Every Year Is a Honeymoon

Our Anniversary Adventure

People often talk about the honeymoon as though it is something that happens once.

You get married, you go on honeymoon, you come home, and that's the end of it.

We've never really liked that idea.

For us, our wedding anniversary is an opportunity to do it all over again. Every year we make time to get away together, explore somewhere different and celebrate another year of marriage.

Technically, it's our anniversary trip.

But that's not what we call it.

To us, every year is a honeymoon.

And this year's honeymoon was exactly our kind of celebration: a packed 4x4, dirt roads, remote camps, mountains, good food, wildlife and plenty of time together.

The Honeymoon Begins on the Road

Like so many of our adventures, this one starts in the Amarok.

The vehicle is packed, everything is secured and we're heading away from normal life for a while.

At first, there is tar beneath the tyres.

But that doesn't last forever.

The landscape becomes increasingly open and mountainous as we travel, and eventually we leave the main roads behind.

Now there is dirt beneath the wheels.

That's usually the point where we know the real trip has started.

Ahead of us is a long gravel road disappearing towards the mountains, with dry bush on either side.

No traffic.

No city.

Just us, the vehicle and another honeymoon waiting to happen.

Through the Gate and Into the Bush

Eventually we reach a large game fence and gate.

It is one of those simple moments that always feels significant.

The gate opens.

The Amarok passes through.

The gate closes again behind us.

And suddenly we're properly in the bush.

From here, the roads become tracks.

The countryside is dry, rugged and beautiful, with mountains dominating the horizon.

The further we travel, the less it feels like we're simply driving somewhere and the more it feels like we're exploring.

Which is exactly what we came here to do.

The First Mountain Tracks

It doesn't take long before the terrain becomes more interesting.

The easy gravel gives way to narrower tracks climbing through the mountains.

Now the road requires attention.

There are rocks beneath the tyres and steep slopes alongside us. In places, the track cuts across the side of the mountain with huge views opening into the valley below.

This is not the sort of road you hurry along.

You pick your line.

Take your time.

Let the vehicle work.

And occasionally stop simply because the view is too good to drive past.

From high above the valley, the scale of the landscape becomes obvious.

Our Amarok looks very small against those mountains.

And we wouldn't have it any other way.

A Stop With a View

One of our daytime stops is high in the rocky country.

The awning comes out beside the Amarok, giving us some welcome shade while we stop for a break.

This is one of the great advantages of travelling with a properly equipped vehicle.

You don't need to find a restaurant or picnic area.

You find a beautiful spot.

Stop.

Open the vehicle.

And everything you need is with you.

Within minutes, the back of the Amarok becomes a kitchen and the side becomes our little dining area.

Meanwhile, the mountains provide the view.

That's our kind of lunch stop.

Sharing the Mountains With the Birds

We're not the only ones enjoying the landscape.

Birdlife features throughout the trip.

At one of the high rocky viewpoints, a small bird lands nearby, seemingly quite comfortable with our presence.

Elsewhere, a much larger bird of prey circles high overhead against the blue sky.

Around camp, other birds wander across the dry ground, including distinctive hornbill-type birds.

These aren't staged wildlife encounters.

They're simply part of spending time outside.

When you slow down, switch off the vehicle and stay somewhere for a while, you start noticing just how much is happening around you.

Finding Our Bush Camp

Eventually we arrive at one of our overnight camps.

It is wonderfully simple and exactly what we enjoy.

Trees provide shade around the campsite.

There is plenty of open space.

Basic campsite facilities are nearby.

And, most importantly, we're surrounded by bush.

The Amarok is parked and our travelling home begins taking shape.

The awning opens.

Our equipment comes out.

The back of the vehicle becomes the kitchen.

Everything has a purpose and, after enough trips, setting up camp becomes almost second nature.

This is home for tonight.

The Best Part of Camp: The Kitchen

Anyone who knows our style of travelling will know that food is not an afterthought.

