Having survived unscathed in the Cape Town suburbs for a couple of years, we felt that we were finally up for the next challenge. But what could possibly provide us with the adrenaline rush we were seeking. We went through the extreme options – bungy jumping (nah, not keen on heights); same goes for abseiling. We were just about to settle for the Cobra at Ratanga Junction when we had an inspiration.

Why tackle the land when there are kilometres of river to tame – wrestling with water rapids, roaring over rocks and spinning in whirlpools was just the kind of action we were after!

Lisa & Helene ready to tackle the rapids

Despite our enthusiasm, we were aware that we were mere river rookies and would need professionals to take us through the rigours of rafting. Enter Felix Unite River Adventures – the experts in water escapades in South Africa. This Cape Town-based company has been guiding people along the river for many years now and offer adventures in various locations.

The Orange River experience in Namibia (nine hours drive from Cape Town) is one of the more hardcore trips. It’s usually four to six days and rafters camp on the river beds, sleep under the stars and cover many kilometres of whooshing water.

The stunning scenery that awaited us

It sounded thrilling indeed – perhaps a little too thrilling for our first river experience. So we opted for the beginners tour – an introduction to rafting on the Breede River near Swellendam in the stunning surroundings of the Overberg.

So armed with all the necessities recommended by Felix Unite (costume, a torch, insect repellant etc.) Lisa and Helene headed towards inevitable adventure. We felt like Thelma and Louise on water – two young women creating their own destiny. Here’s hoping that our weekend wouldn’t end up the same way as the movie!

UP THE CREEK...WITH A PADDLE

The Up The Creek campsite

After two-and-a-half hours of a most pleasant drive, we arrived at the Felix Unite Up the Creek Campsite (NOTE – the first turn-off the gravel road is easy to miss – a big Felix Unite sign would be most useful here).
But this was not a regular roughing it type of site – there were charming chalets, luxury tents (have you ever seen tents with carpets?) and a spacious communual area with a bonfire the size of a small country.

We were welcomed by a group of friendly young men who turned out to be our guides. Despite their apparent youth, they looked weathered enough to take us through the paces. By the end of the trip they had definitely proved their ability to beat the rapids as well as outstay most of the guest in the partying department.

Gerald, the adventure manager, was barely in his twenties but with over two years of rafting trips behind him, he was an extremely professional guide and impressive river acrobat. He gave us the tour of the site and helped us to choose prime sleeping quarters.

THE ACCOMMODATION

The luxury tents

There is a choice of three different types of accommodation: The A-frame cabins (where we stayed), Converted ox-wagons or tents. Considering that our ancestors never did the Great Trek we chose the cabins, although the tents were far from basic camping. They came equipped with two beds, a table, carpeting and electricity.
Certainly not slumming it.

The Ox Wagon

The wagons are very cute and every kid wanted to stay in them except that they are right by the communal eating and recreational area so be prepared for noise and music, which depending on the group, can go on until the early hours of the morning.

We present...our cabin

The cabins are A-frames with bamboo interior linings. They each have two single beds, a table, two cupboards, slate floor and electricity. Best of all, we had a two second walk to the eating area and not much further to the communual bathrooms and showers – the important things in life!

The ablutions are in a concrete block and have both hot and cold running water. There are mirrors so you can achieve the Rambo look by sight. The one item missing from the toilets was dustbins. I don’t know if this was because they don’t want to attract animals or bugs but it did mean carrying the used toilet roll to the kitchen, well I wasn’t going to throw it on the floor now was I?

THE CAMP OPTIONS

Up the Creek, we were told, is apparently the party camp. It’s more laid back, music is allowed and you bring your own alcohol along. (No bottles are allowed on the river but they can be kept at base-camp, where they have refrigeration facilities so that after a hard day’s rowing there is a cold one waiting for you.) It's also the slightly cheaper option (you’re looking at R695 per adult for two nights including bed, all meals and the rafting).

But there’s also the Round the Bend alternative which is quieter, more sophisticated and a total getaway from city life (priced at R895 per adult). Felix Unite has also recently introduced Walkabout - a lodge geared towards conferences and corporate think tanks.

We realised that we weren’t going to starve on this adventure when we gathered for the welcome party. Yum! Snacks included savories, popcorn, chips and dip. There was always tea, coffee and juice available. We were advised not to drink the water and even the purified water got looks from the other guests. We recommend that you bring your own. MTV was playing in the background – yip, there’ s a TV complete with satellite – so you can still catch that rugby match.

Our weekend turned out to be a family special (an unbelievable price of just over R1 500 for a family of 4) so inevitably there were hoards of kids and parents – a whopping 64 of us in all. But we were all in the same boat, so to speak, so age was really quite insignificant.

The bonfire ready to roar

Dinner was absolutely divine – succulent braaied chicken, savoury rice, loads of veges and apple pie and custard for desert. Maybe it was the fresh air, but this was some of the most tasty food we have ever enjoyed. The humungous bonfire was set alight, drinks were shared and the atmosphere became wonderfully festive.

