Packing and preparing for our journey to Ngorongoro Crater before visiting Oldeani at the weekend. We eventually got away before 11am, discovering at the last moment that the car bonnet would not open to let me put water in the radiator! It was too late to do anything about it, and we decided to get going and hope for the best. We had a good journey down the Dodoma Rd. and decided to call at Oldeani on the way, although it meant an extra 24 miles.

It was about 100 miles to Oldeani, and we found the Notley�s estate easily, arriving about 4. We had some tea, left some of our things there, not wanted until Sunday, and then made our way back to the road to the Crater. At the junction of the roads it was 16 miles to the Rest Camp, slowly climbing all the time, 11 miles of which were continuous bends around the mountainside, surrounded chiefly by forest.

To compare the heights - Arusha is about 4,700 ft: Oldeani 5,500 ft and the Crater Rest Camp about 7,500 ft.

We arrived at the camp about 6.30 p.m. having had to stop once on the way to let the engine cool down. So we had to settle into the camp in the fading light - unpacking, making beds, seeing to a meal all by hurricane lamp. We had one of our houseboys with us, so he saw to the kitchen fire and cooking.

The camp is really quite well equipped - tho� you have to bring all food, kitchen utensils and crockery. We had quite an assortment of things in the back of the car! We had two log huts, a kitchen, a bathroom (all log huts) between us. The two 'rooms' had beds + armchairs and tables etc. We brought bedding, although blankets could be hired - it got cold at night, and a good wood fire in the hut was appreciated! We concentrated on feeding and getting the boys to bed, and then decided on an early bed ourselves anyway.

We awoke to a very misty morning - it was impossible to see even all the huts in the camp (there were a dozen or so). It was a bit damp and chilly, but we managed to produce a hot breakfast to help the day along. Last evening I had enquired about guides, and one turned up just before 10.

We were undecided as to what to do, so I went up to the office where the Game Warden had arrived. I discovered I had met him in Arusha, and we had a chat with him. He suggested that we went into the crater with a guide, (who thought it too much for the boys), where the weather would be better, then return in the afternoon and go out for a car ride after tea.

So we packed up sandwich lunch and set off with an African guide about 11am. It was still misty at the top, and for the first part, through long grasses, we could not see far. Eventually we came to a rough stony path going downhill all the time. To get into the crater meant going down about 2000 ft. Nearly half way down the mist began to clear and we could see into the Crater. The inside is about 15 miles x 20 miles, and is like a huge plain surrounded by hills. It seems strange to think that you are inside of a mountain. Big herds of game were roaming around on the plain and we were able to see lots of zebra and eland, some gazelle and rhino.

The boys found the going a bit difficult, so we stopped before the bottom for lunch. E. and the boys did not go any further, the last lap was hardest and D & P would have found it very difficult to get back. After lunch I went on further into the plain with the Guide and got fairly close to very large herds of zebra and eland - we hoped to see a rhino which had been around. But E. and the boys saw the rhino from where they were sitting.

When I returned with the Guide we all went up together and got back to the camp about 4.30. After a meal we went out in the car, along the road from the camp for about 7 miles. We thought we were not going to be lucky as on the way out we saw only one buffalo, but returning we saw 3 more fairly closely, then a large herd of them, a few zebras and some buck occasionally. There had been elephant about on previous evenings - but we saw none.

Not such a misty morning, but after breakfast it rained and we packed, loaded the car, and began the return journey in rain and mist. This made the road treacherous, so we proceeded with care. We made a call on the Game Warden�s wife at their house - she must lead a lonely life miles from anybody. We proceeded slowly down the hillside and then made out way to the Notley�s estate in Oldeani, where we were to spend the weekend.

... walk to edge of forest where we saw elephant and rhino tracks, and tree house. Called on German people.

Off by 11 a.m. ... saw monkeys at bottom of escarpment. Across plains saw zebra close, and ostrich and more monkeys at lunch time. On Dodoma Road, buck, giraffe and ostrich. 15 miles out of Arusha sprung a leak in petrol tank, and ran out. Also got puncture. Help in changing wheel and got given 2 gallons of petrol.

About a week after my return to Arusha we went off on a safari to Oldeani and Mbulu for Christmas services. ... The rains started while we there and made many roads (or tracks) impassable. ... On Sunday morning I left E. D. & P. at Oldeani, and went to Mbulu (50 miles) taking a boy with me, not anticipating a good journey. However the roads were not too bad, and I had no difficulty over wet roads. We had one long escarpment to climb, and a very rocky stony road down. At the bottom I had a puncture which ripped completely one tyre. So the rest of the safari had to be made with no spare tyre. ...

