Heya! Sorry its taken so long to do another entry but we've been so busy I haven't had a chance.

So much has happened!! I don't know where to start!

We have finished what we need to do at the mill project - although is by no means finished. We have cut down all the alien vegetation around the area which have to be got rid off because they absorb all the moisture in the soil and nothing else can grow. I can't remember how much I said last time but the idea is that we are clearing the area because they want to make the whole area including the mill, the old shop (Die Winkel) and the outhouses into a tourist attraction to bring money into the community. Eventually they want to open the old shop as a restaurant which sells cakes etc which have been made using the flour which will have been ground by the mill (which will also be a working museum) However, it all comes down to funding as all the equipment from the mill has been stolen to sell as scrap metal and there are big sections missing forom the outflow pipe. Hence why we have done all we can until there is some kind of funding made available. We also cleared the stream which was completely clogged up with vegetation and was muddy and horrible but now its flowing and looking pretty good.

We have started on a new project now which is the bird hide near Atlantis. It is a beautiful area with a lake where migrating birds either come to rest on their way to somewhere else or come to stay for the summer. There is loads of vegetation and its a very green area which, as well as being good for bird watching, would be good for walking so we are hopefully planning on marking out walks etc around the area. It is a big project which we, unfortunately, won't be able to get anywhre near to finishing while we are here because they want to build the birdhide on an island in the middle of the lake which means we are going to need to build a bridge which is what we are going to do while we are here. We worked out today that the bridge is going to need to be about 20m long and in the middle I can't stand up so it should be fun!! There is probably going to be a lot of swimming involved! Today we measured everything so that we can order the materials etc and while we are waiting for them we are going to start clearing a path to the waters edge. The idea is that the bird hide is going to need to have wheelchair access which just makes things all the more fun!! We are also designing the birdhide so that future groups will have a plan to work from. I'm really looking forward to getting started!!

We are also starting to do things in Mamre which is good. We are planning a funday where we are going to have a football tournament, all sorts of stalls and stuff - it should be really good. Also, some people have had an idea to set up an internet cafe in the village which would really really benefit the community so they are having all sorts of meetings to try and get some funding and support etc. There are also a few other ideas floating around but we shall have to see which ones are going to work etc etc.

Obviously it hasn't all been work. We have met so many new people - some of them completely randomly! Everybody here is so friendly and they all want to take us places and show us the sights which is awesome - I think its just nice for them to have people to show around. Even so, its a bit of a weird experience for us as in England, if a group of foreigners were to turn up in the village I'm fairly sure we wouldn't give them anywhere near as nice a welcome as they have here! Most people know each other here so we are constantly being introduced to new people and its become quite normal for us to meet somebody on the Friday evening and for them to be taking us to the beach the next day!

The coast around here is amazingly beautiful - there aren't so many beaches - most of them are rock which has been carved out by the sea but its still nice to relax on them. However, all the beaches near us are on the Atlantic Ocean which means the sea is really cold but considering its so hot outside, it doesn't really matter as you soon warm up. Some of the people we have met go crayfish diving so hopefully I will get to try that soon which should be good. We have also been taken to a place called 'the pitch' which is basically a big ring surrounded by tyres which you stand outside of where drivers come and do all sorts of crazy stuff - they drift around the edge and do doughnuts and wheelspins and all sorts of stuff which is pretty awesome to watch.

We have also visited Capetown a couple of times where we've been out a couple of times and walked round the city a bit. There is an amazing market called green market where there are hundreds of stalls selling all sorts of really beautiful stuff but the best thing is that they have all made the things themselves - you can't sell anything which you haven't made.

It's getting very hot here now - I've hardly seen a cloud the last 2 weeks and today its 32 degrees and the locals keep telling us it’s not even hot yet!!! It is nice though if you're not working and you're in the shade - by the sounds of it much nicer than back home at any rate!!

The team is still all working together and there haven't been any major arguments which is good. We are having an awesome time, however I am starting to miss home a bit but its all good.

Hope everybody is well,

Shaun xx