Succumbing to some pressure from our dear readers we have written below a brief synopsis of some of the key characters in our tale.
In the order that we signed on for the trip..
Andrew Grobicki
Andrew ‘Bones’ Grobicki hasn’t stopped wondering the globe since he was shipped off to boarding school in Natal at the tender age of 13. Since then he’s lived in Cape Town, Perth and London and almost always followed the scenic route in-between.
Inspired by his trip up the east coast with Big J (character synopsis to follow once we get closer to ‘Big J’s Congo’) Bones was the spearhead of the current trip.
As determined by the crew Bones forte is his eternal optimisim.. no route is too long. Around the campsite he is best at pulling up a chair, beer in hand and observing those doing all the work around him.
He likes the scenic route, the last minute, eBay, saying “first prize”, ‘Bottom’ and educating his fellow travellers about Toyota Landcrusiers. He is most excited for driving!
Before the trip Bones was a clean shaven suit wearing corporate dreaming of his khakis and cave man beard, with only the empty open road in front of him!
Danielle Grobicki
Danielle ‘Bottom’ Grobicki is Bones’ ‘Bab’. A part time member of the previous east coast expedition (and following her wedding) Dee is now in it for the long haul! An Ikey like the rest of us Dee has spent time in Nelspruit, Australia and before the trip Dee was in London for three long winters until Bones’ burning desire to see another side of the African continent convinced her to travel to warmer climates.
In and around the campsite Dee is best at keeping very warm and adding a French touché to the delicious meals we have been enjoying. She likes warmth and sunshine (appreciate there is a bit of a trend developing here!), horses, African kids and knowing exactly what the schedule is. She is most excited about tasting the different varieties of nuts down the West coast of Africa.
Neil Lister
Neil Lister spent a full 2 sips considering whether he was keen to drive home when Bones sold it to him in a pub one night in January 2009. Before the trip he was fighting a battle against the tube in London by cycling into work come rain, gale and snow (he’s now fighting against similar elements but his weapon of choice has changed from bicycle to tent!)
Neil’s forte is his boundless energy and contribution to all tasks at hand. He likes beaches, learning about new countries, downtime and sundowners. He is most excited for 28 days in Gabon, unfortunately the group has cut this down to 14 days but he is excited nonetheless.
Mikaela Burnett
Mikaela Burnett didn’t take too much convincing either that the time had come to leave mud island behind for some of the real stuff in Africa.
After university Mikaela moved up to the bright lights of Johannesburg before taking the London plunge. So immediately before the trip, like any good Londoner, she worked long hours, in the property industry, during the week before filling even more hours on the weekend travelling around Europe.
Her forte is definitely her organisational skills and she is our chief of logistics! Around the campsite Mikaela ensures everyone is well supplied with food and importantly drink (especially while her parents were with us).
Mikaela likes Tupperware, hairdryers, systems that make sense, adventure (and she will forfeit hairdryers for adventure!). She is most excited to discover the real Africa and especially for the beaches in Ghana!
Grant Webster
Grant Webster worked at Investec in Cape Town before relocating his actuarial brain to London where it was put to good use before the trip making investors rich in the convertible bond industry.
As a good mate of Neil’s and Andrew’s from UCT rowing days he was the next target on our recruitment drive. While his arm proved to be made of rubber, corporate turmoil almost put an end to his trip before it began. Fortunately though, with a little convincing from Big J he chose the path of potholes, mud, rain and good times!
Grant’s forte, amongst other things, is being the electrics guy and Mr Fixit. Around the campsite, given half a chance, he has the toolbox whipped out and all our problems sorted out. He is also great at fiddling with all the jerry jobs that require attention, even if this means he is always late for meals.
Grant likes Paula, a lot, and also ratchet straps. He is most excited about experiencing Africa in its true essence. A patriotic South African he delights in meeting fellow Africans!
