Aubrey
Welsh
January 2024
Auckland - Durban: Part I
2024 began very quietly and I was looking forward to catching up with 'working' friends now on holiday. I also had the time to begin to plan out the year, what I was going to do and who I was going to see. But some days I would just sit and gaze at this view outside my home.
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One of my objectives was to continue to work on our family tree: trying to add more people and information, then working out relationships. This is proving to be a fascinating study with many mysteries being uncovered. Some of my life events were included in my memoir but I am discovering many more people - and mysteries.
To follow up on my end-of-life decision, I made an appointment to visit Totara Hospice in Auckland South to begin discussions on what was going to be required for me to be accommodated there. I met with Dr James Jap who has undertaken to discuss my request with the clinical team. I hope to hear good news in the coming months.
Around the 10 January, news came from South Africa from a number of people which led me to consider visiting the country earlier than the Aug/Sept 2024 period which I had been thinking of during 2023. Before I knew what was happening, I had booked a ticket and found myself flying once again on Emirates.
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Once again, Johnny and Elvina were my hosts in Durban and I spent a wonderful week catching up with them. One of the co-incidences is that they live diagonally opposite where my cousin and her daughter have bought an apartment in this block, Ardarroch. My heart is thrilled that these two groups of people close to my heart will soon be neighbours.
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One of the major tasks needing to be done in the apartment is to renovate the bathroom creating a full walk-in shower. My nephew Gavin will be involved in this reconstruction and, again, I am so happy to be helping two groups of people. My cousin has been looking for a property for almost two years - never give up hope!
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Another task requiring attention was to contact NedTrust who are managing the execution of my mother's will. It has been almost a year in process and I am trying to assist its passage but so far with no luck. The agent was on a conference and is yet to phone me back!
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In the meantime, I visited Mom's gravesite and did a bit of clean up. Council staff were busy cutting the grass which I do not lie was about one metre high! I was appalled at the condition of Stellawood Cemetery. I fear that in the future it may only get worse.
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But my week in Durban quickly came to an end and I found myself on the road to Johannesburg where I was going to catch up with some dear friends. This is going to be an emotional time as it may be the last time that we spend together. Lunches, dinners, walks in the neigbourhoods are all on the cards
February 2024
Dbn-Jhb-CT: Part II
On 1 Feb, at 5am, I climbed into my Suzuki Swift to begin the road journey from Durban to Johannesburg - some 570km. Once you climb over the Drakensberg ranges, the Free State region is quite flat (see pic)
Just before reaching Johannesburg, I turned off the main highway to take a short cut through Benoni to Kempton Park. I passed a gold ming dump consisting of the tailings from an old mine. Today, these dumps are disappearing as new technology allows the re-mining for gold.
In the far distance is Pelindaba - SA's nuclear research and power station which opened in 1965. "Pelile Ndaba", is Zulu for "end of story" or "the conclusion". French co-operation also resulted in the building of the Koeberg nuclear power station on the West Cape coast.
My stay in Johannesburg was, as usual, a whirlwind. Thanks to hosts Philip and Janine Grobler, Derrich Gardner and Roli and Russel. To Pat Brignal, Denis Hutchinson, Maralin Vanrenen, Barry Davies, Angie (McGarry) Vermaak, Lorraine McLeod and Mike and Eliza Ford - thanks to all for catching up with me. And to new family - Pam Bloemstein and family - lovely to meet and catch up with you all. And lovely to have lunch with Peter de Nobrega.
With my time in Jhb over, it was back in the Swift bound for Bethulie and Serena Tison. Visiting her is always a treat but this time was even more so. I was tasked with transporting Princess, - an overfed Miniature Doberman Pincer - from Bethulie to Cape Town. She was a perfect travelling companion. Serena has done fantastic dog rescue work in the region.
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Many of the rural towns across South Africa have their name blazed on a hillside near the town. Usually in white-painted rocks which can be seen from miles away. Like many Commonwealth (or-ex) countries, names of previous sovereigns abound.
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Another peculiarity of SA towns is the large number of churches which can be found in them. As I travelled around, I found all of them to be in very good condition - who does this and who pays for it, who knows - but it is wonderful to see them standing loud and proud.
But finally I arrived in Cape Town and this view from my niece Penny's home in Rondebosch while she undertakes a 4-week contract in Nigeria. I am here to take care of her family: a cat, a Labrador, an 11-year old daughter (who stays most of the time with a school friend - phew!) and her elderly mother, Lynne. I am doing my best to be 'Bob Poppins'.
