Australian Adventure – Day 2

2013-12-08 | puppy1952

After a good night’s sleep we were woken by the dawn chorus of the noisiest birds in the world. I was too sleepy to get out and take photographs thinking that tomorrow we have to be up early anyway so I’ll get piccies then! But of course, tomorrow we will be up before the dawn chorus as we have to be at Newcastle Airport at 5:00 a.m.!

After breakfast Aunt took me to meet the neighbours. A swallow greeted us from the overhead wires.

Welcome Swallow

Terry and his sister Marie introduced me to the swimming dogs. They adore the water and use the pool more than their humans. The fun part is jumping in and chasing after a ball. They need no second invitation and use the pool at least four times a day! Only in Australia!

Water Dogs

We then took a scenic drive to visit Colette’s niece Rose. Her sister Mikki and her family were visiting from Perth. Rose her partner Ross are in the process of fixing up a beautiful home with the most beautiful view over Lake Macquarie. The garden attracts many birds too and we saw a Kookaburra but did not manage to get photographs

View over the Lake

Noisy Mynas (Soldier Birds) are seen everywhere

Ross is into vintage cars, boats and fishing so he and Earl had a lot to talk about. He took us for a drive in his beautiful old Dodge. I felt like the queen sitting in the back of this beautiful car.

Sam and his parents went first

Ross’s Pride and Joy

A Royal Ride

On our way home we stopped to take photographs of The Lake and to chat to a local fisherman.

A Boat comes out of the water

An Aussie Pelican gets a hand out

Silver Gull

We then went to Swansea Return Services League Club for lunch. Everybody in Australia belongs to a ‘club’ where meals are served at a reduced rate to members and their guests. Every club has a casino – we decided not to gamble today!

We had prawn cutlets and chips – totally delicious

It was fun watching the bridge open for the tall yachts that needed to pass through. Earl of course enjoyed all the water activities. It was a bit windy today and quite rough on the lake.

Bridge Opening

On our way home we found a flotilla of black swans which are indigenous to Australia. Unfortunately I had to shoot into the sun.

Black Swans

The swans were in front of this Guest House

The swans were in front of this lovely Guest House

After this lovely outing we went home to rest and then went to Mass at 6 o’clock. I was overwhelmed with the welcome I received from many of Leonie and Colette’s friends. The priest was a hoot and gave a “Grinchy” explanation of how Christmas was not the most important Christian celebration. He mentioned Madiba and prayed for the people of Africa who were in mourning for him while they also celebrated his life. Leonie introduced me to him afterwards and I was touched that he remembered Mom with fondness.

It was a lovely end to a perfect day!

Tomorrow we are off to Melbourne and Tasmania – a weeks self-drive tour in each – hopefully I will be able to get internet connection to BLOG.

Australian Adventure – Day 1 – Cape Town to Sydney to Cardiff

2013-12-07 | puppy1952

The day for the trip ‘Down Under’ finally arrived. On FaceBook I posted a bitstrip of myself jumping down a manhole to the land beneath – If only it were that simple! Instead it required a 2-hour flight to Johannesburg, a two hour wait there and a bit of a delay when someone on the plane took ill and had to be taken off in an ambulance!

We had a charming travelling companion in the form of a South African geoligist who lived in Adelaide but worked in Tansania. We were on the left hand side of the plane, over the wing – but there wasn’t much to see anyway as the plane was plunged into darkness fairly early on and we were asked to keep the blinds up. It was actually light outside most of the time. I can’t sleep on a plane at the best of times but managed to get about 2 hours of cat naps. Thank Goodness for my Kindle as the inflight entertainment was not that great! The meals were fair, the seats terribly cramped but still it was exciting just to be going to another continent!

We arrived to beautiful weather and Cousin Wayne and his two youngest at the airport to meet us. Luckily we had his cell number as it was not easy finding him in the large terminal. After a Long Black for me and Cuppuccinos for Earl we got our hire car and made our way to Cardiff.

I managed to get Alexander to look at the camera

Lovely little Adelaide

Aunt wanted us to meet her at a Servo but we managed to get stuck in front of a truck when looking for her so had to carry on and it was impossible to turn back so we phoned and carried on using the GPS to guide us. The house welcomed us with a South African flag in honour of Madiba on the stoep and a flock of lorikeets and then some corellas cried out their greetings too.

The S.A. flag waves a welcom

Corella

We had tea in the garden and were introduced to Sophie the cocker spaniel who in turn introduced us to her various stuffed toys.

A Happy Catch Up

Sophie with Moo Cow

Colette cooked us a lovely meal of steak and veggies and we finally dropped into bed totally exhausted after missing a whole night out of our lives!

