OUR recently acquired Kombi’s camper conversion was progressing well. The kitchen unit was still under construction at home but we’d completed the sleeping platform before setting off on our short family excursion.
After our two nights at Hluhluwe we were on our way to Richards Bay with our two sons and their families, where we would try out the new sleeping arrangement for the first time. We hadn’t managed to fit the awning yet, but weren’t too worried. It was winter so it was hardly likely to rain.
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Famous last words. Soon after we set up camp at the yacht club where my elder son ‘parks’ the yacht, ‘Irene’, it started raining and it bucketed down for the next 24 hours.
Bill and I were perhaps a little relieved to be in on our own in our home on wheels. With four children under six, together with their parents, aboard the yacht for two days, things were already a bit crowded. Add pouring rain and cabin fever would soon set in. Our Kombi suddenly seemed very peaceful – but not for long.
We took advantage of a break in the weather to cook our breakfast outdoors but had to scuttle underneath the back door, which lifts up and provides a little shelter, to eat the food we just managed to cook before the rain started again.
We were relaxing with our post-breakfast coffee when my elder son arrive with three tiny tots in tow.
Our youngest grandchild was sleeping but the other three were full of beans and quickly transformed our Kombi sleeping quarters into a jumping castle.
Then, spying my box of chocolate digestive biscuits they decided they were hungry. Foolishly I handed out the desired biscuits. In minutes toddlers and bedding were covered in a fine layer of chocolate and biscuit crumbs. Luckily grandparents don’t really mind chocolate-coated crummy bedding.
With the heavy rain continuing and cabin fever growing, wise parents took all four children off to town, stopping at a restaurant with an indoor play centre for lunch. Bill and I took the opportunity to go on a peaceful little drive around Richard’s Bay, a beautifully laid out city with some lovely waterways.
It is, of course, a major industrial centre but that hasn’t stopped the town fathers from making sure Richard’s Bay is a green and pleasant place to live. It is a fine example of how a carefully thought-out urban area can counteract the effects industrial activity. Richards Bay also makes the most of its many attributes.
Built on the extensive Mhlatuze River Lagoon, the bright, modern city boast unspoilt waterways, wetlands, shady trees and green space. It started out life as a makeshift harbour during the Anglo-Boer War. The commodore of the Cape, Sir Frederick Richards, was responsible for this project and it is after him that the city is named.
In 1935 the Richard’s Bay Game Sanctuary was set up to protect the natural environment around the lagoon and this was later expanded into the Richards Bay park.
The beginnings of the town were laid out of the shores of the lagoon way back in 1954 but the town of Richards Bay was only proclaimed in 1969.
Its first suburb was Meerensee, established in 1970, and this was followed by Arboretum in 1975, the same year that the town saw a massive developmental boost, the converting of its lagoon into a deep water harbour. This harbour is now one of the biggest in South Africa and is the largest coal export facility in the world.
The city, one of South Africa’s most rapidly growing urban areas, boasts many industrial ventures, including two aluminium smelters, a fertiliser plant and mining operations in the surrounding dune.
However, its sound town planning ensures that the peaceful leafy residential suburbs and recreational area are far removed from industrial hustle and bustle and any possible pollution.
By the time our family returned the rain had almost stopped and we were eventually able to have a lovely family braai overlooking the harbour. The few clouds that lingered ensured a stunning sunset.
The next day dawned sunny and mild and a perfect morning for a family cruise around the bay. What fun it was, messing around with boats with our family in such a lovely environment and all four of our grandchildren proved excellent sailors. It is always wonderful spending time with family and making memories that will last forever.
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