Whilst most of you were slaving away in 2011, it was time for the holiday of a lifetime. You probably wondered where I was, well it would be cruel not to share in a bit of the fun.
Bombs AWAY!
We left dreary Gauteng on Thursday 6 January on a leisurely, scenic and round-about trip to the coast… firstly through the Eastern Free State Highlands to the little town of Clocolan, where my mother grew up and where grandad was mayor and attorney.
Then on to overnight at Aliwal North, on the Eastern Cape side of the border between the Free State and Eastern Cape. The Orange River is the actual border and by the way it was flowing one could sense floods down the line was the order of the day.
Then off to Port Elizabeth, via Burgersdorp, Hofmeyr all the way past Cookhouse and the last bit along the N2 to PE. Apart from a tyre blow-out along the way and changing it in seering heat, a beautiful trip.
In Port Elizabeth we picked up the In-Laws who we’d flown directly to Port Elizabeth.
Click on the thumbnails, it will enlarge the pictures and allow you to scroll at your leisure.
On Route and Port Elizabeth:
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After 2 nights in Port Elizabeth, we travelled via Jeffreys Bay, Aston Bay, Paradise Beach on to the magnificent Storms River Mouth Rest Camp in the Tsitsikama National Park. Those who have had the pleasure of stopping or staying here will attest that it (and surrounds) is probably the most beautiful place on earth.
We stayed at Storms River Mouth for 2 nights, giving us time to explore the area and just lap in the beauty.
Storms River Mouth & Surrounds:
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Whilst at Storms River Mouth we also went and explored and found this wonderful activity, Zip Gliding over the Kruis River Gorge… 10 huge “Foofie Slides” (cable mounted sliding), the shortest here in the region of 85m and the longest 211m long.
Whilst the old folks were resting, Handbriekie and myself could not be stopped!
Zip Gliding:
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On our way away from Storms River Mouth we travelled to Bloukrans Bridge, a magnificent structure, amongst the forests, spanning a full 462m over a gorge more than 216m deep.
This is of course where the famous Bloukrans Bungi takes place, the world’s highest commercial bridge bungi jump, 216m high.
The others did not see their way fit to jump…. pissies…. but I could not let this opportunity go by, I’d been wanting to do this for a long time and wanted to see how it compared to the 28 Sky dives I’ve had. This is how it went…
Bloukrans Bungiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:
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From Bloukrans we went to Monkeyland and then to Bramon Winery and Restaurant. Bramon is quite far from the normal wine growing areas of the Western Cape, but their wines are good, the restaurant excellent, where one sits amongst the vines.
From there it was a brief shopping stop at Plettenberg Bay, then off to Tharfield Estate in the Harkerville Forest (between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna), where we stayed with an old school friend, Gerhard Roux, who owns the Estate and where the tame reindeer wander around. Strange that there should be reindeer, they are not native to SA.
We were treatd to a Karoo Potjie and of course we caught up on good times over too many drinks, me on the Jerepico, Gerhard on a bottle of Famous Grousse I’d bought him in Plettenberg Bay.
Gertjie was rather speech impaired be the end of the evening…. hahaha
After a good night’s sleep we moseyed through Knysna, ate at Crabbs Creek and booked in at Brenton-On-Sea.
Monkeyland, Bramon Winery, Tharfield Estate & Brenton-On-Sea:
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This was Part One…. Part 2 follows tomorrow, sometime.
We still need to see Wilderness, Hartenbos, Calitzdorp, Oudshoorn, Swartberg Pass, Prince Albert and Gariep dam.
Hope you like it…. scream for more!
30@ Tripples:
Ja, ou Hughes was nogal besielend gewees, hy het die vak kwaai gelike en dit interessant gemaak.
Flok, miskien het ons nog SAAM Geskiedenis gehad… kannie so vêr terug onthou nie.
Onthou jy vir Aggie Muller, sy het Engels gegee en haar klas was oorkant die snoepie, 1 verdieping boontoe…
Anyway, sy was mos so doof soos ‘n kwartel…. as sy haar rug draai bord toe, dan maak ons net kak en sy hoor niks.
