The day dawned again as a fine one with just a little more dense high cloud than yesterday and no wind. But it is going to be a day that we can’t solve two important mysteries for ourselves. The plan is to take the city hop on hop off bus for the day with the first stop being the cableway station to take us up to the top of Table Mountain to take in the views and tick it off our bucket list. We strolled along the road to find somewhere for breakfast and came across a tiny, rather ecletic, French café flying a giant French flag ourside.It wasn’t being staffed by Frenchmen however, rather a local South African waiter and cook. The coffee was just as strong as we have had any day since we ... read more

Why oh why did we buy that damn duty free gin and vodka ?!We are now starting to realise what a millstone it is around our neck getting on and off aeroplanes and hauling it around airport lounges, resting up between flights and then getting back on again.OK.so it was mainly the 5 hours wait in damn uncomfortable seats at Singapore airport that is bringing this nightmare to the surface. And all for a saving of a couple of bucks on each bottle. And now we have to drink it before we get to the safari stage of the BBA V4 as you are not supposed to take your own booze. Secretly though we are stockpiling, well 2 any way, 1 litre tonic bottles for whatever we have left of the gin and vodka by then. ... read more

It has been months in the planning but now it is just 18 days away before we start out on what promises to be the greatest adventure,in more ways than one,of our travel experiences. This adventure all came about through Gretchen wanting to tick off one of those 'things to do before.....you know what'(not that she has any intention of doing 'you know what'!and see the 'Big Five'live in their backyard and not a zoo. The planning has been extensive despite the fact that this will be a trip of just under a month and no where near as long as the 6 or 8 month BBA's have been. For a start Kiwis don't get a simple stamped 3 month visitor visa when they arrive in South Africa anymore,like we do in so many other countries ... read more

It is true! It is going to be over 30C in some parts of London today and we had better be prepared. We didn’t actually intend of venturing into the city when we arranged to stay at Brentford. The idea was to be close to the airport to take the car back and also have a day to visit Windsor Castle and just chill out on the other full day we had left. However along the way things changed a bit and when our niece, Joanne, had her production of a one woman opera confirmed for the Arcola Theatre in Hackney for two of the three nights we were to be in London then we simply had to be there to represent the family. So we chose the second night to attend and that is tonight. ... read more

Looks like a perfect day for some hiking through the fields and trails of the Cotswolds. It is such a quiet location we have on the hill above Stroud and serene surroundings with a large grassy area in front of the apartment. Breakfast in the covered area in front of the apartment is a relaxing way to start the day although we are sure Wendy has other ideas with a walk she has got planned for us. Gretchen worked with Wendy at the rest home in Matua. However we have had probably more association with Wendy and her sister Sharon through helping them plan their big overseas holiday a couple of years ago which sparked Wendy’s interest to work in England after she returned from that holiday and got saving seriously for the airfare. We are ... read more