Kate and Chris engaged

Congratulations to my daughter Kate-Lynn and my prospective son-in-law Chris on their engagement today.

It makes it a dramatic finish to 2015 with my son having married Lisa earlier this month and they are presently still on honeymoon in Thailand.

Kate's fiancé Chris hails from Ohio and serves as a fighter pilot in the US Airforce, having met Chris in Busan South Korea while on leave there in the city Kate was living and teaching in at the time. She's my darling, my princess, and he's one lucky guy, although they both make an awesome couple.

Chris' posting in South Korea has come to an end and he is presently visiting South Africa on a tour here with Kate. The proposal took place on Lions Head, Cape Town, after the couple spent Christmas with me in Durban and also enjoyed a trip to the Hluhluwe Game Reserve. After Kate's locum job here in Durban Feb/March she will relocate to Georgia USA where Chris will be stationed for the next 3 years. The excitement for me has been building since Chris asked for my permission to marry Kate during a flight over Durban with him in my Sling airplane. Chris flies an A-10 fighter jet for the Airforce and it will be great to have another pilot in the family. Although my daughter will be lost to the States, we are overjoyed for them both and wish them everything of the best in their new home.

Here's the link to the Facebook photo album of Chris' visit to South Africa for Christmas, Kate and more..

Chris and Kate in Cape Town this week before the engagement

Engaged on Lion's Head, Cape Town

The happy couple seal the deal

The ring on a protea bush on top of Lion's Head

Chris (right) with the A-10 aircraft he flies

Chris and myself fly my Sling airplane over Durban

Myself, Chris and Kate in Hluhluwe Game Reserve earlier this week

Kate flies from S.Korea to Vietnam to home

My daughter Kate-Lynn spent her final week in South Korea this week ad starts her homeward trek via Vietnam. She flew out today with Chris on an exciting tour of Vietnam, taking in Hanoi, an overnight train and hiking in the north-west of Vietnam, a two day cruise on a rustic boat around Lab Ha Bay with rock-climbing and kayaking down to Danang, a flight to Ho Chi Minh city for a 2-day cooking course and a 2-day scooter tour... then home.

So excited to see you again.. it's been 1 year 8 months in Korea and a year since we visited there last October.

The incredible islands around the Ha Long Bay area in Vietnam

Kate's last few days in S.Korea involved packing up, saying goodbye to friends, spending a few days with Chris as his Airforce base south of Seoul and then jetting off today to Vietnam

Kate will be travelling from Hanoi in the north of Vietnam, to the west, then back to the east and down south to Ho Chi Minh City which used to be called Saigon during the war

Kate postpones return

Kate has reached the end of her year in Korea and has postponed her return with a new contract, new job and new apartment. That means we don't see her for more months :-(

The view from Kate's new apartment near Gwangali Beach, Busan, South Korea

Kate moved into her new apartment last weekend

Kate's new home for the next number of months

And she arrived there with one suitcase!!!

Kate unpacks in her new apartment

 

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

Bratwinks doing things

My brats are doing their things aound the world - MC in Stellenbosch and Kate in Busan, South Korea. Here's some recent pics..

Kate and Ed hiking on Jeju island off South Korea (today)

Kate doing what she does best

Friend Kate and Lisa and Mark also hiking, but in the Western cape

Mates in South Korea - with Nadia Moore, Kristen Den Otter, Caroline Jooyoung Park, Leoni Taljard, Kate-Lynn Mc Naught,Aamena Mahomed, Susie Da Camara and Tarryn Rutherfoord.

We did it again!.. Kate on top of the world with Chelsea and Leoni

Ed, visiting from South Africa - with Kate and Leoni at my bridge - Gwangali beach with Gwangam Bridge backdrop

Ed having an amazing time in Busan visiting Kate

Kate riding elephants in Nepal

I've ridden a camel but not an elephant so my daughter is getting ahead on some things as she tries out this one in Nepal. However I don;t think Indian elephants look as nice as African ones so I will have to visit Addo Elephant Park or somewhere locally to try this. And as long as the keepers look after their elephants and don't mistreat them. Nothing worse than poor abused animals.

Kate and her mates in Nepal

It's a kid leading this elephant while the others "horse around" on the back

Kate says she got a splashing

Meanwhile I got some airtime today and took these gorgeous pics of our Durban coastline from my plane, a Sling ZDL. More pics on my aviation blog: Do Eagles Dare

Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium shortly after take-off from Virginia Airport

Durban City centre and the Harbour

Yay !!

Yay, it's raining and my grass is growing. We did a revamp of the front garden recently raising the ground level after it was slowing eroding and sloping away. I planted some new grass and today we are having our first storm and the welcome rain is lashing down now.

Yay, I will be seeing my son and daughter in the next two weeks. Kate-Lynn is presently in Nepal on a hiking trip, but will be returning to Busan in South Korea where my son, flying in from Cape Town, will be going to visit her with me.

We are stopping off in Shanghai, via Dubai, first and will spend an action-packed 2 days seeing the lights of Shanghai before meeting up with Kate.

Prayer flags on the buildings in Nepal where Kate is touring

Kate's hostel/guesthouse in Nepal

Kate on her hike in Nepal

Yay, I passed my flight test today for my National Flight Instructor Rating so will now be able to train my own pilots at the flight school I started with my aviation partner Brad, operating from Virginia Airport in Durban. We handle fixed wing and microlight pilot training. Check our Flight School website here - http://www.durbanskyye.co.za

Airline Pilot Johnny (right) takes Dave for his Instructor's Flight Test

Dave's plane, a Sling ZU-ZDL