Cove Rock

Spent another week at Ocean View and a couple more visits to The Shed proved how friendly the locals are.  Alan runs a hardware store in Morgan Bay and maintains that his pension pays for one beer and the store pays for the rest.  Fed up with potholes some of the local businessmen started a fund and used it to at least fill some of the craters but were told very sternly by the mayor that they couldn't do that anymore as they were taking jobs away from disadvantaged people - only in SA. Had been having problems with a whingeing back and asked if there was a local physio and was promptly dragged over to a table and introduced to Norma who said come by at 9:30 tomorrow.  Talking while she pulverised my back, it turned out we're both from Bulawayo and her father ran a pharmacy there and I used to sell to him when I worked as a drug-peddlar for CAPS.  We were also at Wits around the same time - small world.

During my stay the wind was almost constant but swung 180 degrees at the drop of a hat.  I guess driving past this on my way there should have given me a heads up.

I was offered a campsite for R75 a night or this rather unusual "cottage" for R100.  It consisted of two rondavels with a central bathroom and as Bruce, the manager, put it the boss lost his mind and built a lounge from the roof down!  It has yet to be completed but the cows enjoyed the shelter when it rained.

Nice to live somewhere other than the van for a while but still used the Beast as a lounge and set up this very sophisticated dish arrangement as a building was blocking the signal from my normal mount on the jockey wheel.  A pick handle, a tie down, a large brick, a log and a couple of tent pegs - eat your heart out McGyver.

Coming back from Kei Mouth one day suddenly noticed these stunning erythrinas which appear to have flowered overnight - thought it might make a heck of a puzzle.

As there had been rain, the 8 k's of dirt back to the main road turned the bakkie brown so on a shopping trip to Bonza Bay I spotted a car wash and paid R65 for a wash and go - exorbitant as the previous highest was R40.  Unfortunately while I was in town the clouds dumped another 30 mm on the road -guess what colour the bakkie was when I got home.  I'd been past this building a few times and muttered about the wasteful government spending, what the heck do they need all those loos for?  Then I noticed the sign, "Amatola Sanitation Dept.", I imagine this is the shit-house showroom, pick your privvy.

The day dawned when I had to leave and of course the weather decided to do the dirty and down came the rain for most of the night.  I had deliberately stayed an extra two nights to ensure that Bruce's helpers were on hand if the Beast decided not to move.  When I came to hitch, the back wheel of the bakkie was in a hole and the front against a rock.  I used the movers to roll her forward a bit, hitched, engaged the diff lock and let rip.  Almost made 10 m before we came to a halt slipping wildly.  Went in search of help and of course only one of three labourers had pitched, so had a go with two pushers but the back wheels just dug in.  Unhitch again, engage movers and with three of us busting a gut we got her onto the level - whew.

The 70 k's to Cove Rock were a doddle even though they involved going through the city centre but it was all worthwhile for this view, one side..........

 

...and the other.  The birdlife here is amazing, five heron, three kingfisher and three duck species plus about 50 others so far.  Was serenaded by a pair of Spotted Eagle Owls last night which took me straight back to 28 B.

Have often heard of the Amatola Mountains but never been so as they were just up the road near Stutterheim, I booked into the Manderson Hotel for a couple of nights which included the luxury of not having to feed myself.  First time ever that I've been outnumbered 50 to 1 by black guests - appears surrounding municipalities are very generous when it comes to conferences.  Saw the sunrise for the first time in a while.....

 .....then toddled off to do some atlassing in the nearby Khologha Forest, mainly in search of Cape Parrots.  Not a squawk anywhere but lots of other goodies along the board-walk....

 ....and forest trails.  Some fair sized yellow-woods still grace this patch, you may spot my back pack on the creeper next to the tree to give it some scale.

And of  lots of streams of DRINKABLE water and Mountain Wagtails, which refused to oblige me with a pic.

You just can't keep a good tree down.

About 3 k's in I glimpsed movement on a rock and there sat one of my favourites, a White-starred Robin who was totally unconcerned with my presence and though I tried I just could not get the camera to focus on him (no it's not my pic), so I just sat and watched.  Next in view a Bush Blackcap, then Olive Woodpecker and finally a Chorister - magic.

On the way back to the hotel I bumped into a a pair of these beauties, which, though I've heard them regularly, was the first time I'd seen them on this trip - Red-necked Spurfowl and it IS my pic.

While lying in bed the other morning doing the lazy man's birding (listening) a thought popped into my head which is probably a quote from someone but nevertheless I like it - I now feel that I am living the dream rather than dreaming the life, and though it's lonely it is also fun.