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Cape Town for first time visitors

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The sun sets on another great day in Cape Town
Another great Cape Town sunset

First impressions

Our first venture through the city streets was a little tentative. A few extra checks over the shoulder. Maybe a little jumpy when someone jumped out asking for money. In and around the city bowl, where we were staying, we had already seen a lot of poverty. The taxi from the airport took a rather circuitous route to our Airbnb. Isn’t this taxi drivers the world over? And we had been taken down Longmarket Street, seeing the extent of the homeless refugees, camped out on the streets, in and around the church. I had just spent a glorious, luxurious, 6 days chasing animals, and chasing wines. If ever it was time to reflect on how privileged we are, that time would be now. We were about to experience Cape Town as first time visitors.

The bright colours of Bo-Kaap

Cape Town has quite a reputation, on a number of fronts. Depending on who you talk to, you could either be in for a definite mugging, knife attack, or carjacking, or you could be in for the holiday of a lifetime, with amazing scenery, world class wines, and fine dining to rival anything you have previously had. A South African colleague of mine had primed me with every scare story he could think of it was surprising I wasn’t a nervous wreck from the moment I touched down.

Picture postcard perfect, Table Mountain in Cape Town, perfect for first time visitors
Picture postcard perfect

The V&A waterfront

With bags dropped at our city centre apartment, we walked down to the V&A Waterfront, which took me a few days to work out mean’t the Victoria and Alfred waterfront. Attracting over 20 million visitors a year, the oldest working harbour in the southern hemisphere has been converted into a multi use leisure precinct, teeming with bars and restaurants. Only a 30 minute walk from the city bowl, where we were staying, it could have been a million miles away, and is a great example of the inequality in South Africa. Something we saw all through our 10 day trip. 

The V&A waterfront at night, this should be on the itinerary of Cape Town first time visitors
V&A Waterfront at night

Surrounded by the majestic Table Mountain, the 2010 World Cup final football stadium, and the sea, this is an area that you should visit whilst in Cape Town. If you have a spare R20,300 (approx $2,000) you can stay in the area and have one (yes, just 1) night in one of the cheapest rooms at the Silo Hotel. Trust me, this looks better on the inside, as an old silo mill has been faithfully restored to hold a luxury hotel. We had sunset drinks on the rooftop one evening but were caught unawares by the wind, taking the shine off the experience.

Cape Town for first time visitors should include a visit to the Silo hotel, if you can afford it
The Silo hotel

Did someone say food?

One of the best experiences that South Africa has to offer, less obvious than the animals on safari, and the wineries of Franschhoek, is the world class food it serves up. Having read up on this, and having a travel partner who is on top of her Instagram game, we, or should I say she, had the foresight to book a table for dinner at the fabulous Pot Luck Club (http://thepotluckclub.co.za/). Situated on the top floor of an old silo, in the Biscuit Mill, Pot Luck Club is the sister restaurant to The Test Kitchen (https://www.thetestkitchen.co.za/home). Knowing that the Test Kitchen has been on such illustrious lists as the Best Restaurants of the year, and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, we knew it had good pedigree. We weren’t disappointed. Oh boy, what a night.

Cape Town for first time visitors should include a visit to Pot Luck Club
Cape Town for first time visitors should include a visit to Pot Luck Club
Cape Town for first time visitors should include a visit to Pot Luck Club

Robben Island

The day after, in a more sombre mood, we made our way back to the waterfront to join the Robben Island tour. Robben Island, located just 7 kilometres off the coast of Cape Town, is where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 of the 27 years he spent in prison. Tours depart 4 times a day, offering a 3.5 hour round trip by boat. On the island you are joined by a former inmate who shows you around the prison buildings, including Mandela’s old cell, whilst recounting his experiences as a prisoner on the island. It is moving, frustrating and deeply maddening all at the same time to hear of the injustices of the time.

Robben Island, Cape Town for first time visitors
Long walk to freedom

Getting out of the city

Whilst the previous day on Robben Island left us in a very reflective mood, today was about joining an organised tour and heading out of the city. We spent the day touring along the coast, driving along the breathtaking Chapmans Peak, probably the most scenic drive in the world. Over the course of a fun day, albeit rather over narrated by our enthusiastic driver, we spent time at the Cape of Good Hope (where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet), Hout Bay, and Boulders Beach. 

