Carry on camping...

Great company, fine weather and a beautiful setting were the key ingredients for a most memorable camping trip to Gubu Dam last week end. The boys had a fabulous time exploring the forest, collecting pine cones, hunting for treasure and telling fireside stories whilst the adults enjoyed some R & R time. Weekends like this are priceless and remind us of why we returned to SA. On to all things sporting, it was a week end of great results too with the Lions, Sharks, Bulls, Arsenal and Proteas winning and Man Who dropping 3 points in the Premiership. Does it get better?

An Eastern Cape road block (above).

Helping set up camp.A happy camper... (above)

Dont you just hate these crowded camp sites - we were the only visitors...

Fun time with Grandpa Des and Granny Pie above and below.

Walking the "plank" (below).

Shananigans.
Helping Grandpa Des with the fire...

Fireside stories of Pirates and Lions (below).
Why fry when you can braai...?

Dan about to attack his full english with grim determination (below).

Chillaxing around the fire.

What are you doing lying down, Daddy...?

Treasure hunt.

Day hike.

Good-bye curls!

Dan is looking as naughty as ever after having a "no. 6" all over yesterday courtesy of Dad and his clippers! Nath has been keen to attack the mop of curls for a while, mostly because Dan wakes up after his nap at lunchtime with wet hair most days thanks to the humidity and high temperatures we've been experiencing lately (nothing like Dubai, but still pretty warm!) So, after a shaky start and a few tears, Dan got the hang of it and allowed Dad to take it all off. I think it was much less traumatic than our usual visits to the hairdressers, but it was still a rather vocal experience... Josh didn't want to be left out, so had his sides trimmed as well :)
These pics were taken of the monkeys this afternoon; bottom one is in the tree house which is where they spend most of their time and invent the most weird and wonderful games. Oh to be a child again...

Lunching with Hippo's

A great day out was had at the local game reserve - Mpongo - on Sunday which included a buffet lunch within touching distance of the hippos. Kudu, Impala, Giraffe, Zebra, Blesbuck and Ostrich were all spotted (by those that werent sleeping) on the game drive afterwards. We hosted the Poulton's for a braai over the week end. It was great to meet the twins but we were all shocked at how much weight Lance had accumulated over the UK Winter. Clearly much soul searching lies ahead for Lance if he is to strutt the Chintsa beaches in a speedo in April as he has previously threatened to do...