Covering six countries, almost 8 000 kilometres over a period of 17 days, the 2012 Put Foot Rally finally drawn to a close. These were the highlights along the route.
Etosha National Park, Namibia
Day four of the Put Foot Rally saw teams head to Etosha National Park for the day. Within 10 minutes of driving through the gate we came upon a lion kill. I thought we may have peaked too soon but as it turns out, Etosha is wildlife heaven and even when there’s nothing around the park exudes a surreal, almost Dali-esque feel. We were rewarded at the end of the day with a sighting of a leopard stalking a duiker.
Read the full Day 4 post
Watch the video from Day 4 at Etosha
Zambezi River, Zambia
Day six and seven of The Put Foot Rally were spent at The Waterfront Lodge in Zambia enjoying a few days of rest and (not so much) relaxation with Bob Skinstad, who joined the rally for a few days to show his support for The Put Foot Foundation. It was an action-packed two days filled with golf, a river cruise and some white water rafting.
Read the full Day 6 post
Read the full Day 7 post
Watch the video from Day 6 and 7 on The Zambezi
Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
On Day 10 of the Put Foot Rally we made it Nau Camp on the banks of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. It’s incredibly wild, there are no fences and elephant and zebra roam the streets freely. The occasional hippo pops through the campsite for a midnight roam and the only crocodile deterrent is a sign that says ‘Beware of Crocodiles’.
Read the full Day 9 and 10 post
Watch the video from Day 9 and 10 in Zambabwe
Lake Malawi, Malawi
A big drive through Lusaka on Day 11 of The Put Foot Rally had afforded us some much-needed chill time at Senga Bay on Lake Malawi. Senga Bay is all kinds of magic: the early morning wind creates fragile, psuedo waves that ebbed erratically as fisherman dragged their pastel-shaded boats out onto the lake. The early evening is even more picturesque and we spent it watching some talented crew members performing on the lakeshore before moonlight took over and illuminated the beach.
Read the full Day 12 and 13 post
Watch the video from Day 12 and 13
Praia de Barra, Mozambique
After a long drive through Mozambique on Day 15 we spent Day and 17 of The Put Foot Rally at Inhambane, at White Sands on Praia de Barra. It was the finish line and proved to be quite amusing as teams tried to negotiate the thick sand and incoming tide. The last stretch of road to White Sands is populated by mangrove forest and is completely submerged when the tide comes in, so timing was everything. Crews spent the late afternoon on the beach, taking in the sunset, swimming and trading stories of their journey.
Read the full Day 16 and 17 post
The 2012 Put Foot Rally was an incredible experience which afforded participants the opportunity to choose their own route, their own car and make their own way from checkpoint to checkpoint, having fun for a good cause (Check out the blog from Day 8 – Shoe Drop at Senkob Basic School to see what it’s all about). Only now, behind a desk in Cape Town, has the magnitude and pervasiveness of the last 17 days hit home, what an adventure! You can bet that I will be back next year.
