Minki the brave
2006-01-13 21:06
Brisbane - Minki van der Westhuizen, South African beauty, model and girlfriend of Graeme Smith, cricket captain, proved how much of a tomboy she is, showing little fear of things that even tough sportsmen shun.
She left some of the tough cricketers shamefaced in the Australian zoo and at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast.
While some of the players flatly refused to go on some of the most daring rides offered by Dreamworld - the Australian equivalent of Disney World - Minki did not blink an eye and tackled all of them.
The more terrifying the experience, the better it seemed to suit her.
She did manage to convince Graeme to go with her on the Claw, a ride spiralling high in the air and for which you need more courage than the next guy.
"I'd rather face Brett Lee!'
After he was back on mother earth on jelly legs the big guy commented: "I'd rather face Brett Lee with his rockets - any day!".
In the Australian Zoo Minki, poster girl of the soldiers in Iraq, had no qualms about wrapping a python around her neck while most of the cricketers would not come near the reptile although some of them were eventually willing to handle the smaller crocodiles.
Fast bowler André Nel - a guy who loves nothing better than running up to the crease and intimidating the batsmen - had no excuses about not going on any of the wilder rides and limited him to the more relaxing Dreamworld activities.
He also returned to South Africa on Friday with the wives and partners of other players, missing of the rest of the tour because of a foot injury.
For the remaining players there are five more weeks of cricket, cricket and more cricket on the menu with their wives and girlfriends now back home.
Most of the players were in the position of having their loved ones with them for the Christmas and new year celebrations.