Tramping tales for June/July 2009

25 June – 11 July 2009

Cape Town airport was chaotic due to the dreadful weather occurring between East London and Port Elizabeth causing many flights to be postponed hence the queues at check-in were a higgledy piggledy mass of milling people. Before we could join this jumble we heard a final call for Durban and rushed to counter 1 – wrong flight but they kindly processed us and we were able to escape to our departure gate to await our flight without further ado.

As our flight began to descend into Durban we found ourselves recognising landmarks as we peered through our tiny window and felt the excitement of returning to the province we had lived in for 22 years. George naming estuaries along the southern coastline of Natal, so embedded in his psyche were they! In turn, memories attached to each place flooded back filling us with the knowledge that this was a sentimental journey.

Kate van Rooyen was at the airport to whisk us away down memory lane… Seventeen nights amongst long standing and treasured friends, picking up as if we had never left! Change naturally happens and we found ourselves eagerly looking out for the differences between ‘our times’ and now! The growth & development in the North Durban area was phenomenal. Kate took us to see the spectacular 70000 capacity Moses Madhida stadium with 106m high central arch – all in preparation for 2010 World Cup; uShaka village; upgrading of beachfront; widening of harbour mouth and high rise developments transforming the formerly run down Point area. We were rapidly caught up in a social whirl that totally took our breath away! Even a supposedly quiet Chinese supper out with John and Kate, turned into a night to be treasured ever after as an unbelievable meal unfolded. So unexpected, no one had a camera to record the evening!

“The Westville Luncheon” in the van Rooyen garden with Loraine and Andy Tribe and Bronwyn and Mike Brett along with Glen Anil’s Ruth and Pieter Smith. George has always referred to Kate, Ruth & Bronwyn as the rowdy trio thus it fitting to have the Glen Anil interlopers join the throng! It was a feast of conversation, laughter and food with no pressure, as each couple provided a course.

During time together in Perth with Lynne & John George Osterberg we’d been easily persuaded to have a Durban sojourn and stay with them. When they returned to Durban they discovered a clash in dates for our arrival! Kate and John van Rooyen were happy to leap into the breech. However, when Lynne phoned the van Rooyen household to say they were home, she was stunned to hear a stranger – John, say “GO away, we are having too much fun with the Beggs” which naturally lived on as a most quotable quote. Dear Osterberg’s were around to collect us next day and despite the slight ‘rudeness’ a connection was made between our friends - there is a lot of truth in “birds of a feather”!

The years have marched on since 1967 before finding Tawny Owl Lynne, little Brownie Bronwyn and Brown Owl Lea together again!

To fit in with our hectic schedule and on the eve of going into hospital which would knock her out of action over the following weeks, Bronwyn and Mike Brett had the Beggs and Osterbergs round to dinner with their daughters Clare and Justine joining us. A day was spent with close friends Ruth and Pieter Smith. Ruth had taken leave from work to ensure she’d be available to see us whenever the opportunity arose only to end up searching out fabrics and sewing for Lea, providing her with custom made shorts to suit her Australian lifestyle. How lucky is that? Thanks Rufus!

Dinner at the Mount Edgecombe Club followed a film evening in the Osterberg home with Jeff and Jan Dick. JG and Jeff were George’s Best man and Groomsman at our wedding.

Showing Keith and Colleen’s film on DVD proved a saga in itself as will be evident from the following account recorded by George.

We’ve reached the age of being unable to work DVDs, TVs and video machines, experiencing the worst problems with the Osterberg’s machine! With a large number of people having expressed an interest in seeing Keith and Colleen’s latest film – The Honey Hunters of Niassa – a number of showings were arranged. The first invitees landed up not seeing the film, in spite of JG paying a substantial amount for the services of a “TV doctor” earlier in the afternoon, as neither he nor I could get the DVD to work. Fortunately the Dicks hadn’t seen Snake Killers of the Kalahari which saved the evening as the “TV Doctor” had used it in demonstration!

Feeling panicky with six people expected the following night, the only thing to do under the circumstances was call in the TV doctor again. The diagnosis was not good – there was a compatibility problem which could only be resolved by the time consuming reformatting of the existing DVD player, or buying a new one.

Undeterred JG and I rushed to the nearest supplier and after playing the film in the shop to ensure it had the required capability, a new DVD player was duly purchased and the TV doctor’s team were called in once again to ensure it’s readiness for the big night. Strict instructions issued, for no-one to touch the machine in the mean time, allowed for a successful showing of the film.

The Osterbergs invited their friends John & Anthea Cotterell and Kingsley & Christine Went to this showing and we had Alison & Bob Cassells come over. By quirks of fate George knew Anthea from the Rhodesian Stand at the 1970 Rand Easter Show in South Africa, while Lea had met Kingsley in Bulawayo back in 1964. Jeff Dick slipped in to view the film too.