Paula Douthwaite
Paula Douthwaite was the final target of our recruitment drive for full time crew. We left this one up to Grant. Within a few weeks of her initial interview she was standing in line at South Africa House waiting for a passport with enough pages in it for all the visas we require (she is still waiting for the new passport!)
Paula spent time doing her physio community service in ‘Maritzburg before returning to Cape Town where she worked at the Sports Science Institute for two years.
Before the trip she was in London doing a crash course in Grant 101. Her forte is her enthusiasm and easy going smile. She likes African kids. Her packing for the trip included numerous pens and bubbles but unfortunately these were quickly scrapped for more practical things like tabard and malarone, but she continues to charm the kids we come across nonetheless. She is most excited to see Saharan dunes and give away soccer balls to African kids.
Honorary Vuvuzelans..
Richard and Chippy Burnett
Richard and Chippy Burnett – Mikaela’s folks joined us for two great weeks in Morocco. Highlights of their time with us were Fez, the dunes of Erg Chebbi and Erg Chagaga, the piste through the Sahara and Marrakech (complete with belly dancers worthy of R10 notes!). We are very grateful to have had their company, Chippy’s cooking skills, Richard’s Tyre Dog (which keeps us aware of the tyre pressures and temperatures 24/7) and also for their enduring legacy which is a heightened sense within the crew of the importance of evening sundowners. We hope the carpets arrive…
Sam See
Sam See – Is the ghostbuster of the trip (who you gonna call..?). The mountain of admin we left behind us in London was a poor adversary for her organisational skills. We’re still getting calls from the mechanics at Toyota Battersea offering free spares as long as she is the one to collect them again.
To our delight, Sam was able to join us in Marrakech for a long weekend. Highlights of that weekend were the souks, hammam spa, the snake charmers, orange juice and snails at Place Jemaa El-Fna, a great meal and entertainment at Comptoir and (for us at least) the ‘luxury’ Riad Linda where we stayed within the medina.
Jamo Sceales
Jamo Sceales – As organiser of the aforementioned riad Jamo has taken on hero status within the group. His MP3 donation may have pushed him up to celestial levels, especially in Bones and Dee’s car where these were previously absent. Jamo also joined us for the Marrakech weekend, one highlight of that weekend not previously mentioned was the guys demolishment of the girls in a game of 30 seconds (man of the match Grant Webster with 8 correct in 30 seconds).
Jon Burnett
Jon Burnett – The souk requires good trading skills so we shipped in the best.. baby Joe. Having been on gardening leave for 3 months the decision to leave the slopes in Austria (and Nikki on V day) was a tough one, but Chippy weighed in on the matter (she was in need of whisky supplies) and Jon booked his flight from Paris to Marrakesh. The highlight of Jon’s time with us was definitely the hammam he was subjected to with Richard (fortunately Jon was there or we have our doubts as to whether Richard would have made it out of the steam room conscious).
Cara D and Andrew Munro
Cara D and Andrew Munro – AKA Paula’s PA’s. Whilst in London, Cara had her phone on speed dial to South Africa house, keeping track of Paula’s passport. They were lucky to escape a charge of drug smuggling at the Marakech Airport after stowing a large amount of urgent medical top ups for Grant and Paula (the Plague hit them hard!). They met us in Marrakech, wide-eyed, heavy laden with shopping and bewildered by the cunning skills of the Moroccan salesman with just one afternoon in the souks! Andrew, a keen photographer took full advantage of the colourful, bustling Medina Scenes and Cara took full advantage of the souks!! (much wiser buyer the second time!)
Alain and Helen David
Alain and Helen (Danielle’s parents) joined us, albeit briefly, as our honorary Ghanaian guests. They flew into our world of insane humidity and sweat with their bags loaded with treats – South African wine, chocolates and biltong to name a few! On our drive from Accra to join the others at Green Turtle Lodge, they thoroughly enjoyed the shop signs painted in bold primary colours, ‘God is great Beauty Salon’, ‘Peace and Love Mechanics’ and ‘Lord be with you Fashion’ to name a few. Alain spent many a happy hour body-surfing in the waves at Green Turtle Lodge, whilst Helen enjoyed spotting birds and taking photos of the crew for the other parents. They certainly win the ‘most patient award’ for sitting through a two hour photo session of our entire batch of unedited photos. All in all, Ghana was a hit with these two, and they with us. It was with a pang of home-sickness for us that we had to say ‘Au Revoir’, and they, envious of our adventures to come, but grateful to be returning to life with lungs rather than gills, said a fond ‘Bon Voyage’.
