Houseboat on the Lagoon

We spent two lovely days on a houseboat on the Knysna Lagoon. 

The weather turned windy and overcast just before we boarded the boat.

This is what the houseboat looked like.

Dad, our skipper and Rachel :)

The kitchen/Lounge/Dining  area and Rachel and my bedroom. (The benches on either side fold down at night into two single beds.)

Dad & Mom's bedroom at the back of the boat.

The sun came out for the afternoon but the wind kept increasing in strength.

You have to navigate the lagoon according to a map and also the bouys - and watch out for the submerged oyster fields. The buoys are far apart and difficult to see, so I was the "look-out" at times. :P 

Belvidere Bay

The buoy are a useful perch for seagulls. :)

Due to the weather conditions boats had to either go back to the docks to be tied up for the night or anchor in Belvidere Bay. We opted to spend the night in the Bay, trusting that the anchor would hold. 

We had our family prayer meeting that night by candlelight on the rocking boat - it was a blessed time.

During the night it started raining and the wind became stronger, and the boat rocked and moved around in a circle around the anchor. But the it held, and we slept well, safe in the Lord. 

The next morning we woke to clear skies and calm weather and once we pulled up the anchor we were on our way across the lagoon again. :)

Walking With Elephants

The Elephant Sanctuary near Plettenberg Bay is a fun place to visit and we had a great time there. I hope you'll all get to enjoy something of it too in the following pictures. :)

The Sanctuary is a temporal home for young elephants who sadly lost their mothers to poachers or were themselves injured by poachers or snares. 

Here we met the elephants and got ready to walk with them, with the guide explaining a few things to us. As far as size goes, these elephants are still considered 'small' and they can grow much larger.

Part of the walk through the forest. As it's Winter, the forest isn't as lush and green as it would be in Summer. It's surprising how fast the elephants walk, we had to do a brisk step to keep up with them.

In a forest clearing we were given a demonstration and talk about the elephants and were also allowed to touch them. One can just marvel at how amazing God made each creature!

Having a look at the elephant's teeth and tongue. :P 

The elephants hides are extremely thick and rough - they feel more like thick, hard rubber mats than like skin.

Mom walking back with one of the elephants. It's so sweet the way they "hold" your hand with their trunks, though I must tell you that the trunks are quite a weight!

After the walk we fed 'treats' (chunks of pumpkin) to the elephants. 

An extra-exciting experience for Jessica and I was going for a ride on an elephant.  :)

Very different to riding a horse! :D 

The elephants walk in single-file holding each others tails - they often do this in the wild too as a way of bonding and keeping contact with the herd.

All in all a great day and a wonderful experience to spend time with these amazing creatures. :)