The Wild Coast Just Got A Whole Lot 'Funner'

The Wild Coast of KZN just got a whole lot funner. That's right, funner! Last Christmas my family and I decided to head out to 'Wild Waves' a fairly new development at the Wild Coast Sun. The waterpark opened about 2 years ago and costed a whopping R80 million rand to build! The park is located at the Wild Coast Sun Casino & Resort in Port Edward which is about 25 - 40 mins on the freeway from Port Shepstone.

We visited Wild Waves on December 26th - 'Boxing Day' and spent the whole day there. During peak season it is advisable to get there really early because when we got there around 08:30 there were already about 200 people waiting in line to buy tickets! Thankfully, because of their efficient service, we were out of the line and had our tickets in about 20 minutes.

Entering the actual park where the securities check your bags and body search you. 

First impressions...Transported to another world!!

Prices:

In- season
R130 for adults and children over 1.2m in height.
R65 for pensioners (over 60 with ID) and children under 1.2m in height.

Off-season
R100 for adults and children over 1.2m in height.
R50 for pensioners (over 60 with ID) and children under 1.2m in height.

# Children under 3 are completely free ^^
# Guests of the hotel pay just R10 to enter - score!!

There are also various discounts for MVG members.

Great swimming pool for the kids.
 It goes up to 1.5 meters deep so it's okay for adults too lol 

Over all I was more than satisfied with my experience but here is a quick summary of the pros and cons of the park:

Pros:
- Once - off payment at the gate. Thereafter free access to all the rides. Perfect for a full day of fun in the sun.
-  The park has 2 Wimpy outlets located inside so getting great food is quick and easy (this is a pro and a con).
- Great chilling spots. Amazing recliners, table and chairs and so forth. You can bring your beach/camping chairs if you want but there are some recliners, tables and chairs that are available.
- Major pro - The park is private. This means you have to pay to get in. This means that you can enjoy the facilities with other decent, like-minded people that want to have a good day out with their families. You don't mind paying the entrance fee knowing that it's extremely safe and extremely clean. There are cleaners constantly walking around ensuring that everything is clean and in order.

Cons:
- During peak season the parking gets full quickly so another car park is used which is about 300 or 400 meters away. There is a shuttle service between the park and car park but you are allowed to drop your stuff off at the main park gate before going 400m away to park your car.

- Major con- you aren't allowed to take any food into the park. We managed to smuggle some snacks in but other than that we weren't allowed to take any of our drinks or food. As mentioned above, there are 2 Wimpy outlets but it's unreasonable to assume that everyone will want to eat fast food. It's also expensive if you're a family of 16.

- There are some vendors selling snacks but avoid them unless you're okay with paying exorbitant prices.

Lazy River...  My favourite part of the park ^^ 

Lookin' fab on the tube.  I LOVE lazy rivers! 

The park is open 7 days a week from 09:00 to 17:00.

For more info on the rides that are available you can check out their website.  

My Year In Pictures 2010 (Part 1)

This has been a long time coming. When I first got to Korea in 2010 I decided to start a scrapbook but that didn't go too well because I didn't have the discipline. I decided to stick to what I love more and that's photography. For that reason I decided to turn my scrapbook into digital format by creating a video slideshow of my life in Korea.

It was an exciting project that I was working on and it kept me up at night for many long hours.

This segment goes through my first 6 months in Korea- experiencing snow for the first time, experiencing Korean food and culture for the first time and so forth. This was pre-dslr so my photos are lookin' a lil dreary.

Hope Y'all Enjoy! Part 2 coming soon!

Sunny Saturday at Gorgeous Oribi Gorge

About a week before Christmas my family and I decided to head out to Oribi Gorge and Nature Conservancy. We didn't see much of the conservancy but we certainly had a great time at the gorge. It was my first time visiting the gorge and I was utterly surprised and shocked that I had not visited this awesome place before, especially since it's only 20 minutes from my home (30 minutes from central Port Shepstone).

It really is a beautiful getaway, whether for a day or weekend trip. It offers a variety of activities and picnic sights, perfect for those glorious sunny days. We got there at about 9am and spent a good couple of hours. What drove us away (literally) was that there was no real place to swim or have a bit of a water frolic. After 4 hours of walking in bush and wobbly bridges (in 30 degree heat) you work up a sweat and a good dip is what you want. The Umzimkulwana River is the main river that runs along the gorge however, you're not allowed to swim in it because of the risk of contracting bilharzia. According to the website, there is a 'reservoir swimming pool' with a sundeck inside the camp but it's reserved for residents only. That was a little disappointing. 