The next showing was a pre-luncheon affair. Imagine my disbelief when it was time to show the film and all that could be seen on the TV screen were the words “No Signal”! JG was called away from socialising to aid me go through our carefully written notes… Two well educated men were dumbfounded and yes, you guessed it, the TV doctor had to be summoned yet again! The team arrived in the middle of lunch and all that Jabulani the TV technician had to do was press the ON button on the video recorder! Problem solved - the sheepish looking expression on JG’s face proved my undoing. I returned to the lunch table where my suppressed laughter soon became uncontrollable at the mere thought of this fiasco with tears pouring down my face. My predicament eventually set Lea off, and we were forced to retire to the kitchen to pull ourselves together. We may have dined out several times on the strength of The Honey Hunters of Niassa film, but doing so came at great cost to our obliging hosts.

Within a twelve month period we’d seen Alison in Parramatta, Ros in Perth, Marianne in Betty’s Bay and now to complete the four sisters from the Howman/Jackson 3 generation association Coralie and her husband Hilary Squires came round for lunch. They were the unfortunates to be subjected to the final DVD fiasco!

A Northlands School Reunion hosted by Jacquie Westerhof in her beautiful home was a special highlight for Lea. The gathering of 12 teachers from yesteryear went down an absolute treat. As most had moved on to other schools or retired, it was the first time all had come together since Lea’s departure for Australia. The wonderful camaraderie that had existed in the 1990’s was picked up with ease and Lea felt such a sense of dismay when the luncheon was over. Almost taken aback to see Sam and Nikki, the young teachers she had mothered – rush off to collect their many offspring they had farmed out for the occasion. Such a pity that her visit had coincided with school holidays and Michelle Brown had gone away. As it was the contact she keeps with Lea that had unexpectedly initiated this delightful occasion while speaking to Jacquie. Photos were taken but they have yet to come in…

Unfortunately the Durban July Weekend made socialising difficult with all the sporting activities scheduled. We certainly didn’t want to miss seeing George’s former secretary - Heather and her husband Rob Finlay who kindly drove in from Amanzimtoti to meet us for morning coffee.

Heather & Rob Finlay

From there we dashed to Durban North to lunch with the Charter family before Wimbledon tennis finals, rugby and horse racing took over the afternoon. From tennis mornings and babies evolved a long friendship with Shan & Graeme Charter continuing with an abiding friendship between our daughters Saxon and Keryn

The Charter family line up – Crispin and Keryn with their daughter Taya, Graeme and Shan with son Craig.

Time running out on us, we borrowed an Osterberg set of wheels and headed inland for the next few days spending a night in Camperdown at Enaleni Farm with our nephew Richard Haigh. From the moment we turned in the gate we sensed something special and different as our eyes darted here and there taking in the scene. Zulu sheep – izimvu and Inguni cattle with distinctive colours and descriptively apt names, Africanus dogs and free ranging poultry all intermingling as we made our way towards the cheerfully bright orange homestead adorned with birds etched into the plasterwork and a peahen carving on the roof.

Gathered together for a memorable evening at Enaleni Farm was Richie’s Dad John with Christine from Australia (Never thought we’d be reunited here!), Lea and David Brennan, Richard’s partner as Richie strides off to show George his biogas unit and sustainable farming practices.

We spent the night in their unusual and beautifully appointed Farm Stay accommodation. How easily we could have lingered longer… We had to drag ourselves away to be in Pietermaritzburg in time for our lunch date with Heather and Peter Irons. More fast talking with friends that became like family when we all immigrated to Perth and by chance, ended up living a couple of streets away from each other. They have since returned to South Africa to be in close proximity to their aged mothers with the bonus of their son nearby. With an eye on time racing by we continued up in to the chillier climes of Hilton for a night with Henry and Sue Davies.
Horse, as he is affectionately known as, was at school with George but the close friendship between the Davies and Howman families began way back in the early 1930’s with our fathers.

Sue and Horse Davies with their poodle, Charlotte

Next day Horse guided us over the freeway to a newer section of Hilton where we spent time with John and Maureen Pattrick seeing over their new home they’d had built.. We meandered in the Natal Midlands, recalling memories of the friendship between our sons and their school days together at Clifton, Nottingham Road and Michaelhouse, ending up with a bratwurst lunch in a delightfully German setting!

We popped into Michaelhouse for old time’s sake- Maureen, John & Lea with the new statue of St Michael in the distance.

We dashed back to Durban for afternoon tea with Thika and John Wimbush, to maintain yet another connection - as the tapestry of life wove the Howman/ Morris families together. Not only did our fathers grow up together, they worked together in the Native Department which later became Rhodesian’s Internal Affairs, as did our two pioneering Grandfathers. Thika and Lea were at School together and a fourth generation was added on when we found our son’s together at Michaelhouse. For rolling stones these ties are valued.

Life became a route march as we just didn’t have enough days left. Count down had begun – sadly THREE sleeps left! We arrived ‘home’ at the Osterbergs – (YES, home is where we hang our hat) and promptly prepared for our big night out at The China Plate with JG & Lynne celebrating their 43rd anniversary, Piet & Ruth Smith, Jeff Dick minus his wife Jan as she’d gone to Cape Town and of course, John & Kate van Rooyen who had introduced us to another way of eating Chinese at this incredibly pleasant venue. Nothing came off the Anglicised Chinese menu! The personal touch of the owner George Hu and his wife’s cooking was a memorable beginning and end to our Durban visit.