Pick up a penguin

Now let me say right here, Boulders Beach was THE main reason for the day trip. It was the stop I had been told by Vik that was non negotiable. Whilst planning the trip, back in Sydney, Boulders Beach had always featured very high on the list of things to do. And when you get there, and walk amongst the thousands of African penguins, it all made sense. For some reason these African penguins settled on this sheltered beach in 1982 and it has been home to them ever since, drawing in hordes and hordes of tourists.

Cape Town for first time visitors should include a visit to Boulders Beach

Time for tea, high tea

Tea for two

Escaping the crowds, the day after saw us celebrating what had been a great holiday. One that surpassed all my expectations. And we were going out on a high with a sparkling high tea at the venerable Cape Grace hotel. Regular readers of the blog will no doubt know of my quest to find Sydney’s best high tea and that I always like to try out new ones. And receive your recommendations. In the hushed interior of The Library in the hotel we enjoyed a glass of sparkling MCC (South Africa’s excellent champagne style bubbles) and a tower of decadent delights. Did it hit the heights of the Devonshire Arms in Yorkshire? Maybe the lack of proper clotted cream just let it down.

Table Mountain

What visit to Cape Town is complete without a trip up to the top of Table Mountain? Saying goodbye to our friendly, Manchester United supporting Uber driver, we headed over and joined the queue of people that had the foresight to pre-book tickets online. This did in fact save us quite a bit of time as the queuing system for the cable car ride up is slightly chaotic. With a rotating internal cabin that holds up to 60 people at a time, the ride itself is quite daunting.  Climbing to heights of and being unable to hold on to the sides, as they keep rotating around, the trip is quite discombobulating.

Cape Town for first time visitors should include a visit to Table Mountain
It is a long way up, and down

Until the next time

All good things come to an end, and alas the same was true for this amazing holiday. We had seen the best on offer in Cape Town for first time visitors. We still had one last morning to fill and where better to spend it than at another Instagram favourite of Vik’s. Jason Bakery (@jasonbakerycpt) posts pictures on Instagram that look so good you often find yourself licking your screen. I can confirm that they taste as good as they look, and are well complemented with some of the best coffee I had on the whole trip. We even snuck a couple in the bag to enjoy at the airport ahead of flying home.

Franschhoek, the perfect little corner

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Wines and Vines

Going wine tasting, one of the constant dilemmas is, should we take the car? We have full control over the day, and where to visit, and for how long. But it means one of us can’t drink that much. And that is a big but. Especially when both of you have such a mutual appreciation of wine. One of us can’t fully take part in everything a day amongst beautiful wineries and vineyards has to offer. I’m not saying that you have to drink to have a good time, but it helps, right?

Wine tasting on the Franschhoek wine tram
Both indulging for the day

Today, there were no arguments about who would be the designated driver. There was no coin toss, which suited me, as I usually lose anyway. This morning, and yes people, our wine tasting was going to start in the morning, so you can stop judging me right now, the car was left at the accommodation. We were off wine tasting in Franschhoek. For our day amongst the sweeping valleys we were in the very safe, and very capable hands of the team from the Franschhoek wine tram (https://winetram.co.za/).

The wine valley of Franschhoek near Cape Town
Franschhoek valley

The history of Franschhoek

With the arrival of the French Huguenots in the mid 1600s this small part of South Africa was renamed, taking its name from the Dutch for “French Corner”. Those French refugees began establishing farms that also eventually expanded to include vineyards. Hence, in South Africa, the term wine farm is commonly used. In more recent times, since around the 1990s, there has been a boom in tourism to Franschhoek and it is now widely regarded as the food and wine capital of South Africa. With some justification. There is enough to keep visitors happy for many days, with world class restaurants, boutique luxury accommodation, and some of the best wine you will drink. Don’t drink wine? Fear not, Franschhoek has some great breweries such as Tuk Tuk Microbrewery and the Franschhoek Beer Co.

Food at La Petite Colombe in Franschhoek, South Africa
Yes, that IS food. A marshmallow.
A meal at La Petitie Colombe, Franschhoek, South Africa.
Elegant sufficiency. End of a fabulous meal.

