Days 84, 85, and 86 of 102.

There is something rather special about the South Africa part of this Centenary World Voyage.  Day 84 was a sea day that separated our calls at Durban (See Blog 0071) and Port Elizabeth (yesterday, 5th April).  Writing two days later, I remember very little of the day at sea, the evening of which was a Gala Night, and Captain’s Cocktail Party in the Queens Room at 7.45 pm. Reluctantly, I put on my appropriate finery for the evening, bringing out the black tuxedo, last worn at the beginning of the voyage back in January.  Jo and I would catch up at the cocktail reception towards the end!   I was talking to acquaintances Paul and Marzena who were looking forward to a couple of days away from the ship, travelling under their own steam from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, rather like my trip from Sydney to Fremantle.  (Ye Gods! That seems an age ago!)  

After a while, these receptions feel like much of a muchness, and I was sorely tempted to give the whole thing a miss.  The reception was very well attended despite many having to be up at the crack of dawn for various tours and outings the following day.

Then Captain Hall, after his speech of convivial welcome, announced a special guest, none other than Sir Bob Geldof, of Live Aid fame.  He spoke well and inspiringly. Several people, including me, had a photograph taken with him, with many eager for a brief conversation, also for a photo opportunity. 

The following day, at Port Elizabeth (P.E.), Jo and I went on the Cunard Shore Experience to the Kwantu Private Game Reserve around 90 minutes by coach from P. E.  I enjoyed the railway yards and lines of passenger stock and locomotives right at the beginning, too soon to be ready with my camera.  P. E. didn’t seem to offer much to encourage people to walk around.  It does seem to be somewhat of a car export hub with mainly V.Ws stored in massive compounds ready for distribution to wherever. As in Durban, we would need to pass several suburban areas before being in the open countryside.

At the start of the day, I needed to walk 5,161 steps to achieve my Million Steps to the Other Side of the World and Back, the challenge I set myself before the start of this voyage in January.  At approximately 19.45 hrs last night, my interim steps total of 5,167 confirmed that my challenge was now complete, and I could give myself a break. See below.

It was a good visit to the Kwantu Reserve, which started with tribal dancing, a hot lunch, and continued with a three hour tour of the area on an adapted truck. We would see all manner of South African Wildlife in this vast parkland where the animals and birds are left to get on with it with usually no interference from the park rangers or management. We would see a zebra, victim of a lion’s aggression.

One can stay at this reserve, and I would be sorely tempted to return for several days.  The park is situated in the loveliest of undulating countryside with deep gorges and wildlife- attracting waterholes.

The journey is necessarily rough-riding, but I had complete faith in the park rangers, both of whom at Tala near Durban and Kwantu near P.E. gave our party a thorough tour of their game reserves.  Both days were over far too quickly, but I do hope to be able to return while I am able to.  Many people are far older than I am, so I do consider myself in with a chance.

Last night, we left Port Elizabeth around an hour late.  Rarely do late departures impact on the arrival time at our next ports of call.

The moon had become a full one, and I believe this dictates when Easter is celebrated.

If Mother was still with us, we would be celebrating her 107th birthday today.  She was still around (just) when I was offered a place on the maiden voyage of R.M.S. Queen Mary 2, and I recall her pleasure at this. 

This morning, Sir Bob Geldof would be interviewed by Entertainments Director Neil Kelly, who I have to say works extremely hard continually, and is very professional and fluent in what he says and presents. For the first time in QM2 history, this event would be relayed live to Illuminations from the Royal Court Theatre, as well as to every stateroom, such was the anticipated demand.  Queues did form with the first two, Claire and Susan, sitting comfortably outside the port-side entrance to the Royal Court Theatre at 09.23 hrs.

The Sir Bob Geldof interview opened with a fabulous montage of images from the Live Aid concerts in the UK, USA, and other events elsewhere, together with vintage news clips from the Ethiopia Famine, reported so movingly and poignantly by the newscasters of the time. All of a sudden, I wasn’t in the comfort of QM2’s Royal Court Theatre, I was in Harpur Hill, watching in horror on my Radio Rentals telly, just about holding back my emotions. That was merely momentary. Neil Kelly and Sir Bob Geldof appeared to a rapturous reception. Strangely, there were still a few empty seats. Sir Bob spoke eloquently for two hours, including questions and answers. He described his childhood, teenage ambitions, disillusionment with the establishment, and world affairs, and in deep detail how his pop career developed and evolved into what I can only describe as the world’s greatest ever fund and awareness raising event. My description doesn’t even scratch the surface of this private historic event today on board Queen Mary 2. And the questions levelled at him after perhaps more than 90 minutes were all greatly intelligent and well thought out, as were his carefully crafted and satisfactory answers.

I wonder if any of my photographs won the photo contest for this segment. It’s unlikely. My guess is that the prize will go to one of the animal depictions, which I wish I had taken. I shall enter some of my work again after our call at Cape Town, the next segment being the final one before Harpur Hill, Buxton, becomes reality once more.

Many thanks for reading, David 18.18hrs off the coast of South Africa.