Villa Spa Apr 8 2012

Weather is really lovely with mildly warm evenings.
Benji's equivalent of sea swimming:

Villa Spa - Apr 2012 - Scavenger Hunt

We decided to enter into the Scavenger Hunt for the benefit of Zac. He ended up watching TV while we scavenged! Mad half hour. Guys had to cross dress!

We "won" a Fizzer each but had a good laugh and ain't that what life's all about!

Villa Spa, Illovo - April 2012

Ah, bliss - little ones are happily entertained and making friends with the next generation of Villa Spa'ins. Domi & Jay are hooked and so new friendships form. Weather good. Luis caught a Wave Runner. Lots of fun had by all!

Morgan's Bay (Yellowwood Camping) - update 5/4/12 now at Villa Spa

Had no signal since last post. Tried to put a brave front on the quaint/rustic amenities but Domi and Jay not happy - don't blame them - it's their first long trip in a caravan and Yellowwood just doesn't make the grade. Took a call on 4/4 to edge up the coast to Villa Spa (Illovo) - tried and trusted. Took us 11 hours to do the 600km journey what with lengthy stop 'n goes, etc. Also, Jay's car giving trouble and losing power to the extent of sometimes cutting out altogether (in the most inopportune places, I might add!!!!). Had it's funny moments with us overtaking slower traffic at good times only for them to retake us when we had to stop. They must have thought we were barmy! Arrived at 22:30 - but today life is good and sooo glad we took the call yesterday!
Did manage to get some lovely shots of the elusive Trumpeter though.

Morgan's Bay, EC - April 2012 en route.

Stopped over at Reyneke's Caravan Park, Bloemfontein on way down. Own 'blute and really caters for overnight stop 'n go. Lot of rain on way down but became very sporadic and light once we were in park.
Set off for Morgan's Bay at around 9 for an approx 600km journey ahead. Estimated we'd arrive at around 3/4ish. Yeah, right! Major roadworks and delays on terrible roads (?); rain accompanying us the whole journey; gps taking us on a "tar road" which turned out to be a dirt road which we could not navigate with our caravans. "Road" washed away, deep sluices, wow - quite exciting. After about 3km we couldn't go further so had to unhitch vans in order to turn around.

If we'd stayed on the main tar road for another 13 kms, the road to Morgan's Bay is a beautiful tar road - a highway by comparison!
Upshot of our little adventure is that we arrived at camp in the dark (& wet)! Mother Nature was kind to us, yet again! The rain let up and, although ground was somewhat mushy & muddy, we were able to set up.
Camp surroundings are beautiful with loads of birdlife. Once it all dries out, it'll be brilliant. 'Blutes are quaint!!!!

Sun is trying to peep through.

KNP JAN/FEB 2012 - LETABA 1/2 & 2/2

Stopped off on the Shingwedzi causeway (Shingwedzi's response to Lake Panic) prior to departing for Letaba. Did not disappoint.

Afterwards, a very dry, uneventful 100 plus kms to Letaba traversing through my pet peeve: lassitude inducing mopani!!!
Only highlight was a herd of elephant browsing peacefully until a tour bus came along and scared them off!

The flood damage is very evident around Letaba, particularly around the Engelhard dam route. It is closed off but we cheated and accessed by going in close to Olifants camp. Much careful navigating of partially destroyed causeways and doubling back on numerous occasions later, we reached "Fish Eagle Tree" - took us 4 hours to get to a point roughly 5kms away from camp (as the crow flies).
Our reward ........

Some of the causeways could not be navigated, photo's don't really do it justice:

Wire caged rubble used as bolsters flung aside like kiddies building blocks: