Tag Archives: travel

Feeling small in the Drakensberg

“This mountain, the arched back of the earth risen before us, it made me feel humble, like a beggar, just lucky to be here at all, even briefly.” (Bridget Asher)

Do the mountains have the same profound impact on you as it does for us?

“These mountains, which have seen untold sunrises, long to thunder praise but stand reverent, silent so that man’s weak praise should be given God’s attention.” (Donald Miller)

The trout dam at Mahai, with Dooley Mountain and the Drakensberg’s Amphitheatre forming the backdrop

At the Queen’s Causeway on the trail to the Cascades

At sunrise, looking back from the Cascades on the Mahai River

The Cascades on the Mahai River

The Mahai Stream from the Visitor Centre, with Dooley Mountain and Tiger Falls in the background

A tranquil stretch on the Mahai stream

The view from Thendele towards the Amphitheatre and Tugela River on an overcast morning

Dooley Mountain, with Tiger Falls barely visible in the kloof

Looking up at Dooley Mountain rising above Mahai

Above the Mahai Valley, looking past Dooley Mountain towards the Amphitheatre

A bouquet from the ‘Berg

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The mountainous grasslands and forested riverbanks around Mahai in the Royal Natal National Park are adorned by the most beautiful, though hardy, plants – a treat to even the most amateurish of botanists like me; so if you can help with identifying most of these beauties I’d be forever in your debt (I know at least that mushrooms aren’t plants, strictly speaking…)

Everlasting (Helichrysum-species)

Helichrysum-species

Everlasting (Helichrysum-species)

Highveld Cabbage Tree in flower

Mushroom at the Cascades

River Lily

Wild Flowers of Royal Natal

Female cones of the Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius)

Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius)

Picturesque Camping at Mahai

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Mahai is the larger of the two camping areas at Royal Natal National Park, and there aren’t very many camping sites that can compete with it for scenic beauty!

Camping at Mahai in the Royal Natal National Park

Camping at Mahai in the Royal Natal National Park, March 2020

Isolation, the way we like it…

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With South Africa preparing for a nationwide “lock-down” of a minimum three week duration in the face of the global pandemic, we’ve returned from the Drakensberg grateful for having had a chance to recharge our batteries in beautiful natural surroundings. We’ll be sharing many more photos from our latest trip in days to come and hope that they’ll bring you as much joy as the memories will for us in these trying times.

God bless you and keep you.

Fresh air and fresh water at Royal Natal

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With a massive storm looming over the Drakensberg this evening we can look back on another fun-filled day in the great outdoors at Royal Natal.

Reflections at Mahai

The Cascades in the Mahai stream

We fled to the Mountains

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Well, not really – our bookings were made long before the current health crisis and we opted not to cancel, figuring that it is nice to know that for a while at least we can breathe the fresh mountain air of the Royal Natal National Park again. So here we are.

Spying on the neighbours at Satara

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We have a very basic trail camera that we set up for a few days along a quiet portion of the fenceline at Satara Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park, while we were visiting there over Christmas and New Year. It was quite fun flicking through the photos every day and seeing the variety of wildlife that come so close to camp, especially at night!

Blue Wildebeests hastily walking past the camp

All the hyena shots were just of their bums – they never walked slow enough!

Bewildered Blue Wildebeest?

Flock of queleas setting off the camera

Large-spotted Genet outside Satara’s fence

African Wild Cat at dawn

Distant elephant

Baboon

Lion cubs

Lioness

African Civet caught on our trail cam next to Satara’s fence

Impala herd

Warthog

Still dreaming about our Satara Summer

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It’s really hard to believe that we’ve been home from the Kruger National Park for a week already. We’re still trying to adjust back to city life, would you believe!? Were still pining for Satara, our tent, our camping beds and almost daily braais (traditional South African barbeques)… So we’re going over our notes and imagining the 46 kinds of mammals, 195 kinds of birds, and myriad of insects, butterflies, scorpions, spiders, amphibians and reptiles we crossed paths with while camping at Satara for a month.

While we were on holiday many of you enquired after Joubert’s pictures of the trip, so here for your enjoyment and to ease our blues is a selection of his best photographs!

Playful Painted Wolf (photo by Joubert)

At the waterhole (photo by Joubert)

Inquisitive Steenbok (photo by Joubert)

Spotted Hyena cub (photo by Joubert)

Kudu bulls in serious fight (photo by Joubert)

Elephant bull (photo by Joubert)

Lion (photo by Joubert)

Female Purple Tip (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra (photo by Joubert)

Thirsty Elephant (photo by Joubert)

Male Red-backed Shrike (photo by Joubert)

Spotted Hyena (photo by Joubert)

Elephant Bull (photo by Joubert)

Epauletted Fruit Bat (photo by Joubert)

Black-headed Heron (photo by Joubert)

Mating lions (photo by Joubert)

Buffalo fight! (photo by Joubert)

Satara sunset (photo by Joubert)

Leopard and kill (photo by Joubert)

Flap-neck Chameleon (photo by Joubert)

Rock Monitor (photo by Joubert)

Tusker N’wendlamuhari (photo by Joubert)

She quickly repositions (photo by Joubert)

Saddle-billed Stork (photo by Joubert)

Muddy Buffalo Cow (photo by Joubert)

Snarling Lion (photo by Joubert)

Satara Summer – Day 31 (2020/01/04)

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Sadly, our month in the Kruger Park has come to an end and we are back home in Pretoria this evening. After breaking up camp and packing up, we had only a two-hour drive to the Orpen Gate left of our Satara Summer. Still, Kruger had one very unusual sighting up her sleeve for us – a spotted hyena walking straight past a cheetah as if it wasn’t even there, less than a kilometer from the Park’s gate!

Glory to God for blessing us with an amazing Christmas holiday and for keeping us safe on our travels.

We’re taking it easy this evening but will soon get to all the unanswered but deeply appreciated comments!

Buffaloes drinking at Nsemani Dam

Knob-billed Duck male

Giraffes on the way to Orpen

Hyena and cheetah interaction at Orpen

Satara Summer – Day 30 (2020/01/03)

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We didn’t think it was even possible, but the Kruger Park definitely left the best for last – our first encounter ever with a truly wild White Lion, of which there are only a handful alive – 3 of them being in Kruger.