Een dag skrywe sy so oppie bord en ons peper mekaar met daai swart stoelpoot beskermertjies wat op die voete van die stoel pas… anyway ek gooi toe vir Brennard Grobler op die oog met ene, hy stap toe oor my kant toe waar ek langs die venster (vierkant se kant) staan en stamp my…
Ek donner toe dwarsdeur die toe venster dat mens net skerwe sien spat en val uit die klas uit, 1 verdiepping af onder toe maar land op een of ander rede mooi op my voete, geen skade nie.
Ek stap toe maar om en op en kom WEER die klas binne, groet ou Aggie so ewe en gaan sit weer…
Sy het boggerol van die petalje geweet, sweet blue nothing.
#31 hahahahahaha skool was die beste!!! ek het by Mam Vorster engels gekry.
Ek het ook van Bloukrans afgespring…absoluut amazing. Ek het ook eers valskermspring gedoen maar dit is darem heeltemal n ander gevoel omdat die grond so blerrie vinnig nader kom!
33@ Pokkel:
Janee, dis heel anders… maar tog, ek dink nie mens is so bang as die ander mense wat noggie adrenalin sports gedoen het nie, nie waar nie?
Die arme flokker van Engeland wat net voor my gespring het se knieggies het moer kwaai gebewe voor hy gespring het, dit was eintlik blerrie snaaks….
@ grootblousmile: Jy kan ook nie vir n beter view vra terwyl jy onderstebo daar hang en wag dat iemand jou kom haal nie.
@ grootblousmile:
Ek was die enigste Suid Afrikaner tussen 12 ouens wat gespring het en die manne was maar baie op hulle senuwees. Een ou het glad nie gespring nie.
36@ Pokkel:
Uit die sowat 14 of 15 van ons wat gespring het was omtrent net 4 Suid-Afrikaners, die res was Ingelse, Swede, Duitsers.
Ek MOET tog kyk of ek nie my sprong DVD kan rework en op Vleisboek kan plaas nie, dan kan ek die video ook hier opsit…. dis heel anders as die fotos en mens kry meer die impak van hoe hoog dit eintlik is.
Ek het so 6 keer rebound voor die hoist man my gevang het, om op te hys. Ek dink selfs my 2de en 3de rebound was hoër as meeste ander bungi spronge in die wêreld.
Die view onderstebo was snaaks… ek het myself heel aan die einde, voor die hoist man my kom vang het so half opgetrek met die lyf om te kyk of ek nie die view van die reguit kant af kon kokkenotch nie.
Daai area is darem maar mooi.
Blykbaar het 1 drommel wat in die groep na ons gespring het ook omgedraai en toe weer vorentoe gestap, toe stamp hulle hom maar af…. hehehe
@ grootblousmile:
Ek het in 1999 gespring toe het hulle gese jy val na jou 1ste rebound nog hoer as die Vic valle bungee en met die 2de rebound nog hoer as die Gouritz bungee. Die wierdste gevoel is as jy die bopunt van die rebound bereik en vir n oomblik doodstil is voor jy weer val. Ek raak sommer lus en doen dit weer!
38@ Pokkel:
Nou maar toe… gaan doen die ding weer…. dis absoluut bevange man!
Ek wou sommer nog ‘n keer gaan spring daai selfde dag, want die 2de sprong is heelwat goedkoper…. maar ons het ‘n tydskedule gehad en nog dinge gehad om te doen. My vrou, Handbriekie en die dogter, BonzaiHandbriekie en my skoonouers was saam man, anders het ek dalk vir dae daar vasgehaak.
… en blykbaar spring mens verniet as jy dit poedelkaal doen…. net bang vir daai sweepslag hier om en by halflyf, op die rebounds man….. hehehe
@ grootblousmile:
Die way wat julle oor die ding praat wonder of jy n sweepslag sou kon he 😆 iets soos n bloubul h*ring sweepslag mos nie.
40@ superBul:
As mens so daar bungi dink mens nie aan spyker nie…. wel nie HEELTYD nie…. hehehe
GBS…nice pics.
My mate Jumbo (Roald) Jordaan farms in the Clocolaan area and then you drive right past my Moms family’s place, they are just outside Jamestown, Uitkyk, Rooihoogte ano on the Molteno dirt road. The eastern Cape is beautiful, of course Aliwal is half and half in the Free State.
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