Adventure greetings to all of our adrenaline filled blog readers,
Wow and wasn't this 2010 a year never to forget for a long time. Only in our second year of operating next to the beautiful Orange River and close to the Augrabies Falls National Park have we grown not only as a business but also in our passion for the xtreme outdoors of the Northern Cape. Adventure specialists in this part of Southern Africa is like 'hoender tande' and for many years myself had that dream of getting the local communities and youth interested in what we actually do within the tourism stretches but also the developmental side which are still very much in in baby stage at the moment! Basic training with girls like Diedrie Venter and young lads like Rubin Nel (both very local) has shown that there is a lot of talent hidden along this Green Kalahari sunsets and that this would make their 360 dream more unique than any other adventure company close to us.
Groups and tourists have come to Liquid360 in plenty to INDULGE THERE NEVER TOUCHED ADVENTUROUS SIDE like never before and to make it unforgettable for years and years to last! Neus Gorge has also come through his baby stage in 2009 by not really knowing what was going on with all these specimen paddling through his stomach, but are impressively maturing with every rafting trip and are becoming famous for the way it changes with old friend water coming and going as he likes!
The brother of Neus Gorge, The ultimate Orange Gorge close to Onseepkans gave a new sense of challenge to our exciting product and services range!! We ran and planned to expeditions down the main gorge and made it past the 10 x multi day trip mark for that section alone in less than 7 months. SO BIG BROTHER IS ALSO COMING TO THE PARTY!!!
Then there was the trip of all trips and hard to say very difficult to pick out of many other trips cause of the genuine clients we had, but Klein Pella to Melkboom Expedition with Cathy Perrett and the Cape Town Mafia group made me realize why I still enjoy what I do every day for the past 10 years! High/Medium water levels made this section which some call the 'Nile of South Africa' spectacular and very challenging which for the first time in my life for the past ten years paddling the Orange River made all of stop in counting the amount of great class 2 - 4 rapids and only after day 2 of 5 days.
Enough said about our River Adventures, which all of the trips we still offer for 2011 and let’s move on the Land Adventures leg of 360 GROUP of CO. Kalahari360 was after careful market and client research planned and in late July 2010, Eben and a testing client Garrick De Silva and wife Annette! While on Kalahari360 test run tour of 10 days in the Botswana side of the famous Kgalagadi Park we came across incidents with Mother Nature which just made me decide not to keep this secret from every one seeking the same feelings! The blueprint for the company will be exclusive tours to Botswana and the Kgalagadi but only by 4x4 luxury vehicles and for a first ever,...5 star camping with all in no fence country!!!
Well well well it was almost a triplet of new 360 babies that was born in 2010 with Gear360 and Vine360 also have been invited to fully join the adventure party round March 2011. Gear360 is a concept and cool clothing brand that will also be one of a kind in the outdoor industry in Africa. Marthie ‘’Dumas’’ Steenkamp, an award winning graphic designer and very naturally creative brain will be designing stunning and also funky range of casual and outdoor wear for Gear360 making it possible with help from network brother Chris Taljaart from Nobody Famous and Loots vd Merwe from @last FAST in Cape Town to make, design, print, embroid, etc our own brand and selling it online with a shopping cart website in production faze as we speak. Other known and great quality brands like First Ascent, Salomon, Garmin, Suunto, Fluid Kayaks, Goya Gear, Vibram, etc. will be available internationally via our Gear360 website to order, be delivered and payment options! Guest which already booked and confirmed trips or services with Liquid360 will get a special 20% discount on an accessories, gear, clothing, etc. bought from Gear360 which will make the packing list lighter while travelling towards your awaiting adventure in the discoverable Northern Cape.
Vine360 in association with Danie van der Westhuizen which is a professional private wine maker and also local from our area to make a wine range available to our guests and tourists alike with our own new leisure brand! Meanings like 'Adrenaline Red - Merlot, Discoverable White - Sauvignon Blank and Explorers Port will make you taste not only the unique grape taste of this area but also the combination with true back root adventures offered especially to all of you!!
New and also the adventure activity that Liquid360 gave a special award to for 2010, was Sand Boarding which were introduced only as a add-on activity to our quad biking trails but have been walking on its own two feet just after a few weeks. Weekend getaways to Witsand Nature Reserve are planned for those that really want to Indulge their boarding side!
TEAM360 and I would like to thank all our clients, suppliers, tourism establishments, network partners and general public for a great 2010 and we are adventuring and preparing for a much challenged and adrenaline filled 2011 so we hope you are ready for new action and professional adventures!
Adventure Greetings
Eben Odendaal