Welcome to our information page. We've put together this site to give you some extra information to help with the planning on your African Safari. As an overview, Africans don't have pet lions, the water is fine to drink, but the beer is better, the houses do have electricity (even around the fences!) and the locals are friendly. Showing off your jewellery, leaving your bag unattended, or leaving the car doors unlocked could get you into hot water, but then so could wearing a Wallabies jersey!

We start our tale of African delight on the Highveld, in Johannesburg. With it's chequered past, this city has much to offer, in the form of buzzing nightlife, fantastic restaurants and exciting shopping.

To the North East lie the Lowveld and the big five. The Kruger National Park is the most famous of the parks in the area, however there are plenty of private game reserves to cater for all tastes and budgets. If you've spent too much time looking for that elusive Leopard then the surrounding region offers a great break with some magnificent scenery, although from personal experience, if you want some exciting nightlife, we do not recommend spending the night in Pilgrims Rest!

Down towards the South East, and you'll enter Kwa Zulu Natal - The Zulu Kingdom (and home of the Sharks!). KZN, as it's known to the locals, has long golden beaches and warm water, perfect for surfing, but if history is more your thing then a visit to the Battlefields area is highly recommended. If shopping has more appeal than war and assegais, "The Midlands Meander" is worth a look with its bounty of arts and crafts. For the men who get dragged along to look at acres of linen and mountains of candles, never fear, the meander is dotted with pubs along the way. If you are after the real shopping experience, and that elusive "deal", then Durban is your Mecca in this area. If you're planning on staying a few days, the area to the North of Durban (Umhlanga Rocks/Umshloti) is far prettier, more relaxed and safer.

From KZN we move to the South West through the Eastern Cape and "The Wild Coast". This is the rough, unexplored coast of South Africa and home of the Xhosa, who's most famous member is Nelson Rolichlachla Mandela. This section can be hairy and isolated but with that comes pristine coastline, rural Africa and J-Bay (Africa's Bells Beach).

The coast from Knysna to Cape Town is known as the Garden Route and has spectacular gorges (the world's highest bungy jump is off one of these bridges), beautiful Forests (Knysna; Tsitsikamma) along with a very relaxed vibe and some great seafood restaurants. Mosselbay is known for whale watching.

The city of Cape Town is watched over by Table Mountain, with a backyard of gorgeous beaches and rustic wineries, all of which will ship wines internationally!! You can take a tour to Robben Island to visit Mandela's jail cell, or take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. There are cruises up the coast, botanical gardens, shopping, and of course, plenty of eating and drinking!

Below is a map of South Africa to use as a reference when planning trips. To give some sort of idea about the size of the country, Cape Town - Johannesburg is about a 12-hour drive, via Bloemfontein, while Johannesburg - Durban is about a 5-hour drive on great roads. We are trying to arrange special rates on car hire and will get back to you with more information as soon as it's available.

We have made up a rough itinerary based on what we are planning for the two weeks surrounding the wedding. We understand everyone wants to do and see different things, so please feel free to join us for all, some, or none of our activities.

Now this is where the planning comes to a halt as some want to head for the Garden route, others for Cape Town direct and yet others for Deepest Darkest Africa and Kilimanjaro. On Tuesday the 14th of March, we are going to head from Cathedral Peak down to Durban (2hour drive) and will fly to Cape Town for a week of winery tours and long lunches. We are going to try and get a large house in Cape Town, first come first serve. However the following links will give you some idea of the places to go and the things to see, if you want to do it independently

Click on the button to let us know if you are interested in joining us for the trip or part of it!

For those who are unsure what an African wedding entails, there will be dancing, celebrating, eating, drinking and singing …. Much like an Australian wedding!! The dress code is formal, but no need for a tux.

The Cathedral Peak Hotel has set aside accommodation for all our guests but it’s up to everyone to confirm their rooms with the hotel. For more info about the hotel see their website http://www.cathedralpeak.co.za/ or call +27 (36) 488 1888 or email them at info@cathedralpeak.co.za. Booking needs to be done through the Banqueting Dept as they have set aside a block of rooms for us.

Now as far as gifts go, you will probably be aware that we are heading to South America after the wedding, and then on to London for a few years. With this mind, please spare a thought for the Peruvian Llama's and Argentinean Ass' that will be transporting us around Latin America! We would like to put your gifts toward furnishing our beach house in Sydney when we return, so we have opened an investment account which will nurture your precious gifts. Once we've settled, we'll invite you all to come and see what your mysterious purchase was!

If you need any help or further suggestions, please let us know. We are having a ball planning these things so we would be more than happy to help. Hopefully this gets you all on your way, so enjoy the planning and adventure!!

Gary and Jess