Mr B and Fam in JHB over December

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:19 am

Hi Gautengerlengers!

I know many of you will be storming(like Stormers) down to the coast over December, but I'll be invading your territory!

Albeit in the wife's platkar!

Please can you advise/give suggestions of fun things to do in and around JHB, bearing in mind it must be kids friendly too! Yes OOOOMS I know what you were thinking... you being such a Teazer(s)!

I'm not going to enduring 14 days of watching golf and cricket DSTV while we up there! So please okes some suggestions!

Must be platkar friendly... any nice family restaurants?

B

OOOOMS · Post by **OOOOMS** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:30 am

Where in Jhb are you staying? North, West, East?

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:31 am

Kempton Park(by the sea)... I'll check on the GPS on arrival whether it's NSWE!

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:32 am

And please don't suggest the airport!

Hi-Hilux · Post by **Hi-Hilux** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:44 am

Jy kan die mense wat see toe gaan se huise op pas....

Ali3n · Post by **Ali3n** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:45 am

Now according to my understanding of Gauteng

, that will be the East. I wold maby sugest Goldreef city for a day but it will be extremly busy. Could be fun.

Jaco Versfeld · Post by **Jaco Versfeld** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:50 am

Gold Reef City - Don't know how it compares to Retanga Junction ?? (Spelling??)

Sterkfontein caves

Lion Park

Treetop swinging - Magaliesburg

Elephant sanctuary - Hartebeespoortdam area

Wits observatory

Chloorkop - 4x4 only

Mr_B wrote:Hi Gautengerlengers!

I know many of you will be storming(like Stormers) down to the coast over December, but I'll be invading your territory! Albeit in the wife's platkar!

Please can you advise/give suggestions of fun things to do in and around JHB, bearing in mind it must be kids friendly too! Yes OOOOMS I know what you were thinking... you being such a Teazer(s)!

I'm not going to enduring 14 days of watching golf and cricket DSTV while we up there! So please okes some suggestions!

Must be platkar friendly... any nice family restaurants?

B

OOOOMS · Post by **OOOOMS** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:51 am

East Rand......

You can go visit Cassie and a few others.......

Post by **CasKru** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:59 am

Mr B thanks for the advanced warning... but you forgot to include dates...

Post by **george** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 12:36 pm

The Jo-Burg Zoo is also not to bad

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 12:46 pm

Dates, around the 17th to the 31st Dec!

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 12:47 pm

JHB zoo is great... did that last year... I haven't been to PTA zoo, heard it's even better??

Sebata · Post by **Sebata** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:07 pm

Suikerbosrand is also platkar freindly

OOOOMS · Post by **OOOOMS** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:11 pm

Voortrekker Monument

Hi-Hilux · Post by **Hi-Hilux** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:14 pm

OOOOMS wrote:Voortrekker Monument

Mark, hy is n engels man

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:16 pm

Trevor ek is meer tweetaalig as wat jy dink! It just suites my strategy to act 'Engels' from time tot tyd!

OOOOMS · Post by **OOOOMS** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:19 pm

Hi-Hilux wrote:
OOOOMS wrote:Voortrekker Monument
Mark, hy is n engels man

Maar hy kan dalk ietsie daar leer

Botanical Gardens West Rand, nice day outing and picnic

Mountain Man · Post by **Mountain Man** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:44 pm

You can play "spot the next ATM bombing" anywhere in Joburg at that time of the year. Plat car friendly too (Unless you get too close)

Take a drive to Joburg central and play "I spy how many crimes". A game the whole family can play.

One for the more adventrous: Play tag/dodgems with the "Blue Light Brigad", huge fun and very plat car friendly, take your camera.

Or just stay safely locked indoors and watch it all on You Tube.

Stef · Post by **Stef** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 2:29 pm

Pta zoo is nice apparently; heard there's been renovations/improvements of some sort. Safari Gardens in Lynnwood Drive also not half bad.

If you'd like something less city like there is Rietvlei, Roodeplaat & Rust de Winter dams. Latter is about 160km's from Kempton. Wonderboom airport has a nice reaturant right on the runway, Villa San Giovani; good food at reasonable prices. Bass Lake just north of Pta is also great I hear, haven't been there yet. Cullinan east of Pta has a train running on Sundays, not sure which Sundays though or whereto for that matter.

