A New Adventure with Heather and Mike

Tuesday 5th January
I was standing on the deck of our lovely chalet, taking photos, when my attention was drawn to a flock of sea birds. They were a little too far out for me to identify but there was obviously an abundance of food since they were circling then diving into the sea. I soon realised why they were in the groups they were. Dolphins! The dolphins must have been rounding up the fish and were having a breakfast feast while the sea birds joined their banquet.


Morgan Bay

 After our breakfast, we packed the car and said farewell to Haga Haga again. Mike had planned our day to perfection. We drove to Morgan bay which was only a few miles north of Haga Haga but as there is no road that hugged the coast we had to go inland to the main road before looping back to the coastline. Mike and Heather took us on a drive-by of the Morgan bay surrounds, pointing out places of interest and stopping for us to take photos before we had coffee on the deck of the Morgan Bay hotel. It was here that we took some spectacular photos depicting the might of the sea crashing against the cliff side and spewing plumes of spray high into the air.

After our coffee break, we were on our way again, this time to Kei Sands resort which is nestled in the bay to the south of the Kei lagoon and the river mouth. Our self catering private apartment had been named by its owners 'Stukkie Van Die Hemel' (little piece of the heaven) and indeed it was.

Ferry over the River Kei

We quickly unpacked the car and were off again, this time heading out for a coastal drive which took us to a to the Kei river crossing just a short way from the river mouth. Here we boarded a little ferry that in itself was a novel experience, but a charming way for these poor people to scratch a merger living.

The dirt road gave us more glimpses of the sea and after a while we came the tiny holiday resort of Treneries. Mike parked the car and we strolled down to the beach and along the lagoon before refreshing ourselves on the terrace overlooking the swimming pool.
All too soon, it was time to return to our lodgings, but our day didn't end there. After a lovely meal that Heather prepared, we once again strolled on the wide beach to the river mouth where we met and talked to a fisherman. He showed us his brightly coloured lures and how they worked. A little further up the beach, Heather and I splashed in the waves like children while Ian tutted in mock disapproval from the safety of the sands. It was a lovely way to end the day.

Wednesday 6th February
Ian and I  had been given the room that overlooked the sea and as I opened my eyes (just after 5:00 am) I saw that there was a thick band of cloud sitting just above the horizon. The sun had coloured it orange. This false dawn was a beautiful sight, but I was still a little tired so I closed my eyes once more. A short time later, still lying in bed, I was treated to another beautiful sight as the sun tinged the clouds above the horizon with delicate colours of orange and yellow while outlining the horizon level clouds with a film of liquid gold. A few moments later, the sun appeared from behind a cloud, bathing the room in sunshine to welcome the day.
After packing up once again (thank goodness for the packing cubes) and allowing Heather to expertly pack the car, we were off again this time we headed back towards East London and down the coast line - as much as the road would allow.

Mpekweni River Mouth

We stopped for our morning coffee at a resort called Mpekweni which over looked the Mpekweni river mouth. There was a conference in progress at the time of our arrival and at first, when we ordered our refreshments, we were mistaken as delegates. It didn't take them long to discover their mistake and were were told in no uncertain terms that we had to pay! Something that we had never thought otherwise.
Mike and I then wandered off along the riverbank to look for that elusive great camera shot while Ian and Heather enjoyed the shade of the umbrella on the hotel deck.

I had commented earlier that I thought the family may be wondering what had happened to us since it had been days since I had last posted a blog. Almost as if someone was reading my mind, a concerned Tanya phoned and I had to explain that there had been no wi-fi facility in the Transkei. She told me that Rianna was also a little worried so I sent Rianna a txt message of reassurance. Before too long my phone rang again and it was her. Lovely to talk to the girls and I am really sorry that they were worried.

After our coffee, we headed along the coastline again over the magnificent Fish River and on towards Port Alfred. Situated between Port Elizabeth and East London, Port Alfred spreads out on both sides of the Kowie River and is understandably popular among water sport enthusiasts. We skirted the huge modern marina and dabbled our feet in the ocean at East Beach. The water temperature was markedly cooler than that of St Lucia, Durban and even the seas around Haga Haga.
We lunched in Port Alfred and replenished our supplies before heading off for our final destination of the day, Mansfield a private game reserve.

What is Ian up to?

Ian had been looking forward to a braai (BBQ) and since we had bought some fine steak for just such an occasion, Ian lost no time in the preparations.

Mansfield Reserve and Lodge lies nestled among 1000 acres of thorn scrub plateaus and lush, undulating grassland and offers a wide variety of game - not any of the Big Five (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard) but a charming mixture of smaller game as well as giraffe. The breathtaking views over the Kowie River make this retreat one not to be missed and Heather and Mike made sure that we didn't.

Mansfield Reserve