Category Archives: Travel

Christmas Present in Plettenberg Bay

Every year at Christmas we holiday with our immediate family – our three daughters, son-in-law and four grandchildren. Since our granddaughter has been dating the young man she is about to marry we have had to share her with his family and this year it was their turn to be with them. Our oldest grandson is now living and working in Hungary so we missed him being with us too. Over the years Christmas has changed for us many times and we must now accept that with the grandchildren all grown up it will change again. But how amazing that we have all the memories and photographs of Christmas Past and Christmas Present and we will make new memories with Christmas Future.

Christmas Past – Reading the Grinch who tried to steal Christmas to the Grandchildren –
Clockwise from back – Shannon, Jay, Joshua, Granny, Simon, Grandpa

Christmas Past Kokstad 2016 Allan, Earl, Lisa, Laurie, Lauren, Simon, Shannon, Jay, Helen, Joshua

Christmas Present – Lauren, Laurie, Allan, Grandpa, Joshua, Lisa

Simon always plays Santa and hands out the gifts

By the style of the writing in my Christmas card, I guessed that it was from Allan. I was correct and on the back of the card in tiny type it said – Made specially for you by your son-in-law. He then told me to look at my WhatsApp – A photo of a pair of good hiking shoes!

We are all together with Lauren, Allan and Simon in Plettenberg Bay and the days have been mostly sunny and warm. Most mornings the fit ones amongst us get up early and walk on the beach before breakfast.

We have also done the Robberg Hike which is, to say the least, quite a challenge! I have done it several times in the past and I’m proud to say I managed it again this year!

Robberg Hike – Me – SIL thought my shoes were not good enough – hence the promised Secret Santa gift!

Robberg Hike – The Afrikaans word for seal is rob. Robberg means Seal Mountain. Here we are looking down on a rookery of seals

Lauren and Allan’s home is in a gated estate that has some beautiful, marked trails which we walk most afternoons.

There is also a lovely play park for kids

Plettenberg Bay has an awesome climate and the most beautiful, white, sandy beaches. Robberg Beach is the perfect place for enjoying walks, swims, dog walking and sundowners.

Allan, Simon, Josh and some friendly dogs having fun

On Christmas Eve we all went to a lovely restaurant called Barringtons for breakfast. This place has a fabulous herb and vegetable garden and the sunflowers are spectacular.

Today the weather has turned chilly and we have had some rain – most unusual for Plettenberg Bay at this time of the year. So we are all chilling indoors, bonding, reading, watching movies, cuddling the pets etc.

Tomorrow Lauren, Allan and Si are off to join friends on the Wild Coast for a few days and we are going to pet-sit.

I hope you have all had an amazing festive season.

A Kgalagadi Adventure – Day 1 Getting There

8 Replies

Thursday 10 August 2023

Gecko 109 (Cathy and Alec) and Gecko 81 (Helen and Earl) are on the first leg of their road trip to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the Northern Cape, South Africa.

Thanks to Cathy’s excellent organising skills the trip that she planned a year ago began today. But there was a hiccup. Earl needed to renew both our car and caravan licenses but when he tried to do it at 3 pm on Tuesday the municipal office had already closed at 12 noon and yesterday was a public holiday! So Cathy printed out the required forms on Wednesday afternoon and the Earl and I arrived bright and early at the Bredasdorp Traffic Department at 07:45. Earl was third in the queue but was finished first as he had his forms all filled in! The office opened at 08:00 and he was done by 08:12 enabling us to meet at the appointed spot by 08:25!

Our first stop at 10:00 was at Christina’s on Van Loveren’s Wine Farm in Robertson where we had a delicious breakfast. It’s a great place to stop as there is plenty of space to park the caravans. Their Eggs Florentine and omelets are awesome. The coffee is excellent too.

At lunchtime, we stopped at Kardoesie and had toasted sandwiches and smoothies before continuing to Calvinia where we spent the night at Klipwerf Self-Catering and Camping. The camping section is tiny and we could not park our little Geckos without using our movers. The site is also on a busy road so the sound of heavy vehicles can disturb your sleep. We have a small ablution of a loo, basin, and shower shared by our two caravans.

