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In order to celebrate the launch of Flights to South Africa we are sending our intrepid correspondent, Maria, on a five week trip to South Africa, travelling the entire length of the country. Maria's flight to South Africa will be with Virgin Atlantic and she will start the trip by experiencing the Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy cabin on a trip from London to Johannesburg.

Make sure you follow Flights to South Africa on twitter or like us on facebook so you can follow Maria as she sets off on her flight to South Africa.

Sorry for the Delay - Thursday, February 16th, 2012

I'm sorry I've fallen behind in my workload so bear with me I will get something interesting to you soon.

On another note, still not heard a thing regarding the Acornhoek Police incident and am now thinking its time to venture down other paths i.e. the MEDIA! So will let you know what I do and the outcome if there is any lol.

Been back a week now and not heard anything from regarding the credit card scammers so will make it my goal tomorrow to rattle the inboxes of all concerned to get things rolling again. Just because I've left the country does not mean I don't want things taken care of and made safe for others (I feel just like a super hero!)

Safe Arrival to the Ice Age! - Friday, February 10th, 2012

OK who forgot to turn the heating on when we arrived at Heathrow? Why was the A/C still on and turned to arctic degrees? Someone was definitely having a laugh with that one. I had to rummage in the suitcases to pull out all the wraps and warm clothing I could before we died of hypothermia! We were thankfully saved by our lovely taxi driver Steph from becoming the new ice sculptures at Terminal 3.

First job was to collect the lord and master from his holiday home - he was not a happy bunny, our initial greeting was a very long and drawn out meow (cat owners will recognise this as the "where the bleeding hell have you been" meow). He's mellowed now and is just constantly attached to the person who is the warmest (don't blame him).

So, back to reality and very much missing the South African sun and people. It was an amazing trip and even with the glitches incurred I would do it again tomorrow without a second thought.

Over the next few weeks I will be adding new areas of interest along with some photographs and possibly video clips for you to giggle at. I will also be keeping you up to date with what happens with our Police enquiries. So check back and look out for the new offerings.

Last Day Blues - Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Checked in online last night and all went smoothly, Virgin Atlantic's website is a breeze to use and thank god with them there is no dash for seats as with premium economy you get to choose when you book.

Spent the morning down at Boulders with the Penguins. Yes the crowds were gone so we were able to get down to see them. Not as good as the last visit as they don't allow you on to the beach with them any more, helps protect the babies and eggs in the nests and burrows. Also last time we were there we actually went to a different part of the beach as a local directed us to where we would see the penguins without so many people and we were able to sit with them on the beach and watch them close up. So if you visit and a local directs you to Foxy Beach, go! I looked for Percy but to be honest, they all look the same and he didn't answer to my calls so he either wants to forget our friendship or he was out at sea!

We had lunch reservations at the Groot Constantia Wineries restaurant Jonkerhuis, a favourite of mine as they make the most amazing bobotie. So we spent a couple of hours eating and drinking and watching the world go by. We had decided to go out to Stellenbosch to the Tokara Winery to collect some of their wonderful olive oil but my directional skills went a bit off and we ended up heading back into Cape Town just before rush hour so plans changed. We actually went up Signal Hill instead and were pleased we had. The view of Table Mountain from here is magnificent and you also get a great view of the city and Roben Island.

Course that meant the trip to the airport was through rush hour traffic, but it was entertaining to watch them and when we got to the airport we had the added joy of the petrol station not being able to take cards and therefore we had to give the car back half empty (there goes my deposit!).

In contrast the Virgin Atlantic staff made it a quick and easy progress at the check in desk and before you knew it we were the proud owners of 2 premium economy seats on flight 604 to Heathrow. Seems that economy is half empty but premium economy is full, shows the price is good!

So from this traveller its a fond farewell until I arrive safely back in Heathrow tomorrow morning.

To the Top and no further! - Monday, February 6th, 2012

Arrived safely in Cape Town but then got lost trying to find the apartment (nothing new there), once located checked in and went off to get some lunch as there was a great sushi place just down the road. Well 2 hours later suitably full, (in my case) dim sum (gotta love those char sui rolls), we rolled back up the road to the apartment and because I'd also imbibed, took a nap!

Woke up refreshed and ready for action, so what did we do, go out to dinner of course! Went to the Savoy Cabbage, great place with fantastic food, as we were both still full from lunch we cut back on the calories and actually even passed on the dessert (I swear I had no room left).

Woke up Sunday morning to a beautiful day, the wind had dropped and there wasn't a cloud in the sky so road trip called for! Headed off to Simonstown to visit our friends the penguins, yes they do have penguins in S.A. And they live at Boulders Beach. We decided to go via Chapman's Peak as the view as you come down towards Noordhoek is breath-taking. Seems everyone was heading for the beaches today, surfers, swimmers, families with picnics and cyclists! The climb to the peak is a favourite training ground for cyclists and also the enthusiast (more energy than I could muster). Masses of bikes on the road and in that heat it has got to hurt, there was even a tandom!

Then you have the hordes of bikers, some amazing looking bikes too, spotted at least 3 Harley's. As we came over the peak there was the beach at Noordhoek, it is stunning pure white sand for at least a mile if not more. We actually went down to the beach this time and walked along it for a bit but the heat was a unbearable and we didn't have swimwear so couldn't cool off. There were kids and dogs tearing around everywhere having a glorious time.

We arrived at Boulders only to find that about a trillion other people had the same idea and the place was over packed with children and people, poor penguins were leaving in droves to escape the human invasion . We headed further down to the Cape Park and drove around there and we were glad we did, the last time we visited had been overcast, this time everything was bathed in sunlight and the colours of the grasses and flowers were just incredible. The different hues of green and umber and then in the midst bright red blooms. Protea's in bloom everywhere including the pincushion variety and somewhere (although I never spotted it) there were supposedly the King Protea in bloom. But my favourite of all were the dead trees with twisted trunks and branches making them look like a madman's sculpture of a tortured soul, sad aren't I.

Then there are the oceans, Atlantic one side and Indian the other and both having their own colours from deep sapphire blue in the depths to the perfect turquoise in the shallows and a heat haze on the Indian Ocean side so that the mountains of the Oversburg looked like they were floating in the clouds.

Had my first (and it better be last EVER) encounter with a snake on the beach, something not to massive but slithery shot across my path and made me jump and when I tried to brush it off as just a little snake I was informed by a young South African (thanks a bunch mate), that size is immaterial when they bite and that most hospitals don't carry the vaccines. I tried to hold the smile in place but made a sharp exit to the safety of the car.

We encountered an ostrich on the dunes with his harem, he looked magnificent until he started running towards us, think he decided Rob was a threat to his ladies. Our very first sighting of antelope in the park and it was a herd of Blesbok which we had never seen before and loads of gulls having a feast and frigate birds too. We left the park and headed back through Scarborough, which is a very 'hippy' and eco friendly place up back through Constantia and on through Houts Bay and Camps Bay to get to Table Mountain.

No queues, hooray! Straight into the cable car and up to the top. There was no wind up there the last time it had been breezy and chilly this time HOT. The views were incredible and its amazing how quickly you can lose your way, I totally lost all sense of direction and Rob had to point out where the cable car entrance was so I could get my bearings back. When you're scared of heights the thought of not knowing which direction is off can be quite terrifying!

While Robert travelled off further down the paths I stopped to take a breather and just checked out the view, was glorious, and this coming from someone with a fear of heights. Was fantastic when people moved away from where you were sitting because then it was just you and the silence (apart from a persistent fly who was really cruising). I can understand why hermits end up on top of mountains to meditate. Someone further along was doing the same, but he'd chosen to move further out to the edge and sit on a rock at the end of the path, nah, too close to doom for my sanity.

Decided I needed to get into some shade and moved off my makeshift seat and got all light-headed so very gingerly walked along the path towards the main buildings at the end, I must have looked half drunk I was staggering a bit so I decided to take another breather. Whilst I sat there and tried to get myself together I was joined by a tiny little bird who sat on the rock alongside me, he was no more than 2” high and must have been a sunbird, he was so cute and curious. We sat contemplating the world and in my case, how I was going to make it to the exit without falling over!

Thankfully Rob reappeared at this point and walked with me and we made it to the cable car and back down without incident (the shame of passing out, imagine it!). We were lucky we left at that point because they had just started the 'Sundowner' which means that its half price to go up to the top and the queue was enormous! Drank copious amounts of water to rehydrate, Rob needed it too as he had gone even further than me, think we were both swishing by the time we got in the car.

Got back in time to shower and change to go to dinner, we had booked a table at La Colombe (top restaurant in Cape Town) when we first booked the holiday so couldn't miss out on it. It was beautiful as we were able to dine in the gardens and there were twinkling lights in the trees and the tinkling of water from the fountain, complete bliss. We had a lovely table in a quiet corner and enjoyed a wonderful meal which lasted 3 hours! A full and enjoyable day topped by wonderful food and service in a gorgeous setting.

Farewell Stellenbosch - Saturday, February 4th, 2012

Sorry it's been pretty quiet and laid back the last couple of days so not had much to post. Thursday driving through Stellenbosch was strange as there were students everywhere erecting stages - had no idea what was going on. Later on whilst in the restaurant (which was packed) we found out its a 'freshers' type thing they do at the University.

Each male 'house' joins with a female one and they put on performances every 30 minutes so new students (parents and anybody interested) can do the rounds of all the performances and rate them. We avoided the chaos and police by coming round the back way home, although there were cars parked on the verges and anywhere possible nearly up to our road (long walk back). Good fun though!

Went in to town early Friday morning to find that nearly all the stages had already been taken down and it was only 9.30am, fast going. We decided to indulge in one of our favourite restaurants for our final evening so we plumped for a meal at 96 Winery Road, bad move, they were having a 'bad manager' day and it sort of spoiled it for us.

So today it's our final destination, Cape Town, we have rented an apartment in the de Waterkant area which is in the centre of Cape Town and close to the Bo Kaap district which is the Cape/Malay area. Am going to enjoy taking a look around as it is very pretty and all the houses are painted in pastel shades.

With luck the wind will drop enough for us to be able to do Table Mountain as it's supposed to be very hot in Cape Town and getting hotter!

Overture and out! - Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

Up early and the day looked like it might be a bit overcast but you can never tell as Stellenbosch has it's own little micro-climate going on.

