We clocked up many many steps on foot as well as many kilometers by car on the day of our Scouting Expedition at Umdoni RV in the coastal town of Pennington.
It was a full day, for sure, but I wanted to show my old school friend as much of the village as possible, one of my favourite places on the Kwazulu Natal South Coast.
Definitely will not be walking to any of these destinations!
Hubby and I were contemplating retiring there, but, it was not to be!
I am still weighing up my options and wanted my friend's input.
You may have read when I shared the charming Umdoni Retirement Village with you about a month ago, and we walked quite a bit there having a look at the stand-alone homes and the facilities they offer.
We left the RV and drove to the town's Conservancy next to the quaint Beach Café at Impithi which overlooks the Indian Ocean, hopped out of the car, and started walking again.
The Beach Café with its wrap-around balcony serves the usual fare, but we did not have time to sit down and eat. We'd grabbed a sausage roll each at the RV before having tea and cookies with a friend's parents who live there.
I was super impressed the first time I saw this spotless park with a jungle gym and lovely picnic area. Unfortunately, our authorities do not maintain public spaces like they used to, but the folk from the town got together and maintain this. Projects like these are taking off in many towns and cities by residents who are passionate about maintaining the integrity and beauty of their areas.
A deck below the café overlooks the swimming beach.
Time was running out so a quick hop into the car, and off we went to the picturesque Umdoni Golf Club, where hubby and I had many leisurely lunches with friends, or just by ourselves. No time for lunch though, it was still part of the scouting exercise.
Along the way, we passed the beautiful, historical Botha House with its Cape-Dutch architecture, built in 1919 as a holiday home for the heads of state. It now is run as a bed and breakfast establishment.
The old windmill rises up to the sky, firm and strong, while the old pump house looks like it's falling apart!
I love this view of the Cape Dutch architecture clubhouse with the rolling greens and the Indian Ocean on the eastern side.
The image below is a closer view of the clubhouse I took on a previous occasion.
Some golfers looked a little puzzled at these two old dolls walking around without any gold clubs so we quickly retreated, did not want to fall victim to a golf ball or be run over by a golf cart!
The whale viewing deck was deserted, but we did not see any activity. Hubby and I saw dolphins on a previous visit.
Stunning views of the Indian Ocean on a beautiful sunny day.
Looking south towards the seaside village of Sezela, you see clouds of white smoke and pick up the pleasant smell of molasses as it turns into sugar from the sugar mill. This used to be the biggest sugar mill in the Southern Hemisphere!
Time stands still for no man, we'd had a full day at Pennington and headed back home just in time to beat the traffic.
We thoroughly enjoyed our adventure, the sun, and the fresh air, and even got a tad burnt as we took no sunhats, did not realize we'd be walking that much!
No excuses for having a Vitamin D shortage here in sunny South Africa, you just have to get out into the great outdoors, and soak up that sun!
As for the scouting expedition, my friend was charmed by this little seaside village.
It however would be a big move, away from the city, so for now, I am staying right where I am, my roots are planted deeply in this soil that I call home!
Create your own Forever Memory Bank
Join our community of awesome content creators
right here on HIVE
𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩
Join our Silver Bloggers community 
Artwork by @artywink
Join our Silver Bloggers community
Artwork by @artywink
You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.
Thank you @worldmappin 😊
Hey @lizelle you are welcome.
Thanks for using @worldmappin 😘
I have the wonderful opportunity of my life, to live near the sea about 10 minutes from my home by car, but I can also walk, I can tell you with all property that living near the sea is something wonderful, first by the air you breathe, being in front of the sea fills you with a unique energy like the sun.
The sunrises and sunsets are unique.
I am very happy about your visit to such a beautiful place, from what I can see in the photos it must be a very peaceful place, worthy to spend some good years of life.
Thank you @lanzjoseg! You've chosen well to live by the sea, what a pleasure to be within walking distance, enjoy 😉
What a beautiful area the lush greens and sea views so refreshing
Thanks for joining Wednesday Walk :)
Thank you for #wednesdaywalk @tattoodjay! Yes everything is so green after good rains, it was a gorgeous day to be out.
👍🙂👍
Good that at least the locals take care of the maintenance of the little parks and areas that can be enjoyed later, that is so important :)
Wow, that view from the deck surprised me with its beauty
Yes @mipiano, it's vital to nurture places like that for future generations. The people are slowly waking up to the fact that we all need to do our little bit and keep our public places clean, but together we can make a bigger difference! Many local authorities sadly let the people down, but we're already seeing small changes with our new coalition government.
Nice seeing you here🤗
I wish this mindset would be present everywhere, that people together can make a lot, as you say a bigger difference. Take care, Parasol Lady, and have a beautiful day :))
A very beautiful place with many memories for you. That view of the sea is beautiful, and the golf courses as well. Your friend was surely delighted with the ride and you enjoyed it. Good thing for you, it's about time. A hug @lizelle.
Thank you @mamani, it was a gorgeous day out, plus I'm gaining more confidence now by taking longer drives!
A big hug back to you dear friend 🧡
I am pleased with this decision. 🥰❤️
It's a beautiful place for retirement with all these green areas and the view of the sea..., but leaving home is never easy. I can't imagine how much you miss your partner now that you're considering your options at this point. Good friends are our balm in moments like this, though. We can always rely on them.
Have a great day, dear @lizelle 💕
@lizelle, you're rewarding 5 replies from this discussion thread.