Cozy Corner Cottage

Our solar powered cottage is the ideal place to enjoy a relaxing getaway in Onrus. Mere minutes from Hermanus, the cottage is located within walking distance from the beach and various tidal pools in the area.

Fitted with solar panels, battery and inverter, the cottage has back-up power and is ‘loadshedding proof’.

The space is beautifully furnished & decorated, stylish enough to make it feel special, but informal enough to enjoy your time at the beach. 

We opted for an open living space where the kitchen and living room is one, allowing for extra special family time. This space spills out onto the terrace where you can enjoy a meal or glass of wine under a gorgeous pepper tree. The small yard is fenced, ideal for young children (and small pets by arrangement).

Features and amenities include an indoor braai (BBQ), a SMEG oven and a Nespresso machine. 

The main bedroom is located downstairs across from the bathroom. The bedroom is small and intimate with built in cupboards.

The cottage has one bathroom with shower, loo and basin. 

A small staircase leads to the loft, again open plan. Here you will find a Queen size bed and a single bed. Our recommendation is that the cottage is ideal for 4 guests, however we will allow up to 5 guests if there are children (hence the extra single bed).

The loft also sports a dedicated work space for guests wanting to work remotely. French doors lead to a balcony overlooking the beautiful mountains of Onrus.

Sales pitch aside, this is where we lived when we first moved to Onrus, about 5 years ago. It's small, but you don't really need much more. At the time, we were looking for something larger as we realised that this was the perfect property to put on Airbnb as a holiday rental in our coastal town. Things didn't really go according to plan as all of a sudden the cottage next door went on sale. Quick direction change, we purchased the property on the spot and started renting that one (Cozy Coastal Cottage) out on Airbnb. We stayed a little longer until we found our house just up the road.

Have a peak at our listing and pop in if you're ever in the area :) 

Cozy Corner Cottage

2024 Reads

A book is like a garden, carried in the pocket.
- Chinese Proverb

Last year, I made it a goal to read more—and by the end of December, I had turned the final pages on 30 books. Some made me laugh, others made me think deeply, and a few stayed with me long after I closed the covers. This post is a look back at everything I read: what moved me, what surprised me, and which titles I'd recommend (or not) to fellow readers.

1. Leo
- Deon Meyer
Always a fan of Deon Meyer's books and always rush to the book store the minute a new one is on sale. I quite enjoy reading these in Afrikaans as you can really relate to the characters in his books by their local way of speaking.

2. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
- John Boyne
This was a second read and really on my must read list! I'm yet to see the movie though.

3. Die Trying
- Lee Child
I'm a complete crime novel addict and love Lee Child. The problem is, I got half way through this book and realised that I've read it before. Obviously didn't leave a lasting impression...

4. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
- Jamie Ford
It took a little bit of concentration to get into this book, but I enjoyed in nonetheless.

5. Infanta
- Deon Meyer
An oldie, but a goodie. I discovered this Deon Meyer on my bookshelf and haven't read it before. As with Leo, I can highly recommend Deon's books. 

6. Under the Tamarind Tree
- Nigar Alam
Not my favourite read of the year I'm afraid. I would have to give this one a go again at another time.

7. The Dead Wife
- Sue Fortin
LOVED, loved, loved it! I could not put this book down!

8. The Elephant Whisperer
- Laurence Anthony
I used to work in travel and have been very fortunate to visit the various corners of Southern and East Africa over the years. During these travels I experienced many magical safaris and I always say that you can see a million elephants, but it's always like the first time you see them out in the wild. Does that make sense? I loved reading The Elephant Whisperer and getting a deeper understanding of our wildlife and let me tell you, we can learn a lot from Elephants!

9. Verity
- Colleen Hoover
One of the top reads for 2024. I absolutely loved this book and was at the edge of my seat the entire time! Highly recommended! I believe there is talk of a movie, I'll be the first to buy a ticket and hopefully it will do the book justice.

10. Reacher Bad Luck and Trouble
- Lee Child
A nice one to take on holiday, but not a read I'll remember for the rest of my live.

11. It Ends with Us
- Colleen Hoover
Another great Colleen Hoover read. Not the same vibe as Verity and a lot more mellow, but the message strong. They did a good job of the movie, but I still prefer the book.

12. Laaste Kans
- Marita van der Vyver
I used to read a lot of Marita van der Vyver's books and were excited about this one. It's a lovely story, but I think I lost track along the line, there are so many characters. I will definitely give this one another go in the nearby future.

13. Safari
- Tony Park
I love Tony Park books, awesome little adventures through wild Africa mixed with crime and a bit of a love angle as well. Humble brag incoming - I met Tony Park a few years ago in Australia. At that point in time, I've only read one of his books, at least this time around (should we meet again), we'll have more to talk about :) 

14. Heart Bones
- Colleen Hoover
Having read 'Verity' and 'It Ends with Us', I had high hopes for another Colleen Hoover. This one was a big NO for me unfortunately.

