"If we can do it, then so can you."
And with this premise, 12 women will be embarking on a cross-continental adventure - the all-woman Mitsubishi Africa Adventure Cape to Cape expedition - and the group includes Julie Farrington of Kloof.
"I cannot wait for the trip to begin, we have been preparing for it for months now, and it is a wonderful way to promote tourism in Africa," Farrington said. Farrington and 11 other woman will depart from Cape Aghulas in April to travel through Africa for four months, during which they will stay in various types of accomodation, from outdoor camp sites to luxury hotels. Thereafter the woman will travel through Europe for another four months doing road shows to promote Africa and its tourism opportunities.
The company
organising the trip, Africa Adventure, is a destination marketing company that focuses on promoting southern Africa to the German market.
"I am a very proud African and would love the opportunity to promote this continent to the world," Farrington wrote in her application for the expedition. The chartered accountant added that Africa's biggest commodity was tourism, and this needed to be promoted. Farrington describes herself as an intrepid adventurer and traveller. Her home in Kloof is filled with objects from various countries she has visited, including India, Nepal, Cairo, Jerusalem, Romania and Lesotho. But it is Africa that Farrington believes offers the best opportunities for tourism, as well as a chance for her to do humanitarian and volunteer work.
The team is set to travel 40 000km from the southern tip of Africa to the northern tip of Europe. The group is made up of South Africans of different ages and occupations and five women from overseas.
The group was originally going to travel through Zimbabwe, but plans have changed because of the country's political instability and cholera outbreak. The team has the support of the some African governments, in particular South Africa's environmental and tourism minister, Martinus van Schalkwyk.
The aim of Africa Adventure Cape to Cape Foundation is to ensure that the remaining funds from the expedition and donations are directed towards tourism education for young people in Africa.
Farrington says that she has already had a refresher course in First Aid, has completed a 4x4 advanced driving course, and has had an adrenalin-inducing 10 days of abseiling, bungee jumping and other activities at a workshop organised last year. She wants to learn local languages while travelling in different countries.
The April departure date depends on the organisers finding a fuel sponsor. "This is a way of promoting tourism in Africa and if we can do it, so can you"
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