Lupela Lodge outside Lady Grey in the Eastern Cape

Heading for our self catering accommodation at Lupela Lodge, we passed the nearby town Lady Grey. The clouds had dressed her, to fit her name. Like the original Lady Grey, the clouds were fickle and untrue, yielding nothing to the drought stricken earth.

Despite the dun shades of drought, the lodge is a haven of peace and tranquillity. After the frenetic build up to Christmas, slipping off the yolk of city life was balm to the barren spirit. A welcome opportunity to simply be. To rest in the moment and collect fragments of the broken whole. A time to greet the imminent New Year, restored.

I would love to return one day, not only because we loved Lupela Lodge, but to see the river and land restored by the water of life.

Notes – there was neither Vodacom or MTN cell phone reception at the lodge, a great opportunity to unplug from the virtual world and rather connect with nature

Although a sedan can navigate the road if your car doesn’t have good ground clearance you may prefer not to have your 4 wheeled friend take on this challenge.