Central African Trip Report
16 November 2002 - 16 January 2003
Photograph index
These photographs have been reduced in size and optimized in terms of storage space to minimize the time to load. However,
it does mean that they are relatively low resolution. The actual file sizes are given in light grey to indicate the download times.
19 Nov 2002 - Showing the state of a (now) dirt road - a small patch of tar remains to the left of the vehicle - (16 KB)
19 Nov 2002 - Showing the same road, but where there was more tar remaining - this road is much harder on the vehicle - and driver! - (18 KB)
19 Nov 2003 - Having left the Brachystegia woodlands of the interior, the coast had a more scrubby vegetation - (11 KB)
20 Nov 2002 - Crossing a river on the way to Conde - in fact the bridges throughout the whole trip were all quite sturdy - (25 KB)
20 Nov 2002 - The hills around Conde - (17 KB)
20 Nov 2002 - An impressive rock that would be challenging for even the most experienced rock climbers - (11 KB)
20 Nov 2002 - The track through the forest where I spent the day the Gabela Akalat was seen to the right of this track - (44 KB)
20 Nov 2002 - A more distant shot of the forest patch where I spent the day - (23 KB)
21 Nov 2002 - The view from the Kissama NP camp over the Cuanza floodplain - (22 KB)
22 Nov 2002 - These impressive tree roots extended about 3 metres in height, making walking very difficult - (44 KB)
23 Nov 2002 - The road as it started into the forest zone the trees and shrubs making for poor visibility when driving - (32 KB)
24 Nov 2002 - Problems occur when two vehicles get stuck side by side - (30 KB)
26 Nov 2002 - Once beyond Negage the road was not regularly used, but at east there were tracks to follow - (29 KB)
26 Nov 2002 - Here all the tracks were mine. I had made two attempts to drive up this slope, but the vehicle kept slipping - (25 KB)
26 Nov 2002 -
until on the third time it slipped too far, and I needed help to get out - (21 KB)
27 Nov 2002 - The upland areas were cool damp grassland areas and this was the habitat where the Flufftail was found - (13 KB)
27 Nov 2002 - The track beyond Maquela do Zombo, where one had to use the detour just visible on the left to avoid the boggy stretch in the low-lying ground - (19 KB)
27 Nov 2002 - Closer to the border, the correct detours would have been impossible to find and follow without a guide - (30 KB)
28 Nov 2002 - Bravo trying to dig an exit route from the one detour that was driveable ... - (25 KB)
28 Nov 2002 - When I did drive onto the track I couldnt turn downhill towards the camera the mud was too slippery - (23 KB)
28 Nov 2002 - One of the worst stretches. It took over 6 hours from here to the village just visible on the horizon - (19 KB)
28 Nov 2002 - The team of 8 with two boys who watched (on the right) - (29 KB)
30 Nov 2002 - The river crossing heavy rain hides the city of Brazzaville behind the island - (16 KB)
01 Dec 2002 - The Bateke plateau in southern Congo an anachronism in the centre of the massive lowland Congo forest - (14 KB)
02 Dec 2002 - The preliminary stretch of dirt roads through Congo as smooth as the best tar road - (13 KB)
02 Dec 2002 - ... but even an innocent looking puddle can be treacherous the narrow trench
in the centre was caused by the differential of the Landrover hitting the ground - (17 KB)
02 Dec 2002 - The upland moors the Lekoni plateau rises above the rest of the Congo forest (there was extensive forest between this photograph and the previous one) - (20 KB)
03 Dec 2002 - The canyons just to the south of Lekoni town this circular crater is about 1 kilometre across - (31 KB)
09 Dec 2002 - Wash-out on the road to la Lope typical of what was occurs on many roads throughout Africa - and the best reason never to drive at night - (27 KB)
09 Dec 2002 - An amazing rock structure there were about 10 of these each around 3 metres high - (30 KB)
12 Dec 2002 - The exotic looking offshore islands seen from the Top Spot restaurant - (5 KB)
13 Dec 2002 - This suspension bridge looks innocent until you start walking across it it is about 100 metres long - (36 KB)
15 Dec 2002 - An amazing Cameroonian tree at about 3 metres it simply branches sideways there is no upward growth - (44 KB)
20 Dec 2002 - The campement at Waza. The lower left-hand hill - (14 KB)
21 Dec 2002 - A Chad mielie field. Perhaps a bit more water would help? - (20 KB)
21 Dec 2002 - A village why it is located here, and how the villages survive still mystifies me - (21 KB)
21 Dec 2002 - The main road through Chad. While it was quite smooth, it was a bit tricky to follow - (5 KB)
21 Dec 2002 - Another stretch of Chad road smooth and easy to follow - (10 KB)
21 Dec 2002 - A typical campsite in the bush I usually park about 100 metres off the road to ensure no truck will hit me - (15 KB)
23 Dec 2002 - A river crossing simple in the dry, but if the river was flowing, there would be no way to cross - (16 KB)
23 Dec 2002 - Camels in the foreground, hills near to the Jebel Mara in the background - (19 KB)
24 Dec 2002 - This photo is supposed to show how, from the camera, tracks head straight and left, to rejoin near the horizon - (13 KB)
25 Dec 2002 - The wrong way to drive through Sudan - (17 KB)
25 Dec 2002 - A good desert road smooth, easy to follow, and without too much loose sand - (11 KB)
25 Dec 2002 - A bad desert road the central ridge may only be sand, but it sufficiently high to slow the vehicle to a stop - (12 KB)
27 Dec 2002 - The confluence of the Blue Nile (left) and White Nile (right) - (18 KB)
29 Dec 2002 - One example of the Sudanese desert ... - (17 KB)
29 Dec 2002 -
and another one - (13 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - A typical scene from the Ethiopian highlands - (19 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - A rock pinnacle south of Gonder (2) - (16 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - a typical scene from the Ethiopian highlands plateau farmlands - (15 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - The Blue Nile valley gorge from the plateau level ... - (20 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - ... and then half way down the escarpment ... - (23 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - ... and finally a view of the lower gorge the bridge isnt even visible from this point - (20 KB)
31 Dec 2002 - An ant-hill from the Mega area presumed to be the nest site of the highly localized White-tailed Swallow - (25 KB)
01 Jan 2003 - The northern Kenyan road seriously damaged in the recent rains - (25 KB)
01 Jan 2003 - An unusual sight from the northern Kenyan desert - (13 KB)
02 Jan 2003 - Mount Kenya in the clear a rare sight - (6 KB)
19 Nov 2002 - Showing the state of a (now) dirt road - a small patch of tar remains to the left of the vehicle - (16 KB)
19 Nov 2002 - Showing the same road, but where there was more tar remaining - this road is much harder on the vehicle - and driver! - (18 KB)
19 Nov 2003 - Having left the Brachystegia woodlands of the interior, the coast had a more scrubby vegetation - (11 KB)
20 Nov 2002 - Crossing a river on the way to Conde - in fact the bridges throughout the whole trip were all quite sturdy - (25 KB)
20 Nov 2002 - The hills around Conde - (17 KB)
20 Nov 2002 - An impressive rock that would be challenging for even the most experienced rock climbers - (11 KB)
20 Nov 2002 - The track through the forest where I spent the day the Gabela Akalat was seen to the right of this track - (44 KB)
20 Nov 2002 - A more distant shot of the forest patch where I spent the day - (23 KB)
21 Nov 2002 - The view from the Kissama NP camp over the Cuanza floodplain - (22 KB)
22 Nov 2002 - These impressive tree roots extended about 3 metres in height, making walking very difficult - (44 KB)
23 Nov 2002 - The road as it started into the forest zone the trees and shrubs making for poor visibility when driving - (32 KB)
24 Nov 2002 - Problems occur when two vehicles get stuck side by side - (30 KB)
26 Nov 2002 - Once beyond Negage the road was not regularly used, but at east there were tracks to follow - (29 KB)
26 Nov 2002 - Here all the tracks were mine. I had made two attempts to drive up this slope, but the vehicle kept slipping - (25 KB)
26 Nov 2002 -
until on the third time it slipped too far, and I needed help to get out - (21 KB)
27 Nov 2002 - The upland areas were cool damp grassland areas and this was the habitat where the Flufftail was found - (13 KB)
27 Nov 2002 - The track beyond Maquela do Zombo, where one had to use the detour just visible on the left to avoid the boggy stretch in the low-lying ground - (19 KB)
