I won’t even begin another article by complaining about the lack of water, so I’ll just state again that this season sucked - thank you climate change. Let me also state that this November was probably the chilliest I’ve experienced since moving to Cape Town in 2008 and today is the 11th of December and I’m wearing a jersey, and yes, it even rained this morning. Our weather has definitely gone bonkers… It should be hot, very windy, and dry as hell. At least I’ve managed a few blistering windsurfing sessions so far, with waves to boot. Right, moving on.

During this year well known extreme kayaker Thilo Schmitt was in Cape Town doing some practical work for his final part of his studies as a medical doctor. He’s a really good paddler and a super nice guy. While he was here we managed a few surfing sessions (surfing, not kayak surfing) while I bodyboarded or surf kayaked and apart from some failed missions to Witsand the rest was pretty cool :-) Unfortunately the river gods didn’t react to our prayers for rain and all we got was a low level Palmiet at the annual Gravity Adventure Festival and this show of photos from the Molenaars. Thilo offered to get a few snaps of me even though conditions were pretty low and boring. But hey, at least the sun was shining and the company good.

Thilo checking out the pretty mountains :)

Yes, even sunny South Africa can get snow. Granted only a little, but still.

Thilo Schmitt about to set off on a miserably low Molenaars.

Me, Hotel Rapid. We’d need a metre more water for it to be really good. Once it goes over that square rock next to me things get interesting. Photo by Thilo Schmitt. Randomly further down. Photo by Thilo Schmitt.

And another spot. Photo by Thilo Schmitt.

Final rapid, not very exciting at very low level like this. Photo by Thilo Schmitt.

Last bit of the final rapid. Photo by Thilo Schmitt. And the last bit. Photo by Thilo Schmitt.

Another day, also the final drop. Photo by Karen van der Westhuizen. Again, we had very low water…

So there you have it. Sorry I can’t wow you with anything more exciting. 2012 will definitely hold a few exciting tricks up the sleeve :-) I will post again before the year ends. Enjoy the remaining days at work… I leave you with a few shots of what I’ve been up to, apart from kayaking. Scroll down.

Photography by: Adrian Tregoning. Unless otherwise stated.
Words by: Adrian Tregoning.

Sleeping over on top of Ben Thomas.

Johnny Heatlie in the freezing cold on top of Ben Thomas. Good times were had!!! Johnny is even a father now! Congrats mate!!!!!!!

My cat, Cameo.

Little mallard duckling at work.

Lesser doublecollared sunbird

Craig Rivett tearing it up in his new composite Fluid Element. Screenshot from GoPro HD footage.

Me bodydragging at Kraalbaai. Photo by Rob Weyer. Me bodyboarding early morning at Melkbos. Screenshots from GoPro HD video.

Last Saturday the waves were pretty solid. I took one particular beating which resulted in a 10 minute swim… Cold times :)

Melkbos, just after I scored some amazing waves bodyboarding.

My personal best for bass. Photo by Abrie Swanepoel.  Abrie (left), myself in the middle and Niell on the right. Awesome times, with awesome people…

The jetty in Swakopmund, Namibia. This was in April this year. HDR photos BTW.

The dunes in Namibia. 

Spotted eagle owl near by house.

Helmeted guineafowl. 

Immature spotted eagle owls. They are almost fully grown now. Cute little buggers then.

Sunrise from my house one morning. Tortoise in the Tygerberg Nature Reserve.

Two sad shots of a chimp in a zoo.

Hike in the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. 

Braam and Shaneil got married!!! Awesome times here for everyone!

Grass, in Zambia. This trip was in February.

No swimming… :-)

Myself, at the chess board, again. A young Zambian selling earthworms.

Just outside the park.

Nsobe Game Park.

Lovely place to chill. I tried some fishing too, wasn’t a success. 

Crawshay’s Defassa Waterbuck.

Termites in Zambia. They must be hard up in there :-) Puku!