Norway - Northern Lights - Likes and Moans.

1. 😊We are happy to have seen a flash of green - even the tiny flash - of the Northern Lights, it was just not long enough.

2. 😒 We had a lady influencer at our table that couldn't stop talking and boasting and an gent influencer that was a know all in all departments. What a pain they were, filming food, interviewing their partners. Thank goodness we could converse in Afrikaans and say what we felt about it.

3.😊 We loved walking in the snow.

4.😊 Tromso Cable car and Arctic Cathedral was spectacular

5. 😒 The food was very English - Roasts and Vegetables most of the time. No spectacular desserts as on our Fiji trip. We'll be happy to have our own grilled steak back home again. Back to Carnivore for us after this trip.

6. 😊 Cabin with the balcony was a good choice and the bed was very comfy.

 

                                                  Enjoy these scenes.

Norway - Northern Lights - 2 to 5th April 2025

Two days at sea again and loads of eating 

First night entertainment was the energetic dancers again. I was so worn out again I had to go and rest. It was really hard work watching them. I was out of breath.

Our last stop is Stavanger- we sailed into port at 09:00 and it reminded me of the Dutch villages from our Barge holiday in the Netherlands. Lovely and quaint.

The sun is out and the temp is 7deg. A stroll around the town to get a few nick knacks and didn't stop for a beer as it was too early. That was our excuse. Not sure what a beer price would be if a burger hits you at R 600. We'll rather have our beers on board.

We sailed early today from Stavanger and are on our way to Southampton. 

Norway - Northern Lights - 30th March 2025

  

A short overnight trip to the Alta. This is the most northern port we will visit and have two full days to explore.

Day one was a trip into town but not much to see. The only thing we made sure of was that we have magnets from each of the stops on this trip.

First night entertainment was the ships entertainment team doing magic and dance. So-so but the dancing was so hectic I was out of breath and needed to have a rest after the show.

Day two is our Viator booked trip where we will be going into the countryside for a sleigh ride and experience authentic Sami snacks in an authentic Sami village. Or so we thought. Rude collected us in his Merc passenger bus and a half hour trip took us out into the wooded area. The sleigh ride was cool but in was just a round about trip on a farm and the Sami village was a Sami tent on their farm. They did however show us how they sheep farm and we learned a bit about life and rules in Norway.

 Rude was very good and took us on a little detour of Alta - The church where the copper mines were discover and then over by the British - areas that were bombed in WWII - and of course the conversation turned to guns and he loaded us off at the only gun shop in Alta.

The gun shop was more fishing shop than gun shop and we then had to walk back to the boat - four kilometers, I measured in my walking app. 

Entertainment on the boat was the juggling comedian - Jon Udry. Second best show on board.

Up on deck on 31st March, we saw traces of the Northern Lights. The way to really see them is by searching with your phone camera. They appear for a few seconds and then poof, they're gone.

We sailed again at one o'clock in the morning of 1 April.

Norway - Northern Lights - 29th March 2025

 March 29th we woke up in Tromso port. Beautiful and magical but with a snow twirling in a blizzard. We've never experienced this before. 

We are docked on the island and the town is on the mainland.

We have shuttle busses that ferry us into the city so off we set - very carefully, due to the snow and slush - all tucked up in thermals, coats, beanies, you name it. Hey don't mock this is our first walk in the snow.

Our trip on the mainland included the Polar Museum, Arctic Cathedral and a trip in the Cable Car. Even had a bit of a snow fight with it still snowing on us. Something of interest - Even though the snow flakes settled on us, we were never wet. Ha.

We have now travelled past the arctic circle and out time is same as back home.

At night we spend time searching for the Northern Lights until we freeze our inners, but nothing yet at this stage.

The scenery here is beautiful but more commercial than Andalsnes.

We sailed off into the sunset at 18:00 - the sun is now setting later and it was still light at 19:30.

A local Northern Fusion Band, the Habaneroz, were on stage this evening and were excellent. Drums, cello, guitar and violin and did they make their instruments sing. Lovely.

Norway - Northern Lights - 24th - 28th March 2025

 Clint is waiting for his jobs to come through so he has some time off - Lucky for us.

