Endless Summer Road Trip…

Wow! It gets hot here… today we saw the temperature rise to 41 degrees! Thank goodness for air-conditioned cars! Drove into Beaufort West looking along New Street and Donkin Street to find Erin Flats where Nanny lived till she was 7 years old. But we think it has been renovated or demolished. Not much else to see in Beaufort West, although we did have a long conversation about a “stoep”.

We came back into the park for a refreshing swim at the KNP pool. Presently I am sitting with a Gin and knowing I’m turning 38 tomorrow, but still feeling like I should be 28 and knowing I am extremely blessed and… living the dream!! Nads.

Woke up early at “Die Groot Gat” campsite and got on our bikes to ride the short distance to the Big Hole. Kids loved the ride – first time we were all together on bikes as a family. The Big Hole was great – watched a movie, walked out on the new suspension viewing platform and then went into the vault to see all the good stuff. Mike was very scared when we went underground into the mine and watched a rock blast (dynamite was a pair of very big speakers!). Kids then had loads of fun bowling in an old alley and sifting for daimonds.

Left Kimberly at about 1pm and headed for the Karoo National Park. Put four bikes *in* the caravan this time and two in the Caravelle and towing was *much* better. Averaged about 100km/h instead of 85 so we made it in about 5 hours this time even though it was about the same distance as yesterday.

Karoo Park is great and we are going in to Beaufort West today to see where my Mom once lived when she was young. Nads busy with a classroom at the moment and now the kids are writing their diaries and scrapbooking.

Drove from Joburg to Kimberly today. We eventually finished packing last night at 2am – thought at one point we were never going to leave! Stopped in Klerksdorp for Wimpy burgers to make sure it feels like we are really on holiday. 500km down – took us seven hours in total with a one hour stop. Found out that 100km/h is the top speed with the bikes on the back of the Caravan (yip, Caravelle then Caravan then four bikes on the towbar) – was bouncing around quite a bit! Consumption was 12l per 100km.

Kimberly campsite is small and quiet and Mikey eventually got to play with his remote controlled car that has been fixed after it was broken five minutes after he got it for his birthday.

Off to the groot gat tomorrow – nitey nite…

Soon we will be heading out of Joburg, driving South West on our Endless Summer Road Trip. First stop is Kimberly and then will be making our way down to the west coast via Beaufort West and Sutherland.

Lots of lists and last minute to do’s, but the excitement is really starting to build!