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.

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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.

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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. 

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