It's a two hour drive from Loughton to Southampton - the Queen Elizabeth II Cruise Terminal.- where our boarding was scheduled for 13:45. The embarkation times are staggered so that everyone doesn't arrive at the same time. It goes very smoothly and there is a ton of staff at the port.

It didn't feel right to leave our passports with the crew but that's the way they do it. Will get them back at the end of the trip.

In two ticks we were in our cabin on deck 11 - A193 - our luggage was already outside the door and we threw open the sliding door onto the balcony. Grabbed a bite to eat at the all day buffet at Horizon restaurant. I can see this being a big eating holiday. 

Two days at sea with a Black Tie dinner last night -26th March. The live show was the 'Motown Girls" screeching and a bit Brakpan. Three very heavy girls killing Tina Turner and Gloria Gaynor.

Early Morning Arrival - Andalnes

The morning of 27th March I took an early 06:00 peep out on the balcony. This is what the Vikings saw as they rowed back from months at war. (Okay - so I'm a lover of the Viking series)

What an amazing sight as we arrived at Andalsnes. It's cold, but not unbearable and on the ship the temperatures at a normal 20 deg.

Aldalsnes is a small walkabout village a Gondola or the Great Train up the mountain to see the views.

In that cold we found the best Ice Cream.

We were in port only for the day and set sail again at 18:00. 28th March is a sea day again. And by the way, that means an eating day again.

Norway - Northern Lights - 19th March 2025

 All packed for the long awaited bucket list trip that we booked in August 2024 already.

Departing 20th April 01:00 - Is this a good or bad time to fly out, don't know so we'll leave a little earlier for the airport, don't want to be on the road in an Uber too late in the night. 

The airport was quiet and check in was easy and quick. 

The flight to Nairobi was good with a smaller plane, two seats on each side of the aisle. Lay over was one and a half hours so no time to really go to the international lounge and off to Amsterdam.

This leg was sent from heaven. A huge Boeing 747-8 and only fifty passengers. If I had to sit in a three seater section that was full, I would have gone balmy. Didn't sleep much but at least we could stretch out on this plus nine hour flight.  

As we whisked through for the final leg to London, Schiphol Airport brought back good memories from our Barging trip 11 years ago. Forty five minutes was all we needed to get there.

Thanks for Clint because at that time we had been up for about two days.

Lovely to see the family again.

Little Switzerland - 24 to 28 February 2025

 I know I'm very lazy to write lately but here goes.

Booked way back in January 2025, we decided it was time to take a break and chill in the Drakensberg.

We have been really busy with the Training at Wattlespring Club but organized it so that we moved everyone a week before or after our little excursion.

Everyone we spoke to, spoke very highly of Little Switzerland. 

We didn't rush Monday and had a Wimpy Breakfast along the way.

Richard didn't even exceed the speed limit, the weather was beautiful, the scenery with the mountains is gorgeous and Little Switzerland is excellent.

Our room room looked out over the bowling green where the horses wandered around and the back drop was the beautiful Drakensburg Mountains.

We had a really relaxing week, reading and hiking up the mountain. We needed this.

We have a few gripes after the expectations from all that have been here.

At night it would rain cats and dogs and we had a very bad leak on the edge of the ceiling that wet the carpet.

The staff were not the friendliest and so meals were a bit spoiled. Some nights the meal was good and some nights, not so good. One thing we could not get the staff to understand was a soft fried egg, sunny side up.

The good points were, the scenery, absolutely gorgeous. The bed and linen was outstanding.

Good week and arrived home safe and sound.

Dewou Hunt August

 Richard's long awaited hunt at Dewou Lodge delivered everything and more than we expected.

On Friday 4th August we left just after nine and found the roads to be busier than usual with speed traps every few kilometers on the N4 Highway. We were thinking that people were making it a long weekend with Wednesday's public holiday. 🤷

We were settled into our cabin in the mountains noon and chilled for the rest of the day. The Golden Wildebeest, Waterbuck and Impala would peek in every now and then.

