Tag Archives: travel

Grangehurst Winery

Our visit to Grangehurst Winery was another good outing.  We bought a dry rose with a low sugar content of 1.1g.  With the exception of the rose which is a 2011 vintage the other wines on offer were no younger than 2005, proof that their wines age very well.  Our other purchase was the Nikela which is a lovely 2005 …

Read More »

Lanzerac Wine Estate, elegant history

We popped into Lanzerac wine estate for a tasting.  They also sell very yummy chocolate truffles which are paired with the wines. The estate is one of the oldest and was founded in 1691. The estate now falls under the SFW (Stellenbosch Farmers Winery) umbrella so is corporately owned, I do prefer the family estates but the atmosphere at Lanzerac …

Read More »

Stark Conde – Wine tasting doesn’t get more Picturesque

Without doubt Stark Conde has the most picturesque setting for their wine tasting, a little island in the middle of a dam surrounded by the majestic Cape Mountains, amazing!  The wine was jolly good too my favourites being the Pinot Noir and their red blend, due to financial constraints (single income due to me being a stay at home Mum) …

Read More »

I should love Matjiesfontein but I don’t

On our way to Cape Town we stopped in at Matjiesfontein for lunch.  It looks like a lovely little town but I couldn’t pinpoint why it doesn’t feel like one.  It has the right ingredients, beautiful old buildings and lots of lovely antique stuff, but it lacks soul.  It feels like you are visiting a museum, interesting but somewhat cold. …

Read More »

Sutherland a star of the Karoo

Sutherland in the Karoo is a small town made famous by The South African Large Telescope (SALT) which is the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere.  Unfortunately we were not there at the right day or time but very high on our ‘want to do’ list is to return for a visit and tour, tours take place on the second …

Read More »

A night in Fraserburg

    Our second night on the road between Johannesburg and Cape town was spent in Fraserburg.  The small town has tranquility and charm but is somewhat outshone by it’s neighbours Loxton and Sutherland.  We passed through Loxton at about 3pm and felt that we would rather press on a little further to get a few more kms under the belt.  …

Read More »

Ithala Game reserve

Our previous visit to Ithala was 7 years ago as newly weds, that time we stayed in a tent at a camp site and I have special memories of the experience.  This time we stayed in a cottage at Ntshondwe resort. Ithala Game Reserve is 75km from Vryheid in the battlefields area of Northern Natal.  It hosts 4 of the …

Read More »

Fortune in misfortune, finding Petras Country Guest House

When we realized that we would not make it to the gate at Ithala Game Reserve before closing time we were not in high spirits.  Our mood darkened as we called a few options for self catering accommodation in Vryheid and were told that no rooms were available.  Our relief was great when our query with Petras Country Guest House …

Read More »

Snow Hunt 2012

Two natural events make me want to hop in a car and head off on a spontaneous trip.  One is when Augrabies falls is in flood.  The Orange River in South Africa runs through desert and arid areas , every few years it floods and results in the transformation of Augrabies falls into an awe inspiring spectacle of nature. The …

Read More »