A foodie’s paradise

To celebrate a special occasion, or to just celebrate that you are in one of the world’s most beautiful locations, treat yourself to lunch at La Petite Colombe (https://www.lapetitecolombe.com/), the sister restaurant to the highly acclaimed La Colombe in Cape Town. I can highly recommend the “Chefs Spring Experience” which is an exquisite 7 course lunch. If, like us, you are feeling particularly decadent, include the “Franschhoek Wine Experience” that comprises a matching wine for each course. You will not be disappointed.

Luxury cribs

If all you can do after such indulgence is collapse in a food coma, then a splurge at the boutique hotel Akademie Street (https://aka.co.za/), will leave you well rested, if somewhat poorer. We stayed in the Uitsig suite and once sat on the balcony, with a cold chenin blanc in hand, it is easy to see why it has been named “view”, looking out across the Franschhoek mountains. The wood fired hot tub on the balcony looked like it would go very well with our chilled bottle of Methode Cap Classique (MCC), South Africa’s version of champagne. Whilst unable to call it champagne, not being from Champagne, it is produced in the exact same way, the traditional method with a secondary fermentation in the bottle.

Akademie Street hotel, Franschhoek, South Africa.
Akademie Street boutique hotel
Looking out across the Franschhoek mountains, from the Akademie Street hotel in Franschhoek.
That view though!

Back to the wine

It is in the shadow of these magnificent mountains that you will find the wineries.  And it was the wine, and the history of those wineries that we were here for today. The Franschhoek wine tram has 8 colour coded lines, each taking you through the valley, and to the different wineries and vineyards, travelling through 300 years of history. A little confused by all the options, we selected the blue line, departing the terminal in the centre of town at 11am.  Each line has 9 stops and you are able to stop at each and every one. With the actual size of the tastings poured that we saw that day, that is a lot of wine. As much as we like wine we decided to limit the number of stops and include a lunch (a very good steak sandwich) at La Bourgogne. In total we managed to visit 6 of the wineries/vineyards, and I would like to say we picked the best ones. But after so much wine I was likely to say anything.

The Franschhoek wine tram
The actual tram, on actual tram lines
Franschhoek wine tram
The trolley bus used for much of the day

The Franschhoek wine tram

The wine tram operates just like those big red buses you see in many major cities across the world. In a typical hop on, hop off fashion.  A rolling timetable sees you dropped at one wine farm, then collected exactly an hour later. Of course, should you wish to stretch out your lunch, and spend longer at a particular winery, then you will have your next tram in 2 hours. Whilst cleverly marketed as the “Franschhoek wine tram”, most of the vineyards and wine farms are serviced by open air tram style buses, with only a few actually reached by the real life vintage tram. Sipping our welcome drink that we got when boarding the tram at the terminal, we headed out to visit both Grande Provence and Rickety Bridge wine estates. To prove that Franschhoek is not all luxurious restaurants and glamorous hotels we got picked up in a tractor/trailer combo to take us from the tram platform to the cellar door.

Your carriage awaits
Grande Provence wine farm, on the Franschhoek wine tram
More great views

Costs

As with most things in South Africa, the cost of the day is very reasonable.  Tickets for a day pass on the hop on hop off tour cost R260 (approx $26) each. Tasting fees at the cellar doors were additional and ranged between R25 and R150 ($2.50 and $15). Judging by the atmosphere on the last tram back into the village, everybody had a great day. The early morning silences had been filled with tispy ramblings and new friendships boisterously being made over one of civilisations oldest social lubricants, wine. Cin cin.

Babylonstoren, near Franschhoek.
A must visit on the way to, or from Franschhoek

Wine tasting in Franschhoek is an experience not to be missed. Being only about an hours drive from Cape Town, it is a great place to get away for the weekend. Add in visits to the must see wine farms of Babylonstoren and Boschendal on the way through, and you are starting to see the best of what the region can offer. I think the wine region of Stellenbosch, next door, gets more exposure outside of these parts but my heart is in Franschhoek. When can I return?

In search of the big 5 in South Africa

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Getting there

Negotiating the crowds is half the battle. I’m not sure what it is about airports that turns people into different creatures, but at times that morning I felt as though we had started our holiday early.  Announcements that set off mass migrations from the watering holes, leaving unfinished pints to dash to the departure gates. We were leaving mere mortals behind and were off in search of bigger fish. Well, not literally. We were staying on dry land, off in search of the big 5 in South Africa.

