new years at Buffelsvley

We spent new years at Buffelsvley guest farm, 25km outside Burgersfort. This is our local waterhole and it just seemed that it was the obvious choice to celebrate the start of a new year. It was decide before hand that we should book a room as i did not want to be driving home at 3 in the morning after a party. Good choice!!!!



Jackie and Wikus



Being in the Limpopo province we couldn't hope for a white christmas or new years, but we most definitley had a wet new years. It was raining when we arrived and our hopes for a nice big fire and braai (barbecue) seemed to be on the rocks. But, a few beers later, the skies cleared and the people started arriving and the party started catching some speed. Our hosts, Wikus and Jackie, had expected about 50 people but i estimate that we must have been closer to a hundred (seemed like 300 by       12 o'clock but i think the drinks had something to do with that). The fires started burning, the music was playing, the drinks were flowing and the new year spirit was getting on.



Oros with his dance



Alot of our friends and family joined us and one highlights was getting to see our mate Oros doing his party trick. He has an ability to balance a glass on his head (FULL) and do a dance that i can't even do when i don't have a glass on my head. I have tried this a few times (at home with an empty plastic glass) and can't last 3 seconds before it falls off. Not a trick to try if you have not practiced alot. Oros lives up to his name is both size and personality. Affectionately known as the "manne", Oros and Smithie are larger than life in all ways. You can be sure of many laughs, quirky jokes and, from Oros, constantly wanting to call me "dad". This has something to do with him meeting my daughter a while ago and him believing that he will be a good son in law. (hahahahahaha)

  

The "Smittie dirty dance"



There was a live band called "Let there be rock". Not bad but they were slightly over powered by the music from the bar where most of the people decided to spend their time. It felt like in no time at all the count down was on and it was time to reflect on the past year, dream about the new one and start wondering what is install for us now? The bubbly was passed around and kisses and well wishes were dealt with. And then suddenly it was 2012. A few die hards stayed till the wee hours but most people started dwindling off and Lefty went to bed at about 2.



Just before 12. Last dance of 2011





Dad and Ma



The Van Heerdens

 

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JP and Mienie

My wife Celeste (known as "Lefty") and sister in law Ilse. Our kids were in Margate at the time and caused us endless worries over the next 2 days. They managed to have one of their bags stolen on the beach. And it would just be luck that it was the bag where they had the car keys in. Locksmiths, phone calls, couriers, more calls, sending money, more calls, send more money, worry, watch a movie, calls. Short run down of our day on 1st January 2012. As i write this we are still trying to get the spare keys down to them so that they can get back. Not easy when the courier companies want to charge R2500 to send the keys from Pretoria to Margate. Back to new years.

I think that the night was a great success (no fighting, no troubles and good company) and i really hope that all the people, friends and family that enjoyed the night with us will be blessed in the new year to come.



My mother has been visiting my sisters in Australia and New Zealand for a while and she was lucky enough to be in Sydney for new years. Not a cheap excercise to get a call through to her but eventually managed to say a few words before being cut off.....Thank you MTN. Now its time to get ready to go back to work and get into the hum drum of what we call our lives in the week. Once again i am already sitting with the latest issues of Getaway and Driveout and already we are trying to work out where we will be going on my next week end off.

Happy new year to all and safe travels

Cheers

George & Celeste