Hi everyone

Well we`ve got some big news here, so I thought it was about time I updated the blog again.

We`ve taken on a second guest house up here in the mountains and have actually moved home. The new place (Rosstrevor) is just down the road in a farming district called New England. How ironic! The background to this is a bit complicated and not really for publication on the world wide web (you`ll have to email me if you want the whole low-down), but basically we have been struggling for a while to resolve a dispute with our landlords up at Edgehill which meant that it was very difficult to be living with them every weekend. To cut a very long story short, we have decided to retain Edgehill, but have taken on a second property and are now living there.

Rosstrevor Guest Farm is actually a much better option for us in lots of ways. Firstly it`s a lot closer to town, so that`s better for Phil to be able to do his building work, me to do my internet stuff, less of a mission to go shopping - the list goes on. The close proximity to Barkly East (20kms) means that it`s also a much better location for us to open the bar and restaurant that we have had in mind for a long time. The Guest House business is highly seasonal, so this step should really help us to bring in income from the locals during the quiet times. Also, this place is more suited to summer activities such as riding, fishing and camping, so we`re hoping that each will have its own busy season (Edgehill will always be pumping in the winter as it is so close to the Tiffindell ski resort). Oh, and because it`s a bit further down the valley it`s a lot warmer. :-)

The house itself is stunning - a beautifully preserved Victorian building with open fireplaces, anthracite stoves and even an AGA-style cooker in the kitchen. One of the lovely things about being here is that Phil and I finally have a little cottage of our own to nestle up in - giving both us and our guests the space we all need. Our place is a traditional African rondavel and beautifully built. It`s also en-suite which is a relief - some days during season we had to go several days without a proper bath/shower as the facilities were so in demand from guests (and the washing of sheets). The house`s bathrooms are something to behold - we even have a Victorian-style commode! It`s a much more upmarket property than Edgehill - some of the rooms are ensuite - but it doesn`t really feel like `home` yet. Maybe it`s because it`s grander, maybe I just need to rearrange it a bit to make it `mine`, maybe I just need to give it time….. I don`t know.

To be fair, it`s taken me a while to adjust to the change. I really adored living at Edgehill and after all the hard work we put into renovating the place, I found it heart-breaking to leave - even though we`re just a few miles down the road. I can see all the advantages of moving - but feel I`ve moved around enough in the last few years and didn`t want to uproot myself yet again. Tinker is also less than chuffed with the new place - unfortunately the move coincided with lambing season so we`ve had to shut her in the yard to stop her chasing sheep. She is sulking big time and taking out her frustration on anything we are careless enough to leave lying around (cushions, shoes, you name it!). Sometimes I`ve felt like joining her - but it`s probably just post season `blues` and needing a holiday of my own, rather than making dream holidays for our guests. Still, we`ve got a good friend from the Port St Johns days coming to stay with us next week - so I`m looking forward to taking some time out and exploring with her.

Back to the positive stuff though - One of the best bits of this farm is the river. It`s one of the finest fly-fishing waters in the area (which is already world-famous for wild trout fishing anyway). We`ve had lovely walks along the river exploring - Phil fishes whilst I read, sunbathe, play with Tinker, and sit watching the spectacular bird life. There are little waterfalls, amazing rock formations, gorges and bushman paintings all along the river and the caves are spectacular. We`ve even found a cave which could sleep about 200 people camping, so we`re planning to launch that as a wonderful overnight adventure as soon as the weather warms up. Well as soon as the weather decides which season it is to be accurate - we had 4cms on snow on Sunday and today (Wednesday) it`s 33 degrees C!!

Another blessing here is that our landlord (Tippy) is a lovely guy and we have entered into a very sensible partnership arrangement with him. He doesn`t expect us to pay a penny (rand) towards improving the property - which is a relief after all the extensive and expensive Edgehill renovations. The house itself is in superb condition, but we have jointly decided to take on the mammoth, but highly rewarding project of converting the beautiful (huge) stone barn into a restaurant. We have already set up a restaurant and bar of sorts in the existing house, but are worried that this might interfere with the guest house residents, so it makes much more sense to have it about 100 metres away from the house in the barn. The barn also really catches the eye from the road, so by the time we have got lights and tables etc outside, it should draw the passing trade. But what a lot of work it will be - at the moment the place is basically a disused and derelict milking shed (we`re still wondering if we can somehow theme the restaurant along those lines). Anyway, have a look at the `before` pictures I`ve just taken - I look forward to posting the updates over the coming weeks & months.

Tippy has also agreed that we can use some of the land here for horses, so we`re actively in the buying market. Sod`s law though - every horse we have looked at to buy has suddenly gone lame. Why is it that horses abound when you haven’t got the money/land/whatever, but you can`t find them when you are actually looking. Grrrr. Hopefully though it won`t be too long before we have some trusty steeds and we can`t wait to get exploring our new home on four legs. It`s much better riding country than Edgehill - not as steep which means that the rides will be faster but safer.

So, as ever, my life seems to be full of change and adventure. I`d better get on with my marketing work now though - I`ve got many hours ahead of me to get Rosstrevor on the map before the fishing season gets going!

Love to you all

Kate xx