A private room at The China Plate with fine food and close friends made us very aware of this ‘unordinary’ night!

TWO sleeps
We’d planned to go out to Raymond and George-Anne’s farm beyond Maidstone thus it was with mixed feelings we ended up meeting them at La Lucia Mall over a quick cup of coffee. In retrospect it was probably as well, as George and Lea were feeling below par with all the late nights and busy days. Never-the-less with a freed up afternoon Lea couldn’t resist a quick ride around old haunts of Durban North, popping in to find John Bedford and feeling better for it as he’d been the husband of a dearly loved friend of hers- Eileen, who sadly died some years back yet Lea sorely felt her emptiness, being back in Durban. That night we’d been invited round to the historic home of John and Anthea Cotterell. My goodness, little did we realise we’d be stepping into a time warp of grandeur with dinner superbly catered by Anthea. Unexpectedly bumping into Dallas and Rose Reed with whom we’d lost touch was a most pleasant surprise to start the evening. Living in a caravan smaller than the magnificent table we found ourselves sitting around proved to be a concept and way of life beyond many of the guests we chatted to that night.

LAST sleep
The Strovers were home on the Mt Edgecombe Estate after weeks away. JG and Lynne couldn’t wait to introduce us to their friends and we shot over for morning tea with Paddy and Pam Strover and their array of garden birds which put on a an acrobatic display in return for freshly bred mealworms. Lea was particularly intrigued to meet Paddy as it was his father, Dr Minto Strover, a famed Rhodesian doctor of note, who had safely delivered her in the Fort Victoria Nursing Home. That evening Paddy & Pam came over to watch The Honey Hunters of Niassa. We hoped it would be an untroubled showing and all went well until the sound went out of synch!
We endured it as no one knew how to rectify that!

After an emotional day of farewells both in person and over the phone it was good to retire to the Country Club for our last dinner. We’d come full circle!
Paddy, Lea, Lynne, George, Pam and JG.

Full of thanks for the high flying sociable time we’d had, we flew out to Johannesburg to be met by another Smook member – unbelievably we’d missed Ted and Ann Smook this time round in every city during our time in South Africa. However, their daughters Bronwyn Brett in Durban and now, Tanya Jessop in Johannesburg helped ease the disappointment. Tanya took us home to her husband Dale and grown up children Saxon and Kyle for the night. That evening, Holly and Bernd came over to the Jessop’s for supper, bringing our Mozambique luggage – far more than we’d expected, thanks to additions slipped in by Keith much to our shock!

A happy gathering of Worties, Jessops and Beggs!

George slept soundly that night while a mixture of excitement churned with trepidation within Lea’s mind, before the early morning flight out to Mozambique. WAIT FOR IT- we have yet to write this journey up!

Tramping tales for June 2009

The first day of June brought the most unexpected wildlife encounter into our lives.
A late lie-in was rudely upset by Bernd advising George, in his foghorn voice, that there was a porcupine in the garden! Of course we sniggered at the misidentification of a possible hedgehog. When Bernd followed up shortly after, with a more insistent “There IS a porcupine in our garden” George arose and took his camera. My goodness, the vocal excitement outside soon had all the women, clad in their pyjamas out too… despite a most secure property, there in the shrubbery was a large male porcupine.

Leon, the neighbour was dressed in his protection armour as he had first become aware of the porcupine in his garden during a sleepless night, thanks to the strange noises and thumping occurring. Come a morning time search, muddy marks on the concrete wall eventually led Leon and wife Goggie, to believe the porcupine had scaled an over 6 foot barrier into the Wortmann property. It had! Never mind that Khaya, the bull terrier had slept through the nocturnal visitation of this “gconde” – Xhosa for porcupine.

With Holly advising officers from the Cape Department of Nature Conservation of our extraordinary find… Bernd, George, Wayne and Leon, who had abandoned his protective garb second to none due to all the ribbing… slowly moved upon the porcupine to entrap him in a net. The elusive fellow positively bristled and trundled off at speed to take refuge in an old dog kennel which George promptly barricaded up in readiness for CNR.

The officers duly arrived with their cage and after perusing the location they began moving the kennel only to have Spike make a bolt straight up the compost heap and over the wall, back into Leon & Goggie’s garden. Eventually a successful capture was made and we were left with a wonderful memory of a marauding porcupine come down from the Helderberg in search of food within suburbia…

Wild and woolly weather descends down the mountain, bringing grey drizzly days and winds that moan like sick cows as they whistle round the house and batter doors and windows in ghostly manner. Holly blithely told us we were well protected by the Helderberg and this was nothing compared to what the rest of Somerset West would be receiving… These cold fronts and storm clouds appear in ominous fashion over the Helderberg and Hottentots Holland Mountains creating an awe inspiring spectacle for those of us down in the hollow of the grand amphitheatre. The unexpected pleasure of a break in weather brought a beautiful day for our drive out to Betty’s Bay for lunch with Brian and Marianne Alexander. Taking a mountain road that hugs the False Bay coastline towards Hangklip is a route as good, if not better than The Great Ocean Road in Australia. Howman relative Brian and his wife Marianne (who is the youngest of the four sisters in the family crossing three generations of friendship we mentioned in last months blog) have recently completed building their holiday house and enjoy entertaining family and friends over weekends out there and we were delighted to be recipients of their hospitality.

