Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Wedding - Official photos Aug 2010
Labels:
national park,
South Africa,
wedding,
West Coast NP,
Western Cape
Peter Lambert and Aurette Burger (go to their website or send them a mail) ran around from 08:30 until 18:00, capturing the most fantastic pictures. Almost 900 pictures were taken on the day and we had a terribly difficult time selecting which ones to put on the site. There are many more that we would've liked to add, but there simply wasn't enough space, so here are the best of the best. These are just their pictures. To see some pictures taken by others and read about the day, follow the link back to the Preview and Honeymoon page. Individual photos were taken on the beach at Pulpit rock and in the Postberg section of West Coast National Park. The ceremony and reception was held at Geelbek restaurant, also in WCNP.
Sunday, 26 September 2010
Wakkerstroom birding Sep 2010
Labels:
birding,
Mpumalanga,
South Africa,
Wakkerstroom
Links
Friday morning at 4am we were up and packing the last few things before hitting the road well before dawn. In the dark I managed to get on the wrong road to the south and we had to drive the R543 to Hendrina to get back on track. This must surely be one of the worst tarred roads in South Africa. But back on the N11 we made good time to Ermelo before three Stop/Go roadworks held us up again. Shortly after Amersfoort we turned off the highway and started our birding, working our way slowly towards Wakkerstroom. Disappointingly the area has also not yet received any rain this season and everything looked dry and dusty. We were looking especially for Denham's and Whitebellied bustards, Grey crowned cranes and Blue korhaan. A number of times we saw large birds sitting deep in the agricultural fields; without fail though, these turned out to be Spurwinged geese. But among others, we did get Southern bald ibis, Red-capped lark, South African shelduck, Plain-backed pipit and Blue korhaan before we reached Wakkerstroom. After filling up with petrol we headed south past the Zaaihoek dam and completed a circuit past Groenvlei. It was a very pretty drive despite the dry and dusty conditions and we added Ground woodpecker, Buff-streaked chat, Blue crane and Sentinel rock-thrush before we came to the track leading up to Ossewakop. With engine racing up the steep and rocky track, we made it to the top with nice views over the area. We had a spot of lunch before driving back down and into town to make a turn past the wetlands. The only exciting bird we added here was an African marsh harrier - the rest of the common ones we ticked when we drove through Wakkerstroom earlier. Just before 2pm we drove to our accommodation and spent the rest of the afternoon dozing and reading.
Surprisingly, a Fierynecked nightjar called during the night. Getting up at 05:30 we were on our way before 06:30. We made a quick turn at the wetlands to add the usual waterbirds, including a Black-crowned night heron. Then we headed east towards Piet Retief, a very pretty drive indeed. Specials along the way included Buff-streaked chat, a lone Secretarybird right next to the road, some Southern bald ibis and a good identification of Long-billed pipit. We took some of the back roads to Fickland's pan where we got Jackal buzzard, Spike-heeled lark, African pipit and Mountain wheatear. Back in Wakkerstroom we ended our birding by visiting some of the wetland hides and added Fantailed widowbird and a Malachite kingfisher. Making a last turn on the western side of the wetlands we were lucky to have a small covey of Red-winged francolin cross the road. Back at our accommodation we had a good shower before dinner and an early night.
Once again the Fierynecked nigthjar called in the night and another surprise was a Secretarybird landing about 50m from the house in the grass. We packed and cleaned, then left just before 7am. With a cold front pushing through, the wind has picked up significantly and at the wetland hides, it was rather unpleasant. Nevertheless, we were very lucky to spot a lone Lanner falcon (lifer) on a soccer pitch in town and then a little later added another Black-crowned night heron before starting back home. This time we drove the tar road to Volksrust with a fading hope of bustards and cranes. But it was not to be. Our last good sighting was a pair of Blue korhaan very near the road that Nicola spotted just as we drove past them. We turned around quickly and had good sightings before they disappeared. A quick stop at the Wonderfontein pans on the way home yielded a lone Greater flamingo among all the other regular waterbirds. A few waders could also be seen but were too far away to ID. We ended our trip with 98 birds in total and two lifers (Lanner falcon and African rock pipit).