The tent at Tanda Tula safari camp
Home for the 3 nights

From Johannesburg airport, our destination that first morning was to Timbavati, which neighbours the more well known Kruger National Park.  A 1 hour flight into Eastgate Airport, in Hoedspruit, we were headed on our very first safari. At least I hoped we were. Whilst at Jo’Burg airport one of the security staff asked me exactly where Hoedspruit was. I started to worry I had booked a flight to some obscure South African town with little hope of spotting any animals. I needn’t have worried.

Home for the next 3 nights was to be the Tanda Tula ( https://www.tandatula.com/ )safari camp in the Timbavati game reserve. I say “camp”, but this was unlike any camping I had previously done in the Yorkshire Dales.  No sleeping on mats on the floor. Brewing up coffee on a camping stove that you struggle to balance on the uneven grass. No. This was very different. Tanda Tula has 12 luxury tents set around a pool that overlooks a watering hole. Each tent comprised of very comfortable king size bed, large bath, double sink and outside shower. Showering in the open air, under the watchful gaze of the local monkey population, I thought “this is the epitomy of glamping.”

Swimming pool at Tanda Tula safari camp
The watering hole for humans

Getting to Timbavati

We had flown into Johannesburg direct from Sydney, and decided to sleep off the 14 hour flight with an overnight stop at the City Lodge hotel, located right in Jo’Burg airport.  This allowed us to wake refreshed and ready to start our holiday. Thankfully, we had a good breakfast in the hotel that morning as the apple danish offered on the plane could have sunk a battleship.  Or perhaps have been used as a weapon. We had wheels down just before 11am in quite possibly the smallest airport I have ever visited. In the absence of a conveyor belt we had some airport staff lugging our luggage off the tractor for us.

An air conditioned mini-van, rather than a tractor, conveyed us to the Tanda Tula camp. Our driver must have smiled at our over exuberance as we kept asking him to stop so we could take pictures of the glimpses of giraffes and elephants we were getting.  Three days later we got to the point of telling our guide “drive on, they are just elephants”. Our first search for the big 5 in South Africa was going well. In fairness to us, and to explain our apparent ambivalence, we were searching our first rhino at the time. That first drive to the camp was also when we got our initial sightings of the fast food of the bush. Impalas are so named for the very distinctive markings on their behinds that look much like a large “M”, as seen on golden arches across the world. I was to discover just how good barbecued impala tastes some days later.

Impalas at Tanda Tula game reserve. Fast food of the bush.
Fast food of the bush

The Game Drives

But before food, day 2 started with the 5.00am wake up call. The morning game drives set off from camp at 5.30am, and we were woken with a tray of coffee and tea 30 minutes prior each day. We had been warned to close our tent once we had our coffee due to the errant monkeys. I must have forgotten to secure it properly and got the shock of my life when brushing my teeth and I saw a monkey behind me inside our tent. On our bed. Had I been a moment longer I think he may have poured himself a cup of coffee. They really were that bold. Future mornings saw me securing all three zips of the tent into the supplied carabiner.

Ready for an adventure

Tent safely shut up, we headed out to meet our guide, and driver, Scotch.  Patrick, our tracker was perched at the front. The sun was already up as we joined two other couples and the six of us boarded our open green Land Rover. I wasn’t sure whether to be worried, or comforted by the rifle Scotch was carrying with him. I felt a lot better when he told me he has never had to fire it whilst out on a game drive.

What are you looking at?
Zebras at Timbavati game reserve whilst on safari with Tanda Tula
Zebras, crossing

That very first game drive will live with me for a very long time. I had no idea how many animals we would see each day. I was blown away by what we did see. Timbavati is an open game reserve, which means that there are no fences. The animals really can go wherever they like, meaning there are no guarantees on what you will see. If I told you that we saw our first leopard, up a tree with an impala kill, buffalo, zebras, elephants, vultures, and lots of other smaller creatures, would you be as impressed as I was? I was lost for words. Not knowing what to expect coming into this trip, all my expectations had already been exceeded.