With the Alexander’s in the beautiful setting of Betty’s Bay.

With Holly at school madly caught up in art work being readied for Eisteddfod, we found ourselves jobs around the house. Lea got stuck into de-cluttering and re-organising her sister’s studio while George taught himself a new metal working skill with Holly’s help making a chameleon to adorn a shabby guest room door as requested by his sister-in-law. This successful project, secretly implemented in Bernd’s absence along with the newly painted purple door fortunately met with his approval gave rise to a second commission of a tree frog climbing the drain pipe outside holly’s bedroom. We won’t be around to gauge Bernd’s reaction on this one but we have decided that after 26 years of marriage to a wacky artist he has mellowed.
The weekend Bernd was home with us the two men enjoyed quality time together making a shadow board to eliminate George’s sniping about the state of the workshop and widely scattered tools.

Any orders for your doors?

A delighted frog lady

Taking a vehicle that brother John required driven to his farm Scholtzkloof outside Prince Albert in the Karoo, enabled George to spend a few days with his family before John, a geologist, disappeared once more into Central Africa.

John and Judy’s homestead Scholtzkloof lies in a picturesque valley below the Swartberg mountains.

Five weeks in the Cape slipped away all too easily leaving many friends unseen. Our picnic tea in the gardens of the Children’s Red Cross Hospital was thwarted by rain that we had to take refuge in the near deserted hospital canteen, no wonder, the coffee was shocking and reminded us of that bitterly strong stuff – just looking at it, that the Railways served up in bygone days! Anyway, we were here to visit our very brave little great nephew Chad and ‘catch up’ with our special niece Sally & husband Adrian, during their dedicated and daily cross over of caring for their son, in hospital. Chad, coming up 3, in July was born with club feet and as the weeks after his birth progressed he was found to have scoliosis and kyphosis. Last year, this condition was found to have progressed at such a rapid rate that doctors were very concerned that should it continue at this rate, his lungs would be crushed and the resulting strain lead to heart failure. Normally the medical profession wait until the patient is around 5 to fuse the spine but they could not do that with a two year old as it would stunt growth in Chad’s upper body. Growth rods used to control scoliosis were considered long and hard due to the severity of the kyphosis and the added complication of Chad’s muscle disorder. After many last minute postponements our Chad underwent the successful insertion of a growth rod into his spine in late April. When he was finally up and about and allowed home, with a much needed family weekend away, he caught a ‘super-bug’ and was rushed back into the ICU, attached to a ventilator and a tracheotomy performed. Two weeks later we visited Chad and it was hard to believe the terrible adversities he had been through and will continue to deal with in his little life as his courage and personality shines through- the dearest little solemn old soul. A world renowned children’s hospital in our minds and yet we were most taken aback, to say the very least – on visiting and left there filled with admiration for Chad’s parents coping with the stress and anxiety of their son, let alone other parents having to accept the dreary conditions of staying alongside their very sick children. Empty words – simply saying we were filled with enormous admiration for this family - but we are.

Our visit to the hospital - Hats off to Adrian’s Mum for her continuous support.

Cousin Bev and her husband Tom had us round to lunch in their Bishops Court home looking up at back of Table Mountain.

Life went awry for our last week when Lea put her back out doing “nothing”. Barely able to walk let alone sit, Holly’s contacts came to the fore with an emergency visit to the Doctor to lessen the pain and daily visits to the chiropractor managed to have her up and gingerly about in the closing days. Aiding recovery came in the form of visits from Dale and Raggy Kenmuir, then Guy and Louise Mitchell, all from our Kariba days as we sat back reliving laughs from the past with Holly producing lunches for our guests despite it being a most frenetic week for her – Eisteddfod wise.

Holly had earmarked our last Saturday for a visit to the Slow Food Market in Stellenbosch, Lea flatly refused to be left behind and WOW! Was she glad she’d insisted on going as Boesman’s Crossing was a delightful market reminiscent of those in Europe albeit on a small scale. The cheery atmosphere within a huge courtyard had market vendors giving everyone a taste of their wares - well worth a visit.

Sunday lunch with Guy and Louise. We hadn't seen them in over 40 years!

Our niece, Talya Lea bravely went off to take her mother’s art classes on our last day enabling Holly to take us gadding… Rain pouring down, a mighty chill in the air due to snow on the Ceres mountains, we went into the splendid and historic University town of Stellenbosch to visit the Rupert Museum, magnificently set galleries within the spacious interior of Cape Dutch barns where we slowly savoured The Rodin Exhibition of sculptures along with other works of South African significance before driving slowly and steadily through the wet, oak lined streets of Stellenbosch with its wonderful traditional Cape Dutch buildings to view the remarkable outdoor bronzes of world renowned Dylan Lewis, exhibiting his massive sculptures of African animals in his hometown.