Out the door at 12.30 to make our way back up to Hidden Valley Wines to have lunch at Overture. After being seated and given a glass of champagne each, we chose the 4 course menu rather than the tasting, but Rob still paired his with the wines. They actually offered to cook us 4 totally different dishes to the one's on the menu as we had already dined here on Friday but we declined as there were at least 3 we wanted to try again. Absolutely fabulous, I want to take lessons from this chef, although knowing my cooking there would be a lot of “sorry chef” in there!

The photograph today was our dessert choices, for Rob, Peach Soup, plum and thyme sorbet, fromage blanc jelly paired with the Rustenberg Straw Wine 2009. For myself the selection of premium cheeses, red wine poached pear, pear puree and walnuts. AND, as Rob helped finish it off the Overgaauw cape Vintage Port 1992.

The photograph was taken prior to a gust of wind sending all my hand made potato chips that decorated the cheeses on to the floor, they of course kindly brought me some more in a covered dish for safety, Delish!

Now home after being caught in rush hour and fit to bust, what a glorious meal in a beautiful setting served by truly friendly, generous and courteous people. We will be back as this place never fails to surprise with the flavour combinations they come up with (but don't tell anyone let it be our secret we don't want too many people to find it).

UPDATE: Acornhoek – South African Police Extortion - Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 - Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

I had not received any response to my enquiries regarding my complaint on the SAPS (South African Police Service) website so this time I have decided to take it up a notch.

Today I have sent an email to the Limpopo Commissioner of Police outlining the details of the case in the hope that he can get something moving. If he doesn't respond, I have the email for head office in Pretoria handy.... I will not rest!

Lunch Anyone? - Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Went to the hairdressers this morning and am looking good! Fantastic results, thank you thank you Jaen you are a star! You will have to take my word for it because it's now windswept and therefore not as gorgeous as when he first did it!

Tootled into Cape Town for lunch, I had forgotten what a buzz it is as you come in on the N1 and suddenly there before you lies Table Mountain with Lions Head and Signal Hill laid out in front before the land meets the Ocean, it's the view you get when you fly into Cape Town, I believe its the most amazing view you can see when coming in to land as the plane actually banks as it turns and you're faced with the view that is Cape Town.

We dined at the Test Kitchen which is owned and run by the former Head Chef of La Colombe, the place is unusual, the reviews did not lie. The kitchen itself takes up most of the space in the restaurant and you get the enjoyment of watching everyone's meals being prepared, we have paid extra for that privilege at some top restaurants in the UK and they weren't as much fun! The food was delicious and the whole concept refreshing no wonder it is being voted as number 2 in Cape Town on trip advisor.

Unfortunately it was too windy for us to be able to go up Table Mountain so we will have to try when we are in Cape Town at the weekend because I would like to go up again and see the views.

Came home and got caught up in some traffic along the N1 as there was yet another fire having to be put out, people are so careless with cigarette's when driving, they flick them out the window and the grass is so parched that it goes up immediately and takes everything in its path. The smoke was all across the road and it was like driving through a war zone (well what a war zone looks like on TV).

Made it safely home and are now contemplating what to do this evening, decisions decisions.

Hilltop Camp Update - Monday, January 30th, 2012

Received an email from the Hospitality Manager of the Camp in KZN, mine had been passed on to him by the CEO of the KZN Parks. He has told me he is checking into the case and asked for some information from my credit card company, which I will get to him. Seems they actually have cameras in the shop so he is going to be checking back on the film to see what occurred. Will let you know what I hear back.

Nice to know that someone is on the case at least, he very much wants to ensure it is stamped out to clear the name of his Camp so hopefully the people involved will be brought to justice and the place safer for other visitors in the future.

Bad Hair Day - Monday, January 30th, 2012

Today I woke up and decided the scarecrow look is not going to take off so it was time to consider a haircut, but who to use? I'm a bit of a stick in the mud and have used the same person for over 20 years now having suffered some major disasters before discovering Ness! So it was a quick email to Hilary (my Irish landlady who is suffering the cold in Dublin while I enjoy the sun in her Stellenbosch home!). So appointment made for tomorrow morning and we will see if a South African stylist can leave me smiling or crying and wearing a hat till I get home!

We then headed out for lunch at the Dornier Wineries Bodega Restaurant. Wonderful food and wine, we've even ordered a few cases of their wine to be delivered to us, prices couldn't be refused!

Had the most glorious fillet followed by chocolate brownies yummy. The view was spectacular the service impeccable, the food to die for and conversation good, what more can you ask for these days.

Sunday, Sunday..... - Monday, January 30th, 2012

Quiet Sunday morning followed by a trip to the Fairview Wineries for lunch at the Goat Shed, a very popular Sunday venue for the locals of the Winelands. Had an amazing plate of ribs which I couldn't finish, so doggy bag please and Rob had Trout which looked pretty good too. Was buzzing with people and the kids were all having a whale of a time going off to see the goats. They have an area out front where they have a couple of the goats so the children can view them. The have a large herd of them as they make some amazing cheeses which they sell in the restaurant and also in the deli, tried them the last time we were here. The goat was far more interested in my paper bag of bread and the container with the ribs in than me, but that gave me a chance to get a stroke or two in before he tried to chew my fingers.

Drove home for a quiet time by the pool and while I was sitting lazing I spotted the cutest little bird flitting from flower to flower, it couldn't have been more than a couple of inches in length and was very brightly coloured with a shimmering blue head, green neck and a red breast. Checked in our book and it was a Sunbird so we're going to try and take a photograph this evening as that's the second time I've seen it and always at the same time. I feel a stake out coming on!

Spent the rest of the evening watching films. Got through the Inbetweeners and Transformers laughed through both. I'm enjoying all the relaxation but missing the excitement of going into the bush in search of animals. Can we start again please?

Music, Food and Wine! - Sunday, January 29th, 2012

A perfect summer's day, blue skies, bright sunshine and nothing to do. The university in Stellenbosch is back in full swing and it seems to be threshers week as they are celebrating everywhere you look, got a feeling this weekend is the charity fancy dress event they have where you're not even safe in your cars from marauding youths scantily dressed (down girls down!).

In the evening we visited the Solms Delta Winery as they hold Summer Concerts on Saturday nights during January and February and then in March hold their Harvest Festival. The concerts are performed by the workers and their families and invited guests and we were lucky to get to see the Little Giants along with the Solm Delta Choir and the children of Solm Delta who started the show off so sweetly.

The Little Giants was established in 1999 under musical directorship of Ezra Ngcukana and George Werner. This group of young musicians, aged between 15 and 20 years, from the suburbs and townships of the Cape Flats and greater Cape Town, has developed into a tightly knit integrated unit, bonded by their youthful enthusiasm and shared cultural experiences.  Their repertoire of African standards, jazz standards and fusion, as well as, own compositions were really loved by everyone there.

Now we're not jazz fans but they were fantastic, and by the time they finished the set I was hoping they would carry on. The whole show was so vibrant and the members of the choir were loving every minute of the performances and danced the night away with everyone joining in (some shouldn't have after the amount of wine they consumed!).

Accompanying this extravaganza of music and fun was a superb braii (barbecue for the uninitiated) and copious amounts of Solm Delta Wine – definitely not bad for about £20 a head! We came away very happy that Hilary (our landlady) had mentioned it to me, everyone there were locals so it was great to spend time with them and feel part of the family. A moonlit drive home through the mountain pass completed the wonderful evening.

Musical Overture or not - Saturday, January 28th, 2012

Today was quiet, woke up feeling a bit unwell (not the food from last night), bit bunged up, trust me in the middle of summer to get a head cold coming on, well to be fair my body thinks its winter as its January! But, as the sun was shining and the sky bluer than blue then the pool was a must, I must remember to wear shoes to the pool next time, by the time I reached the steps I needed to jump in the water as I had burnt the soles of my feet (its that hot!). Believe it was 86 or something like that, even the breeze was warm when it arrived.

We dined at what is classified as the top restaurant in Stellenbosch, and regularly features in the top ten restaurants in the Cape and South Africa. Overture is on the hilltop overlooking the Hidden Valley Winery and what a view it is – to the right you have Somerset West and the left is Stellenbosch. Behind you tower the peaks of the Jonkershoek and Drakenstein mountains which change colour as the sun slowly sets. We had been given the best table in the house, the one at the very front with the panoramic view of the landscape (so it does pay to book 6 months in advance after all!). We chose the 8 course tasting menu and I won't bore you with the details but it was to die for! Even the snail risotto was gloriously delicious and the wine pairings were superb. They weren't stingy on the wine either, Rob was a bit the worse for wear after 8 glasses of different wines inside him!! We're back here again for lunch next Wednesday as the place is top notch.

It is also a fantastic place to view the stars as being so high up there is no street lighting to effect the view of the heavens, and they were fantastic, we just needed the telescope for a closer view and someone knowledgeable to point out what was what.

Cheetahs, Wine and Good Food - Friday, January 27th, 2012

Woke up early and decided to go and get a few bits and pieces and also check out the location of a couple of restaurants we are booked in to (saves on arguments when we get lost). Was a gorgeous day so driving around with the music playing was very enjoyable. Went to Spier Winery to check on the Cheetahs and specifically my favourite Joseph (see pic). The Cheetah Outreach Centre is based on land donated by Spier to house the cheetahs.

Cheetah Outreach is an education and community-based programme created to raise awareness of the plight of the cheetah and to campaign for its survival. At the turn of the 20th century, an estimated 100,000 cheetahs lived throughout Africa and in parts of the Middle East and Central Asia. Today there are just 7,500 cheetahs left and South Africa is home to fewer than 1,000 of these majestic cats.

They breed Turkish Anatolian Shepherd dogs and place them on South African farms to guard livestock in an effort to reduce conflict between farmers and predators as the dogs ensure the safety of the animals they guard without physically attacking the predator which in the case of Cheetahs ensures they live to fight another day as they are scared off.

They are gorgeous cats and always worth going to visit. Will go again with Rob as we like to go in with them especially the cubs. Normally costs about 200 rand each but its worth it as the money obviously goes to keeping the programme going. Everyone who works there are volunteers and I must admit if I lived here I would volunteer also, to be around those wonderful cats everyday would be a joy.

