MX5 Breakfast run 15.1.2017- Grand Central, Melrose Arch.

                                     

Grand Central – Breakfast Run 15.1.2017

The MX5 owners club first run for 2017. Originally run to Salvation Café on 44 Stanley, but after being told in November that we could book in January after the holiday season,

I was disappointed when confirming this in January, that this was not possible so, c`est la vie, maybe some other time.

Few of us met at Marks Park in Emmarentia, for a short,but exhilarating run to Melrose Arch. 

Also welcome to newbies Neil & Charlotte who joined us on the run to Melrose Arch.

The rest of the sleepy heads ambled their way to Grand central.

Grand Central, Melrose Arch was the alternative and very accommodating venue, and definitely an excellent choice breakfast menu, Highly recommended choice had to be the “Eggs Benedict”,

however, my choice was one of the gourmet burgers.

I think we must have ordered all different meals of the menu, and nobody was disappointed.

The generous portions, the freshness and quality ofthe meals were excellent.

The service was good, with all meals being served simultaneously. 

The breakfast overflowed into an early lunch,with most of us lingering on and consuming 

copious amount of beverages,with management not rushing us at all.

 Neil decided as a newbie, to foot the bill for the first round of drinks, thanks Neil, highly appreciated.

   

Back o` the Moon - Year end function

Subject: Back of the moon -MX5 Owners Club - Year end function

Back of the Moon.

The venue for the MX5 owners club year end function. Excellent venue choice, 

well done Annatjie. This venue along with the theme, 1920’s Gatsby and polka 

dots worked well.

The glamour and glitz provided by most members really set the scene for a 

truly enjoyable night on the town. Thanks to all for getting into the swing of 

things, the costumes certainly turned a lot of heads and looked like a scene 

straight out of “Jollywood”

The menu provided enough variety so satisfy everyone, The food well presented 

with all the courses being served at a reasonable tempo, with no lengthy waits 

and also not served so rapidly so as one never felt rushed at all.

 Back of the Moon, appropriately situated at Gold Reef City, with the adjacent 

theme park village, a living monument to the gold mining industry,in it`s Heydays

in the early 1900’s quite aptly reminding us of the gold rush era.

MX5 weekend away to Klein Kariba

 

MX5 weekend away to Klein Kariba 

The word “awesome” is somewhat jaded by its over-use in today’s times. Boss is often used in modern vernacular to describe Awesome. The antonyms “bad” and “sick” pretty much mean Awesome. The Auzzies have “Bonzer” , but South Africans have “Lekker” which is probably the best way to describe MX5er`s Weekend Away to Klein Kariba in Bela Bela (formerly Warmbaths) Situated some 7 km`s North of Bela Bela, another of Limpopo’s  hidden gems. Truly a Lekker place to spend a weekend away with fellow MX5er`s.

View of the lakeside chalets,stunning!

View from the restaurant, great for bird=watching!

Well done to Mike & Jo for completing the hike to the Klein Kariba sign!

A few MX5er`s met at the Panorama Petroport just north of Pretoria about 13:00 and departed about 13:45 to Klein Kariba. A somewhat short run, but still great to have a little convoy travelling along the N1. Not a very interesting drive in respect of hills twists and turns, but scenic and enjoyable nevertheless. 

Panorama petroport meet

Klein Kariba itself, a really well kept resort has something for everyone to do. The focal point of the resort has to be the heated pools. All the usual extra`s are there, horse riding, Mashie and Action Golf, hiking trails, water slides, the lake with paddle boats, fishing etc. Scenic drives from hillside to the lake, small game to view and a magnificent amount of birdlife in and around the wetlands scattered around the resort.

So at about sunset we met at a central venue, where the MX5 club provided the fire for the “Bring & Braai” and meet and greet for the weekend. The rest of the weary crew checked in later and the braai continued, very Lekker. We could not have wished for better weather, with the night sky showing a brilliant array of stars, truly magnificent! The night sky and the fresh air, as always sent everyone packing off to bed or a final dip in the pool. Sadly the pools close at 22:00 hours.

birthday boy!

Recipe Discussion?

Sucker Award for late-comers

 Saturday was the “Potjie-Kos competition. A Potjie is a traditional African three legged cast iron pot, slow cooked over a charcoal or wood fire. There were three entries for this competition, Ox-Tail, Spicy Chicken and a Mystery Lamb dish. The bonus pot was Crocodile, so make those snappy! These take some time, the entrants started at 14:00 and serving was at 17:30. The judges were the fellow MX5ers` and the results were G who sneaked into 1<sup>st</sup> spot with the Mystery Lamb, followed by Rajen with his Spicy Chicken and then the colonel Rod with the Oxtail, as well as doing the bonus Crocodile pot. Still don`t understand the voting system, but yours truly won the cook-out, so I am well and truly chuffed. Meals done and chilling out under another starlit African sky, well sated we all went to either sleep or mill around as we saw fit.

Thumbs up for the Potjie or the Irish?

just simmering away

The chicken potjie chef taking a break!

Toast to the Potjie champs

And the wiiners are!

Rod-oxtail, Rajen -chicken, G-Lamb

Sunday we met once again for the Meet and Leave about 10:00. For those wanted, there was left-over potjie-kos, always tastes better the following day!

Cars lined up ready to go

Happy campers!

 Some of the club members moved onto Pretoria to photograph the famous Jacaranda`s in full bloom. Really the view from the Union Buildings is spectacular. A final visit to Harry`s Pancakes was literally the Cherry on the top of a most enjoyable weekend away!

View up to Union Buildings

Jacaranda back drop to MX5`s

Union Buildings