Kranskop was great but a trifle chilly for the last few days. In any event we stayed there for 9 days and had a great time.
Doppies’ brother in law Piet Nel has the adjacent farm, equipped with a 9 hole golf course and club, St. Cathryn’s. It has been going for about 3 years and has just got a course rating. Piet will be contacting Revell to compare notes. We played the course which was interesting but emasculating (Sean lost 6 balls). Jean has just made a very rude comment that Sean didn’t have 6 in the first place, but Sean will treat that remark with the contempt that it deserves. The really nice thing about the club is that having paid our fees to Piet’s wife Cathy, she promptly handed us the keys to the pub and told us to help ourselves to drinks after the game – payment on an honour basis. Nice people in this area.
Thanks to our literate friends for their Emails, the illiterate ones know who they are.
Rick, there are a couple of places for 4 x 4 in the Kranskop area. Doppies has a relation called Huber who is involved in Pretoria 4 x 4 (or Land Rover), and they were involved in laying out a track for the Camel Trophy trials a few years back. The event did not come off but the potential is there. There is also a young farmer here called Andre Swanepoel who has a trail on his farm. (Doppies’ Tel No.033-44441924).
We did a couple of excursions down into the Thukela Valley. Locals there very friendly. On the second trip we bathed in the Shu Shu hot springs. Very shu shu (shu shu is Zulu for hot) indeed. Must say it was quite strange sitting in a warm pond in the middle of a ruddy river surrounded by cattle, goats and bush.
Last Friday we were invited around to St. Cathryn’s Club for a curry and rice evening and to meet some of the crowd. Very hospitable and quite festive.
Left Kranskop on Monday to head for Fanies Island. We travelled at a leisurely pace and got about 9.5 kms to the litre towing which pleased us. Fanies is very pleasant. R 25 per head per night for the camp site, including electricity (Which we found out about having been here for a day!). We are right on Lake St. Lucia and surrounded by bush. Fish Eagles, Pelicans and all sorts of bird life. Many, many, Grey Headed Gulls, Monkeys – naturally- and plenty of Warthogs. We are sitting outside typing this and as we sit here a pair of warthogs followed by a pair of Crested Francolin, pass within 5 feet of us on regular patrol. The Bloody Gulls of course are on constant watch.
“Misafi II” is legal!!!. A very nice Parks Board man, (they do exist), inspected our sturdy craft and motor, ignoring a couple of embarrassing details – like beam and freeboard – and pronounced her fit to ply the lakes of KZN. He did however suggest that we do not go too far from the camp, having seen Jean’s auxiliary motor. He also suggested that we try and avoid the hippo and croc inhabitants. We agree with that. It could be a trifle awkward if an amorous croc made a pass at us.
Misafi II in all her glory
The weather has been a trifle blowy and we only did our first launch today. Everything went well. Sean caught a few fish – naturally – and then Jean decided that she might just throw in a “little hand line”. I, of course should have known better!. Jean caught the major share as usual! In any event, tonight we eat. No idea how long we will spend here, but intend to head for Kosi Bay maybe next week. Life is still good!