Brumbies fullback and Queanbeyan Whites junior Robbie Coleman.
ONE of the best parts of professional sports is the travel.
Thanks to rugby, I've been lucky enough to see places like France, Italy, UK, USA, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. Bit of a mouthful really.
But one of my favourite spots has always been South Africa, and with Durban and Cape Town on the Brumbies itinerary in 2013 it's sure to be a great trip.
We touched down in Durban on Monday morning to perfect autumn weather and a small but enthusiastic group of supporters at the airport.
This is my third Brumbies trip to South Africa and to this point wins have been tough to come by.
In 2011 we lost both games and last year, despite outscoring the Bulls five tries to two, still only managed the one win over the Lions in Johannesburg.
To leave South Africa with two wins this time is going to be a monumental challenge. It's easily the hardest tour I've faced in my time with the Brumbies, but we've got the cattle and respect to know it's definitely possible.
Last week's win over the Waratahs was satisfying. There's no love lost between our two sides and any win over the Tahs is always enjoyable.
I was lucky enough to find myself on the end of some Jesse Mogg magic to score the last try and it was great to see the enjoyment that brought to my teammates and the supporters at Canberra Stadium.
If we can jag a win this Saturday night over the Sharks, well will have set a Super Rugby record for the most consecutive away wins away from home with seven.
That's a record we are very proud of and keen on extending over the next two weeks.
It's strange - the culture shock of being in Africa hasn't really hit me like it usually does. Usually it takes a few days to adjust to the accent and the feel of the new money.
I can only put that down to two things. Either I'm a well-seasoned traveller who's hard to impress, or more likely, I spend the majority of my life surrounded by the Saffers who are slowly but surely taking over Canberra's Inner South.
Like the year 2000 Sierra Leone Olympic team in Sydney, we've had to keep a close eye on a few of the former locals here in Durban to make sure they don't abscond.
The last thing we want on our hands is big Etienne Oosthuizen doing an Eric the Eel and taking off into the back streets of Durban, never to be heard of again.
Bet of the week:
I'd say the Raiders will struggle with everything going on there this week and I'm backing the Titans to beat them on Sunday on the Gold Coast. In a multi, I'm also taking the Tigers to get their first win of the year over the Panthers at home.
Robbie Coleman plays fullback for the ACT Brumbies and is a Queanbeyan Whites junior.