4^th June 2017

On the 24^th May we went through to Benoni to see Grandpa & Annette.

We found them to be upbeat and quite well. They both have problems that people of that age generally battle with, but they muddle through. They were well enough for us to take them out for lunch, which I think they enjoyed very much.

On the 27^th May, we attended the wedding of Juan and Thalia (now Steenkamp) at B’Sorah. We witnessed their covenant to each other before God and in the presence of many friends. It was a blessed time.

On the 30^th May we took our leave from San Cha Len Resort in Warmbaths and headed towards Scottburgh. San Cha Len is the best caravan park we have had the privilege of staying at. The management and staff were really conscientious and friendly, the facilities excellent, the ablutions spotless and security first class. We also enjoyed “long stay” and pensioners discounts so it was very good value for money.

The trip to our first overnight venue at Montrose suffered a setback when we got caught in a traffic jam (caused by an accident) on the highway through Pretoria. After an hour of stop-start, bumper to bumper traffic we started to move again, only to experience the same scenario while passing Johannesburg. The second holdup was not as severe as the first. After that it was easy going to Montrose (The Shell Ultra City at Swinburne).

A dear friend who owns the place had provided secure parking for the car and caravan, and booked us into the premier suite of the Protea Hotel for dinner bed and breakfast. Are we blessed or what??

The next morning we proceeded to “the Windmills” at Nottingham Road where we met with Gill Dyer (the lady who had blessed us with the stay-over at Montrose). We enjoyed breakfast with her. She is a real joy and shines with the joy of the Lord.

While we were having breakfast, a guy came over to speak to Gill. He told her that he had just come from Durban and that there was chaos because the taxis had blockaded the highway from Pinetown to Prospecton in protest about something. With this knowledge, we were able to bypass all the trouble by using the road via Umbumbulu which turned out to be challenging but ok. Without that information, we could have been caught in the middle of that demonstration for the whole day. Are we blessed or what??

On arrival at Scottburgh Caravan Park, we found it to be about 98% full. Compared to the camp we had just come from it is cramped and quite shoddy. The attraction is what it always has been, the proximity to the beach & the beauty of the sea.

Our site (which we chose on a map from the few that were available) is not a good one. It was difficult to access and equally difficult to get the van levelled. There is a bank between us and the sea (which I thought might protect us from the wind) and we look straight into the ablution block on the other side.

The weather has been perfect since we arrived with the days being hot and the nights cool. There has been no wind to speak of.

This morning we went to church. While we were away, the wind came up and we returned to find that the neighbours all around us had worked very hard to stop our tent from blowing away. What chaos!

I was able to get it all tied down a bit better. I have never been good at anything to do with a rope. I see that I am not much better with a tent peg. They seem to come out as quickly as I put them in. This is a skill I will have to learn in a hurry.

The tent doesn’t look pretty now but I think it is secure.

Until we write again, may you all be blessed. Lots of love,

Tom & Lynette.

May 20 2017

We have been at San Cha Len Caravan Park for almost 3 months now, and what a privilege and pleasure it has been. Situated about 100 Km North of Pretoria at Bela Bela (Warmbaths) it is well and truly in the bushveld, but close enough to make visits to Peter & Elaine and family and my Dad in Benoni possible. This has been super because we have been able to attend school concerts, sporting and church events with them. Distance from them has always kept us from doing those things so we have really enjoyed being more involved.

Winter has arrived so the time has come to move on. I have to officiate at a wedding on Saturday 27^th and God willing, we will leave for Scottburgh Caravan Park on Tuesday 30^th . A dear friend of ours heard of our plan and has insisted that we stop over at Montrose, just South East of Harrismith where she has booked us in to the Protea hotel for dinner, bed and breakfast. She has organised safe parking for the car and caravan and will meet us for breakfast the next morning. We stand amazed by the goodness of God and the calibre of the friends we have met in His service.

While in this area, we have removed a stack of “stuff” from the caravan and stored it with Peter & Elaine. We have shed all the things that we thought we might need on our trip but that we now know we can do without. This has many benefits. It reduces clutter, increases space, reduces cleaning & sheds weight. When we are settled in our flat in Scottburgh at the end of our trip, we will fetch it all.

Our car, caravan and all its equipment are still in perfect condition and have proved to be very comfortable and efficient.

On the 10^th of May we went to Broederstroom so that Tom could do marriage counselling with Juan and Thalia. We spent two nights there so that Tom could spend more time with the young couple. It was such a blessing to be with the whole Durr clan again on B’Sorah. While we were there we went to Jasmyn at Hartebeespoort. 

