less effort. From Cape Point it’s back to the main gate of the park where we stop to buy souvenirs from the roadside sellers before making our way back to the hotel.

For our last night we enjoy dinner at Mama Africa in Long Street. The food is excellent and the music loud.

Sunday sees us up for an early start to transfer to the airport and board the flight home.

From SA Sports Tours I would just like to take this opportunity to comment on the behaviour and character of the group. They really are a great bunch of young people and a credit to both their school and country. While some certainly are more challenging then others, on the whole their behaviour has been excellent. Their energy is incredible and they never seem to stop moving except on the coach of course when all seem to sleep. This I suppose is due to the fact that they don’t go to bed early at night.

Chatting with some of them I asked if they were looking forward to returning home but the answer surprisingly enough was no as then they have to return to school. This is a fair indication that they have enjoyed the trip and beautiful South Africa.

The staff have been fantastic to work with, exceptionally professional and caring. Parents I can assure you that your children have been in good hands.