I got back to Oldeani just before 1 p.m., and already it was raining hard upon the mountain. E and the boys were all ready, so I loaded on the luggage and we left immediately, hoping to miss the storm, and stop later for a sandwich lunch. We escaped the worst of the storm, but caught on the edge of it. We stuck on a muddy patch near the top of a hill, and only got through with the help of a gang of Africans from a PWD [Public Works Department] lorry, who pushed us out of slippery patches - and all this in the pouring rain. The next stretch of road was not too bad, but ahead, about 30 miles away, we could see another storm near the Dodoma Road on which we were to travel. We climbed down the escarpment to the bottom of the Rift Valley at Mto wa Mbu without difficulty. Here, while filling up with petrol, we discovered a leak in the petrol tank! David's plasticine came in very useful to bung the leak up, and it lasted all the way on some very bad roads indeed. The road across the plain to the Dodoma Road was 25 miles of farmyard mud. We got stuck three times on this stretch and took 3 hours to do it. The first time we got stuck in a stretch with water across the road, and I had to get out without shoes or stockings to wade through [ and clear] the exhaust pipe which was under water. We got pushed out with the help of a couple of Africans. ...

The next place we got stuck in was real mud, and we had to wait for something to come along and pull us out. It was a jeep Land-Rover, and they kept just ahead of us in case we got into more troubles - which we did once. When we got to the Dodoma Road we still had 50 miles to go and it was nearly 6 p.m. - only another 3/4 hours of light. The road was better for a while, but until the last fifteen miles, most of it was like driving though a farmyard after days of rain, and most of this was done in the dark with only the light of head lamps to give any idea of what the road was like, or where it was going. Eventually we arrived in Arusha at 9.10 p.m.

... getting in supplies, and buying a primus stove and two small hurricane lamps.

We had to have everything we might require as I did not know always where we would be staying. So we eventually packed into our new Anglia three camp beds, one suitcase of clothes etc., my case of robes and books for service etc., overnight bag, the boy�s kit (Lazaro, one of the houseboys came with us) paraffin, water bottles, primus and lamps etc., etc..

The road out of Arusha is being tarmaced for about 50 miles, and at the moment where work is in progress, deviations are created - made by a bulldozer of some kind just pushing back a track across African bush for cars to travel over. This means that you have to journey over soft ground, in inches of dust, with soft patches and potholes likely to occur anywhere. To save some of this we took the road into Monduli and then backout again on their dry weather road out to the main Dodoma Road. This added a good 10 miles to our journey, but saved about the same number of dusty ones.

We made quite good time and pushed on to Mto wa Mbu for lunch. (about 75 miles from Arusha). We got petrol here and then stopped by the river amongst trees at the foot of the Rift Wall escarpment. We saw none of the baboons and monkeys that are sometimes to be seem here amongst the trees. We climbed the escarpment and took a view of the Rift Wall and Lake Manyara lying below us, and had hardly got going again when the car stopped, and I suspected over heating in the climb up. However it was not that, it was the petrol supply being choked with dirt. Fortunately Lazaro travelling with us had worked as a safari boy and had had something to do with cars so that I could get him to have a go with the carburettor without worry.

This delayed us in the heat of the day, and it was pretty warm at the top of the escarpment. However, we got on to Karatu in fairly good time, and called at the Government Rest House there to find that David Brown had moved and the place was empty. At least we will be able to stay here if required. We then went on to the Oldeani Rest House (mileage 109) and unpacked, leaving Lazaro to see to beds etc. while we went to the Notley�s for tea. ...

Lazaro had got our things out and beds seen to, but there was no boy around in full charge of the house so that wood supplies etc. were not available. However, David and Paul were so anxious to see cooking by Primus that we used that in any case. After a meal I got them to bed. (we were not able to have a bath after a very dusty journey as there was no bath available - so the grime stayed on). When the children had settled and Lazaro was finished I went over to the Oldeani Club (about 5 miles) for their club evening.

We were up early on Sunday morning, and I decided to have breakfast first with the boys, and then leave them at the Rest House while I went out for the 8 am service. ...

then back to the Rest House for a quiet hour before packing up everything to go to the Ngorongoro Crater. Nothing had opened up for us to stay elsewhere in Oldeani, and as the Oldeani Rest House was only available for us up to Monday night, I decided to spend the next two nights up at the Crater, and come back to Oldeani district on Tuesday morning.

We left the Oldeani dukas about 4pm ... we had a good journey up to the Park entrance, and then got stuck with petrol trouble again at the gates where we stopped. This took a little time to clear so we were later getting up to the top than I had hoped. It was a fine afternoon, clear and sunny, so we had wonderful views of the Oldeani farms as we climbed the road up the crater hill taking us up to over 6,000 ft. We made all the hilliest part without any trouble, and the car pulled very well and rode very comfortably.

