We travelled from Cape Town to Johannesburg early yesterday morning then enjoyed a two hour bus drive to Pilansberg National Park. The boys (and staff) were excited to see the luxurious accommodation of Bakabung Lodge with its thatched huts overlooking grassland and a waterhole. It was to our great surprise to see zebra, warthogs and elephants all amble by during the day in search of sustenance!
Before an enormous buffet dinner, the boys were taken on a three hour game drive through parts of the expansive Pilansberg National Park. They enjoyed close encounters with many elephants, zebra, impalas, springbok, giraffe and even a puff adder which the guide teased out of the bushes having watched it slither in there. The boys watched the guide in awe while appreciating the distance offered by the truck high above the ground.
We were up bright and early this morning to start another drive before the sun came up. Our guide spotted lion tracks so we set off in search of these elusive cats amidst the long grasses. Our efforts were rewarded with a small pride of five lions who wandered nonchalantly past our vehicle without raising an eyelid. Further encounters were had with various antelope, giraffe, zebra, hippos, wilder beast  and "pumbas" (warthogs!)
The afternoon was spent at the Valley of the Waves at Sun City. The boys enjoyed the various water slides on offer as well as the large wave pool. At 30 degrees, it certainly lived up to its name.
We will leave Bakabung in the morning and head to The Lion Park, Johannesburg on our way to the airport. The boys will have the chance to pat lion cubs and see cheetahs and lions as they undertake a final game drive on what has been an extraordinary tour in so many ways.
Our flight is due on Wednesday May 1st at Sydney International Terminal 1 at 2.15pm (if we're running on time). Hopefully the boys have told you this and we look forward to seeing you then.

Some of the boys in Pilansberg National Park

Entry to the Valley of Waves, Sun City

A great day for a swim

The boys didn't hover at the top of the slide too long

Settlers' High School proved an interesting billet with the boys being hosted by Cape families renowned for their hospitality and friendliness. Friendships were quickly forged - to such an extent that some of the girls from Settlers' joined our team tunnel to cheer our boys out on to the field! The game proved a little one-sided, but our smaller opponents proved tenacious and enthusiastic to the end. The lopsided score of 79-6 saw Barker power home with 12 tries. Tyson Davis was named man of the match by our opposition, but this was a truly impressive team effort, with Barker performing their moves and patterns with precision.
Table Mountain proved a superb distant backdrop for a two course sit-down after match function before we headed off to watch Wynberg play Grey High School, Port Elizabeth at the foot of the mountain. The waking week was rounded off with a pizza-pasta team dinner and an early night before our 8am flight to Johannesburg.
After five convincing wins the boys are on a high, but each one of us is equally conscious of the big step up required for next weekend's CAS round 1 encounter against Knox!

Captain for the day, Deven Stoltz, speaking at the after match function

Today proved another winner with a moving visit to Robben Island. After a half hour ferry journey with stunning views of Cape Town, the boys were able to tour around the island to see its various facilities when it was a leper colony as well as prison. They saw the potholed soccer pitch which could only be used on Saturdays, likewise the crumbling concrete tennis 'slab'. The boys saw the 4'x6' cells in which political prisoners lived including the cell in which Nelson Mandela spent 18 years from 1964. After a couple of hours there, we then travelled to the DHL Newlands Rugby Stadium for an informative and engaging tour.
This full day ended with the boys meeting their billets from Settlers' High School. They will play their final game against these boys tomorrow. Everyone is well and looking forward to the Pilansberg game adventure and a few days of 'down time'.

Setting out to Robben Island

On the Island ferry

Players' change room DHL Newlands Stadium

They were under strict instructions NOT to walk on the grass!

Cheering from the stands

Day 11 was particularly hot and dry which was to prove challenging during the game against Edgemead High School as the boys were physically tired. After a relaxing morning out at the Waterfront shopping complex, we faced up to an inexperienced but game Edgemead team. Despite numerous errors, the boys soon found their second wind to run in three first half tries (Devlin Higgins and George Stephens - 2) to lead 21-0 thanks to three conversions from Balcomb. After a sluggish start to the second half, the boys romped home 45-5 with tries to Kirby, Pearson, Jones and Higgins - Balcomb adding another 2 conversions.

Waterfront Cape Town

Some shots from the game against Edgemead

Reds blog is back on.

Reds blog is back on-line after a minor glitch – apologies! 

Monday 22 April

A fresh, crisp morning greeted the touring group as they rose bright and early to join Robbie Wright for a pre-breakfast fitness session. Some then braved the icy waters of the resort swimming pool; others, like me, preferred a hot coffee and muffin to kick-start the day in a more civilized fashion! No real hiccups were encountered on a pleasant 6 hour bus journey south-west as we enjoyed the beautiful coastal and mountain scenery of the Garden Route. We stopped for a photo-shoot at Wilderness, a charming coastal holiday hide-away for the rich and famous! We then ventured off to Riversdale in the hinterland for lunch before a long trip to Strand to meet our first Cape Town hosts.

Tuesday 23 April - Game 3 was played under lights at the local Strand club grounds after a leisurely day at the Canal Walk complex – one of the biggest shopping complexes in the southern hemisphere.

