The Cheetahs Experience in Bloemfontein allows you to get up close and personal with some big cats © Getty Images

I hit the ground running in Johannesburg and that theme continued as I reached the second stop on tour – Bloemfontein. But on this occasion I came a second best to the fastest animal on the planet – a cheetah.

It was a very apt encounter in Bloem, the home of the Super 14 side that takes its name from the big cat and which will be the Lions’ next opponents.

My guides for this excursion are my new friends from Essentially, Stephan and Colleen, who go well beyond the role of dutiful hosts with their time and company.

My cultural introduction to Bloem, that is a lot smaller than Jo’burg but appears to have a lot more character than its big-city neighbour, also takes in lions, tigers and a Wild Boar – the latter being a typical Afrikaner pub. Eye-opening encounters all.