Sometimes all you want to do is go camping. If you can combine a weekend away doing light painting with camping, all the better. We booked a campsite at Olifants River Lodge just outside of Middelburg, Mpumalanga.  We arrived there late Friday afternoon, the weather was perfect. There were a few clouds in the sky, but nothing drastic.

We set up our camp site; a small dome tent and a gazebo, the kind that you will see at most camp sites. Everything seemed perfect, then all of a sudden the wind came up and dark clouds rolled in. The rain pelted down and I took shelter in the bakkie leaving Pierre to hang on to his gazebo. The wind mangled the legs of the gazebo and snapped a flexible pole on the tent, which in turn tore a hole in the fabric of the tent. There was no way that we were sleeping in the tent that night.

Lucky for us, we were part of a photography group and most of the group were sleeping in the cabanas. There were some spare beds so we at least slept in dry, warm beds.

The next morning there was hardly any evidence of the dreadful storm the night before. We did however have to dry out all the bedding in the sun.

We also found out that damage to caravans and tents is not uncommon at that campsite as the wind often comes barreling down into the valley with quite a force.

I guess we won’t be camping there again.

Well, now to go shopping for a new gazebo.

Vanessa