New Year's without a sequin in sight

Moving swiftly on from the fact this post comes three weeks into the new year, I'd like to share with you my thoughts on what makes a successful New Year's Eve celebration. I've experienced plenty of disappointing New Year's, that have included broken bones, missed countdowns and even being stuck on a plane, and have concluded that it's all about ignoring the hype. Don't make a big deal about New Years because it's actually no different from any other night of the year, and above all keep expectations down to a minimum. One sure way to contain any hype is to leave plans to the last minute so that you don't have time to build up too much excitement, or invest too much in it.

I spent the latter part of the festive season at home in Johannesburg, South Africa with a vague interest in getting out of the city for New Year's, but it wasn't until two days before that plans materialised. I'm going through a phase of really hating big New Year's parties: the screaming, the music, the drunk-driving, the fireworks and the crowds, especially since living in London, so this was perfect...

A peaceful New Years on a farm in South Africa near the Drakensberg. The pink flower is a protea, the national flower.

That's why we opted for a peaceful night in the wilderness, and I ditched the sparkly party dress and heels for some hiking boots and a layer of mosquito repellent.  We stayed on a friend's family farm in the Free State  for two nights, and were the only people, bar a few farmers, for kilometers. South Africa has so much natural beauty and wide open spaces that you can find this kind of scenery outside any city, and there are plenty places to camp, like we did last year.

We stayed in the very basic farm house which had no electricity, and we used fire to cook our food and heat our water. I've been to campsites with power points before, so I felt quite stupid for bringing my hairdryer and hid it in my bag without telling anyone!

1. Iconic enamel crockery
2. Outdoor shower
3. Farm-house interior
4. Blanket store

I've never used such a basic, outdoor shower before but it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. The wood-fire gave the water a slightly smokey smell which I loved, and it was incredibly peaceful to be completely alone and showering under the sunny blue sky. I'm afraid that showering AND being able to tan at the same time is a slippery slope towards hippiedom for me.

On the night we melted marshmallows on the fire and no doubt swallowed some insects that fell into our champagne. On New Year's day we went on a hike to look for the San rock paintings which have been spotted on the farm. Along the Drakensberg Mountains where we were, there are some 35 000 rock paintings, the oldest being 2 400 years old.

You may wonder what a fan of the glamorous 50s silhouette like myself wears while roughing it in the bush and hiking, and it was actually exactly what I wore when hiking in Wales: a tunic over leggings. Accompanying us on all of our walks was a little pug named Plato (his owner is a philosopher) who had never been outside of the posh Northern Suburbs of Johannesburg. I was surprised at his agility in the long grass and on the rocks, and in fact he was so at home in his new surroundings he even charged a herd of cows and caused a stampede in his direction.

1. Road trippin'
2. Plato, with a silly leg
3. Rain on a tin roof: wide-screen TV with surround sound

I was really glad we got some rain because there's nothing I miss quite like a South African storm. In London the rain is a pathetic drawn-out drizzle and I've only heard one meek thunder a year. At home however, rain is usually violent and short lived, often taking the form of regular afternoon thundershowers that last for no more than 30 minutes. Storms include massive raindrops that come speeding to the ground without warning, accompanied by deafening thunder claps, wind that will break unlocked windows, lightning that regularly destroys electronics if you dare to leave them plugged-in in the afternoon and hail that kills unsheltered chickens and  damages cars. In fact I've heard that hail-damage is the most expensive payout for household-insurers in Johannesburg. I used to be anxious about all the destruction but now I find the experience really energising.

1. Moss on a boulder in the shape of Africa.
2. Our mountain
3. 40 year old sleep bag ("slaapsak")
4. Natural vase: there were plenty of these little rocks with holes in them

Leaving behind the phones and the mirrors, showering under trees dripping rain-water, and relying on natural light which forces you to end the card-games when it gets dark makes you feel really in touch with nature (see, hippie!). On New Year's day when we were sitting on that mountain smelling the sweet khakibos and looking out over the dewy landscape I felt like I'd emerged from a bath that I'd been waiting a whole year for.

I'm not much of a resolutions person so all my resolutions this year have been pretty nerdy and PhD related: keep a more detailed and organised lab book and devote a full day each weekend to writing. Other than that, this year I vow to get my sewing machine out more often and get round to altering all those vintage dresses.

How about you, would you say your New Years parties are on average better or worse than any other party?