We wanted to go to a restaurant for dinner but when I phoned around they were all fully booked It is, after all, flower season! So we opted for takeaway pizzas from Ciela which were excellent. I phoned to order and they Whatsapped me the menu then I replied with our choices – Just Meat for the men, Kiepie for Cath, and Stella for me. South African readers will guess the “Kiepie” had chicken. Stella – butternut and feta among other stuff. They then sent a pin and promised to let us know when to collect. The wait was about 40 minutes as they were really busy. Flower season is really good for business in this neck of the woods!

So those are the details of Day One. Now for the photographs of our scenic drive through Namaqualand. The weather was glorious. Our starting temperature was 12 degrees C but through Namaqualand, it rose to 30 degrees C! August is the best month to visit Namaqualand especially if the preceding months have had good rains. And indeed it has been a very wet winter. The photographs do not do justice to how incredibly beautiful the flowers are this year. Most of my photographs were taken from a moving vehicle!

And for the campers and caravanners – our campsite photos

MSC Orchestra Cruise – Two days with the family

14 Replies

A few weeks ago our daughter called to invite us to join her on a cruise. MSC does a summer season in South Africa but at the end of April, they return to the Med. MSC Orchestra was offering a pre-departure special – 2 nights – balcony cabin – at half the normal fare. We said, “Yes, we’re in!” The only problem was they refused to let us bring the caravan so we had to sleep in the cabin! Our son-in-law Allan couldn’t make it and our Plett grandchildren had other commitments too but all three of our daughters, the two Cape Town grandsons, and the best friend of one of our girls joined in on the fun. Lauren and Wendy have been best friends since Grade 8 and although they lived in different provinces for many years, Lauren in KZN and Wendy farming with her now late hubby, Bryn, in Elgin, Western Cape, they have remained close. These two were joined at the hip and did everything together as teens. Wendy was like another child to us as Lauren was to her mom. Lauren has now moved back to the Western Cape and although still five hours apart, (Wendy is still farming in Elgin) they are able to see so much more of each other. They both have kids in their late teens and early twenties now.

Our 25-year-old grandson, Jay, is heading to Europe to seek greener pastures later this month so this was a lovely opportunity to spend some quality time with him before he leaves next week. So we were a party of eight – Our oldest, Lisa shared with our youngest, Laurie. Our middle daughter Lauren shared with her bestie Wendy, and Jay 25 shared with his brother Josh 24. And of course, the Old Fogies left their caravan at Chapman’s Peak Caravan Park and settled for a balcony cabin on Deck 10.

Now cruising might not be for everyone. But for us, it was an opportunity to bond with the kids, relax and have fun. On board ship, there is something for everyone. The boys had never cruised before and did not know what to expect. But they certainly now have a taste for it. Our girls are still young enough to enjoy the nightlife and we all enjoyed the restaurants, the theatre and the entertainment in the various bars and lounges.

The boys took good care of their grandfather – At the cruise terminal

Spot our family in the queue which moved very quickly

We opted not to take drinks packages as on such a short trip we didn’t think we’d finish the vouchers. So we loaded our cruise cards and bought as we needed. Champagne for the girls at dinner, wine for the Earl and me. The boys stuck to coke and water. (I’m so proud they don’t drink except for the odd glass.)

Goodbye Table Mountain – Note the FNB Portside Building on the extreme right – where Lisa and Laurie work

Wendy, Lauren, Jay, Joshua, Laurie, Earl, and Lisa – ready to go down for our first on-board dinner

My grandsons and me – I used to hold one on each hip – Look at them now!

We love cruising and thoroughly enjoyed a month-long cruise from Mauritius to Italy in 2019. This was nothing like that but the two days were awesome as it was like spending a weekend with family and simply enjoying each other’s company without having to worry about cooking, cleaning, and finding activities that everybody would enjoy. We enjoyed all our meals together, went to the theatre together and enjoyed the musical entertainment in the lounges. We also spent time in the sun on the deck but while the younger ones danced till the early hours, the Earl and I retired to our beds! We also indulged in a couples massage at The Spa – bliss!

Fun Photo – Josh, Lauren, Lisa {Mother of those big boys!), Jay

What were the chances of meeting someone we knew!