The back of the Amarok has been organised so that our cooking equipment, spices, ingredients and utensils are all accessible.

Open everything up and suddenly there is a surprisingly capable little kitchen in the middle of the bush.

During the day, bowls and ingredients appear on the worktop as we prepare food together.

But once the sun disappears, the serious cooking begins.

Anniversary Dinner Over the Fire

There is a proper fire area at camp, and soon the flames are burning.

As the wood turns to coals, dinner preparation gets underway.

Tonight we're making burgers.

Not exactly the traditional candlelit anniversary dinner.

But very definitely ours.

The rolls come out.

Tomatoes are sliced.

Cheese is ready.

The patties are prepared.

Everything is laid out at the back of the vehicle while the fire does its work.

Then the meat goes onto the grid.

Immediately, the campsite fills with that unmistakable smell of dinner cooking over hot coals.

After a day spent travelling and exploring, it's difficult to imagine anything tasting better.

Burgers, Bush and a Wedding Anniversary

The patties cook over the fire while we finish preparing everything else.

Soon the burgers start coming together.

Fresh rolls.

Meat straight from the fire.

Cheese.

Tomato.

Toppings.

Sauce.

Nothing unnecessarily fancy.

Just good food, prepared together outside.

And that's the thing about these trips.

We don't need a formal anniversary dinner to make the occasion special.

Our table can be beside the Amarok.

Our kitchen can be under the awning.

Our stove can be a fire.

And the bush can be our restaurant.

For us, that's a honeymoon.

A Quiet Night at Camp

Once dinner is finished, the campsite settles into darkness.

The bright African landscape of the afternoon disappears.

Now there is only the small world created by the lights around camp.

Beyond that is bush.

The fire burns.

The vehicle is parked beside us.

And there is nowhere else we need to be.

These quiet evenings are one of the reasons we love travelling this way.

At home, there is always something waiting for your attention.

Out here, life becomes much simpler.

Eat.

Talk.

Sit around the fire.

Look at the stars.

Go to sleep.

Perfect.

Morning in the Bush

The following morning brings another beautiful day.

The campsite slowly comes alive again.

The doors of the Amarok open.

The kitchen reappears.

Bowls, ingredients and coffee mugs come out.

And breakfast preparation begins.

There is no rush.

That might be one of the greatest luxuries of camping.

You have time.

Time to make breakfast.

Time to talk.

Time to look around.

Time to decide where the road is going to take you next.

Another Camp, Another Part of the Journey

As the journey continues, we move through different camping areas rather than staying in one place for the entire trip.

One of the stops is more open, with established braai facilities and picnic tables among the trees.

Again, the Amarok becomes the centre of our little camp.

Food preparation happens at the back.

Equipment is unpacked.

And for a while, this patch of ground becomes home.

That's one of our favourite things about overlanding.

Home isn't necessarily an address.

Sometimes home is simply wherever you've parked for the night.

Back Into the Mountains

But we didn't come all this way just to sit at camp.

The tracks call again.

The Amarok heads back into the mountains, following narrow roads through dry grass and rocky terrain.

Some sections run along the slopes, giving us enormous views across the surrounding valleys.

The road ahead isn't always obvious.

Sometimes it disappears behind a bend or over the crest of a hill.

And that's part of the excitement.

You don't know exactly what the next section will look like until you get there.

Every turn reveals another view.

Another hill.

Another piece of the landscape.

The Little Things Become Part of the Story

Not every memorable moment needs to be dramatic.

There are birds around camp.

A bird of prey circling above us.

Quiet stops in the shade.

Meals prepared beside the vehicle.

Sunset spreading across the bush.

A fire burning at night.

A cup of coffee in the morning.

These are small things.

But when you put them together, they become the trip.

And that's something we've learned from travelling this way.

You don't have to constantly chase the next attraction.

Sometimes you simply need to stay somewhere long enough to experience it.