The Kitchen Staff

The Myriads of Birds at False Bay Ecology Park

2013-11-25 | puppy1952

It was a beautiful day in Cape Town on Sunday. Earl and I after doing a few necessary chores at home decided to take a trip to visit the birds at False Bay Ecology Park. It’s amazing how it is different every time we go.

The ponds are teeming with birdlife

A typical Scene

The flamingos were dispersed on every pond

Harlaub’s Gulls sunned themselves

You have to look closely to find the terns among the gulls - this is a Swift Tern

You have to look carefully to find the terns among the gulls – this is a Swift Tern

Male Maccoa Duck

Black Winged Stilt

A Party of African Black Oyster Catchers

Moorhen with baby

Cape Teal

Levaillant’s Cisticola

African Pipit

Avocets

Cattle Egret in full breeding colours

Hadeda

Greenshank

False Bay Ecology Park – A Sunday Afternoon Excursion

2013-10-27 | puppy1952

Having spent the day indulging in urban activities yesterday, I had to catch up on some school preparation this morning. However, who can work when the south easter has dropped and the sun is shining brightly. Unable to resist the call, I grabbed the only other human left at home and kicking and screaming forced him to go birding with me! He was supposed to have gone to a braai with his mom and brother but somewhere along the way managed to get himself left in front of the computer. Grandpa was fishing so he just had to do!

Every Cape Tonian and his brother were out enjoying the sunshine so we fought the traffic through Kalk Bay and Muizenberg and found ourselves at False Bay Ecology Park just after 3:00 p.m. We were warned at the gate that on such a sunny day the Cape Cobras were about so please to be careful!

It was a picture perfect day. Greater Flamingos were abundant and graced every pond. The black-necked grebe outnumbered the dabchicks and all kinds of different ducks swam about gaily.

Black Necked Grebe

Hartlaub’s Gulls

Glossy Ibis

Mr and Mrs Cape Shoveller

Greater Flamingos

Pink is in

African Black Oyster Catcher

We spent a good two hours exploring the park and Josh impressed me with his excellent birding knowledge gained from the recent beginner’s course he attended. We spotted the Spotted Eagle Owl in his usual spot and a black crowned night heron flew out of the reeds and away from us. But I needed to see the beautiful Purple Swamphen. He obliged by coming out just before we were about to say our goodbyes!

Sleepy Owl

Purple Swamphen

Our Fishing Grandpa was successful at sea so it was sushimi and salad for supper – a perfect end to a glorous day!

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront – Retail Therapy!

2013-10-27 | puppy1952

I am pretty good at spotting a bird in a bush or a leopard in a tree when travelling in a game reserve but when it comes to spotting just the right item of clothing in a crowded mall I need an expert to accompany me. My fashion guru friend, Sharon, is just right for this task so early on Saturday morning we made our biannual trip to the shopping Mecca of Cape Town – THE VICTORIA AND ALFRED WATERFRONT

Wikipedia describes it as follows:

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in the historic heart of Cape Town‘s working harbour is South Africa’s most-visited destination, having the highest rate of foreign tourists of any attraction in the country.^[1] Situated between Robben Island and Table Mountain and set against a backdrop of sea and mountain views, it offers a variety of shopping and entertainment options to visitors, intermingled with office locations, the Somerset Hospital, hotels (such as the historical Breakwater Lodge – once a 19th-century prison) and luxury apartments in the residential marina.

I couldn’t put it better myself but I shall try to put my personal slant on it as I describe my fabulous day spent there yesterday. We tend to get rather insular in my niche down in the deep, deep south of the southern suburbs of Cape Town and trekking ‘over the mountain’ is like going to a foreign country for some of us! Sharon and I were in high spirits as we set off leaving a galing black south easter behind us and entering a less windswept and sunnier city. I was too ‘snoep’ to park inside where you pay a fortune per hour so found an outdoor spot where we only paid R10 for the entire day! It required a short walk to the V&A entrance but we were cool with that!

I am visiting Australia in six weeks time so Christmas shopping was on the top of my agenda closely followed by Summer Wardrobe. This is where Fashion Guru Sharon was to prove helpful. Let me explain – when we go walking, Sharon will say – “Did you see that girl’s belt?” And I will reply, “No, where?’ A little further on I will ask, – “Did you see that bird?” And she will reply, “No, where?” So you see my need! Racks and racks of clothing – and I just get all confused. No seriously – I know what I want – it’s finding it that’s the problem. So having my fashion advisor is a great help.

Shoes, as you know are irresistible to any girl, even when she’s in her sixties, so it made sense to stop at Green Cross first – and yes – the perfect flatties suitable for old ladies were found and bought! Sometimes when we shop we get irritated that assistants are disinterested and unhelpful. But today we met a new calibre of sales people who looked as though they enjoyed what they were doing and bent over backwards to show us their wares. Perhaps they saw the Gold Card coming?

