After leaving Morrungulu on the 31st we stopped for the night just before Maputo at a place we once stayed at 11 years ago called Casa Lisa. It was a place that stuck in our minds because back then Alex and I had spent 5 weeks traveling Southern Africa in our Land Rover and by the time we were at the end of our journey we had just used up the rest of our cash for a silly speeding fine that a Mozambique traffic cop decided to totally make up on the spot (long story...), so when we had to stop for the night just before heading back into South Africa we found Casa Lisa and they let us stay for free! So of course we knew it would be a good place for us this time, and we even enjoyed their hospitality and had a delicious supper too. We were the only ones there, but they opened the kitchen for us and we felt very welcome. Needless to say we didn't stay up for the countdown, but we spent the evening chatting with the kids about the year past and the new year ahead. Kaylin is still thinking about her goals and achievements she'd like to set for herself for 2012, but Xan was very specific with his...... he really wants to learn how to ride a motorbike! With Alex as a dad I am sure he is going to achieve this, but I have already told him I'm busy that day, doing anything other than watching - more about this a little further on in the story....
We decided to go through the Swaziland border which was a great idea because it was really quiet and they gave us no hassles at all. Then after that back into South Africa and straight to a KFC to celebrate! We then drove as far as Newcastle and found a caravan park. Unfortunately the majority of Newcastle was there to celebrate New Years Day, and we nearly turned away but the huge police presence there assured us that they were there to make sure that the day visitors left at 6pm. It took them a while longer than expected, but once tucked into our cosy Max we felt secure and could enjoy the evening. The camping spot was a good one though, with a great play ground for the kids so we enjoyed a sleep in the next morning while they played outside - thanks kids!
Now for the part where Xan's dream starts to become real..... to our surprise as we left the caravan park, just around the corner we spotted a Motor-Cross track! Of course we stopped and got the kids bikes off so they could have a bit of fun. After they finished their first lap some guys arrived with motorbikes and showed Xan how the big boys do it. He LOVED it! What a great start to the year for him.
We then headed towards the Drakensberg for the final part of our holiday. Drakensville Resort is such a great place for a family holiday. This place has it all! After a full day here today we've enjoyed the pool, waterslide, putt-putt, giant chess, braai, ice-cream, stunning scenery, thunderstorm, a bee-sting in the mouth (Xan, but he's fine don't worry), baggy-rash & bruises from the waterslide, and much more. It was a great way to end off the holiday.
We've had a great time away as a family. These "Max" trips are really special to us, and have created so many memories and there are still so many more memories to make. We're not sure where our next adventure will be.... We've talked about Malawi, Northern Mozambique, or even storing Max in Kenya again and doing our touring from there.... the possibilities are endless. But for now we are looking forward to arriving home, to our friends and family back in Cape Town. We've also realised that sometimes holidays like these are best shared with a group of friends, so we haven't made any set decisions for our next trip, we'll just see where this year leads us and take it from there. Looking forward to a great 2012!
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