Surrounded by splendour at Golden Gate

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Few places can compete with the Golden Gate Highlands National Park when it comes to sheer scenic splendour. Visiting the Park is always a pleasure, and our November 2014 visit was no exception. The Park is looking beautiful following the first good spring rains, and walking or driving around, there’s just so much to take in!

This way for great scenery!
Peace and tranquility at Golden Gate
Crystal clear mountain streams
Mushroom Rocks
The view from Glen Reenen
Double rainbow over Golden Gate
Rainbow over Glen Reenen
Misty sunrise
Valleys cloaked in mist
Glen Reenen
The road to Clarens
Fresh water in abundance
Thunder and lightning over Glen Reenen
Lighting up the skies over Glen Reenen
Craggy heights silhouetted at sunrise

Summer is the best time for bird-watching, when the migrants from cooler climes arrive and many male birds are adorned in their breeding plumage. In addition, Golden Gate is home to several rare and endangered species, and we were lucky to encounter some of them.

 

We had daily sightings of the rare bald ibis on the Oribi Loop at Golden Gate
We had daily sightings of the rare bald ibis on the Oribi Loop at Golden Gate
We had daily sightings of the rare bald ibis on the Oribi Loop at Golden Gate
Endangered bearded vulture in flight
Bearded vulture at the feeding station
Red-winged starling looking after our car
Cape Longclaw

Of course, a National Park wouldn’t be complete without large mammals, and Golden Gate has its fair share of animals adapted to the climatic extremes of a mountain environment.

Black wildebeest seem to like running around…
Black wildebeest seem to like running around…
Black wildebeest, at rest for a change, on a plateau
Black-backed jackal setting out to forage at dusk
Grey rhebuck
Grey rhebuck
Baboons
Baboon jockey
Zebra in the mist
At speed
Dwarfed by the spectacular scenery

It is always rewarding to bend the knees and appreciate the smaller, less obvious, of Golden Gate’s inhabitants.

Natural beauty
Natural beauty
Natural beauty
Seems not only human females require flowers for the romance to blossom
Stink bugs
As disgusting as they may be, flies are an important component of the ecosystem
Industrious ant
Fungus cropping up all over after the rains
Fungus cropping up all over after the rains
Aardvark hole
Termite mound damaged by an aardvark
Termite mound damaged by an aardvark

After seeing Golden Gate looking so lovely, we can hardly wait for our next visit at the end of December!

 

 

 

 

33 thoughts on “Surrounded by splendour at Golden Gate”

  3. Spokie sny spoor

    Jinne, die fotos bly maar ongelooflik! So lekker om die groot dinge maar ook die klein dingetjies in die lewe raak te kan sien … Pragtige fotos.

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