Lions at Timbavati game reserve whilst on safari with Tanda Tula.
King of the jungle (or bush)
A parade of elephants at Tanda Tula game reserve.
Cuteness levels go into overdrive

Breakfast fit for a king

All this and we still hadn’t had our bush breakfast, which was served after each morning game drive. Cooked and served at tables located in a dry river bed, there was some special kind of magic happening in the open kitchen.  Open bbqs held skillets of sizzling bacon, crispy morsels of lamb ribs, creamy scrambled eggs, hash browns, tomatoes, and toast. And this was just for starters. Imagine how happy I was when I discovered the bottle of HP sauce. Freshly brewed coffee, flaky croissants, and fresh fruit completed the feast. Washed down with a sparkling wine I was starting to think the 3 days we had booked would be woefully inadequate.

Morning coffee on the Tanda Tula safari game drive
Taking a break for morning coffee and the bush “toilet”

Feast over, we hopped back in the Land Rover and were transported back to camp to relax.  The afternoon game drive was at 4pm each day so before then we had free time to chill out around the camp. Maybe take a dip in the pool. Take advantage of the all inclusive package. Each tent was stocked to bursting with wines, beers and spirits. I quickly discovered Amarula, the Bailey’s of Africa. All I needed now was a nap.  But wait, what were those drums I could hear across the camp? Is it 1.30pm already? My belly groaned as it realised it was now lunchtime. Chef Kuni proudly laid out a “light” lunch spread which was enough to feed way more than the 12 or so guests I had seen so far in camp. I couldn’t get out of my chair once I had finished. At least there was no more until, oh wait, until 3.30pm when we have afternoon coffee and cakes before the 4pm drive. The button on my shorts popped off as I waddled back to the tent.

With a new pair of shorts on we headed out at 4pm and had an equally impressive number of sightings on the afternoon game drive. The drive was punctuated by sundowner drinks out in the bush. It now made sense why I was asked earlier what drink I wanted for sunset. They were all stored in the jeep and brought out for us all to enjoy as the sun set on another glorious day. I have been overwhelmed by the amount of animals that we have been seeing. Truly blessed to have witnessed so much wildlife in their natural habitat.

Dinner is served

Back at camp for around 7.30pm we had time for more drinks before dinner and on the menu tonight was gin. Lots of gin. We had a couple of distillers from Jo’Burg at the camp searching the bush for new botanicals for a range of gins they were developing. This evening they had brought along many bottles of their current range and we all had much fun sampling them. The early start, the long day, and now copious amounts of gin had resulted in me building up quite an appetite. Head Chef Kuni really came into his own serving us a restaurant quality 3 course meal, with as much South African wine as you could drink. Quite literally. Knowing that I had a 5am wake up call, and a possible fight with some monkeys, I figured I’d had enough gin and wine for one evening and decided to retire to bed. Tanda Tula is an open camp which meant we had to get an escort back to our tent in the dark. I initially thought this was a bit over the top until I heard about the lion prints spotted the day after.

And just like that, as so often happens on great holidays, the days had started to find their natural rhythm. Game drive. Eat. Drink. Eat. Game drive. Eat. Drink. Sleep. Repeat.

Rhino
Sampling rhino dung whilst on safari with Tanda Tula
Rhino poo

The reason we were here

Day 3 brought a special birthday to celebrate. I would never reveal a lady’s age but suffice to say we had a great day and celebrated at every opportunity.  It was also on Friday that we finally completed our “big 5” with the spotting of a number of rhinos. The trip truly was complete. And in a special touch for our last evening, Tanda Tula had arranged for champagne at sunset for all 6 of us in our group. Each couple had a milestone to celebrate and Scotch did all he could to get us back in time to see the sunset. The amount of leopards we kept bumping into on our way seriously hampered our ability to see the setting sun.

Leopard with a kill at Timbavati game reserve whilst on safari with Tanda Tula
Perfect shot
Sun setting over Timbavati game reserve whilst on safari with Tanda Tula
Perfect sunset
Perfect sundowners at Timbavati game reserve whilst on safari with Tanda Tula
Perfect sundowners

Reflections of a great holiday

My first safari ticked every single box. Amazing location. Luxurious accommodation. First class service. Top quality food. And the only person I would want to share it with. The next order of business? Booking a return visit.

Sculpting a perfect morning in Bondi

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It takes a lot to break me out of my morning coffee routine but the promise of a walk by the sea and some culture does the trick.  Making our way to the eastern suburbs from the city, the number of people sharing our journey suggested many had the same idea. I suspected we weren’t in for a quiet stroll.

