MAGIC ON MY DOORSTEP

It is Autumn, my favorite season!
This is the backdrop of my life and I so enjoyed a drive through what was my favorite playground during the years I presented the Autumn in the Vineyards Workshops.
The warm and softer light drapes itself over the landscape and take on a magical aspect. The leaves glow enhancing the textures, patterns and shapes of the vineyards in a seductive display before the wind and the winter rains dissolve it all to leave me only with the last illusion of a dream.
What a treat to test my new Fuji 100-400mm lens in these conditions. 

ADDO ELEPHANT PARK IN THE MIST

Eager to start our day, we were at the gate in the dark and slowly, full of expectancy, we drove to the first water hole. It barely got lighter and we realised we were driving in grey, impenetrable mist and could not see a thing. When we got to Hapoor water hole, despondent, we decided to wait hoping the sun would eventually come through this heavy, lazy mist and we would see something.

Soundlessly, a hyena materialised next to the car, walking towards the water. Then two youngsters appeared in front of us and came to sniff the tires and sure enough their curiosity made them inspect us from so close, I could hardly frame them in my view finder. Eventually, six of them sniffed around and picked up old bones for a game interrupted by a little spot of mating.

By that stage, a golden sun tried desperately to pierce the mist and this is when one of the hyenas came running back into the water for a bath and some playful splashing. Backlit it was an extraordinary fantasy with golden streams running off its body. We were breathless with excitement.

This incredible sighting was followed by another most entertaining one when a silent family of elephants appeared for a drink and we could observe the little ones being protected an always kept in the center of the group.

For the next two mornings, seven hyenas emerged from the persisting, thick, haunting mist to come and drink from the water hole right next to the car.

It was simply astounding to see buffalo’s and elephants shrouded in mist which gave the scenes such an unexpected ghostly feeling.

We had a marvelous time, the game, birds, dung beetles and thunderstorms were magnificent.

 

 

THUNDERING AUGRABIES FALLS

Few sights take your breath away and are as tremendous or a sound as deafening as water plunging down the 56-m Augrabies Waterfall when the Orange River is in flood. Indeed, the recent heavy rainfall in the Northern Cape helped the ‘Place of Great Noise’ live up to its Khoi San name, 'Aukoerebis'.

When we heard this was happening, we managed to fit in 3 nights in the Augrabies National Park near Kakamas and it was overwhelming to observe this vast amount of water roaring furiously down the narrow gorge and increasing in volume every day. Fantastically scary, a total adrenalin rush before 7am when we watched the sunrise over the canyon, filtering its golden light through the mist. We were equally seduced by the rapidly changing movements of the water which was unnervingly pulling us in.

Guy looked so small in front of this raging river on the platform ahead of me.

Watching the colourful Bradley’s flat lizards performing acrobatic leaps on the steep rock faces to catch black flies was most entertaining. We explored this rugged rocky region, were particularly fascinated by the geology of Echo Corner and found ourselves at Ararat’s grand vista for sunset when the last light played on the water at the bottom of the gorge in shimmery shades of silver and pink.