After Phil had finished his morning work in the dairy and Tom had failed to have a nap, we set off to have a walk in a nearby forest. Having stopped to look at the giant yellowwood tree which is reported to be 600 years old, we set off on a short loop through the beautiful forest. Although often spotted in the area we sadly didn't see any Knysna louries, which was a shame. We will be keeping our eyes peeled for some as we continue along our way.
From the forest we headed to the hills behind Wilderness and watched the para-gliders taking off. We then had a look at the 'Map of Africa', a natural land formation that resembles the continent of Africa when viewed from above.
From there, it was down into Wilderness for lunch and then back to the farm for a heat avoiding rest. After yesterday's clouds it was back to very dry scorching temperatures. Which thankfully cooled down a bit by evening, when we finished an enjoyable day with a braai.
On our second day, we were able to borrow one of the farm bakkies (pick-up trucks), so that we could drive to the Cango caves and see the ostriches in Oudtshoorn (pronounced oats-horn, sort of). It was already a hot day in George when we left. By the time we had driven over the mountains to Oudsthoorn, situated in the little Karoo (an arid dry area), it was even hotter. Making full use of our vehicles air-conditioning (drive above 30km/h with the window open!) we arrived at the Cango Caves. The caves were refreshingly cool, with an informative tour that explained many of the fantastic rock formations.
Heading back to town we stopped for lunch and then went to visit one of the many ostrich show farms. Oudsthoorn is billed as the ostrich capital of the world and even with continued avian flu problems it is easy to see why. We had been recommended 'Safari farm' as the one to see and soon arrived at their gates. The highlight of the tour is to ride an ostrich, assuming you aren't too heavy (below 75kg), and then watch an ostrich race with local jockeys. This is all fine provided the temperature is below 30°C, which of course it wasn't. Instead we had to content ourselves with a tour of the farm and a close encounter with the ostriches. It was nice to see, but we couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
By the time we got back to George, we were cooking in the car. It was a quick change and then run and jump in the very welcome pool. It had been a very good day and thanks to the generous loan of the vehicle, we hadn't had to endure what would have been a pretty unpleasant cycle.
Later that evening Debs joined Georgie while she hosted a book club. Whereas Phil and I headed over to his parents with a few beers in the knowledge that we weren't required. By the time the book clubbers had left, it was time for another early night. We head for the town of Mossel Bay tomorrow, which should be fun as I have developed a full blown cold. Fortunately it isn't too far as I feel pretty rubbish. Worse still, it looks like Debs is coming down with it as well.
What stunning caves!
ReplyDeleteThe ostriches look cute, but it was a shame that you couldn't ride them.
Love from Mum and Dad xx