Beautiful early morning sunshine illuminates the Amphitheatre formation here in Royal Natal National Park, with the Tugela River in the foreground.
Iconic Royal Natal
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Joubert’s photographic study of Thendele’s Guineafowl
This afternoon we were relaxing on the veranda of our cottage here at Thendele in the Royal Natal National Park, when a flock of Helmeted Guineafowl came around for a visit, presenting Joubert with an excellent opportunity to practice some close-up bird photography – and with great success I might add!
9 years old: March 2019. Joubert photographing guineafowl at Thendele
Joubert’s photos of Thendele’s Guineafowl
Joubert’s photos of Thendele’s Guineafowl
Joubert’s photos of Thendele’s Guineafowl
Joubert’s photos of Thendele’s Guineafowl
Joubert’s photos of Thendele’s Guineafowl
Joubert’s photos of Thendele’s Guineafowl
Joubert’s photos of Thendele’s Guineafowl
Joubert’s photos of Thendele’s Guineafowl
The clouds also lifted just high enough for a while to provide a clear view of the Amphitheatre!
Drakensberg Amphitheatre seen from Thendele in the Royal Natal National Park, 23 March 2019
Catching our breath at Royal Natal
We spent most of today out-and-about in the Royal Natal National Park, enjoying the breathtaking scenery despite regular downpours.
Tugela River
Mahai Dam
We also got a quick glimpse of the magnificent Amphitheatre peaking through the clouds!
A Change of View
The 21st of March is celebrated as Human Rights Day in South Africa, and we’ve moved southwards into the Drakensberg to Thendele Camp in the Royal Natal National Park. Behind those thick clouds are hidden another of South Africa’s most inspiring natural features; the Amphitheatre, which we hope will be revealed in all its glory tomorrow!
Golden Gate’s Scenic Splendour
The three of us spent a bit of time today exploring another one of the hiking trails that radiate from Glen Reenen in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. This must be one of the most beautiful pieces of South Africa!
Standing watch over Golden Gate
The Brandwag (Sentinel) Buttress is the single most iconic feature of Golden Gate Highlands National Park, and a view we can never tire of.
Brandwag Buttress seen from Glen Reenen
Brandwag Buttress seen from the Golden Gate Hotel
Brandwag seen from the Golden Gate Hotel
Chasing butterflies at Golden Gate
This afternoon, Joubert and I went searching for butterflies in the grasslands around Glen Reenen Rest Camp in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, and we were not disappointed!
African Monarch
Geranium Bronze
Common Meadow White
Table Mountain Beauty
Long-winged Orange Acraea
Yellow Pansy
Heading to the Mountains
It’s the first day of our two-week autumn breakaway, and this is the view we’re enjoying this evening from the veranda of cottage 27 at Glen Reenen Rest Camp in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park…
(you may click on the image for a clearer view)
Mushroom Rocks from Unit 27 at Glen Reenen in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park
The stork was busy at Imfolozi pre-Christmas
One of the greatest pleasures of visiting our wild places in the summer is seeing the great number of cute new baby mammals that made their recent entrance into the world, and our December visit to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park certainly had no shortage of cute babies to photograph!
Blue wildebeest cousins
Baby elephant
Baby elephant friends
Impala lamb suckling
Impala lamb
Impala lambs
Nyala calf
Plains Zebra mare and foal (with a photo-bombing cattle egret)
Playful Vervet Monkey baby
Vervet baby suckling (photo by Joubert)
Warthog piglets suckling
White Rhino cow and calf
Things that go “bump” in the night…
Mpila Camp in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is not fenced, and any animals, dangerous kinds included, can and do roam between the accommodation units at night (and often during the day too!). I have a basic little camera-trap that I sometimes set up overnight when we visit South Africa’s wild places to see what happens when we’re soundly sleeping, and here’s a few images it captured of Spotted Hyenas roaming outside our cottage at Mpila when we visited in December 2018.
Spotted Hyenas roaming outside Mpila Cottage 16 in December 2018
Spotted Hyenas roaming outside Mpila Cottage 16 in December 2018
Spotted Hyenas roaming outside Mpila Cottage 16 in December 2018
Spotted Hyenas roaming outside Mpila Cottage 16 in December 2018
Spotted Hyenas roaming outside Mpila Cottage 16 in December 2018
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