Wynand, the PH, picked us up at seven and what a glorious morning it was. No wind and the sun out in full Winter force. Within an hour Richard had bagged his 64.7 kg Blue Wildebeest and then we were taken on a game drive through the rest of the farm. Loads of Buffalo, Eland, Kudu, Zebra, Impala, etc. It was a real treat.

The rest of the day we relaxed and Sunday morning we were off back home.

Thank you Ella for a very special weekend. 💐

Now to get our meat processed and have plenty biltong.

Lovely to do a hunt so close to home, excellent accommodation and lovely people we met.

Going back for sure. 😊

I had one of my blond moments and I left my camera at home so had to do suffice with Mobile photos but hope you enjoy them. 

Jagersfontein - July 2023.

 Out of the blue we were invited to a hunt in the Free State.

Originally we were going to leave on Thursday 13th July, but due to unforeseen circumstances we left Friday morning early. Traffic as usual was bumper to bumper at 6 in the morning, but once we passed the Gillooly's Interchange, traffic eased off in our direction.

We met together with Stephan and Chantelle in die tiny town of Jagersfontein and once again as we travel it is so sad to see the dereliction of another town. 

Then it was off to the farm which was another hour or so.

Typical Free Sate country, it is flat and windy and soooooo cold.🥶🥶

It was better to hunt at night so the Friday and Saturday nights we were out in the veld till way after one in the morning. It was sooooo cold. 🥶🥶

We really enjoyed it. Richard hasn't lost his touch and dropped his last Blesbuck at more than 270 meters, one shot. And it was sooooo cold. 🥶🥶

Back home safely on Monday and waiting to hang the biltong. 

It really was sooooo cold. 🥶🥶 But good. 😊😊

A week in the Lowveld - June 2023

 This break we have been waiting for with some anticipation and we're going to do a few different things.

The last time we were this way must have been about ten years ago when we shot IPSC Nationals in Komatiepoort.

So what has changed. The roads. Our country is being plundered, because now it's not just coal that is leaving by the truckload, the chrome and iron ore going into Maputo is unbelievable. The road is a single lane most of the time and sitting behind a truck is all you can do. To add to this there is road works everywhere and no rule of the road followed.

Okay, so not going to moan. This is after all travel on South African roads.

Lowveld Shooting club is only a year or so old and also a lovely experience, but travelling here is the problem. So it's a case of been there, done that.

We stayed at the River House Lodge overlooking the Crocodile River. The elephants come romping around in the water right in front of us and the crocs laze in the sun on the sandbanks. Hippo peeped and Waterbuck came enquiring at the deck. Lovely. 

On Monday, 26th June, we spend the day in the southern part of the Kruger National Park. Plenty of elephant and impala to see. Near the end Richard spotted buffalo and the as we turned a bend a kudu family stood right next to the road.

Tuesday, 27th June. Next stop will be Dullstroom but first we will stop off at the Sudwala Caves. Very interesting and will try to make a slide of the photos.

Dullstroom is freezing.  

We are staying at the Dunkeld Country & Equestrian Estate. First thing we did was get our fireplace fired up and set our electric blankets on high. It was too cold to braai so we did our steaks inside. We were dying for steak and chips. Our meals at the River House Lodge reminded me of the days on Rich Ranch with the schools. Chicken a la King. Mince. Chicken Stew. LOL.

Even tough the wind was bad, the sun was out so we did some fly fishing on Wednesday - no success. Richard saw one or two trout turn near the surface, but not a bite to be had. It was another cold night and the load shedding doesn't help. 

Thursday was a cloudy, windy day. It is sad that when it's cold, the fish bite. Fake news. 😊 Other fake news was the Mussels advertised for June. It's the 28th of June - Sorry, no more, - here is the July Menu. Only in South Africa. 😂

Lovely week away. What a diverse country we have. In one week we experience summer and winter. Wildlife and fishing and then some good Clay Target Shooting.

Enjoy the elephants.

 

Another Breakaway Forgotten Post - Magoebas Kloof

 It's Early December 2021 and we are off to a glamping spot in Magoebas Kloof.

The last time we were here was on our Harleys and I still remember the smell of driving filling my helmutas we wound through the forest.