Anyway we didn't go there to swim, we went there to see the gorgeous gorge. And gorgeous is exactly what is was. 

First sightings of the gorge and conservancy. 

This is a photographer and nature lover's paradise. Perfect weather, lush vegetation, great views and the incredible rolling hills make for spectacular photo opportunities. The website gives more information on the wildlife that can be seen and which time of the day you can see it.

View of the Umzimkulwana River running alongside the gorge. 

THE WILD 5

If you're an adrenaline junkie and you like to get your adventure on then this is the perfect place for you!! 5 extreme sports/ activities to get your heart pumping in less than 5 seconds. At the heart of the gorge is the Lehr's waterfall which forms the main attraction. The first of the wild 5 activities is situated  at the top of the waterfall. The largest gorge swing in the world. At first you might mistake this for bungee jumping but after closer inspection you see it's a swing and not  just a jump. It's pretty awesome, I've never seen a gorge swing before.

Wild Bridge: Not part of the Wild 5, but still pretty awesome!! 

For the other Wild 5 activities check out their website

Soul Sunday

I realized how much I miss Durban and South Africa in general. I arrived in Durban last Saturday morning and spent the day chilling and just enjoying my own company. In the evening I met my cousin and her friend and one of my fabulous varsity friends. We enjoyed each others company well into the night and said our goodbyes past midnight. I really needed that.

My Sunday couldn't be more chilled even if I tried. I woke up at about 09:00 and met my friend DeAnne at about 11:30 at uShaka Marine World. DeAnne is American and we met in Korea. We didn't meet often but whenever we did it was usually in a social setting so we always had a blast!!! DeAnne is now working and living in the Middle East.

It was really great seeing her. We took a stroll on the pier and decided that we needed to eat so we headed out to Ocean Basket for some delishhhh seafood!! We spent most of the day together as we only only said our goodbyes around 16:00. 

It was a very inspiring day and DeAnne motivated me a lot. I don't think she knows how much though. She and I connected and in fact met on the foundation of our mutual love of travel. She was in Korea seeking something new and exciting and I was in Korea seeking something new and exciting. She made me realize that life is short and you really have to go out and make the most of it. We spoke about our travels and all the places we'd still love to visit. She's in South Africa for about a week and then she will head out to Zambia, Namibia and Botswana. By the time she leaves SA next month, she will have visited over 40 countries!!! I've only been to 6 and that's why I feel there's so much of the world waiting for me to see!!! 

I was supposed to meet my friend Reneldon (visiting from Korea) around lunch time but my phone died so DeAnne and I decided to take a walk on the promenade to see if we could spot him. And we did... actually, he spotted me and screamed so loud I'm sure everyone thought something bad had happened but actually I think I was the most terrified! After I realized who was shouting my name I almost cried, I was so excited to see my friend and all the friends that were with him. We had a quick somthin' somethin' before saying our goodbyes and posing for a quick pic.

I have come to the realization that I am not ready to settle down. The thought of buying kitchen appliances and furniture freaks me out and I'd like to put it off until I'm truly ready to find a permanent place to call 'home'. You have to realize that in life everyone takes a different route. If everybody got married at 25 and had kids at 28, the world would be a very boring monotonous place. I was glad that DeAnne agreed with these sentiments. 

While enjoying our ice-cream, we talked about possible plans to return to Korea. For me, it is still a definite plan B. Actually, I don't even have a plan A it's just that I have a job at the moment so I have to weigh up whether I want to leave or not. It was really nice to hear DeAnne's ideas and thoughts about life, love and travel. 

I told her she was really fortunate to be in South Africa meeting so many of her friends. It really makes travelling so exciting knowing that you're a citizen of the world and no matter where you go there'll always be someone you know. The world really does seem small. Because of Korea, I now I have a ton of friends all over the world with open invitations to visit. It was really nice and interesting hearing about DeAnne's current life in the Middle East. It makes me wanna do Korea all over again like I did 2 years ago - fresh, bright eyed and eager for something different. 

Of course, I never really know where I will end up. Life happens. Circumstances change. People grow.

13 Things for 2013

With just 2 days left of 2012 I've completed about 90% of my resolution list. There are just 3 things which I will not be able to complete.

I've already compiled my list of resolutions for next year. Just like my 2012 list, my 2013 resolutions are simple, realistic and I am confident that I will complete at least 80% of the items.

Most of the items on my resolution list form a greater part of my Bucket List so slowly and surely I am getting stuff done and making the most of this life ^^


1. Travel, travel, travel!

2. Take an overseas vacation. This is related to no.1 but is more specific. No.1 covers general travel in and around SA.

3. Complete my masters degree. Not 100% sure about this because I have a full time job but it's definitely something I need to complete in order to get that University job in Korea!