Wendy who is like another daughter to us

Lisa our oldest – and celebrating her birthday on board

Jay our oldest grandson – soon to be seeking adventure in far-off lands

Earl the amazing patriarch of this awesome family of ours

Me – a very proud Mother and Grandmother – How awesome that our kids wanted us to cruise with them

The restaurant staff bade us farewell with song and dance

Thanks Ibiscus Staff for an awesome time

In conclusion, we had an amazing time on this short cruise. There were a few issues but nothing could spoil this time for us. As you can see from the photographs, our grandsons are tall and skinny but they have enormous appetites so the availability of food was a huge plus for them. They ate an enormous breakfast but were still hungry at lunchtime when they went to the buffet and once again filled their plates with a variety of amazing food. They laughed when I told them they’d spoil their appetites for dinner. Ha – they got through all the courses and still had room to feast at the midnight buffet – after disco dancing of course!

We also enjoyed the food on board but of course in much smaller portions! The service in the restaurant was a tad slow so patience was required. But when you are enjoying good company the wait is not so bad!

If you decide to cruise with MSC you won’t be disappointed. The theatre performances are excellent and there is always something entertaining happening in the bars and lounges at night. During the day there are deck activities as well as indoor activities you can join in or just watch and of course when the weather is good the pool and sun tanning is just the thing.

Longer cruises are even more fun as you get to go on shore excursions and visit exotic places. In 2019 we had the most awesome time on The Costa Victoria which sailed from Mauritius to Venice. You can read about our cruise here

Fun at Bontebok National Park

10 Replies

Friday 6 January 2023

The dawn chorus woke me early this morning and on peeking out of my window I saw that the rain had gone. By eight o’clock we were on our way to Swellendam to do some shopping. There is no restaurant in the park and we had not yet provisioned for the next part of our extended holiday.

As we were driving toward the exit gate I checked my phone for messages and found I had a missed call from our friend, Carl. I rang him back. He asked if we were in the park and when I said we were about to leave to have breakfast in Swellendam he was delighted. He was almost there himself having taken a motorbike ride from Napier and was planning to have breakfast at Grace and Merci. So of course we met him there and had a lovely catch-up before he rode back home and we got on with our town chores.

A lovely place to stop for a meal in Swellendam – Grace and Merci

Our timing was perfect – got to have a meal with Carl

Swellendam has a good Checkers and we managed to get everything we needed, then returned to the park. I was delighted to find that the camp had a laundry with a washer and dryer in good working order. I obtained two tokens at R15 each and put on a load of washing. While this was doing I got stuck into tidying the caravan which was in serious need of a spruce-up. I donned the rubber gloves and gave it a thorough scrub. By the time I was done, the washing was ready to go into the dryer.

Luckily a caravan is quick and easy to clean.

Once everything was neat and tidy and the laundry folded and packed away, it was time to explore our surroundings.

The park is situated 6km from Swellendam at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains and it is bordered by the Breede River in the South. This small park was established specially to protect the endangered bontebok which need the type of renosterveld on which this species thrives. They were hunted almost to extinction in the 1800s and when only 22 remained, a park to protect them was established near Bredasdorp but then moved to Swellendam where the vegetation was more suitable. The park now has between 200 and 300 individuals and De Hoop nature reserve also has a number of these beautiful antelope.

Because there are no predators in the park it is safe to walk and cycle in the park and a number of cycling and walking trails have been created. They are well-signposted and easy to follow. The Earl and I started on the Aloe Hill trail but then turned off to have a look at the river where boating, fishing and swimming is allowed.

The rain was gone and the bridge was not slippery

There is a campsite without electricity right beside the river

Tubing, swimming and riding the rapids is being enjoyed by some fun-loving kids

Fishing is allowed – someone is all set up for the afternoon but he is nowhere in sight!

And a Cape Bulbul asked to be noticed too

It was quite hot and after walking for half an hour the Earl decided not to continue. So I walked back to the caravan with him and a little later went off on my own. The birdlife in the park is prolific and I hoped to get a few photos. I certainly saw more than I could capture digitally though!

I have no sense of direction whatsoever so hoped the signs would guide me both there and back!