Augustus Rodin’s “The Kiss”

Dylan Lewis’s Buffalo outside the Groet Moederkerk in Stellenbosch.

Our BLOG is going up earlier than normal this month as we are leaving our computer in Bernd’s care until we return from Mozambique. Therefore, there will be no further write ups until we are safely in England bursting with all the news of our Durban sojourn and our remote bush camp exploits in Mozambique with Keith and Colleen and our ‘unknown’ bush baby grandchildren, at the end of August!

Tramping tales for May 2009

An Indian summer! The highest temperatures for an autumn recorded in almost forty years gave us a reprieve from the winters stretching ahead of us…

Di & Peter Ryan cajoled us into joining them in their Dunsborough time-share for a week. Not only was Lea was loath to leave the grandchildren for that long – she was anxious about being in the cold south of Western Australia and fretfully packed for a freeze! We settled on an extra long weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the R & R, the adventure all the better being in the company of good friends. The weather perfect! Although George was at school with Peter, they didn’t keep in touch. It was George’s Dad striking up a friendship with Di in Marandellas due to her ability to speak Italian that started it all… Lea was introduced to Di and her two small sons while up on a visit from Cape Town. They made an immediate connection and as fate would have it, Di’s parents lived a road away from our Muizenberg home. We lost touch after they immigrated to Australia in the early 80’s and quite by chance met up again in Perth as we prepared to locate to Kakadu.

Cruising to Dunsborough as passengers set the tone for a most relaxing four days that felt far longer when we looked back on all that unfolded. In spite of us knowing the area well we happily fell into viewing it from the Ryan’s perspective. Our gain was a complimentary breakfast laid on to inveigle Di & Peter into investing into more time share – they paid in kind by attending a business meeting while we walked off breakfast on the beach. Mid-morning, we set off on the first of our tours of the wineries, galleries and restaurants that characterise much of the Margaret River area. We never think to visit a winery yet with Di & Peter’s knowledge we spent wonderful hours roaming their favourite wineries… Although it must be said the gardens or galleries attached or the décor within were what really caught our eyes. Laurance Winery not only boasted a fine rose garden set amongst arches created with the timbers of an old jetty it had eye catching chandeliers made of wine glasses and elegant toilets with large and humorous art works that had you lingering far longer than necessary.

Di, Peter and Lea with The Saracen

Saracen Estate revived memories of European tastes and as we rarely know anyone we were all the more surprised to bump into Bev Pearce at the wine tasting bar. Woody Nook provided a lunch that delighted our taste buds with their innovative menu, especially the crisp beetroot jam. Happs pottery could so easily have been given a miss yet George was intrigued to see paintings done from coloured beeswax while Lea was enamoured by the extraordinarily rich glazing processes using leaf prints. Simmo’s Delicious Dilemmas produced huge ice creams in a cone with Simmo blithely expressing the need to get rid of the old ice-cream knowing he’d never see us again… which still raises a good giggle in memory of his largesse. Back at Wyndom Resort with feet up, we ended the night listening to a DVD filming Andre Rieu in concert in Vienna.

The wonder of the Karri forests of the south is never lost on us.

A trip through the Boranup Forest to a gallery that contained the most magnificent pieces of woodwork (including a $36 000 table cut from a piece of burl) aside from the many paintings by local artists. We visited Watershed Winery and the impressive Voyager Estate developed by Peter Wright, a WA iron-ore magnate who had so enjoyed the wineries of South Africa that he based his estate on Cape Dutch architecture, surrounded by superb rose gardens, immaculately groomed hedges and lawns, white-washed walls, reflection ponds & cobblestone pathways – really most beautiful within its Western Australian setting. The annual Stomp had been held the previous day and one of the Gardeners was quick to tell us we were not seeing the place at its best – pointing out the damage caused by people unable to resist walking atop the hedges!

Views of Voyager Estate

Homeward bound, we called in to see the work of Pat Negus, a botanical artist with a permanent exhibition of her one hundred paintings “wildflowers of the Margaret River region” in the Chapel of Flowers, quaintly built of rustic mud brick and timber on their property, Swallow’s Welcome. Judging from the visitor’s book this is a very popular place for intimate weddings. Pat’s work reminded us of May Gibbs, with her attention to detail. Our night ended with Helmut Lotti - this is a magical way to enjoy the sights and sounds of a music concert set in Brussels.

A team photo overlooking Yallingup Beach

Our last day gallivanting with Di & Pete took us to Yallingup beach with a short walk along part of the Cape to Cape trail as far as Smith’s beach, and a visit to Canal Rocks.

Canal Rocks – an intriguing place with the sea surging through an interesting series of canal like fractures, joints and faults in the jumble of gneiss rocks that jut out into the ocean.

