DRAKENSBURG GARDENS

We are nearly near  now.  It is such beautiful counntry

This is about 8 Hours drive  from Johannesburg.  We went down here to visit some friends who were spending a week here from Spain and we had not seen them for about 5 years ago.

 Playing like kids in the water....................................

WHALE - WESTERN CAPE

At last we saw a whale, close up. The sun is shining so maybe they came out for it. This was at Sunnycove Bay, in False bay.
The photo is not all that wonderful, but hold thumbs in the next 3 days we will get a better shot.



The other photo is of our very good friend of many years, Mandy, me and Mandy's Mom Shiela.

LAZY LAZY BLOGGER

I will tell you friend, a lazy blogger is one that gives links to other blogs, but the links are good I liked the recipes, very much and then the Digital scrap page, I loved and must get myself going again. Have not made a single Christmas card yet. My friends want home made cards, even though they may not be all that wonderful.
Tony and I are in the Cape at the moment, a little place called Fish Hoek, on False Bay, where Seal Island is, where the Great Whites come and feed, a lot of them in the bay, people are always swimming here, but a few weeks ago a chap from the UK was attacked by one and he lost a leg and maybe the other one is in a grave way. They blow a siren to warn people that sharks are nearby, by I believe he did not head the warning. We are near that beach and hear the siren going about 3 to 5 times a day. The Southern Right Whales are here as well they come every year this time, but not many are jumping about, as they usually do, so I do not know where they are maybe will see some in the next few days, we are going home on Wednesday the 19 October.
Will come back tomorrow. So please come back and see if we have seen Whales or indeed a Shark!!!

MILLSTREAM

Fly fishing,  a favorite place for South Africans to come to this district for  Fly fishing,  it is a bit area, and has grown massively and is amazing how many people go there,  some years ago only a very few fly fishermen in this part of the world.  Not indigenous to South Africa they are cultivated and put into the dams with big tankers. 

VAAL DAM

Our Farm is about 3/4 hr. drive away from the dam. Tony and I came to have lunch and spend some time with our friends. All the photographs were taken by Tony or me. The informations at the bottom of the photos has been taken from http://www.vaaldam.co.za/

The Vaal Dam is bigger than Luxembourg. It consists of a separate water system that is completely clean. The water has comes from two sources, the Vaal River and now the Wilge River. It is the Wilge River that receives fresh mountain water form the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. This water is mountain pure and is the water that is supplied to the municipalities of Johannesburg.
The Vaal Dam has over 800kms of coast line and covers an area in excess of three hundred square kilometres. It is South Africa's biggest dam by area and the third largest by volume.The Lesotho Highlands Water Project feeds fresh clean water into the system in order to supply drinking water to Gauteng and environs. The first phase is in operation and this now provides a stable and reliable water level. When the next phase is introduced it will supply drinking water to Johannesburg for the next 25 years or so.
The dam has its own island (almost 5kms long) that was used for secret meetings during the old government days. The sleepy town of Deneyesville was used as a stop over point by the old Britannia Airways flying boats. The place is full of history and fun.
Many world class events take place here including the annual "Round The Island" yacht race - a race that has been in the Guinness Book of Records for being the "Largest Inland Yacht Race in the World". Several large events take place here including Keelboat Week and the Bayshore 200km jetski race, and now the Bayshore Marina Vaal Dam Treasure Hunt.
The dam is unique in that three provinces make up the coastline. The Free State is the largest by area, Mpumalanga has a beautiful but rural coastline and the most active by far is the Gauteng coastline. This is where you should be.
Property and leisure activities have exploded on the Gauteng side and prices are climbing rapidly. The Dam has been discovered and the smart money is moving in early. Already certain properties have seen a huge increase in prices in the last few years.

WATER BUCK

DUNG BEETLES

These are Dung Beetles, they roll the dung into big balls bigger than themselves and lay their eggs, when the eggs hatch or what ever, they feed on the dung.



