Let’s make it clear from the start that this is not an in-depth technical review; rather a series of first impressions based on 2 field trips. Having said that; is there a better way of finding out if a camera will do what you want? I’ve used Nikon cameras for many years and have no quibbles about the image quality[…]
Read moreEvery time I travel to Witfontein, our house on a private wildlife reserve in the Klein Karoo, I wonder what I will find there. On recent visits, in addition to the perennial questions like; will the veldt be green or brown? will we get sunshine or rain? I’ve found myself trying to guess who might be dropping in for a[…]
Read moreWitfontein. A small slice of heaven in the Klein Karoo. Witfontein and the Swartberg Mountains If anyone is visiting, or planning to visit South Africa, then consider this for inclusion in your travel plans. Witfontein is a lovingly restored Cape Dutch farmhouse located on a private game farm in the Klein Karoo with panoramic views of the majestic Swartberg Mountains.[…]
Read moreWe’re very lucky. We own a share of a private wildlife reserve in the Klein Karoo. The sad part is that we just don’t get to spend enough time there. When we are there though, we treasure every minute. Ou our most recent visit we discovered that a family group of Kafue Lechwe had claimed the area around the house[…]
Read moreOf the 4 zebra species in Africa, the Cape Mountain Zebra (equus zebra zebra) is both one of the most beautiful and one of the least numerous. It is indigenous to only part of South Africa’s Western Cape province. 60 years ago the population was estimated to be as few as 80 animals. 15 years ago there were still less[…]
Read moreIn recent months a number of governments around the world have taken the step of publicly destroying their stockpiles of seized illegal ivory to give credence to their anti-poaching stance. Their actions have provoked fierce debate with some arguing that crushing or buring ivory is little more than a publicity stunt when the ivory could be sold to raise funds[…]
Read moreOn my recent visit to South Africa I had the great good fortune to be able to spend a few days in Sabi Sands. I have visited Sabi Sands before but this was the first time I had stayed at Savanna Lodge. To be completely honest, when we arrived I was a little dismayed to see how close the lodge[…]
Read moreMadikwe Safari Diary Day 3 After 2 pretty hectic days where we had been driving to all corners of the reserve, JP announced that this morning would be more sedate. We were just going to ‘bumble around’ and see what turned up; spending time with some of the other, less high profile, animals. That was fine with me. We’d enjoyed[…]
Read moreMadikwe Safari Diary Day 2 – Morning drive Where are the dogs? If there is one thing that Madikwe is renowned for it is African Wild Dogs. It is supposed to be the park where visitors stand the best chance of seeing these amazing predators because there are 2 resident packs. This was certainly one of the primary reasons why[…]
Read moreMadikwe Safari Diary Day 1 – Morning drive After a whole day of travelling yesterday – we’d driven over hours to get from Karongwe, in the North East, to Madikwe in the North West – it was great to be back out amongst the wildlife. After the dull, overcast conditions at Sabi Sands it was also great to see the[…]
Read moreSafari Diary, Sabi Sands, Day 3 Morning drive ((Excuse the quality of the photographs. I’m still on safari and not able to process photos properly on my old Toshiba Portege. I’ll re-do them all when I get back home)) As promised I have had a go at re-working the photos and you can find them in the African Wild Dog[…]
Read moreSafari Diary, Sabi Sands, Day 2 Afternoon drive ((Excuse the quality of the photographs. I’m still on safari and not able to process photos properly on my old Toshiba Portege. I’ll re-do them all when I get back home)) The skies showed no sign of clearing as we headed out for our afternoon game drive. In search of leopards We’d[…]
Read moreIf this is the best you can do you’ll never beat the poachers One of South Africa’s most iconic species is facing a devastating threat; a threat that – if unchecked – could all but wipe out both species of African rhinoceros. For some time now, conservationists and activists have been trying to make the world – and in particular[…]
Read moreWe woke to a cool overcast morning. Leaving the lodge via the back road, the first animal we saw was a lone female Kudu. Something had clearly alarmed her but we couldn’t see what it might be. Julius, our tracker, pointed over the where a group of buffalo were lying together in the grass. As we made our way towards[…]
Read moreI touched down early on Sunday morning at OR Tambo International airport after a long – long and boring -flight from London via Abu Dhabi. I was very pleased to see from the arrivals screen that Pat’s flight from Perth had landed half an hour early so I wouldn’t have to wait around too long. Thanks for the fact that[…]
Read moreAre wildlife conservation and wildlife safaris just for rich foreigners? Someone recently posted on our forums that wildlife conservation was just for rich westerners. The gist of his argument was that the parks and reserves where wildlife is conserved and protected are usually remote and once you get there you need a 4×4 to get around. In addition to that[…]
Read moreMy purchase of a Tamrac Expedition 6x photo backpack marks a transitions for me. After 2 decades of Billingham bags and 5 years of Domke, I’ve decided that it’s time to try out a different style of camera bag. Ever since I started getting paid for taking photographs I’ve only ever owned 2 camera bags. (strictly speaking 3, but my[…]
Read moreSouth Africa is seeking permission for a one-off sale of some of its $1bn stockpile of rhino horn to finance conservation and potentially flood a thriving black market, its environment minister said on Wednesday. However, conservation groups fear the plan could end up increasing demand in major markets such as Vietnam, where the horn is sought after for use in[…]
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