We drove back to Dunsborough via our favourite Bunker Bay to see the café and elite resort that has since been established there. Popped into Wise winery and drove along the scenic Myalup beach road - Time flies when you are having fun with kindred spirits, and we reluctantly climbed aboard the TransWA coach for the four hour journey back to Perth.

Mother’s Day began with a pancake breakfast cooked by Paul before we were joined by Paul’s parents Kay and Alan, thereafter we all headed to Tomato Lake, for coffee under the trees. The peace we’d found on our first visit here last month had disappeared as many large families had chosen to gather for the day in these attractive surrounds to celebrate with their mothers too.
Paul excelled himself by cooking the dinner before dashing off for the night to watch soccer with his parents. Lea was given instructions to “watch the pot” which she conscientiously did until the last ten minutes of cooking time when she inadvertently turned the heat up instead of down. Before long a burnt smell permeated the house and hung around for days reminding Lea of the error of her ways. We rescued the best of the Hunters Stew and it was eaten despite its strange aroma. A wonderfully indulgent ‘Pamper package’ for Mother’s day certainly put Lea right a few days later.

TALE of a Willie…
One morning George and his granddaughter were engrossed in discussion about a spider’s web on the front balcony when he felt something alight on his head. As he reached to feel… a willie wagtail popped down beside them. Their delight at the close proximity of this friendly little bird was enormous until Harley dog chased it off. Many occasions followed when Willie would unexpectedly arrive to check out garden activities, even sitting on George’s outstretched finger. Spending time in the garden with Talia anticipating a visit from this personable little feathered friend became a pattern, yet never occurred when camera was ready. A street party revealed Willie was a neighbourhood attraction – always curious to observe gardening chores up close ad personal – poor George wasn’t the bird whisperer after all. This wagtail was known as Willie the Tart!

Our time in Perth was fast running out - a social occasion was kindly hosted in the home of Di and Peter Ryan with their large screen television for a premier showing of Keith and Colleen’s film, Honey Hunters of Niassa. A “bring and share” dinner beforehand produced delicious pot luck and added to the evening not to mention how our gathering of friends produced unexpected links in all directions and brought a random act of kindness to light! Ros and Rodney are new immigrants to Perth and were taken aback to recognise Eggy, as the Australian stranger who impulsively gave them a bunch of flowers at a market as a welcoming gesture. Ros is one of four girls - Not only have our paths crossed in different countries since childhood, there is a family bond spanning three generations between the Jackson / Howman lines into which many of us gathered this night come from, making time together richer for the history. Besides Ros and Rod, were her cousins Ady, Roy & Bev. Jean Rogers too links back to school and a long friendship between parents. As rubber tramps rolling around gathering little moss we value our connections to the past.

Birds of a feather make for lots of talking at the showing of “Honey Hunters of Niassa”!

Our last week with family is always fraught with the emotions of impending farewells and filling the days as normally as possible is helpful …we scurried up to the local church on Referendum Day to record our YES/NO preference to Daylight Saving in Western Australia, the fourth occasion this subject has come up and yet again it was a resounding NO. Strange how the decades bring up the same old turkey, making it easy to ignore – yet voting in Australia is compulsory and we would not wish the fine!
The arrival of Rod and Gill Zank from South Africa to spend time with their Perth grandchildren had Saxon invite them over for a BBQ - A most unusual event to have three out of four sets of in-laws in one place. Pity we didn’t record the Begg, Gee and Zank rendezvous on camera. Talia hankered for another bus ride. Her grandparents happily obliged by catching the bus down to Perth Zoo to spend the morning ambling around this botanically impressive environment with her.

Talia with the Zoo pelicans

Lea hoped the day out in fresh air would help ward off cold symptoms that were threatening to take her down. The question had to be asked whether she was fighting a losing battle against the flu jab or simply a culmination of playgroup germs... She ended up closeted away for the next two days for fear of spreading a vicious head cold while cursing the loss of precious baby time. Late winter rains, howling winds and hail arrived as we completed our packing for South Africa. The weather matched our moods!

Lea’s mother so aptly said “No goodbyes only the next hellos…”

Just over two year later we landed back in hazy Cape Town to be met by sister, Holly and niece Talya and taken back to Somerset West where we spent the last week of May quietly doing odd jobs around the house for Holly while she was busy teaching. Having another art teacher readily available, George was rapidly drawn back to his watercolours. He set about drawing, using right brain techniques, while enjoying the warmth of wintry days and his view of The Helderberg, a favourite mountain from his childhood. Not that this pleasant weather lasted long as by the end of the week heavy downpours and howling winds ensured we knew winter was here. Holly whipped Lea off for a bi-annual check with Wendy the chiropractor and Beryl the masseur to get her spine back into alignment. Whew! That took some doing this time round. Then it was time for the fortnightly weekend home, for our host and brother-in-law Bernd, from his job so far away in Johannesburg. George and Bernd got stuck into making a privacy trellis … nothing could draw them away from this .

Even safety glasses now that’s a first!