CLICK ON ALL PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

MAP

BRUNCH ON THE BANKS OF THE SABIE RIVER

On Monday, the Elliots treated Tony and I to a Brunch in the Bush. On the banks of the Sabie River.
A while before, they saw a big Python about 3 to 4 mts long, Nickie wanted it nearer for a photo and Gavin jumped out the car and pulled its tail to get it closser, it got very cross. They all got such a fright no one got a photo. Unluckily Tony and I were not there to see it.

GIANT PLATED LIZZARD

Fairly big lizzard sunning himself on a rock, there were quite a few around here, the Game Ranger said it is the mateing season. So that explains the whole affair.

DADDY WORTHOG

This is Daddy Worthog, decided not to run off with his tail as an arial, straight up in the air.

OUR COTTAGE

In our Cottage, wonderful, this is the bathroom and outdoor shower, can shower and look over the fence and see whatever wild animals wish to wander by.

RHINO WALKING SAFARI LODGE

This Lodge is on the Mutlumuyi River. Sometimes it does have water. They say they have seen some wonderful game on the river bed.

THE BAR , LOUNGE AND OPEN DECK
On Friday 14 November 2008, Tony and I went away to spend the week end at the Rhino Walking Safari, it is situated on the outskirts of the Kruger National Park. We stayed in White River for the Friday night, it was lovely, took a picnic supper with us and spent the evening sitting on the veranda, listening to the rain, the first for the season, it cooled it down quite a bit.
The next day we went into the Kruger National Park to spend a few days with Coral and Hugh Elliot, their daughter Nickie and her young man Gavin were there as well. He is a game hunter, takes all these naughty men out to shoot animals, someone has to do it I suppose. We liked him very much, he and Nickie live in Botswana, the Delta. They grow Tomatoes for the whole of Botswana. All the farming takes place in tunnels and they have drip irrigation.
The Rhino Walking Safari Lodge is lovely, very rustic in a luxurious way. There are game drives early in the morning and Brunch, then later in the afternoon after a hearty snack, we go on an evening game drive, after the drive we have a delicious supper. Most of the day is free to do as we wish, have a drive ourselves or laze about the camp. This is the first time we have been to the park and not seen many animals, it is because of the rain, lots of water for them to drink.

A DAY OUT WITH DARLINGS

Tony and I love taking the GrandDarlings out, as all Grandparents do, We went out for lunch to Mikes Kitchen, for lunch, it is a good place lots of places for the kids to play. Swings and Jumping Castles and that type of thing. The trouble was they fob the children off with underrated food, you know what I mean the chips were stale, and the chicken strips were crispy they were so dry. I complained at the end of the meal, I do not want trouble if I send it back, one hears all sorts of stroies. But next time will not except it, and go elsewhere, most people go there because of the kids. Our food was quite good.
After lunch we went shopping at Cresta, put Cassidy in a trolly, Lee would not get in, had to ride on the front. We went to Woolworths (Marks and Spencers UK) and the fun began, Lee knew the size of him and her and he ran round as though we were at a sale plonking all kinds of goodies in the trolly, well we had to keep a firm eye, or is it strict eye? on him and get rid of some of the stuff. Great fun was had by all, Tony and I after paying for the cloths, gratefully went home, to have a good rest. The parents came in the evening to collect them. Now we still have Father Christmas to face. We laughed and loved every minute of it but glad to send them home again !!! All well and ready for the next time.
Credits for the Scrappage, Tony Photo. Jan Hosford and dcorbitt_autumnfrolic.

Tony photo. Linda Calm Blue

Breakfast at an Art Gallery

Isabelle, Tony and Rodger.

FERREIRA ART GALLERY

Main St, Brynston.

We went here for Breakfast on Saturday morning with Elaine, Rodger Attridge, Joan Brown, Isabelle Hutchingson later Pete joined us. The company was great, the food was good but not excellent. Which we are used to. There was some lovely art for sale.