We stopped at the viewpoint looking down into the Crater, 7 miles from the camp - then had the old petrol trouble again. We were comforted this time by a passing car, whose occupants reported that they had had similar difficulties. We were helped a bit by them and then moved on, only to find our companions stuck within a hundred yards. They told us to carry on and when we saw them next morning they said that they took nearly two hours to get into the Camp and do the seven miles.

We arrived at the Camp site about 6.30 p.m. It was a fine evening and a moonlit night, which helped the atmosphere for settling in. We had a two bunk, single room to ourselves with a separate kitchen, not being shared while we were there. There was reasonably hot water on tap so we were glad to have a good bath. D & P were happy to play around for a while with a couple of other boys, which gave me a chance of getting unpacked and organising beds and a meal.

The Camp has grown since we were here last - more huts, including 'double-roomed, self contained' ones and a Club Room, with a lounge and bar! Also a large telescope to view the Crater from the doorway of the lounge. It�s almost too comfortable for a camp. Needless to say once we got sorted out all we bothered about was baths, supper and bed. The boys thoroughly enjoyed safari camping and tackled all meals with great gusto, existing on cocoa with mixed milk powder as the chief drink! The evening was clear and we could see into the Crater from our hut, which was much further down than the one we had before. We were glad of the fire in the hut, as later on the night became very cold. The boys seem to have slept well and warm, but I found a camp-bed on the floor a bit draughty. Wooden logs huts usually have a few cracks somewhere or other.

Monday morning David and Paul woke early and we were underway with a cooked breakfast by 7.30 am. It was the usual cold and misty morning of this time of the year at the Crater, though the mist often cleared and we got some good views of the Crater from 7 onward. The mist was moving all the time, but the whole of the camp site was always clear. ... Neither D nor P seemed concerned to go down into the Crater again, and David was anxious we should get out to see the Serengeti.

I saw the camp manager, Joe Salter, as we came in last night, and during the morning I saw Maj. Hewlett, the Game Warden. He said a trip along the road toward the Serengeti was possible and told me of a new track he was opening up into the crater, which we could take for about 4 miles. ...

We had a fairly substantial �elevenses� and then went out from the Camp along the road towards the Serengeti Plains which could be seen in the distance after about 5 miles. At 7 miles out there was a good view point (Windy Gap) into the crater from a point much further round from the Camp site. We saw some Maasai folk here and tried to get photos also of the Crater. Just past this point was the new track which ran off the road for about 4 miles and took us further round into the Crater so that we were looking at it from the other end from the Camp. We came back from here and went on further to about 12 miles to what I suppose might be called the edge of the Serengeti, where the road straightened out and dropped more steadily and obviously just went on and on into a typically dusty desert-like African Plain. There were no lions!

We returned straight back to camp by about 2.30 p.m. and had a late lunch which was tackled heartily by the boys. Then we went out again along the Crater road in the Oldeani direction. ... we all got to bed early. It was much colder during this second night at the Crater.

It was fairly clear on Tuesday morning at the Camp. We had a good run down into Oldeani, misty in patches, though occasionally it cleared to give us views of the Oldeani farms. I found the turning off the crater road, which took us round the back of the farms on to the road that led down to the village shops. I reckon that I just about know my way around Oldeani now after about 6 or 7 visits though I still do not reckon to know who is on all the farms. From the Karatu end to the other end of the District well over 20 miles just along the road, and there are about 30 farms in the whole area. Many of them have their houses only a mile as the crow flies from their neighbour, but it is often more like 5 miles to get round by road and tracks.

We called at the Purchases ... after we left them, we stopped at the dukas for Lazaro�s benefit, and he decided to stay there until we came back for him late in the afternoon. Then we went on to Mrs Ching�s estate for lunch. .A new family has just come there, the Holton�s, and their daughter aged nine who was very pleased to have the company of other children for half a day.

Mrs Ching and Mrs Holton are both interested in �improving� church servies when the new club is opened, and asked about making contributions of suitable items of furniture. They also asked if more regular servies might be provided in the future. I am wondering just how much they may be spurred on by the fact that the Afrikaans folk are having more regular visits from their minister now!

It was well on to 5 p.m. before we got away from here, and as I had decided to spend the next two nights at Karatu, we went straight over to there, there being as much as 20 miles to cover. The roads were pretty dusty especially around the farms, and some of the bends wanted watching. On one of them the dust was so thick that we practically skidded round an S-bend, and then the wind whipped up the dust we created and blew it right across the car so that it was literally falling down the front of the windscreen as if some one had emptied a bucket of dusty sand from the roof of the car.

We picked up Lazaro at the Oldeani dukas and then got over to Karatu after 6 - to find that the Rest House was deserted, and all locked-up, though fortunately the back door had been left unlocked. We were able to get in and unpack, but there was no boy around in charge, and so no �kuni� (wood) for fires, and then to our dismay not water from the taps. We scrounged round for a little wood to light the bath fire, as we were able to do the cooking on the primus. Fortunately I had a good supply of drinking water available in the car to eke out for supper and breakfast if necessary. Judging from the next day it would seem that the water supply is off here at night for the present.

