Marais, Irene Joan: - Joan was born in 1932 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Her family settled in George, Western Cape. She was the eldest of three daughters. Tragically, she lost her youngest sister and her father before she turned 18. Always an adventurous, sporting, fun-loving individual, she embarked on this trip and so began a life-long adventure with her soulmate and co-traveller, Carel. They married in London seven months after beginning the trip and eventually raised a family in South Africa. Joan never wrote a book but was a life-long prolific letter writer. After her passing in 2018, her daughter, Louise, put together the stories of this trip, the photographs and the diary to share this inspirational journey. Louise currently lives in Perth, Australia, with her daughter and son.