Then the Landscape Changes

Towards the later part of the journey, something changes.

After all the dry bush, rocky tracks and mountains, we arrive at water.

The contrast is beautiful.

A calm body of water sits beneath the mountains, reflecting the surrounding landscape.

Suddenly everything feels quieter.

The harsh, dry colours of the mountain tracks give way to reflections and vegetation along the water's edge.

It's the sort of place that makes you stop automatically.

So we do.

And Then We See Them

Across the water, something catches our attention.

At first, there are dark shapes.

Then the shapes become unmistakable.

Elephants.

A group of elephants is standing together in the water.

Some are almost completely surrounded by it, while others stand closer to the shallows.

Their huge grey bodies form a line across the river, with the bush rising behind them.

This is the wildlife moment that stands out in the trip.

Not hippos.

Elephants.

And plenty of them.

Watching the Elephants in the Water

There is something incredibly special about watching elephants around water.

These enormous animals look completely at home.

Some stand close together.

Others move through the shallower sections.

The water breaks around their legs and bodies as they gather in the river.

We don't need to get closer.

We don't need anything else to happen.

We simply watch from a safe distance.

After days of driving mountain tracks and camping in the dry bush, this feels like an incredible reward.

Sometimes nature gives you exactly the right moment at exactly the right time.

A Final Scene Worth Remembering

Later, the water becomes completely calm.

The mountain rises dramatically behind it.

Its reflection stretches across the surface.

The light softens.

And everything seems to slow down.

It is almost the opposite of the rough 4x4 tracks earlier in the journey.

There, the experience was about concentration and movement.

Here, there is nothing to do except look.

And perhaps that's the perfect way to end an anniversary adventure.

Not with a big finale.

Just somewhere beautiful, together.

Why We Call It a Honeymoon

This wasn't our first honeymoon.

That's the whole point.

It's our wedding anniversary.

But every year, we choose to treat our anniversary as another honeymoon.

Because why should the honeymoon spirit only belong to the beginning of a marriage?

For us, it means deliberately making time for each other.

Getting away.

Exploring.

Laughing.

Cooking together.

Finding new places.

Making new memories.

And remembering why we enjoy doing life together in the first place.

Our Version of Five-Star Luxury

Our honeymoon doesn't need a luxury suite.

We have a rooftop setup on the Amarok.

We don't need a hotel restaurant.

We have a kitchen at the back of the vehicle.

We don't need room service.

We have burgers cooked over a fire.

We don't need a swimming pool with a view.

We can sit beside the water and watch elephants.

We don't need someone to plan every hour of our day.

Give us a dirt road and we'll work the rest out ourselves.

That's our version of luxury.

Freedom.

Another Year of Marriage. Another Honeymoon.

Eventually, every trip has to end.

The awning gets folded away.

The kitchen closes.

Everything goes back into its place.

The Amarok gets packed.

And the dirt road eventually leads us towards home.

But the memories come home with us.

We'll remember the mountain tracks.

We'll remember those huge views across the valleys.

We'll remember our camps among the trees.

We'll remember preparing food at the back of the vehicle.

We'll remember burgers sizzling over the fire.

We'll remember the birds around us.

We'll remember those quiet bushveld sunsets.

And we will definitely remember standing beside the water watching a herd of elephants enjoying the river.

That's what this trip was really about.

Not ticking destinations off a list.

Not seeing how many kilometres we could drive.

And not trying to create the perfect holiday.

It was about celebrating another year together in the way that feels most like us.

A 4x4.

Camping gear.

Good food.

Wild places.

And the person you chose to share the journey with.

Next anniversary, we'll do it again.

Maybe somewhere completely different.

Maybe on another rough road.

Maybe beside another fire.

We don't know yet.

But we do know what we'll call it.

Our honeymoon.

Because for us, the honeymoon isn't something that happened once after the wedding.

Every year is a honeymoon.