I was keen to get gifts of quality with an South African feel – novel but nice. Here again I was pleasantly surprised. Excellent service and enthusiasm from those selling form carts as well as those in the more formal shops and the prices were reasonable. I get really annoyed when I see tourists are being ripped off. I didn’t see much of it on The Waterfront yesterday! But having said that – tourists beware – it does happen – shop around!

African Art Stall

After an hour or two of success we went to Melissa’s for a coffee – caffeine is so important for shopping stamina. We prowled every walkway, passage and shop and at lunchtime hit The Greek Fisherman, sat outdoors and had a delicious Sushi Platter for two – Yes I know – Japanese at a Greek Restaurant doesn’t sound right – but you can get sushi anywhere nowadays and it was excellent!

Pirate Ship in the harbour

Table cloth on the mountain

Our energies renewed, we set off to complete our shopping determined to explore every possible shop ending with the ‘platinum passage’ where the designer shops are situated – way above our budget but worth a visit anyway. Surprise, surprise – I saw a little number I couldn’t resist and on inspecting the price tag, found that I could in fact afford it!

Time flew and at 5 o’clock we needed coffee and Baklava before trekking back over the mountain to our normal lives. No more swanning it on foreign shores. But it was fun while it lasted and we did enjoy pretending to be fabulous in glamourland!

Ladies at leisure

Thank you V&A Waterfront, The Greek Fisherman, La Player, Queen’s Park, Pia Boutique, Country Road, Forever New,Call it Spring, Zoom, The Red Shed and all the crafty carts for helping us into escapism. The retail therapy was great!

‘

Catching up with the Kokstad Clan – Tala Private Game Reserve

2013-09-28 | puppy1952

Today dawned sunny and warm. Allan had a golf game planned and Lauren, Shannon, Simon, Grandpa and Granny decided to take a 2 hour trip to Tala Private Game Reserve. Although the weather was completely different on the other side of the mountain – drizzly and cool – it was a good decision. I have not been to a game reserve since July last year and was beginning to suffer withdrawal symptoms.

We packed a snack pack and grabbed a quick breakfast of cereal or toast and coffee and set off at 8:30. Our first encounter was still on the Karg Post road – unusual for this area, our National Bird – The Blue Crane

Blue Crane on the local farmlands

Grandpa does not like mist but unfortunately we had a few patches on our journey and this coupled with potholes and stray cattle can be daunting. It slowed our journey a bit but we still yelled for him to stop when we spotted Ground Hornbill on the side of the busy highway! He couldn’t because of traffic on his tail but a km later he found a place to turn around and headed back for a poor photo opportunity. There was a mom, dad and baby but I just managed one, half-decent picture.

The bird that thrilled us all

Not even in the park and the adrenalin was pumping. Of course now we had to turn around again and finally found a farm road to turn into. The double-cab skidded and slipped uncharacteristically so Earl checked the tires but all was well. It was probably due to fresh wetness on the road after no rain for a while.

Tala Private Game Reserve is a 3000 hectare wildlife sanctuary hidden in the hills of a quiet farming area not far from Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It has a habitat of acacia trees, grassland and some wetland which attracts a variety of birdlife and is home to many mammal species too. What I love about it is that in spite of it being a private game reserve you can self-drive. Entrance to the park is R60 for the vehicle and then R50 per person. They have a wonderful restaurant and the food is excellent. They do not accept cash at all. You must be prepared to pay with a credit card. Excellent idea I think!

Tala Entrance

Our first stop was the dam just through the entrance. There were hundreds of Egyptian Geese as well as many other water birds which kept us enthralled for a while.

Egyptian Geese

Yellow-billed duck

Lots of Egyptians about

This one is having a stretch

The pond was full of hippos too.

A Pod of Hippo

The weather was not the greatest for photography or birdwatching but we still managed to find more than expected. The wetland areas of course produced lovely opportunities to observe waterbirds.

Spoonbill

Hamerkop – near a small roadside pond

Black Crake in pond just vacated by Hamerkop

Black-necked heron all puffed up

There were a few birds of prey, mostly yellow-billed kites flying overhead but it was great to find this little black shouldered kite posing obligingly.

Black Shouldered Kite

We saw all of the above within the first half hour of arriving in the park. Having only indulged in a very light breakfast we were peckish and decided to have an early lunch before continuing our safari. As we arrived at the restaurant we saw this wet bird in a tree – and realised it was a yellow-throated longclaw – a lovely sighting for us as we don’t see them often.