Sculptures by the Sea

Whether it is the walk you have come for, or the culture, today will tick both boxes.  Sculptures by Sea ( https://sculpturebythesea.com/ ) is Australia’s largest annual outdoor exhibition. Located at Bondi Beach, in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, since 1997 the festival features art from both Australian and overseas artists.  This long run may be coming to an end with an ongoing wrangle between the organisers and the local council threatening to make this the last year the event is held in Bondi.

The coastal path on Bondi's Sculptures by the Sea
A walk with a view

Whichever way the dispute is settled, the festival is sure to keep it’s late spring slot in the calendar.  Straddling the months of October and November, the festival avoids the heat of the mid summer months. The event is based predominantly in Bondi and along the start of the coastal walk, but we opted to do the journey in reverse.  Starting at Coogee proved to be a masterstroke with us being able to avoid the worst of the crowds for most of the 6kms stretch of coastal pathway. This made for a more peaceful stroll and allowed us to take full advantage of the scenery as the ocean beat a constant refrain against the cliff tops.

Waverley cemetery overlooks the ocean on the Sculptures by the sea walk
Waverley cemetery overlooking the ocean

Refuelling

As the walk meanders into the various bays along the coast you come down from the cliffs, giving you the opportunity to refuel.  There are numerous food and drink options along the way, from beachside shacks dispensing cold drinks and ice lollies, to cafes offering more substantial fayre.  Bronte Beach is a perennial favourite and is home to the original outlet of Three Blue Ducks (www.threeblueducks.com). This institution has now spread to Byron Bay.

Boats on the beach along the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk

Leaving Bronte, heading north, the walk takes you back up along the cliff tops and around to Tamarama Beach.  A lot smaller than Bronte, and still some 2kms from Bondi, this is where the sculptures begin. Seemingly scattered on both the grassed area and on the beach, this is your first opportunity to see the artwork up close.  You will also notice a visible increase in selfie sticks. The number of people taking photos increases exponentially. As does the amount of times you will be asked, or should this be ordered, to move so someone can get an even better photo!

Scupltures by the Sea, Bondi to Coogee coastal walk
Tamarama beach along the coastal walk hosting the sculptures by the sea
Tamarama beach

Swimming Upstream

Extricating yourself from someone’s family album, keep walking because just around the corner is one of the main draws of the walk.  Leaving Tamarama, like a salmon swimming upstream, keep following the path and soon the crowds become hordes. Your jaunty pace will slow to a crawl.  The perfect photo becomes harder to capture. Reaching the top of the headland, and rounding the corner, you will see the waters of Bondi shimmering in the distance. Surfers dot the sea like currants in a Garibaldi biscuit.  The world famous beach stretches out ahead of you and look closely and you might get a glimpse of the distinctive blue uniforms adorned by the professional life savers. Even closer up you may even recognise some of them from the TV show “Bondi Rescue”.

Bondi beach in the distance
“Is this where the queue starts?”
I wouldn’t mess with him

Reward Time

I won’t be going for a dip in the sea today but I am happy to be rescued from the hordes.  Once again the combination of the exercise, the scenery and taking in some culture leaves me feeling refreshed, but thirsty.  With the 6kms coastal walk finished it is time to head away from the main attractions and pick up that coffee that I skipped earlier. Checking the time I think maybe I should replace the coffee with something a little stronger, and a lot colder.

Anyone got a pencil sharpener?

Having a tiny adventure

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Coffee and a kookaburra

As I sat with my coffee out on the small wooden deck, watching the world slowly wake up and come to life, I was reminded of why I was here.  On this trip. It was for the solitude. For a slice of the simple life. Off the grid. To have a tiny adventure.

In the early morning light, chapters of the book I was reading, The Truants by Kate Weinberg, were interspersed with trying to get the perfect shot of the friendly kookaburra that had come to say hello.  At least, that’s what I thought he was trying to convey through his inimitable laugh. In the distance a cockerel was crowing, announcing to whomever would listen that it was time to get up.