15. When Love Kills
- Melinda Ferguson
Not the type of book I normally read, but I really enjoyed it and got into this very quickly. Current affairs usually go way over my head, but at least I could join the conversation when the tale about AKA and Anele came up.

16. Jane's Delicious Garden
- Jane Griffiths
This is probably a cheat book in between... I did read it from cover to cover, so counting it as one of the reads for 2024. I have a few of her books on gardening and as I was preparing for my vegetable garden at this stage, it was a great reading option. She shares fantastic tips and tricks and I learnt a lot from her. Every time I do something in the garden, I consult one of her books.

17. The Women
- Kirsten Hannah
YES! I wasn't drawn in right from the start, but without noticing, within a few pages I couldn't put the book down. This is a great read! 

18. The Kite Runner
- Khaled Hosseini
Another re-read. I don't think I have to tell you much about this book... An absolute favourite! I think my best advice here is to not read this book in public. I ugly cried like it was no one's business! 

19. The Saint, The Surfer and the CEO
- Robin Sharma
By now you'll know that I'm a story girl and struggle with self-help books, biographies, etc. BUT, I've read the Monk who sold his Ferrari previously and loved it so thought I'd give this one a chance. It was so worth it. It is probably one of those books that need to become an annual read.

20. Along Came a Spider
- James Patterson
I'm quite a James Patterson fan, but as I'm writing this, I cannot recall a single thing about this book. Perhaps I need to try again? 

21. The Hypnotist
- Lars Kepler
Perhaps the scariest book I've ever read! I don't think I will read it again (I was so freaked out), but if scary is your thing, do yourself a favour and grab a copy of The Hypnotist!

22. The Five People you meet in Heaven
- Mitch Albom
I read this book many years ago and as friends and family get older and live moves on, one needs to take a step back and evaluate. Is the lemon worth the squeeze and all that? This is one of the books I can recommend you read at least once a year. It's a thin one, but packs a punch!

23. Jack and Jill
- James Patterson
Really good crime novel, sucks you in and keeps you guessing! 

24. The Seven Sisters
- Lucinda Riley
I've been wanting to get my hands on the Seven Sisters series and finally did so towards the end of 2024. WOW! I'm not sure what I expected, but I got so much more than that! This is the first of a series of 7 books (all pretty thick books - 700 pages +). Do yourself a favour, and get stuck in this series!

25. What Nelson Mandela Taught Me
- Zelda la Grange
Each and every South African needs to read this book. Scrap that... Each and every person in the world needs to read this book, as well as her first book (Good Morning Mr. Mandela). There is so much ugly in the world at the moment, cancel culture, fighting, shit everywhere... We need to look back at what Nelson Mandela stood for and how we can apply his nature and lessons to our everyday lives.

26. The Echo Chamber
- John Boyne
Fantastic! It was quite funny that this was the next book I picked up to read. It's all about cancel culture, social media and a very disfunctional family. I LOVED this book and is still recommending it to everyone!

27. The Shack
- WM Paul Young
Annual read. This was my second time reading this book and it just gives you what you need at that point in time. It does have a spiritual angle, but don't let that cloud your judgement. Give it a go, you won't regret it!

28. The Storm Sister
- Lucinda Riley
The second book in the Seven Sisters series. A journey like no other, it starts the same as the first book, but takes you in a different direction. Very well written and hard to put down!

29. The Shadow Sister
- Lucinda Riley
I'm clearly hooked... The Shadow Sister is the third book in the series. I could not put this book down (just like the first and the second).

30. The Pearl Sister
- Lucinda Riley
Fourth book - this one was probably my least favourite of all the books in the series. It took me a little longer to get into the book, but I still finished it as I wanted to start with the next book in the series as soon as possible!

Reading 30 books in a year felt like a rewarding challenge, and I’m already excited to share what I'm reading this year. I'm hoping to beat the 30 books from 2024. 

If any of these titles caught your eye, I’d love to hear your thoughts or recommendations for what I should pick up next. After all, the best part of reading is sharing the journey.

Max, Mina, Molly and Ace (Mannetjie)

First, let me start by saying: ADOPT, don't shop!

I had a good chat with a friend this past weekend - he works for the SPCA - and last year alone they took in 23 621 unwanted and unloved pets. Only a few hunderd of these of pets were rehomed. This is scary! 

As mentioned in my previous post, we have four beautiful dogs which we have adopted over the years. Our oldest child is Max. 

Max turned 11 this year and is still in good health, bar a small bit of arthritis. He loves to play with squeaky toys, hang out on the couch, cuddle and all types of snacks. As he gets older, he gets a little grumpy, but is still the love of my life.

