24 July 2017

It has been a while since our last blog. Today is yet another perfect day.

We managed to get a site right above the beach and overlooking the sea. What a blessing this has been. We moved here on the 18^th July. The wind here is virtually non-existent, especially compared to the site that we were on.

There is a lady in a caravan just up the road from us, and when I pass her each morning on the way to the ablutions she greets me with “yet another day in paradise, isn’t God great.” Indeed our God is great and greatly to be praised.

When I sit and look at the sea I marvel at His wonderful creation. This morning as I sat drinking my tea outside the tent, I saw the dolphins again. The surfers were out in full force but the waves were rather disappointing. Just now I saw the whales as well. We have secured this site until the end of November, when we can move into our flat. Why go anywhere else when you live in paradise.

We have decided not to go to the Cape after all. Because of the severe drought conditions we just felt that to go on an extended tour of the Cape would not be worth it. Everything is so dry and caravan parks have requested that we bring our own water and extra it we can. With the possibility of not seeing any flowers and adding to the burden of hosts, we decided to go another year when things are not as bad. It has been raining, but it will still take a lot of rain to make things comfortable for the people in the Cape province. Friends of ours in Somerset West have said that they have closed their one room which they use for a B&B as with guests there, they use up the household’s quota of water very quickly then they have to really scrimp and save.

I celebrated my 65^th birthday in style this year. Tom took me to Umdoni Golf Park clubhouse for supper. When we drove up I said to him would we ever be able to afford to eat at such a beautiful establishment. Well, what a surprise. This is an incredibly beautiful place which overlooks the sea. The meals are very reasonable and we spent a lovely evening there. Then he took me to Botha House, which is in an securely fenced part of the Golf Course. What a beautiful old Cape Dutch style house. General Louis Botha, the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa, built this as a holiday ‘cottage’. Nothing cottage about this house. 

Beautiful wooden floors, and old furniture. Apparently General Botha didn’t ever get to use the house, as he passed away before he could, but his wife lived there for quite some time. After that the ministers of the cabinet used it as a quiet retreat. It is now used as a guest house. It has 4 rooms upstairs with their own bathrooms. All very old fashioned, but still so well built and maintained. Then there are two garden rooms and a self catering cottage. I could really recommend this as a get away for anyone who wants to be truly spoilt.

Tom booked a room and we got the whole house! The next morning we were treated to a scrumptious breakfast on the verandah. Wow, what a way to celebrate my birthday.

Tom’s brother Malcolm and his wife Colleen have a house at Ramsgate. After Dad’s passing, they needed a break so spent some time at Ramsgate. We went down to see them and spent the night with them. They treated us like royalty. What a beautiful home this is. No wonder they hanker to spend more time there just to get away from the business of their lives in Benoni. Together we went to a place called Clearwater - great for mountain bikers and hikers. We had a lovely lunch there and took a small walk to the deck which overlooks the gorge. (Can’t remember the name of the gorge) On one side is Natal and on the other is the Transkei. What a beautiful sight. Unfortunately the day was a bit hazy and gloomy so we couldn’t really get a good view of the sea in the distance.

Tom and I had been to Beaver Creek Coffee Estate about two weeks prior to our visit with Malcolm and Colleen, which is situated on the same road as Clearwater. This is also worth a visit. We had such fond memories of Sabie Valley Coffee, so this was bound to be a good place. We also had a lovely lunch there, slightly expensive but really very good. The coffee was excellent, and we will definitely be visiting them again.

When speaking to friends here in the camp about our visit to Beaver Creek, they told us about a little known place at Port Edward. There is a small desert there, called the Red Desert. It is such a strange phenomenon. It is just 200 metres across and covers an area of 11 hectares. It is a recognised desert and is classified as such. Tom and I still want to visit it in the near future then we will blog some more about it with pictures as well.

We have started attending the local Methodist Church here and are really enjoying being part of the congregation. So many people have come up to us and just started chatting. The minister is Alan Bester. We knew his parents when we were part of Lay Witness and met him as a young man about to candidate for the ministry. We haven’t actually spoken to him yet. He is a very sound Bible teacher and his message every Sunday is so thought provoking. We are truly blessed. Tom is enjoying just being part of the congregation with not having to worry whether the sound is working, etc. I have joined the ladies fellowship on a Wednesday, and Tom has attended the Bible-study led by Alan on a Friday morning.

