Visit to a local bird sanctuary

The Knysna Lourie -- a well known local bird

A Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill

Skye and Pippin observing some pretty bird or other . . . holding their mouths shut so mishaps wouldn't occur!

Blue and Gold Macaws

This little fellow was very tame - Ronato particularly liked its feet!  We think it was an Olive Thrush.

Starlings in Africa are super pretty - this one is called a Superb Starling!

Some sort of ibis - probably a juvenile Scarlet Ibis.

Florid flamingo!

We think this is a Northern Red Bishop.

Pippin hangin' with a Galah Cockatoo ("galah" is apparently Ozzie slang for "fool" or "idiot" or a gaudy dresser!)

This guy was one of our favourites - a Spotted Dikkop.  At Birds of Eden, one of these was named Douglas, a hand-reared dikkop imprinted on humans.  One did follow us around with a hilarious little uppity walk - we think it might have been the famous Douglas.  We would take him home if we could.

A Crowned Crane.

The wild Blue Crane - the national bird of South Africa.

There was a troop of Baboons as we left the bird sanctuary . . . rustling though peoples belongings and looking for food. Lovely sight but they can be very aggressive animals . . .

Mama baboons and their babies. This was a fabulous final sight down "Animal Alley."

Day hike to Robberg

Robberg - sandbar leading to the "island" - a hammer shaped outcropping at the end of our hike.  The ocean is WILD here!

Local fauna on local flora

Josh and Kai getting ready for our hike.  Josh had been ill the whole day/night before, but was raring to go by hike-time.

More local flora - these little flowers were abundant on our hike.

View down to one of the beaches we've frequented while here - what we were looking down at for the beginning of our hike.

Oumi Marie braving the trail with a big smile!

More views - at a spot on the hike called "The Gap" - a view to our picnic destination.

More stunning flora.

Seal colony just below where we were hiking - and the namesake for the whole area - "Rob" means seal in Afrikaans and "berg" means mountain.  So, Robberg means "seal mountain."  We were hoping that the abundance of seals might also mean a Great White sighting, but no luck!

Ben and Kai contemplate the dune below them - slide or run?  Slide or run?

Ronato created a traffic jam taking this shot.  Robberg is apparently usually totally void of people, but on the Sunday after Christmas, it was absolutely crawling with people.

The descent - super fun to just run right down.

Or slide . . . though this half-drum wasn't so fast.

Picnic break on "the hammer" with the whole crew - Elbie, Perino (Ronato's brother), us 4, Josh, Ben, Rina (Ronato's cousin), Louie (Rina's husband), and Marie (Ronato's mom).  The sand was almost like powder.

Fragile sand plants.

These lovely flowers were only in the most craggy spots on our hike.  Lovely.

What we would call a lizard, but what they call a "ghecko" here.  They were abundant on the little island and would run alongside one as we walked on the trail - almost as if they were expecting to be fed!

Elbie and Pippin contemplating the swell, which was significant.  It didn't keep Pippin out of the water though!  She is an absolute fish.

Pack-horse Skye (I somehow ended up with the kid's bits of clothes, wet kikois, empty water bottles, etc. etc.) and Kai having a quiet moment on the return hike.

Josh and Grannie Marie also having a nice moment together.  It was a lovely day for us all to be together!

Like riding a wild horse...

Kai, Skye, Pippin, Ma and Ben -- at Ma's house

Premises in Plettenberg Bay

Kai riding a skate board like contraption in the garage

Sweet Ben with his Kitty

Hanging out on the beach after a swim

Josh and Skye

We went to a local food/craft market called the Sedgefild market ... about 15 times larger than the moss street market in Victoria.

Stunning local tree that is an ocean of red blossoms

Passion fruit popsicles to help with the heat

Yogesh took as on a drive through the local township ... to show us how things look for many of the people in South Africa. Good for us to see the reality experienced my most of the locals. There was lots of evidence of attempts of solid infrastructure that would not have been there a few decades ago. Good to see...

Ronato and Yogesh

Thieissen Island -- a little like a Granville Island concept but in Knysna... This is the pool at a small boutique hotel.

Having lunch on Yogesh's deck over looking the Knysna lagoon

Another view of the lagoon below from Yogesh's house

Coney Glen at the heads where the ocean opens up into the lagoon ... wild sea but very beautiful.

Yogesh and Pippin -- going on a small hike to find a swimming spot

The swimming spot -- a lovely pool. The thing is it was not very wise to swim there because the ocean was ridiculously rough and the waves kept pounding over the rocks and pushing us around. Luckily we got out just in time before a few much larger waves came pummeling through.

Kai contemplating the rough seas while listening to his tunes

Pippin and Kheli

A much calmer place to swim to escape the heat ...

Kheli and Pippin chilling out

Pippin drinking her favourite South African drink ... Appletiser.

Yogesh and Kheli's dog Sam

Charlie ...

Lovely scene of a family enjoying the surf