Living on Steves Island

NEW: I have just printed a hardback photo book with all my memories of the island and you too can see these online using the link below

My Island Home

http://www.albelli.co.uk/view-online-photo-book/42b45f0f-feb0-46e4-be64-789334a31d4c

In February 2012 I moved onto an island to 'island sit' Here are some of the pics of the house and island. The island is about 600m upstream of Nile Special wave.

   First I had to move there. I basically moved from less than ten metres on one side of the Nile to less than ten metres on the other side of the Nile and less than 1km upstream from the Lemon. In order to move house I had to take all my stuff across from the Lemon on the wooden canoe, then load three bodas with everything, find our way upstream to a canoe ferry crossing that lies just above the island, load the canoe, kayak across the Nile, transfer everything to a smaller canoe and paddle to Steve's island!!! The most interesting house move I've done yet!

 

   Coming from upriver the island lies in front of you .. small and wooded ...the house is on the other side so you cannot see it from upriver. 

Steve's Island

Looking river right of the island

Looking river left of the island

Standing on the beach looking downriver

The island house

Having a BBQ at the house

Another view of the house

Looking up at the house and across the island from standing on the front beach

Looking at Chaggas island from the beach on Steve's island

The rapids that run river right of the island. These become quite powerful in the afternoon when the water level rises due to the dam release

Me trying to kayak!!!

Well it's all good fun but sometimes quite intimidating but I've managed to run the river without swimming now ... I'll put some images of each of the rapids .. but anyway I'm trying .. these photos are Nile Special and Malalu Wave.

Waiting in the eddy for Malalu

White Nile Kayakers .... 2011/2012

Playboating is white water kayaking on waves and holes attempting many or all of the tricks in the book ... it's a great spectator sport and I'm loving learning ... of course there are no photos of me doing anything 'epic' ... no chance of that .. but here are a few pics of kayakers who have stayed at the Lemon and who have been caught on my camera. I can't remember exactly who is in every photo but I'll do my best ...

Nini

Bartosz

Gerd

Mikhail

Gerd

Ah and that is me .. not quite on the wave!!

Stas

View of the wave from above

Murchison Falls with Chris, Eric and Andy (Jan 2012)

After the Banda Island trip we said farewell to Adrian and I headed back to the Lemon to pick up the boys for another trip to Murchison. We stayed the first night at Ziwa rhino sanctuary and then once we reached Murchison we had a night at the top of the falls and then two nights at the campsite at the new Murchison River Lodge. The place is fantastic and the campsite one of the best fixed camping places I've used in Africa EVER ... We had a lucky trip and saw lion and leopard as well as the usual plains game and of course the ever awe inspiring Murchison Falls, which were at the highest level I've seen yet ... I've not put any pics of animals in because .. well I see them all the time and none were so good as to warrant putting online for all to see ...

All of us in a sausage tree on the shores of Lake Albert ... Chris, Erik, me and Andy

Me, Andy, Erik and Chris

Staging a kakak move ...

Looking down into the falls gorge on dusk

The concrete block in view is Winston Churchill's £10 bridge that lasted only a few months until it was swept away in high water.

Sunset from the top of the falls looking back upriver

Chris making the twice daily required tea!!

Sunset from Murchison River Lodge