Lu-Gerda's Travels

It's amazing how quickly a year or two can pass. The last time I posted on this blog was in June 2018. So far 2020 has been a strange year with Covid-19 lockdown changing how we think about everthing. Our lockdown restrictions in South Africa have been reduced and now we can move around a bit more (although we are still very careful). I have decided that I am going to write posts both my home language, Afrikaans, and English in future.  If the post starts in Afrikaans, please scroll down to the English part below and vice versa if it starts with English. We had nice rain the last week of September, but on Sunday , 4 October, the sun was shining and my husband and I took the opportunity to go for a walk in the Botanical Garden in George. We were there early and many people had the same idea. First we had to sign in and go through all the new Covid-19 protocols as well as pay the entrance fee before we could start our walk. The Garden Route Botanical Garden is a ± 19-hectare indigeno...

The George Wildlife and Animal Park opened on 16 December 2017.   I visited the park on a very warm Saturday in January 2018 with my parents and 3-year old son JW.   The entrance fee was R 20 per adult and JW could enter for free. JW did not want to wait for me to buy the tickets.   He could see the jungle gym and just wanted to get inside to start climbing.   The park has a lovely play area for kids.   There is a big jungle gym to climb with monkey bars and swings and slides. JW was in heaven and could not decide where to start.   He is still too small for some of the equipment and I had to help him but he tried everything. There is a large grass area with lots of tables under trees or umbrellas to sit.   Between the tables are lots of wooden animals for the kids to play on.   There is a pond with ducks and beautiful water lilies.   After playing for a while we walked to see the farm animals.   We saw pigs, bunnies, ...

George is our neighbouring town and we visit it regularly  because my parents live there.  When we go on outings or to  restaurants we try to find child friendly places  that our 3-year old son will enjoy. It is almost holiday time and the perfect time to share some of my favourite places: Ahavah Cafe & Deli at Outeniqua Palms We discovered this restaurant recently and have only been there once but it jumped to number 1 on the list.  The outdoor play area is great and there are animals to pet.  The food was also good and reasonably priced.  Entrance is free and the only expense it your food, drinks and maybe buying some food for the bunnies. Red Berry Farm The Red berry Farm is always a great outing.  There is a restaurant (I love the strawberry juice) and outdoor play area.  There is also activities like strawberry picking, animals to feed, pony rides, maze, train rides (JW loves this) and more.  There i...

The Ahavah Café and Deli and kids play area at the Outeniqua Palms Nursery was a lovely surprise.  I am a creature of habit and when I find a place I like I return to it again and again.  But on Saturday 18 November we decided to try something new.  And I am sure that we will be returning to this restaurant again and again. Outeniqua Palms is just outside of George on the old Airport road (R102) and we drive past the nursery regularly.  I wanted to take my mom out for brunch for her birthday but also needed a place where my 3-year old son JW can play.  So we decided to give the restaurant Outeniqua Palms a try. The nursery is easy to find.  If you are travelling from George it is the first nursery on the left hand side of the road.  The restaurant is actually run separately from the nursery but uses the same parking area and entrance. Ahavah Café and Deli is a farm-style coffee shop with a great outdoor play for kids and a small petting zo...

Our son JW loves dinosaurs and after reading about the Dino Expo on Facebook we knew we want to visit.  As soon as the early bird tickets opened we bought out tickets.  (R100 per adult & R80 per kid for early bird tickets). Even Grandma and Grandpa was excited and decided to join us for the outing. After waiting for about a month it was finally time for the Dino Expo at the Train Museum in George on Saturday 4 November 2017. The following is a extract of the description of the Dino Expo from their facebook page :     “The Dino Expo is a mesmerizing, not-to-be-missed exhibition of realistic, life size, accurate to science animatronic dinosaurs that capture the imagination with their life-like demeanor and movement. They will ‘prehistorify’ the senses with their life-like legendary roaring sounds that electrify the environs and inspire adrenaline filled excitement. Get lost in this phenomenally realistic artistically landscaped captivating forest with...

I cannot believe that I have never written about Kontrei Padstal on the blog.  This is one of our favourite places for a breakfast or lunch in the George area.  This restaurant can be found on the N2 out of George in the direction of Wildernis/Knysna at the Sasol Fuel station. We love the breakfast with great coffee and homemade bread.  And we also love the Sunday lunch…a homemade plate with a cooked meal like my grandmother would have made for us.  Usually this meal includes two meats, 2 vegetables, potatoes and rice.  And best of all is the prices are very reasonable. Outside they have a lovely play area for kids.  The area can only be accessed through a door from the restaurant and it is surrounded by fences.  This area includes a jungle gym with a slide and swings.  On the one side of the jungle gym is a steering wheel, key and gear lever.  JW loves to “drive” in this car.  And usually his grandfather has to climb in an...

It is the first day of Spring and the sun is shining in Mossel Bay.  The weather makes me want to go outside.  This weekend I am going to spend some time in the garden an maybe visit a nursery for some new plants. During the July school holiday my husband went hunting and I went to visit my parents in George with our son, JW. It was one of the coldest weekends of the winter but the sun was shining and we decided to go have lunch and shop for plants at the George Nursery, just outside of George.  It was a while since our last visit to the nursery and we weren’t sure if the restaurant was still there but we decided to take a chance.   Still a bit of snow on the Outeniqua Mountain When we arrived at about 10:00 on Monday morning we first went to the Oud en Jonk Restaurant and we were the only customers.  There is a lovely lawn with a jungle gym, slides and trampolines for kids.  JW was running around to play before we even decided on a t...