Despite ominous reports of bridges having been washed away, and of homes floating down rivers to different districts, we set off for Barrydale with the Harleys swaddled in clingwrap on the trailer behind the Land Rover. Luckily the roads were open and the rain had abated – we reached our destination safely with our Landy protesting all the way because of the 1-ton load it now had to pull. At 9.00am we unpacked our 'spay kit' at the clubhouse of the Rondomskrik Rugby Field – by 3pm that afternoon we had sewn up our last spay of 35, and had vaccinated everything on four legs.

The ladies of Barrydale and surrounds, as well as Colette Teale of KAPS (Karoo Animal Protection Society), organised everything including the rooibos tea for Dr. Belinda MacIntyre!

Our clinical team consisted of Sr.Hilda Mills, Dr.Belinda MacIntyre and myself. Elizma Duvenage, our PR, spent her day with estate agents viewing plots – as Barrydale's 'rustigheid' convinced her that this was heaven on earth.

The weather report was encouraging in that the worst of the flood damage had been contained and the roads were open. It is always a pleasure to work with Winelands SPCA – their facilities would make most private practices green with envy, as well as having a competent staff to boot.

The day was pleasantly uneventful as Sr. Hilda kept a steady flow of patients coming. The condition of the animals was surprisingly good, and is a reflection of the good work which the Winelands SPCA is doing in the community. At 3.30pm we had clocked up 39 sterilisations, with patients slowly coming round from anaesthetics and almost ready to be taken home.

Sadly Dr.MacIntyre had to go back to her 'real job' of mother and wifehood. Sterilising animals, she says, is all the therapy she needs! And so it was pack-up time again – with the washing of drapes and the re-sterilising of instruments – ready for the next stop … Ladismith on the 20th November – tomorrow my blisters need a healing break…

Disaster! The keenly awaited ride to our next stop went up in petrol fumes as a result of a leaking fuel line! Luckily it was spotted in time – just as I was about to roar off into the sunrise. Elizma flattened her cell phone battery whilst trying to sort out our mechanical hitch, with the help of the Tyger Valley dealership. Cape Town dealership was kind enough to promise us the spare part and with the help of our regular helping veterinarian, Dr. Hilana Steyn, we hoped to be on the road again by Monday. A huge thank you to our PA, Sharon Slade- who drove all the way to Cape Town to fetch the part – and to all the supporting gentlemen at Cape Town and Tyger Valley Harley dealerships. You will definitely make it onto our Chistmas card list this year!

Luckily we have a wonderful trailer – designed by a genius at 2M Sports Trailers –which is especially constructed so that it can be easily operated by women. This person should most certainly be nominated for a Nobel Prize in the 'Fool-Proof-Mechanical-Contraptions' category.

Our spaying numbers are growing steadily and we have now exceeded the grand 'halfway' target of 150 sterilisations by 5 operations.

For two glorious days we will spoil ourselves in Ostrich Land, and do touristy things we never have time for. Paradise Backpackers are our hosts in Oudtshoorn. If ever you a looking for minimum frills, good value for money accommodation, make sure to visit them.

Next stop Willowmore on Tuesday 25th November – 4 down and 5 to go!

The Community Hall was packed with 2 and 4-legged bodies by the time we arrived on Tuesday morning. After the usual chaos of unloading the Land Rover and setting up, we slowly started to into our now familiar 'spay routine'.

Today is a little different and the pressure is a notch up as we have no Sr. Hilda to do the patient preparation for us. Now we have to do it ourselves. Pre-medding, anaesthetic, shaving and surgical site preparation takes up time and when 4pm arrived we were a bit disappointed having done (only) 37 operations. However, this was still 3 more than our daily target, so we decided not to be too hard on ourselves. Everything seems a lot rosier after a glass of good Sauvignon Blanc and a T-bone steak …

The day was clouded by a prominent Willowmore businessperson who tried to get his dog sterilised for free by using one of his labourers to pose as the owner of his dog. The scam was luckily uncovered, and our reservation at his restaurant for the evening was promptly cancelled. One can only surmise what the effect his bad example has on the people who work for him in a country already low on moral values. 'Die vis vrot van sy kop ondertoe'

Tomorrow is an off-day, and Aberdeen awaits us the day after … again without a nurse…!

Our thanks to Heather and her grand daughter Kathryn, as well as all the other willing ladies, who gave their time freely for a good cause.

PS: My Harley is back in business. With bated breath we watched anxiously as Willem attached the new part. No leaks!

The 120kms on our Harleys – on an almost straight road between Willowmore and Aberdeen – was meditative – ok – a bit boring – but nevertheless, mechanically sound. Wendy Abbott fulfilled one of her fantasies by driving our Land Rover Defender with the trailer, as we were back on our Harleys – so a win-win situation all around! Dr. Hilana Steyn joined us in Willowmore, and will be our supporting veterinatian in Aberdeen as well.