I know that this is not the expected shot of Table Mountain, but it is the view I see almost daily. It is the back of Table Mtn and creates beautiful vistas as the clouds and blue skies constantly battle for supremacy. The actual mountain was created some 240 million years ago and some rocks are older than the Rockies and the Himalayas - take that!
Feb/Mar 2024: Part III
Cape Town
My grand-niece, Ella, goes to a particular dance class on a Tuesday evening. During that hour, I wander the local streets coming across interesting homes and gardens. I saw this unusually coloured bougainvillea and just had to take a photo.
On another walk, I saw the 'table-cloth' beginning to develop. This 'table-cloth' is the famous one that rolls over Table Mountain and is one of the amazing sights in Cape Town. I have climbed Table Mountain from the Kirstenbosch Gardens which are found at the rear of Table Mountain. I took the cable car down the front!
While visiting a friend at Groote Schuur Hospital (yes, the one where the very first human heart transplant took place), I noticed this cemetery nearby. This is St Peter's Cemetery of the 19thC. In 1994, the church decided to sell some land so 10,000 remains were exhumed together with 2,700 monuments - all placed in a central ossuary. Today this part of the original cemetery is sadly neglected.
About 100m from Penny's house is the Newlands Stadium - rugby, cricket and other events. She and Ella have attended many matches here over the years. The triangular roof is the President of Western Province Rugby's private entrance.
One of my classmates throughout Kingsway High School was Stephen Inggs and I had not seen him since 1972. I surprised him at his home in Cape Town, after learning he had retired as Emeritus Prof of Photography and Printmaking at Michaelis School of Art at University of Cape Town. A great albeit short encounter.
Every morning I take Khaya, Penny's large labrador (who I call 'horse'), for a walk along the Liesbeek Stream. One morning, I noticed this Momma Duck with her five ducklings paddling away in one of the stream ponds. Not sure where Poppa Duck is - probably still at The Pub.
My sister-in-law Lynne, best friend Bruce and I having lunch at the Forester's Arms. I have known both of these people for 50 years! How wonderful to still be connected and still enjoy each other's company.
I sincerely hope the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to animals don't contact me re: posting this photo. This is, apparently, Khaya's favourite pose
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I could not close this post without a picture of the real Table Mountain. However, this does not do justice to it - just too small. You will simply have to come and visit Cape Town and see it for yourself!
Cape Town-Durban: Part IV
Feb/Mar 2024
One of the main reasons I chose to drive around SA was to experience the amazing coastline of the country. This view is in Hermanus and very often the road hugs the coastline at an altitude of between 5 and 100m. There are spectacular views - which I could not shoot as I was driving!
A most familiar sight for anyone travelling through an agricultural area are these massive silos storing and processing maize. I tried to get a photo up close but it just didn't work. I reckon these were about 20metres in diameter and possibly about 80/90 metres high.
In Hermanus, I met up with a first cousin Denise (in blue top), her husband Keith (in white stripes) and Ed Bredenkamp - an artist who became famous through his paintings of red elephants (in background). What a wonderful Art Walk on a Friday evening in Hermanus - a must-do!
You know how on larger national roads you have Truck Stops - places where larger vehicles can fill up with petrol, have something to eat and a rest. Well, this Caltex petrol station in Riversonderend (River without end) was nicknamed - by me - Duck Stop.
All of the national roads e.g. N1, N2 and N3 are all toll roads. On my journey from Durban-Johannesburg-Bethulie -Cape Town-Port Elizabeth-Mthatha-Durban, it cost me around $NZ300 in tolls. The toll station above was in the Tsitsikamma Wilderness area of the Garden Route.
Every now and then on my journey I would get 'stuck' behind one of the thousands of these pantechnicons - in this case a double trailer. Whilst there are a few 'over-taking double lanes' most roads are so narrow that you just have to stay behind them.
One of the bright spots on my journey was passing the University of the Transkei in Mthatha which was founded in 1976. Today it is renamed as Walter Sisulu University, a famous anti-apartheid activist who was imprisoned on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela.
Towards the beginning of my journey, I caught up and had lunch with Annalien and Burkhard Grensemann at Kleinmond. They have retired there and are living an idyllic life - as are other friends Peter Human and Itzak Joubert who are close by in Pringle Bay.
The towns along the Transkei roads though are somewhat shambolic. What used to be 'pretty little towns' are now dirty, unkempt, with shocking roads and sidewalks, actually you can hardly tell the difference between them. My journey was 'pitted with potholes' - lucky I didn't hit any of them.