Dingo · Post by **Dingo** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 2:43 pm

Reitvlei dam has a nice game reserve, you can do a small game drive in a plattkar and have a nice braai / picnic - only about 30kms from Kempton.

Lion & Lion Park - also fairly plattkar friendly, while you there you can check out the Cradle of Humankind.

Lory Zoo - small private zoo in Midrand

Mystical monkeys and feathers - out on the Rus de Winter road, they also have a Mangwanane spa for Mummy.

Next the JHB zoo is the War musem

Hoppy · Post by **Hoppy** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:33 pm

Go to the corner cafe and watch the chickens on the rotisserie

RooiLux · Post by **RooiLux** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:41 pm

[quote="I haven't been to PTA zoo, heard it's even better??[/quote]
A bit of advice if you do decide to go there go early and leave early gets very busy and crowded with the type of people who have picnics there and it turns out in a drinking binge parking is also a problem so if you go early enough you get save parking.

My honest opinion it rather not to visit pta zoo to close to cbd and taxi ranks is 1 block down the road very high crime and highjack hotspot!

Hoppy · Post by **Hoppy** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:59 pm

Do you have an old SA flag you can hang in the back window?

Now i have to warn my friends in Pretoria aswell

RooiLux · Post by **RooiLux** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 4:05 pm

Hoppy wrote:Do you have an old SA flag you can hang in the back window?So gepraat het ek nog een va ndie ou vlae in my garage!

Now i have to warn my friends in Pretoria aswell

Post by **Family_Dog** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:21 pm

Gautrain?

Planetarium?

I don't think you have either of these down in the Cape of Storms...

Oh, and the Mines here used to give guided tours 2-3km underground, don't know if they still do that though.

-F_D

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:45 pm

Planetarium we got, and the Gautrain is a bit too expensive!

But a visit to the mayor of Klerkies(better known as F_D!) may just be in order!

Thunder02 · Post by **Thunder02** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:52 pm

Do we have James Mundey in common

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:55 pm

Oh yes we do! Myself and James go back many years... smoked my first genuine cuban cigar with James about to weeks ago!

Twas fanatastic, that and the 21yr whisky!

Thunder02 · Post by **Thunder02** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:05 pm

Mr_B wrote:Oh yes we do! Myself and James go back many years... smoked my first genuine cuban cigar with James about to weeks ago!

Twas fanatastic, that and the 21yr whisky!

Thought so,how is my brother-in-law doing

Your profile does not give up much detail,undercover are you

Post by **JohanM** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:23 pm

Mr B,

You can also take a dat drive out to Parys, (+/- 120 km's from Kempton park) heart of the Vredefort Dome area. You can travel all around in a platkar. Also maybe do a mini rafting trip with the kids down the river. A lot of family fun to be had in this area.

Oh and I will back from Lesotho by the time you are up here, so maybe we can have a mini gtg with some of the other people not going on holiday.

Post by **Family_Dog** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:03 pm

Mr_B wrote:Planetarium we got, and the Gautrain is a bit too expensive!

But a visit to the mayor of Klerkies(better known as F_D!) may just be in order!

Now that sounds like an excellent plan! Die Burgermeester is not going away the festive season, possibly just the 'garden route'

-F_D

Donkey · Post by **Donkey** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:26 pm

george wrote:The Jo-Burg Zoo is also not to bad

You may as well go see Malema

just joking, Pretoria Zoo will have much more than Jhb especially for the young pips.

Donkey · Post by **Donkey** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:32 pm

JohanM wrote:Mr B,

You can also take a dat drive out to Parys, (+/- 120 km's from Kempton park) heart of the Vredefort Dome area. You can travel all around in a platkar. Also maybe do a mini rafting trip with the kids down the river. A lot of family fun to be had in this area.

Oh and I will back from Lesotho by the time you are up here, so maybe we can have a mini gtg with some of the other people not going on holiday.

I'm only going away the weekend of the 16th so I might join you guys.

luckyhit · Post by **luckyhit** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:52 am

Mr B, Pretoria Zoo is not that bad with the Taxi's, Hulle het onlangs dit baie gerevamp.
Pack 'n picnic mandjie en gaan vir die dag, boek net dadelik as jy daar kom vir jou 'n golf karretjie, dit is nog 'n ent om te stap tot bo by die leeus!.
Ek ry elkedag in daai omgewing rond, glad nie so erg nie. As julle deur kom Ptown toe laat weet, ek en Swambo is ook by die huis in daai tyd!