Holly and Lea attended a cello recital as their cousin Bev was playing the piano accompaniment. For all the years, this is the first time Lea has ever been able to hear her concert playing cousin’s beautifully sensitive touch. After the recital Bev, Tom and daughter Cindy came home for hot soup.

Tramping tales for April 2009

Fools Day brought us our 12th anniversary arrival in Australia and we celebrated most appropriately with dinner in fine style laid on by Liz and Des, as it was they who had taken us under their wing from the first moment we arrived in this country.

How we value an occasion that spans the world and brings other dear friends to Perth… JG and Lynne flew in to help their daughter Caryn, a very new immigrant to Australia and about to have a caesarean birth. With barely days to spare, Lucy her sister-in-law, hosted a baby shower immediately the Osterbergs landed! Saxon and Lea attended while George slipped in the back door to spend the afternoon with his shamwari JG and godson Wayne.

The next day George became an OAP with a family braai to celebrate his birthday. Our Arian secretly hoped his heavily pregnant daughter would produce a grandchild on his day to match Finn’s arrival on his Aquarian grandmother’s day. Saxon and Paul had other ideas and sprang a surprise party on him. As the covert preparations came to light and guests arrived George was soon in his element.

Being surrounded by special people makes a party.

After the party we slipped down to Fremantle to spend a couple of nights with Ken & Lynne Tinley. There, we kicked back with artist Lynne and musician Ken with ‘jamming’ sessions and of course there were plenty of environmental issues for the two ecologists to chew over. Even went to see a film together, “The Reader” which we found thought provoking and stirring stuff. A sixth sense drew us back to Manning and just as well as Saxon was in the early stages of labour, a week early. The surprise party must have taken it took its toll! In the midnight hour we heard with jubilation that a grand-daughter - Erin Ashley was safely in the world, a mere three days after her Granddad’s Birthday.

An early morning visit followed as we all made our acquaintances with Erin Ashley.

With the Easter weekend approaching a “hatching” season had occurred placing pressure on beds. Natural childbirth seemingly a rarity, gave rise to our daughter being discharge 18 hours after the birth and we found ourselves dashing home to assemble cot and baby capsule in readiness for the homecoming. To add to all the to and fro of the day Lea had an appointment at another hospital for an unexpected biopsy. Fortunately all took place smoothly and we were all back home in time to greet Erin crossing the threshold. Thereafter, Easter passed in a blur of activities that surround a newborn!

Tomato Lake - George is renowned for being a grandfather who casts an evil eye leading us to wonder why his grandchildren don’t steer well clear of him! As the above photo attests… Talia is besotted with him.

Throughout the month we were able to enjoy many outings with Talia whether it was long walks out in the many beautiful parks that surround Perth; catching up with fellow grandparents and their grandchildren; visits to the library and shops and a Grand Sunday that had us climbing aboard a bus, followed by a ferry ride across the river, attending Buddha’s Birthday Festival and circling around in “Perth’s Eye” down at Barrack Square, all firsts for Talia.

Talia’s big day out

Never mind that we caught the wrong bus home that necessitated being dumped at the end of the line…the wrong side of Manning and had to walk home. Fortunately Talia took it all in her weary stride.

LONG DOGS WA (http://longdogswa.blogspot.com/) celebrated their first anniversary as a walking club for dachshunds down on the Swan River’s south side with a social gathering and dog race over the ANZAC long weekend. As a result, we didn’t expect a big turn out – we were proved wrong! Folk were agog as more and more sausage dogs congregated and later took to the race track! All celebrations must have a cake and in this case, Saxon created a special canine doggie-licious ice-cream cake that went down a treat.

Long Dogs WA’s first anniversary

With that April has come and gone in a flash and in three weeks time the rubber tramps will up sticks and head for Cape Town!

Tramping tales for March 2009

We know we are back in a city as our calendar rapidly fills up and our eyes search for a clock throughout the day in a race against time. We didn’t touch sides the first week of March, almost like yo-yos we dashed back and forth. First day, our son-in-law Paul arrived safely back from Chile and our Rutter family came for supper in our Nedlands “home” with niece Holly, bringing her beau Ian to meet us. The well known cliché – it’s a small world unfolded… Ian turned out to be an Umvuma boy and his Dad happened to be the very man who gave a home to George’s beloved stallion Little Rock when his parents sold their Umvuma property Fairfield back in 1968. Numerous friends in common to boot!

Pene stopped over in Perth to see dear friends of hers - Bee and Inky. We loved them too!

Second day we hurtled up north of Perth to catch a fleeting hour with Cousin Penny, from South Africa en route to have a holiday with her youngest sister Alison in Tasmania. Bee and Inky were so dear that we ended up having lunch with them before tearing back to Manning to share a little family celebration for our grand-daughter’s second birthday along with her other grandparents. Being a public holiday her party was put on hold for a couple of days.