However we managed to get settled in and had a cooked meal, some kind of wash and then eventually to bed. David and Paul were very good over all this kind of thing and I never had a grumble from them the whole safari; occasionally they got a bit silly in their ways, but accepted all that came. Jolly good for them!

We got under way in good time with breakfast, and then went along to the Karatu dukas before leaving at 9.30 for a day�s visiting of the farms.

First we called at Jimmy Gibb�s - almost opposite the Karatu dukas, about three miles off the road. He showed us over his farm - coffee (which is doing very well everywhere in Oldeani this year, nearly ready for picking, and looks a bumper crop), maize and wheat (this has failed nearly everywhere, through rust, a wheat disease. The Tisdall�s have written all their wheat off). Gibb is now irrigating his coffee by overhead piping, and giving a regular and uniform spray over a wide area. He taps his water from a stream at the top of the farm, about 6,000 ft. up, near the forest reserve. This has a drop of 2-300 ft. to give him his pressure. He took us up to see the dam he had made at a waterfall. His men had carried all the cement etc. required for this and we followed the path up through the forest which they made. There were evidences of large animals around, though not very recently! The last lap was up a sheer scramble, and Paul hedged at first and almost refused to go further. However we made it and got up to the waterfall, now dry because of the dam, though Gibb opened up the sluice for a while to let the boys see the water drop down over the fall of about 60 ft.

We then went on to Beaumont's, where we had lunch. He is on his own at the moment as his family are still in England. We met his next door neighbour who came over after lunch [Haman]. Coming back on main road, called on Aston and had a long talk with him. Then called at Lutheran Mission before going over to the centre area of Oldeani again to call on the Braunshweig�s and then the Notleys on way down. Returned to Karatu by about 6.30.

We left them [Ulyate�s] about 2.30. We kept to the road at the back of the farm to find our way over to the next of the Essimingor farms, owned by Anderson of Monduli and managed for him by Brian Hayward. I saw young Hayward, and stopped with him for a short chat. [about confirmation].

RJM Trip:

Friday

Packed for safari and left Arusha, after calls in scholl and town, about 10 for Oldeani. Tarmac to 45 miles. Called on Holmes. Lunch at Ulyate, then across farms to Mtu was Mbu. Pushed on to Karatu. Called at J Gibb for tea. then Hargs and saw Angus. Met Jacksons (Lutheran) on the road, and reached Taylors up on ex-Sands farm, before 7p.m.

Saturday

Out at 11, visited Purchases and van Rooyen. Afternoon very hot and returned to Taylors. Did not go out until after diner to Club.

Sunday

No one came for 8am service! Engine of car a bit 'pinky', so Taylor and I had a go at carburator. Not cleared by 11.00 am so he took me to Club and then went back to see what could be done. Only Hargs and Paddy and 1 child came to 11 am service. Lunch at Taylors, left at 3pm. Straight back to Arusha by 6pm.

Straight run down to the North-Lewis' near Babati (95 miles).

Packing up again. Easy drive to Mto wa Mbu. Saw warthog, ostriches and later baboons. Lunch 1.30 at Mtu. Boiled on escarpments three times and then had puncture within sight of Lutheran Mission at Karatu, where boys and I stayed with Jacksons. Bob on to Mbulu.

A very quiet Sunday at Lutheran Mission

Filled up with petrol at Karatu. Off about 11.30. Took it slowly up to Ngorongoro Crater, stopping three times for engine to cool down. First at gate where we had lunch, then on way and at Wilkies Point. Arrived at camp about 3.30, and got unpacked and settled in two huts with good views. ... when we went to see if boys OK saw a buffalo under their window, and later saw him in car headlights.

Trip to Ngorongoro Crater floor. Left camp 7.45. Drove 25 miles round rim of crater, wonderful scenery. In crater we saw hundreds of wildebeest and zebra, also baboons, hyenas, jackals, foxes, cheetahs, gazelle (all sorts), lioness and cubs which were driven out of cover and was most exciting - water buck. Lots of birds of all sorts and rhino. Back same way, leaving crater about 2 p.m. and getting to camp soon after 4.

To see D.O. [District Officer] Mr and Mrs Ashby 4 miles on in lovely position on crater rim. ... went for a picnic to Windy Gap. On the way saw zebra and 12 ostriches who were most amusing. At gap we saw more zebra and wildebeest. Back, ... bed for Colin, and then for a drive with others along top - saw buffalo quite close.

Tuesday

Taken out by Chris and Eva [Stott] to the Fosbrookes at Lake Duluti. It was delightful to be up there again with its marvellous views of the crater. [it was Henry Fosbrooke's 70th birthday].