Kirk's gear
Up the coast of Mozambique
Hi all
I,ve had a interesting time making my way up the coast of Mozambique, its been a tough challenge in many ways.
On July 28 I arrived in Sodwana Bay where I planned to start the trip . Situated on the north east coast of RSA about 150km
below the Moz boarder it makes a great place to start a trip like this. However the wind has to be blowing in the right direction.
For 3 days the wind blew from the north ,I need the south easterly . I was not expecting the wind to be to consitant in this region as the Kusi trde wind only has effect from Northern Moz. On the 1 of August I crossed into Moz and got two days kiting in Ponta Da Ora , with the wind not consistant I decided to use local transport to get futher north to Maputo. This took a full day , with roads and transport being as bad as they are getting around is a new challenge all on its own.
Trying to fit into the cramed minibusses with all your gear is not fun , the drivers charge you double " 150 mts for you and 150 mts for your board" and then he straps it to the roof.
After spending a night in maputo the wind got up the next day and was about 15 knots from the south east so I set off up the coast for about an hour and the wind died, I covered about 15km and was in the middle of nowhere.
Making my way back to the main road I hitched North to Inhambane. After a day on the road arrived in Inhambane at midnite and found a parked bus in the bus park in persuaded the driver to let me sleep in the back of the bus which was fine by me .
The next morning made my way to Tofo got there at 6:30 am , after watching some Humpbacked whales for about half anhour the
wind started form the south and picked up to about 18 knots and was colder than I expected.
After rigging my Ozone Catalyst 10 and climbing into my SouthernSea 4mm wetsuite I set off across the bay. Once on the other side of the bay the wind started do drop so I hit shore which was sprinkled with rocks . With no roads near by I started hiking inland and found a road back to Inhambane.
From here I caught a ferry to Machechi and headed north to Vilanculos.
After a long painfull journey I made it to Vilanculos and found a spot to stay which was in good spot to wait for the wind.
After 4 days with no wind I carried on north in search of the Kusi.
Hitch hiking is like opening a luky packet , you never know what you going to get and in Mozambique you take what you get.
The road runs far inland from the coast so its hard to find the wind when on the road. I stopped at most of the main coastal towns on the way but still no wind.
Finally after 5 days of hitching and sleeping in places you shouldnt sleep in I arrived in Pemba and found a really nice place on the beach called Russels Place. Situated just south of Wimby beach it provides a great spot to relax for a few days and is one of the most popular kite spots in Moz. The next morning the wind picked up and was blowing from the SE at about 18knts I met Dave who manages Russels Place who kite aswell and he joined for a session, This was the first non solo day on the water which was nice.
With the internet being almost impossible in Moz I decided to spend a few days here catching up and letting some of the other kiters test the Catalyst which impresed all.
With the wind being consistant here I managed to get some great down winders and some amazing pics with the help of Dave
Who is sharp with his camera skills.
This is as far as Ive made it and will be heading further north in the next day or 2 , to cross into Tanzania
4000 km of coast line
Hi All due to waiting for a few items this trip has been delayed a bit, not a problem I kind of expected this to happen and set my depature date a month early. All my gear seems to be working and in order just a bit of tweaking here and there and will be leaving for Sodwana on friday. Sodwana lies 60km from the boarder so I'll use this strech to get into the swing of things. From next week there will be plenty photo's and write ups on whats happening so be sure
to watch this space for updates.
Cheers Kirk
Kirk Hollis
Hey Everyone Kirk Hollis here , getting final prep done for the trip will be leaving from Sodwana this weekend
watch this space for weekly updates and rad pics.
Cheers Kirk
African Winds / Facebook
African Winds Kitesurfing Expedition
Kitesurfing is not so new a sport as not to be recognised. Nearly everyone of us have watched colourful kites gliding across turquoise waters carrying little silhouetted bodies in the tropical sun, harnessing the wind with their kites , carving up every wave that roles in and then dashing out for the next . Kitesurfing is the ultimate sport for those looking for a thrill made up of wind ,speed and water.
Zimbabwean born, South African raised ,outdoor sports enthusiast Kirk Hollis plans to take this sport to new levels as he prepares himself for a three month, solo African kitesurfing expedition. Earlier this year he spent three months exploring new kitesurfing spots in Tasnzania,Kenya and Uganda . He commented; “This region offers a vast amount of water to choose from. The East coast of Tanzania and Kenya offer some of the best conditions in the world. Some of Africa’s largest lakes as well as The White Nile are also found in this region.
The purpose of his expedition is to push the level of expedition kitesurfing,” to see how far one can go by using only the wind “and to promote the use of wind and solar energy through East Africa. Kirk also plans to raise money for environmental conservation.
In July 2010 he starts his expedition on the north coast of KZN , with a 4000km leg of coast line covering Mozambique , Tanzania and Kenya. He estimates this leg should take about two months.During this time of year the Kusi trade wind blows from the South East and averages 15- 22 knots which is good for the direction he’ll be going.However this trade wind only has effect from northern Mozambique which means the first month is going to be tricky ,dealing with different wind conditions. On windless days Kirk will be meeting with local tourism orientated businesses and local communities to talk about his expedition and the purpose behind it.
During this expedition he will be solo and completely unsupported making it a very unique and intense challenge.This will create a great mental and physical challenge for Kirk putting all of his equipment and survival skills to the ultimate test. Sharks, Rock outcrops and fishing lines are only a few of the dangers Kirk will face, Malaria is common in this region and finding fresh water and food will be a big challenge on it’s own. Once Kirk reaches the white sands of Lamu , on the north coast of Kenya, he plans to start the second leg of his journey which will take him back to SA stopping at all the big lakes along the way.
From Lamu Kirk will travel overland to Lake Tukana ,also known as the Jade sea, where he’ll spend a few days kiting and dodging some of the worlds biggest crocs. From here he will make his way down to the White Nile Near Jinja in Uganda. Kirk has spent many years here working in the white water rafting industry and has a good knowledge of the region. Kirk plans to kite on the Nile which has never been attempted before due to massive white water and unstable wind conditions. The Lake Victoria will be his next stop , where he’ll make his way across this vast body of water to Rwanda. This is one of the most amazing places in Africa , with active volcanoes and deep blue lakes everywhere. Lying between Rwanda and the Congo is Lake Kivu , He’ll spend a few days here making his way down to Lake Tanganyika , the worlds longest and second deepest freshwater lake. Kirk plans to kite sections of the way but most of the crossing will be on a ferry down to Kalambo falls , from here he will head across to Lake Malawi. This will be his final lake stop and will offer great kiting due to the beautiful clear waters of the lake.From Here Kirk will make his way back to SA Where he’ll spend a few months in the kite racing scene and preparing for his next epic expedition.