Poor photograph of the Yellow-throated Longclaw

The restaurant is really lovely. We were early so were served promptly and the menu offered a full lunch menu, sandwiches and a good choice for children. Simon and Shannon had chicken nuggets and chips. Earl enjoyed slivers of beef on Ciabatta, Lauren Chicken and Feta and I had chicken and bacon with a cranberry sauce on Ciabatta. These sandwiches were around R45 to R55 each. Served with French Fries they were more than a meal!

The restaurant is nestled in a lush tropical garden

A huge fire created a warm atmosphere on a chilly day

Traditional Meals are on offer and the ambience is definitely African

A good South African Braai is also on the menu

After lunch we headed out again determined to find giraffe and Rhino! It was an adventurous trip as we chose some roads that made us grateful we were in a 4×4. The kids shrieked half in excitement half in fear when we descended a particularly steep, stony and slippery hill. We also managed to lose the map somewhere in the car and had to depend on instinct to get us back on track. Of course Grandpa pretended that we might have to spend the night in the dark searching for a way out which got the kids going again! While on our meanderings to find the way out of the maze of roads we found kudu, nyala, eland, reedbuck and zebra. We dipped on the rhino but did get to giraffe but right across the valley and too far for a photograph. The antelope were also hiding in the bush making photography rather difficult.

Wildebeest were easy to see

Blesbok were around every corner

You find them everywhere but Impala are really beautiful

These stripy chaps were happy to see us.

Mom and Dad Ostrich were hiding chicks who evaded a photograph

Mom and Dad Ostrich took up residence outside one of the lodges. They were hiding chicks but we couldn’t get their portrait.

We were lucky to find a whole family of Eland

For a day trip, we were well pleased with what we found. But Earl and I stayed at Tala in October 2005 and I have copied my diary entry of that trip below for the interest of those who might consider a similar trip in the future. Remember prices mentioned are from 8 years ago.

October 2005

At Tala Private Game Lodge we stayed at Paperbark Lodge and our room had panoramic views of the grass plains surrounding us. The lodge is not fenced from the park and the animals are free to come right up close. The Lodge manageress warned us to be careful if we walked around after dark as hippos come to graze on the lawns and rhino choose to sleep the night in close proximity to humans! Usually in game parks we search long and hard to find these magnificent creatures but here we could have stepped out and touched 5 that were right outside our window!

Game in the park is plentiful but there are no cats or fierce predators. There were herds of blesbok, impala, kudu, nyala and eland as well as zebra, giraffe and rhino. Lauren brought the kids on Sunday morning and we had an exciting game drive with them. When they arrived Shannon said, “I need to see the animals!.” Well her “need” was well satisfied. Hippos were swimming in the dam, we saw a cormorant struggle with an enormous bass before swallowing it whole and turtles were out sunning themselves on a log. Shannon said she wanted to see a hamerkop and sure enough one obligingly showed itself next to the turtles before flying off into the reeds.

There were lots of zebra about but Shannon wanted to see the long-necked giraffe. We encouraged her to call them – come on Gerry, Where are you Josephine and believe it or not it worked! Five minutes after we started the game we came across a small herd of 8 or 9 browsing on the succulent leaves of some tall trees.

At lunch time we went to the main restaurant for a buffet meal. We only ordered the starters – a variety of soups, salads, smoked salmon, mussels, oysters, pâtés, breads and rolls – but could have as much as we liked. Together with one bottle of wine it cost R400 for 3 adults!

After lunch the kids left to meet Allan and go back to Kokstad and we had a short nap before going on a game walk with the ranger. This was a special experience. The well trained young ranger had a zoology degree and his special interest was birds. He started birding when he was 10 years old. Chris came to Tala from Mala Mala in Mpumelanga six months ago and said he was not yet totally familiar with all the KZN birds. He could have fooled us! He identified many just by their calls. It is always interesting to go on guided walks because the rangers give you little titbits of information about many of the things you see. Chris was no exception and as Earl and I were the only two on the walk we got his undivided attention.

Birds we saw on the weekend were:

Diedrick’s cuckoo

Jacobin Cuckoo

Spoonbill

White-breasted cormorant

Hamerkop

Egyptian Goose

Grey Heron

Darter

Hadeda

Glossy Ibis

Yellow-billed Kite

Fantailed Cisticola

Nedicky

Spotted Prinia

Pied Wagtail

Cape Wagtail

Yellow-throated Longclaw

Red-naped lark

Fiscal Flycatcher

Plum Collared Starling

White-bellied Sunbird

Cape White-eye

Grey-headed Sparrow

Red-shouldered Widow

We did not have supper in the dining room after our extravagant lunch. Instead the lodge chef prepared us a “snack plate” and served it to us in our room. Some snack! It included mushroom and spinach filled filo pockets, sausage rolls, sticky chicken wings, vegetable bread, game biltong and cheese and biscuits!