As I adventured on I imagined that I was an explorer not knowing what was around the next bend

It was quiet and only the birdsong could be heard

I thought that if I followed this sign the aloe hill trail would get me back to camp

Lovely flora of all different colours to admire

Hey – You’re in my park – The bontebok owns this place

This Karoo Prinia literally yelled for his portrait to be taken

I continued to follow the signs but I must have missed the Aloe Hill sign and found myself on the bushbuck trail which petered out and so I turned around and retraced my steps until I found the sign that pointed me back to camp. This all took over an hour but I had the most awesome time being an almost lost in the bush explorer!

Fortunately, I arrived back just as the Earl was waking from his nap. “I thought you were lost!” he said. He has no faith in my ability to find myself without him!

It was soon time for a sundowner and to make a salad while the Earl did the braai. What a beautiful day it was after all the rain yesterday. We chatted to our neighbours – campers are always friendly and then had our dinner before settling down for the night.

Camp Facilities

The camp facilities are lovely. The kitchen has electric hot plates, food preparation sinks and a microwave. There is a laundry with big basins for hand washing and a washing machine and dryer that work. Tokens must be obtained at R15 each from reception. There is also a scullery where you can wash dishes. Everything is neat, tidy and functional.

A picnic table and braai under cover for campers’ use

Scullery has double sinks with plenty of space to put a drying rack

The ablution block is modern but the shower cubicles are quite small with just one hook behind the door and a small fold-up bench.

Make up counter with plugs for hairdryers and shavers

This is certainly a park that is worth a visit. There is lots to see and do.

Bontebok National Park

13 Replies

5 January 2023

It’s not so bad finding yourself “homeless” when there are so many awesome places to stay cheaply, assuming, of course, that you have a tent or caravan!

As I mentioned in my previous post we have taken on the gypsy lifestyle while our house is let out for the holidays.

Today we left Warmwaterberg where we spent two lovely days and as we travelled toward Swellendam we enjoyed the scenery before the rain bucketed down.

We stopped to have breakfast at the infamous Diesel and Creme in Barrydale.

The weather made us sit indoors this time

As you can see only a few chose to be chilly outdoors

We really should have ordered one wrap to share because neither of us could eat both halves!

Thus fortified with food we continued on our scenic drive to Bontebok National Park.

We love this little town of Suurbraak between Swellendam and Barrydale

The homes are simple but everyone makes them look really pretty.

Goodbye Suurbraak – we will visit one day soon as at Warmwaterberg we met some folk who have a home here

It was still raining when we entered Bontebok National Park. I asked the reception staff to please turn it off but they just laughed at me. Anyway, my spirits were up when we saw our first Bontebok of the trip.

We settled into our not-too-muddy campsite and huddled in the Gecko till the rain let up a little and then went for a drive.

The red hartebeest was too grumpy even to lift his head.

And this spotted thick knee looked amazing in spite of being wet

The wildflowers were also quite cheerful – I think this is some type of Erica.

The park is very pretty but in the wet weather, there was not too much to see.

At supper time we did not need to cook outdoors as we had leftover Benedict wraps and leftover ribs from Warmwaterberg both of which were still quite delicious.

More to follow tomorrow. I promise the weather improves!

A Little Breakaway to Warmwaterberg – Part Two – What fun we had.

5 Replies

Friday 25 February 2022

On Friday morning we awoke to a little bit of rain but it did not last long. We went for an early morning swim in both the hot and cold pools and then enjoyed an “Early Breakfast”. I am indeed lucky to have a man who loves to cook. He particularly enjoys using our nifty little Snappy Chef cooker and Smart Space pan.

Delicious scrambled eggs with bacon, tomato, banana, feta and mushrooms

After breakfast, we spent some more time in the pools. The hot waters of the spring are very relaxing and certainly help to ease any aches and pains you may have. The mineral-rich water once cooled is also very healthy to drink. Perhaps it even has some healing powers?

After swimming the Earl took a short nap while I sat in the shade of the canopy and read my book. All of a sudden I became aware of something moving near my feet. I looked down and got quite a fright at the giant that I saw. Was he aiming to chew my toes?

The angulate tortoise is common in The Karoo and is quite unafraid of human beings. No, being a vegetarian, he did not chew my toes but gobbled up the lettuce I gave him.

At midday, we decided to take a drive to Barrydale where we stopped in at Diesel and Creme for a Very Berry Smoothy. It sounds healthy but is actually quite decadent!