When you are so close you don’t let an opportunity slip by without a visit to this fresh produce and bakery paradise. While we were there we had our customary “Boeretroos”. Lovely “moer koffie met kondensmelk en beskuit”.

I still feed the bunnies every morning and this morning the adults were joined by a lovely little baby bunny. The baby was still a little skittish and hopped away when I came out of the tent, but it is amazing how tame the others are.

We went for a lovely long walk on the property the other day. Not doing much exercise lately, I am ashamed to say. Laziness has overcome us, I’m afraid. Daily chores take up most of our time. Back to the walk - This is a truly lovely property. We walked for about an hour, up and down little sand roads especially for the purpose of enjoying the bushveld and hopefully spotting some of the buck species. There are Njala, Duikers, Gemsbok and Impala. 

The Njala and Duikers graze here in the camp but the others are rather shy and you don’t easily spot them. What a wonderful walk that was. The road was rather sandy and I found it hard going, but other than that it was a wonderful time. We will be doing some more walking before we leave. We have also been spending time in the warm pool where we are doing water aerobics (which I am trying to remember from when I was doing it in Carol Joubert’s pool about 3-4 years ago.)

The camp is relatively full this weekend with a caravan club camping here. Even when the camp is full, it is really quiet and peaceful. The caravans and tents are grouped together, obviously so that groups of friends can camp together. No loud noise or music. We are truly blessed to have found this place. Babie, one of the owners here, came by for a visit earlier this week. When I told her that we were leaving in less than two weeks, she asked why we were leaving. Wouldn’t we just like to let our flat in Scottburgh and then live here permanently. It is nice to know that we will be welcome any time to camp here.

I can’t believe that 6 months have passed since leaving Hazyview. It is more than a year since I stopped working. I don’t know how I ever found the time to work. There is so much else to occupy my time. Tom and I are enjoying each other’s company, which is a real blessing.

I have managed to finally complete the jersey I had to knit for Christy’s charity project at school and I have also just finished making an infinity scarf for Elaine for the winter. I am now trying my hand at fingerless gloves. These need to be finished before Wednesday, when we are planning on going to Elaine. We plan on visiting Dad and Annette on Wednesday, then on to Elaine. On Thursday we are going to B’Sorah for a pre-wedding practise. On Friday we will have a day in Pretoria. On Saturday we will go out to B’Sorah again for “The Wedding” and then straight back to Elaine afterwards. On Sunday afternoon we will return to the caravan. 

On Monday we will start cleaning everything and then the big pack-up starts. On Tuesday the next leg of our trip starts, when we leave for Scottburgh. We are booked in at Scottburgh Caravan Park from the 31^st May until the 27^th July, when we depart for Clanwilliam.

Many blessings to you all,

Tom & Lynette.

19th April

19 April 2017

It has been some time since I contributed to the blog. So much has happened. We are really loving staying here at San Cha Len. The name doesn’t mean anything, it is made up of the first three letters of the original owners children’s names. People like to believe they are creative when they make up names. Not always with success!

The park is situated about 13 kms from Warmbaths, 10 kms good tarred road which leads to the N4 highway to Pretoria and then 3 kms of good sand road. Just 500 m down the road after exiting the ground road on the way to Warmbaths there is a restaurant/roadside stall which has so much character. A truly South African experience. I am so fascinated by the decor, so I have included some photos for you to check out. They also have a very good menu with a wide choice of meals and snacks. Their trading hours sign reads: “When we get here”.

There is a warm and a cold swimming pool here at San Cha Len. Tom and I try to swim at least 3 times a week. The days go by so quickly that when we are settling down for the night we remember that we didn’t swim. I can’t really say what we keep ourselves busy with, but every day seems to fly by.

Tom and I were comparing the two parks we have been in. Both had a charm all of their own with pros and cons to each. We definitely prefer this park as there are fewer bugs. At Drie Berge we had a problem with a wild cat which kept spraying our tent, etc. Here I have a couple of bunnies which wait patiently outside the tent for food. I went and bought a bag of bunny food and feed them in the late afternoon. We also do our shopping at a mall which is very conveniently situated just outside Warmbaths. We also go to a really nice coffee shop in this mall.

We have attended the local Methodist Church here and have become regulars. Tom preached there a couple of Sundays ago and was really well received. The little church is battling financially and it seems that they will not be able to afford their minister next year. She is in her third year of a three year invitation and they would have liked her to stay on, but it seems that there are not sufficient funds to make this happen. The facilities at the church are very well maintained and in beautiful condition. On the Sunday before Easter we were invited to lunch at one of the ladies in the congregation’s home. She lives on a farm just outside Warmbaths. We were so blessed to be there and had a lovely day with her and other members of the congregation who were also invited. We are quite at home.

