Sunday, January 25, 2015

Scenes of Thailand

My daughter Kate-Lynn is discovering the wonderful world of travel. Working in South Korea she is well placed to spend her holidays travelling to some amazing places and visited Thailand the last two weeks... visiting the beach where I had the best birthday party for my 50th - Koh PhaNgan full moon party. It was pretty scary though when she flew back on AirAsia, the week after the fateful crash of an AirAsia airliner en route to Kuala Lumpur where she was headed to get back to Seoul.



Kate stayed in Phuket then island-hopped before crossing the mainland from west to east and again catching a ferry overnight to Ko PhaNgan. She travelled initially with Chris then continued on her own after he had to return to work in Korea. After reaching Koh PhaNgan, famous for the full moon beach party, she had to retace her steps to catch the flight back from Phuket.



Thai cooking class on Koh Lanta island










Sunday, January 11, 2015

Mark and Lisa engaged 8 Jan 2015

Been waiting 2 days to release the pics of Mark and Lisa's engagement, so that the stunning pics taken by Jono and Grace could be processed and uploaded once they all got back to Cape Town. 

The scene was set for a proposal on the romantic swing bridge over the Storms River mouth where you can hear the pebbles on the other side as the waves gently wash and roll them up and down the secret cove. They stopped for 2 nights there on the roadtrip back from Durban to Cape Town. We had shopped in Busan, South Korea, with my daughter Kate for the proposal dress which Mark left with a note on the bed for Lisa to wear as a surprise that evening. Their mates Jono and Grace had in the meantime travelled to Storms River, unbeknown to Lisa, to jump out of the bushes at the appropriate time to catch the proposal on film. Mark had also been plotting and planning weeks earlier to get a ring made in Cape Town to his design, and which had to be secretly brought with on their travels to be revealed only at this moment.

Congratulations guys, this is a special moment for a dad which I will treasure.. the first of our 5 kids to follow the marriage path!! I see dark-haired blue eyed grandchildren and maybe a blonde bombshell. Everything of the best for the path and your lives together ahead.

Mark and Lisa on the proposal swing bridge at the Storms River mouth, Tsitsikamma area of the Eastern Cape


The happy engaged couple

The moment of truth as Mark proposes

The stunning diamond engagement ring

It was YES! Lisa, you're supposed to take him by the scruff of the neck, not the collars ha ha

A photo of Lisa and Mark up Jonkershoek overlooking Stellenbosch where they have studied for the past few years

Another 2014 cameo pic of Lisa and Mark

In the pool at my house in 2014

Mark and Lisa near Pietermaritzburg

In the cool waters of the Mahai River, Amphitheatre, northern Berg last week

Celebrating their first anniversary together at Mozambik restaurant Durban, 27 Dec 2014

In the pub at my home

Dad with the happy kids

Mark's mom Lynn with Lisa and Mark

Time with Mark and Lisa

After Christmas my son Mark and Lisa arrived from their journey from the Cape via East London for a few days and it was great catching up. We managed to get away to the Berg for a few days with mates Dain and Kirsty and the 5 of us had a jol.

These are my boys.. Mark and Dain

Yours truly, Kirsty, Dain, Mark and Lisa

We just rescued Dain after he got lost

A road trip to the Berg with the happy couples


Roadside savages eating Champion Chicken in Winterton

On the hike to the Cascades

Roasting temperatures, time for a swim

The cool waters of the Mahai River, Amphitheatre, northern Berg

The girls having some fun in the swirling waters


Beautiful pic of Mark and Lisa

The water was a bit chilly but fresh

The Amphitheatre backdrop of the northern Berg


Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year

Christmas and New Year is a time for family but alas my brats were far away, but Mark arrived with Lisa the day after Christmas and with the internet and phones each shared their photos as the day progressed. We also managed a good catch-up with Llewellyn's brother and family down from Johannesburg for the holidays and we enjoyed Christmas Day together.

New Year was the first time my daughter and the rest of us were in different years at the same moment - Kate being 7 hours ahead of us in Busan, South Korea. To all my wonderful family and friends, including my FaceBook friends I have connected with and shared so many photos and memories over the past few years, wishing you a fantastic 2015, and good health and prosperity as we incredibly go forward another year.

In the collage are top Mark and Lisa in Durban, Kate and Chelsea in Busan, South Korea, and Llew's family in Umhlanga.
Lisa and Mark

Lisa and Mark's 1st anniversary together.. they are making wedding plans

Dave and Llewellyn


Getting the table set for Christmas lunch


Our place setting for Christmas lunch

There were 14 of us for lunch including Llew's brother, family and friends


A Christmas selfie 

Kate's mate Chris in Busan.. hopefully not Christmas lunch being blended

Kate (right) with her mates Chido and Chelsea in Busan, South Korea