South Africa was our next stop and after 18 hours of flying (via Singapore) we were pleased to see Jen's childhood buddy and his wife waiting for us at Oliver Tambo Airport, Johannesburg Saturday 29 November 2014.

Once in the confines of the gated golf estate where they live, just outside Pretoria, we settled down to catch up on news and much needed R & R. Numerous birds frequent their garden - a crested barbet checking out the scene and an Egyptian goose surveying the fairways, other pictures include scenes from the golf course plus the head of the house preparing a braai.

Anthie very kindly loaned us this awesome little Mini Cooper Convertible to zip around in - 6 gears, loads of grunt and 120kms speed limit on the highways - although we were passed regularly by others doing a lot more than that.

During our stay here we had a very special reunion with the children (adults now) of very dear friends of ours who are no longer with us. Despite not seeing them for 20 odd years it felt like we had known them forever.

A time to be remembered in more ways than one....South Africa is experiencing "load shedding" which entails the electricity being switched off for 2 hours at a time.  We arrived at the designated rendezvous for brunch while load shedding was happening.....only one of four restaurants was open (this electricity issue is very tough on businesses).  Apart from no tea or coffee the meal was a bit of hit and miss but it didn't really matter...the handwritten bill appeared and everyone just "makes a plan"!  

Reliving my youth plus the load shed bill

​After a very enjoyable three days we flew to East London, where we were met by Nick's sister who lives with her husband in Kleinemonde, a resort village 20 mins east of Port Alfred in a house on the Kleinemonde river facing the sea.

The view from the deck

Port Alfred is a small town established in the 1820's later becoming SAs first man made harbour. We had a meal in what was then the Customs House built in the 1850's. The owners of the sidecars, who regularly tour with their teenage daughters, told us that the sidecars are made in Russia and are modeled on BMW sidecars used in WW 2.

Nicks sister has an interesting house with lots to photograph (the drawing is one of hers) 

For the geologically minded Labradorite (blue) Pietersite (gold) and watermelon tourmaline lie in a wooden bowl top left, an unidentified igneous rock (lava flow) from Terrace Bay Namibia and Citrine crystals clustered in a geode 

 Alice the ageing retriever and Sophie

We walk on the beach most days - the lifesavers hut breaks the symmetry while an easterly wind blows sand into the river. An interesting jelly fish nudges some beach detritus.

The view of the Kleinemonde river with their house centre right.

A peaceful way to finish - twilight from the deck