Birthday girl with her parents Saxon and Paul

Alan, Paul, George, Kay, Talia and Lea, after putting together her new cubby house

Fitting in the birthday baking before the heat of each day set in along with daily walks for our charge, Baffin the labrador - loomed high in our busy schedules. More often a fearsomely hot setting sun made us reluctant to venture out walking until dusk – well after 7.30 p.m. at night. No wonder our daughter does not enjoy daylight saving in Western Australia and as the month wore on we met many others who are not in favour of it. Temperatures seem at their worst towards the end of the day.
Buffy’s favourite place was down beside the Swan River chasing shoals of small fish and whenever we had a morning without an early start - we were glad to oblige with a stroll along the sandy shoreline and around the limestone points. One magical morning occurred when a sudden movement and splash caught George’s attention, turned out to be a dolphin gambolling a mere six metres away. Perhaps it was curious to see what Buffy was up to? How we relish these joyous moments.

Setting off for a walk along the Swan River with Buffy.

Saxon grabbed Wednesdays to do a 123 Magic course on taming toddlers, followed by her weekly maternity check while she had her parents readily available for child-minding. Our friends, Di and Peter turned out to be babysitting their grand-daughter too. With high temperatures forecast, we arranged a picnic tea down on the Canning River foreshore for Talia and Eva to meet. Dressed for the heat there was a surprisingly nippy breeze blowing that our chilled fruit and juice did not go down well. In next to no time we’d packed up and returned to Saxon’s home to warm up with coffee while the little folk enjoyed toys in sheltered surrounds. Eye on the clock, we were ready to depart for Fremantle Docks as soon as Saxon arrived back. Our UK-Lincoln friends Joe and Mona, celebrating their Golden Anniversary with a fly/cruise from Sydney to Cape Town were scheduled in Fremantle for 28 hours. We may have lived in Perth and feel we know our way around BUT as George is wont to say “you don’t step into the same river twice… change happens!” We found ourselves thwarted by changes as the clock marched on… Joe and Mona anxiously watched and waited for us at the roadside, only to have George creep up on them from behind. You just don’t DO that, particularly to folk originating from Africa. Still, it gave George something to laugh about for days after!

Joe, Mona and Lea, overlooking Perth from Kings Park War Memorial.

We whipped them round on a rapid orientation of Perth and Fremantle stopping for fish and chips at a favourite haunt in bygone days before dropping them back at their ship with promises to meet them after the birthday party next day for their last hours before sailing.

Granddad nervously approached Manning house wondering whether his services were to be required beyond what he felt was his duty. ALL the bears – every shape and size, from the front door onwards added to his qualms. Whew! The bear suit actually fitted a 6ft.7inch Dad and even though the sheer size of him was mind blowing for a little child – Paul played the part and George heaved a sigh of relief.
Bear-prints led the way to a picnic party event being laid on for birthday girl Talia. It was all too easy to muse over the passing years as we frantically prepared food and kept an eye on a two year old grand-daughter, togged up in a beautiful little Canadian dress belonging to her mother at coming up 4 years of age, as Talia excitedly skittered around examining and in true toddler form, rearranging or undoing everything!

Talia’s Teddy Bears and Tea cakes party

Entertaining skills were honed as we attempted to return the hospitality we have received from our friends over the years we pop into Perth. Lord-ing around (‘scuse the pun!) as we held al fresco dinners or afternoon teas in their tranquil garden! We sure miss our friends when we are out on the long and winding roads that to spend hours with them yarning, laughing and grand-parenting make us feel all the richer for these far and few occasions. In between the catering, babysitting and socialising we caught up on our well overdue annual health check ups. Age throwing the odd spanner in the works with extra assessments required but brought peace of mind in the end. At times life became too hectic for George and he quietly retired to the Lord’s garden with his water colours to paint. A Category 5 Cyclone Hamish moving southwards towards Brisbane had us feeling very twitchy as we watched the weather updates anxiously, during the early part of March. On updating our rig’s insurance to on-site cover – we discovered our storage address proved a more expensive option due to all Queensland being regarded as a high risk area.

Manning dachshunds - Harley Rose and Jett host “Long Dogs WA”. Their next social walk fell in March. Lea has always been a long dog aficionado and she happily joined Saxon and Harley at South beach, Fremantle. A short beach for all the short legs gave rise to more socialising than exercise.

Gathering of the clan! The dachies certainly turned heads.

Charles, Trish and Alex were over from Coffs Harbour for the Perth National Surf- Life Saving Championships. We went down to Scarborough Beach to catch Alex in action on her board – tough going in choppy conditions with wretched stingers out in force that we were glad to see her make it into the next round. The Barnes family were due to come and have a BBQ with us but when we couldn’t be persuaded to make up a group to watch the South African Sharks v Australian Western Force rugby match in nearby Subiaco we made do with pre-game drinks in ‘our’ garden.

Talia’s grannies Kay and Lea were invited to join her for a Dorothy Dinosaur concert in Subiaco. Lots of foot stomping, hand clapping toddlers had their eyes glued on the stage and most adults kept their eyes on the antics of delighted kids.

George caught up with his mates, knife making Jim and old school friend Peter and made good use of their well equipped workshops to complete Saxon’s list of requirements before the new baby arrived.

Whew! All accomplished and we now play the waiting game…