The best part of our stay at Africamps was the hot tub on the deck. This was a first for us and on the first night we made it so hot we could not use it. Had to wait for it to cool down but then we became experts. We even bought one when we got back home. Money well spent, it gets used regularly and a dip in the tub is even better with a glass of wine.

We did sight seeing in the area but many of the places are closed during the week.

Debengeni Waterfalls are magnificent and still well kept.

All in all a lovely break - enjoy the pics.

2023 Natal Standards and Amanzimtoti

 Fridays are not good days to travel down to the coast due to the trucks now on the road. It is not an exaggeration when we say it is kilometer after kilometer of trucks travelling bumper to bumper. But to put in an extra day is not the way to go so we just take a slow drive and don't push the limits.

The rain set in on the way down and we eventually found the Donkey Pass at Van Reenen which unfortunately is non excitant. Half way through we had to turn back as there is nothing left of the pass.

We are booked into Tala Game reserve until Sunday when the standards finish. It's always lovely to shoot at the smaller clubs because of the camaraderie and the chats at the end of the day.

Sunday it was off to Amanzimtoti and we stayed at the L'Escalier Cabanas. A lovely block right on the beach front. From our balcony the waves are a stone throw away. Once again the pictures on booking.com are ages old and the unit is run down.

This instance it looks like it is just the old lady, and she was a bag since the moment we met her, is battling to do the upkeep on her own. 

Has the Covid lockdown affected the industry so much? It looks like it. The town is dead and even though it is early February, there are very few people to be found on the beach. 

Jacques Botha took our guns for safe keeping while we were at the coast, so Thursday on our way back, we stopped off in Kloof to collect them. We couldn't get away there with all his chatting. We always enjoy him so much.

Thankful to be back home safely after navigating those roads.

Klein Kariba ATKV

17 - 21 April 2023

I really don't know why we haven't been away on our travels as we are used to doing but we decided it was time for some R & R.

Klein Kariba is just under a two hour drive from home which suits us juatfine.

We had a week of lying in the sun, sleeping late and slipping into the hot pools throughout the day.

It is beautiful and clean and our tent house suits us just right too. 

Each night we would braai and listen to the night sounds. Except when they load shed, then we sit back and listen to the generator.😁

Richard and I were even daring enough to go down the waterslide. A nose full of water and an upside down tumble is what we got. We were sorry we didn't have the opportunity to go again the next day. 

There was a beautiful morning when we did the hike over the mountain and ended up on the other side of the camp. Taxing but perfect. Just what we wanted to do. Not too bad for the old fogies. 👍

We will be coming back again.

. 

The Missing Hunt Post of Beespoort.

 

Somewhere along the line I missed to post about a bit of a disasterous hunt.

It could be because it's one of those you would rather forget but I found the photos so have to record it.

When we arrived they had forgotten we had booked and it all went downhill from there.

A PA was quickly brought in from Marble Hall and we were taken on a witches hunt. There were definitely no Black Hartebeest to hunt. The bush was thick and looked like to hunting had been done there in ages. We couldn't even use our own bakkie , it was so bad.

The chalet hadn't seen a living soul in months, so we won't write too much about the cold and the terrible accommodation.

Let's just smile and put it down to a bad experience had by us.

Not much to say about the three days - 16-18 March 2022.

2022 September/October - Kimberley and West Coast

 

Being well organized, everything was packed last night, and with the car brim full with everything needed for the next two weeks, we set off for Kimberley, a few minutes after eight.

Just to remind us of what we were leaving behind, an accident near Gilhooly’s Interchange added fifteen minutes to our trip.

I was on my phone and Richard followed the overhead sign and not the navigator, so we went the scenic trip via Potchefstroom. Actually, it was a bonus as we later learned there were so many ‘stop and go’ on the highway route that we actually gained time.

We stayed at Camelot, a private estate, seven minutes from the range. Not too fancy but very convenient.

The weekend had its up and downs as far as shooting is concerned. Richard won gold for UT Masters. I won the gold which is the very first medal for Lady 2 in South Africa and I had a ball on the skeet range on Sunday which earned me a silver medal.

We are off to St Helena’s Bay now with an overnight stop at Williston.