Spent the afternoon resting and reading (hard life) and then we popped out to go to Jordons Wines for dinner. The view from the terrace is fantastic and the food matched the view. A six course tasting menu which at first glance I thought was not going to be to my liking, but turned out to exquisite. The restaurant had been recommended to us by the owners of our rented house, and they were not wrong, it is definitely wonderful. You are not only able to watch the sun set over the mountains, but once it is dark you get the added bonus of being able to watch the chef and his staff hard at work preparing the dishes for you. Came home happily replete and ready praising the chef for adding to my waistline!

All Fished Out - Friday, January 27th, 2012

The weather today was amazing, totally clear blue skies which make the mountains around Stellenbosch stand out like they are just a backdrop on a film set. The clouds when they are in the sky look as if they are draped across the tops of the mountains like a delicate shawl, dripping down like loose threads at times.

We have been to Stellenbosch 3 times and time when we have driven down the R44 we have wondered why this little Pizza place next to a garage always had its car park heaving, well found out today, because of the restaurant its part of, Jimmy the Fish. Best damn Sushi this side of Tokyo and at half the price. I actually had the calamari prawn platter (12 prawns I mean 12!), I left there just about able to walk but in no way capable of fitting behind the steering wheel of the car so Rob had to drive. Amazing place it was still full at 3pm with diners, service was great and seriously the prices were great but to top it off they had 30% off all their sushi! Rob indulged in the Sashimi and loved it. We will definitely be back there for more as it was impressive. Waitress couldn't believe we'd never been there before or even knew of them so this is one local gem we've had hidden from us.

Decided to have a quiet night in as it was a lovely day and we'd chilled by the pool for the remainder of the afternoon and just couldn't bring ourselves to go out again.

Just Chillin! - Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Tuesday was a day of quiet and rest. We both woke up late, I think all the early rising and driving has caught up with us. Went out to collect some bits and pieces from a wonderful food deli which is on a family run winery called Joostenberg. We sort of remembered where it was but there are so many roads in and out of Stellenbosch that you can actually go wrong quite easily, but at least we got to view some of the other places we like visiting. We ended up having lunch at the Joostenberg bistro which serves delicious home cooked foods, their cold cuts are just wonderful with a salad, best pork I have ever tasted. The wine they produce is also pretty good, and that's why I had to drive back as Rob had a few too many wines!

We dined at one of our favourite restaurants in the evening, Rust en Vrede. Owned by Jannie Engelbrecht an ex Springbok Rugby player and run by his son Jean, the estate has grown to be one of the most respected in South Africa if not the world and the restaurant has topped the Best Restaurants list for many years. It was their wine that Nelson Mandela chose to have served at the Nobel Prize Award Dinner. We had been slightly worried that it might have suffered as the former chef had left to go to work in Jozi but we shouldn't have been, the new chef trained under him and is carrying on the tradition of beautifully cooked and well presented dishes that are an inspiration to someone who can just about put a simple supper together!

The meal was superb as always, with the service and ambience as wonderful as ever. We had the 6 course tasting menu and Rob had his paired with the wines (which I got to taste), I just love when the sommelier explains each wine, and they have a great one there who chose the perfect wines to accompany each course. The whole evening was again, a gastronomic pleasure that you never want to end. We made our way back home at around 11.00 and fell into bed absolutely replete and smiling.

Here we go again.... - Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Monday came and all was forgotten, I went off to the town to get a mani/pedi as my nails had reached the end of their lives in red! Spent a lovely 3 hours being pampered only to return to find out an email from my credit card company asking me to please ring them. Seems I have been cloned!

Four attempts have been made to draw out money on my card in Kwazulu Natal (KZN). thankfully they declined each attempt as they thought it a bit strange (well in all my travels I have never used my card to take out money). The thing is I only used my card twice whilst there as the hotel was already paid for so I know exactly where the cloning took place (GOT YA!). Name and Shame time, the only occasion it was used out of my sight was at the curio shop in the Hilltop Camp of the Hluhluwe Park so I'm hoping the park officials will investigate and stop them from doing the same to someone else (that's if they haven't already). I have already sent an email to someone within SANParks who helped me with another query to see who I need to speak to regarding this.

I had to ring my back up to inform them I was in South Africa and would be using the card so as not to have anything declined on that, if that gets busted I may need to send begging emails to all of you! I will not let this get me down, it happens throughout the world and its just a shame that I was not more on the ball as normally I refuse to allow my card out of my sight because it happened to me years ago in the UK.

SO, I'd finished with all that we decided to watch some of our video on the flat screen TV and by god does it look good, those elephants look so big! Then it was off to the restaurant (96 Winery Road), thankfully they did not let us down. Fantastic meal and service and we came away replete and content. I had calamare to start, followed by the speciality of the house, Duck & Cherry Pie, delish! Ended the meal with a Creme Brulee another of their specials. Although the staff have changed the service and friendliness remains the same, we will be back!

Peace and Quiet - Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

So here we are and its suddenly Tuesday and we've been in Stellenbosch for 3 nights, time really flies here. I've done 2 loads of washing, at last clean clothes, at last not living out of a suitcase, makes such a difference.

Had a very quiet Sunday just chilling and sitting in the garden enjoying the weather and looking forward to our first night out in Stelly, unfortunately the restaurant let us down, the service and food has gone downhill since the last time we were here and it put a bit of a wrinkle in our evening.

Not only did it take 40 minutes to receive each course but when they arrived they were not up to standard, either over or under cooked and cold, the Manager even agreed he had problems in the restaurant and apologised, even said he would reflect his apology in the bill which when it appeared reflected nothing.

Rob told the waiter what had been said and he then disappeared and when he returned offered us desserts and coffee on the house? If you've asked for the bill why would you say yes to desserts, if you'd wanted a dessert you would have ordered one. Rob pointed that out and the waiter went off again, in all this time not a glimpse of the manager, wonder why. Our poor waiter came back to inform us 20% had been deducted from the bill, to save us not being there until midnight we just paid and left. Unfortunately the manager was still nowhere to be seen which riled me as I was ready to inform him the correct way to handle the situation so as not to leave such a bitter taste in a clients mouth! Roll on Monday!

Stellenbosch here we come! - Sunday, January 22nd, 2012

Woke up on Saturday morning ready to hit the road again for our last major leg of the journey, 9 hours to Stellenbosch. Went down for breakfast and we're pleased to hear that Derek and his group had got to see the Lions, 2 lovely looking male's resting by the side of the road, great photographs. We had a hearty breakfast and watched people fishing on the Sunday river, totally tranquil a lovely spot to stay. We're going to have to return as we never got a chance to explore the amazing sand dunes that are on the opposite bank of the river.

The trip to Stellenbosch was thankfully uneventful and apart from a stop outside of Pletenberg at the Porcupine factory and another in George to pick up supplies for the house we arrived bang on time and were even able to stop off in Somerset West for some Sushi!

We stopped off at the factory to pick up some pieces of their wonderful work, we purchased a couple of pieces on our first trip and the last time we picked up an armadillo for my sister which Rob has coveted ever since so it was for this reason we wanted to come and get one. Porcupine Ceramics produce a range of contemporary ethnic raku-pit-fired ceramics, which project a new and exciting art dimension whilst retaining the spirit of Africa. The artists are all local people who inject their own view of the animal into each piece created. We were able to walk around the factory and watch them working and also see the ceramics in the different stages of readiness.

Well I'm going to need every case I have with me and more, he bought the armadillo, a lion, a rhino, a warthog and a buffalo and I had to stop him buying a mad dog! I bought the first thing that caught my eye when I entered, a giraffe, it just called to me and I had to have it. The also make the most amazing washbasins and face masks and plates for wall hanging, just not enough room!

Arrived at the house and it was like coming home, settled in comfortably and Hilary the owner had bought a nice new flat screen TV (used to have a postage stamp sized TV) so Rob can view the Cup of Nations which actually started that day. Tomorrow is wash day as we're beginning to run out of clothing after all this time and we will be chilling out, well it is Sunday!

Friday 20th January - Addo Elephant Park Pt.2 - Sunday, January 22nd, 2012

Carried on and came out of the loop to follow the road up to the main camp. Lotta hills, and every time you came to the top the view was spectacular. En route we of course were on poo check to try and spot the dung beetles, but all we could find on the poo apart from flies were butterflies, go figure! Seems they get salt and minerals from the dung, I'll pass on getting my quota of salt in that manner. Rob did find 1 dungbeetle but unfortunately someone hadn't read the instructions “Do not run over dung” and it was squished.

Arrived at the main camp and stopped for a toilet break and a drink then made our way back down to try the second of Derek's recommended spots, the Hapoor Dam, went past the Gwarrie Pan and Rooidam water holes and found a couple of warthogs having a good drink and a mud bath. Amazing animals they are such little fighters, ready at the drop of a hat to give you a staring down. We were discussing the fact that to that point we'd only seen that group of 21 Elephants and where were the herds we had been told about when we looked up and there at the dam was a sight to thrill anyone, a MASSIVE herd of Elephants!

I tried to count but gave up, there were too many and they were jostling for position with the young in the water playing and climbing on one and other. We spent 40 minutes just watching their antics and marvelling at the sight. Some were busy covering themselves in mud, others throwing water over themselves, a few just chilling and leaning on one and other and the young just trumpeting with joy at the pleasure of it all. The estimate given for the number there was 150 and I would not argue that as I lost count at 97! It was awesome, something I'd always dreamed of seeing and there before my eyes were all these Elephants doing what you normally only see on TV documentaries.

We moved off reluctantly as we wanted to see more of the park and we'd also heard that a sighting of lion had been made at the Mboytl Loop and wanted to see if we could get a peek at then.

We came upon Eland which we had not seen up at Kruger and also a large number of Kudu (these one's with flesh on!) and loads of Zebra who got mightily fed up of me trying to take their photograph. We decided we would try another loop before heading down in search of lion and travelled Harvey's Loop. Apart from a lot of warthogs (and I mean loads) we didn't glimpse anything else, but that's ok I have a soft spot for Pumba. We then were looking for the loop where the lions had been seen and somehow went a bit wrong (what's new) and travelled the Ngulube Loop. Encountered a lot of warthogs and at one point Rob thought he'd spotted the elusive Black Rhino, nope sorry Rob, that was an ostrich with his head down! When we came out of the loop we were surprised to see that the loop opposite was Harvey's, duh us, we'd only gone down the wrong road and ended up at the top where we first entered the Harvey's trail!!! So we ended up doing what I call the Elephant Ears.

