A couple of days later and we were packing again for a birding weekend with Vaughn’s parents in Buzzard Mt, Louis Trichardt. Lily went to spend a day at the fuel and carbuerator health hydro while the rest of us were sent out to buy goodies and pack. (When do I get to go to a health hydro?) Friday arrived, the packing was soon done and we were eventually on our way. First stop to check tire pressure, wallet left at home, return home to fetch it, return to fetch my mom, traffic jam, fetch Sue – we finally left Johannesburg 2 hours later. Lily cruised along happily and all was well until our dicky fuel gauge (one champagne cork on a piece of wire ala landrover) told us the tank was nearly empty. Stop and giggle as we think it is lying – fill her up and it was telling the truth! The fuel consumption was worse than ever! Made 20L a hundred km’s look good! Anyway we chugged along happily studying the new GPS all the way until Pietersburg. We took the round town route and Vaughn managed to lose the N1 Highway and started us off on the R521 to Vivo (little 1 leg mining town) this of course took us ages to figure out while Vaughn complained about trucks, large potholes, animals and lack of cats eyes and singles lane’s. (The highway has all of these!). Once the error was discovered we
were too far gone and had to travel along with out complaining (or giggling uncontrollably). Much later we arrived at the 4×4 only camp place – after giving Sue heart failure by stalling on the uphill very steep rise (low range first for 3.5km, all uphill).

The effort was all worth it with the most spectaculars views from the top of the Waterberg? mountains. The first night was full of giggles with Vaughn’s mum fighting off her Cane and cokes, Dad gave into his whiskey while loosing his hat and glasses, my mom fell out of her chair and down the hill with M’s help and no alcohol and Sue and I being in fits of laughter after the lost N1 episode and all the other things added together. A cold sleep and we awoke to see a huge sheer cliff behind us and mist over the valley. It did not take much to convince us all to head to town and the Pep main branch to buy good old wearing blankets for the coming nights sleep. Then it was back to camp and then to 4×4 over the mountain tops. We got a good look at the radar setup to catch Zimbabwean fighter planes trying to attack us – more like pigeons with rockets attached to their legs? It is all still up and running beautifully! A peaceful night and braai, then silence.

I wish I could say that the day started with the omens of forbading but it was a lovely summer’s day, a few walks, a swim in the pond and then into lily for a sundown trek to the very top of the mountain … clack, clack, clack (a new noise reaching above all others). Great, brilliant and charming! Sue went a pale shade of Sue (Mozambique still hangs very near in her mind), my mom listened carefully and I told them they were all overreacting and talking nonsense! When we arrived at the sundown spot I took M for a walk, on my return the bonnet was up and the whole engine was in bits! Don’t you just love those people who suggest the worst and help you take the engine apart so they can cure their curiosity on how it works. Darkness came, tappet nuts were lost, copper screws for the accelorator cable were misplaced, spanners went missing, tempers rose and half a job was done to get back to camp. The next morning saw Vaughn dropping the sump to see if the piston nuts were tight and then it was off to do the long crawl home.

We at least made it to the gate before the clattering and sputtering was so loud that it sounded like the engine was going to explode. The search for a tree was on and then it was the long wait for Mom and Dad C to come and help us home. We were quite surprised when someone came to help us and took Vaughn off to town to find a mechanic, they all then returned and we slowly drove to town to the mechanics house. He was not pleased to have us interrupt his Sunday as he already had the whole neighbourhood lined up in his drive way for their Sunday tune up. We milled around and they set the tappets which resulted in less noise and then we were on our way again – heading slowly towards home. Vaughn’s folks very sweetly followed us while we travelled the 400km home at 80km/h – a long frustrating trip for them no doubt, while much gloominess presided in our car because of Lily’s ill
health.

Lily got home and is now at another health spa to have the full treatment before going to Namibia!