April 2025

In 2022, Berto’s work sent him to East London on the southeastern coast of South Africa. It was initially supposed to be just for 12 months, but we ended up living there for 3 years.

We did not know what to expect when we moved to East London, but can honestly say that we were completely surprised by the natural beauty, unspoiled beaches, and friendly people. We visited places we didn’t even know existed and will always think back fondly on our time in the Eastern Cape Province. Few places in South Africa have such a lovely winter (read: not cold and dry) as East London – we will definitely miss that!

Now it was time to pack our belongings, arrange a moving company, and take the long road one last time back to our beloved Western Cape Province. We were very excited about the house on the outskirts of Cape Town that we were able to rent (more on that towards the end of this post).

The challenge: How to fit everything into boxes

You know you’re in the process of moving when food, wine, scissors, sellotape, and other random stuff are spread out on your dining table

The moving company only arrived at around 16:30 in the afternoon and then started wrapping and loading all our stuff into the truck, which took until 19:00. After that, it was time for us to clean the house where we had stayed for 3 years before we could drop off the key at the rental agency the next morning. At 21:00 that evening, we finally closed the door behind us – completely shattered.

Moving Day

Fish Eagle Manor, Abbotsford (East London):

Fortunately, we booked a place in a guesthouse just around the corner from where we stayed. Fish Eagle Manor is located on the bank of the Nahoon River, and upon our arrival, the manager mentioned that they upgraded us to a Superior King Bed Suite – almost as if they knew how exhausting our day was!

A very comfortable bed in our suite

That bath was exactly what I needed

Fully equipped kitchen

All in all – a very spacious room

We were so tired the previous night that we didn’t even notice just how beautiful the property at Fish Eagle Manor is. I’m actually surprised we didn’t walk straight into the small pool that is right in front of our river suite, overlooking the Nahoon River. There is also a big pool which I’m sure guests enjoy during the long warm summer months in East London.

Small pool in front of our suite

Big pool at Fish Eagle Manor

After enjoying a delicious breakfast at the guesthouse, we were ready to take the long road back to the Western Cape Province.

Delicious breakfast

When we stopped in Port Alfred, I looked at our heavily loaded bakkie, and thought for the first time that we probably won’t be coming back to this part of our country (any time soon). We had three wonderful years here in the Eastern Cape Province.

Our heavily loaded bakkie

We took the route through the Langkloof on the R62 – a route that we have shown you many times before. Therefore, I will not post any new photos, but as always, the scenery was stunning.

Scenery on Route 62

However, there are the mandatory photos that I need to show – our provincial border crossing from the Eastern Cape to the Western Cape. This was always a highlight for me when we travelled on this road.

The border between the Eastern- and Western Cape

The Karoo Moon House & Cottage, Barrydale:

We decided to drive further than usual on the first day and after 821km/510 miles and more than 8 hours on the road, we arrived at a beautiful resting place for the night.

Our Karoo Moon Cottage in Barrydale was quite quirky and I wish we weren’t so tired, otherwise it would have been lovely to sit outside by the firepit while enjoying the serenity.

The Karoo Moon Cottage – our accommodation for the night

Beautifully decorated

Now, that’s what I call a luxurious bed

Special touch – nuts to enjoy by guests

Unique light fixings

Barrydale Karoo Hotel, Barrydale:

We decided to enjoy dinner at the Barrydale Karoo Hotel, which was within walking distance from our cottage.

Porch at the Barrydale Karoo Hotel

The restaurant was fully booked with an overseas tour group, but fortunately they could accommodate us in the bar. And we were very happy about that, because the Chef’s Lamb Curry with a Cape Malay influence was probably the best we have ever eaten!

The bar inside the Barrydale Karoo Hotel

Yummy lamb curry

We ended the evening with delicious dessert. I had one of my favourite baked puddings, Jan Ellis pudding, and Berto chose a very tasty (and sweet) chocolate dessert.

Dessert

Walking back to our cottage after a wonderful meal

The next morning, we hit the road early – Cape Town was calling us! We quickly stopped in Montagu to enjoy hot drinks before we drove the last 188km/116 miles to the Mother City.

Hot drinks in Montagu

“Hole in the wall” at Kogmanskloof outside Montagu

Our new home on the outskirts of Cape Town:

And finally, after a hectic two months, we moved into our new home. We are now living on a working farm and are surrounded by beautiful scenery. The sounds we hear are not those of constant traffic, but rather of sheep, cows, and turkeys.

Our new home on a farm

Unpacking – from chaos to a comfy lounge

The family living and working here is everything we could hope for as tenants. The farmer and his wife, as well as his parents, are kind-hearted people and they made sure that we felt at home quickly. The farmer’s wife gave me a beautiful orchid as a housewarming gift, and they also made sure that our garden is a lush paradise for when we want to spend time outside.

A lovely gift from the farmer’s wife

Beautiful back garden

Colourful garden

Sunrises and sunsets are pretty special on the farm

About a 5-minute walk from our house, there is a beautiful dam (or pond as some of you may call it). We take regularly walks there to enjoy the beauty of this place.

A favourite spot on the farm

Pure tranquillity

Ducks enjoying their early morning swim

Road on the farm – perfect for long strolls

And while the views on the farm are stunning, there is also not much wrong with the view that Berto has from his office – Table Mountain has its own charm.

Berto’s view from his office

We will show you more of the farm again in future posts. Wheat and canola have recently been planted and since then we have already had good winter rain, which is necessary for these fields. This promises to be a spectacle in a few months!

We hope to show you all the beauty of Cape Town and the surrounding area soon. It’s good to be back (even though it’s cold and rainy)!