The woods in the grounds of the off grid tiny house Robinson
Sometimes you have to slow down, to see the wood from the trees

This was the first morning waking up in the tiny house that we were to spend the weekend in.  Owned by a company called In2thewild, there are a number of these tiny houses scattered across New South Wales, and Victoria. We were up in the Lake Macquarie region, in a small village called Wyee.  Our home for the weekend was, called Robinson (Crusoe). This was actually our fall back option as we had originally planned to stay at Isabella, near Kangaroo Valley, but in the time between booking, and visiting, she had been moved to Orange. This would have doubled our planned travelling time.

Wildlife of Wyee, home of Tiny House Robinson, where we went off grid for the weekend.
The welcome committee

Refueling after a long drive

Located 100 kms from Sydney, the trip to our tiny house should have only taken 1 and a half hours.  Having lived in Sydney for many years, I now know to add a lot of fat into that. On the way up, cruising up the Pacific Coast highway, we did it in under 2 and a half hours. Coming home was a different story.  Labour Day weekend traffic, and a crash on the Pacific Highway had us parking back up at home some 3 hours later.

The road up to Tiny House Robinson, where we were staying off grid for the weekend
Trying to find Tiny House Robinson

We were told we had a strict 3pm check in. How this works in practice, as we already had the code for the key drop-box, I am not completely sure. But with time on our hands we decided to get some lunch in the nearby village of Morriset.  We were not spoiled for choice. It was midday on the Saturday of a long weekend, so where were all the people? Maybe all the in the Lake Macquarie Hotel (pubs tend to be called hotels in Australia), but as we walked past, the doors were so dark we couldn’t even tell if that was open.  Most things in the village appeared to either be shut up, or abandoned. Even the police station had a polite notice on the door telling all those in dire need of assistance that “the station was not manned today”.

Our saviour, which I use lightly, was the Star and Grill, which looked busier than it looked salubrious.  Nevertheless, as the saying goes, beggars are not in a position to be choosers.  Looking for options that are hard to get wrong I went for the homemade (my bold) chicken schnitzel, which left me wondering what other kind there was.  Perhaps they have different chickens up here I thought. Where the schnitzel grows on the bird.  Who knows.

Schnitzel demolished, we had now killed enough time to check ourselves into the tiny house that was to be our home for the next few days.  It was time to start having our tiny adventure. Following our directions, which we had printed out knowing how patchy phone coverage would be, we did the short drive from Morriset to Wyee, then turned off the main road, down a side road, and up into the forest.  Bumping around on the uneven gravel road up the hill, we spotted the gate, set back from the road, with a “In2TheWild” sign telling us we had arrived.

the Tiny House Robinson, our home for the off grid weekend in Wyee
Check out the dimensions on the Tiny House

First impressions 

Driving through the open gate, and parking just off to the right, we could immediately see the house, nestled down amongst the trees.  I use the word house, but I have to be honest, it was even tinier than I had imagined, and I had seen all the pictures beforehand. There were no cats being swung this weekend.  With a faint smell of burnt wood in the air, and a constant waft of eucalyptus, we carried our bags, which included all our food and drink for the weekend, down to the house. Thankfully we had brought an esky, and had just bought a bag of ice from the local servo, as the fridge in the house was the size of a small beer fridge.  Enough room for some milk, our wide collection of salami and cheeses, plus a few beers. All the essentials for a weekend away.

The kitchen in Tiny House Robinson, our off grid home for the weekend
Quite spacious, is it not?
The tiny house Robinson, off grid living in Wyee
Picture perfect

Now, hands up those of you that have seen Dr Who.  Good, then you will know what a tardis is. Well, once you get past how small this house looked on the outside, check out the picture above, when I got inside it threw me how much room we seemed to have.  There was a small kitchen, with a two hob stove serviced by the gas bottles outside. There was an oversize sink, that in my opinion could be swapped out for a smaller one creating additional, or some, food preparation space.  The toilet looked like a real toilet, and it wasn’t until you flushed, that you were immediately reminded of pooing on an aeroplane. You weren’t plumbed in, and your waste was only going as far as the septic tank underneath the house.  The bathroom also included a very modern looking shower that we could only ever get to spit out cold water.

Large windows all around the house created a further sense of space.  What the windows upstairs didn’t have were blinds. The eye mask that is provided was going to come in useful if we wanted to sleep beyond the rising of the sun. We were going to be embracing our circadian rhythm this weekend.  To get up to bed we had to negotiate 6 very steep, smooth wooden steps. If this looked challenging now you should have seen me attempting it after a bottle of cabernet.  

