Capetown to Cairo (Eastern route)
 

i want to assess, and start calculating the viability of a trip from Capetown to Cairo (then on to Israel) via the East.
my choice of the east african route is that it sounds easier and more politically friendly, but you might correct me if i'm wrong.
i am at ground floor level with this project, with my riding experience limited to Australia and NZ on a bmw r12gs (oz registered).
can people please give me their thoughts on this route, the best path to take, the best time to do it, carnets/insurances needed, freight into SA from Oz, and out of Israel back to Oz, political factors to consider, land content costs, & other matters i need to be aware of. if you can point me to other threads here that are apropos that would also be helpful.
thanks in advance.

Cape Town to Europe
 

I am currently riding the Americas, but plan to do the Africa route (east) in May or June 2009. When do you plan to go?