Since wake-up call was just after 7am, we crawled into bed not to long after dinner and managed to sleep without too many visits from outdoor insects or freezing up. (It’s pretty cold out there round about this time so pack a blanket or sleeping bag.)

The next morning dawned bright and sunny and we awoke to our guides bringing around coffee in bed – this was even better than being at home!.

We hopped off to the showers – there are only three of them per bathroom but this didn’t ever turn out to be a huge problem – and most crucially, there was always an abundance of hot water. Breakfast was hot toast, cereals, eggs, bacon and cheesy tomatoes – a right feast and we ate well in preparation of our day of rafting.

THE RAFTING ADVENTURE BEGINS...

The jackets of life

After selecting a life jacket, we dressed for the river (shorts, T-shirts, slipslops and a camera are the only things you need). Our adventure was about to begin - we were finally going extreme.

OK it didn’t exactly happen as quickly as that – it took half an hour or so until each pair picked a raft and were given a brief lecture as to how to manoeuvre the boats and keep safe.

The tame crocodiles

The rafts were more like inflatable dinghies, better known as crocodiles, and we each got a paddle (no, it’s not an oar) and climbed in.

The adventure begins

The sight of thirty-something red and white coloured boats floating serenely down the river was quite magnificent. The fresh air, the maginificent scenery, the rythmic paddling all made for a intensely relaxing experience. There was great camaraderie as everyone paddled down the river. The quiet of the surrounding bush was punctuated only by squeals of laughter and the occasional shriek when one found oneself paddling backwards or playing dodge-me cars with the other canoes.

But enough meditation –we wanted the adrenaline! The sound of whooshing water bought us out of our dream-like revelry – our very first rapid! Since most of us were novices, each boat tackled the rapid individually.

Hearts were pounding as we approached the apex of the powerful gushing water, rocks and tree stumps – would we be able to avoid these obstacles and still make it through upright?

Paddling towards the rapids

We took a deep breath and went for it paddling furiously to the commands of the guides. In a couple of seconds it was all over and once again serenity was restored. But we had made it – we had fought and survived our first rapid.

Ok maybe I’m being just being minutely overly dramatic here – the Breede River rapids are apparently easy Grade Ones and ripples in comparison to the vigorous rapids on the Zambezi or Orange. But although its not extreme in the extremest, there is no shortage of excitement.

And so the morning continued – tackling about three or so more rapid patches – and waiting for the rest of the rafters to pass through. Admittedly it was at times a tad tedious to linger while all 30 boats individually crossed the rapids, so perhaps smaller groups would be recommended. But we were on holiday so really there was no rush to get anywhere.

We rafted until we reached our campsite where we dragged the boats out of the water, rushed to get warm and enjoyed the most delicious lunch around the campfire.

LET'S GO CRUISING NOW

The River Cruise

We were pretty fired up after our first taste of the river and soon were ready for the next round. Some were a tad disappointed that instead of rafting the afternoon away, a boat cruise in Swellendam had been arranged.

The phoofey slider hits the water

The boat ride was pleasant enough and we did have the opportunity to try out South Africa’s highest phoofey slide, but it was slightly sad that we would have to await the next day to finely tune our rafting skills.

That evening’s dinner sent us straight back into festive spirits. The roast lamb with all the trimmings and a huge selection of veges and fresh bread were scrumptious and we sat around the fire, laughing, drinking and even dancing well into the night.

The chefs preparing breakfast

The next morning was a little bit grey and the previous night’s revelry was clear on everyone’s faces. But a warm comforting breakfast can do wonders and soon we had donned our life jackets and were ready for our next challenge.

MORE RAPID ACTION

The magnificent river

Since we didn’t have to concentrate too much on learning technique this time, we had more opportunity to admire the scenery. And what a stunning stretch of river this was – green river beds, interrupted by the occasional white beaches and collections of cacti-like plants in the middle of the water.

The water action was also more hair-raising this time round and we grappled with Dead Man’s Corner and other forebodingly-named rapids. The paddling was more demanding as well and after a couple of hours, shoulders threatened to fall off. There were also one or two exciting boat casualties with rafts crashing into the rocks or overturning and paddlers having to abandon ship.

Gerald, our great guide, shows us how it's done

Those who were wet already eagerly took off their lifejacket and fastened it between their legs for the Nappy Run – where you bob down the rapid on your rear- fun stuff! This is when rafting in summer comes in handy – when the air is nippy, getting soaked is simply not as appealing.

Rafting the Breede

After a couple of hours of highly rewarding rafting we reached the river bed and clambered into a truck to take us back to the camp site. A mouth-watering meal of chicken curry and warm homebaked bread was awaiting us – after a morning of intense thrill, food had never gone down so well.

And so our adventure had drawn to a close. Regrettfully, we left our life-jackets behind, bade farewell to the river and headed back towards the city. It had been only three days but the experience was enough to last a lifetime. We had beaten the rapids and lived to tell the tale. We had challenged the Breede and won – river-rafting was now firmly in our blood... next up – the Orange!

Want to try a thrilling river rafting adventure: Contact Felix Unite at: Telephone: 021 – 683 6433 Online Bookings: http://www.felixunite.com