Home again.

 The journey that I had planned for two years has come to an end having visited with 201 SACS Old Boys most of whom I taught, tutored, mentored and/or coached in the 8 school sports that I coached during my 38 years of teaching at Rondebosch (2 years) and SACS (35) years and the USA (1 year). I also visited American friends and some of my family who live in the USA and two lady friends, one in Munich and my junior school sweetheart in Zurich. The journey was real, unreal and surreal and simply amazing.
Now I am home picking up with family and friends and working out my new life one little step at a time.

My brother baked this Babotie for me for my first home supper.

And this is as it appeared on my plate for dinner. So good, so tasty.

Family lunch at my brother Michael and Madeleine's home. Good to be with family again.

The Winder family in Kommetjie. so good to be with them and a great thanks to Paul for taking care of business and Matt for just being Matt and a wonderful SACS Surfing stalwart and captain. 

Matt and I and he is off to UCT to do Actuarial Science in 2015. Go Matt!

The view from my gym. Here we go again. I have a lot to regain in conditioning and a lot to lose in wieght.

So, this is my gym in Constantia. I really enjoy going there. It is a good and happy place for me with people I know and trust.

And then down to my Betty's Bay home with much to do to clear, clean, fix and paint. I love the view at any time of the day, but I have to let it go now.

Sunrise from my deck.

A day and a half worth of sawing, cutting, pruning and trimming with not a snake in sight!

Another view of the amount of clearing that I completed.

Wonderful sunset and a glass of sweet wine as I recover from a full days labour from revarnishing all the exterior timber from 06.00 in the morning, sweeping the entire house and clearing the vegetation.

The 'pile' next to my car. It took two laboureres and a truck to clear it with two loads!

The reconstituted pathway to the front entrance which was invisible before I started the clearing process. Now the Aloes can see the sun again.

Baboon damage on the gable. I have a builder coming in to strengthen it all so it is more 'Baboon proof'! Says he with hope.

The redone pathway to the front and deck. It too was totally invisible and I had to strap up a Protea that had been squahsed to the ground, but had flowers on it nevertheless. And now my home that I built is in the process of being transferred to the new owner. Sad, but I made a good investment in buying this plot and building this house. Thanks to Arnie Weerts and his crew for that and for Gerald Solomon for being my trusty handyman through the years.

Back home and some potent Health juice made by my niece Amy from the vegetable and fruit pile in the box.

Now this is a magic little hole in the wall in Harrington Street with very American dishes at amazingly good prices.

And naturally a big group of my SACS boys (boys no longer) and partners sat at a table next to ours and we sang a rollicking version of the SACS school song to the delight of the patrons and staff. So very good to seee them all and get a hug from each and again when I left. Yay SACS!

And this was my meal and it was fabulous.

I enjoyed the 'House wine' from Riebeek Cellars.

A short visit to the Gawronsky's and so very good to spend time with the twins Jukian and Marcus who had just returned from the SA Intervarsity Debating which he had so successfully co-organized inspite of all the paperwork, forms, lists and his laptop being stolen from his car on the day it got underway. In his usual inimitable style with help from Julian, he re-organized all the indemnities and entries, etc. and the Debating continued flawlessly.

My two advanced History boffins, James Reaper and Luke Neville now finished with High School and off to Italy to ski before plunging into university studies. Two really wonderful young men, both amazingly talented musicians and Luke recently getting his Springbok Scouting Award. (For the Scouts in the USA, the equivalent of an Eagle Scout Award). Luke was one of two SACS boys to become Springbok Scouts in 2014.

And as the year draws to a close, Carols at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gradens. My good friend and erstwhile colleague Gerhard de Jager who conducted the Cape Town Concerr Brass with a number of SACS boys and Old Boys playing too thorugh the selection of Christmas Carols for the 25th year of this Cape Town institution. Four fully booked nights with 5.5 00 people each night. Booked out each night.

Penny Middelkoop and family who kept a place for me. The entrance ticket thanks to Lee French a recent SACS Old Boy and one of my best Historians and Archivists.

Dino trumpeter Bossi and his Mama at the Carols.

Gerhard (hiding) and three of the SACS musicians; Andrew Middelkoop, Dino Bossi and Christian Chandler looking a bit different now that he has completed his schooling!

The traditional 'waving of the candles' but using Glowsticks as a precaution against fire from candles.

The well lit stage with the Cape Town Concert Brass, Cape Town Mens Choir and the Gugukethu Mens Group who all entertained us royally at this annual event which Brought Christmas back to us all in all its tradition.
It is so good to spend time with my SACS boys and their parents as well as all my Cape Town family and specially my Brother Michael and his amazing wife Madeleine who have taken me in until I find my new life.
To all the amazing Old Boys and friends and family around the world, thank you again and again for being so amazing, so generous, so kind to host me all around the world on this fabulous voyage, my GAP year.
One step at a time on this next journey as it continues.