Friday morning at 4am we were up and packing the last few things before hitting the road well before dawn. In the dark I managed to get on the wrong road to the south and we had to drive the R543 to Hendrina to get back on track. This must surely be one of the worst tarred roads in South Africa. But back on the N11 we made good time to Ermelo before three Stop/Go roadworks held us up again. Shortly after Amersfoort we turned off the highway and started our birding, working our way slowly towards Wakkerstroom. Disappointingly the area has also not yet received any rain this season and everything looked dry and dusty. We were looking especially for Denham's and Whitebellied bustards, Grey crowned cranes and Blue korhaan. A number of times we saw large birds sitting deep in the agricultural fields; without fail though, these turned out to be Spurwinged geese. But among others, we did get Southern bald ibis, Red-capped lark, South African shelduck, Plain-backed pipit and Blue korhaan before we reached Wakkerstroom. After filling up with petrol we headed south past the Zaaihoek dam and completed a circuit past Groenvlei. It was a very pretty drive despite the dry and dusty conditions and we added Ground woodpecker, Buff-streaked chat, Blue crane and Sentinel rock-thrush before we came to the track leading up to Ossewakop. With engine racing up the steep and rocky track, we made it to the top with nice views over the area. We had a spot of lunch before driving back down and into town to make a turn past the wetlands. The only exciting bird we added here was an African marsh harrier - the rest of the common ones we ticked when we drove through Wakkerstroom earlier. Just before 2pm we drove to our accommodation and spent the rest of the afternoon dozing and reading.
Surprisingly, a Fierynecked nightjar called during the night. Getting up at 05:30 we were on our way before 06:30. We made a quick turn at the wetlands to add the usual waterbirds, including a Black-crowned night heron. Then we headed east towards Piet Retief, a very pretty drive indeed. Specials along the way included Buff-streaked chat, a lone Secretarybird right next to the road, some Southern bald ibis and a good identification of Long-billed pipit. We took some of the back roads to Fickland's pan where we got Jackal buzzard, Spike-heeled lark, African pipit and Mountain wheatear. Back in Wakkerstroom we ended our birding by visiting some of the wetland hides and added Fantailed widowbird and a Malachite kingfisher. Making a last turn on the western side of the wetlands we were lucky to have a small covey of Red-winged francolin cross the road. Back at our accommodation we had a good shower before dinner and an early night.
Once again the Fierynecked nigthjar called in the night and another surprise was a Secretarybird landing about 50m from the house in the grass. We packed and cleaned, then left just before 7am. With a cold front pushing through, the wind has picked up significantly and at the wetland hides, it was rather unpleasant. Nevertheless, we were very lucky to spot a lone Lanner falcon (lifer) on a soccer pitch in town and then a little later added another Black-crowned night heron before starting back home. This time we drove the tar road to Volksrust with a fading hope of bustards and cranes. But it was not to be. Our last good sighting was a pair of Blue korhaan very near the road that Nicola spotted just as we drove past them. We turned around quickly and had good sightings before they disappeared. A quick stop at the Wonderfontein pans on the way home yielded a lone Greater flamingo among all the other regular waterbirds. A few waders could also be seen but were too far away to ID. We ended our trip with 98 birds in total and two lifers (Lanner falcon and African rock pipit).
Monday, 20 September 2010
Amphitheatre (Drakensberg) Sep 2010
Labels:
Drakensberg,
Freestate,
hiking,
mountains,
South Africa
Links
Nicola arrived back from work at 14:30 and we left for Nicola's parents immediately where we dropped the cats and picked Gordon up. We drove without incident but had heavy traffic on the R21 due to lane restrictions, arriving in Harrismith just after 8pm. We slept in the caravan park which was fairly noisy as usual, but due to a long day behind us, we all got a good night’s sleep in.
I woke everyone at 5am and we had some breakfast and coffee before leaving the campsite just before 6am. We arrived at Sentinel car park just after 7 and were surprised that the last km or so of the gravel road has now been paved as well. We signed in, paid our fees and off we went. A slight breeze was a bit chilly but it was a beautifully clear day above us – very smoggy below. The ‘Berg hasn’t had rain yet in the season and everything looked dry and dusty and huge patches have already burned. Gordon decided to take the Gully route to the top while Nicola and I ascended the chain ladders. At the top we walked past some standing pools in the upper reaches of the Tugela but it was obviously not running. As we walked lower down towards the Tugela lip we spotted Gordon coming towards us with his water bag, looking for water. We met at a fair-sized pool and filled up with water – about 16 litres beween the 3 of us. Then we made for the hut and climbed the ridge behind. As we dropped towards Bilanjil we saw some pools of water and decided to sleep at Bilanjil rather than further along the escarpment. We dropped down into the stream just below the Bilanjil shelter and had a long rest and lunch, even soaking our feet in one of the lower pools.
About 12:30 we packed our bags and hid them away in the gully running towards the Bilanjil waterfall. Then we started the slog across the Amphitheatre, passing Ethereal Tower and then ascending the ridge running towards Eastern Buttress. When we crossed the ridge, our goal, Mt Amery, loomed in front of us. An attached peak of well over 3000m, with a sheer drop in the region of 800m off the escarpment, the summit provides one of the best views in the entire Drakensberg in my opinion. We made it to the top just after 2pm and sat for a while enjoying the majestic scenery. A pity the smog covered so much of the Berg; the Cathkin peak range was barely visible and Harrismith’s Platberg not at all. With the day becoming a bit long, we scrambled down and then slogged the 4km or so back to Bilanjil, reaching it at 15:30. Happy that our packs stayed undetected by Basothos and baboons alike, we soaked our tired feet yet again and then started an early dinner of rice, braai relish, carrots and bacon. With dinner finished around 17:30 we made our way out of the stream bed to the Bilanjil shelter and pitched the tent. A last cup of tea warmed us up before heading for the tent where we tied all the packs together and then also to the tent and some heavy boulders outside, just in case.