*****

The scenery at St Helenas is out of this world and our apartment at Heerenzicht, is to die for. We overlook the sea and have space like home. This is going to be a week of rest for us.

But don’t look for a restaurant here in St Helenas. Dingy little places, so we did most of our meals at the apartment.

The town is also upside down with only one road in and one road out. There are small supermarkets and that’s about all.

Looking forward to Paternoster. We have always wanted to visit there.

*********

Okay I’m not going to moan, but I expected way more.

Our apartment is okay, we have one house in front of us so we can’t see the ocean but it’s not too bad.

This is another upside town. Nothing flows and no shops to shop at.

There are more restaurants here and my only wish was to eat fresh lobster, at a restaurant, looking over the ocean. But, there is no lobster available because the restaurant owners are conserving the sea life. What a load of crock. On every street corner there is a fisherman (illegal fisherman) sell his lobster. Oh my hat, these holier than thou people.

Paternoster must have the most serene beach we have ever seen. Our walks along the shore were magical. The best part of Paternoster.

Spent the week there and then it was the long trek home.

It was a good trip.

 

 

February 2023 Natal Break Away.

 Thursday 9th February brought overcast skies but what can we do?

We are ready for the Natal Standards Open, the Donkey Pass at Harrismith  and a few days relaxing at the ocean.

The skies grew darker and the rain poured down. Normally down to the coast we bypass Harrismith but what a shock lay ahead of us. The roads are completely destroyed and navigation round the potholes brings your car to a standstill. A strange feeling descended on us. The streets are deserted, shops are boarded up, not a soul in sight. I felt very depressed.

We found a dilapidated, dirty entrance to the Platberg Nature Reserve where we have to get a permit for the Donkie Pass where we paid our R55. 4 X 4 had to be engaged from the gate and turnoffs turned out to be a hit or miss betting game. An hour in on the rocky roads, trying to push our way through the bush over growth, the decision was made to call it a day. 

We must admit the rain added to the bad conditions but the Pass is unkept and nothing as advertised.

On to Van Reenen where we stayed at the Green Lantern. It's so old it's like stepping into the early 1900's. There was even a full size screen with silent, black and white movies like Laurel and Hardy running 24/7. Spooky.

Friday 10th February 2023. After a stop at the Tugela Wimpy for breakfast we made our way through horrific traffic to Eston Shooting Club. The trucks on the road are a sight to see. Unbelievable actually. Shooting conditions are tough with bad light and rain. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Tala Game reserve is our home for the next two nights. With beautiful scenery and game walking to our doorstep the rooms are a bit of a downer. Could it be that Covid lock down has made such an impact on everything. Walls need a paint and we had no hot water. Have to go and shower next door tomorrow morning. Bummer.

After the Standards at Eston we were off to Amanzimtoti as soon as we could. Couldn't wait to get to the ocean again.

What a let down. We thought we were in for a luxury apartment - L'Escalier Apartments - but be careful of the photos, they must have been taken ages ago. But we are here now and going to enjoy ourselves as we always do.

I think this is our last visit to Amanzimtoti. It is also like a ghost town. No one around and so depressing. The beach was lovely though. 

Enjoy our Pics

 

Outeniqua Shoot & Holiday August 2021

 11th August 2021

This is our first holiday trip leaving from our new home, Willante. At six o’clock we were on the road and pushed as far as we could.

At Willowmore we thought to look for our overnight accommodation but after one drive through we decided to make our way to Uniondale. Sorry Willowmore but you looked a bit dodge and Uniondale didn’t disappoint.

We stayed at Uniondale Manor Lodge with lovely bed and shower – ate at the Hungry Ghost where I am sure the ghost had the best patty for his burger. Not sure what our burger consisted of. Next morning was breakfast at African Aloe and set off to the Prince Alfred Pass in the rain.

12th August 2021.

A thick mist covered Prince Alfred Pass as we left Uniondale. The first few kilometres is tar then as we hit the dirt road the sun broke through the clouds. An awesome journey of twists and turn for the next 68 kilometres, where you have to stop to take your photies every few kilometres, because you have to remember this.

