Breather away at Dikhololo

Arrival on Friday at Dikholo Nature Reserve, near Brits

We had a good rest at Dikhololo, a second year in a row. We are very blessed to be able to celebrate my Dad's birthday away in the Bush!

We complain about the eleven kilometers of bad dirt road we have to get there, and we even said this year was the last! But thinking back about the weekend, I have a rubber arm! I would be there in a flash if I get the chance. A weekend away is a great way to breath. I have been spamming my Instagram feeds. Sorry! Not sorry!

It was great to get away from the year that has started with a bang!

#RELAX #unwind #weekendvibes #bushveldlife #dikhololo #swimmingpool #hminstachallenge

A post shared by Karen Du Toit (@karentoittoit) on Feb 10, 2018 at 5:07am PST

We had a good rest at Dikhololo

Dikhololo is a great place for families. It was just under a two-hour drive from Johannesburg, and we were in the Bush-veld on Friday this past weekend.

Of course we were still emotional about the loss in our family. Stew's death left us reeling! We had his funeral on Monday this week.
(I don't know if you ever get over the loss of a young family member? How do you smile when you know there are so much sadness?)

Little Miss did not stop swimming for the whole weekend. The best of all! We could watch her swimming from our chalet as all the chalet clusters are built around swimming pools. How cool to watch her swimming from the bed (while reading) or braai (barbecue) for the whole weekend!

We went exploring, water sliding (even me, and I loved it! Little Miss hated it!) and played tennis while we were there! We could have stayed MUCH longer, but a weekend is of course way too short! We did not even went to the indoor heated pool (it was too hot!), or drove around too much looking at the wildlife. The putt-putt also did not happen. Next time...

I am sure we are the only family that got lost from a viewpoint on our way to our car... But that was part of the adventure! My Dad with his in-built GPS could only shake his head when he heard about us walking around the hill searching.

We celebrated my Dad's birthday this weekend! How blessed we are to still be able to go on holidays together!
He is such an inspiration for always being active and on the go!

Thanks, Dad, for all the holiday fun!

This is life! Summer, the Bush-veld, a fire going, a swimming pool and a drink!

This was a good rest!

A break in the Bushveld

Taking the mad rush to a screeching halt!

This is what happened this year...

It's been great taking a breather for a week!

We have been in the bush for a few days.

Little Miss has been swimming and riding her bike and we are watching sunsets.

We hired bikes and did a trail today. Little Miss did super for the first part, and all went well until she got very tired and we had to make a detour. Hubby and I continued with the bush trail, but his bike got punctures and we had to walk back until we found a ranger who gave us a lift back! 

We will call it an adventure, because it ended with a cold beer!

Next week we will be back at work, but luckily it will be slowing down! 

I love this time of year!

Are you going away for the holidays?

Back from a week in the bush

We just came back from a week in the bush, feeling refreshed and chilled out!

We had very little signal in the bush, and we came back to no Telkom ADSL. It is very frustrating, but it also helped to switch off.

It was great to breathe in a bit of fresh air, and watched the sunsets!

Little Missy loved the game drives! We were a bit concerned, but I remembered how the eldest loved it. The little ones are mesmerized about all the animals, and even little things like chameleons.

We had a great encounter with the elephants on
a morning drive

The absolute highlight of our week:
A walk with rhinos - we got pretty near to them

Breathed in all the sunsets!
(Something we miss here in the city)

Lots of dives into the pool

It was a great vacation!


Why did it feel so short?

Weekends with Big Sister

We really miss our eldest when she is away at university. It was really nice to have her with us this past weekend!

Little Missy told me before the time that her sister would immediately go with her to her pink house when she comes home. That is her ultimate "gift" she bestows on a person; to promise them a visit to her pink house! (The pink house with the two dragons, the little sister and the small kitten.)
She told me that we could not come with, because our wings are broken...

We went again for a Saturday lunch at Glen Afric. It is not that far out of the city, and we feel as if we can breath a bit of fresh air, while looking at some animals walking in the distance. We saw a few elephants, giraffes and some antelopes. It definitely helps in recharging the batteries!

We are having a bit of summer again. The days are still warm and sunny!
Weekends are best spent outdoors!
Hope you had a lovely weekend as well?


We are missing you, again, Big Sister!


Related post:

Glen Afric: A place to go for a bush outing

The Cradle Restaurant

What do you do on a Sunday morning when you want to get outside and the blue sky is beckoning?
Especially when the urban dwelling feels a bit stuffy in this heat.

The one thing that is great about living in Johannesburg in South Africa: We do not have to drive very far to get to the outdoors...

The Cradle Restaurant - sitting on the deck

One of the places we wanted to check out for a long time is The Cradle Restaurant at The Cradle of Humankind near Lanseria.

