The kids leave the Western Cape ....finally

Despite the fact that this post (which has been lying in my Drafts folder for weeks) has completely lost its relevance as we are already well into the new year, looking through it made me smile. Good times.


"My kids always complained that they had never been out of the Western Cape. Of course, they were the ONLY ones who had never been out of our province (according to them) - poor things. Such deprived souls.

So, on the 4th day of our Garden route holiday, after our visit to the Knysna Elephant Park, we decided to grant them their wish. After all, we were a mere 100km (approximately) from the Eastern Cape. But the day was another scorcher, so we decided that we'd find the nearest beach / pool / water source as soon as we reached that province.

So off we headed. We drove .....and drove .....and drove. Aisha (3) and Nuha (8) moaned and grumbled and groaned. I don't know if it was because we had no idea where our final destination would be, but the road seemed to go on forever. The kids were restless and it was hot. And I was starting to regret that I had suggested this 'mission to leave the Western Cape' to Mo.

We arrived at the Tsitsikamma toll booth and then road became really pretty.

And then


TA DAAAA

We were stopped at a routine roadblock, where we asked the kind police officers where the nearest place was for swimming. They directed us to the Tsitsikamma National Park.

We had no idea what to expect there. Mo went on a reconnaissance mission to find a place to swim, while we waited in the parking area.

When he returned he showed us to the prettiest little beach.

But it was becoming overcast and the temperature was dropping fast. So, after playing in the waves for a while the kids decided to build a sandcastle instead.

And then it was time to explore.

We then decided to take a walk to the Storms River Suspension bridge. I had no idea how long the walk was - had we known we would most likely not have done it with Aisha, whom, we thought, would want to be carried the whole distance. But I'm so glad we didn't know what we were in for, as Aisha insisted on walking the entire way all by herself - HAPPILY.

What a beautiful scenic walk. Sadly, my camera battery was flat from all the pics we'd taken at the Elephant park, so we just snapped what we could with our phones.

And then the walk became scary

...and even scarier.

Until we reached this point (about 2 minutes before reaching the bridge) where frighteningly steep stairs awaited. My legs had turned to jelly just at the sight of the drop below, so I used a terrified Nuha as my excuse to sit up on the landing while Mo descended the steps with the older two and took them across the bridge.

I was filled with a mixture of relief and regret. I was terrified, but I did not want to forgo the experience. So, to my immense relief, when Mo returned with the kids, he insisted that I descend the stairs and venture across the bridge. It really wasn't so bad, he assured me.

And I did. My legs wobbled; my heart raced. But oh, what an amazing experience. I definitely want to do it again.

Taken from the bridge

Back on the beach

In our quest to leave the Western Cape, we got so much more than we bargained for. I felt truly blessed. "