Larkwood Life: Road Trip to Matatiele

What started as a visit to a country member of our local budgie club, ended as a visit by just the three of us. Not that I am complaining at all, but Thea was disappointed that there were not more of the club members to entertain and show off her breeding room to. Being one to not get out and about much, I was keen to hop in the car....take in the scenery and relax, if only for a few hours.

Having had an abysmal market the previous Saturday, where I felt slightly disillusioned by both the lack of sales and the lack of feet at the early morning Farmers Market, I did not want to miss an opportunity for a better morning before making our way to Matatiele. I am so glad I decided to stay as we had record sales of our cup cakes and came home with our display containers almost empty. What a brilliant beginning to a great day.

So just after 11 with the car all packed with overnight bags, portable oxygen for NiQi, fishing rods, meat, salad and the last of the cup cakes, we set off for the open road.

We traveled a short distance on the N3 and then just before Howick, slipped off the highway and continued our journey on the R617. It has been many years since we last drove on this road, in fact it is almost 20 years, the last time being when we went to look at the snowfall the winter of 1996. I would like to say that not much has changed in that time, but in fact it has. We noticed plenty of rural growth in housing, schools and clinics in a few areas where at one time were small groupings and are now definite villages or townships. We were none the less impressed by the neatness and cleanliness for the most part of these areas with homes made from what could be considered 'modern' building materials and not the mud huts of years gone by. This, together with better spacing, made us think that education for the land layout has achieved a ''mutualness'' beneficial to both living and farming. The trip nonetheless was therapeutic with beautiful scenery and plenty of greenness. We noticed a number of horse studs along the way, all of them fat from the abundance of grazing, making us ever so slightly 'green' with envy and being a largely dairy farming area, cows in their herds were lolloping along at a slow amble as they too stuffed their faces and chewed the cud...their udders bulging with the creamy and delicious, fresh farm milk they were carrying.

Although we could see from the lushness of the land that there have been good rains falling here, we noticed how little water was in the farm dams and how dry the rivers were, some with just a trickle of water winding along a familiar path cut by years of weathering and others as dry as the ground surrounding them.

At Underberg we decided to stop for lunch and found Mike's Restaurant just off the main road. We were lucky we were told, as the last of the early risers and tourists to the area, had left after a hearty breakfast which had kept the restaurant busy for hours. We had the restaurant to ourselves and chatted to the patrons about our trip, the changes we had noted along the way and our impending trip further on to Matatiele. Our meals were all prepared and cooked by the owner and chef himself, Mike Moncur. Portions were huge and the dishes very palatable. I was impressed by receiving a wedge of lemon for my fish, in a piece of soft netting tied with a ribbon. I may not get out much and to some it may be a usual sight, but not for me. It felt strange to squeeze the lemon through the netting knowing it would either be washed or disposed of, but so ingenious as the pips remained inside. Johan ordered a side of ribs and NiQi a 'surf and turf'.....a piece of steak with a few calamari pieces. Tummy's full, doggy bag in tow, we paid and were on our way again.

At Kokstad we were dumbstruck at the size of the maximum security prison on the outskirts of the town, at first unsure what this huge building and it's surrounding houses were. It looks fairly new and is all red brick and shiny with a number of fences of varying distances apart. NiQi jokingly said she wondered if 'Michael Schofield' from Prison Break would be able to tunnel out of there. We heard later when talking about the prison, that this is where the infamous Kreijec has been imprisoned. Kokstad was the last big town before Matatiele and by mid afternoon we arrived at our destination. Driving along the main road of the town we were not surprized to see it set out like many small towns with one road leading from one end to the other before driving through. It doesn't look to be very big at all from ground level, but way up in the mountains as you look down, you can see exactly how it is laid out with smaller roads leading off of the main street and at a distance a township to the left and behind it.

Nonetheless the ''budgie meeting'' was short and sweet and excitement mounted as fly fishing rods were packed and we all piled into one vehicle to make the trip up the mountain to the nature reserve and ultimately the mountain lake. The air was thin at the top as we ascended quite a height. Scott told us that at the top of the mountain it is as high as Pretoria in Gauteng. NiQi battled with the change and connected herself to her portable oxygen.

Johan, Scott and Tristan soon had their rods in the water as we took photos and walked a bit over to the other side of the lake. It was late afternoon and the fish were biting. They reeled in one trout after the other becoming more excited with each catch. Johan was definitely the oldest 'boy'of the three of them and 'stole'Scott's fishing spot on the pier...lol After a while we watched as the mist started rolling in and soon covered the lake. Courtney and NiQi started to get cold and retreated to the car to sit and wait patiently, and patient they had to be as Johan kept saying, 'one more line'. Eventually we went back down the mountain with Scott obviously familiar with the road as it had disappeared in the the mist. The following morning I had a slow start as I woke in the early hours with such a migraine,but after a couple of tablets and a few more hours sleep I felt ready to go out again. I would have liked to explore the town and take photo's of the lovely old buildings, but relented and we went fishing again. NiQi wanted to try her hand at fly fishing too so I couldn't say no to two hopeful faces. Next time we go to Matatiele, and there will be a next time, I will take photos, but this trip was all about budgies and fishing...lol The mornings trip took us back up the mountain and before putting a line in the water we went round the other side of the lake to the sandbar which looks like a tiny little beach area and you can pretend you are at the sea if you really want to. Conditions weren't great for fishing though as the wind was blowing quite strongly, but NiQi had fun and Johan had even more fun.

Lunch time we went back to Thea and Scott's, had a quick bite to eat on left over braai from the previous night, then packed the car to come back home. At Kokstad we took the alternative route, driving along the R56. What a horrible drive it was, mist all the way and so windy it makes one feel quite car sick. At one point I said to Johan that I thought we were supposed to be going down hill to get home again as the road kept climbing and climbing. There are also so many small villages along the route that we were slowing our speed to go past, then driving faster again until we reached the next one. It wasn't half as clean either as the R617 we had driven the day before, so it was a bit of a let down. At least we know now though and in future will stick to driving up Underburg way. So our road trip turned out to be adventurous and exciting, relaxing and therapeutic....here's to the next one.