Endless Summer Road Trip…

Woke up early in the JBay campsite right on the beach. Caravan parked 10m from the sand. Kids went wandering on the beach and then we headed down to the main beach. Found a surf shop and hired a couple of boards and the kids had loads of fun in the foamies. John stood up properly for the first time and Dani, Luke and Mike all surfed like pros.

Walked around the surf shops looking at what boards cost these days (up to R6.5k! – remember my first board that was about 200 bucks that was a fortune). Had lunch at a great Greek restaurant where the kids were given pizza dough to make their own little cookies.

Took a slow drive to PE which only took an hour or so and are camped at Pine Lodge on Kevin’s recommendation – great spot Kev!

John decided to bite Mikey after Mike sat on him, so he got a proper smack and is now very sorry about that. Other than that, setting up camp is super slick now and we are ready for bed.

Nads on duty: This morning was a bit cooler and overcast, perfect weather to do a bit of schooling. When we were done with a bit of Afrikaans, Maths and English the clouds had cleared and it had turned into a beautiful day. When we were all kitted up into costumes we rode bikes to the restaurant area. Here we all swam to a platform anchored in a bay, ticked that off the “to do” list. Rewards for the physical exercise was a good lunch on the deck of the restaurant.

By then it was 4pm and the pack up was quick. Leaving this beautiful part of our country, we’ve promised to return to do the Otter Trail in the near future.

We made it into the campsite in Jeffery’s Bay just after 6pm. The site was on the beach and we saw the sunset on another amazing day!

Woke up in this lovely rest camp with the strong salty smell of the ocean. No school today so we set off early on our bikes and left them at the car park. We were off to do one of the walking trails over the suspension bridge and then a steep climb up the other side of the river to the lookout point – what an incredible place!

Came back to the camp site to make toasted sandwiches and the kids went for a swim in front of the caravan, in a fresh-water pool set in the rocks along the coastline.

After lunch we took a short drive to see the Big Tree (800 year old Outeniqua Yellowood, 33m high and a girth that needs eight people to join hands to encircle it). Then we did a 2.6km walk through the forests. Spent my first night in the Caravelle last night with Mike and now have the other kids asking for their turn to sleep in the tent or Caravelle with Dad!

Nads reporting: John has been bitten quite badly by mosquitos, so our conversation this morning…

John: ” Mom how do you make mozzie?”
Mom: ” God made mozzies John”
John: ” Why?”
Mom : ” I don’t know, when I get to heaven I’ll ask Him”
John : ” Mom, just phone God and ask Him!”

After doing a little diary and classroom catch up, we packed up our camp site under the Oak trees, to leave Knysna at 1 pm. Down the N2, Mikey managed to pull his second tooth out, the tooth fairy has been very busy with us on this trip. Our lunch break was at the Veiwing Deck at the highest bungi jump in the world, Bloukrans bridge. We had superb pizza and burgers while watching some kamikaze pilots jump 216m, off a perfectly safe ledge. I’ve made all my kids promise me they will always be sensible and never do this. The future will tell 🙂

Tsitsikamma Storms River camp site is a must for all you reading this blog! What a beautiful place to be! We are 30m from the rocks and with amazing ocean in front and awesome forest behind. My number 1 site so far, by far. Now looking forward to exploring this haven tomorrow.

Luke reporting: Woke up by Mommys tickles then had Pro Nutro with Dad and got going to Mass. Then went to Oudshoorn to get tickes for Cango caves waited for like 10 hours until we went in the cave. Finally we went in and saw the San people. Then our tour guide Eric took us to 6 chambers inside the cave.
Things I saw :
The devil and the open bible with a book mark with angles around.
stalactites from the ceiling and stalagmites from the floor
The champagne bottle the African drum room

Then rushed to the Highgate Ostrich Farm
Things I learned: saw different feathers
Saw the incubator
Because ostrich do not have teeth, they eat stones and anything shiny to grind the food in their stomach. Fed them then drove to the ostriches in a pen. I sat on it then I rode like a cowboy into another ostrich. Saw some dudes have a race. Saw a ostrich laying eggs we held it and stood on it even dad stood on it. Went to see the bones and the stomach. Got juices and an ostrich egg and ostrich biltong and went home to have a braai and supper.

After the kids had done their school work and diaries we drove from our campsite (Woodbourne Lodge in Knysna) to Beacon Isle Beach in Plettenberg Bay. Only half an hours drive and it feels like you are in a different world.

The kids had loads of fun on the beach and Luke made a new friend while swimming in the waves. The weather was absolutely perfect and the beach was really busy for out of season.

After some fun in the sun, we drove around to The Deck at the Lookout for delicious calamari, sole and chicken overlooking the lagoon at sunset. Luke can recite lines from the movie Despicable Me with a great Eastern European accent and had us in hysterics.

Small kids were fast asleep during the drive back after a busy day.

Nads on duty today: We spent the morning at the campsite, doing damage control from the rain yesterday. Hanging things to dry and sweeping off the ground sheet,soon things were back to normal. One day of rain out of 27 beautiful days is not much to complain about. We had a light lunch before driving out to Sedgefield. I had spent 2 weeks here with my family when I was 12 (with a little red row boat). So I had a few flash back memories, but besides that, it is a very small and quiet town and we moved swiftly onto Buffalo Bay down the coast. Here the kids had a great swim and run around before it got too cold and windy.

After our drive around Leisure Island, we’ve put it on our list of great places to retire. Then we drove up the Knysna East Head to the viewpoints, and admired Knysna from the sea side. Moving down the Head, we ended the day before the sunset, with a beer and a Mojito at Cornuti.

Daniela reporting: In the morning it was a bit cloudy and it looked like it was going to rain, but that was not a big problem.

We got going to Thesen Island. We walked up and down the quiet road.

When we got to the Waterfront Mom and Dad bought Mikey and I slip slops. Had lunch and ice-cream there too. When we got to the Mall Mom bought me a beautiful blue bag.

When we got home the rain had made our campsite look like a trash yard so we all had to sleep in the caravan. Had a lovely bath with Mikey and went to bed.

Luke reporting: I woke up with kisses from dad. I had breakfast and coffee while the others were doing a toilet show. We packed up and went to Knysna. Went past 100 ostriches and more caravans and old houses. This time Dani and Mike was screaming and shouting in the back.

Came to the Mossel Bay Bartolomeu Dias museum complex and we saw the Caravel sail boat 500 years ago. Looked inside the boat. Saw everything in the boat. Superb boat. Got some post cards and sended it to, gessing 4 people with stamps and sent them. Got a twist. Came to the aquarium saw fish and a octopus and crayfish saw two whale bones.

Went to lunch and it was the first time Dani, Mike and I had sailfish it was kind of Salmony taste. Had ice cream (very big) Came to the car and got going to Knysna. Went past koppies with trees on it. Went past Wilderness (beautiful beach and lots of little houses. Saw a car dad got his license in. We came to Sedgefield (lots wood houses).

At out campsite in Knysna got out and went to the jungle gym and the sand pit first, I pushed Dani on the swing then we played in the sand pit we played a game when me and Dani hide the stuff and everyone plays with and John and Mike found them. Came back and set up the big tent and went to investigate the place. Had dinner and a bath then went to bed.

Daniela reporting: Woke up at 7:15am and got our selfs ready to go fishing. The skipper’s name was Christian and he helped a lot. People who were on the boat = Daddy, Mikey, Luke, Chrstian and I.

Luke = 1 barbel
Mike = 4 puffer fish and 3 barbels
Daddy = 0
Christian = 0
Me = 2 puffer fish and 1 barbel

Went back home for a braai and had a bubbly bath with John