Diesel and Creme is a fascinating place to stop if just to stare at the interesting ancient memorabilia on display. It is deliberately shabby with very little chic. You can look back on my previous Warmwaterberg posts for more photos if you wish.

As I’ve mentioned before Route 62 is popular with motorcyclists and they frequently stop at Diesel and Creme for refreshment – old bikes in the foreground, new, visiting ones behind.

Perhaps the bikers like the place because many of them are ancient hippies themselves.

Part of the establishment is the Karoo Moon Motel

You can stay over in this hotel which was built in 1896 but has now been converted into two self-catering units. We have never had the pleasure of staying there but you can check it out here.

One wonders how those ladies’ legs got into the flower garden!

Later that afternoon our friends Carl and Yolandi arrived. Originally they were going to bring their tent but we were surprised and delighted to see they had borrowed a friend’s trailer. It didn’t take long to get perfectly set up.

It was Carl’s birthday last week so this evening we went to the restaurant for a celebratory dinner. We have always found Warmwaterberg’s restaurant to be awesome, not only because of the wonderful view but also for their excellent food.

The Earl, Yolandi and I ordered Bobotie and Carl had Schnitzel – well he is of German descent so it was to be expected!

Yolandi could not believe what was put before her

View across the valley from the restaurant

We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and after the relaxing warm waters, beautiful surroundings, good company and fantastic food we all slept beautifully.

Saturday 26 February 2022

What awesome weather we woke up to this morning. The sun was shining, the skies were clear and it was hot! I emerged from the Gecko at 07:15 and found Carl and Yolandi in the process of rising too. Before long we were all in the pool and found that many of the other guests had the same idea of getting in early.

When we returned to camp we found a kill in progress!

A Gecko of another kind finds some juicy prey

The Earl then cooked us one of his famous breakfasts and then we all piled into our car with Carl in the driver’s seat. Our mission – to visit Calitzdorp, 100km away. The Earl just didn’t feel like driving but was happy to be a passenger with his pal who calls him “Uncle” taking the wheel.

The mountain passes on Route 62 are legendary. The one we are featuring here today runs between Ladismith and Calizdorp and is just as picturesque as Tradouw Pass which I wrote about in the previous post.

The Huisrivier pass runs between Ladismith and Calizdorp and is 13.4 km long. It is quite a twisty drive and you need to be alert while negotiating the bends. However, the scenery is just stunning. There are three river crossings during the course of the pass. As the geology of this pass is unstable, several pioneering engineering techniques were applied during its construction to ensure it would survive all weathers safely. The steepest gradient is 1:12. Rockfalls can occur but the catch walls are taking care of most of them.

Calitzdorp is a small town on the western side of The Little Karoo. It is built on the site of the farm Buffelsvallei. This farm was granted to Jacobus Johannes and Matthys Christiaan Calitz in 1831. In 1853 they donated some of their land to The Dutch Reformed Church so that a church could be built. The church then, in 1858 began to sell plots to members of their congregation.

In 1924 a railway line was opened and in 1937 electricity came to the town. A new cement road linking Calitzdorp to Oudschoorn was also built.

Calitzdorp experiences extreme weather from very hot in the summer months to very cold during winter. Often the mountaintops are covered in snow. The town is also susceptible to droughts and floods.

We went to do some gin and wine tasting at Boplaas Tasting Rooms. You can read about their history here.

Before we went in we noticed some standing rocks arranged in a circle and went to investigate.

Earl and Yolandi look into the circle of stones.

After tasting a bit of this and a bit of that we each bought a bottle of citrus flavoured gin and Carl and Yolandi also got a bottle of red wine

By this time we were all getting a bit peckish so at the recommendation of one of the Boplaas staff we went to Cafe @ The Rose. What a good choice. Their cheesecake was delicious as were the iced coffees and the Americano which I chose. There were many delicious things on display and I ended up buying olive tapenade, olive and sundried tomato tapenade and two bags of Maria’s Camdeboo coffee. On the package, you can read Maria’s story which I quote here below.

“When I imagine the perfect cup of coffee, I think back to sitting our stoep with my dad enjoying a fresh cup lovingly prepared by my late mother, Maria. This treasured memory inspired ‘Maria’s’, a place where my family’s passion for coffee has been realised.”