We went back down the road and this time entered the correct trail and went off in search of lions. Apart from a baby warthog running through the long grass screaming as if someone had bitten his tail off not a sighting of anything! Never mind, we'd seen lions, cheetahs and leopards in Kruger and in truth came to Addo for Elephant so we were happy. It was a fabulous day and the park is incredibly large with loads to see and that herd of Elephants – incredible, awesome, spectacular!

We made our way back to the guesthouse (Dungbeetle River Lodge no less) and on speaking with Etta the owner discovered that if we had just stopped the car the elephants would have just passed us by without incident, so maybe next time we'll give it a try (or maybe we value the car excess a bit more). All in all a wonderful day.

Friday 20th January - Addo Elephant Park Pt.1 - Sunday, January 22nd, 2012

Good morning campers sorry for the delay in posting but tiredness caught up with me. First lets start with Friday's visit to Addo Elephant Park, what a great adventure that was. We were up and raring to go after a good nights sleep and the weather was great. We started off with a lovely breakfast overlooking the river and listening to all the birds singing in the trees. Left the guest house at about 10am and turned left (next time listen to instructions Maria) we found ourselves heading off towards Port Elizabeth and no signs for Addo. We turned back and found that when you get to the main road it is straight across from our street for Addo! Went well after that! Into the park and Derek who runs game drives into the park had given us some tips on places to check out and it turned out to be good advice.

The park starts off as very thick bush as it was once farmland which has returned to its original state, but there are plenty of paths through the bush made by the elephants which give other animals access. We turned onto the Vukani loop (the first of Derek's suggestions) as we came around a corner the landscape opens up and you could see vast tracts of the park and in the distance antelope and other animals. A small animal rushed across the road in front of us and jogged a few feet along the tarmac before disappearing into the bush, at first I thought it was a dog had a tail curled up against his back like a pug (obviously not a dog as not allowed in the park). Robert got the impression it was a mongoose but when we checked the list of Addo animals the only one it looked like and matched was a Honey Badger. OK, only saw the back end of it and didn't have time to photograph it, but it's still a first for me!

As we carried on we realised that what we had taken to be antelope were actually Ostriches. They marched towards us on huge chicken drumsticks (made me a bit peckish) and all I could think was handbags! No seriously they are magnificent animals so huge when you get them up close to you, but they do look as if they just threw the feathers on as the underneath is like naked flesh. They were all busy showing off to the girls to add them to their harem's so we were of no interest. We then in the distance spotted what looked like Kudu and turned a corner and realised they were on another hill but came across a solitary Elephant digging in the dirt, no idea why though. Rounding the next bend we came upon a group of Elephants walking along and drew close to take photographs, the younger one's were mock fighting and playing.

Photographing and videoing for all we were worth we didn't notice that they had starting moving our way, meaning our car was in their path. Now we had been told to always move out of their way and give them the space they need, so suddenly we were reversing up the road as they continued to walk towards us. Rob was reversing and videoing at the same time (did pretty well too cos I was as much use as a chocolate teapot!), at last the matriarch came to her path through the bushes and cut across the road allowing us to stop and watch their progress into the jungle. She passed us by with her baby in tow and all the others gradually followed her down the track. They had a lot of juveniles with them and the adults were keeping them in check, was like a bunch of school kids on an outing.

Flooding in Kruger and Mozambique - Saturday, January 21st, 2012

Today I'd like to send out prayers and good wishes to those who have lost their homes and loved one's in the recent flooding in Mozambique, lets hope that help can get to them all before the next rainfall that is predicted hits and that loss of life can be averted. Rain a life giver and taker no half way house with nature. Come on aid agencies, do you stuff get them safe and prepared for the next one.

How lucky were we to have left Marloth Park and the Kruger area on the day we did, one more day and we would have been caught up in all the turmoil the rain has caused. Have not had the chance to contact people at Marloth Park to see if they have been affected, but the news was saying that the Crocodile Bridge Gate into Kruger was still closed and the film they showed had the bridge totally underwater (that was our gate of entry every day we went to see the animals). Judging by the picture here the river has swelled an awful lot, beginning to wonder whether it has overflowed into Marloth and maybe even reached the steps of our cottage, we were close to the river being on the nearest road to the Kruger boundary.

Will post tonight about our visit to the Addo Elephant Park (loads to tell) but we are travelling again today and have to leave shortly so no time, but I promise tonight without fail. Onwards and ever forward for these travellers!!

On The Road Again..... - Friday, January 20th, 2012

5.20am and I am awake and if not raring, ready to go, seems Rob feels the same as he's woken up before needing to be and we are ready by 6.15am but breakfast doesn't start until 6.30 (would you credit it!). By 6.50 we are on the road and heading out of Umhlanga towards Colchester (no not Essex) just outside of Port Elizabeth, ahead of us is a journey of 888 kilometres and with estimated times of 10 to 12 hours driving, so we won't be making too many stops on the way.

We of course caught rush hour as everybody made their way to work but once out of the Durban suburbs the going wasn't too bad. To pass the time we started playing the game that all minibus taxi's seem to play, who can get in the lead and stay there! Competing alongside us was a couple of intrepid and daring drivers (bloody scary in other words), one whose mascot was a toy monkey attached to his wing mirror (my goal was to steal it if he dared overtake us again!!). They are do or dare drivers and this game lasted until our poor polo couldn't take the hills and we were dropping to 2nd gear to make it (the shame of it)! Then there was Mr coach driver, I really should report him, he was a danger to all other drivers, he overtook on a BEND! If I'd been a passenger on that bus he'd have put down at the side of the road for endangerment!

About 10am we stopped for fuel and a bladder pitstop and then we were on our way again rushing ever forward towards our destination, well until the road works kicked in. Why is it every road in South Africa is being worked on at the same time? We were detoured through towns who all seemed to have market day going on and whose drivers don't use the indicators to advise you where and when they are going to move into your path. I wonder if anyone can tell me just how many Nelson Mandela Streets/Avenues/Boulevards etc there are in South Africa cos I feel I've been down most of them!

Then came the game of “miss the pothole” as the road was littered with them and you chicaned around them (Rob's good at that, computer driving games have their uses it seems), attempting to avoid them and not hit oncoming traffic. The one good thing about the whole journey, no rain! The scenery is constantly changing and the villages are scattered about on the hills with each compound picking a colour to paint their houses (which are a variety of shapes from round to square and all with a corrugated iron roof). I was particularly fond of the cerise pink ones although the aqua was also rather attractive.

Another pit stop for fuel and we were on our way. It was now about 3pm and I should really have taken advantage of the last pit stop but the garage was not to salubrious so I decided I would hold on a bit longer as we needed to stop for something to eat soon, well you guessed it, we didn't stop. By the time the clock struck 5pm the “calm speed” bumps in every town were beginning to start a tsunami in my bladder. So the worst thing that can happen (in my opinion) to a woman is that we had to make a stop by the side of the road. Suffice to say there was just enough bush cover my dignity, but oncoming traffic got more than they bargained for when zooming round the corner (any video's of a pink blob behind a bush that appear on youtube are nothing to do with me!).

Feeling a great deal better and a lot lighter we continued on our way. We have encountered many different problems on the road but at the next town our problem wasn't visible as cars suddenly braked and moved around an object and we were a bit worried it was an accident, nope worse for me as I wanted to rescue it, a baby goat walking down the middle of the road oblivious to the havoc it was causing!

Suddenly a sign up ahead COLCHESTER, we were nearly there, I could have cried. So we arrived at the Dungbeetle River Lodge at approximately 6.53pm and after being shown to our room (which is lovely with a deck overlooking the river) we rushed to the nearest watering hole (The Grunt) and had a huge burger and chips with onion rings, flippin ACE! Then back to our suite for a long shower and by the time I slipped between the crisp sheets I was ready for sleep.

The Grasshopper Express! - Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Woke up this morning at 5.20am, enough already I don't need to be up! Tried to sleep a bit longer but in the end gave up and was up at 6.30am to write yesterdays blog. Had a lovely breakfast cooked by Jabu on the deck by the pool (I could get used to having a housekeeper/cook), she gave us delicious sweet pineapple packed with yoghurt, sultanas and seeds to start and although it's not normally the sort of thing Rob eats, he enjoyed it. We then followed with scramble and bacon, delish! Freshly squeezed orange juice and a good coffee rounded the meal off, wonderful sitting there in the sunshine with the butterflies flying around us (oh and the big beetles). So if anyone is ever looking for a wonderful place to stay in Hluhlwe then look no further than the Bushwillow Lodge, cracking place and good value for money.

We set off about 10am and decided as the weather was good we would go into Hluhlwe National Park and follow through into Imfolozi. Absolutely amazing views on the drive through and up to the hilltop camp, they were breath-taking with the different hues of green in the landscape, unfortunately we couldn't capture the beauty on camera so have to pass on posting a photo. On the way up we did however, pick up a passenger and he is our photo for today! He stayed with us all the way to the camp and had to be asked to move on as he was so settled in. There was a major traffic jam halfway up the hill as a troupe of Baboons were walking along the road and stopping to play every so often so traffic going up and down were held up till the moved over to one side of the road. We loved it as we adore baboons and their antics. If that wasn't enough we had to avoid the larger potholes, was like super mario cart!

We had a drink whilst at hilltop camp (and I did some retail therapy, got some gorgeous zulu beaded bracelets, unfortunately I got caught but he let me get away with it). The view from the outside terrace was lovely, but time was ticking and we had to make a move. We headed for Imfolozi and as we turned a corner there was a massive puddle in the road that looked a bit deep, to top it off on the other side of the puddle was a bridge crossing a stream which was overflowing and rushing quite fast over the bridge itself.

I noticed a sign that stated you should not cross the bridge if water is running over it, too late Mr Ridge Racer extraordinaire was already on his way picking up speed, so even as I screamed NOOOOOOOOO it says not too cross when covered in water, we were already through the puddle and about to traverse the bridge. He revved up and the car slipped and slid across the bridge only to find ourselves engulfed in a mud bath on the other side. With another almighty revving of this poor polo's engine, and a tsunami wave of mud, we were out! You do not want to see the car, it is caked in mud right up to the roof (on his side that is, mine didn't get anything lol). I had visions of the car slipping off the bridge and going off downstream with me in it, thankfully all those hours on the racing games helped. It was shortly after that we decided to cut and run as we really didn't have sufficient time to eplore Imfolozi properly as we had to travel on down to Umhlanga, but there is always the next trip for me getting a look at those wild dogs.

