H is for Howick and the Natal Midlands Part 1

The post for G should also have contained an apology for the late posting so here goes... I only got home at 6:30 from our trip to the Doctor in Ballito and I was shattered. I really did want to post but it just didn't happen. In future I will prepost for days like that.

So here goes H

We spent this past weekend in the Midlands and it was lovely and relaxing as always. I don't think I could live there but it really is a great spot to escape too.

This time I found a lovely spot to stay in that you just have to try. Sheltered Vale is about 6km away from the town of Rossetta on the Kamberg Road. Its just a few minutes drive to the main Midlans attractions but a wonderful peaceful spot to stay. The cottages are nicely spaced so that you feel you have the view all to yourself. Each cottage has two bedrooms, a nice bathroom, patio with a braai, fully equipped kitchen and a lounge with a fireplace and TV. All this for just R600 per night makes it the bargain of the Midlands. You have complete run of the farm to go for long walks. They have a few super friendly dogs that Ewan loved... don't worry the dogs are not allowed in the cottages( I hate staying at places with dog hair on the bed). There is a huge amount of space in the gardens for kids to run and just be kids. The manager Doug was friendly without being intrusive so we had a wonderful quite weekend without being disturbed.

We tried to have a really child friendly weekend for Ewan's sake as the Midlands is generally a place that Andrew and I visit as a couple. So here are our finds of the weekend.

The Junction- great food although the portions can be huge.. nice kids menu although it did lack any real breakfast items. The playground is surrounded by tables and it's huge. Children can have fun while the parents relax and enjoy their meal.  It gets very busy on Sunday mornings with bike runs from Durban. The shops in the complex are interesting and I had the great find of a dress for my brothers wedding that isn't a maternity dress:) The same complex hosts a candle dipping shop and an archery arena called Robin Hoods. RH is only open on weekends and it can be booked for parties. A kids meal gets you three free shots at Robin Hoods. Lovely idea for older kids.

Piggly- Wigglys: This is another shopping spot with a playground. The playground isn't as nice as the junction but there is a really sweet mini-golf course that charges R20 a player. Ewan really had a blast with that. We didn't try the wood fired pizza at the restaurant but apparently it is really good.

Swissland Cheese: A really nice spot for cheese tasting up in the forests. Ask for a cheese board and knives when you purchase your cheese then move to their lovely picnic spot for a relaxing afternoon. You can stay as long as you want and bring other food as long as you buy some of their cheese and don't want to braai. For R2 you can buy a small pack of goat food to hand feed the goats. This is a huge hit with kids and kept Ewan happy for about 20 min. He is still talking about it. Take a picnic blanket and enjoy the afternoon.

A spot for adults

The Wine Cellar- this spot is just North of Rossetta and stocks the most amazing wines. You can even find bottles from obscure little vineyards in the Cape. Another find is the Calitzdorp Port. This is the only spot outside of Calitzdorp that I have ever found this port. Spend a good hour searching through the bottles and you will be rewarded with some truly great finds.

Places to eat:

Our favourite spot is Caversham Mill. I have never had a bad meal here. The menu is fairly small but the specials board is huge. The restaurant overlooks a small waterfall. Lovely sight at lunch time and a wonderful background sound at night. The childrens menu is small but kids are very welcome here. It's also a great spot for a romantic evening out. Staff are very friendly and will go out of their way to help you. The duck spring rolls on the main menu are heavenly. This is also a great spot to stay.

Now I need to go put small people to bed so I will post a series of photos from the weekend plus a few other restaurants and places to stay in the morning. Just putting this up so I stay on track.