Yesterday we went through to Amanzimtoti to the Makro there. While we were browsing a lady came up to me and said: ‘Kan jy dit nou oorvertel! Wat maak julle twee hier?’ (Can you believe this. What are you two doing here?) This was my dear friend Lore and her husband, Joggie, from Standerton. Wow, what a wonderful surprise. We left our browing and went and had coffee and a catch up at the Wiesenhof coffee shop. We chatted about our children and are getting together later this week for lunch in Port Shepstone. More about this restaurant in a future blog. Will keep you posted.

My neighbour has just stopped by to show us the oysters she and her husband have just collected off the rocks below our campsite. She says they also collected a lot of mussels. She wanted to introduce us to the oysters, but I told her not to waste the precious things on me. Tom doesn’t eat seafood and I am so allergic to mussels, I don’t want to risk oysters. It doesn’t sound too appetising in any case. What bounty to be found right here where we are.

Tom has just called me to come and see the whales which are very close to the shore. People pay big money to have this privilege of whale spotting and here I just sit on my deck-chair and watch them lazily swim by. The dolphins are also there and I was just thinking how wonderful it must be to be that at home in the water. Perfectly shaped for the task.

Until we write again, may you and yours be blessed.

Lots of love,

Tom & Lynette

01 July, 2017

A lot has happened since we arrived at Scottburgh. For the first few weeks the wind determined much of what we did. When it really blows, and it does quite often for long periods of time, we have to batten down and hang on. Our site seems to be in a natural funnel which directs the wind to us. We will change it for a better one as soon as possible but certainly after the July school holidays when more sites will be available.

On Wednesday 21^st Lynette tramped on what looked like solid ground but turned out to be a shallow hole and twisted her ankle quite badly.

On Friday 23^rd we received the news that Grandpa had passed away quietly. It was just 4 days before his 103^rd birthday. It was a shock but also a relief. When you see people that old, you thank the Lord that we don’t live forever on earth. His last weeks were really difficult for him.

Malcolm & Colleen have been very busy seeing to his needs for a long time, needs that became more and more as he got older. We owe them a great deal of thanks for their love and effort on Dad’s behalf. The same must be said of dear Annette who assisted him so lovingly.

With the need to go to Benoni, we tied the tent down some more and asked a friend here to watch over it while we were away. We left here on Sunday 25^th and headed North. We stopped at Montrose (At Swinburne) for fuel & something to eat. We left and about 12 Km. later the car started to jerk and make very expensive sounds. I pulled off the road and correctly suspected that the attendant had filled our tank with petrol instead of diesel. There we were, sitting at the side of the road on a Sunday with a car that could not go anywhere. Being an automatic it also cannot be towed. It has to be carried on the back of a VERY expensive flatbed truck.

I managed to phone the owner of Montrose who told us to sit tight and she would sort out our problem for us. Within 30 minutes, the manager of Montrose arrived with the fuel station manager. The latter stayed with us while he went on to Harrismith to get a tow truck. Very soon, the tow truck arrived & carried our car to a workshop in Harrismith where a mechanic was waiting to do what was necessary. I kept an eye on him and watched the whole procedure. He drained the full tank of fuel, flushed the lines and the filter and then filled our tank with diesel. He then started it up and it ran sweetly. Praise the Lord. All this was done at no cost to us. Our journey continued with no further incident. What amazing service from people who could have shrugged their shoulders and let me carry all the blame.

Dad’s memorial service was a real celebration of the life of a (not perfect but) Godly man, sure in the knowledge that he had believed in Jesus Christ and served him as best he could. Sure in the knowledge that he would live forever in glory with his Saviour.

We spent the week with Peter & Elaine and family. It is always such a joy to be with them. Yesterday we travelled back to Scottburgh, stopping again at Montrose for lunch. The manager recognised us, greeted us warmly and then took his leave. Later, when we had had a good lunch and asked for the bill, we were told that the manager had taken care of it. Are we blessed, or what??

We arrived at the caravan after a very good trip to find everything in good condition. Fuel consumption was an excellent 16.6 Km/L.

This morning we went for a walk to exercise Lynette’s ankle and look for suitable sites in the caravan park for our move. We sat down at the little tuck-shop in the camp and watched dolphins playing/hunting in the sea. It was a beautiful sight.

Blessings to you all until next time.

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