Australian Adventure –

2014-01-13 | puppy1952

The Australian Adventure is over and we are safely back in our homeland – South Africa! To all the Australians who have read the blog – thank you for hosting us in your fantastic country. Almost every Australian we met was friendly, kind and helpful from the smallest child to the very old man I met and chatted to on the ferry. He struck up the conversation and showed a real interest in where I came from and he was proud when I told him that his countrymen had been good to us.

Thanks to my Aussie Family for their love and care of us, putting up with our demands and showing us a jolly good time! We love you guys and look forward to you coming to visit us in the very near future!

It was also amazing catching up with friends – the Morrises – Australians we met some years ago – your hospitality was beyond amazing and you made our Australian Birding dreams come true! Gail and Martin – wow – so sorry we didn’t have a tad longer with you guys – but our day together was awesome. We look forward to having a Kruger trip with you soon!

I thought the flight back would be easier than the one over but the opposite was true. We left at 10:30 a.m. Australian Time and arrived in Johannesburg at 3:30 p.m. South African time – 14 hours in the air! By the time we got onto our connecting flight at 6:00 p.m. I was exhausted. I guess it was because we didn’t really have a night and I didn’t even try to sleep.

However, after a good night’s sleep I felt great this morning. School started bright and early with a rousing, inspiring and welcoming staff meeting at 7:30 a.m. And so it’s back to normal life and living the South African Lifestyle!

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!

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.

The Cape Bird Club Beginners’ Course Outing to False Bay Ecology Park

2013-09-01 | puppy1952

A Birding Paradise

There’s a place that was once a sewage farm,

But now the ponds are settled and calm,

And filled with wild and wonderful birds;

A perfect place for Avian Nerds

As you travel along the many dirt roads,

Look out for crabs and occasional toads.

Perhaps you’ll find a mongoose or buck

There will certainly be a yellow-billed duck.

The pelicans swim the swallows they fly

And maybe you’ll hear the fish eagle cry.

There are stilts and avocets, teal and coots.

A purple swamp-hen chews on roots.

And as well as all these waterfowl

You may even spot the eagle-owl.

The long claw with its orange throat

Sings out with a meowing note.

In rain, in shine, no matter what

You’re bound to see a helovalot.

Come join us at the Ecology Park

We’ll show you more than just a lark.

Today members of The Cape Bird Club took the delegates from Heather’s Beginners’Course on an outing to The False Bay Ecology Park where they put their newly acquired birding skills to the test. The rain had stopped and the skies were clear – we saw a beautiful rainbow – but the roads were somewhat muddy. Nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of the beginners though and the ‘guides’ were just too thrilled to show off this amazing place. We loaded the cars with each one having a window seat and each car set off to separately find the 27 target birds plus anything else that might show up. When we stopped to compare notes the vibe of excitement was tangible as the beginners shared what they had seen. Personally I never get tired of seeing the flamingos doing their amazing ballet in the shallows or impersonating ducks in deeper water. It was hugely rewarding to share my passion with others.

False Bay Ecology Park is next door to Zeekoeivlei – Strandfontein Beach in the Background

Red-knobbed Coot swim among the flamingos

Close up

Red-knobbed Coot by Earl

Purple Swamphen

Red-billed teal and Cape Shoveller with head hidden on the right by Earl

Cape Teal by Earl

Pelican with white-breasted cormorants

Preening

Jay’s Picture

Swimming

Black-crowned Night Heron

Pied Avocets

A Sleepy Spotted Eagle-owl

Taken with eyes open at another time – wouldn’t open his eyes for us today.

African Black Oyster-catchers – same place but better than the pics I took today

Moorhen taken at another time

Little Grebe – we saw lots – but this picture taken at another time

Cattle Egret in Breeding Plumage – taken by Earl

Black-necked grebe – on of the many we saw today.

Mongoose taken by Jay

Common Waxbill taken by Jay

Cape Longclaw taken by Jay

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.