The steps in Tiny House Robinson, off grid in Wyee
Try this when you have had a tipple

Not that you would need storage space for this kind of minimalist weekend trip, but there were a few cupboards. Enough to store some food, and the board games, and a deck of cards that were provided to give you options for keeping entertained once night set in.  The stairs were constructed in such a way that the bottom few doubled up as storage space, with a tiny bookshelf under one of them. Inside we had everything we would need for the next few days, and outside on the deck there was the all important BBQ.

When off grid literally means just that

Being off grid, and powered by solar panels, the house does not have any electrical power sockets. This meant that this was the most redundant I had ever seen Victoria’s hairdryer and straighteners.  It also meant we were in the (un)enviable, you decide, position of not being able to charge our phones. How often are any of us in this position in this day and age, tethered as we are to our mobile devices.  Believe me, it is very liberating. Just knowing that not only have you not got a full mobile signal, but you can’t charge your phone up any way.

Camp living, off grid in Wyee at Tiny House Robinson
When you finally get some firelighters!

Now, let me say something here.  As much as I love being out in the wilderness, having a tiny adventure, and the Instagram photos of tables, heavily laden with a feast of food, look very appealing, nobody ever tells you about the large flying creatures, and the mosquitoes that appear to have been on steroids.  I love the idea of channelling my inner Thoreau, imagining I am sat on the edge of my own pond, quietly reading my book, with a glass of wine. But damn, if only those flies had read the script. Later in the evening, it wasn’t the flies that scared the bejeesus out of us.  It was the huntsman spider, the size of a small cat, (that could be a slight exaggeration, based on the amount of wine we had drunk) than ran across the outside of the window, right by our heads. At this point, I started frantically looking around the house to see if he could sneak in anywhere, and eat me in the night.

Survival kit at Tiny House Robinson, off grid in Wyee
But no firelighters

Maybe if I lit the campfire, that would discourage both the flies and mosquitoes.  Ah, the campfire. I wasted a whole New Yorker, and the best part of a box of matches trying to get the fire going without firelighters.  There was a “survival kit” provided but I wish the sachet of porridge had been swapped for some much more practical firelighters. It had gotten dark, literally, by the time I admitted defeat on the first night.  We had no kindling. We had no fire. I was proving to be no Bear Grylls. I had to have a second whisky nightcap to drown my disappointment.

A new dawn and final impressions

The morning dawned bright, with an hour lost to the clocks going forward.  This was inconsequential to us as we were not on any kind of timetable this weekend.  Clambering, which is the only way I can describe it, precariously down the stairs, I brewed up coffee with my beloved Aeropress, and made a Yorkshire tea, nice and strong for Victoria.  Experience has taught me to always pack some fresh coffee, and my Aeropress when going on trips. There was a cafetiere in the house, but the only coffee provided was that instant kind that comes in glass jars. I didn’t even think people still drank this.

Morning coffee in Wyee, off grid in Tiny House Robinson
Morning coffee

Back on the deck, the snap and sizzle of a frying pan told me that breakfast was on the way.  Bacon, egg, and black pudding breakfast. This has become a travel classic, always cooked up on our trips away.  Sat back in my Adirondack chair, hypnotised by the trees, blankets of green laid on top of the lines and lines of wooden sentries, I was rested, and very relaxed.  Pockets of sunshine crept through the canopy as I marvelled at how easy it could be to slow our lives down when we are mindful of it. This weekend was about having a tiny adventure. Our intention was to unplug, unwind, read, and relax this weekend.  Sipping my coffee, looking out into the forest, I had concluded that we had made a great success of it.

Apologies for my lack of technical skills

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Recently, I thought it would be a great idea to add a pop-up to my very basic blog. The idea was good, give people an easy way to subscribe, ensuring you never miss a post.

However, I believe the execution, by me, was poor. Which resulted in the pop up appearing, and you not being able to get past the rather annoying screen.

Hmm.

What to do? Well, firstly, I have removed the offending pop up. I hope. The first test is whether you all get this update, and whether you are still blocked by a very pesky pop up.

My very small ask is that, should you get this update, please just reply with a very simple confirmation so I know things are back working, sans offending pop up.

If this works, then I need to work out how to add subscribers in a much easier, and less frustrating way.

Thanks for listening!

Fran