Maria’s is a coffee shop in Graaff-Reinett, where we have been and had the most amazing meals as well as wonderful coffee. This little restaurant, Cafe @ The Rose, only serves Maria’s Coffee.

Back at camp, we enjoyed the pools then took a nap. When we woke up we took to the waters again after which The Earl started the braai.

On Sunday after swimming, we packed up and made our way to Diesl and Creme where we met up with Yolandi’s cousin. Desmond is working in Tulbach for a few months and rode up on his motorbike especially to see Yolandi.

Waiting for breakfast at Diesel and Creme. Lovely to meet Desmond

Gecko #81heading home after another awesome adventure

A Little Breakaway to Warmwaterberg Spa Part One – First Day and All the information

6 Replies

It was another of our spur-of-the-moment decisions to pack up the caravan and head to Warmwaterberg Spa for a few days. We mentioned our plans to our friends Carl and Yolandi just before we booked and they decided that they would join us.

The Earl and I left on Thursday 24 February and they joined us the following Friday leaving after Yolandi finished school for the weekend.

Thursday

Warmwaterberg is on the Cape Tourist Route 62 which starts in Cape Town and includes Oudtshoorn, the Langkloof and Port Elizabeth. It would be the scenic route that tourists would take instead of following the N2 Highway. It is also very popular with motorcyclists.

Our route took us from Struisbaai, through Bredasdorp and Swellendam and then onto the R62 to Barrydale and Warmwaterberg Spa. The scenery along the way was amazing with its magnificent mountains and ravines through the Tradouw Pass which then contrasted with the arid landscape of The Little Karoo.

We left just Struisbaai just after 08h00 and after dropping off a parcel for our young friend at Bredasdorp Primary School we went to fill up at Caltex Petrol Station. There, a couple approached us and said, “We saw you passing our house with your Gecko caravan and we’re interested in buying one. We followed you here. Please can you show us yours!”

I can just picture the scene – “Darling – look there goes a Gecko – quick jump in the car – let’s follow them.” And without even stopping to lock their front door they hop in the car and race after the disappearing caravan, fortunately finding it stopped at the petrol station so they didn’t have to overtake and wave it down.

Of course, we were only too delighted to oblige. The Gecko Offroad Caravan is the best in the country and the waiting list to get one is getting longer! The couple will probably be putting their order in very soon.

At 10 o’clock we stopped at Rolandale for breakfast. This is a delightful farmstall/restaurant that not only serves wholesome meals but sells crafts, homemade preserves and confectionery too. It is really worth a stop even if it’s just for a cup of their excellent coffee.

Before turning off towards the Tradouw Pass we went through Suurbraak a settlement that was established in 1812 when the London Missionary Society started a mission station to serve the Attaqua Khoikhoi. It is such a picturesque little village and I always enjoy travelling through it. Some of the residents grow vegetables on small plots and they still use horse-drawn ploughs to till the soil. They sell their harvest to an organic restaurant or at the Swellendam markets.

The Tradouw Pass was built by a gang of prisoners under the guidance of Thomas Bain. It was completed in 1873. It is a magnificent drive that follows the course of the Tradouw River in the gorge below. At times the sandstone precipices loom very close to your car window and towing a caravan can be a tad scary around those sharp bends.

As you leave the pass you turn toward Barrydale whose history goes back to the early eighteenth century. Farmers moved into the area in search of fertile arable land and water. The town finally came into being in 1878. In 1940 the Barrydale Kooperatiewe Wynkelder was formed and a distillery was established. Joseph Barry Brandy was produced locally and in 2003 was voted the best brandy in the world.

The town now has about 4000 permanent residents and is a great tourist attraction because of the interesting arts and crafts shops which have amazing textiles, jewelry and African souvenirs. The restaurants are also novel and serve good food. It is certainly a town with a difference.

One of the many interesting shops in Barrydale

The Earl and I visit Warmwaterberg Spar three or four times a year, sometimes as a stopover to more distant places and sometimes just to take the waters and to have a few days of relaxation. My regular readers will have read about our previous visits to this blog site.