Catching up with the Kokstad Clan – Wattled Crane Cottage

2013-09-27 | puppy1952

Wattled Crane Cottage is beside a trout fishing dam on a dairy/beef cattle farm belonging to the Raw Family who are friends of Lauren and Allan. It took us less than an hour to drive to the farm and then another half an hour up the steep dirt road to the dam which is the highest dam in South Africa. The setting is to die for and we spent two very relaxing days there with Lauren, Allan, Shannon and Simon.

Before we left Shannon and Simon found another use for their trampoline!

Exercising their creative talents

The scenery in East Griqualand is stunning and the Raw’s farm is in a picturesque setting.

The Farmer’s residence nestled among the shady trees

Traditional Huts of the Staff

One of the dams on the farm

Lauren and Allan were up ahead of us and stopped when they spotted the rare birds we were dying to see. They were across the middle dam but close enough to get good views with our binoculars and even a photographs or two.

The Birds that give the cottage its name

Wattled Crane in flight

Right next to them were their cousins, two beautiful Crowned Cranes which are easier to find.

One of the crowned crane

We have seen Wattled Crane near the cottage before but only at a great distance – this was the first time we managed a half decent photograph so my holiday was complete! Another bird which I am finding a bit tricky to I.D. but think might be a female Buff-streaked chat.

Buff Streaked Chat Female

View to the cottage

As soon as we arrived at the cottage and got unpacked and settled, Simon had to practice his fly-fishing skills.

Following in Grandpa’s footsteps

A beautiful sunset

Thursday dawned calm and still and I was the first one up and got coffee on the go and then encouraged the fisherman to take advantage of the weather as the wind tends to spoil things later in the day.

Sunrise on Thursday morning

A Little Later

The fishing was successful – all catch and release – but Grandpa was not happy as the son-in-law beat him! Simon is still learning the art and managed to hook but not pull in a fish.

Trout

Jumping

Got it

Allan’s Big One

Gramps and Simon on the jetty

There always has to be a little inconvenience on every holiday – this time it was a flat tire which the guys set about sorting out.

Thanks Al

It was really flat – those roads have sharp

Although the sun was shining it is chilly at that altitude and i just couldn’t get warm. I settled down on the couch with a blanket and ‘The Elephant Whisperer’ by Lawrence Anthony on my Kindle.

Gran in chill mode

Allan had to leave after breakfast on Thursday – somebody has to earn the living! When it warmed up we sat on the stoep, watched the birds and enjoyed the scenery. When it got colder again the kids amused themselves by making videos on the computer and then entertained us with them. There were also games in the cottage and lots to read!

It was terribly windy on Friday morning so fishing was out of the question. We packed up early and made our way back to Kokstad deciding to treat ourselves to a Wimpy breakfast instead of cooking our own! We are now back at Lauren and Allan’s and the kids have gone down to the river to play. I think I will download another book onto my Kindle. The wind is blowing and anything more strenous is just not on my agenda!

Till tomorrow …….

Catching up with the Kokstad Clan – Heritage Day

2013-09-24 | puppy1952

Today is Heritage Day in South Africa. On Heritage Day we recognise and celebrate the diverse cultural wealth of our country. Being here in KZN in a rural environment has got me to thinking about what a privilege it is to live in this country in spite of its past atrocities and present problems. South African has been through many phases – the conquerors have conquered and like all other conquerors in the world realised that dominance is not a route of prosperity. Tribes have fought against other tribes and nations have battled for possession of a new land. The people affected are the citizens who have rebelled and trekked and set up new regimes which have had various levels of success and failure. We are now a rainbow nation of tolerance and yet there are still enormous problems to be overcome. It is up to us to learn from the past and what I see is a single thread running through the history of our country. One thing is certain – hard work – only hard work will ensure that the next generation will proper no matter what the political situation is. Think about it – in the past it is those who got up a did something about their situation who got the most out of their country. We should not forget the atrocities and the wrongs but we should follow the good examples from those who came before us. Each culture has something to offer. South Africa is an amazing country – fabulous scenery, mountains, sea and wildlife and extra specially fantastic people.

Here in rural Kokstad I have noticed that although the people lead a chilled lifestyle they all work very hard. My daughter has a full time teaching job 10km from where she lives, but it’s cool to have the kids there with her. She lives in a small house on a big plot, raises calves and keeps horses. She has an orchard and a vegetable garden. She is constantly busy but never complains about how stressed she is. She has a wide circle of friends all who lead rural lifestyles and support each other. The neighbours are far enough away not to see but the fence has a gate between them for easy access to each other. Other neighbours are further away but the visit often, swap kids and go off on weekends together. Social sport plays a huge role in their lives – there’s tennis and golf and Lauren’s favourite – endurance horse riding. If she rode in Cape Town it would cost more than she could afford – what a heritage, what a lifestyle she and all her friends enjoy.