When we were in Pretoria, Pierre Naude, the minister at Valley Methodist, asked us whether we were retiring to Pretoria. He was so hoping to make use of Tom’s years of experience. We do get involved where we are, so when we get to Scottburgh we will be ready to serve there to the glory of God. I sometimes feel that we are wasting a year, but then when I see that the Lord uses us where we are at the moment, I know that this is also part of His ministry.

About two weeks ago we went to Benoni to spend some time with Tom’s dad. He has now been moved to an assisted living section of the retirement home. Dad is becoming quite frail, although his health is still very good. We thank the Lord for His goodness to us for allowing us so much time with dad.

Tom’s brother Leonard flew up from Port Elizabeth for a couple of days, so we spent some time with him as well. Tom took Leonard and I to a roadhouse which they used to frequent when they were teenagers. It was such a treat - we had toasted cheeseburgers and milkshakes with the tray clipped onto the window. Both Tom and Leonard kept reminiscing about the many times they had come to the same roadhouse and that the food was exactly the same. Very little in South Africa has stood the test of time - but the Fireplace is still the same.

We will still be here at San Cha Len until the 18^th May, when we pack up and go to Elaine in Pretoria. Tom will be preparing for Thalia Durr’s wedding on the 27^th May. The following week we will be leaving and heading for Scottburgh to spend June and July in the caravan park there. I am so looking forward to being there again. It is a super caravan park and when we are living in Scottburgh it would be stupid to camp in the park. So, this will most probably be that last time that we will camp there. At the end of July our journey continues when we take to the road heading for Clanwilliam for the whole of August. We are planning on breaking our trip into 5 overnight stops en route. Another great part of our adventure, God willing.

Well, until next time, may God bless you all.

We are at a little privately owned “Bushveld” caravan park in Warmbaths (Bela Bela) called San Cha Len. We are enjoying ourselves very much. It is a cleverly designed park where your caravan stands on a tarred extension of the road network & the tent is pitched on a brick paved area. It is designed in such a way that you pull in, stop the caravan next to the paved area and set up camp. When you leave, you just hook up and drive on out. This removes the sometimes heavy job of having to manually position the caravan on a stand. Very clever indeed!

Each stand has its own little private garden area with a braai facility, electrical connection, dustbin and tap.

The security is good, the ablutions are A1. There are hot and cold swimming pools, put-put, trampoline & play-park for children. 

 A nice shady site

 The cold pool

The hot indoor pool

A part of the men's ablutions

During the week the park is almost empty but on weekends it fills up nicely. It has so far been quiet, even on the weekends. They have given us a very favorable tariff because we are pensioners and staying for quite a while. As always, the Lord has gone ahead of us and planned our way. We are so grateful.

While we were still at Drie Berge, I lost my teeth! (a plate I have worn for many years with a few teeth on. It replaces the teeth I lost in a motor accident many years ago.) The plate just disappeared! We are having a new one made here in Warmbaths but I nearly fainted when I heard that it will cost us close to R9000. It will however be a really good quality item and will probably outlast me.

Being close to other people in a relaxed atmosphere makes it easy to make new friends. We have made many new friendships. While discussing our planned routes we have noticed that, God willing, our paths will cross and we will meet again later in the year in yet unseen places. It is exciting to share experiences and learn from each other.

Our plans are very flexible and are constantly under review. As it stands, we plan to stay here until May 18^th when we will go to Pretoria and stay with Peter, Elaine & family. While there I will do the necessary prep for Thalia Durr’s wedding which should take place on Saturday 27^th May.

The next day, God willing, we will leave for Scottburgh. We plan to spend some of the winter there then go via East London, Port Elizabeth & Cape Town to Clanwilliam where we will stay for the whole of August. During that time we hope to see the flowers in Namaqualand.

From there we will work our way back to Scottburgh by the end of November, at which time the grand tour will be over and we plan to move into our flat.

God’s richest blessings to you all. Lots of love, Tom & Lynette.

7 March 2017

We had a very blessed weekend. On Friday we went to Pretoria and picked up Neil, Jeanine, Jenna and Thomas and took them through to Benoni to Malcolm’s house.  Tom’s brother had kindly offered that we could meet with Tom’s dad in a more comfortable environment. Tom then fetched his dad and Anette. 

Dad really enjoyed seeing his great grandchildren and meeting Thomas for the first time. Thomas and Jenna were at their best behaviour. Jeanine had taught Jenna to say Grandpa Bob and this lasted quite well, but later in the day Dad became Bob. It was so cute. Thomas reacted very well to Dad and smiled and tried to chat with him. What a blessing it was for all. 