Our digs are comfortable and safe – all we need to be happy campers. Wednesday evening we had a delicious meal at Dalle's Aberdeen Art Gallery –Dalles insisted that we hand her cheque to the Karoo Animal Protection Society for tomorrow's sterilisation project. The donation was raised by Dalles and it renewed our admiration for this feisty lady who is not afraid to take on wrongs which need to be corrected ... a lady with a big heart – she and her husband bring a touch of class to Aberdeen with their Art Gallery and culinary skills. If the animals of Aberdeen benefit from their activities as well, we are happy. Thank you, Dalles, for sticking your head into political and social beehives where most people will not dare to go.

Another well-organised day was experienced with the help of Lynn and her husband Ray, as well as Maureen and their helpers in the community. Dr.Steyn and I are getting used to being 'nurseless', and managed to do 40 operations during the day. It is sad to see the obvious neglect the animals are subjected to. They are extra thin, some emaciated, and riddled with ticks. With the help of Wendy, informal educational chats were had with the children and owners of their pets. A bag of food, sponsored by SVD, was also sent home with every pet. Wendy, also a qualified AWS inspector, confiscated an emaciated dog from a careless owner, and I was trying to convince myself that the dog will be going to a better place by putting her out of her misery… just when you think you can handle it, emotions catch you off guard.

The poverty, general apathy and the 'don't care' attitude of the people in the townships are slowly getting to us. A feeling of helplessness gets hold of one now and then, and one cannot help but ask oneself the typical South African question … do we really want to live in this country? Leaving it will only anaesthetise one from the dreadful conditions of unemployment, child abuse, alcohol and drug abuse and, to us the worst of all, animal abuse. Choosing not to look does not make it go away. It is in times like these that we are grateful for having skills which can be used to make a difference to the lives of those who cannot say – 'please do not hurt me'. We are their voices, and we must be heard.

On that philosophical note we headed to the coast to complete our last 3 stops in Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Sedgefield. We have done 232 sterilisations so far, and only need to do 68 more to reach our target of 300. Our medical supplies are running low, and we hope to supplement them with the help of the local veterinarians.

Today we leave the brave and soulful animal lovers of Aberdeen with appreciation and respect for what they are doing, and wish them well until our return in the next year.

The good condition of the animals which we operated on is a compliment to the Knysna AWS – all the years of education and fieldwork has paid off. Wendy Abbott, formerly of KAWS, must take a lost of credit as she laid a sound foundation and systems into place which make KAWS a workable organisation of which the Knysna community can be proud.

My new spay buddy, Dr. Andre Reitz, had been dragged out of retirement and got his hands bloody again for a good cause. I felt spoilt again as we had a nurse to do the anaesthetics, and with excellent help from the KAWS kennel men, we clocked up 32 sterilisations. Michele supplied lunch and we agreed that a 'KAWS Restaurant' would have to be their next venture.

We will be back on Friday to use their venue for the Sedgefield animals. The countdown to 300 is now 36 short, with 2 stops to go!

The white-painted community hall in Kranshoek, Plettenberg Bay, was our next venue. One could see that taxpayers' money has been harnessed in the poorer communities, inspiring them to become entrepreneurs. The lights were all working, but decay has already set in with dirty and out-of-order toilets – always sad to see the slow process of neglect. Dr. Reitz and Sr.Hampton were waiting for Wendy Abbott and myself, and the Land Rover emptied quickly with the help of many willing hands.

We started of with a list of 22, and ended up with 33. Plet Animal Welfare Society was well represented by their Inspector, Robert, and their Chairperson, Di Butlin. It was reassuring to meet a 'can-do' lady who shares our enthusiasm for animals, and for the need to keep their numbers manageable.

The children had a quick biology lesson in male and female anatomy – not that they needed it, I'm sure! The cat foetuses I showed them were the highlight of their day, and their stories are sure to be relayed to their teacher the next day. Always noticeable is the children's hunger for knowledge – and their natural inquisitiveness.

3 more to go before we reach our target of 300!

My last spay buddy joined me at Knysna AWS for the final leg of our safari. Dr Keith Leonard comes from a distinguished Liverpool family of veterinarians. His father and 3 brothers are all vets! An Englishman with an African spirit! We started slowly as I had miscalculated the equipment required, and had no instruments for Dr. Keith. Dr Knowers of Knysna Veterinary Clinic came to our rescue by providing us with the necessary instruments.

Dr. Sylvia Shorteed joined us later as an anaesthetist, which sped up the process considerably. I am always amazed when a bunch of professionals slot together to get a job done – their professional code takes over. The 26 sterilisations on our list seemed do-able – so do-able, in fact, that Helpus – a KAWS kennel man – sneaked in another 5 cats! – just to make us earn the delicious lunch once again prepared by Michele.

We managed to finish by 2pm, and packed the Landy for the last time. Our thanks to Dr Leonard and Dr. Shortreed for their input in making this last stop of our safari a success. We managed to do 29 more operations than our target, but it is only with the help of a big team that this crazy idea thought up two years ago, has become a reality.

The trip taught us that ordinary people with extraordinary compassion for the silent sufferers in our communities could work together to achieve amazing things.

We shall continue to offer our time and skills to a world we can influence – however small that may be. Thank you to everyone who made the safari possible. May we all be reminded that governments don't make the world a better place – people do.

The final words we reserve for Mother Theresa

"I cannot do what you can, and you cannot do what I can, but together we can do great things"