Warmwaterberg is between Barrydale and Ladismith. It has both self-catering accommodation and caravan and camping sites. Some of the accommodation is very basic and the ablution facilities could do with an upgrade. Bath House 3 and 4 are awesome. They are new and have their own enormous bath, big enough for two, a lovely kitchen area and a separate loo and shower just outside the room.

We prefer to camp. Our favourite caravan site is 17 C next to the pool. Site 17 A and B are also good. The rest of the caravan/camping sites are further away but are in a shady environment and quite acceptable if you don’t mind a bit of a walk to the pools. They are also near the ablution block and the wash-up facility. If you camp on sites 17 A, B and C you need to use the pool showers and loos. We don’t need the wash-up facility as we have our own with the caravan.

The hot water spring is 44 degrees C at its source and has a very high iron content making the water brown in colour. The water in the pool comes from the artesian spring and is untreated and each hot pool is emptied and cleaned on alternate days. There is also a cold pool.

The Cold Pool in the foreground and the two Hot Pools beyond

We arrived at midday and set up in the shadiest part of the site. It gets hot in The Karoo, especially in summer. Rain was predicted but we only got a spit and a spot the following morning. For the rest of the weekend, it was clear skies and sunshine. The Peacocks were there to greet us.

Mom with her chicks who are quite big already

Dad left her pretty much to do the child-rearing on her own

This ‘familiar’ bird came for a ‘chat’ (A Familiar Chat)

The Earl made us a lovely braai for dinner.

Watch this space for more about our weekend and a report on The Huisrivier Pass and Calizdorp.

Breaking Free From Lockdown. Day 29

9 Replies

Monday 23 August 2021

Today we did quite a long morning drive. We started on the H1-4 then did the S89, S90 and S41, before returning to Satara via the S100. We saw a lovely variety of birds and animals. I am posting the highlights and letting the photos tell their own story today.

Our first Burchell’s Coucal of the day. Several of his friends turned up to say hello during the course of our drive

This usually shy steenbok is not afraid of anyone

Cathy’s nick-name for giraffe – “Raafies”

A call from Alec on the walkie talkie alerted us to a big surprise

We arrived back at camp at 13:30. After doing camp chores and having a rest, Cathy and Alec went for a short drive at 16:00, but the Earl and I decided to stay in camp. They returned after an hour to say we hadn’t missed much except for some lovely hippo.

Breaking Free From Lockdown. Day 28 Satara to Timbavati Picnic Site

6 Replies

Apologies for being missing in action for the past two days. The internet at Satara is not that great at the best of times but for the past two days it has been down completely. I will try to catch up as quickly as possible.

Sunday 22 August 2021

Today’s weather was not very pleasant. It was overcast, windy and cold. All dressed up in jeans and jerseys we left camp at 07:50 with the Everest in the lead. We started our drive on the H1-4.

The first excitement of the day came in the form of two very large birds.

“Oh – look – a Secretary Bird! Two Secretary birds!” Then one took off and flew to the other side of the road. We could not see it but Cathy and Alec could.

Then just after that another member of the Big Six birds of Kruger National Park made an appearance.

The Heaviest flying bird in the world is the Kori Bustard

The Big Six Birds to seek are Pel’s Fishing Owl, Kori Bustard, Ground Hornbill, Secretary Bird, Martial Eagle and Saddle-billed Stork. We have seen five of the six this trip and there is little chance of getting the elusive Pel’s!

At 08:25 we turned onto the Ntomeni Road. As we were looking in the trees for birds the Earl stopped when he saw one that looked familiar. “What’s that,” he asked. “It looks different to the lilac-breasted roller.” And it was indeed a cousin, but even in the dull light the Earl noticed something was not quite right.

We then followed the S40 toward Timbavati Picnic Site. Just before the turnoff we came to the bridge that crosses the river. A few cars were stationary on the bridge and on the other side. And for good reason. Lions had made a kill and were busy with buffalo for breakfast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

We managed to get a few photos and then went to the Timbavati where we planned to cook our own breakfast but the wind was gusty and it was very cold so we just had coffee and then returned to the lions before continuing.

Timbavati is an unfenced picnic site kept beautifully by a caretaker. In good weather it is lovely to picnic here. It has a good view over the Timbavati River

We followed the S39 and stopped at Ratel Hide but there was not much going on there. However, we enjoyed watching a crake and Cathy managed to get a photo of a three-banded plover.