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:50 pm

Mr B and family are now back in the promised land, Cape Town... safely!

Reinhardt, thanks... we did visit the PTA zoo, was a great day, kids really enjoyed it... and the entrance was safe!

We were busy most of the time, but I did manage to meet 2 fellow Hilux members, Lollie and the legendary Family Dog... Uncle(Oom) Eric!

Let me just say, I'd have to spend much more than 3 hours with Eric to absorb it all in... the multi-talented man cave(for one nogals), the super-sized garage containing a variety of some of the neatest Hiluxes I've seen(any chance of an entry for me in your will? Yes I know you plan to out-live me)... the chalet(s) at the Vaal river... was flippin lekker to meet you in person Eric, definitely worth the 250km round trip... I'll do it again next time I'm anywhere close and make a day or 2 of it... and yes we did travel via Klerkies on the way home... and unfortunately met a springbok(nickname: HindRig Bruise-O) on route... more about that no-no...

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:03 pm

Approx 120km outside Kimberley, a sprinkbok jumped in front of Kim's Honda...

we were doing about 120km/h at the time... :wth: I've nickname the poor fellow 'Hindrig Bruise-O', a true Springbok!

Thankfully someone above was watching over us, it could have been much worse! Swambo's Honda is being transported to Cape Town for repairs...

: Ouch!

: Eina!

: Radiator was damaged, but we managed to make it from the middle of nowhere 40km to a small dorp called Hopetown, before the engine started overheating

: "Hindrig Bruise-O"... the poor springbok that jumped in front of the Honda... causing approx 35K damage!

Other than this we had a fantastic holiday in Gauteng... while all the Gautengerlers were elsewhere!

Thunder02 · Post by **Thunder02** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:08 pm

Glad to hear you guys got home safe and enjoyed GP,should have come in the hilux

also do wonders for the taxi's

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:16 pm

Niel the Kimberley - Klerkies route is the best... I think we passed 3 trucks the whole way from Lenasia N12 to the 3 Sisters N1 turn-off, that's a 850km+ stretch! Most of the way I was able to maintain 120km, without fighting with other cars! Much less congested than the N1!

GI Jane · Post by **GI Jane** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:27 pm

Sorry to hear about the mishap with the bokkie, but now that you are back from the ou Transvaal are you going to confirm your booking for the weekend get together? Think Kim is keen to give the Hilux another go...

Thunder02 · Post by **Thunder02** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:34 pm

Mr_B wrote:Niel the Kimberley - Klerkies route is the best... I think we passed 3 trucks the whole way from Lenasia N12 to the 3 Sisters N1 turn-off, that's a 850km+ stretch! Most of the way I was able to maintain 120km, without fighting with other cars! Much less congested than the N1!

Can't agree more,little more kilos but worth it

,so what are u going to braai the weekend

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:40 pm

That's enough Neil! The buck stops here!

In total it's 22km more, but with the road works and detours around Bloem it's probably 50km+ less! That and you maintain a much higher avr. speed and see towns you've never seen before! Ever heard of Klerksdorp and Warrenton before?

From google maps:

CT to JHB via N1: 1399 km

CT to JHB via N1/N12: 1421 km

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:42 pm

vald wrote:Sorry to hear about the mishap with the bokkie, but now that you are back from the ou Transvaal are you going to confirm your booking for the weekend get together? Think Kim is keen to give the Hilux another go...

Val, as it stands now I'm still 50/50... if I do come along it'll be a boys-only weekend! Kim has other commitments!

Thunder02 · Post by **Thunder02** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:48 pm

Mr_B wrote:That's enough Neil! The buck stops here!

In total it's 22km more, but with the road works and detours around Bloem it's probably 50km+ less! That and you maintain a much higher avr. speed and see towns you've never seen before! Ever heard of Klerksdorp and Warrenton before?

From google maps:

CT to JHB via N1: 1399 km

CT to JHB via N1/N12: 1421 km

Been there sadly,used that route up to Bots when still living in CPT.They say you can pick up nice bokkies in that area

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:59 pm

Firm... fluffy tush's!

Post by **Family_Dog** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:00 pm

Aah, Mr. B, glad you made it safely home. Unfortunate about the mishap, but thankfully no human damage. You should have phoned me... I could still receive calls, but no SMS's (see below).