View from the deck

She prefers her sister's hot chocolate
"Funny Bunny!"

Table overlooking the view 

Downstairs seating area, with stones on display
(see below)

Stones on display

The ride to and from the restaurant in a golf cart was a definite highlight as well!

Just one note of caution: The breakfast buffet is fantastic, but it is a bit expensive!
(Especially when the budget is a bit low this time of the month... Ouch!)

Next time we will go a bit earlier to still get an option for the A La Carte Menu and to visit The Cradle of Humankind at Maropeng, which is nearby.


Which places do you recommend in the Johannesburg area if you want to get a bit of fresh air?

Glen Afric - a place to go for a bush outing

One thing I love about Johannesburg! It is not very far to drive before you get a bush experience.

We did a Saturday drive-out to Glen Afric near Hartebeespoortdam. I felt like a small holiday. Fresh air, lovely food overlooking the bush and the Magaliesberg Mountains in the background...

On Sundays they bring out their elephants and children are allowed to feed them some oranges.
I hoped that we could spot them on Saturday, but unfortunately not!

Now we have to go back again...

Falcon Glen –a great weekend

Falcon Glen - Schoemanskloof

We checked out of city life for a weekend, and had a great time in the bush.

It turned out into a true back-to-nature experience with no power since Saturday 9am. We got the rest we were looking for; with no television, radio, and even our cell phones...  (We felt a tinge of withdrawal symptoms, but luckily it was not that long...) But we had to check out earlier today because of it! (Thanks ESKOM!)

It was my father’s birthday, and the Toddler had a ball with her grandfather and –mother.

We were asking ourselves why The Toddler loves them so much. We do not count for much when they are in the vicinity! Not that we care! We can sit/read/sleep a little bit longer than usual. Thanks Mom and Dad!
"Waar's Oupa?" (Where is my grandfather?) and "Waar's Ouma?" were the most popular phrases of the weekend!

It was a great weekend! What did you do on your weekend!

Families on different continents

It was great to see my sister Ronel and husband Anton during the holidays. They are leaving tomorrow after their visit to see the family and friends AND the South African Bushveld. They are now permanent residents in London. My younger brother Wynand has got British citizenship already, and he is also staying in London.
Sis Ronel planned the Bushveld holiday in detail (as she always enjoys to do), and we enjoyed catching up with them in the bush. We speak on a regular basis while they are there, but it is not the same as seeing each other in person. The family gatherings, especially, feel incomplete without them. It is a sad case of affairs that so many of us have to leave the country to make their livelihoods elsewhere.
I was struck by the fact that we who are staying in South Africa are not in such a bad place. There is the crime and the political and social situation that makes us uneasy, but it seems that there is not a place where they don’t have their own problems. We have our lovely weather and our space around us! South Africans start to complain after three days of rain… We are not used to being miserable! (Smile)
We now have a little one to consider again. We advise our children to prepare themselves to live and work overseas, but secretly we hope that they will be able to stay. We sometimes discuss our own emigration, but we do not have the same destinations in mind. I disqualify all the cold places immediately! Usually the discussion ends in limbo… Probably also because we don’t have the big bank balances or head hunters who are eagerly awaiting our skills in another country!
For now we are staying! Big bother! …. NOT! (Evil grin!)
But we are going to miss you, Ronel and Anton! Thanks for the lovely holiday with you!
(Photo: Sis Ronel and hubby Anton, at Kwa Maritane, lazing in the sun)

Wordless Wednesday #7

RIP Bushveld holiday

(Photo: Mabula Game Reserve swimming pool)
We are beginning to surface in real life. We arrived back from holiday in the Bushveld tonight. It was shear bliss! Bushveld all around us, pitch black skies with stars, wild life and happy times with family! (Thanks again, sis Ronel and Anton, for inviting us with you).
It was a great way to start 2010. We managed to sidestep the half of January already. The teen is starting in grade 11 tomorrow. She said she can’t wait for school to start. I wanted to record her saying it, but I just got an irritated “No, Ma!”
The toddler enjoyed the whole experience thoroughly. And through her eyes we enjoyed it even more. She was into all the small little things. The birds, and lizards, and dung beetles, and flowers. She has a very cute way of calling to them. Stretching out both of her hands, and motioning with her fingers as if to say “come here”, but it looks like she is waving. She did not see the crocodiles when Arnia tried to show her (probably because they did not move). But she saw the elephants which came last night to disrupt the bush braai (barbeque) at Modjadji at Mabula Game Reserve. She also waved at them. It was very exciting to see the elephants so close, but the game rangers had to warn the guests time and again not to get to close. Strange how easily people can think that it is not dangerous when there is a pole in between and there are a large group of people.
Tomorrow it is back to reality. AAARGHHH!