The journey after that was fairly uneventful apart from some dangerous driving on the part of some of the other road users. Luckily I was able to locate our destination on the sat nav and we arrived at the hotel without incident. It's a nice hotel, we stayed in one of them in Cape Town when we got held up on the last trip, Virgin Atlantic put us up and we had a great time enjoying a few more days in the sun.

Tonight we're off to eat seafood as we're both in need of something that doesn't have four hooves so will be dining overlooking the Indian Ocean, picking shells out of my teeth. I can actually see the ocean from my bedroom window, well sort of just over the top of the building opposite! Tomorrow is a very early start as we have to drive down to Port Elizabeth and Addo Elephant Park which will be an 11 hour plus drive, I wonder what that will have in store for us.... check back tomorrow to see if we make it in one piece!

SWAZIcrossyourlegsandhopeyoumakeitLAND - Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Woke up this morning at 6am to more rain but it wasn't too bad but by 7.30 it was a torrential monsoon type rain – anyone want to come pack the suitcases in the car for us? It's a mud bath out there just waiting now for a break in the rain so we can go and turn the car around and bring it in close enough to be able to pack without tracking too much mud all over ourselves. Got on the road by 9.30am and started off for Swaziland, we had been told it was quite a beautiful journey as although it is all farmland it is green and lush. The rain had abated a bit so we were hoping that we would get through the journey without much more coming down, WRONG, no sooner did we start to head to the border than it came down again like someone was throwing buckets of water down. Then suddenly there was debris all over the road and everywhere was flooded with rivers running down the sides and also across the road. In some places it looked impassable but we followed a local bus driver who knew all the ways to avoid the worst of it and were through the town and out on the main road again with only puddles to block our path. We don't know what all the debris was but it couldn't be to do with the rain as there were rocks in he road and nowhere for them to have come from we thought either a lorry had shed its load or there had been some sort of rioting. Rob now had it all under control (so he thought) and was gliding through the massive puddles as if he was on a surf board, shame he kept scared the bejesus out of me.

The border, now what can you say about that farce, well, it wasn't comical! Thankfully at both ends the rain had stopped so we didn't get soaked when we left the car. Trying to get into the offices (shacks) you had to negotiate bricks in the puddles to get you to the steps without getting soaked, I'm not good at the best of times on anything not solid and as soon as one moved I thought that was me going in the drink! S.A. Side cool, thank you for coming please come again, back into the car to the next checkpoint and the Swazi officials, not so cool and they charged us 50 rand to drive the car through the country, I suppose they have to try and make money wherever they can.

Once back in the car and on the road it was pleasant and you could see that the Swazi people aren't in as good a way as their larger neighbours, but without having spoken to any of them I can't say for sure if my assumptions are correct. Five minutes down the road and the skies opened again. Now from North to South Swaziland is approx 180 miles so tops should take 3-4 hours (which it did), only problem with that is they don't seem to have service stations with amenities or ablutions as they called it. Now anybody who knows me is well aware that I can't even go to the local Tesco's without coming home and needing the bathroom, so we entered Swaziland at about 11.15am and at about 1.00pm I was getting needy! I seriously thought I was going to have to hold out until we were back in South Africa, but Rob decided serious measures needed to be taken so he pulled into a restaurant and shoved me through the door. They were adorable and pointed me in the direction of the bathrooms, bliss! Lovely ladies, saved my life (and the cars upholstery), one more speed bump in the road and I could have been in trouble.

Made it through to the next border checkpoints and that was truly a farce, first you were detoured around half the town through the worst of roads and puddles like lakes and then you negotiated the bricks again (I might start a fashion back home, they could take off), only to be standing in a room where I (of course) was standing under the leaky part of the roof and was dripped on! Then the official checking the passports seemed to have a problem understanding mine, she had to have it explained to her by a colleague who asked me what country it was for (I thought maybe she couldn't speak English as she never directly spoke or looked at me) but then when she checked Rob's she was chatting to him and asking him questions (did I smell or something?). Anyway we got through that then outside they had to check we'd paid the fee for driving through and then because we were parked facing the wrong direction there was a palaver about getting us turned round even though there was an entrance gate in front of us to go to S.A. Officialdom at its worst! The S.A. Side had TOILETS, nice new one's so I'm not the only one who has had problems. There should be a sign 'Please use restrooms before entering, none available for the length of the journey'!

The remainder of the journey was uneventful until we arrived in Hluhlwe and couldn't find the Guest House (argument ensues until it is located, what's new, that's marriage and navigation!). Once located all went well, the place is lovely and there are Nyala and Warthogs and all sorts of animals running around here, all very eco friendly but plush. Evening meal was wonderful prepared for us by Jabu who Is the housekeeper, we were the only 2 guests so we had the whole place to ourselves. Then back to the gloriously huge bed for a good nights sleep before it all starts again tomorrow.

Kruger Park Last Day - Part 3 - Monday, January 16th, 2012

We trundled along and an array of animals were on display again and then when we least expected it a traffic hold-up, I checked to see what everyone was looking at couldn't see anything then Rob moved slightly to the right and there in front of the car ahead of us were 2 lionesses lying in the road – AMAZING! We slowly moved further forward and started taking photo's I then noticed there was another in the long grass all you could see were her ears poking out and if you lifted up you got a glimpse of her eyes staring.

The other two weren't shy and sprawled in the road giving everyone a look at their beautiful bodies (brazen or what). One was rolling over like a kitten and she showed that her underbelly was spotted and I so wanted to just go up and rub it (obviously not the move to make so I resisted being dinner). She had a scar on her nose but nonetheless still stunning. When we actually drove past I could have reached out and touched her whiskers (again I resisted) she was that close and she looked me in the eye with such majesty that there is no way you didn't realise she is a “Queen of the Jungle”.

When you have your car window open and can hear the animal you are watching breathing it is the most amazing feeling, and when you can drive past them at such close proximity without fearing for your life it is as if you have been given a fantastic opportunity to commune with nature closer than you ever expected to without being lunch.

Before leaving the park we visited our favourite water hole to check what might be going on to find that there was a herd of elephants swimming and playing there, the little babies climbing onto the backs of the adults and a lot of trumpeting and playing going on. One bull was chased out of the water by the matriarch and told not to come back (I speak Elli you know), she then went back to playing with her babies. The Hippo family were on their way out of the water (it was still overcast so it meant they could come out in daylight). There were 7 in total and 2 of them were little babies, was quite amazing to see these giant animals cavorting in the water and then ambling along beside the Hippo as they grazed. A fitting end to our trip we thought little knowing what was to come next.

The last few kilometres to the gate were packed with animals everywhere you looked, Giraffe playing and grazing by the roadside along with Wildebeest and their young in the road and the babies kicking up their heels in joy as the rain came down again. The a troupe of Vervet Monkey's playing at the roadside with little babies jumping about everywhere and one adult lying in the road and playing dead, think it might have been a bit loopy, but funny too.

As we left this evening we noted that the only animals we had not seen that day were the Rhino and the Warthog, well there with a herd of Zebra was our friend the Rhino and just as we were about to leave through the gate the Warthog, his wife and 8 little ones passed us tipping us a nod – thank you Kruger for such a fabulous send off.

Kruger Park Last Day - Part 2 - Monday, January 16th, 2012

We left Satara and headed back on the same route to get back down the park and at 1.05pm without any fanfare or preamble there she was – Mrs Simba, Mother, Wife, Lioness! She cut off the road onto the grass and through the bushes but we realised there was a side road further up that would be in line with her path and scooted off down there (followed off course by 2 other cars who showed no respect for the animal they were tracking).

We kept back giving her clear access to her path only to be overtaken by both cars who blocked her, they were extremely lucky she was a passive creature as she took stock of the situation and moved around them (gave them a glare though) and then moved on back through the jungle on the other side of the road. We watched her go off and then turned away to carry on our journey. A Lioness at last, we had seem all the cats now, Cheetah, Leopard and Lion absolutely fantastic.

Back on the main road we noticed a sign for Boabab Tree, OK I'll go take a look at that – it was huge, must be very old and so wide, the trunk was amazing with all its knots and twists. I was extremely pleased I had got to view such a stunning specimen.

After reaching Tshokwane we took the road to Skukuza Camp, as this was a different route and part way down we could turn off towards Sabie again. Good move on our part, for the first part of the route it was fairly quiet apart from the torrential rain, but when we reached the turn towards home we came across a troupe of Baboons on the road playing in the puddles, well some were actually washing in them they looked so funny and had the road blocked off so everyone had to wait for them to make room to pass. By this time we were getting very tired and decided it was time to head back to the cottage and get a bit of rest but it seems that fate had one more trick up her sleeve.

Kruger Park Last Day - Part 1 - Monday, January 16th, 2012

Started off nice and early to ensure we could travel up as far as possible and get some sightings of big cats. Was a bit overcast and looked like it was going to rain but that was OK as we know from experience this brings the animals out. We arrived at the gate and as we went over the Crocodile Bridge there on a sandbank was a young crocodile, cute but still not the sort of animal you want to get close to. Once through the gates we came across a large mixed herd of Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala and Giraffe, all ambling along and having a good time.

We were only a few kilometres up the road when we noticed a car travelling slowly and wondered what they'd spotted – OPEN YOUR EYES woman, just ahead of them walking along the road was a leopard! He was a lovely looking boy and we followed him for quite some way (keeping a respectful distance) before he sniffed the wind and headed off into the bushes. We pulled up and watched him saunter off into the distance, amazing, only 9.20 and we had the first big cat sighting, what next!

There was a bit of rain as we travelled on further and the sky was still overcast so a lot of animals were appearing, a lot of large family groups of Elephants were wandering around and we even saw huge numbers of Kudu when before they'd been in small groups. Rain gets them all out in the open. We turned up towards Tshokwane wanting to travel the road that the lion sightings had been made on yesterday and found that it was quiet by animal standards as all the large groups were left behind, Impala as always and a few Elephants here and there crossing the road and looking impressive so close up.

After a bathroom break at Tshokwane we headed on further up towards Satara Camp as the road between the two is renowned to have the largest quantity of game to view – erm where? Hardly a sniff at an animal, well I suppose you have to count the Chameleon who we think someone may have squished as there was a blob on the road on our return trip (we hope we are wrong). He was standing as still as could be pretending to us he wasn't there but the wind was blowing him around as he was very thin and shouldn't have been on the road. Also the millipedes were heading out because of the rain and it became a game swerving around and carefully over them so as not to here a pop and squish!

