Adventuring with our baby – Off grid but close to home

Here we go,
Myself, Leo, Stella and my Mom are off to Bainskloof Nature Reserve to spend a couple of nights adventuring at Oomblik Cabin, a mountain hideaway (and a hideaway is exactly what we got). 

We were lucky enough to receive a friendly invitation from Lina Mallon, founder of Oomblik Cabin and an incredible creator! This adventure couldn’t have come at a better time as life with a baby is pretty hectic, we could use a moment to connect together in nature. We even had a special friend join us. Remember our Instagram takeover by “These Slow Stories’ ? Yup, Tynika made her way up to join us for some ROF adventures and to create some content as we go.

This trip was off to a ROF start​

As we were driving to Oomblik, we noticed some smoke coming from the Landy and this got us very worried, especially now with our Stella onboard. But we soon experienced this was only the beginning… We were advised to tow the Landy with my mom’s bakkie (she’s been driving behind us), it was her first time towing and Leo soon noticed smoke coming from her bakkie too!

We didn’t know at the time, but you are NEVER supposed to tow a Landy, due to the unique 4×4 system. Left completely carless, we thankfully got offered a lift by a mechanic in Wolsey. I jumped in the front seat with Stella and both Leo and my mom hopped on the back of the bakkie along with all our luggage. Told you we were off to a ROF start (Oh, and this is Stella’s third time dealing with car trouble and she’s only 14 weeks old – what a trooper)!

Not long after, we realized that his bakkie couldn’t take on the road ahead, due to the heavy weather Bainskloof has been experiencing. And so we ended up at Bush Pub (we were some of the first people to drive this road and visit Push Pub again after it had been damaged and revamped) where someone offered us a lift to our little mountain hideaway – FINALLY!

PS Car trouble seems to follow us wherever we go, if you’ve read some of our blogs, you’ll notice that it seems to be part of the ROF journey!

An indoor/outdoor experience at OOMBLIK Cabin

As we arrived (about 4 hours behind schedule), we were completely blown away by this hidden gem and all the nature surrounding it. The vision behind Oomblik is: ‘Leave it all behind’ – and we sure left it all behind as we stepped into this peaceful sanctuary!

Picture this: A gorgeous interior with natural tones and organic textiles, tall glass windows offering the most amazing views of mountains and fynbos, a deep bathtub overlooking the landscape, an indoor fireplace, a huge deck to hang out in the sun and to top it all off, an outdoor shower! This cabin really gives a connection with the outdoors, something we strive for with our brand as well.

Travel off grid in South Africa (even with a baby)

   

Lot’s of time to take it slow here at Oomblik. Off grid and nowhere to go left us cooking together, diving deep into dreams, having endless conversations, and having our little morning and evening rituals without interruptions. What I particularly enjoyed was some ‘me-time’ (new parents will know, the little self-love treats take a bit of a back seat when you become a parent). I was able to just relax in a deep bath overlooking the nature reserve and diving into a cool book left in the cabin by Lina (another thing I really loved about Oomblik was the awesome handpicked book selection). Really needed that!

Besides being so inspired by our surroundings, we were also very happy to get to know our new friend Tynika a little better. What really made us smile was the fact that she drove all the way to Oomblik knowing that the roads were tricky and that we could only offer her the couch to sleep on – a true ROF girl! Grateful to spend time with like-minded people who choose experiences over things and can easily say YES to adventure!   

Our days here in Bainskloof were packed with exploring, connecting, and creating. Now that our little girl is still small, we enjoy walking for hours and see nothing but massive mountains, smell the freshest fynbos, and hear the baboons barking in the distance. This is one of the reasons we love South Africa, to be immersed in the wild!      

Make a habit out of making memories

There’s nothing like spending time with your family and friends. And being able to spend this quality time at Oomblik has been super special, especially with little Stella, we just know that one day, we’ll all look back on these cool memories we’ve created, and it will bring her so much joy!

Sitting by the fire, playing some board games, catching up on some reading, creating content with our talented friend, resting and recharging – this is what we are all about!

We’re being reminded of the importance of being 100% present in each moment (big or small), for you will never live that moment twice. Every little thing that you do, see, and feel will be over before you know it and become part of a distant memory, a special memory – we want to inspire you to take it all in, every little bit of it!

Last but not least, always say YES to a pitstop!

On our way back, we decided to hop off in Wolseley to visit Adene’s Flower Farm where you can get the most beautiful fresh cut flowers. This reminded us why we love pitstops so much. Besides seeing all the incredible flowers and mindful farming, we formed another cool connection with a like-minded entrepreneur – Adene, the founder of this incredible business. We encourage you to always say YES to pitstops, you never know what they might bring you!

This is your sign to say YES. Say YES to trying new things. Say YES to adventure.

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