Aug
31
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Departing early from Johannesburg/Pretoria we make our way east to the spectacular Mpumalanga Province. Our journey takes us to one of the greatest wildlife reserves in Africa, the Kruger National Park, where the scenery and wildlife will leave you in awe. We enter the Park via one of the southern gates, where our wildlife adventure unfolds. Our afternoon is spent game viewing while making our way to our campsite within the Park. We arrive at our campsite in time to embark on an open vehicle night drive, giving us the opportunity to view the nocturnal activities of the animals in Kruger. We return from our exciting night drive to enjoy a scrumptious bushveld dinner around the fire. :: Day 2 – Kruger Park South Africa At sunrise we continue our game drive in search of the 150 species of mammal, 507 species of birds and 106 species of reptiles that inhabit the Park! The atmosphere of the Park will impress you and you will know why it will always hold a place among the world’s greatest game reserves. Our game drive takes us through the park, stopping off at the various waterholes and viewpoints en route to our next camp. The evening is to be spent enjoying the bushveld sounds of the night around the campfire. (B,L,D)
We depart our camp as the gates open. This morning we explore the central Kruger Park hoping to spot those animals that have eluded us so far. We depart the Park after lunch, but our wildlife experience is not over yet! We then make our way to the Cheetah Research Centre and you have a fantastic opportunity to touch the cheetahs and view wild dog – an experience not to be missed! You will also learn of the efforts being made to preserve these animals and their natural environment. From here we make our way to the Shangaan Tribal village. This local community initiative gives you a rare insight into the age-old traditions and the modern-day challenges that make up cultural life in 21st century South Africa. After a guided tour, we eat a traditional meal in the boma and watch tribal dancing well into the night. We sleep in the traditional huts in the village. (B,L,D) :: Day 4 – Panoramic Route South Africa |
:: Day 1 – Kruger National Park South Africa
:: Day 3 – Kruger Park, Cheetah Project and Culture Village South AfricaAug
27
I took this panoramic photo of the Indianna Tea House at Cottesloe Beach last Sunday just after the sun had set…
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Aug
26
Today we decided to go to Fremantle to take in some of the local sights with Tash’s friends who were visiting from England. We started off in the Fremantle Markets for a couple of hours and ended up buying a few hippie items. The markets are very much like Victoria Markets in Melbourne, but much much smaller. After having lunch in Old Shanghai we walked over to the Fremantle Prison. I haven’t been into the prison before and it was quite an eye opening chilling experience.
A bit of historical information:
The Fremantle Prison is one of Western Australia’s premier heritage sites, centrally located in the heart of the port city of Fremantle. The Prison was built by convicts in the 1850’s and was closed as a place of incarceration in 1991 after 136 years of continuous use. It was opened to the public in 1992 as a tourist site and in recognition of its heritage value.
The site is listed on the Australian Heritage Commission’s Register of the National Estate, on the Heritage Council of Western Australia’s Register of Heritage Places and in the Fremantle West End conservation area. Many of the buildings in the precinct are also listed with the National Trust of Australia (WA).
Walking through the different cell blocks was so eerie as the guide explains how the prisoners were treated and what went on behind the high walls with razor wire. Even though it has been over 15 years since the prison gates were shut it still felt like the building was still inhabited. From the kitchen and cell blocks we made our way “out back” where we were shown the punishment area where prisoners were tied to a frame and were flocked with whips and locked away in solitary confinement. The final part of the tour took us to the gallows where prisoners on death row were executed by hanging. The chilling *CLANG* of the lever that releases the trapdoor where the prisoner was standing sent a shiver down my spine… Even though no one was standing on the platform, it made you feel quite emotional being in the room where 43 men had been sentenced to death…
From all of the paintings and grafitti on the walls throughout the exercise yards and cells, one thing was clear… all the men that had been incarcerated behind these bars dreamed of being free one day…
Aug
23
Today I received my new Canon 10-22mm Ultra wide lens from Hong Kong. Seeing that I’m starting to take more landscape shots I figured I needed a wider lens so that I wouldn’t have to stitch too many frames together to make panoramic photographs. This lens is definitely a worthwhile one to have if you’re into landscape photography. Not only does the 107° range reduce the need for actual number of frames required to cover the size of the landscape, it becomes very handy in exaggerating the scale of objects. In addition if you’re shooting in a tight space and need to fit a lot of area into the frame this lens works wonders! Without getting too technical, the lens provides very sharp photos with very quick focusing times and in comparison to the cheaper brands; minimal chromatic aberration. I was very tempted to save $200 by going with a cheaper brand, but definitely have not been disappointed with my decision after using the lens. Below are a couple of pictures that I have taken of The Narrows Bridge from the South Perth Foreshore as well as the Perth City skyline. I’m finally starting to pick up some of the finer points of shooting landscapes… I’ve definitely found that cloud coverage makes a very big difference in addition to the time of day. Most “pretty” shots are take at sunset when the red and yellows of the setting sun is reflected by the clouds. I think I definitely need to spend more time behind the camera exploring new techniques and styles of photography… I’ve got more toys coming my way from overseas so hopefully they will assist me in achieving what I set out to do and help to broaden my photography skills!
The Narrows Bridge
City Skyline From South Perth
Nissan Skyline Boot Installation
Nissan Skyline Under The Narrows Bridge
Aug
20
This is the website of the tour company that we’re traveling with – Acacia African Adventures
Aug
20
Tash and I are flying to South Africa for 3 weeks on the 9th of September.
Aug
20
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Yesterday I went to the chemist to buy a whole bunch of vaccinations that I needed for our trip to South Africa which is in 3 weeks time. The date of departure is slowly creeping up on us so Tash and I decided to stop procrastinating about getting our vaccinations done. To travel to South Africa these are the following vaccinations that you’re required to have:
- Typhiod
- Hepatitis A + B
- Cholera (Though they don’t administer it anymore)
- Malaria (Tablet course – starts one week prior to departure and continues 1 week after returning)
- Polio
- Tetanus
Of all of those I needed Hepatitis A, Tetanus and Typhoid. Three stabs of a needle and $135.00 later and I am fully vaccinated and ready to venture across the plains of Africa… boy is it an expensive/painful exercise… but it will definitely be worth it! Later that day my sister said that they usually administer Tetanus vaccinations to big muscle groups like your bum because it’s less painful… but I’d rather have two dead arms compared to a sore ass! *tee hee*
 
I’m really excited to be able to visit the continent that I was born in… its been a long 15 years since I’ve been back and I definitely am looking forward to the adventures that lay ahead! I’ll even get to glimpse of the country I was born in (Zambia) once we reach the Victoria Falls…