Since our last update we have started our travels into the wilds of South Africa. We left Johannesburg and travelled north through some spectacular mountain scenery. There were lots of market stalls all along the way and we ended up buying some carved animals and a few other handpainted cloths and each of the kids used their pocket money to buy bracelets. There are so many people selling crafts and one would like to support them all, but it is difficult as you cannot buy from everyone and some of the sellers seem quite desperate. We ran out of cash quite quickly and just could not buy any more. We also don't want to bargain too hard as many people depend on the income they make from their street stalls for all their food, clothing and children's education.
We spent the night in the old methodist manse in a little town called Pilgrim's Rest. It is an old mining town which is completely heritage listed. The buildings are mostly built from tin and were not originally built to last forever, so the building we stayed in was certainly quaint, but looked as if it had seen better days. It was perched on a hill above the town and in fact looked like it may be starting to slide down the hill as the floors were probably sloping by 20 degrees. It was very cheap to stay there and we certainly felt part of history being there. After the night in Pilgrim's rest we continued on the next day to Burke's Luck Potholes where the water has worn away huge big holes into a rocky gorge. We also stopped to look at the view from "God's window" which is normally a spectacular viewing spot, but was completely covered by cloud the day we went. We then entered the park after stopping in the very busy town of Hazyview, where we bought a huge bag of avocados for about $3 and a lovely bag of litchis which are all grown around this area.
We spent the first two nights in the Kruger National Park at a place called Satara where the children again enjoyed a swim in the pool. We saw a lot of game on our first day including a huge herd of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, impala, kudu, waterbuck, wildebeest, rhino. We have since also seen lion, wild dogs and hyena. It is a wonderful atmosphere in the game park, where it has been raining today (which is thankfully a bit cooler). We have also enjoyed catching up with our friends the Stirzakers, who are living here in the Kruger Park for a few months.
We should be able to download some photos in few days to show everyone some of the places we have been to.
Hope those of you who are in Canberra are doing OK . We believe that you have had a lot of rain there. At least our garden should be thriving.
Until next time.
Hi R, J, M, F & J, glad to hear of your safe arrival in SA. The trip so far sounds amazingly fun. We've finally had some nice weather in Sydney over the last few days, but expecting more rain in the coming week. Sadly, Regional NSW has copped it with major flooding, including Queanbeyan! That is what is dominating the news here at the moment, that and Oprah's visit, of course! We're on the countdown to Christmas now and getting everything in order for that, which we'll spend at my mum and dads. Mike had a win in an event at St Georges Basin recently, we have photos with a big novelty cheque to prove it! Safe travelling to you all, we look forward to further posts and photos. Lots of love, Ness, Mike and Tom. xx
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