{"id":134,"date":"2014-07-29T11:30:19","date_gmt":"2014-07-29T11:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bushbabyblog.com\/?p=134"},"modified":"2015-07-13T08:35:18","modified_gmt":"2015-07-13T08:35:18","slug":"off-road-picnic-in-the-valley-of-1000-hills-kzn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bushbabyblog.com\/index.php\/2014\/07\/29\/off-road-picnic-in-the-valley-of-1000-hills-kzn\/","title":{"rendered":"Off Road Picnic on the Rocks, in the Valley of 1000 Hills"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you had to ask me to name my \u201cHappy Place\u201d<\/em> I couldn’t name just one, but I can tell you that I was in it today. It involved a little valley in the Valley of 1000 Hills, a 4×4 route to get there and a picnic on the rocks with only the villagers\u2019 cows as company.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sunday 27 July 2014<\/em><\/p>\n

Muddy toes, adventurous hearts and a piece of the great outdoors all to ourselves. That\u2019s what happiness is.<\/p>\n

\"Graham

“ALWAYS get the wife to walk the obstacle first.” Graham Robertson<\/p><\/div>\n

I don\u2019t have an exact, singular location or special spot that I can call my one Happy Place<\/em>. Rather it\u2019s a feeling I get that assures me I\u2019m in it. It\u2019s that tingly, giddiness in my tummy I feel when absorbed in a certain type of experience, usually involving playing in the big outdoors, somewhere remote, natural and soul-fulfilling in the sun.<\/p>\n

\"Mandatory<\/a>

Mandatory setting selfie \ud83d\ude42<\/p><\/div>\n

Today we did just that. My little family, Graham (aka husband), Moose (Aka our excitable travelling Staffie \u201cchild\u201d) and I took full advantage of this sun-shiny, Durban Sunday when we veered into the Valley of 1000 Hills in our 4×4.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a while since we explored somewhere unseen in our own backyard and even longer since we steered into terrain which called for a little 4 wheel drive engagement. We were smiling and so was the car.<\/p>\n

\"DCIM100GOPRO\"<\/a>

Making a route and avoiding the rocks<\/p><\/div>\n

It was a \u201cbig sky<\/em>\u201d day which was clear as a bubble and one made for picnicking. We drove the 40 minutes or so from home and immediately saw the change in landscape and lifestyle as we turned off the highway, just after Hillcrest and into the hills. As we made our way steeply down into those valleys we felt the welcome gear change into rural life. Villages of bright blue huts dot the hillsides and people walked and waved in the road while chickens and goats milled around on their breakfasting business. It felt as if we were on holiday and time slowed down to Sunday-pace to give us the breathing space we were looking for.<\/p>\n

\"20140727_095340\"

Village life in the hills<\/p><\/div>\n

Following some GPS co-ordinates Graham had jotted down based very-loosely on some suggestions by the 4×4 community and forum, we felt our way onto sand roads and into lesser-trodden land. We were now at the bottom of a valley and tracking track marks in the mud and sand made by the few motorbikes and 4x4s who had ventured there before us. Parts of the valley seem to be used as small rock or sand quarries but we quickly reached more natural and uncleared wilderness where a sure path was not obvious. It was just us out there with trusty 4 wheel drive to move us forward into the next unknown bend. It was glorious.<\/p>\n

\"DCIM100GOPRO\"<\/a>

Just the 3 of us.<\/p><\/div>\n

The going had slowed down and we were into our blissful- adventure frame of mind. Graham navigated a route as we went, reading the tracks and choosing lines based on whatever the rocks and watery obstacles in our way dictated. We often stopped and jumped out the car, all three of us, to check out some possible channel forward. We carefully and excitedly walked through any water that dammed the pathway to safely check its depth before plunging in. Big fun in the mud was a big part of the drive.<\/p>\n