Dad is getting very frail now and Neil was determined to see him and introduce him to Thomas.

Four generations together!!

On Friday evening we went with Peter, Elaine and Peter’s parents to a concert at Pretoria Girl’s High School where Christy and Rebekah performed. What a wonderful experience this was for us. Then Christy surprised us by playing a solo on her violin together with the string ensemble, in which Rebekah also plays. We were so proud of both these very special young ladies.

Saturday was spent doing washing (thank goodness for Elaine’s lovely washing machine!) Tom finalised his prep for Sunday.

On Sunday we went to Jeanine’s sister’s house where they had invited a couple of friends and the respective families. Tom then baptised Thomas – this was such a special occasion. Thomas was dressed in such a cute outfit which had a waistcoat and bowtie and chinos. Quite a fashion statement! We were so thankful that we could be part of this very important step in Thomas’ life. 

We were then treated to a scrumptious Mexican Salad and freshly baked breadrolls. The ‘doopkoek’ was baked using Jeanine’s ouma’s recipe, which she in turn used to bake for all the baptisms of all her children and grandchildren.

Tom and I had to say our sad goodbyes, as we would not be seeing Neil and family again for quite a while. They leave for America on Thursday.  We went home to Elaine’s house and collected the dry washing, said our goodbyes to them as well and came home to our campsite. It had rained in the afternoon, but what a relief to come back to a site that wasn’t a sloshy mess!

We are now going to pack up and tomorrow we leave for San Cha Len near Bela Bela (Warmbaths). We have booked here for the rest of March and the whole of April. More news later.

God bless,

Tom and Lynette

Since our last post, we have ridden the roller-coaster of conditions and emotions. It started when we got news of a mix-up in USA with the flight bookings of Neil & family & that they would be arriving two days later than expected. Our stay with them at Mabalingwe would have to be shortened by a day. We felt so much better when we had news of their safe arrival in South Africa. Our meeting with them was joyous and our new Grandson is a perfect specimen of perfect!

Back at the caravan it started to rain. It poured down and water ran down the slope and right through our tent. Being on a terrace below other sites water seeped up through the ground and turned the ground in our tent into deep mud. The rain went on and on.

It is amazing how the Lord goes ahead of us and works everything for our good. We were able to leave the whole soggy mess behind and spend three nights in great comfort with the US family. Despite the fact that it was raining for much of the time, we had a ball.

When we got back, we had to face the reality of our sopping setup & planned to move to a higher site as soon as the rain stopped. That never really happened, so we ended up moving in the rain, albeit light. 

We are now dry again & very comfortable.

We planned to visit my dad on Monday to introduce him to his latest great grandson. They differ in age just more than 102 years. When we wanted to leave here, we were told that the local taxi industry had blocked all the roads in protest over the poor state of the roads. A lot of organization had to be cancelled at the last minute.

We have re-scheduled to Friday when, God willing, the big meeting will take place.

Never a dull moment!!

Blessings to you all,

Tom & Lynette.

16th Feb 2017

We are both well and really enjoying ourselves. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Neil, Jeanine, Jenna & Thomas from USA. There was a mix up with their plane tickets so they are only arriving on Saturday. We will see them briefly on Sunday & then they will join us at a resort close to Bela-Bela (Warmbaths) for a few days. We have hired a 6 sleeper self-catering Chalet.

We had the joy of having Peter, Elaine, Christy, Joshua & Rebekha spend last weekend with us. They brought their tent & camped right next to us. It really was a joyous time.

We needed to find and visit the UIF office in Brits so that Lynette could claim her penultimate UIF payment. It is hard to believe but most government offices have no names on them and are almost impossible to find.

While at a car wash the other day, we asked a local (who was also having his car washed) if he could direct us to the UIF offices. He said he could not describe the route, but he would take us there. When the cars were clean, we followed him to a little back-street & he pointed out an unnamed building. When we visited it on the appointed day we found that it was quite clean & reasonably organised. Praise the Lord!!

Being in a caravan park with not many other people around during the week, has given us a better understanding of how much effort goes into making it work so well. The irrigation, mowing, cleaning and maintenance of a place like this is a big job. I have noticed that even the shower mats are removed, disinfected and replaced every day.

A few days ago, Lynette and I sat outside under the veranda of our tent during a real Highveld thunderstorm. To be right in the action and see a tiny bit of the power of God at work was AWESOME. Lightening, thunder, wind and rain!! It was truly invigorating.

We are placing a few more photos so you can see some more of our surroundings.

We pray God’s blessing on you all,

Lots of love,

Tom & Lynette.