FromTsikamma to Underberg

We were reluctant to leave the park because it was so beautiful.
We have now driven to Port Alfred. We stopped first at Jefferys Bay for Haydn. Apparently it has a most famous surf break (right hand??) but there was no surf running for us....sorry Haydn, but I did take some phot's anyway.
As we were driving past Port Elizabeth we noticed salt pans on the left of the road....(I expect you children to find out what salt pans are!!!), and about 200 yards farther on we saw a Cerebos salt factory. So Ella, Max & Angus, have a look in the supermarket and see if Cerebos salt says it comes from S. Africa!!
We stopped at Bluewater Bay to watch the kitesurfers...lovely.
We are staying at the Halyards Inn, on the Marina. It reminds me of Witta Circle girls.. it has canals branching off with lovely houses!!
We arrived the right night, cos Sat night is seafood buffet night!! Not quite as good as Rio , but acceptable. John had at least a doz oysters! All for 120 rand (about 10 pound)
Sunday 21st
A 480 kls drive today! We went to Bathurst first and bought ginger beer and rose geranium oil at a craft market.Then a long hot drive. Spectacular views, up and down mountains. Everything is so much greener than we expected. There are little communities way up mountainsides and miles from anywhere....the children walk miles and miles to school, and Mums have to walk miles for water and shopping. If the Dads have work they also have to walk. Little mini buses stop all over the place when flagged, but only on the mail roads!! We don't appreciate how lucky we are.
We arrived at Port St John at about 4.30 and jumped straight into the swimming pool. We are in a thatched rondavel on the banks of the river (very brown)
Mon 22nd
Had a lovely drive around on the other side of the river, but it was a dirt road and quite difficult, so we then went to another Nat Park and to what is called 3rd beach. It was very lovely, and we were just about to go in the water when a lady came out from under the trees (we were the only people on the beach) and asked us if we were going to swim. We said yes and she said NO. A great white shark had been spotted just off the beach that morning!!! We didn't swim. We went back to our swimming pool....no sharks there just geese!!
John had more oysters...this time in the swimming pool, how decadent is that!
Tuesday 23rd
Today we are off to Underberg (not Bunderberg!!) in the Drakensberg mountains. Again spectacular scenery, we both agree, the main South African roads are really well maintained and driving is easy. We are staying at the Pile Inn in Underberg and our host Ian Pile is from Lynmouth and he knows Trevor Prideaux, a colleague of mine from Nat Trust days. We always say what a small world.
Wed 24th
Today is the Sani Pass day!! Four wheel drive up a mountain into Lesotho. It was Awwwsum!! Hair raising, scarey but also fantastic. I hope my photo's do it justice....coming down was probably even worse.I am disappointed because this computer won't let me download the photo's so folks until next time lots of love & stuff xxxxx