NatMatt

Hi Craigy123 - Congratulations ! I think you did the right thing, especially if you have a family ! Good luck and all the best !

Campbells

Good decision,

Did you get my response to your PM ? We are in Auckland so you have friends here

Cheers and the best of luck.

Weather has been great here for the last 6 weeks. Fun in the sun life here too.

Cheers.......

Campbells

Yeah,

I watched Leon Schoester’s Panic Mechanic in Dec and it brought tears to my eyes from laughter & sadness. In fact it is quite amazing the message in that movie and it just shows you that people with vision were reading the writing on the wall back then.

My wife and I do quite a bit of photography and whenever I look back at the beauty of Arniston, Pilgrims Rest ( our honeymoon), Drakensberg, Magaliesberg ( one of our fav spots Mountain Sanctuary Park), Sodwana Bay , Kruger Park and all these other awesome places I must admit I get real sad.

I imagine it must be the same for the people of Zimbabwe that saw that country go to ruins.

The biggest realisation of the deterioration was in 2003 when we went to the Eastern Transvaal and saw the trashed state Pilgrims Rest had become. I saw the locals hanging around watching bus loads of tourists arrive. Even there I was harassed as I parked the car with the locals asking for R5 to “look after the car” as if it was going to be stolen in a flash.

The big wake-up was Grasskop which I had remembered as Harry’s Pancake Bar and all the amazing arts and crafts shops in the wee town. When we went back to the hotel later people said “you went into Grasskop, are you mad? That’s one of the most dangerous places in the E T Vaal”.

Apparently two German tourists were shot there a couple of months before. The interesting thing was that I kept thinking I had got lost and was looking for the Grasskop I remembered. Of course we didn’t stop the car to ask and didn’t stay too long as we sensed we were beginning to attract attention. In fact it was pretty much like looking at the recent pictures of Hillbrow, probably more like Yeoville.

For me, that was part of the realisation that we HAD TO get out of there - South Africa..

“Brings tears to your eyes” – been there done that!

Cheers…….

Craigy123

No i haven't recieved a PM, not sure what went amiss there, i'm on with the visa process at mo so when i eventually get there i'll let you know.

I don't have any children but i'm still scared, lol. I think stuff on You tube put me off, thank the lord for this forum and You tube, it brings light to the information the media hide.

Campbells

Ok,
I'll try to re-send the PM........

Cheers

eliscolin

Hi Campbell’s

I second you on being sad about the sorry state of that country. I am still a member of the Mountain Club of SA and when the monthly climbing journals are emailed to me I get terribly sad. I started rock climbing in the Magaliesberg and practically lived in the different gorges…..sleeping out under the stars and so on, one of my favourite spots in the world and without doubt the best years of my life.

When I lived in Cape Town I used to run up Table Mountain twice a week after work in the summer and enjoy the sunsets up there. Now I hear gangs lie in ambush on the mountain, robbing tourists as they pass by. There are several climbing areas that I used to visit that are now totally off limits because of armed robbery on rock climbers and hikers.

I cannot believe the sorry state that country is now in, it’s an absolute tragedy. I lived 20 years over there and have been back 14 years in Britain and still miss SA but realize it is impossible to ever go back again. Anybody thinking of going to live over there….DON’T……SA will be worse than Zimbabwe when it goes….and go it will.

TouristTrap

I've been saying that for years.

Zims never had the racial hatred thing going - it is only mad bob that has incited the youth the last few years and is causing havoc. Up until fairly recently, you never heard of violent crime taking place in Zims.


White vs black.
Black vs white.
Indian vs black.
Black vs Indian.
Black vs coloured.
Coloured vs Black.
Xhosa vs Zulu.
Zulu vs Xhosa.

Etc..etc...etc...

Lizmar

I'd just say DO NOT COME HERE!

But if you do - be aware that the latest attacks are with people who are being followed from airports. Tourists are spotted a mile back - so do not wear khaki clothes and cameras etc.. they will get you.

I'm off to Perth in April, and hope to find a job soon! I will never return here! It is a pitty that my parents will stay behind.. but I'm so out of here.

Campbells

Got into a bit of a discussion with an ex-SAer on this forum, he is based in Perth so may be able to give you some god pointers. His nickname is Amazulu, look him up on here and send him a private meassge, yu never know. Good luck on getting out of SA and I think you are making the right decision. You will look back in a few years on that place and wonder how people can live like that.

Goodluck.

ukgulf

As a brit working in Cape Town for 8 months I was asked whether I would move here permantely... it's an easy answer .. NO. Yes, great climate and scenery but this constant security issue is just so ridiculous. After dark I can't walk anywhere, unless it's around the waterfront which you soon get bored of, and if you do go anywhere at night you drive as you cannot rely on public transport. That means exposure to the drunk drivers and they're are bad enough sober, absolutly no lane discipline in the driving out here at all. Our company won't even allow visitors to walk 10 minutes from our office to their hotel. Everywhere you go it's security... from private guards on the street, electric fencing, razor wire, electric gates on your property... how do they live like this? I have relatives here who came in the 70's. 3 of the 4 children have returned to the UK.

This 2010 World Cup is going to be an eyeopener.

Campbells

At last we have someone that has actually been-there done-that and giving the feedback. Most of the times I offered warning to folks on this forum ( for example Miss Eek) they all of a sudden get nasty with you and seem to know a lot more than you about life in SA.

Have been saying that it was interesting that all these blah blah merchants (such as Miss Eek) just disappear and you never hear from them on the SA forum. I think is bad manners to come and ask people to give their input (and time) to offer guidance and not post back later on offering guidance to others. Kind of taker mentality so thought maybe they just never came back from Africa as they fit right in.

Of course, Cape Town is tame compared to Jhb. That is why Mbeki is keeping quiete about the situation in Zimbo, cause he is from exactly the same school.

What's that based on you may ask – the results of what SA has become and where it is going to.

Cheers mate & take care

TouristTrap

IF, and a big IF, it takes place there. The way things are going..well. JHB International was an utter ballsup a few weeks ago when they had cyclists come in for the Argus Tour. Nothing much will change.

And yes, living in S.A., including Cape Town is a surreal experience.

NatMatt

I live about half an hour out of Cape Town in a seaside town and we have at last put our house on the market and we're outta here ! The crime has crept closer and closer and although we have not been victims of crime as yet, I'd rather leave before we become another nameless, forgotten statistic. Yes, the climate's great, lifestyle easy but nothing can barter with the safety of one's children. I'm not going to hang around here hoping that we come out relatively unscathed - not worth it.

It's a stunning country but it's become dehumanised and all I can say is that I cringe to think of 2010 ...

Campbells

Hi mate,

Very sad is it is stunning down there. Good luck with selling your house and BTW where are you folks heading ?

Take care..

Douglas jack

Miss eck reposting 2nd of April on his return he said.