South Coast

Third week here already, moving to Paradise on the 4th which doesn't mean I'm about to become a suicide bomber.  Spent a couple of nights in a little chalet just outside Shelley Beach checking out spots and decided on Paradise Caravan Park about 20 k's this side of Port Edward.  Have already selected a site which is up on a hill with sea views but some distance away from the shoreline so won't be able to hear the surf.  Could not believe how Shelly Beach has changed, massive shopping centres and wall to wall traffic.  Found a small craft harbour and watched a couple of fishermen landing and loading their boats, quite a process.  They zoom in onto the beach then use a snatch block to tow the boat up onto a scissor trailer with a 4x4 bakkie, then hitch up and pull the thing up a very steep concrete slip-way.  First time I've seen all four wheels spinning!

Decided to go walkies along the beach the other morning and noticed someone with two dogs coming the other way.  When she got closer I saw she was wearing an apron - the maid, the height of laziness I'd say.  Then the following day I was walking back from the shop and he comes a guy with no legs on his motorised wheel-chair also walking two dogs, wonder if he's ever run out of battery.

Was outside on the "veranda" the other day and noticed a trail of ants moving along the lower edge under the door and disappearing underneath by the wheel arch.  Decided to try and find out what they were up to but could see so backtracked to see where the were coming from.  This led up the rear, then under the awning all the way to the front across the horizontal pole to the vertical one down onto the ground and under the ground sheet! Whoever figured out that route was really in it for the long haul. And next day they were gone.

Had a visit from Richard Boon and Wendy van Elden on Saturday and took them to Umdoni forest.  Seems the Australian authorities have been asking questions about why he has not yet taken up residence, so now he is moving to Melbourne - again.  No more farewell parties though as we've already had two.  He has a contract position there for a year so I expect he'll be back fairly soon.  Took them up to what must be one of the most spectacular 18th hole tee boxes in the world.

Pennington

Moved here on Monday, all of 25 k's from where I was but it was one of Jo's favourite places and I just wanted to spend time here.  Haven't done much as I've had a dose of flu which of course arrived on Sunday night and made packing up so much more special.  Fortunately had assistants here who put of the tent for me and I just went to bed and stayed there till morning.  Fiddled all day Tuesday but managed to get locked onto the DSTV satellite all by myself which was an achievement.  Went out early on Wednesday to get a pic of sun-up and had a bit of a walk, beach not quite as nice as Scottburgh and I doubt that I'd be able to get past the back-line..

A couple of differences between the two parks Clansthal was sandwiched between the Old South Coast Road and the railway line and the passenger service started at around 4:30 am.  There was also a huge troop of monkeys who carried out regular raids so everything had to be put away.  There was one large male who was particularly aggressive and I was having a lie down one afternoon when the van rocked as the sod landed on the inside table.  I yelled and he grabbed something and took off, though for the life of me I couldn't figure out what he had nicked.  Only later when I needed one did I remember the tissues, which come in a plastic bag.  I went for a stroll and found them with the corners chewed off and a few pulled out but otherwise none the worse. Hope he enjoyed the meal.  A few days later I was on the "veranda" eating a naartjie and probably the same fellow marched threateningly towards me with his eyes firmly on the fruit.  When I went to chase him off he crouched and bared his teeth - after which I retired.  Though I am still next to the railway line, the passenger service stops in Scottburgh and there are only two trains a day here, at about 10 am and 3 pm, very civilized.

When I was sussing out places to stay I came down to Pennington and went for a walk in the beautiful Umdoni Forest and spent a couple of hours atlassing.  I was driving out when I noticed a sign that I'd never seen before that said Otter Viewing Sight, so stopped and took a wander but discovered that it was a long way off and my legs had about had it so decided to leave it for another day.  I was just about back at the bakkie when I spotted a couple of lady bushbuck in the road who then wandered off into the forest.  I watched them for a while then saw a goat, WTF.  On closer inspection it turned out to be a almost totally albinistic male bushbuck, stunning creature with just a trace of brown on his neck and head, and where was the camera?  At home of course, I will however go back and see if I can find him again.

Will be here until 4th June as the winter rates are just two grand for the month and will spend a bit of time further down the coast looking for the next spot somewhere around Margate, will probably stay in a B&B for a couple of nights as it's nearly 100 k's away!

Clansthal

22nd April

This caravan park is certainly an eyeopener, even sports a fellow with a mullet!  Beautiful beach though just 100 m down the road but are there no longer restrictions about how far you may build from the high water mark?