Before leaving Cape Town, I asked my Grade Ones, “If your granny came to visit you from far away, what would you like her to bring you?” I got a long list of things from ‘Footy Pyjamas” to cool clothes, Action men to Barbie Dolls, Craft Books to pet kittens, puppies, bunnies and hamsters and finally a TRAMPOLINE. Well I got the cool clothes and some sweeties and when we got to Kokstad we purchased a 10ft trampoline from Game. What better gift for kids who have the garden to accommodate it.

Dragging the box to the right position – Lucy wants to help

The frame is up

Simon concentrating on those screws

Granny gets the first bounce

And is soon joined by Shannon and Simon

Gran now leaves it to the experts

Go Shannon

Oh Boy – this is fun!

On the land on which my daughter lives, a river runs through it. After bouncing for a bit Shannon and SImon packed a picnic and rode their bikes down to the where the river was shallow. I walked down a little later to see what they were doing. The brook gurgled, the birds were in full song. The dogs panted beside me and I eventually found them in the nook of a shady tree building a fort. Then they went hunting for crabs and frogs. Simon helped me over the slippery stepping stones giving careful instructions as to where to put my feet without slipping.

No fear of bikes being stolen

Shady nook

Sheeba exploring

Off to find crabs

Scary Monster

A princely frog

After lunch it clouded over a bit and we thought it might rain. I expressed relief that it didn’t but the family were most disappointed. “We welcome the rain!’ was their response and they’re very disappointed when it doesn’t come!

Later in the afternoon Lauren and I went for a fairly strenuous walk. We checked on the calves who are now almost cows. The view was amazing and it was good to get some exercise and air into the lungs. The dogs enjoyed it too.

The calves

The View

The wetland

Cows in the fields

Traditionally on Heritage Day, South Africans braai! We were no exception.

The Fire

The Braai Masters

We enjoyed braaied chicken, pork rashers, boerewors (farm sausage) and sweet potatoes wrapped in tinfoil and cooked in the coals. A fab way to end Heritage Day!

Link

On Sunday morning it was such a pleasure to be woken by Simon and Shannon shortly followed by Mom and Dad with steaming cups of coffee. The weather was crisp and clear and freezing cold! After a leisurely chat and lovely lie in we finally raised ourselves from bed. There was a power failure so we decided to treat the family to a Wimpy breakfast just outside the town of Kokstad. It had a lovely garden with play equipment for the kids.

A rare treat for the rural grandchildren

Simon expending energy

Fun on the climbing wall – Shan in new skinny jeans

We took the scenic route home. Instead of going through town so I could get some Kodak moments.

The Pink Church is one of 12 outstation Catholic churches in Kokstad that serves the surrounding community and is situated at the turnoff to Karg’s Post.

Karg’s Post turnoff

The Pink Church

Stunning setting for a church

We usually visit Kokstad in Summer when the green becomes overwhelming. In winter there is some relief as the lack of rain means there is a bit of dryness and browner shade around.

Mount Currie

Mount Fifty

Juvenile Jackal Buzzard

Dassie (Rock Hyrax) watching us closely

Later that morning we had visitors for tea. Neil and Rose and their daughter, Margie from next door popped in with the most delicious scones baked by Margie.

People in Kokstad are really friendly and nobody stands on ceremony. Conversation is relaxed and revolves round horses, livestock, farming and family. It is most refreshing. Nothing is too much trouble and if you’re in a spot there are a dozen people prepared to help you out. What a fantastic lifestyle.

We spent the rest of the day reading, relaxing and enjoying the sunshine. Grandpa did some repairs for Lauren and the electric gate now works!

Great way to mow the lawn

The Rural Home

Enjoying the dogs

I managed to finish reading The Unlikely Journey of Harold Fry on my Kindle before supper. After a delicious supper of chicken casserole we watched a moving and then it was bed!

This morning my cell rang out loudly at 7 a.m. causing me to rouse myself quickly. It was Barbara confirming plans for our visit to Brooklyn Farm later on. When our children were growing up we spent many Christmas holidays with Barbara and Andrew and their five children whose ages blended perfectly with our three. We are now the older generation watching our children do exactly what we did a generation ago! Now, though, we stay with Lauren and only get to spend a day or two with them unless we arrange to go away together which we have done before and is definitely on the agenda for the future!

First we had to shop for our two day stay in the mountains so Earl and I set off early and got all the needed provisions. En route we spotted this lovely Jackal Buzzard enjoying the morning sun.

Jackal Buzzard catching the rays

We met Birgitta and the boys at the bridge. They were on their way home from a long bike ride. “They think they’re playing in the river – but actually I’m recovering form the ride!” I know the feeling having done many cycles with my grandsons back home.