Plettenberg Bay was our stop over with Keith Falcke and we were treated to Calamari at one of the new restaurants, Soul Kitchen.

13th/14th August 2021.

It’s Compak time in the beautiful Outeniqua Mountains. There was shooting in what they call the Gallery over a ravine. Another range over a pond and another at the foot of a huge cliff with clays thrown from the top.

A lovely experience with Richard shooting 89 and 90 (Looks like his eye op was good, there was no watering) and me with  67 and  71 (my best score so far)

Our accommodation at Malvern Manor was lovely and comfy with a lovely host.

15th/16th/17th August 2021.

Shooting was done on Sunday morning and we then headed to the quaint, beautiful Klein Krans, About an hour from the club. Our stay here was nothing but awesome. We braaied the best steaks ever, ever. Lex and Richard did their chilli thing and really enjoyed each other’s company reminiscing about this friendship that goes back 40 years. We drank the best wines and bourbon and chatted till 1.30 in the morning. Thanks Lex it was fabulous.

We did manage to do the Montague and Outeniqua Passes on Tuesday when Lex went to meet with his sister and Father to celebrate their birthdays. The pass can be done in just over an hour and even though it is one of the minor passes as far as the 4X4 guys are concerned, it is a beautiful trip to do.

18th August 2021.

We left Lex about 08.30. We couldn’t even do breakfast we had eaten so much over the past few days – Sorry Lex, we had to say no, but we did leave with two full rump steaks to freeze back home and Lex’s Chilli and all other goodies that he would not let us leave without.

We had to travel through the Outeniqua Pass again and then turned on the dirt road just after the Cango Caves Road outside Outshoorn.

We can only this is a gobsmacking experience. The stark scenery is something to behold and just when you thought you had seen the best you travel round a bend to something equally spectacular. We are so glad we did this trip.

Our overnight stop in Colesberg was the Fancy Cactus – and it was rather good.

19th August 2021

We are safely home and Richard is spent after more than 3,000 kilometres of driving.

Every moment was worth it.

2020 – 4 X 4 EASTERN CAPE

 Thursday – 24 September 2020.

At last our long-awaited trip that was booked during lockdown is here.

No rush to start our trip as we have the entire day to get to Nottingham Road and group will only meet at 7pm.

What we did not realize is that it is Heritage Day and the first long weekend of travel for many – and many it was. The roads were really busy as everyone wanted to get out and exercise their freedom again.

Lesson number one. When Google tells you that the highway route will be 50 minutes longer and to take the alternative route, listen to it. Road works held us up for an hour just after Villiers. Just as the traffic eased off another 35-minute delay showed and this time we took Google’s advice and took the R103 detour. No more hold ups.

We all met at the Crystal Barns Estate – originally, we were going to spend the night at the Nottingham Road Hotel but were notified that there was a change of plan. The setting is beautiful but the rooms and the food we are not going to discuss. Rather forget about it and enjoy the trip.

We are twelve cars in the convoy – ready for some touring.

 Friday – 25 September 2020.

We were surprised that it was not a crack of dawn departure and after breakfast – again we will not talk about it – we set of at 0900.

We travelled along the Lower Lotheni Road to Himeville on good dust roads along the foothills of the Drakensburg. Magnificent scenery most of the way. Just past Underberg we passed through the Coleford Nature Reserve and then refuelled in Kokstad.

Travelling down the Tabankulu road through the Mountains and through Lusikisiki toward Mboyti Lodge for the night.

We arrived in the dark because of heavy traffic, being a Friday and also a few pit stops were stretched out.

Myboyti Lodge accommodation is spacious and comfortable, the food was really good. Old fashion set menu to choose from so we feasted on Pickled Fish, Roast Lamb with Veggies and Tiramisu with a bottle of Robertson Pinotage.

Bed was calling after a long day.

Saturday – 26 September 2020.

Mushroom, Bacon and Cheese Omelette for 7am breakfast. We miss our coffee and cream but looking forward to the day. Everyone was ready at 0800.

We did not have a briefing about today are left in the dark a bit, so I will try and track our route as accurately as possible and look it up on Google maps later. 

