16 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2011 THE SUN-HERALD THE SUN-HERALD SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2011 17 travel cover story cover story travel The Great Rift, by raail

Alison Stewart boards Trip notes the luxurious Pride of Africa Getting there for an epic train journey Ǡ South African Airways bundles from Dar es Salaam to the four flights you need into one booking for about $3250 a Cape Town. person, including taxes. 1300 435 972, flysaa.com. MY MISSIONARY explorer great- grandfather, James Stewart, canoed Staying there up the Zambezi in the 1860s, bush- Ǡ Rovos Rail Dar es Salaam to bashed into central Africa and arrived Cape Town. From $US8900 back from his adventures ‘‘a bag of ($8455) a person sharing, all bones, barely recognisable’’. inclusive. +27 123 158 242, It is quite the contrary for my own www.rovos.com. African adventure, which has taken Ǡ Westcliff Hotel, Johannesburg. me 5742 kilometres across half of Doubles from R2515 ($335). Africa from Dar es Salaam in +27 114 816 074, westcliff.co.za. Tanzania, through Zambia, Ǡ Oyster Bay, Dar es Salaam. Zimbabwe, Botswana and South $US450 a person sharing, all Africa to Cape Town, about double the inclusive. +44 1932 260 618, distance from Copenhagen to theoysterbayhotel.com. Istanbul. There are no canoes for me, Rugged beauty ... clockwise from main, the thunderous Victoria Falls on the Ǡ Cape Grace, Cape Town. Doubles no sleeping rough in malarial fever Zambezi River; a Rovos Rail porter at work; elephants laze by a pond; a suite on from R4980 with breakfast. swamps fighting off crocodiles and the Pride of Africa train. Photos: Getty Images; Alamy +27 214 107 100, capegrace.com. hippos, certainly no despair. Encased in arguably the world’s 14-day journey.The station – a Tanganyikatilapia, tuna and beef More information most luxurious train, Rovos Rail’s gigantic Chinese-built structure – is fillet. It’sall inclusive – food, alcohol, A Sydney-based African travel Edwardian Pride of Africa, plied with virtually deserted. It sees only two excursions and three five-star nights specialist, Susie Potter of Africa exquisite food and matched fine local TAZARA (TanzaniaZambia off the train. Safari Co, can help. wines on a degustation expedition as Railway Authority) services a week This extravaganza is the brainchild africasafarico.com.au. long as Africa’sGreat Rift Valley, I am, and a handful of Rovos trains a year. of Rohan Vos, who has been described sadly, far from a bag of bones. The Chinese who extended the line as ‘‘a brilliant entrepreneur and Since the 1800s, my English and from Zambia to Dar withdrew when rugged individualist’’.Vos made his Tunya, ‘‘the smoke that thunders’’.For Scottish family has frequently the copper price collapsed in 1975. fortune early and decided to run a me it’sa highlight, not just because we returned to Africa, so this is a journey In preparation for our departure, the train into Africa using steam, diesel are finally at the Zambezi, which I peopled by ghosts of family past. But Rovos red carpet is unrolled, wine and electric engines. Tomany, this associate with my great-grandfather’s it’sone couched in such opulence, stewards Michael and Gareth serve was a mad and difficult undertaking. travels, but also because the I fear my stern Scottish great- champagne and the Dar es Salaam Twenty-two years later, his high- 1.7-kilometre-wide Victoria Falls, the grandfather might not entirely Police Band plays a jaunty rendition of end trains ply various African routes seventh natural wonder of the world, approve. There are times when I do Hernando’s Hideaway, with a with the jewel in the crown being this is truly magnificent. In the wet season, not quite approve, especially spontaneous trombone solo that Pride of Africa journey. you can see its spray for 60 kilometres. confronting the meagre way of life careers endearingly along the platform. As Vos says, he’snot as wealthy as he We disembark directly on to the that is Africa’sreality, compared with once was, ‘‘But, boy, do I have a great three in a deluxe and two in a royal We climb 2500 metres through the bridge Rhodes wanted built so ‘‘the the crystal, silver and champagne train set.’’ His daughter and protege, (with claw-foot Victorian baths). Ours escarpment’stunnels, switchbacks trains as they pass will catch the spray cocoon of the Pride of Africa. One Bianca, 27, hosts this journey and, is a spacious deluxe double, and viaducts, before dipping into the of the falls’’,before checking in at the might argue, however, that Rovos calm beyond her years, defuses some ‘‘Warrenton’’,with wood panelling, Great Rift Valley that splits the vast grand old lady, the Victoria Falls Hotel. brings income to struggling We leave the train tricky situations. Edwardian features and modern plateau stretching from Ethiopia to Built in 1904, it is a colonial economies and that is no small thing. We are passing across Tanzania’s additions. There’sa king bed, down South Africa. Mbeya, in a narrow masterpiece. On our agenda: a sunset The journey begins as it ends, in utter for two nights of fertile, 64-kilometre-wide coastal bedding, electric blankets, reverse- highland valley surrounded by a bowl Zambezi cruise, a helicopter ‘‘flight of luxury.I am six degrees south of the lowlands. Tanzaniais half the size of cycle airconditioning, ample storage, of high mountains, raises another the angels’’ over the falls, a drenching equator in the ‘‘haven of peace’’,Dar es game viewing. western Europe, bordered by the full-length cupboard, two long ghost. My father’sWorld War II SAAF walk along its edge and a night lulled Salaam. The city’sromance lies more in Great Rift lakes of Tanganyikaand mirrors, desk, chairs, safe, bar fridge squadron refuelled here en route to by the sound of water. the imagination than in its chaotic Nyasa in the west, the ocean to the replenished daily, coffee and tea- the east African front. Later, the arid landlocked plains of reality.Oyster Bay, however, is the Then, courtesy of Rovos’sown east and the great Masai steppe to making facilities, en suite and We’re at the mid-point between Botswana appear. We leave the train at prettier, ambassadorial, ocean-front driver and locomotive, the train pulls the north. everything from toiletries to slippers lakes Tanganyikaand Nyasa, cool Gaborone to drive to the TauGame part and this is where we arrive from the smoothly from the platform just in As the sun lowers towards the and gowns. winds replacing the tropical lowland Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve airport in an airconditioned car. It’spart time for lunch – our first introduction western ranges, we enter one of the Our delightful steward, Anton, nips humidity.As we rise again to cross the for two nights of spectacular game of the all-inclusive service for the eight- to train cuisine – four petite but world’slast vast wildernesses, the in whenever we depart to make border, striking the Zambian high viewing and luxury in the form of a suite Oyster Bay Hotel, next door to the exquisite courses with matching Selous Game Reserve, which is almost Warrenton beautiful again – nougat or savannah, we will be thankful for our thatched cottage directly overlooking Tanzanianprime minister’sresidence. wines. Rovos takes on fresh food every the size of Ireland and thickly chocolate on pillows, amazing heating. Zambia is not prospering, the natural waterhole (lions mating at And here is my first ghost. three days, an organisational populated by animals. Sightings blanket topiary, roses, champagne. An with AIDS decimating a generation. sunrise, anyone?). As I look across the Indian Ocean procedure of military precision. include leopard and elephants English guest, musing about the It’ssad seeing dusty, parentless Our magnificent sweep down South from our huge suite with its high We join the affable Capetonian train grazing the densely forested miombo unusual scarcity of single malt, finds a children gazing after the train and Africa takes in bushveld savannah to ceilings, at my shoulder is my great- doctor, Edward Evans, and his lovely woodland. The open observation car bottle of Glenfiddich on his pillow. more than a little discomfiting for highveld grasslands, stopping to meet uncle, a World War I King’sAfrican wife, Lee, for an entree of bobotie (a is packed. Though Tanzaniais not Little presents appear sporadically – a passengers with knowledge of the Rohan Vos at his restored Pretoria Rifles veteran, who looked across this South African curried meat dish), wealthy, it has high literacy, silk scarf and tie, cards in a wooden Horn of Africa famine. Capital Park station and locomotive same ocean as a tobacco and cotton plump east coast garlic prawns, a good education and a unifying box, Rovos-embossed carry bags. At Kapiri Mposhi, north of Lusaka, yard, where we are introduced to