We stopped for lunch (I never knew a burger came out of a can), picked up supplies including a magnum to get rid of the after taste of the burger and got back on the road again.

Where be those Lions! - Sunday, January 15th, 2012

Up and into the park as early as we could off in search of the elusive lions of Kruger Park. As we came through it looked like there was a convention going on, I have never seen so many giraffes together on any previous visit. Also Zebra's, Wildebeest, the ever present Impala and Elephants. There were large herds of all the animals everywhere you looked was a smorgasbord of wildlife!

We then came across the Baboons and Vervet Monkey's, as always mischievous and cute. The baby baboons were play fighting in the middle of the road and even when an adult went to move them they carried on (just like children). A tiny one sat in the middle of the road and played with his tail before being shooed off by mum, he then just sat at the side of the road playing with his tail instead!

After stopping off at Lower Sabie camp to check the sightings for the day we were pleased to note that there had been 5 sightings of lions and 1 of leopard and all in the same area, actually the road we'd decided to try today, how's that for luck. We started off towards Tshokwane checking both side carefully, Elephants crossing the road, eating, bathing in the river, great but where were the lions? At one point we came across a herd of elephants who seemed agitated and were protecting the young, at last we thought we're gonna see lion coming through in a second, nope false alarm was actually a family of Rhino who had spooked the elephants. The poor rhino's ran across the road in front of us trailing a tiny baby of their own, calm was restored and we went back to travelling the road in search of the elusive cat.

Drove up to Tshokwane without a single sighting but we did come across an amazing viewpoint which showed the landscape off beautifully in the sunshine, it is quite amazing how different each part of the park is, no wonder so many animals are able to survive here. We arrived only to find out that its a part time camp i.e. not on Sunday but at least the rest rooms were open for business. The only other patrons checking out the food facilities were the vervet monkey's who were into everything and wondering how they cooked Kudu Burgers.

The journey back down was uneventful, even though it was the right time for lion to be prowling there was nothing on the horizon, we again met all our herbivores including some new additions, the Kudu and an antelope I have yet to identify. For the second time running the only predator we encountered was Hyena. This time it was a complete family basking in the late afternoon sun, dad wasn't so asleep he didn't keep an eye on the cars and the camera's being clicked. I was viewing him through the binoculars and he was staring directly into my eyes, very very spooky especially when he opened his mouth wide and you saw the razor sharp teeth it enclosed!

The last animal we saw was actually on the Crocodile River as we went over the bridge and it was something I'd not seen before, a Giant Kingfisher, amazing looking thing sat stock still as it watched the water for prey. So tomorrow It's the last day at Kruger so come hell or high water I am finding those Lions even if I have to stake the husband out to get them in the open (fresh bait always works in the films).

Warthog update - Saturday, January 14th, 2012

Had to give you another entry as we were visited by a new warthog family, we know its a different one as they only have 2 babies, so we chopped up some apples as we were told they are partial to them and slowly threw them out, They stuck around chomping on them and although the dad looks like a bruiser (he's lost an ear) he didn't make any threatening moves (thank god I was sitting directly in his path, burnt butt and thorn in foot are nothing compared to impaling).

They went to the water trough they have built here for the animals to drink from and the mother promptly deposited herself in the pool to chill while her babies had a drink then they moved off into the woods and I am sure they will be back tomorrow for more fruit.

Baby Hippo - Saturday, January 14th, 2012

Today we were too tired to do much so after a bit of shopping at the local store (not much to pick at the Bush Station) we headed back to the house and it was decided (totally against my wishes that is) we would just wander down to the fence at the river which is the boundary between us and Kruger Park and just see who or what is chilling around the water edge.

Thankfully someone here you had beaten back the undergrowth enough to make a path (its full of snakes and scorpions around here you know). A large monitor lizard was scared and went rushing off under the bushes but thankfully nothing snakelike emerged. But it was worth it in the end to see what we did, there was this mummy hippo in the shallows and beside her sleeping more on land than in the water was her baby. So damn cute! From the size of the baby we are thinking it cannot be more than a week old, it is so tiny compared to his mother.

We checked online and found out that when first born they are safer on land than in the water where as they need to learn to swim properly. Well that was a wonderful sight to see and worth the walk through the treacherous undergrowth, although I did sustain an injury (apart from the burnt bottom from sitting on a very hot seat – I was smelling roast hog!), massive thorn in my shoe that actually went right through the sole and was pricking my toe – ouchie.

Day 4 - Hyena Heaven - Saturday, January 14th, 2012

Decided to take a run into the park in the afternoon today, that way we don't spend so much time without viewing animals as they are sensible and stay out of the HEAT! We drove on one of the side tracks, specifically the one that runs along the old railway line (which we couldn't see as it was all overgrown. First animal we encountered was a massive bird sitting by the side of the road, it was a Ground Hornbill, big and black with a bright red wattle. We then met our neighbours the Impala and whilst tootling along we noticed a lot of poop on the road (fresh too) and it wasn't big enough to be Elephant so I deduced Rhino. Bingo! Get to this magnificent water hole/lake and there he was wallowing in the shallows sound asleep. Couldn't get close to him a he was on the other side but there was no mistaking him. Also there were 2 Fish Eagles kicking back and enjoying a stroll along the banks of the pool and an array of Cranes and Ducks, was very quiet and pleasant. We then moved on in search of more wildlife and came across an elephant attempting to knock a tree down or scratch himself couldn't work it out. As we were going past a muddy pool I spotted movement and when we reversed found a warthog giving himself a mud pack. He got out and proceeded to use a downed log as a drying/scratching utensil. He was very diligent in ensuring he got a good rub not only on his nose area but on his butt too! Saw more Impala along with some gorgeous Zebra's and Wildebeest and then came across Kudu at last! First a fine male and then the gorgeous female who just stood and started at us for a while before slipping off, bliss my favourite at last. We were heading back to go to our usual last stop a watering hole near the park entrance when we noticed cars parked up ahead, and low and behold I had been asking for predators and there was one taking a bath. A Spotted Hyena was wallowing in the shallows of a pool and ignoring all around her/him. Rolled about in the water and basically just had a good time. A perfect end we thought as we went to our water hole to find what we thought was nothing there until we spotted why, a Crocodile lying on the bank. He was pretty big and we sat and watched as 2 Guinea Fowl approached it, we thought this is it they are gonna be croc dinner, but no they thankfully didn't get close enough to be chomped! Behind the crocodile in the water the Hippo's were mock fighting and getting ready to come out of the water for their evening forage so we watched them for a bit before heading off home ourselves. As we neared the gate something dashed across the road in front of us, it was a Mongoose, not the dwarf variety this time and a new sighting for me as I'd only ever seen the tail as it disappeared into the bushes before. There were plenty of Elephants and Impala around as they went about their nightly chores and just as we got to the gate the warthog we'd seen there the first day we entered trotted across the road heading off into the forest, he must have made the gate area his territory.

Day 3 - Kruger and the Scared Rhino - Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Another day, another run into the park to check out the wildlife. Today decided we would travel up to Lower Sabie and then continue on to Skukuza Camp, the road between the two camps is supposed to be Lion Country! From there the plan was to then continue down towards the Malelane Gate which would bring us back to the other side of Marloth Park and home.

Well, no lions! They must all have been hiding away somewhere and refusing to come out and play. We did get to see the usual suspects (Impala, Giraffes, Zebra, Elephants and Warthogs). But even as usual suspects they are still exciting to find and view. Came across an enormous family of warthogs, they had at least 8 babies!! Scared a poor Rhino half to death by coming round a corner in the road as he was about to cross (scared me too), luckily he turned and ran in the opposite direction rather than straight through us! Chased a poor baboon down the road, he just kept running in front of us instead of moving off the road, in the end we slowed and stopped and he moved over. Came to a waterhole where a Buffalo was soaking itself and using its ears to flick water at his face and it was only when I checked the photo that I noticed there was a turtle sunning itself on its back, better than any large rock!

An abundance of wildebeest today which is great as they have the adorable babies with them and Zebra's who stood in the middle of the road and refused to let us pass, the male kept curling his lips back and showing his teeth (must be a threat), we just kept back and let him strut off the winner! On the way out of the park today we encountered a new species for us, Dwarf Mongooses, both spotted lyng in the road and we presume warming up their bodies for the night ahead, so cute but so damned fast!

When we got back to Marloth Park we nearly ran into a small herd of Zebra running around with the local Impala's and then spotted 2 giraffes having a meal in someone's garden (they were eating the leaves off the tree in the front yard). Thats the wonderful thing about this place they wander around everywhere. We have a group of Impala's who sleep in the garden of a house down the road and of course the place is crawling with warthogs so its complete heaven!

Acornhoek – South African Police Extortion - Update - Thursday, January 12th, 2012

I have today completed a complaints form to the police regarding the extortion incident on the 10th and have a case number so I can check up the progress of the investigation - I will keep you informed of any news I get on the matter.

Cheetah Traffic Jam! - Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

Went into the park this morning ready to search out the lions, not a sausage in sight! We came across some amazing sights though, large herd of elephants with several juveniles and one tiny baby. They crossed the road in front of us and it was a hell of a sight, something never to be forgotten. We also had the usual Impala Crossings which means you're there for at least 10 minutes while they dither about whether to cross or not, but so cute when they do. Got the first sighting of a White Rhino on this trip which was pretty exciting even if he was at some distance. Also at long last found some wildebeest and they had young with them so mum and dad are bluey grey and they are brown, so adorable.

Came across several groups of giraffe today, large family groups grazing around the park in different areas, absolutely stunning creatures, so graceful for the size of them, even found two who were sitting down and chewing the cud. Still no sign of Kudos but did come across some Nyala grazing along the side of the road. Spotted something in a tree and when we checked through the binoculars we realised there were 2 eagles sitting on the branch. We checked our book and they were Bateleur Eagles which are a medium sized, supposedly only between 10,000 and 100,000 worldwide, and on the near threatened red list category of endangered species so I feel honoured to have seen 2. We also spotted a fish eagle who took flight across the river and swooped down in search of food.