Laura Grobicki
Laura is a ‘Saffa’ like the rest of us, although she has become somewhat of an Aussie/Saffa morph over the past few years. Despite this, we happily accepted her into our by now, very motley crew. Laura has grown up living life via the scenic route – and she has learnt to adapt remarkably well by being the queen of narcoleptic attacks in moving vehicles. Laura is best at teaming up with her sister-in-law when her brother is being obnoxious. She will certainly add the elements of fun and laughter to our journey, as well as being pretty clever when it comes to concocting cocktail recipes from local resources, such as the ’Mt. Klouto Kick Mango Rum Smoothie’. Welcome to the road less travelled!
Charles Hackland
Charlie has been a welcome addition to the “crew of South African overlanders” as we have now become known as and he has grown the tally on Chartered Accountants in the group to 3. He knows Andrew’s adventurous habits well having lived in a boarding house with him for his 5 years of high school so he knew what he was getting himself into when he decided to join the trip. Charlie also knows a lot about vehicles from growing up on a farm and he helped Andrew work all night to assemble Mr Bling’s spare diesel tank in London. Charlie joined us in Cameroon just in time to take on ascending Mount Cameroon. He has been a great help on the road by helping navigate the thick slippery Cameroon mud and his pyromaniac tendencies have meant that we’ve had lots of campfires to enjoy, even in grassy savannah! Charlie is always up for an isolated bushcamp, a swim in the sea, buying bunches and bunches of bananas and taking the more remote road. We wish him a safe trip, although obviously adventurous, as he brings Mr Bling home with Andrew.
Ted Grobicki
Ted joined us in Libreville for a 2 week holiday in Gabon. Ted is Andrew and Laura’s father and can be blamed for instilling their sense of African adventure into them. He also is a very proud father-in-law to Danielle as he mentioned more than once to the locals, what a beautiful daughter-in-law he has! Ted has traveled extensively around Africa having been part of the ‘East Coast’ trip with Andrew and ‘Big J’ in 2006. Being a geologist, he’s explored a number of the more remote parts of the continent when he was younger when he used to “drive a Land Rover more than drive a desk”. However this was to be his first time in Gabon and it didn’t disappoint him. We had a wonderful time with Ted seeing the forest, lakes, rivers and wildlife that Gabon has in rich supply. We all benefited from Ted’s impromptu geology and history lessons, although the very early morning wake up calls were less popular. However we did appreciate the morning coffee that came with the early wake up call!
Tony Webster
Grant’s dad, Tony, graced us with his presence during our 1st week in Gabon! He certainly earns his title of Honorary Vuvuzelan, having been the mastermind behind the car-electronics, and provider of invaluable equipment such as our fridge, recovery kit, ground-mats, rooftop tent and, of course, Moyra’s precious pots! Tony met us at the airport in Libreville bearing much appreciated luxuries such as biltong, nougart, woollies crunchies and a hairbrush for Paula!! Adventures shared with Tony include Gorilla trekking in Mkongo resverve (alas, no gorillas nor eggs!), close encounters with forest elephant at Lope camp, pool lounging on the banks of the Ogoue river and visiting The Albert Schweitzner museum in Lambarene. Tony also joined forces with Ted in an effort to wake up the Vuvuzela Team at the crack of dawn each day! As a parting gift, Tony shared his engineering wisdom by spending a morning fixing our fridge (how fortunate that he was around when it broke!). We were sad to say goodbye to Tony as we had spent a fantastic week together in the unique reserves of Gabon.
