Ashleigh Whaley
May the Celebrations Begin!
For our 25th Wedding Anniversary we took our family, plus grandparents, on a houseboat trip on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. With limited international travel, due to Covid19 threats, Lake Kariba was a relatively easy destination choice for us. However, preparing for a weeklong trip away from the farm, certainly comes with many challenges. We somehow managed to get all our work done,- before we headed off to Lake Kariba, which is a five hour drive from the farm, much of which is on dicey roads…
Our houseboat awaits. 
Loading up!
Having negotiated our way around multiple, large pot holes and numerous 30 ton lorries, the houseboat Marina at Lake Kariba was a very welcoming sight! Then it was all action, as we loaded up the houseboat and set off for a four hour cruise across the lake, to Gordon’s Bay, where we planned to spend our first night.
Summer Rains at Gordon’s Bay.
The overcast weather set in overnight and we were awakened at 6am by a huge lightning strike, very close to the boat, immediately followed by an enormous thunder crash! This certainly jolted us awake, as we all jumped with fright! Rain followed, resulting in a drizzly, wet day, -so we spent this
first morning seated in the lounge, drinking coffee and chatting away.
The harbor chat, the day before, told us that the best bream fishing was at Tashinga Bay, so we decided to head off up the lake. Meanwhile, Paula Joy and Murray John made sure that the small tender boats were ready for our planned fishing trips.
Working in the rain. 
Securing the boats.
Tashinga Bay.
Tashinga bay was a very tranquil place and, as we had an awesome 360 degree view from the houseboat, we spotted many elephants, hippos, impalas and crocodiles, in and around the bay.
Day Three: With fish and chips on the menu for dinner, the immediate challenge was for the keen fishermen to catch us our dinner!
Early morning pajama fishing. 
The result.
The children always thrive on the houseboat, with so much to do. Once awake, at first light, they proceed to fish off the houseboat, whilst still in their pajamas. Thanks to the recent rain, flying ants had come out and swarmed to the boat’s night lights. By morning there were heaps of flying ants on the decks and, as the children love using flying ants as bait, they simply fished off the side of the houseboat. Before us adults were even awake, they had caught plenty of bream, so our fish and chips supper was assured!
Happy Busy Children.
When not fishing, the children are either learning to driving the houseboat, or attending to the two tender boats. Their jobs include loading the tender boats with fishing worms, drinks and snacks and sorting out the numerous fishing rods.
Helping grandparents fish. 
Driving the speed boat.
Each day the children spent time helping their grandparents fish and poured them welcome drinks on the houseboat… In the evenings Murray John loved to secure the tender boats, as well as repairing anything that needs repairing. At the end of each day, after all the activities, and after a
hearty supper, the children both fall into bed, totally exhausted…
Paddling. 
Happy kids. 
Fixing hooks.
25th Wedding Anniversary Celebration.
Our 25th wedding anniversary was on the third day of our trip. It was celebrated in style, as the fish required for dinner had been caught. We certainly enjoyed our special day, surrounded by family and nature.
An awesome celebratory dinner of fish and chips, served with champagne and chocolates, was followed by a musical recorder concert by Paula Joy and Murray John, which rounded off our very special day. We both look forward to another twenty five years of love, fun, adventure -and life!
The Umi River.
On the fourth day we had a leisurely cruise up the Umi River, where it is very wild and where few boats venture. As the day was overcast, a rather competitive and noisy game of monopoly was played on the houseboat.
The Gubu River, a tributary of the Umi River, is always a beautiful place to moor the boat. However, due to the rain, the water had turned muddy. This resulting in some challenging bream fishing, so we ended up catching heaps of squeakers and small vundu. These are simply thrown back.
Compensation for the poor fishing was seeing huge pods of hippos, many lovely water birds and then Paula Joy spotting a lone hyena on the bank. Our day was rounded off with a storm in the distance, followed by a rainbow and the most spectacular sunset.
The Shenga River.
The next day we decided to moor the houseboat on the Shenga River mouth, which is another river that runs into the bigger Umi River. As you arrive at the Shenga River mouth, there is a beautiful open flood plain, with beautiful views. We moored the houseboat on an island and enjoyed the vast flood plain spread out in front of us. .
Here the bream fishing turned out to be fantastic, with loads of fat bream being caught all day long! At lunch time we sat and counted thirty eight hippos, out grazing on the flood plain, and we watched a herd of elephants coming down to drink. With a constant light breeze, it was just the perfect spot for game viewing.
Ladies fishing. 
A huge catch for the day.
On our last day of fishing we had a girls verses boys fishing competition, which the girls won by a mile! Paula Joy and Murray John now had enough fish to give to the boat staff, plus enough to take home for all our farm staff, plus a few others who had been promised fish .
Varieties of Fish.
It’s amazing that over the course of the week the children managed to catch a variety of different fish, which included; Bream, Bottlenose, Cornish Jack, Imbiri, Silver Barbel, Squeakers, Tiger Fish and Vundu. What an excellent and varied achievement!
Cornish Jack. 
Squeaker. 
Bream. 
Bottle Nose.
We heard lion calling on our last two nights up the Umi River, whilst one morning we were woken by baboons shouting frantically from their night roost and we guessed that a predator had disturbed them. All the lovely bird songs and the different sounds of nature is what makes these trips extra special…
Kariba Storms.
For our last night on the houseboat, we had to travel closer to Kariba. We decided to go back to Gordon’s Bay, to reduce travel time on our last day. As we enjoyed sundowners on the boat, we watched an enormous storm circle around the bay. Our boat captain meanwhile made very sure that the houseboat was well secured for the night and that the new ropes were tightly tied onto sturdy tree stumps.
A few hours after we had all gone to bed the storm hit! The winds were hectic and the waves came crashing into the side of the houseboat. We all jumped up out of our beds, to quickly help secure any loose objects on the boat. We then sat and watched and felt the waves and wind pound the boat on the starboard side, where the ropes holding the boat were tested to their maximum.
Goodness me, Kariba storms can be rather scary! Thankfully, the storm passed with the houseboat still intact, which was a huge relief for everyone. Houseboat trips on Kariba are very restful, but never without
unexpected adventure and excitement!
Treasured Memories.
Our last morning started with a lovely sunrise and a quiet trip back to harbour. After another hair rising road trip, we returned to the farm very well rested, with some awesome memories. We shall continue to ask God to bless and guide us, through our next twenty five years of marriage!
Off loading the houseboat. 
Goodbye!
Lake Kariba will always be one of our special places and I hope you will get to travel to Lake Kariba one day, to enjoy all it has to offer.
“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out, before a single day had passed.” Psalm 139:16
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