(Photo: Mother and baby white rhino this morning on the game drive)

Five things to remember when camping with a toddler

To camp with a little one is a bit more difficult than doing it on your own. I am sure that she will enjoy it when she is older (although the teen does not share our enthusiasm. Smile!). With the toddler there are more practicalities to be considered.
1. Do not set up camp too near to other tented neighbours. Their noise keeps baby awake, and it also tends to wake the baby more. When baby cries, you also worry about waking your neighbours.
2. Be very organised with regards to suitcases and crates. Know exactly what is in each. We haven’t yet perfected our system, and it becomes very difficult to search for something you know you packed, but don’t know where. (I am still surprised how something seems to disappear in bags and/or suitcases.)
3. Do not switch the fridge on the hot setting. (Dries is adamant he checked it twice, but check again.)
4. Do not keep the food in the part of the tent where it can be stolen from baboons. We missed our morning rusks the most!
5. Go with the flow – as with everything else when experiencing life with a baby/toddler! It’s fun! Mieka enjoyed the birds, and the ants, and the trees, and the grass/ground, and the tent, and... The pointy finger kept us busy!
We are still signed out from life, and enjoying the glorious weather while on holiday in South Africa.

Photo: Mieka and Arnia (who did not stay with us, but with the rest of the family in the chalet) in the tent while busy setting up camp in Manyane in Pilansberg.

Camping with the toddler

Great way to start the New Year! On holiday; camping and swimming and driving around in the bush with family. It feels like we have signed out of real life for a couple of days and our biggest worry is how to put away our food. Baboon troubles...
The camping is proving to be a big challenge with regards to the toddler. The camping cot came with us, but as soon as we put her into it in the evenings, she starts to kick vigorously. She has been sleeping with us on the mattresses in the tent, and we are hanging with our bums on the floor, trying to get a bit of sleep. The fresh air did not change the little missy’s sleeping patterns. Most probably it is also the strange surroundings...
Luckily we are spending our days at the family’s chalet at Kwa-Maritane where they have a small swimming pool. We are the lucky fish! (Thanks Anton and Ronel (my sister); for coming to holiday from London and organising and inviting us with them.)
And there are the grandparents and family members who walk with Mieka with the pointy finger! She keeps (us)/them very busy! I am on page 89 of my book – a big accomplishment for 2010 already. This book I am going to finish this year!
Tonight is our last night camping at Manyane, and then we are moving in with my sister and her husband into a chalet in Kwa-Maritane. We haven’t camped in quite a while (Year of the Baby), but these last few days have wetted our appetites for more. One of our resolutions: to camp more often in our glorious weather! We just need to get much more organised with the way we pack and do our camping. We are spending most of our time looking for stuff we know we brought with us, but can’t remember where we put it in... (The joy of camping! Big Smile!)

A South African bush wedding

Mieka attended her first bush wedding this weekend. As a matter of fact, it was our whole family’s first wedding in the bush. It was classy and romantic and a picture perfect wedding. White tents, billowing white draped fabrics and hanging flowers, with rose petals and leaves…
But it was HOT! Hot as HELL!!
It was a formal affair, and the poor men were swimming in their own sweat! We were all sweating! And the locals assured us it was a very nice day, not as HOT as the previous days. .. (Jeeeeez!! We appreciate our Jozy weather after this weekend even more. It is mild the whole year through.)
We had to sit in the car with air con for longer than an hour while waiting for the bridal couple busy taking their photos. It was very difficult with Mieka wanting to walk in the sun and sand. I learnt that Cheese Curls helps to keep a baby busy. It is my favourite salty snack, and now my favourite keep-baby-busy food!
Arnia and I struggled with our high heels through the bush and sand. We should have thought about it before the wedding. That there is dust and sand and bushes on a farm… (Sic)
It also took very long before the food were ready to be served. Luckily we were prepared. We had lunch in the nearby town, Mookgophong (formerly known as Naboomspruit), on Saturday afternoon. That was a lifesaver! There was also the cheese and biltong under the trees after the wedding ceremony. Another lifesaver was the wine! We were all a bit worse for wear when the food arrived at 9, but at that stage we were all very happy. Thereza, my sister-in-law, pushed Mieka in her pram when she got all tired. There is nothing that works quite as well as a pram being pushed in the African bush. It did not take long for Mieka to go to sleep after that. But when she woke again at 10, it was our cue to retire to the B&B, where a roof fan helped us through the night.
And we felt very lucky that we were not one of the many campers on the farm…
Thanks, Riaan and Elri, you made it a very memorable South African bush wedding!