The game against Strand was a block-buster – hard, fast and physical; proving a good encounter for our boys.  An early try from winger Eddie Ellwood-Hall (converted by Harry Jones from touch) gave us an early edge, much against the run of play as Strand, with their big forwards dominated the early exchanges.  However, Strand soon struck back with a try of their own, and the battle was on. In a see-sawing game, the Barker boys gradually gained ascendancy to lead 14-12 at half-time – try to Theo Hanson and converted by Jones. The first half was a scintillating display of Rugby by both teams, setting up an exciting second half. Strand went ahead early with a penalty, but the Barker boys finished strongly with tries by Leon Akopian, Cameron Dove and David Smerdon – two conversions by Jones – for Barker to win 33-15.

Wednesday 24 April – today we experienced the spectacular views from the top of Table Mountain on a picture-perfect day, before heading off for a game of touch, some Maths teaching (ask the boys about this!) and a BBQ at Zimasa township school. This was a very humbling experience and the school was most grateful for the donation from our fund-raising. This will go towards their feeding program for underprivileged children. We also presented a cheque to a young disadvantaged girl to help with her uni fees. She spoke to the boys and was hugely appreciative of what we had done for her. The afternoon ended with a training run at Wynberg College, before an early night in preparation for Game 4 tomorrow against Edgemead.

All the boys are in good spirits – there are no serious injuries – just a few minor bumps and bruises. We are blending superbly as a group and we are having a wonderful experience. All the boys “promise” they have touched base with home – if not, get onto them!

Best wishes from sunny Cape Town!

Along the Garden Route to Cape Town

Night match against Strand

The Strand boys were big!

Happy in victory

A few of the lads on top of Table Mountain

Rugby against Zimasa - quite a unique line out!

Leon Akopian was in his element teaching the children Pythagorus' theorem.

The Zimasa boys loved the game of touch Rugby

In pouring rain and slippery underfoot conditions, the Barker Reds notched up their second victory in South Africa - 34-0 against Linkside High School in Port Elizabeth. Our opponents were tenacious in defence and their unstructured play proved difficult to counter, with the Barker boys forced into numerous errors. First half tries to Tim Pearson and Alex Broad, with conversions from David Balcomb, gave our boys a 14-0 half-time lead. The score remained unchanged until  a late surge as the home team faded. Four tries in the last 10 minutes from Anthony Knox, Leon Akopian (2) and Harry Wilson secured a good win on a wet and gloomy morning.

The group left a damp Port Elizabeth to travel north to Schotia Game reserve for what was to prove the highlight of the tour to date. Despite the continuing inclement weather, we were treated to some close-up encounters with lions, rhino, elephant, hippo, crocodile and giraffe, alongside numerous species of antelope. Traditional South African bush cuisine (including a kudu stew) in the lapa around open-air wood fires, sealed a superb afternoon in the African bushveld. The boys were treated to expert advice from the game rangers who spoke about the flora and fauna of the local area. Despite the rain, the open-air landrovers allowed for extra-close-up engagement with the unique natural environment. A quick shuttle back to the hotel in Port Elizabeth, preceded a well-earned sleep-in before our departure for Knysna this morning.

It is lovely to have the Cadets with us and we would like to acknowledge our thanks to Mike Green who chaperoned son, Jonathan, together with Stephen Kirkby, Theo Hanson, Brandon Fernandes and Ryan Turkington from Sydney to Port Elizabeth. The boys have recovered well from their Cadet camp and long flight and they have quickly got involved in the tour activities.

Enroute to Kysna, we were all tempted to bungee jump (not!) at the world-renowned Bloukranz River bridge - the highest bungee jump in the world at 216 metres! We settled for cokes, ice-creams, chocolates and the spectacular views!

The Knysna Elephant Park proved another highlight as we all got to feed, touch and even "cuddle" the elephants. The baby elephant was a definite favourite and the boys were enamoured with its cuteness. The hand-on experience was moving and comments ranged from: "this is the best feature of the tour" to "this little fella is just like a big dog - with the tail at the wrong end!" The vulnerability of these magnificent animals was an eye-opener and we learned a lot about the plight of orphan elephants from the Knysna Forest region.

The day was rounded off with excellent accommodation and food at the Knysna Hollow Country Estate - a good rest day and we are now ready for our "assault" on Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope.

Baby elephant cuddles for the macho!

Breathtaking views at Bloukranz

Young lions hunting a warthog trapped in his underground burrow by night - just metres from the Landrovers, adrenalin rushing (particularly from the vehicle which stalled!)

Within touching distance of two magnificent white rhinos. Hearts were pounding.

A gaping hippo yawn, warning us not to venture any closer

Jackson Bradford (1), George Stephens and Mike Lloyd in the mist and pouring rain against Linkside

Reds in action in their 34-0 win in Port Elizabeth

Team groupie in the Town Lodge foyer prior to Linkside game

Knysna elephant sanctuary provided an exciting hands on experience

A few words from Alastair McCallum: Day 5 began with a hearty breakfast followed by an individual training session in the nearby "Happy Valley". The boys have been working hard on their fitness and individual skills and the tour is providing ideal opportunities for this. A dip in the warm Indian Ocean proved a hit - so much so that the local populace was treated to a vociferous rendition of the Reds' war-cry. Some boys followed this up with a weights session in a local gym - Brad Moar's idea, of course - before we all made our way to the Mandela University rugby grounds for a team training session. We look forward to the arrival of the Cadets this evening - a huge thanks to Michael Green for chaperoning them across the Southern Ocean. Tomorrow looks to be an exciting day, with our second match and then the visit to the private game park at Schotia. Hopefully the wild life will come out of the bush and we are afforded good viewing.
Today's photos were taken in Happy Valley.