Back on the road we stopped from time to time to photograph those creatures who would oblige. Some helmet-shrikes flew into a tree and one kindly perched in a suitable position for just the right enough of time to snap his portrait.

Looking down from an omrit overlooking the river we saw a lovely riverside scene.

There were plenty of impies about.

At 11:15 we turned onto the H1-4 and continued to see more creatures

I’m tired of leaves, think I’ll try some dry grass

Back at camp we made scrambled eggs for brunch, had a rest and then went back for a drive on the S100. We saw herds of zebra, wildebeest and waterbuck but we dipped on the lions that are often found on this road.

Two species in one tree – Lilac-breasted roller and glossy starling

And to end, a lovely Emerald-spotted Wood Dove.

Breaking Free from Lockdown. A Gecko Road Trip. Day 18 Tzendze to Letaba

7 Replies

We certainly enjoyed our wonderful five days at beautiful Tzendze but all good things must come to an end and this morning we quickly packed up and were on the H1-6 to Letaba by half past seven. It was only a 50 km drive and we wanted to get there as quickly as possible in order to nab a good position. The Earl tried to keep a steady speed and only stopped for road blocks. We did, however, stop to snap a Tsesebe.

The caravan park was pretty full but as the Earl and I entered, we saw two caravans leaving. “Perhaps they’ve left us a suitable spot,” I said hopefully. The first potential one we saw was near the ablution, quite large and very shady. We drove around a bit more thinking we might have to return to it but found an even better one – number 6 right on the perimeter. Cathy and Alec were ten minutes behind us and I rang to tell them where to find us. When they arrived they approved of our choice and before the heat set in we quickly set up and then went to the restaurant for breakfast and to do some shopping at the Park Shop. There is a new temporary one as the lovely old one they had before burned down in October last year. No progress on rebuilding it has been made.

Later in the afternoon the Earl and I did the Mingerhout Loop and Cathy and Alec did the S62.

Our drive was really beautiful taking us next to the river but perhaps because of the heat there wasn’t much activity but we enjoyed the creatures that did come out to greet us.

First up were two very well camouflaged sandgrouse. These creatures crouch at the side of the road and look just like stones until you’re almost upon them.

At a lovely waterhole we found two elephants having a drink to getether.

A treeful of vultures were also on duty. The Earl took some lovely close-up shots

A very handsome Juvenile white-headed Vulture dressed in a fur coat and pantaloons

A male waterbuck with beautiful horns wondered what we were staring at.

Georgie Giraffe hiding his face in his food,

While we were enjoying our drive Cathy and Alec were having some lovely sightings too.

I want friends with all my might, but nobody likes my appetite

I hope nobody uses us for target practice

There was a lovely sunset this evening.

Our campsite is proving to be really good. This afternoon an elephant came to visit and this evening a hyaena patrolled along the fence. As I started blogging, I also heard a hippo. Right now the Scops Owls are croaking out their calls to each other.

As we are in a main rest camp again, we have the internet albeit it a bit slow and so I should be able to

get my posts out each evening from now on. Thanks for following and for the lovely comments on WordPress, Facebook and Gecko WhatsApp Group. And thanks to Cathy for allowing me to post some of her fabulous photographs.

Cathy and I both use Canon PowerShot SX HS. The Earl uses a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ70

Adventuring into Retirement

Making the most of The South African LIfestyle

Category Archives: Travel

Christmas Present in Plettenberg Bay

A Kgalagadi Adventure – Day 1 Getting There

MSC Orchestra Cruise – Two days with the family

Fun at Bontebok National Park

Bontebok National Park

A Little Breakaway to Warmwaterberg – Part Two – What fun we had.

A Little Breakaway to Warmwaterberg Spa Part One – First Day and All the information

Breaking Free From Lockdown. Day 29

Monday 23 August 2021

Breaking Free From Lockdown. Day 28 Satara to Timbavati Picnic Site

Sunday 22 August 2021

Breaking Free from Lockdown. A Gecko Road Trip. Day 18 Tzendze to Letaba

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Monday 23 August 2021

Share this:

Sunday 22 August 2021

Share this:

Share this: