COUNTRIES VISITED Archives - Page 17 of 28

CEDERBERG RIDE REPORT

It was weekend and on the “to do” list was a bike trip through the Cederberg Mountains. The “not so little anymore” daughter just completed her introductory course to off road riding under the watchful eye of Countrytrax instructors so hubby was confident that she will cope with the ride. And she? She was excited as hell to prove her new skills. It was an early start in Stellenbosch as dawn was breaking and we needed to avoid the early morning traffic as we still wanted to sleep at Clanwilliam that night. So a long day (some 300 km via the R303 ) in the saddle! Our breakfast stop was just around the corner at the Wimpy in Wellington (you cannot start your day without a Wimpy breakfast). From here on we followed the tar road via Hermon through Ceres and up Gydo pass to hit gravel where the… Read more >

A CENTURY OLD WRECK

Shipwrecks always have some sort of mystical ambiance about them for me. If you are willing to take a more or less 6km round trip eastwards along the beach at Glentana you will reach the mossed skeleton of the floating Port Natal dry dock resting on the beach since 1902. —– oOo —– HISTORY OF THE WRECK: It was stranded after the tow rope from the steamer Baralong parted during a tow operation from Durban to Cape Town. The dock was a Clark Standsfield self-docking design and built at CS Swan & Hunter’s yard at Wallsend (Yard No. 279). It was oredered by the Natal Government for the Harbour Commissioners of the Port of Durban. It was to be the first floating dock introduced into South Africa. The dock was launched on the 6th of October 1902, and it was originally intended that the Dutch Smit Tugs, used to tow… Read more >

RADICAL RAPTORS

One of the most rewarding places I visited is Radical Raptors situated at The Heath on the N2, just outside of Plettenberg Bay. This safe haven for raptors is doing phenomenal work! During the daily flying displays you interact with amongst others Barney the owl and other rehabilitated feathered friends which cannot be released into the wild again for various reasons. After all, the very knowledgeable Dennis only uses birds with permanent injuries as ambassadors. And boy oh boy they behave like head boys! Not one step – or should I say feather – out of place. The trained birds are tame and well adapted to visitors. Therefore, during the flying display you are given a glove and the opportunity to invite the bird to land on your hand. In other words, opportunities by the dozen to take that perfect picture in natural surroundings or try and try and try… Read more >

KAROO VISTAS

The Karoo has a beauty of its own – you either love it and see the beauty in the simplicity of the landscape or completely hate it and just want to pass through as quickly as possible. The Karoo landscape comprises of big blue skies, typical Karoo koppies, windpumps of all shapes and sizes, sheep, the smell of Karoo vegetation, long and dusty gravel roads, beautiful churches and some interesting people in the countryside. Priceless! Once you spent some time in the Karoo you will fall in love with the little creatures, the spring flowers in bloom, the total quietness and sultry evenings on offer. And last but not least if you get your timing right you may get rewarded with the most amazing sunsets you can imagine. These are things that money cannot buy! After experiencing all of this you will want to come back again and again and again,… Read more >

BROWN HOODED KINGFISHER TRAIL

Situated on a gravel road close to Island Lake, Wilderness this is an easy to medium rated walk (depending on the water levels) which even the small ones in the family will be able to cope with. The entrance to the walk reminds me about stories of fairies and gnomes, but decide for yourself. We tackled the route in peak summer and even then the lush 2.5 km (5 km return) trail, which follows the course of the Duiwe River, provided enough shade for a nice walk. The entire route is clearly marked with blue markers and is easy to follow. There are a few river crossings which normally are very easy with no need to take your shoes off, but do take care over wet slippery rocks when traversing the streams – unless you want to cool down; which is also not a bad idea! While walking be alert… Read more >

GEORGE BOTANICAL GARDENS

Hello 2017! It is cold and wet outside; unlike our usual summery weather for January. It feels like winter already and my memory takes me back to our walk with the dogs in the Botanical Gardens on a sunny New Years day which was only a few days ago. To be precise five days ago! As we were wandering in the Gardens on the first day of the year I was praying for rain. I have never seen the Gardens so dry in my 20 odd years living in the area. Gone was the typical dampy smell of rotten leaves and fallen trees that I fell in love with. But today, today the rain has arrived and I am grateful. Entry to the Gardens is no longer free. They are now charging a small entrance fee (R10 per person; dogs still no charge) towards the upkeep and improvement of the… Read more >

BITES @ THE BREWERY

Since it is the festive season we all were feeling a bit laid back so we decided to treat ourselves with something nice. And the perfect place for this? At Bites inside the Robertson Brewery in Memorium Street! This is one of the places right on our doorstep, but that we have never visited before. So off we go – not for a beer but for a milkshake. I must admit it does sound a bit strange to have a milkshake at a brewery, but it worked for me. I had a Take a Break (stuffed with some chunks of KitKat), hubby enjoyed a Nutcracker (smothered with Nutella) and the not so little one had an Astrophysics (you guessed it – filled with lots of Astros). Perusing the menu I was quite surprised at all the delicious and tempting dishes on offer. You can indulge in an Elvis Presley breakfast,… Read more >