Kenridge Primary Visits Mazwil

To celebrate a succesful hockey season Mazwil Retreat hosted Cape Town's Kenridge Primary School Girls First Hockey team and their coaches for a relaxing weekend of fun in the sun.......

The team did Kenridge and the parents proud during the season, top results, huge regional representation, great sportsmanship on and off the field and plenty of entertainment for the supporters. Highlights of the season included a tour of the Garden Route, the Regional Tournament in Oudtshoorn and day/night Astro tournaments in Stellenbosch. Many, many tense moments- some games going down to penalty flicks to decide the outcome.

Our special thanks to Mariette Rix, Springbok Ladies Goal keeper, for her visit to the team- what a motivation that was for the goalie and other players!!!

After the final bell on Friday afternoon a gang of very excited young ladies loaded their tog bags into the trailer and boarded the bus for a quick trip to the farm.
Kaptein " spanned die seile" at full volume and the bus was off.

A drive through the spectacular Winelands with a stop, of course, to satisfy the hunger bug and the team arrived safely at the farm.
A flurry of activity ensued with the erection of the tents, exploring the surroundings and deciding where to sleep.

Dinner heating in the oven, music playing, girls chatting---> the place was abuzz!

The Girls plans for Saturday...... chill, chill, chill and chill some more.

Saturday morning was glorious, the coaches rounded the ladies up for a quick hike up the koppie. Sitting on a rocky outcrop conversation around the past season, the move to high school, high school hockey, the indoor season and what was for breakfast was most entertaining.

The smell of the baking muffins accelerated the march down. Muffins, fruit, some cereal, juice and toast and the stars were ready to move to the dam. CHILL time......................................

Out came the lilo's, tubes, paddle ski's but the cool water kept everyone on the grass. As the sun got higher the resistance to the cool water disappeared and soon we were bomb dropping off the deck and "walking the plank" on the windsurfer.

With some ingenuity, a length of rope, a quad bike and a paddle ski we had a real fun- Bravo girls!!!

Chicken burgers for lunch, then the team dressed for a trip to a neighbouring pig farm.

Cute piglets!!!

Richard Napier gave us a tour of the Fountain Valley farm and Happy Hog Piggery. Poor Chrissie had to pay her forfeit here! Brave girl!!

Interesting pork facts, pigs in poo and wide eyed girls.

Jessie, the Labrador puppy, stole many hearts too.

A quiet afternoon followed, monopoly at the dam, collecting some fire wood, throwing each other into the pool. Not even Mr H escaped.

A big bonfire on the deck with marshmallows and lots of chatting saw the afternoon out

A braai for dinner, some "hide and go seek" and then the gang were ready for indoor games. 11:30pm, mom and dad acknowledge defeat and head for bed. Sunday morning, the lounge is littered with snoring lumps. Sleeping where they fell. We understand that the party continued beyond 1:30am.........

A loud hailer and cold water gets everyone up and off for a Sunday stroll to the waterfall on Pieter and Geriede Jouberts' farm Remhoogte. Protestation from the troops, but after a game of "dodge the dung" and the revulsion at the enormous locusts waiting to pounce from the bushes, the spirit is up. Natural spring water, some fruit and lots of chatter, cell phone pictures at the waterfall.

Back at the house, breakfast and a leisurely pack up of the gear and a lounge around for the rest of the day. Quad biking, some swimming, tanning just chilling!

Reluctantly time came to depart for home. All the bodies into the bus, CD player warmed up and off to Cape Town.
Mike, our man, did not put in an appearance, but we are sure he has watching from the shadows.

It was our pleasure to host such a fine bunch of young ladies. These girls are a credit to their parents and Kenridge Primary. We wish the girls all well in their passage to their respective high schools next year. We look forward to meeting up on the pitch!!!

Our thanks to Miss Hamilton and Mr Hill! Their dedication to the team is extra ordinary- our girls have flourished under their guidance. THANK YOU so much!

Pieter and Geriede, Richard and Linda thank you also for giving of your time and allowing us access to your properties- our girls loved it! Baie dankie julle!

More pictures to be found here

Mazwil Retreat - Farm Accommodation Robertson Wine Valley South Africa: Farm Stay Accommodation Cape Town South Africa

Mazwil Retreat - Farm Accommodation Robertson Wine Valley South Africa: Farm Stay Accommodation Cape Town South Africa

Hands on Harvest Accommodation

The inaugural Hands on Harvest kicks off on Friday 27 February 2009.

This new addition to the Robertson wine valley experience promises to be an exciting family fun weekend.
This festival aims to introduce us all to the behind the scenes aspects of wine production and related activities.
One can harvest grapes, press them and get them into your own barrel or......
enjoy browsing the craft markets, live music and plentiful food.

For the active amongst us a horse back wine tasting tour may be just the ticket or a leisurely tractor trip through the vineyards might be just the thing to get your appetite up for a sumptuous afternoon tea on Saturday.