The MacKenzie boys cycling up the steep hill on their tiny mountain bikes

We enjoyed tea on the stoep but when the sun became too hot we moved into the shade of the oak tree. The garden was abuzz with birds and we enjoyed watching them come to the feeding tables and birdbath.

Tea on the stoep

A shady spot

Barbara instructing the gardener

A duck visits the ‘bath’

Oriole

Grey-headed sparrow

Barbara and Andrew’s grandsons came over after their ride and joined Simon in the sandpit.

Boys playing in the sand

Lunch was delicious and brought back happy memories of the old farm holidays. The Mackenzies are now in a small cottage while their son and his family occupy the old farmhouse.

Andrew carves the roast

Here are some farm scenes

The Dairy Herd

The tractor trudging along

After lunch Earl took the boys to the dam to try their luck at some bass fishing and were gone for some time. I heard later that there was a lot of fun but no fish caught!

Ann came over for tea with three-year-old Caitlyn and 18-month old James. What gorgeous children.

Catilyn and Heather's Fatso who is now 30 years old - out girls used to ride her

Catilyn on Fatso who is now 30 years old – out girls used to ride her

James got the courage to join his sister

The kids were intrigued by the ducklings

Sticking close to mom

Caitlyn fascinated by a ladybug

The boys returned tired and happy after their fishing trip and it was time to go. The weather has been kind and we very much enjoyed soaking up the warmth after our cold, wet, Cape winter.

Catching up with the Kokstad Clan

2013-09-22 | puppy1952

Schools broke on Friday and I was looking forward to having a long free afternoon to pack and organise myself for departure to KZN instead of my usual trick of going directly to the airport from school. However, there was something I had to do before I could settle down to the packing. I left school at 12:30 after setting it up for the new term and then as I have been suffering from an infection which has left me feeling rather low I went to Constantiaberg for a bladder and kidney scan just to make sure all is in order. Phew – yes everything is fine and I just need to get over myself!

The best way to do this is to get out there and have a holiday! Saturday morning found us packed and ready for Lisa to take us to Cape Town International and we were in the air at 10:30 a.m. The sun was trying hard to shine and we took off in only slightly overcast conditions. Sitting in the second row of Mango was delightful with Earl at the window disturbing my reading by pointing out the fabulous landscape below. I am not usually a happy flyer but this year has seen me in the air several times and hey – I’m now quite blasé about the whole affair – didn’t even listen to the safety instructions – I now know to grab the flippin’ mask before helping the next guy and kick off the heels to go down the slippery slip after following the well-lit arrows to the exit. And who cares anyway – if we crash I hope it’s over in a flash – I don’t want to be floating in the icy ocean below!

Durban did not put on its best face for us – temperature – same as Cape Town and raining too! Come on KZN – we need some cheering up! Too long have we suffered the winter blues back home – it has been the longest, coldest and wettest winter we’ve had since 2004!

Our hire car is a Toyota D4D Double Cab much like the one Earl used to drive so he is a happy chappy. We have booked to go to Wattle Crane Cottage high in the mountains and this requires a 4X4 – more about that later.

Ahhh KwaZulu Natal – how different to the Western Cape. It’s the colour that is the first thing to strike you – different shades of green and more green. The mountains are green, the fields are green unlike the Cape KZN is lush and sub tropical – The Cape is mild and Mediterranean. The further away from Cosmopolitan Cape Town you go the more you feel that you are truly in Africa. We travel along the South Coast for a while and stop to buy some fruit from the roadside informal traders. I have never seen such enormous avocado pears. The traders bring barrows full of produce and sit in front of their huts and sell to the passing motorists.

Informal Trader on the side of the highway

Informal Zulu Trader on the side of the highway

Hut with a view

When we turn inland and travel through a part of the Eastern Cape to get to Kokstad at the foot of the Drakensburg Mountains. The roads can be treacherous to travel along because of potholes and livestock who think the road is there for them. Today the condition of the road is mainly good – maintenance has taken place but the livestock are there.

Along the way the fruit sellers are there but also some enterprising people who braai mielies on an open fire and provide sustenance for hungry locals and travellers alike. I wanted to take a photograph but the lady shouted and put her umbrella in front of her and the person next to her sent her child across with the wares so you can just make out the fire of the one and shy brolly of the other in the background.

Not for us but thanks for the photograph

We made it to Kaag’s Post at exactly 4 o’clock precisely according to Earl”s planning which gives him great satisfaction.

A fork tailed drongo greets us at the bridge

Then flies into the willows

The wild peach trees offer some welcome colour to the eternal green of KZN

Simon was hiding when we arrived but the dogs and Lauren were there with the dogs and Shannon and Alan not far behind. It’s wonderful to be with them again. Shan has grown in the seven months since seeing her last and she’s now almost as tall as me. Good thing I decided to get the 12-13 jeans and t-shirt I’ve brought her!

Lauren and the dogs

Simon was finally persuaded to come out of hiding and had a rough and tumble with his grandfather.

Rough and tumble with Grandpa

The Bakers came for supper and we enjoyed a wonderful Weber of pork and chicken and the excellent company of kids’ best friends! More – much more to follow.

Women’s Day Weekend in Struisbaai – Conclusion

2013-08-11 | puppy1952

This morning we enjoyed another fabulous ‘Early’ breakfast and then packed up and set off for a slow and scenic drive home. After the recent rains there is water everywhere and this added to the success of our bird watching. We took the R317 dirt road to ‘Die Dam’ and stopped several times to take photographs.

Water Water Everywhere

Red-billed Teal

Female Red Bishop

Male Red Bishop

Grey Heron on top of hay stack – some birds have made nest holes it the stack

The Wild Flowers were beautiful

Black-winged Stilt

Karoo Prinia

Levaillant’s Cisticola

Pin-tailed Whydah

It is not easy to find Purple Swamphen even when bird watching in a wetland as they are quite shy birds and hide easily in the reeds. So it was very exciting to find the right at the side of the road in the flood waters. Two of them flew away when I got out of the car to take pictures but one stayed and was not at all frightened of me. I was close enough to reach out and touch him and he still did not fly away. It was great to see him at such close quarters and to see him swim too. These birds have long, widely spaced toes which are adapted to walking on lily pads and climbing up reeds.

The colours were shining in the sunlight

Back View

Such a beautiful bird

The Four of Us at Die Dam

We also went to Buffulsjag where Earl camped as a youngster. He pitched his tent in the dark and when he woke in the morning found he was at the very edge of a cliff as seen in the photograph.

Buffulsjag – cliffs in the distance

We had planned to meet up with our friends Gus and Jacqui who were travelling home from Arniston. What were the chances that as we came to the tar road they arrived at the crossroads at exactly the same time! Instead of having lunch in Hermanus as originally planned we decided that parking would be easier in Stanford. We found a fantastic little restaurant that offered home bakes too – and Sharon had to have her cake!

Evergreen. Stanford

The food was excellent

Gus and Jacqui were wise enough to avoid Sir Lowry’s by going via Kleinmond so avoided the traffic jam that we had to contend with. They laughed when they heard we were caught in traffic but we didn’t really mind. After all we weren’t in a hurry to get anywhere!

It was a fabulous weekend and we all feel as if we’ve been away for a month!

Women’s Day Weekend in Struisbaai – Part Two

2013-08-10 | puppy1952

It was a lazy start to the day this morning. The sun was up and shining again but the chill had not left the air so we lingered longer in our warm beds. I had my usual craving for croissants and the boys did their best to locate some. OK Grocer apologised but were not making them this weekend! Instead they came home with herby bread rolls, ham and cottage cheese. I was a bit miffed but when the lovely rolls were put before me all was forgiven.

Sharon tucking into brekkei

Sharon and I took a walk to the Struisbaai Mall and visited South Bound Gift Shop – always a fun place to browse around. The men caught up with us a little later and we shopped for a ‘snippermaandjie” (waste paper basket) and found a suitable one at the hardware shop. It is amazing what Struisbaai has to offer in the way of shopping these days. I wanted to show Sharon the Fish Shop and had no intention of buying anything but there were products on demo and after tasting this and that we left with a small haul – green fig preserve, mango mustard, olive chutney and whatnot.

A Smorgasbord of choice

The Fish Shop the meets all your fish requirements from bait, fresh caught fish and cooked take aways to items that you need to cook your own catch

There is some controversy as to where the Atlantic and Indian actually meet – The owner clearly believes it’s not here and I agree with him!

Later in the afternoon we took a drive to Suiderstrand and a long walk (over and hour) along the beach toward and beyond the Agulhas National Park Rest Camp where we stayed a few weeks ago. (See earlier Blog)

The scenery was to die. The pebbly beach proved challenging on the feet but the sound of the sea rumbling on them in the shallows was like nautical music to our ears.

Sweep of the coastline

Smooth white pebbles underfoot

Fishermen trying their luck

We left the shells where they belong

Enjoying the sunshine

The threatened African Black Oyster Catcher

Ignoring the breaking waves

Keep up please, Darling

We know we’re a handsome couple

White-fronted plovers

After all this strenuous exercise we’d worked up a healthy appetite. Chef Earl was keen to try out some more of his culinary skills and once again presented us with a delicious supper which was followed by fresh berries and yogurt.