seven trader in the 1920s. I imagine his pecorino cheese and a miniature language, Swahili. A derailment up ahead (not the TAZARA line ends, heralding the steam engines named after family house might have been this very hotel, dessert of koeksisters and melktert It should be said that Rovos’sservice unusual) delays us for 10 hours, so we 781 kilometres of raddled tracks that members. There are ghosts aplenty as whose decor from the grand Zanzibar (sweet dough twists and milk tart). and the accommodation, built for a strike lucky daylight for our ascent run to the Zimbabwe border. We now I pass childhood landmarks: De Aar, double doors to the sculptural Ultimately, we’ll meet everyone, tall man such as Rohan Vos, are towards the divide from which rise travel at a mere 20km/h, riding for a where my university train refuelled; hangings, rattan, pottery and textiles either chatting in the bar or lounge or remarkable. There are 36 suites three great African rivers – the Congo, while outside on the front of the the Lord Milner Hotel at is pure east African Swahili elegance. sharing meals that include loin of carrying a maximum of 72 passengers Nile and Zambezi. No roads run or engine. Here, we can fully appreciate Matjiesfontein, whose roast Karoo We are well rested on arrival at Dar springbok, lobster, scallops, ostrich, – 42 on our voyage. There are five phones work in the wild country the line’sdegradation but, on a positive lamb was to die for; Wolseley, home of es Salaam station to begin our epic, trout, lamb shank, duck breast, Lake compartments in a Pullman coach, between Mlimba and Makambako. note, can also exchange greetings with my uncle’sfruit farm, La Plaisante, and locals who use the tracks as a path to many a happy holiday. town. Then there’sLusaka. Suffice it to At last we drop through the snow- say, in the words of train historian capped Montagu Pass to sea level Top tips for taking on 5000 kilometres of Africa Nicholas Schofield, that ‘‘darkness again and my old home of Cape Town. lends enchantment to the view’’. We’re collected by the ‘‘Cape Grace Australians need visas for Tanzania, night. South African Airways flies such as the Westcliff. You can Ǡ Melantia Travel is a reliable family Schofield, who has inspired rail BMW’’ and whisked to the lovely Zambia and Zimbabwe. It’s cheaper daily to Dar es Salaam. The train will wander safely around the three- team who will take two people from travellers since the Dar es Salaam waterfront hotel, which Rovos buying them at the borders — about return you to Cape Town. You can hectare estate with its city views, the airport return for about $115. run began in 1993, lectures recommends. $US50 ($47) each. Rovos takes care of then fly to Johannesburg for your cobbled lanes and rose gardens, [email protected]. enthusiastically (and hilariously) The next day, as we eat our breakfast most border formalities. return home. If you choose to fly SAA exploring the villas meandering up most days on all things African, from overlooking TableMountain, reading all the way, you can do a one-stop the hill. The area boasts Sir Herbert Ǡ The high altitude on the central Afri- David Livingstone to Cecil Rhodes to The Sydney Morning Herald that the Ǡ It’s easier to fly first to Johannes- booking for all flights and check your Baker mansions, built for the gold can plateau may irritate your skin. African politics. It is no coincidence hotel has thoughtfully printed out, we burg, rather than Nairobi. This avoids luggage through from Cape Town. rush “randlords”. Nearby Liliesleaf Take a good moisturiser and anti- that his talks in the lounge car are jam- can only agree with writer Khaled the long backtrack from Cape Town farm gives an insight into the histamine. packed. They remind us this is not Hosseini, who said: ‘‘Life is a train. Get for your flight home. Flights from Ǡ In Johannesburg, avoid the sterile Rivonia trial in which Nelson Man- merely a train trip but a journey into on board.’’ Sydney to Johannesburg arrive in airport hotels and casino complex. dela and 11 others were sentenced to Ǡ Credit card use in Zimbabwe, except history; not a reverence of colonial the afternoon so it’s best to stay the Consider northern suburbs hotels life for sabotage. Liliesleaf.co.za. at hotels, is not recommended. times but a rich lesson on Africa. The writer was a guest of Rovos Rail And there it is at last – Mosi-oa- and South African Airways. 1HERSA1 E016