For the uninformed, a bucket list is a list of things that you would like to do before you kick the bucket, turn up your toes and push the daisies. If you don’t have one, stop what you’re doing right now and make a list of 5, it’s an order. And when you’re done with that you can drop and give me 20.

Here are the shortened versions of the Phuthu gals’ bucket lists.

Katrine

1 Sky Diving

Surely no one has really lived until they have sky dived? It must be an amazing feeling to jump out of a plane and just free fall for such a long time before opening that parashoot, bouncing back up a bit and then finally landing softly and safely back on earth. I have been in a gyrocopter and a helicopter, and I ran for my life and jumped off a mountaintop in Rio de Janeiro – in order to paraglide down to the beach. But I don’t believe any of this can compare to sky diving and the adrenaline that goes with it. Same goes for driving a racing car – this is also on my list!

2 Write and Publish a Children’s Book

I ‘wrote’ my first book when I was four years old – complete with rather strange illustrations but fairly comprehendible sentences on each of the seven or so pages… Unfortunately (but not surprisingly) this was never published, so I need to write another one which can be. It’s going to be fun and captivating, not tediously educational. A fantasy book about a very intriguing creature who lives in the deepest of the deep, deep forests… That’s all I’m revealing!

3 Share Ryan’s first experience of the Northern Lights

I’ve seen the Northern Lights on several occasions growing up, and its one of the most amazing natural wonders on earth – magical, mystical and mesmerising all at once! Ryan has always dreamt of seeing them and every time he’s been to visit my family in Norway (which is 5 or 6 times by now), on particularly cold and clear winter nights he has packed the layers on and stood outside desperately searching the pitch black, star-spangled sky. But despite his determination he has never seen anything. So I want to share his first experience of the Northern Lights – even if I have to chase them far up in northern Norway for days on end.

4 Visit the Galapagos Islands

Another dream Ryan and I share is visiting the incredible Galapagos Islands – famous for its vast number of endemic species which were studied by Charles Darwin and contributed to the inception of his theory of evolution by natural selection. Ryan and I will spend a few months here with all the peculiar, amazing animals (who are not scared of humans!) – far away from reality and the worries of everyday life.

5 Personal Goals

I need to learn to act within my sphere of influence and stop worrying about things which are not within my control… And I want to have children and create a happy, safe and joyous home and family. One day I also want to be super-fit and ready to take on anything – such as backpacking through South America with kids! Eh, maybe not… But at least backpacking through South America when the kids can look after themselves. Or climbing Kilimanjaro, before going bundu bashing in the jungles of Congo looking for silverback gorillas. So basically I want to be fit enough to always be able to travel and see as much of our wonderful planet as I possibly can before I kick the bucket! And I might as well venture into outer space as well, while I’m at it…

Kerry

I’ve always wanted to own a tropical island, I would also need a fully automated 100ft yacht, fully manned, to sail me and my man to the closest port when we need supplies, geography aside, I think that the port would have to be Dar es Salaam. I would have my dogs and my man. The Island would also need an air strip, so that by invitation only we can fly guests in to come and visit.

Ok dreaming aside, realistically, I have always wanted to tour South Africa, start a slow drive through the Drakensburg, down through the wine route. Then on the way back up, drive along the coast and back up to Durban. I would like to take about 2 months to do this, stopping at B&B’s or camp sites and even hotels. When we find a quaint little town that takes our fancy, we can stop and stay the night. No rush, no fuss, just the open road and whatever we want to do.

I have always wanted to take a cruise somewhere, BUT NOT OPEN OCEAN, WITH WHITE SQUALLS AND TSUNAMIS, no, just a gentle meander through some islands, like the Greek Isles or even an Alaskan cruise would do me just fine.

I have always wanted a baby, ya I know, a very mushy statement, but it’s true. Parenthood is one of the last frontiers I would like to experience, hopefully before I die.

Finally, and most importantly, I would like to look back on my life and be happy that I had made the right decisions, did all the things I ever wanted to do, not have any regrets and most importantly lived a happy content existence that hopefully affected other people in a positive way too.

Elzet

  1. A big dream: To do Israel /Egypt with a tour group
  2. To do an in-depth counselling course somewhere in the near future
  3. A 3-day pony trekking trip in Lesotho
  4. I want to get to a place where, when challenged with someone’s opinion, I’d be able to get that far-off, sensible look in my eyes, a serene look on my face and peacefully go: “hmmm….” which will mean that I’m thinking it over before actually opening my mouth.
  5. I would love to get fit enough to do a 3-5 day hike somewhere in the mountains, surrounded by waterfalls and breathtaking views with shoes that are super comfy and a water bottle that never runs dry. I would request for someone…anyone to carry my backpack – it’s my bucket list and I can wish as I please.
    And then I’d like to be able to bake fish fingers without them looking like bokkoms (sorry, I know I’m guilty of sneaking in an extra one – sue me!)

Louise

South America – Trans Andes

My soul is craving to experience this rugged land and what better way to do it than on a mountain bike! The 6 day stage race would take us across the Patagonian Andes from Chile to Argentina. Jeremy did a White Water Rafting competition in Chile about 9 years ago and ever since laying my eyes on the photos from the trip, South America has always been on my to-do-list. And of course my soul would be forever restless if we went all that way and didn’t take a boat trip down a section of the Amazon to swat mosquito’s and film Piranhas on a feeding frenzy. They don’t eat humans ey?

Camino de Santiago de Compastella

My sister did this epic journey on foot some years ago and ever since then I’ve been highly intrigued. It’s a collection of old pilgrimage routes across Europe which all lead to the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain as the final destination. Covering approximately 780km, it is by no means a walk in the park! It would be an epic journey but I would love to do with my family one day – on bicycles of course.

American Road trip

It goes like this….A metallic blue Cadillac, a leopard skin suitcase on the back seat, a scarf over my head and over-sized sunglasses with Johnny Cash tunes playing softly on the radio. Jeremy is at the wheel and we’re driving on some deserted road with nothing but a few windmills dotted in the distance…..That’s how I imagine our American road trip. Oh and of course we’d have to stop at a diner and have a burger and shake.

Oh and did I mention we’d stop at the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, 6 Flags Magic Mountain and Disneyland?

Himalayan Bike Tour

Well this only got added to the bucket list on Sunday but it’s very deserving of being featured in this list of 5. Read more about it here.

Cooking Tour in France

I need to experience a French Kitchen, French Food, French Markets, French Recipes and French. There is just something about France that I’m intrinsically attracted to and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it is beautiful, stylish, romantic, cultured, historic or incredibly scenic. None of the above, at all, ever, no.

Answer to yesterday’s brain game: A Window