African gem

THERE were two schools of thought as family and workmates waved me off for the 11-hour flight to South Africa.On the one hand it was "Lucky you." Images of wildlife parks, sun-drenched beaches and heady evenings getting merry on Cape wines were enough to make anyone envious.

On the other, there was my fretful mum who wouldn't have swapped places with me for the world.

Didn't I realise how dangerous it was? And she didn't mean being mauled by lions or stampeded by wildebeest.

No. Friends of hers had upped sticks from Johannesburg, scared off by the violent undertones of post-apartheid South Africa.

Now, eight days is all too brief a time to judge a country, but neither my envious colleagues nor my anxious mum captured the mood of my whirlwind railway adventure through seven of the nine provinces.

The Voyage of Discovery on the Shongololo Express was not about highlighting South Africa's tried and trusted tourist attractions or putting the complex social problems of its rainbow population under the microscope.

This was the launch of Tourism Month when the overseas media and, more importantly, South Africans themselves discovered the hidden treasures of this richly diverse land.

DAY ONE

Touch down in Cape Town feeling groggy despite the most attentive of overnight economy flights on South African Airways. And what have they done with the sunshine? The grey, gloomy skies look more like Heathrow. But then it is still winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Arrival at the Cape Grace hotel on the city's trendy Victoria & Alfred Waterfront revives my flagging spirits. All the elegance of Mayfair without the snob factor.

Could shop 'til I drop in the Waterfront's vast mall but, though the credit card is willing with such a tempting exchange rate, there's a sumptuous bath beckoning before heading up to the Bloemendal Restaurant with its stunning hillside views of Cape Town by night.

DAY TWO

The high-speed crossing to Robben Island takes only slightly longer than Southampton to Cowes. It begins one of the most sombre, yet curiously uplifting mornings of my life.

Situated in Table Bay, some seven miles north of the Waterfront, Robbe Eiland (Dutch for Seal Island) has seen much human suffering as a dumping ground for slaves, lepers and the mentally ill.

In 1961 it became a maximum security prison for political activists, including Nelson Mandela who served 18 of his 27 years incarcerated there.

When the last political prisoners were released in 1991, it was turned into an ecological and historical heritage site, but the scars of its bleak past remain.

The prison tour is conducted by an ex-inmate who, like Mandela, had rebelled against the brutal apartheid regime that stripped black citizens of their most basic human rights.

But there are no recriminations, no bitterness here. Modern-day South Africa is about looking forward, not back. Rather than take gloom and sadness home from the island, visitors are urged to rejoice in its emancipation as a triumph of freedom and human dignity over oppression and humiliation.

As Solly, our lunchtime host at Cape Town's stunning Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, says: "Why waste tomorrow because of what happened yesterday?"

Next stop is the railway station for the start of our Voyage - first leg, a gruelling 21-hour trip to Blomfontein, capital of the Free State.

DAY THREE

As Africa rolls by, you sleep says the Shongololo Express brochure. D'you wanna bet? But who cares about bags under the eyes when half the population of Blomfontein turns up to greet us at the station?

There are tribal dancers and, more unusually, a band of young baton-twirlers strutting their stuff to Sisters are doing it for themselves. Feminism, it transpires, is big news in black South Africa.

Sadly, Blomfontein is a bit of a blur. A quick bite to eat and we are whisked back onto the train accompanied by Mohammed Valli Moosa, the government minister for environment and tourism.

All aboard for the small, traditional Eastern Cape town of Berlin and the official launch of Tourism Month.

DAY FOUR

Still no joy on the sleep front, but the laid back atmosphere and tasty African cuisine wins high marks for the Shongololo Express - even if the washing facilities are a bit basic!

If the Blomfontein welcome was extravagant, Berlin's has to be seen to be believed. Accompanied by a convoy of jeeps and a band of drum majorettes that would do royalty proud, we make our way to the grand tourism launch in the grounds of a local school.

DAY FIVE

No sleep at all last night. Plummeting temperatures turn the train into a mobile fridge - and guess who didn't have enough blankets?

Fortunately the sun is blazing on arrival at the famous diamond-mining town of Kimberley where we are introduced to two staggeringly different sides of the industry.

At one extreme is the big business of mechanical alluvial mining from the Vaal (River of Diamonds). At the other, there is the aptly-named local celebrity, Koos Patience, who painstakingly seeks his fortune using hands and eyes along with a pick, shovel and sieve.

Kimberley's Big Hole (and when they say big, they mean big) is the area's most famous mine and nearby is the Kimberley Mine Museum which recreates the street scenes of the diamond rush days of the late 1800s.

No diamonds for me, I'm afraid, but a gem of a day in the Northern Cape Province is capped by a sunset game drive around the Valvos Park and a moonlit barbecue on the banks of the Vaal.

DAY SIX

The North West Province is home to Sun City, golf courses, wildlife parks and white-water rafting. But our destination, Mafikeng, is more for history buffs than all-action adventurers.

Famous for its role in the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer War, it was here that Colonel Robert Baden-Powell created a cadet corps which was the forerunner of the Boy Scout movement.

It's not the most gripping of cities but if history is your bag, then the Mafikeng Museum is worth a visit.

DAY SEVEN

Another marathon stint on the Shongololo Express takes us way up to the Northern Province town of Louis Trichardt nestling in the foothills of the spectacular Soutspansberg mountain range.

What a transformation! The countryside here is greener and lusher than anything we have seen en-route. Tropical fruit and nut farms make it a market shoppers' dream.

Reputedly one of South Africa's most peaceful provinces, this is a magical land steeped in myths and legends.

The people here are rightly proud of their undiscovered paradise - and they intend it to stay that way.

Visitors are welcomed with open arms but, as our guide protectively, told us: "The tourists we want here are those who love nature and love South Africa."

DAY EIGHT

All aboard for Johannesburg and our trip ends with a visit to Soweto (South Western Townships) where so much blood was spilled in the struggle against apartheid.

The sprawling metropolis stretches as far as the eye can see and the area of squatter homes we visit are as basic as any Third World slum.

There is 45 per cent unemployment here and more boys are in prison than in college. The local hospital specialises in bullet and knife wounds and even our guide bears the scar of a street stabbing.

Yet there is another side to Soweto. It has 23 registered millionaires and more BMWs on the roads than bicycles - albeit that locals say the initials stand for Break My Windows.

We lunched at Wandie's Place, a friendly shebeen (township bar) opened in 1981 by self-made local businessman Wandile Ndala, whose celebrity diners have included Richard Branson, record producer Quincy Jones and boxer Evander Holyfield.

Not far away is Vilakazi Street with its the unique distinction of having housed two Nobel Peace Prize winners - Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Sadly, most white South Africans have never set foot in Soweto, but an escorted visit is essential.

Admittedly, my mum wouldn't have liked it much but the golden rule with South Africa's townships - as with everywhere - is to remember to pack your commonsense.

Eight days and seven provinces later it's time to head off to Johannesburg International Airport. The Voyage of Discovery is over - yet I have a feeling my love affair with South Africa has only just begun...