Flight over Gauteng with Captain Ogston!

Our friend Tim got his pilot's licence a few months ago so we put on our brave faces and headed for the sky (no... really Tim is an excellent pilot, landing was so smooth we didn't even notice it)!

We flew mainly around 1000-2000 feet above ground level with ground speeds ranging up to 130 knots.

Tim took it fairly easy on us with only 1 gut-retching banking turn. He's saving the free fall gravity drop for another time!

Our plane!

Sandton (new CBD) in the foreground and proper CBD in distance

A typical site from the sky- the majority of housing in the northern suburbs is clusters.

Captain Timmy & wingman Pete

Sandton

CBD- Vodacom tower in foreground & Hillbrow Tower

CBD

The constant haze from cooking/heating fires that hovers over Soweto (formal settlement)

Passenger Jen

Pete's office park (Terracotta roofs)

Magaliesberg Mountain range, north of Jozi

Hartebeesport Dam

The ever present divide of rich & poor... rich with large plots of land & trees in foreground, and poor in the background... mass of housing with no greenery.

The cockpit

First impressions

Thought it time we touch base and let you know that we are still here!!! We have been very busy since Jen's arrival. Mainly involves trying to lease/buy cars & getting the necessary documentation, sorting out my work VISA, sorting out housing.... We are getting an Audi A3 which we should have by Friday. We can't wait to drive it! Second car to be confirmed (but hopefully purchased by early next week). I have been dropping Pete at work each day so that I can use the hire car... looking forward to sleep in's in the near future and really being a lady of leisure- enjoy it while it lasts I say! I have met with Charles Orbach (accounting firm) and am now in the process of obtaining documentation for VISA (copious amount) and then getting it processed ASAP. They are lovely people and I look forward to starting (probably another 1-3 months though due to length of time to get VISA). I seem to fill my days quite easily with daily food shopping, lunches, breakfasts, gym, organisi...

Harrison James Chandler - born 9 June 2009

Harrison James Chandler arrived at 14:30, Tuesday, 9th June 2009. Weighing in at 3.86kg and 55cm long, he was delivered via c-section surgery. Both Mum and boy are in great health. Dad is besotted with them both even after changing the 1st nappie!! Amazing, Amazing, Amazing! Tipping the scales at 3.86kg (8,5lbs)

Sabie, Drakensburg Escarpment & Kruger NP

Friday The boys (UP and Pete) finished work at 3pm (normal for a Friday) and we began the roadtrip east of Joburg to Sabie. Sabie is a small town in the Drakensburg escarpment. We arrived at our traditional Africaans hosted B&B (hideous arched brick house stuck in 70’s!) and ventured into town for dinner and drinks. For dinner we ate local delicacies of kudu (antelope family) casserole, springbok schnitzel and biltong (like beef jerky) pate. We have also discovered the obligatory finisher to any meal- a Dom Pedro- single or double shot of either whisky or kahlua, blended with icecream- yum! We then headed across the road to the local pub. It was fascinati ng being the only tourists and watching the locals in action… Saturday We decided to visit Kruger National Park. Most of the National Parks in Africa are fenced to protect the animals from hunting. Kruger NP is enormous (apparently the size of Israel)- we drove around it all day and would have only seen a small portion of the park...

Chandler's Overseas

Search This Blog