Missing the Magwa Tea Estate last night in the dark, we were fortunate enough to see the rolling fields of tea bushes as we leave Myboyti Lodge and then had a peak at the sea again at Port St John.

The R61 is a good highway to travel and again all we saw were mountain after mountain occupied by the local people who are constantly building their new homes. It does not look like Covid has affected them and buildings are sprouting up everywhere.

Being Saturday morning, Mthatha and Maclear is extra busy and it is slow going through the towns but soon we left Maclear onto the Naude’s Neck Pass. Breath taking views and 4X4 that is not too difficult so we could enjoy the scenery.

We arrived in Rhodes at 17:25 where we are staying in homes in the town. Dinner was buffet – Chicken Pie, Lamb Curry with all the trimmings of rice, samp, etc.

The accommodation is disappointing but no more of it here. We all know it was Covid period, but we expected more from this historical town in the first place and secondly, cleanliness has nothing to do with Covid.

According to our itinerary, we would have stayed two nights at Tiffendale Lodge. This I was really looking forward to. The explanation is that The Lodge is closed due to Covid. My thought is that we should have been notified beforehand.

Sunday – 27 September 2020.

I miss not having a coffee while I have my quiet time – these are the little comforts that would make the trip much better. There is every conceivable piece of equipment in the house to cook a three-course meal but alas no coffee for the morning.

It is rest day for those who do not want to do a 4X4 route through Wartrail and New England, so after breakfast of Scrambled Eggs, Mince and Vetkoek, all others set out in their vehicles.

A wonderful day of technical driving – steep inclines, slippery slopes and rocky paths with Tim assisting everyone safely through the tricky patches. We loved every minute of this route.

A buffet dinner of Chicken, Lamb Curry (again) and the trimmings and then Elizma’s husband came to tell a bit about the sheep farming in the area. It is the highest area that yields the highest price for wool in South Africa. Also, the area produces the most wool. There is a folk tale about the Wartrail that he shared. Young Sotho girls were brought along the trail and were bought and sold – I will check to see if I can get more information.

We will be pleased to leave Rhodes as we have not enjoyed the accommodation or the food.

Monday – 28 September 2020.

I am still searching for that elusive, good cup of coffee and at 0730, after breakfast of scrambled eggs, some kind of sausage and bacon that I wish was crispy.

We immediately hit the dirt road and down Mitchell’s pass. The pass is very rocky and not too long. All the drivers love the parts when they are able to set their 4X4 vehicles into gear. After the pass we refuelled in Elliot.

Next to tackle was the Katberg Pass which I think is the highlight of the tour. We climbed the winding round through the mountains with lush trees and ferns lining the road, looking down onto the farms in the valley from an awesome height. It was a privilege to see this part our country. We hit the plains at the top of the pass and then through Cathcart on our way to Hogsback.

The Arminel Hotel, set on the hills is our stop over for the night. The rooms look good and I spied an electric blanket that will definitely come in hand as I am sure it is close to zero degrees in the evening at the moment.

Dinner in front of the fireplace was excellent. The buffet was an array of starters (Spring Rolls, Mussels, etc), Pea Soup with Croutons, Fish, Roast Beef and I can’t remember what desert was. Richard brought our Limoncello and all decided they would try, even the receptionist.

Tuesday 29 September 2020. 

A crisp sunny morning greeted us and a breakfast buffet. My highlight at breakfast was a decent cup of coffee and at last fried eggs and crispy bacon.

The day’s trip consisted of dirt roads and a stop in Tarkastad where everyone stopped for coffee and cake or quiche. A refuelling stop in Steynsburg at 1630 and we reached our accommodation at 1800.

Once again, we are not staying at the prescribed accommodation. The explanation again for the change is ‘Covid’. I was so looking forward to a stay at the popcorn farm mentioned in the itinerary. I have Googled for this Guest farm and only find one, namely Waschbank River Lodge and it is actually open for reservation if you email them. I think this is worth some investigation.

The River Destiny Lodge is very basic. Dinner was a la carte and I had lamb chops which I always have when I am in the area. Richard opted for his favourite as usual – a rump. We didn’t get to a desert as the kitchen closed before we finished our main meal.