Also met a few more Zebra's wandering about the place, mostly in the company of Giraffes but in a couple of cases with Wildebeest groups. Then on the way out of the park, drum roll please, the icing on the cake... a Cheetah! Was strolling along in the savannah and marched down to the road and walked in front of 4 cars (us being numero 3). We spaced across the road to ensure everyone got a good view of this amazing animal. He walked for quite a way with us all slowly driving behind him and then walked up onto the grass and stood looking majestically across at us all before marking his territory and wandering off into the undergrowth. There are only 200 Cheetahs in the whole of Kruger and this is the first time we have had a sighting of one here and are thrilled. We were ready to depart the park content and then came across a spot on the river where there was an abundance of animals drinking and cavorting, it looked just like a picture from a Disney film, all it needed was Snow White to walk through singing! There were giraffes feeding on the higher slopes and below by the rivers edge where a huge herd of Impala with all the young playing and a lone Rhino in the centre just eating and chilling. A wildebeest was rolling in the grass enthusiastically before strutting off to drink and then a large elephant joined the party. I kept expecting the scene to be ruined by a hunting party of lions, but thankfully (or not dependent on what you want to film) none appeared. But then, tomorrow is another day!

Marloth Park and Warthogs - Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

Arrived in Marloth yesterday and found ourselves totally off the beaten track, this is definitely communing with nature. The cottage is pretty basic and the aircon wasn't working in the main area, the DSTV decided to tell us where to go and then to top it off the speed on the internet tells me I'm definitely in the jungle and beyond!

We were told that there had been a rhino fight this past weekend and that one of them had died leaving an all you can eat smorgasbord for the local lion and crocs, was gonna go down in the morning to check it out and see if we could spot some lions chomping but were told later that the crocs had dragged the remainder of the rhino down to eat it themselves, shame that. So will have to just go in search of them stalking other prey.

We had a visit from a warthog this evening, sweet thing was looking in at me so I stepped out to say hello and she came closer wagging her tail, not too close though I don't fancy being impaled! We also had some guinea fowl wandering around and waited patiently for the departure of the bush baby from under the roof where he sleeps all day but didn't get a sighting. Up early in the morning to check what else comes visiting. Woke up this morning to the sight of a mother warthog and her 3 babies rummaging around the garden so I had to go out and say hello!

Acornhoek – South African Police Extortion - Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Had the misfortune to encounter the corrupt side of South African authority today. We left Phalaborwa this morning at around 9.00am to make our way to our next stop at Marloth Park which is situated on the Crocodile River at the edge of Kruger National Park. At 10.50am in Acornhoek, a town on the R40 we came across traffic lights at an intersection that were not working.

Everyone was proceeding slowly through the junction and we followed suit only to be pulled over by a police vehicle. They started to leave the vehicle in force but then backed off and left it to the first officer to scam us. He told us we had committed an offence for which we apologised, he then told us there was a fine for this offence and proceeded to ask questions such as where we were from, how long in S.A. Where we were going and had been. Having had a conversation with a local the day before about such a possibility as there is a large police presence on all the roads, I promptly informed him that we were heading to Nelspruit as we were leaving for home in a few days. He asked for the driving licence which I produced and his eyes were glued to my purse which I tried to push back down so he couldn't check out the contents too closely.

He then said the driving license wasn't an international one, well its not been turned away at any car hire company I've shown it to so I said it was, he then again stated we had committed a traffic offence by not coming to a stop, and that the fine was 1000 rand (a bit steep I thought), I was preparing to argue the payment of the fine when he said but we will let you off it, I thanked him thinking that was the end of it, slap on the wrist and on your way. How wrong was I.

He repeated that he would let us off and then asked how would we show our appreciation, I chose to ignore it and he repeated himself, so to end the farce as we all knew it was extortion, I reached into my purse and handed over a 200 rand note, he actually had the nerve to say that 400 would seem fairer. I said what was left we needed for the remainder of our stay so I had no more, he then realised he was not going to get any more and he left.

He may aswell have held a gun to our heads and robbed us, that's exactly how it felt. I am beside myself with anger, not because of the money that is an aside, its the fact that he actually targeted us as tourists and decided it was OK to rip us off because he could see I had money in my purse. He was scanning the inside of the car as he spoke assessing how far he could push it and if I hadn't have been so stunned by his audacity, he might have found out exactly how far I would go!

We have now spoken to locals who say that it is rife in some areas but that not all police are corrupt (well thank the lord for that). We have been told that if it were to happen again we are to immediately ask for his name and badge number and take the registration of his vehicle and say that we will follow him to the police station to pay the fine - this should make them immediately back down, but I feel that following through with the threat of reporting them is a necessity to ensure that the corrupt element of the force are discarded allowing this country to grow to become one of the better nations in the great continent of Africa.

So travellers beware and remember if stopped to always say you are leaving the country if not that day very soon after. Keep a low denomination note with your driving license so you do not need to show anything apart from that (maybe in a second wallet) in case you can't scare them into backing down. BUT most importantly take their name and badge number and car registration and tell them you will report them. To be totally safe I suppose you must assess each incident individually as each case will be different and you can tell by looking at a person which way would be the safest route for yourself to take.

This has not put me off travelling this wonderfully diverse and beautiful country, but I will be more aware of the dangers. Safe driving to one and all, tomorrow I am off to report this officer not only to the police station but also the Tourist Offices and every travel guide I can to ensure that they include the possibility of these incidences in their new guides. I will report back to you with any responses I receive.

Day 2 Kruger and Elephant Encounter! - Monday, January 9th, 2012

Only had the morning in the park today as we were off on a river cruise this afternoon. Arrived at the park at 9am and headed off towards the Mopani Camp as there are plenty of water holes and river spots on the way. First meeting was again an elephant who we found after following his trail of droppings on the road (do they drop!). He was happy to let us take a few photos but when we didn't move on he got a bit miffed and actually put his ears back and made to charge us, we moved fast I can tell you, first a hippo now an elephant!

We visited a few different watering holes and even found an elephant wallowing hole, unfortunately they had already been there. No big cats to be found but we did come across spores so they are around somewhere. We came across a lovely bird, turned out to be a Lilac Breasted Roller, absolutely beautiful plumage and very friendly.

They need Impala crossings in Kruger, they take forever crossing from one side to the other and always send the crèche across first which has you smiling, they are so cute and leggy. Only other encounter of the day was with baboons, at last! We found the local baboon hang-out, a massive tree which had them on every branch and also wandering around below the tree. We couldn't get close as there was also an elephant resting in the shade under the tree and didn't want a repeat of the earlier incident, so off we tootled homeward to prepare for the cruise.

We were driven to the river cruise via a mine, yes we had to drive through one of the largest mines in SA. He kindly drove us up to the top of a man-made hill (the earth dug out from the mine) so we could view the 1 kilometre deep by 1 kilometre wide hole in the ground – IT IS A BIG HOLE! From here you could also see all the way to the Blyde River Canyon and into Kruger. Unfortunately there is only about 5 years more life for the mine, but they have found a way to get more out of all the slag heaps they have around so hopefully the miners jobs will be safe for a tad longer.

We arrived a the Olifants River and boarded the boat for a 3 hour cruise along the river. It was extremely hot but worth the visit as although we didn't see much what we did see was worth the effort. We had views of many different birds along with baboons, water buck, hippo's, elephants, buffalo and even a water monitor snoozing in the tree by the bank. The hippo's were very noisy and jostling one and other for the best spots in the river and the buffalo herd had just had a good dip and were clean and gleaming. The views of the river banks towards the forest were quite breathtaking and if we had seen nothing else, would have made it worthwhile in itself.

Tomorrow we're off down to Marloth Park for 7 nights in a cottage on the border of the Kruger National Park and along the banks of the Crocodile River, so new sightings await. Till then I bid thee goodnight.

Day 1 Kruger and Hippogate! - Monday, January 9th, 2012

First day into Kruger National Park and I was very excited. Decided as we were going to be using the park a fair bit it made sense to get a 'Wild Card' which means you can go into all the SANParks around South Africa, if you're considering doing more than 6 days in the parks its worth the money. Drove in and within less than 2 minutes spotted the first animal, a lovely Elephant scratching itself against a tree by the side of the road, we then noticed he wasn't alone and had a fair few mates with him including a gorgeous little baby. Further along we became nodding acquaintances with the first Impala group of the day. A bit further down the road from Phaloborwa gate to the Letaba camp, we noticed someone stopped and pulled in behind them to find they were viewing the “Vulture Buffet”, an all you can eat diner it seems close to a watering hole. Tried to get some footage on video but they were quite a distance, weren't sure what was on the menu but looked like it was either an elephant or a buffalo. Also spotted 2 Secretary Birds wandering around, a definite first viewing of these for us.

We then continued on and after approx 2 hours we turned towards Olifants taking the road that ran close to the Letaba river to try and get the best viewing of game. We meandered around and took loops off the main roads that take you deeper into the trees and at one such spot came upon a young giraffe very close up, beautiful creature. Further along we encountered 2 buffalo chomping on vegetation in the shallow waters by the edge of the river... totally chilled and hanging! At another detour that led practically down to the waters edge we spotted 3 young bull elephants on the opposite bank on the way for a dip. Pulled up close to ensure best spot to film the sport and I suddenly felt as if I was being watched, when I turned to my left, there in the bushes no more than a few yards away was a MASSIVE hippo glaring at us (we must have been blocking his exit back to the water). A quick prod of an elbow a couple of whispered reverse reverse and we were moving back out of his line of fire.

He seemed to calm down a bit and we waited to see if he would rush us but instead he seemed happy enough and turned around and moved further into the undergrowth. First time I'd ever seen a hippo out of the water in the daylight, was such a shock we didn't stick around long just took some quick video and photo's of the elephants and skedaddled (cowards I hear you say, no just sensible, hippos kill).

We arrived at the Olifants lookout which has an amazing view over the river and you are able to get out of your car here to take photos but must keep quiet in case of wildlife around. “I think I heard a snort just then?” I said, “That’s a bit worrying” was the response as he continued to take photo's. Turned out it was nothing to worry about as it was hippo's in the river way below us jostling for the best spots. We stopped off at Olifants camp for a spot of lunch and a bathroom break before heading off back down a different route, we had now been driving for over 4 hours and needed that break.

We turned back towards home and had lots of meetings with Impala and a few more giraffe along with some gorgeous Zebra with baby in tow. We came upon the Vulture Buffet again but this time from another angle as we'd taken one of the loops. Quick advice to anyone coming across one of these, DO NOT open your window to take photo's, it takes a long while to get the “ripe” smell out of your car and even longer out of your nasal passages. Do vultures actually smell? Cos if they do, they have strong constitutions. From there on we were hard pushed to find anything at all as it seemed they'd all headed off to do the evening show somewhere but then our faithful friends the Impala stepped in and gave us a viewing by a water hole just before leaving the park, thank you beauties!