27 Nov 2002 - Closer to the border, the correct detours would have been impossible to find and follow without a guide - (30 KB)
28 Nov 2002 - Bravo trying to dig an exit route from the one detour that was driveable ... - (25 KB)
28 Nov 2002 - When I did drive onto the track I couldnt turn downhill towards the camera the mud was too slippery - (23 KB)
28 Nov 2002 - One of the worst stretches. It took over 6 hours from here to the village just visible on the horizon - (19 KB)
28 Nov 2002 - The team of 8 with two boys who watched (on the right) - (29 KB)
30 Nov 2002 - The river crossing heavy rain hides the city of Brazzaville behind the island - (16 KB)
01 Dec 2002 - The Bateke plateau in southern Congo an anachronism in the centre of the massive lowland Congo forest - (14 KB)
02 Dec 2002 - The preliminary stretch of dirt roads through Congo as smooth as the best tar road - (13 KB)
02 Dec 2002 - ... but even an innocent looking puddle can be treacherous the narrow trench
in the centre was caused by the differential of the Landrover hitting the ground - (17 KB)
02 Dec 2002 - The upland moors the Lekoni plateau rises above the rest of the Congo forest (there was extensive forest between this photograph and the previous one) - (20 KB)
03 Dec 2002 - The canyons just to the south of Lekoni town this circular crater is about 1 kilometre across - (31 KB)
09 Dec 2002 - Wash-out on the road to la Lope typical of what was occurs on many roads throughout Africa - and the best reason never to drive at night - (27 KB) 
09 Dec 2002 - An amazing rock structure there were about 10 of these each around 3 metres high - (30 KB)
12 Dec 2002 - The exotic looking offshore islands seen from the Top Spot restaurant - (5 KB)
13 Dec 2002 - This suspension bridge looks innocent until you start walking across it it is about 100 metres long - (36 KB)
15 Dec 2002 - An amazing Cameroonian tree at about 3 metres it simply branches sideways there is no upward growth - (44 KB)
20 Dec 2002 - The campement at Waza. The lower left-hand hill - (14 KB)
21 Dec 2002 - A Chad mielie field. Perhaps a bit more water would help? - (20 KB)
21 Dec 2002 - A village why it is located here, and how the villages survive still mystifies me - (21 KB)
21 Dec 2002 - The main road through Chad. While it was quite smooth, it was a bit tricky to follow - (5 KB) 
21 Dec 2002 - Another stretch of Chad road smooth and easy to follow - (10 KB)
21 Dec 2002 - A typical campsite in the bush I usually park about 100 metres off the road to ensure no truck will hit me - (15 KB)
23 Dec 2002 - A river crossing simple in the dry, but if the river was flowing, there would be no way to cross - (16 KB)
23 Dec 2002 - Camels in the foreground, hills near to the Jebel Mara in the background - (19 KB)
24 Dec 2002 - This photo is supposed to show how, from the camera, tracks head straight and left, to rejoin near the horizon - (13 KB)
25 Dec 2002 - The wrong way to drive through Sudan - (17 KB)
25 Dec 2002 - A good desert road smooth, easy to follow, and without too much loose sand - (11 KB)
25 Dec 2002 - A bad desert road the central ridge may only be sand, but it sufficiently high to slow the vehicle to a stop - (12 KB)
27 Dec 2002 - The confluence of the Blue Nile (left) and White Nile (right) - (18 KB)
29 Dec 2002 - One example of the Sudanese desert ... - (17 KB)
29 Dec 2002 -
and another one - (13 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - A typical scene from the Ethiopian highlands - (19 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - A rock pinnacle south of Gonder (2) - (16 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - a typical scene from the Ethiopian highlands plateau farmlands - (15 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - The Blue Nile valley gorge from the plateau level ... - (20 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - ... and then half way down the escarpment ... - (23 KB)
30 Dec 2002 - ... and finally a view of the lower gorge the bridge isnt even visible from this point - (20 KB)
31 Dec 2002 - An ant-hill from the Mega area presumed to be the nest site of the highly localized White-tailed Swallow - (25 KB)
01 Jan 2003 - The northern Kenyan road seriously damaged in the recent rains - (25 KB)
01 Jan 2003 - An unusual sight from the northern Kenyan desert - (13 KB)
02 Jan 2003 - Mount Kenya in the clear a rare sight - (6 KB)