The second part of Jason?s prize was learning to surf at Jeffrey's Bay (which for the pro?s boasts a wave-ride of 800m). Most who?ve been to this global surfing mecca will agree that behind the beach the town is not all that attractive.

It?s the wave after all, the famed J-Bay Supertubes, that attracts the real enthusiasts ? and I?m not talking of the Free State farmers who visit their holiday homes in December.

Overnighting in Port Elizabeth, any thought of an early morning run was dashed when three of us decided to get to J-Bay early for photographs. It was just our luck that most of the surfers on the waves that morning weren?t that good, although in two hours we snapped a few good shots.

We stayed at Supertubes Bed ?n Breakfast (around the corner from where former world champ Kelly Slater has a house). Positioned just above the beach, our lodging was an easy dash back up to the house in case we forgot a lens. We photographed a Frenchman who came out specifically ? with his wife ? to surf Supertubes.

The surf lesson took place at the other end of town, at a 'break' known as Kitchen Window, where beginners take a shot at earning their 'fins'. At well plus-30, it?s harder than you think.

Novak was a disaster, his wetsuit apparently too tight, while Jason made his instructor happy and stood on the board. Once the TV crew had finished filming the boys? instruction, the subsequent photo-shoot on the beach was a resounding success, NatGeo-commissioned photographer Neale Haynes using lights to create a little magic.

Zip-lining and a bungy jump

Also known as ?flying fox?, zip-lining is about the best way to get through such a magnificent forest, with the highest point 40m above ground. Home to gorgeous birdlife, we heard the occasional ?special?, like the Narina Trogon and Knysna Turaco, but with the noise we were making as a crew, shuttling equipment across, we weren?t likely to see any.

Humour and gentle 'ribbing' was part of it all by now, with Billy (the director of the NatGeo TV insert) providing entertainment, bravely conquering what seemed to be a serious fear of heights.

What else was I to think when I found him clinging to the trunk of a yellowwood tree some 30m above the ground? On a serious note, we enjoyed the fact that the guides employed were all local. People who otherwise wouldn?t have had a job, they were learning responsibility and discipline in dealing with the lives of others.

Back on the N2, a few kilometres down the road on the right, is the Blaauwkrans bridge; at 216m the scene of the highest bungy in the world. It sounds like a pathetic excuse, but my partner told me that as father of a 6-month-old I wasn?t doing any such thing. And so I lost the chance to conquer an entirely rational fear by jumping with other equally petrified types.

Anyway, we were there to work, and Neale and I stretched our lens to the max from a viewing deck. Billy and his TV camera were with us, his hands visibly shaking at what he was seeing. It?s a massive drop, but in keeping with the Kiwi company-owner?s record, all survived, and returned pumped up and jubilant to the vehicle. It was Jason?s third jump, and with his unhappy surfing experience behind, Novak also loved the jump.

Angus Begg is the owner of the recently-established African Storybook Media. He is a prolific photo-journalist and TV producer, counting CNN Traveller amongst his clients.

Read more:
Page 1: Tracking Black Rhino
Page 3: Ostriches, caves and walking with elephants
Page 4: Adventures in Knysna and Cape Town