Getting to Massingir Dam, the first destination on our bush-to-beach December getaway, was certainly adventurous. Quite by chance we navigated long sections of The Grand Tour route as driven by the Top Gear trio Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond. Would we stick to the plan this time around or venture off the beaten track again?
So far our fishing attempts on the spectacular Massingir Dam had been downright lousy, despite all the help we could get from the good folk at Covane Community Lodge and superb fishing gear courtesy of Iron River. Still, the memories made during many hours on the fishing boat and late-night chats around a cosy campfire more than made up for it. We were excited to make the long eastward trek to Mozambique’s lush sub-tropical coastline. Would the second leg’s planned deep-sea and shore fishing sessions in the Xai-Xai district yield better results?
The second leg of our Moz adventure started with a bang. Our three-car convoy, making up our own ‘Grand Tour’, had just left Covane when reports came in that heavy rain had transformed the gravel road into a muddy mess. No problem, we thought, for our trio of capable Toyotas. I was piloting the brand-new Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 VX alongside my younger sister Marli, accompanied by the Schutte’s daughter Rushada. Next in their 76 Series Land Cruiser named Elvis were Anton and Natasha