Auckland and the end of an epic journey

Awaiting my flight to Auckland for the final prt of my journey around the world.

Some of the boats at the Maritime Museum in Auckland. It is a spectacular display of all things maritime for the last 500 and more years from the Pacific Islanders through the Maori's to the present. All the various craft and including David Blake and his incredible yachting exploits.

A Moi inter-island sailing boat.

Home of the Hamilton Jet. Who knew that it was invented by a farmer in New Zealand?

Maritime stainless glass windows in the Museum. Stunning.

Another view of the other end of the Maori sailing twin hull.

In the bus on the way to the Motor Transport Museum. Note the ferns!

The Prime Ministers 50cc Honda. I had one in 1st year at university. Mine was Blue of course.

Bit shakey as I was so excited to see this magnificent Ford. Love to have one.

Bad lighting, but these are two of the classic WW2 posters used in NZ for the war savings promotion

This is one of a number of the America's Cup yachts on permanent dsiplay outside the Maritime Museum. What an amazing piece of technology.

Another of the international Around the World Yachts salied by New Zealand. Steinlager.

Long time no=see. Rodger van Kempen and I together again after too many years. Good to see him and spend time together.

Mark Langenhoven found this and refurbished it and had to find a missing wheel in the USA for it to be driveable. These are much sought after now mostly in Europe and the USA and are worth a huge sum compared to when they were manufactured. Collectable.

From the porch at the Langenhovens home in Birkenhead near North Cote. Such an incredibly beautiful forest. Good for the soul at dawn and noon and dusk and everywhere inbetween. The birds which live here make this even more magic.

A little Father Christmas/St. Nicolas in Queen Street. Who said the tradition was passing? Love it. Whether he is St. Nicolas, Sinterklaas, Santa Klaus or the Red attired Coca Cola inspired Father Christmas, let the tradition stay alive and strong.

I love that name more than 'B\New Zeland'. Aotearoa rolls off the tongue so much more easily.

I saw this work in the National Gallery in Auckland. I think it means 'Stand up' or 'Stand tall'  Beautiful word.

I love these 'multi-paintings'. I did a big one for Neil Barnard of his home on the Breede River. Maybe it is time to start painting again and I can do one to join the one in the SACS about my visiting over 200 Old Boys worldwide.

I just love trees and these magestic giants are food for the soul.

How is this for GIGANTIC!

National Museum in a magetic building at the top of the Dominion Gardens. What a hike that was from the Viaduct.

Love this Maori welcome too.

A sacred Maori Meetig House in the museum by permission of the Maori Elders.

A hugely imrpessive 200 man Maori War canoe of the 1840's

I tried everywhere to get a decent photo of a Moa and finally had to settle for this one with glass reflections, but it gave some idea of the size of this, the biggest of the about 24 different types from the islands. So sad that they were wiped out by the islanders in such a short time after their arrival from accross the Pacific.

A beautiful restored Spitfire. Still my favourite plane of all time.

The magnificent Rolls Royce Merlin 12 cylinder engine. What an awesome sound it makes.

So strange being on the 'other side' when viewing this memorial.

How true, how poinant. We do not learn do we? Man is doing it all over again in Iraq and Syria.

We must keep doing this and believe it to be worthwhile.

The second Zero I have ever seen and this one is immaculate.

A touch of hom. An Aristea. So perfect.

Ferry Terminal for all the many islands nearby.

New Zealand 'Chrsistmas Tree. I have seeds.

Andre du Plessis and I together again so many years later. He was my Cadet Band Drum Major.

Jon Riches, Moi, Travis Badenhorst and in front, Mark Langenhoven, International runner, Wayne Botha and Greg Daniel. Leo Miller had left already at this point. Old Boys together at the North Cote Tavern.

My boys pulling faces. Dr. Travis and Dr. Justin Badenhorst in Pharmacology and Veterinary Science. Now that is impressive. So very good to see them both again.

The living garden in the Auckland Botanic Garden. Quite impressive.

Perfect vegetables in the Botanic Gardens.

Beautiful spray of Roses in the Old Garden

The scent from thse Old English Roses was magnificent.

Just to show they don't really dislike us too much. The South African Garden with Proteas and Aloes and Dietes and so many other SA plants that we love.

A little past its prime, but what a magnificent Protea. Made me more homesick.

Impressive entrance to the uckland Botanic Gardens.

A spectacular Ficus in Albert Park in the city. Just look at that enormous trunk bottom centre. Just spectacular.

One of two of the large Naval guns in Albert Park overlooking the harbour.

This tree is over 40 meters wide. Very impressive indeed.

Some idea of this massive tree.

Final flight home from Sydney after leaving Auckland at 03.00 on the 11th and reaching Cape Town at 20.30 on the 11th and don't for a moment think there was not a time difference to add!
So, here I am home at last after an epic voyage having stayed with Mark Langenhoven and Jonathan Riches and theur families in Auckland on the final leg. They were genrous and gracious hosts. One more blog to come and the journey will be complete.