4. Do an internship at an environmental NGO or complete my articles.

5. Complete my SETA Assessor training.

6. Continue saving for the Soccer World Cup: Brazil 2014 ^_^  My saving fund is growing and I'm so excited!! ^^ 

7. Read 13 books. Currently on book number 3. 

8. Learn Spanish.

9. Start dancing again. I miss it so much!!!!

10. Exercise/ gym!!!

11. Continue saving for short/long term assets. Done ^^ 

12. Blog more!! This year I wrote a total of 28 posts across all my blogs. Next year I'm hoping to increase that number and get more involved in the blogosphere ^^  We're only in April but I've got 20 blog posts across all my blogs. I'm really on a roll! 

13. Buy a car. But I'm also not 100% sure about this. It would depend on the stability of my job. But nevertheless it's still something I'm working toward!!

Happy New Year Y'all!! ^^

Silly Season and The One Year Anniversary of my First Blog

It's Silly Season!!!!

For those of you that don't know, the festive month of December is also known as silly season for pretty much obvious reasons. The traditional definition of silly season is "the last few months of summer typified by the emergence of frivolous news stories in the media". In America, the same term is known as 'slow news season'. However, in SA, NZ and AUS silly season has come to refer to the Christmas/ New Year festive period because of the higher than usual social engagements where the consumption of alcohol is typical. Silly season is also famously used as an excuse to break certain rules... whether it's your diet or whether it's doing something you wouldn't normally do. We've all heard the famous line "C'mon it's Christmas, live a little". Well lemme tell you honey, you're gonna be packin' those pounds on and it's not gonna look pretty.

I spent my last silly season looking at my computer and surrounded by 13 and 14 year old Korean kids. I had to work right up until the 24 of December and had to return to work on the 26th. No fun!!!

But something good came of all that 'desk-warming'. I started my first blog!!!! December 14, 2011 to be exact. The blog "Life In The Fast Lane" was a lovely write-up about my life in Korea. It wasn't as detailed as I wanted it to be but I captured a lot of great memories. Last Friday the 14th was exactly a year, and although it is no longer my main blog, it was certainly a success (for me). It was my first blog ever so I obviously didn't know what to expect. The over all view count was 703 over a period of 9 months with a total of 8 published posts. My post on Jester's Pies had exactly 205 page views and the number continues to rise every month.

Before I go on to, here is a list of all the blogs I have, just for y'all that don't know:

1. Life In The Fast Lane (Started December, 2011)

2. 6 Weeks, 6 Cities (Started January, 2012)

3. Slowing Down (Started August, 2012)

4. Face It! (Started September, 2012)

5. Globe Trotting (Asia Edition) (Started October, 2012)

My current blog "Slowing Down" is a contrast to the fast life I lived in Korea. It's a lot more chilled and I'm enjoying little things that I previously took for granted. Slowing Down is only 4 months old but the readership is steadily growing. It takes over from where Life In The Fast Lane left off.

I'm still keepin' on and trying daily to think of new and great blog ideas. I'm so glad I did this for myself. What started out as a simple idea to keep busy has now turned into a vibrant hobby which fills up my spare time nicely.

Here's to many more blogs to come!!! Merry Christmas!!!

Red Brick Beauty

I've been living in Pietermaritzburg for about 4 months and one building I just can't stop admiring is the city hall. I can't help but look at it every time I walk or drive pass. And rightfully so, the city hall is remnant of a very interesting history of South Africa and the city itself.

The City Hall is the largest red-bricked building in the Southern Hemisphere (google confirms that it still has that title). The original red-brick building was destroyed by fire in 1895 but was rebuilt in 1901 using the same style of brick. I've only ever been inside the hall once. 

One side of the City Hall.  The largest red-brick building in the Southern Hemisphere. 

The building itself is absolutely beautiful. The city hall organ is also one of the largest pipe organs in the Southern Hemisphere. The building was declared a national landmark in 1969. The regal city hall in all its glory, is a constant reminder of our Victorian past with its prominent 47m high  bell tower which rings every hour, on the hour. 

I haven't explored much of the inside but certainly from the outside I can admire its beauty and the high level of craftsmanship that went into its construction.

The west-side of the hall. 

The building looks its best when the sun is setting and all the lights are on. It gives it an amazing glow. 

Located at the intersection of two very busy streets. 

As with most city halls, the hall is used for all sorts of events. The KZN Philharmonic Orchestra also makes regular visits to the hall and you can hear the sound of violins and harps through the hallways.