Scottburg just 5 k's down the road is amazing in that it seems to have somehow avoided the 3rd world invasion that's happened in so many other places.  Also a stunning beach protected by a rocky point, tried to go body boarding there this morning but the north-easter was cranking and the water resembled a washer.  Spent 4 hours atlassing in Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve yesterday, stunning day but unfortunately the aliens are gradually taking over - plants that is!  One spectacle was that there were dozens of these scattered throughout the grassland.

Brunsvigia grandiflora, the giant candalabra flower.  Some days are harder to fill than others and I do tend to get tired of my own company, amazing how quickly you drop off everyone's radar.  However the park also boats the Chief's Cabin, a pub and grill which I occasionally visit, though bar prices are a bit above my income level.  Stiill have to find the next stop and somewhere over the long weekend in May, no hurry though.

Queensburgh

100 days of the year gone!  Have now been homeless for over 2 weeks and am looking forward to moving on.  Spent last Sunday down the south coast checking van parks and it appears that most of them are into ripping everyone off.  In one place the rate goes from R200 a day to R800 at peak periods and the long weekend coming up on 1st May is peak.  So have chosen a more reasonable place called Green Point in Clansthal just beyond Umkomaas.  Plan to spend the rest of April there then find another further along.  A lot of them offer monthly winter rates at very reasonable prices.  Reckon on spending winter in KZN then skip what used to be Transkei and get down towards East London for spring.  Guess that means I'm going south, though I still like the idea of winter in Kruger..............next year perhaps.

Going to try and load a picture, hold thumbs.

The Beast.

Will download some interior pics which are still on the camera and include them with the next post.  I thought this was going to be a gentle lifestyle but it's all pretty hectic.  Assumed that as in the old days when you moved to another province you needed to change registration so went up to Joburg on Monday and only had to go back to the Licencing dept. 3 times...............you will never do it once.  First was to collect the forms, the second was to check whether everything was in order - no the letter from my sister wasn't an official affidavit - third time lucky only I didn't have a copy of my ID, so had to gallop across the road to have one made at the local take away!  I then inquired about getting new registration and licences for the vehicles only to be told that I didn't have to - wasted trip to Joburg, as I could have done it all here.  Still it was nice to see Beth and Pete.  On the way back I stopped at the Vaal One-stop for a pee only to be accosted by a seedy looking individual looking for a lift for himself and his wife - you can hop in the back mate and the cab stays locked.  A pair of the herd of so-called poor whites who head to Durbs for the winter.  Hope they're not mistaken for foreigners.

Have been having problems getting the satellite dish working and the fridge never switches off so have a couple of technicians coming today who will hopefully sort it.  Was also in a quandry about where to go next and actually woke myself up fretting, then remembered a line from a new song from our very own immortal Jack Parrow - Google him - "If life gives you lemons, cut a hole and f--- it."

Off I go

On Monday 30th March I trundled the Beast down the road to Queensburgh Caravan Park, motorbike and all.  I unhitched and started to play with my giant radio controlled toy driving it back and forth with the attached "movers" until I heard a bang and the front end sagged.  Obviously hadn't tightened the jockey wheel shaft enough and now my van is praying to Allah.  No worries I'll jack it up using the front stabilizers, yeah well exactly 90 seconds later I bathed in sweat as the beast is a bitch to lift.  Just got that sorted when I hit another snag.  The soil on the site was soft in one section and the jockey wheel ploughed a huge furrow before bringing everything to a grinding halt.  Fortunately the owner, Pieter, came by and said he'd round up some labour to help.  It took four of them to lift it enough to allow me to drive the thing snug up to a wall so that the tent would be on the site and not in the road.  Once they had all departed and I'd had a shower to cool off, I decided to try putting up the awning.  What I had forgotten is that the poles are stored across the front of the van in a locker..............which was now so close to the wall I couldn't get the sodding things out.  I slept on it!  Actually it was my second night in the van the first being on Sunday in the Turners garden where I was storing the thing.  The shower has now become the store-room but it is nice to have somewhere close at hand to empty the bladder at night.

The following day I told Pieter the sad story and though he frowned a lot said he would be round after lunch.  As they'd had previous practice it only took one move to get it where the poles could be extracted and I soon had Pieter giving me a lesson on how to put the awning up............I didn't have the  heart to tell him I owned a van for 5 years in a previous life.  So now it's time to try and remember where I stowed everything when I moved in.  Have a TV and PVR which is still loaded with recordings from months back so have something to watch but am waiting for the Easter rush to have a snoop and see which is the best satellite set-up.  Will be here for another week then it's off to the coast somewhere - still wondering whether to go north or south.  I was afraid the this outfit would be a lot of PT and it is proving to be just that so will probably drop anchor for a month in the next spot.  I do still think that a camper would be a better idea but it is not as flexible.  Not in any hurry though.