Mina, or Mooo, as we call her is second in line and turns 9 in August. She is a tri-colour Border Collie from George.

She does not like to cuddle, is very active and LOVES biscuits. She is super sweet ad absolutely the little circus monkey of the family. Mooo is a working dog and loves commands, games and challenges.

We adopted Molly from Hermanus Animal Welfare and even though she's not really a Border Collie, we call her a Border Molly. Growing up with Collies taught her a lot - she's a cuddler and basically a heart on very long legs. She is also our little ninja/ guard dog. Mops turns three on Mandela Day in July.

Ace recently joined our family. Ryno's dad adopted him from the SPCA in George last year. Sadly my father-in-law passed away earlier this year and so it came that Ace has moved in with us. It is so amazing to see how he just slots in with the pack (even with grumpy old Max). He is a little koala bear that clings, a shadow and a tiny little man that we've fallen head over heels in love with. We call him Mannetjie (or sometimes nugget) and we think he also turns three this year.

We are so fortunate that we get to share our lives with these beautiful dogs. I wish we had the space and the funds to have more of them!

Go and have a peak at the SPCA website for some more stats and information. We need to try and do as much as we can to support organisations like these. You can donate unwanted stuff from your house, funds, time - anything and everything helps them in their daily struggle.

If you live in Hermanus, I urge you to support HAWS in the same way. They have a fantastic team that looks after our community pets, but they also need all the help they can get!

Ten Years

 TEN YEARS. That's how long it took me to remember that I have a blog. Sorry about that! I just re-read my bio and safe to say that I'm no longer 28 years old (when I started this situation).

This is also the year I turn 40... WHAT?!

Anyways, before delving into current adventures, let me give you a bit of background on where I've been the last ten years:

- I got myself a boyfriend (and yes, he is still my boyfriend - 8 years now)
- I have four dogs (more on that later)
- I lost many people that I loved dearly
- I travelled extensively and realised that at this moment in time that I prefer to explore my beautiful country rather than getting on a plane
- I am officially unemployed BUT run my own little business consisting of 3 Airbnb rentals (also more on that later)
- I moved a few times
- I read a lot

Etc. etc. I also love camping.

The last couple of months have been incredibly hard, emotionally and mentally. So we decided to take some time and go hang out with Mother Nature.

I am seriously going to try my hand at blogging (again). I have a lot to share, so let's see how this goes. First, I'm going to see if I can somehow revamp this page and give it a fresh look.

Laters x

I love Cupcakes

I'm not so much a fan of eating them as I am making them. I love it - I don't really care if anyone eats them, they must just be displayed - well the good ones at least :) 

I have two flatmates, who have always been keen to be my guinea pigs, so at least I didn't have to try any of them. These are obviously super amateur, but I am proud of them and have posted a few below to share with you.

O by the way, sometimes cupcakes are way more fun, depends on the mood. They just take long!

I'm starting at the very beginning. This Barbie cake was for my friend, Anina's bachelorette two years ago. I don't think anybody ever ate this cake, but we enjoyed looking at it. This was a first attempt and came out better than predicted. It was however challenging as my hand was cramping for weeks after attempting this. I also used my mothers lazy susan as I don't have a rotating thing.. 

Next up was a cake for my flatmate's Island birthday party (yes... I live with grown-ups) - I thought this one was quite a success and made up of all the toys I could find around the apartment. I am still to find a cake recipe that doesn't look like it's been squashed between two pans... 

Now this one didn't come out exactly as planned. I felt VERY creative, but obviously slightly hungover and not as I envisioned it to be. Nevertheless, this was for my friend Eugene's birthday. It didn't really have a theme, I just made one up - It's meant to be Eugene in a life raft with a treasure chest... 

I had a pirate birthday (I LOVE themes!) for my 27th birthday and made my very first fondant cake. I actually loved the look of this cake - cannot for the life of me remember the taste though. I do remember the crappy taste of rum in my mouth the next morning and crying when my friend asked me to breakfast. 

Well, ok yes, it's not completely covered in fondant. I don't think I'll ever be able to do that, but will off course keep trying. Then it was Halloween and I started playing around with smaller fondant figures and cupcakes :) :) 

The one with the white thing on is meant to be a blade with blood everywhere.. This was before I discovered Tylose powder, so as soon as the fondant was out of the fridge it got soft and ended up looking like a 'vrot' flower.

Frikkie had a birthday again the following year (as you do...) and this time the theme was Mexican. Again, the cake didn't come out exactly as planned, with the chilli's looking like carrots etc. However the cool thing is that this is a 7 minute microwave cake that had smarties inside - like a piñata! That at least was a cool surprise. 