The night passed uneventfully and we rose at 05:00 with the sky just beginning to hint at dawn. Quickly everything was packed, including the tent and the sun rose just as we were having breakfast. Sometime after 6 we were hiking and sweated our way up the hill, back towards the chain ladder. On top of the ridge we spotted some more hikers in the Tugela basin, but since our path went past the hut and directly to the chain ladders, we didn’t get to talk to them. We took a sip of water where we crossed the Tugela, then climbed down the ladder and met two hikers starting out on the Grand Traverse. It was an easy hike as usual all the way down. Just as I got onto the last zig-zag I saw a pair of Drakensberg rock-jumpers and waited for Nicola to catch up to see them as well. We then also added a Rock kestrel and Wailing cisticola (lifer) before reaching the bottom. Donning some fresh clothes, we were off to Harrismith for some Jucy Lucy and then home. The end of a very rewarding weekend!
Nicola arrived back from work at 14:30 and we left for Nicola's parents immediately where we dropped the cats and picked Gordon up. We drove without incident but had heavy traffic on the R21 due to lane restrictions, arriving in Harrismith just after 8pm. We slept in the caravan park which was fairly noisy as usual, but due to a long day behind us, we all got a good night’s sleep in.
I woke everyone at 5am and we had some breakfast and coffee before leaving the campsite just before 6am. We arrived at Sentinel car park just after 7 and were surprised that the last km or so of the gravel road has now been paved as well. We signed in, paid our fees and off we went. A slight breeze was a bit chilly but it was a beautifully clear day above us – very smoggy below. The ‘Berg hasn’t had rain yet in the season and everything looked dry and dusty and huge patches have already burned. Gordon decided to take the Gully route to the top while Nicola and I ascended the chain ladders. At the top we walked past some standing pools in the upper reaches of the Tugela but it was obviously not running. As we walked lower down towards the Tugela lip we spotted Gordon coming towards us with his water bag, looking for water. We met at a fair-sized pool and filled up with water – about 16 litres beween the 3 of us. Then we made for the hut and climbed the ridge behind. As we dropped towards Bilanjil we saw some pools of water and decided to sleep at Bilanjil rather than further along the escarpment. We dropped down into the stream just below the Bilanjil shelter and had a long rest and lunch, even soaking our feet in one of the lower pools.
About 12:30 we packed our bags and hid them away in the gully running towards the Bilanjil waterfall. Then we started the slog across the Amphitheatre, passing Ethereal Tower and then ascending the ridge running towards Eastern Buttress. When we crossed the ridge, our goal, Mt Amery, loomed in front of us. An attached peak of well over 3000m, with a sheer drop in the region of 800m off the escarpment, the summit provides one of the best views in the entire Drakensberg in my opinion. We made it to the top just after 2pm and sat for a while enjoying the majestic scenery. A pity the smog covered so much of the Berg; the Cathkin peak range was barely visible and Harrismith’s Platberg not at all. With the day becoming a bit long, we scrambled down and then slogged the 4km or so back to Bilanjil, reaching it at 15:30. Happy that our packs stayed undetected by Basothos and baboons alike, we soaked our tired feet yet again and then started an early dinner of rice, braai relish, carrots and bacon. With dinner finished around 17:30 we made our way out of the stream bed to the Bilanjil shelter and pitched the tent. A last cup of tea warmed us up before heading for the tent where we tied all the packs together and then also to the tent and some heavy boulders outside, just in case.
The night passed uneventfully and we rose at 05:00 with the sky just beginning to hint at dawn. Quickly everything was packed, including the tent and the sun rose just as we were having breakfast. Sometime after 6 we were hiking and sweated our way up the hill, back towards the chain ladder. On top of the ridge we spotted some more hikers in the Tugela basin, but since our path went past the hut and directly to the chain ladders, we didn’t get to talk to them. We took a sip of water where we crossed the Tugela, then climbed down the ladder and met two hikers starting out on the Grand Traverse. It was an easy hike as usual all the way down. Just as I got onto the last zig-zag I saw a pair of Drakensberg rock-jumpers and waited for Nicola to catch up to see them as well. We then also added a Rock kestrel and Wailing cisticola (lifer) before reaching the bottom. Donning some fresh clothes, we were off to Harrismith for some Jucy Lucy and then home. The end of a very rewarding weekend!