Another one of those overnight places you would like to forget but this trip has been fabulous.Wednesday – 30 September 2020. 

It’s our last day and we are all packed and ready to hit the road home.

Breakfast and goodbyes are now all that is left.

We had our highs and lows on this trip, but it was really good to be back on the road after lockdown.

2645 km round trip of some of the most stunning scenic routes in South Afric

Algeria - November 2019

 I really want to call this trip “Jury Duty African Style”

Only if you live on the African Continent will you understand. 

Initially there was loads of stress about the organizing of this trip.

Our visas was first priority but there was a catch. We did not have flight tickets and no way do you get your visa without a ticket. After many a call, much explanation, emails between countries we were granted visas, still with no flight ticket in hand.

I had the George trip organized for Richard’s birthday which made it a tight fit to get back home, do some washing and ironing and then get packed Algeria

Normally on a trip where Richard does Jury duty I would organize everything except the hotel and he would just get reimbursed but this time the African Shooting Championships Organizing Committee decided they would do the flights. This was a nightmare as we didn’t know when we were flying until the last minute and then there was only a flight ticket for Richard that arrived and I had to try and get on the same flight.

So there it was, we were on the same flight, sitting next to each other, winging our way to Algiers, Algeria via Istanbul, Turkey. A very long flight of ten hours to Istanbul and then another four hours to Algiers.

Arriving in Algeria, we did not know where we were staying so we were held back by customs until they got hold of the Organizing Committee. Eventually after hand gestures, smiles, us trying our “French”, they trying their “English” we were through but alas  not a suitcase in sight. Our luggage was left in Johannesburg.

Long story, short about the luggage – we received the luggage two days later and in between quickly learned to shop local style for shampoo and clothes in tiny little shops crowded to the brim with their wares and trading in Algerian Dinar and when pushed we used our Euros. We had to make a trip with a taxi from the Complexe de Tir Sportif de Tipaza where the shoot is being held to Algiers to collect our luggage and this was hair raising. Peak hour, bumper to bumper traffic and with only a toot of your horn you change lanes. All the cars have dings on them but we never saw an accident.

We were based in Palm Beach which is in the province of Tipaza, an hour from Algiers. Our hotel, The AZ, is good with an enormous comfy bed and we have breakfast and lunch at the hotel.

The shooting range is an hour from the hotel which means that we have to be collect by minibus at 0645 every morning to be in time and back at about 1700 which makes for  very long day. When we get back to Palm Beach we are finished so we have supper and sit and chat for a while, have a whiskey and that is it. The area does not have restaurants or shops that you can browse, so not much knowledge of the area collected.

If you had told me that daily temperatures in Algeria were min 6 deg max 14 deg, I would never have believed but luckily we checked the weather channel and packed for all seasons.

Last day of the competition and we have to organize our lift from Tipaza to Algiers. We are the only delegates to leave a day later than the rest and thank goodness we have Lynda our Algerian friend who is able to speak some English to help us. We find the gent that organizes the transport and between the four of us, he decides on a pick up time of 1300. I try and make it earlier but he just smiles and says “Okay, one o’clock” and off he goes.

You can imagine the relief when on the last day, when all is packed and ready to go, the telephone in the room rings an hour earlier and our driver is there. He can speak good English and insists that we must see some of Algiers. We took in sights of the city with the Great Mosque of Algiers. This mosque is so enormous it can house 120,000 worshipers at a time. On a hill over looking the Mediterranean Sea is Notre Dame d’Afrique (Our Lady of Africa) – a beautiful Catholic Church. The city is a hive of activity with buses, trams, trains all in full motion. This was definitely the highlight of our trip.

On to the airport and then queues and waiting again. The trip to Istanbul was not too long and our four hour wait in Istanbul was not too bad seeing that we could use the slow lounge. Istanbul to Johannesburg is a long trek that we do not want to do that often.

One thing I must say. I loved all the shooting but I must say that it would take a lot to convince us to do the air rifle and .22 shooting that was done at the championships. The clay target shooting is in a class of it’s own and I think your gun must make a big bang and break the clay – that is the thrill of the sport.