Moving along swiftly - I realise this is getting boring. Long story short, I started experimenting with Sugarveil, butter cookies, more cupcakes and a dessert:

These are moustache's, not lips.

This is sugarveil. Expensive and hard to come by, I've only played with this once. It also take WEEKS to dry :( 

Halloween again ... The little 'spokie' makes me very happy!

Cheesecakes should not be decorated... However, this one made it all the way on the plane to Johannesburg

This, I call the berry Star pie - it's basically berries with stars and was for Christmas. It looks much nicer than what it was... 

Guess what... It was Frikkie's birthday again - this time Tight and Bright (yes... he also loves themes!) I got awesome neon food colouring at my local baking store which I love working with!

Something simple for my Gran's 80th

And red velvet with fondant roses for my boss' birthday

Lastly, this weekend I made cupcakes for the Christmas in July party at Cafe Caprice. I made little snowmen, reindeer and random white cupcakes with snowflakes. It was quite a mission to find and make white icing, but it worked our really well and didn't taste too bad :) 

All the cupcakes were devoured by drunk people :) 

Iced, sealed and delivered. Good night :)

PS: #cupcakes #xmas #cafecaprice #barbie #baking #hashtag 

Weekend Adventures

As promised I will tell you about my weekend adventures.

It didn't go as planned as such (does it ever really?!), but I did make a really good soup from my new Indonesian cookbook that I feel I have to share :)

Chicken and Chive soup is really easy to make and the perfect weapon against a vicious cold.

All you need is:
- Chicken
- Chives
- Fresh Garlic
- Fresh Ginger
- Bamboo Shoots
- Water
- Chicken Stock
- Mushrooms
- White pepper

Sauté the garlic and ginger in a little bit of oil. Add the stock and water and bring to a vigorous boil. Add the chicken (really small cubes) and boil for about 5 minutes. Bring down the heat, add the mushrooms and shoots and chives and simmer for another 3 minutes. Add the pepper and voila!

My food photography obviously needs some work, but you get the just of it. It was delicious!

How do you add hashtags to a blogpost? #chicken #soup

Anyways, I also flew up to Johannesburg and took a few of our Australian guests to Marataba Safari Lodge up in the Waterberg area. The lodge is located in the Marakele Game Reserve.

As Africans, we are very fortunate to have some of the worlds most amazing animals right on our doorstep. Luckily all of the Big Five (Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, Buffalo and Lion) can still be found in the wild - although not for long.

It is just amazing showing these animals to guests from around the world. Most of these guys have never been to Africa and have never even dreamt of seeing these animals in real life. Looking at someone seeing an Elephant for the first time is pretty spectacular.

The game viewing at Marataba was incredible - we saw a month old baby elephant, a leopard with three cubs feeding in a tree, hippo, wildebeest, giraffe, lion, warthogs and thousands of antelope.

#BigFive #Elephant #Marataba

Off to find more exciting things to tell you about x

How? What? Where?

Its embarrassing how quickly life passes you by. When was the last time you saw your best friends? When was the last time you did something crazy? When was the last time you saw your extended family? 

It's been over a year since my last blog post, where did the time go? I'm obviously not very good at blogging or keeping in touch. That being said I'd like to tell you about my past year. As so many times mentioned before, I'm not really sure if anyone reads this, if not, feel free to call it a lame journal. 

Since my last post I've had quite a few adventures, many 'lows', met amazing new people and spent a lot of hours working. I'm still single. I love my job. 

I've been very fortunate to have travelled a lot. I've seen a bit of Africa in the past year, I've been back to Australia, I've ventured into Bali and booked tickets to Russia today. I will be visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg in September. 

I lost one of my best friends last year to cancer and three family members.  One of my other best friends had a really cute baby. I still miss all the boys I've loved before. On this Friday night at home, I miss all my friends that live abroad. 

Life is good, I have a hand full of friends that really go the extra mile, I am healthy, so is my family. I have a roof over my head, a set of wheels, a little bit of food in the fridge and even less money in my bank account. I don't have a five year plan, but I still dream big and still plan to live in a foreign city and see the world. 

Change isn't something I'm very good at although I try really hard. They say it's as good as a holiday, just cheaper. I'm not so sure just yet, but I know it brings great adventures. Sometimes. I like adventures. 

It's funny how all your friends end up with their other halves and have babies and here I am alone at home on a Friday. It's also funny because I've waited for this moment the whole week. I was so excited to get home, switch on the tv and eat popcorn in silence. Now that I've cleaned my room and came across a few old treasures, I am bored. I did watch a movie and ate popcorn, but it didn't keep me busy long enough.

I've given up on this day, and will now start making plans for tomorrow. I will call a family member, catch up with an old friend and try and do something crazy. And if I remember, I'll tell you about my adventures in less than a year :) 

Night x