Somehow during that pleasurable day when I had the honour of you & Ryno here, I managed to smash the screen of my cellphone. Have no idea what happened, guess I must have leant against something and cracked it. But I'd rather have that than meet a flying Springbok... ;)

How was the road between Wolmaransstad & Kimberley? Roadworks finished or not?

-F_D

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 11:51 pm

i'll sms you eric!

Mr_B · Post by **Mr_B** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 11:56 pm

just kidding... The roadworks on that section aren't complete, looks like they intend making it dbl carriage way... Could still travel @ 80km/h though, no detour unlike the N1...

Donkey · Post by **Donkey** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 7:09 am

Mr. B glad you home safe and luckily for us God does not go on holiday. Best of luck with the repairs and as long as no one was injured - all is well.

Post by **george** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:22 am

Glad your safe B. When can we get the Billies

Post by **Royco** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:02 pm

Good to hear you guys are ok.
Still not lekker to be involved in any accident!

So, what happened to the bokkie.... George and I will come visit when you've made the biltong!

Stef · Post by **Stef** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:20 pm

We were also in Klerkies over Christmas...had to come back on the 26th though as the mrs had to work the 27th....

Post by **Family_Dog** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:02 pm

Klerksdorp... The Final Holiday Destination...

On a happier note, my borehole is now working once again with a new 1.5kw motor and brand spanking new 100M bue borehole cable. My white lawn will soon be green again :)

-F_D

Post by **CasKru** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:28 am

Family_Dog wrote:Klerksdorp... The Final Holiday Destination...

On a happier note, my borehole is now working once again with a new 1.5kw motor and brand spanking new 100M bue borehole cable. My white lawn will soon be green again :)

-F_D

Does Clutchdrop have a lot of rocks in the soil just below the surface or why does your lawn turn white so quickly?

ThysdJ · Post by **ThysdJ** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:06 am

Mr_B wrote:That's enough Neil! The buck stops here!

In total it's 22km more, but with the road works and detours around Bloem it's probably 50km+ less! That and you maintain a much higher avr. speed and see towns you've never seen before! Ever heard of Klerksdorp and Warrenton before?

And then there is Stubsie's most favourite town in all the world!! Wolmaranstad.. He aims to spend his retirment days there...

Have to agree with Mr B, the KBY route is much faster and less congested than the N1..

Hoppy · Post by **Hoppy** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:16 am

...and you meet biltong bok on the way, should have taken the Hilux.

Glad you're back and safe.

Post by **Family_Dog** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:39 am

CasKru wrote:
Family_Dog wrote:Klerksdorp... The Final Holiday Destination...

On a happier note, my borehole is now working once again with a new 1.5kw motor and brand spanking new 100M bue borehole cable. My white lawn will soon be green again :)

-F_D
Does Clutchdrop have a lot of rocks in the soil just below the surface or why does your lawn turn white so quickly?

'Cos we had just mowed the lawn! The part we could not mow - due to 100 metres thick black PVC pipe being coiled up all over it - is thick, green & bushy. And we have had some lekker hot weather.

Of course now that the borehole is spouting water again, we had rain yesterday afternoon, but the General Manager, Agricultural Development, Mr. Philip, left the borehole running despite this ;)

-F_D

Donkey · Post by **Donkey** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:30 am

Love Mr. Phillip's portfolio

Post by **Mud Dog** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:00 am

Donkey wrote:Love Mr. Phillip's portfolio

Had a chuckle at that one myself, Dronkey

........... He'll be promoting himself to Minister of land affairs soon, with a hefty bonus to match!

Donkey · Post by **Donkey** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:11 am

Dronkey

- but I have to disappoint I'm on water melon tonight

Just ask him nicely for me please - I need a plot.

Post by **Family_Dog** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 8:33 pm

The Honourable Mr. Philip normally knocks off at 3PM on a Friday afternoon, but yesterday he remained here until 5:30, still watering the lawn. Somehow, I get the feeling he viewed my offered help with suspicion and a feeling of distrust. However, when he eventually left for home (he is 70 years young and cycles some 12km to his abode) he did mention that he now can spend the weekend with a happy heart knowing that the lawn will survive until his return on Monday.

What he may not know is that I have taken the venerable lawn mower in for a service because it was making some very strange noises and we need to mow twice a week in Summer.

-F_D