Our midway meander

We are back at our home in Inchanga, having just returned from a wonderful holiday.   Earlier this month, we passed the midway point of our adventure here in Africa, and to celebrate, we planned this getaway.  We thought about traveling to a neighbouring province (like Eastern Cape) or even a neighbouring nation (like Swaziland), but in the end decided that we would rather see more of KwaZuluNatal and see less of the inside of a rental car.  There is so much to see and do right here, and we had a great time together.

 

Essentially, our trip consisted of three distinct parts:

1. A stay at Wagtail Nests, a working sheep farm in the KZN Midlands.  Yes, I know it sounds strange that we would choose to stay at a farm, when we live at one full time, but this part of the trip had something for everyone:  walks and scenery in beautiful countryside; interesting craft markets and quaint tea gardens around every bend of the road; and scores of cute, cuddly lambs!  It is lambing season, there were 170+ sheep on the farm, and more were being born every day.  Jessica and Micayla even took over the care of seven “orphaned” lambs while we were there, helping with thrice-daily bottle feedings.
2. A visit to KwaSizaBantu, a Christian mission about 3 hours from our home.  We heard about this organization from Crystal Wiens at SCCC, and wanted to experience it ourselves while we were here.  Started as a bible study in a barn by a German evangelist about 50 years ago, this place has grown slowly but steadily into a self-sufficient community of several thousand. They run a church, preschool, several schools, a college, radio station, AIDS hospice, bakery, café, store, commercial farm and dairy, welding, mechanics, pottery, and woodworking shops, a national bottled water operation, and more (all with amazing German efficiency!).  Each day, their dining hall feeds an average of 1300 people, but they accept no payments or donations.  What we enjoyed most were the friends we made: hospitable and caring people who gave us a glimpse into their lives at KSB.
3. A B&B vacation in the beach town of Shaka’s Rock.  You knew we couldn’t take a holiday without a few days near the ocean, didn’t you?!  When we arrived, the rain was coming down in torrents, but when we awoke the next morning, God had answered our bedtime prayers for sunshine.

 

Other highlights of the trip:

• A fascinating off-highway quest to find Lulani Hot Springs, a community business started and run by a rural neighborhood deep in a beautiful, but remote, valley.
• A brief visit to Gateway Mall in Durban, which we have heard is the largest mall in the southern hemisphere.
• A stop at the Natal Sharks Board office where we learned about their efforts to prevent local shark attacks and to sustain local marine populations; we also watched researchers dissect a hammerhead shark caught in the nets that morning.
• Time to just “meander”, stretching 100 kms of highway into an entire afternoon because we had time to stop and visit local sites. 
• In spite of a few days of questionable weather, a realization when unpacking that I had not needed my raincoat nor my socks for the entire journey!

All in all, it was a great trip.  We made some unforgettable memories, met many interesting people (of all races and nationalities), recharged our batteries, and experienced first-hand the diversity and beauty of this wonderful corner of the world.