Some "hands on harvest" activities will be held on Estates that are not normally open to the public which makes this event one NOT to be missed

A good nights sleep in the tranquil valley will stand you in good stead for a traditional farmhouse breakfast on Sunday morning followed by a slow cruise down the Breede river.

http://www.handsonharvest/ has more details- book early to avoid disappointment!

Rigg's Church Bonnievale

I'm sitting here smiling like a Cheshire cat............, I really am blessed! My house is like a war zone, my kids are running amok.

Number 2 has just run past me at supersonic speed, popped a handstand on the arm of the couch, rolled on the seat and vaulted out the door. Number 3, close behind her, could not land the handstand and ploughed into the seat sending the cushions flying.......

I suppose I should be shouting but this weekend I had an insight into a different experience.

I pushed the large ornate key into the rusty lock, lifted the door handle and eased the heavy door open. Silence engulfs me as I step into the cool entrance of Riggs Church in Bonnievale, South Africa.


The only church known to have been built at the bequest of a child.


A story of love, devotion, sadness and appreciation.....

In 1894, at 33, Christopher Rigg married the 19 year old Lillian Moon, a young lady from the Robertson district.

Their first daughter, Mabel, was born in Johannesburg in 1895 and sadly died at the town of Lindley that same year. Gladys was born at Lindley and managed to survive for 9 months.

In need of change the Rigg's relocated to the Bonnievale area in 1900.

Some of the local farmers where attempting bring water by canal from the Bree River into the area. The first water arrived in Bonnivale in 1900 but the debris that washed down during the winter season kept blocking and destroying the canals.

Christopher Rigg had much experience as an explosives expert and used his skills to aid the community by blasting tunnels to improve the passage of the water. Unfortunately in 1906 financial problems dogged Christopher. At that point between 80 and 100 people were working on the project. In order to save the project a bank in Robertson put together a bail out package and the tunnels were completed .

The press hailed the Mr Rigg's accomplishment as the largest South African engineering project to be undertaken by one man.

In 1910 Rigg donated the canal system to the newly formed Zandrift Irrigation Board, with the proviso that he could be of service to the board.



In 1903, during this exciting period their 3rd daughter Mary Myrtle was born . Mary was a bright child and a delight to her parents and community. Mary loved to play in the Lucerne fields close to her home and it is reported that she was a very religious little girl.


Unfortunately, in 1911, Mary contracted Meningitis and passed away. On her death bed she asked her father to build her a church. Mary Myrtle was buried in her favorite Lucerne field close to her home and her distraught father began the construction of a small Norman church.


In the years following Mary's death Christopher Rigg travelled Africa on various projects and collected items with which to finish the church. Most notable of which are the impressive wooden entrance doors. These had been destined for a prison in Zanzibar and were rumoured to be 300 years old at the time of purchase. Stone was quarried some 100 meters from where the church stands, the domed ceiling was assembled from rocks collected from the river.





Progress on the church was slow, the Corner Stone is dated 1921 but the first service was held in 1924.

This beautiful church can be used for intimate weddings or baptism surely the place to remind you of the worth of children. A gift to us, to love, cherish and nurture.

I know I have been blessed......3 times!

(Much more information is available at the Bonnievale tourist office!)

If these stories have been of interest please leave a comment and I will inform you of new and interesting stories that we find as we explore the area!

Snakes swimming

Imagine, Sunday afternoon, you are under the car, frustrated at the inaccessibility of the filler plug when your kid tugs on your leg and says ' Hey dad, there is a snake swimming in the dam!"

Sure enough, cruising between the reeds is a BIG guy!!

Mad dash to the house for the camera and the quietest approach to the deck possible ( with heaving chest)

Some moments to compose yourself, steady the hands and the hide and seek begins.

Shortly the Cape Cobra makes its appearance, 2 meters long at least. Some light stepping and I am in a position to get a good view. The cobra emerges from the reeds, becomes aware of me and freezes. Its tongue sampling the air.... She begins to move toward me, my pulse races then she turns and disappears into the grass. Back on the deck without touching the grass, we are looking at the pictures when a movement on the open water catches our eye.....

This time its not the Cobra but a Puff Adder- swimming straight for the deck! We lie down and watch the approach. This snake is on the hunt for frogs. The puff swims under the deck, not 40cm from my face- what a beautiful creature.

The snake stops, lies in the shallows, samples the air and explores the grass at the dams edge.
Two flicks of the tail and she lies amongst the grass, the camouflage kicks in, had we not known where she lay we would never have seem her......

Back into the reeds she goes and is gone from sight. 10 minutes later she breaks cover from the reeds on the far bank of the dam and makes her way across the dam to the deck. More hunting in the shallows.

It is impossible to imagine that such an animal was oblivious to our presence, yet by remaining calm and quiet we were able to experience at close hand a spectacle that most would only see on National Geographic.
Africa is truly an awesome place!!