Our stay in Mbombela (Nelspruit) was marked by daily rain in varying degrees, from pouring to drizzle to thunderstorms (sound familiar Pauline & Andrew?). This was not too much of a problem as the purpose of our stay was to get Ufudu, Buzz and Suzi’s carriage (the trailer) sorted out. And of course I was still very much recuperating from my op so I was indoors anyway.
Roger was concerned about the solar panel because it did not seem to be able to keep the batteries charged while running the fridge and freezer. This was perhaps due to the extreme temperatures we experienced in Kruger. During the two weeks that we were in Rosebank we left the fridge running and the panel coped just fine, with the batteries still fully charged on our return. We therefore decided that there was no urgency to have it checked.
Buzz needed a new bracket for the oil cooler and the exhaust was modified to prevent cracking, as well as some other small things; basically TLC, given by a loving owner! The sun was out for one portion of a day during the 4 days and that allowed Roger to take it for a test fight after the mods and to ensure it had recovered from its ‘drowning’ in the downpour after our arrival. He was happy, and also took Karel and his son from the Caravan Park for a flip. Happiness all round.
One of Suzi’s attachment points on the trailer was starting to tear away and needed reinforcing. André recommended Barberton Engineering Works for the job. After a phone call to the owner, Shawn, we decided to go to Barberton. Shawn kindly accepted the job, even though they were not taking any new work before closing for the holidays. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Lakeview Lodge but it was time to move on…
A whole new meaning to “putting one’s feet up”
While the trailer was in for modifications we spent the day sight-seeing in Barberton. What a charming little town!
There was also time to take a scenic drive up the Saddleback pass towards the Josefdal border post. This has been described as one of the most scenic routes in Southern Africa. Unfortunately the low cloud and occasional rain restricted the view at times. We can never get enough of the mountains. Everything is green and beautiful.
The trailer was ready by 16h00 so we could hitch up and go, next stop Vygeboom Dam. There we were kindly allowed to overnight at the Lions Club, recommended by Shawn. We got there quite late but took a stroll down to the water’s edge for a sundowner. The level of the dam was very high due to all the rain and the Komati River being in flood. We sat listening to the water overflowing the dam wall, sounding like the ocean in the distance. This visit was very nostalgic for Roger. During his high school years he camped and water skied here a number of times with his brother Gordon and Gordon’s friend Peter Dittburner. At that time there was no development and they practically had the dam to themselves.
After a restless night (thanks to a confused pet cockerel crowing for most of the night) we had a late start for the next leg to Chrissiesmeer. Ursula from EWT kindly allowed us to leave Ufudu and the trailer on the farm where she stays while we came back to Rosebank for my stitches to be removed on Tuesday. Roger hopes to assist Ursula with aerial identification of Grey Crowned Crane nesting sites (more of that in our next post).
We secured everything at Chrissiesmeer and then continued the journey in Suzi. We were back in Rosebank by 18h30.