Was in bed very early as worn out after all that time in the car, more of the same tomorrow yayyyyyyyy.

Phalaborwa gateway to Kruger - Saturday, January 7th, 2012

Travelled down from Johannesburg today and after a 6 hour drive made it to the guest house. Very nice place too, lovely big comfy bed with the appropriate amount of netting for my protection from biting nasties. Tomorrow morning its off to Kruger to start the hunt for animals, by hunt I mean via photo opoortunity! Bed for me now as its an early start... night all

Golden Smiles - Saturday, January 7th, 2012

Yesterday Rob and I spent the day with 14 wonderful children from the Zenzele Orphanage in Finetown and the amazingly warm and doting Manager of the home, Philemon. I did not expect to come away feeling so much loss for having to leave them behind, they have each and everyone of them touched my heart and will remain there till I die.

We all met at the Gold Reef City Theme Park in Johannesburg and after they patiently waited around as I got the tickets, they were ready for action. Philemon wanted to commence the day with some educational activities prior to the rides but he was hard pushed to keep them attentive as all eyes had already crept to the “Mine” ride (not me!). Within minutes all power was in the hands of the kids and it was a dash to the ride, even darling Gamu who is only 6 was off and running till it had to be explained that she was under the height restriction, so as wild horses couldn't have dragged me on that ride I opted for the next option she and Forgiveness (another poppet) wanted to try..... drum roll please.... The Giant Wheel (did someone not tell these girls I was scared of heights?). No way on earth you can let angels like that down so off we went and to be honest, it wasn't as bad as some others I've been dragged onto.

From there it went downhill for us wusses (and under height restriction lasses) as the boys led by Lucky were off onto every scream curdling ride open in the park. I was sure when they hit 'The Dreamboat' that Brian Mitchell (very famous celebrity I'm acquainted with (well in Glossop he is)) as the scream of ROCK AND ROLL BABY was heard and responded to by like minded individuals! It was of course Brian's protégée and best mate Lucky! Next was the Jozi Express where I gained 4 little boys who were on the 'wusses' list and so with them and my angels we headed for Kiddies Corner whilst the big butch guys headed off to do the Anaconda.

Now how hard is it to take care of 6 young-uns, all you mum's out there are shrugging and saying not too hard, WELL, within the space of 2 minutes I lost FOUR!!! I was pulled towards the flying elephants and when I turned around not a male child in sight! The girls went from there to the Carousel and then (please don't laugh) I was made to go on the Balloon Wheel. After that it became a bit of a blur as I was suffering from a touch of heat stroke and panic that I still couldn't spot a single one of the boys, how in hell was I going to explain to Phil that I'd lost his charges (let alone Lisa).

I remember a session on the bumper cars where Gamu had her seat belt put on and she changed its position only to be told that wouldn't work, well thank god I didn't receive the look she gave him lol. Forgiveness was off and running and beaming happily when the came off the cars, but then I was hauled towards the Carousel again and that's when I withered! Thankfully the boys appeared shortly before Phil returned (phew) and it was time for one last ride before lunch. I was handed an ice cold coke to quench my thirst, one sip and 2 big brown eyes were looking up at me and it was transferred to Forgivenesses hands and consumed, albeit grudgingly on the part of our Ness, by Gamu and herself lol.

We then went off to join the others at Wimpy where the queue had to be jumped, and I'm the person for the job.... 15 minutes later 17 people were sitting down to dine. Lucky made the burger choice (Gamu chose her own, feisty little one she is) and the drinks were ordered (comically I may add) and we awaited the outcome. While waiting for the food to arrive Rob showed me that he had been roped by Forgiveness, she had tied herself to him with the arm band and was merrily singing and dancing in her seat beside him. I think he is totally smitten with her, she spent lot of the time holding his hand and resting her head against his arm (that's me divorced when she hits 18!). I have to say both Rob and I did not do the burger justice as the heat had really got to us and we just wanted liquid, but thankfully Lucky and Co. had room for our leftovers. I was highly impressed that Forgiveness was able to devour such a large burger being such a tiny little girl (my mum would have loved her for that lol) and Gamu put away half of her's before passing the rest away to helping hands only because she was leaving room for the ice cream I think (she had also downed a large glass of coke and part of the refill before giving up (if she burped she'd have taken off!). When the ice creams came there was a rush of hands and they disappeared off the tray and so did each and every child bar Lucky who was chatting to Phil Rob and I. We figured the rush was as Phil had told them no more rides and they decided if they were gone he would have to come drag them off, I love the ingenuity of children! I never did get to say goodbye to my two hand-holding angels or any of the other babies as the were off having fun, and that to me is what the whole day was about – them having FUN! I will never forget this day and the smiles and laughter and of course screams of the kids enjoying the park, I cannot wait until my next visit, maybe we can pleas Philemon by taking them somewhere educational and cultural (yeah right!)

We returned home worn out but smiling and talking about the looks of pleasure on the faces of those children, and even today we have still been reminiscing yesterdays fun and wishing we were still with them all, my heart feels a tad empty without them xoxo Mabaso Babies.

If you are interested in hearing more about the work done on behalf of the children of Finetown and specifically Zenzele then please go to the links page and visit The Winnie Mabaso Foundation website to learn more about the work they do and how you can become a member of the Mabaso Family and spread some love. Every penny raised goes directly to the upkeep and well being of the children as a non-profit making organisation not one penny is wasted on administration costs. We are proud sponsors of 2 children, Kelvin who is 11 and my hand-holding, cola drinking angel Gamu and now we're going for a 3rd!

Pretoria or Bust Vortrekker Stylie!! - Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Went to Pretoria today and one of the places I visited and which mesmorised me was the Voortrekker Monument. This building was built in the late 30's in art deco style (my favourite) to commemorate the journey the original Afrikaners made into the interior of the country to colonise. Amazing looking place and from the top you get a fantastic view across Pretoria.

The attached picture shows a part of the wall surrounding the monument which depicts the 64 wagons they used to form a laager (circle) at the famous battle of Blood River at which 470 voortrekkers fought a combined force of 10,000-20,000 Zulu Warriors. Only 3 of the party including the leader Pretorius were injured whereas 3,000 Zulu casualties were counted. The battle was on the Ncome River in KwaZulu Natal, but due to the number of dead the river turned red and therefore it became known as Blood River.

The inside of the monument has a marble historical frieze, which is the biggest in the world. The frieze is made up of 27 panels depicting the Great Trek. On the lower floor there is also a museum with artefacts including bibles and song books used on the journey, along with lovingly embroidered christening robes. Here can also be found the Cenotaph and on 16 December every year the sun shines down through a small hole in the centre of the Voortrekker Monument roof, onto the Cenotaph, lighting up the enscribed words: "Ons vir jou Suid Africa" ("We for thee, South Africa"). Many thousands of South African's travel from a far for this special memorial event.

Signature Restaurant - Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Very strange when you're not a Johannesburg resident to find that you are going to a restaurant in a shopping mall, but that seems to be the norm here. The place is beautifully decorated and we even had a jazz duo who were very good and unobtrusive. The menu is eclectic and if I hadn't have heard good things about the restaurant it could make you wonder if they'd bitten off more than they good chew. Thankfully this was not the case.

I started my meal with the Signature Tower a complete work of art comprising saffron potato salad, avocado, strawberries and topped with a tempura prawn balancing like a ballerina. I followed this with their lamb rack encased in pancake and then pastry. The idea is a good one but unfortunately because I like my meat rare the pastry wasn't baked enough and therefore soggy in places, but the meat was delicious and the presentation stunning. I ended the meal with a Pear Malva Pudding with vanilla pod ice cream and butterscotch basket, taste explosion and waist band increaser!

The Rainbow Nation! - Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Safe arrival at Johannesburg and for once I actually got a little sleep. The crew on board were great, very polite and helpful but I wasn't impressed by the meals served, not too good at all. Picked up the car and headed off to the rental house and promptly decided sleep was in order so will be catching a few hours kip before heading off out to sample the local cuisine, have a reservation at Signature for this evening (gotta love the net you can plan way ahead!). Oh and we're currently having beautiful lightning strikes as there is a tropical storm, unlike England though, there is no cold to accompany it!

Last minute entry from seat 30H - Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

On board and waiting to depart bring on the bubbly! People still boarding but everything so organized and polite (no Easyjet dash here!) Bon voyage peeps I'm on my way.

Airport Arrival - Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

Arrived safely at the airport and got through bag drop off quickly. Even had a sniffer dog interested in one of my cases (do they like the smell of wax crayons I wonder) thankfully his handler didn't take me in for questioning! Sitting happily in the lounge with a drink and pretzels waiting for the flight to open at present and resisting the urge to shop (actually I've been tied down to ensure I don't blow the budget before leaving the country. Next entry will be from Johannesburg when we arrive in the morning, till then tootle pip!

Checked in and ready to go! - Monday, January 2nd, 2012

Finished packing (at long last) and was chilling watching Sherlock when I suddenly noticed that it was check-in time! Rushed to the computer and completed the online check-in at the Virgin Site, can now return to Sherlock as boarding pass is now printed and in my bag so I'm good to go. Tomorrow I just need to be at Heathrow two hours before my flight departs and head for a “Bag Drop-Off” desk and before you know it I will be sitting in the lounge sipping a drink and waiting for the flight to wing its way to Johannesburg.

Welcome to my South African Blog! - Monday, January 2nd, 2012

Hello and welcome to my blog!

Booking a trip like this can be time consuming so it's great when booking the flights can be so easy.

Enter your destination, dates and class of travel, number of passengers and voila you have a selection to choose from. Decide on the options that suit you the best and then enter your passenger and payment details, a double check that all the information is correct and Click you are done. Virgin Atlantic send you a confirmation email with your e-ticket and that is it until you are about to depart.

You are able to choose your seats and inform them of any special dietary requirements on the website which saves so much time and hassle. 24 hours prior to departure you just check-in online, print your boarding passes and you're ready to head to the airport for your flight to South Africa.

A few days ago Virgin Atlantic contacted me to check if I had any questions regarding the flight, check-in procedure or anything else that may have been bothering me which is sometimes useful as it saves you going into a last minute panic. So now I am all set to go, well once I've packed!