Lebombo
October 17, 2009 by Jean KZN · Comments Off
I started a scenic tour through the Lebombo Mountains with a visit to a rural Zulu homestead yesterday. It was one of those beautiful sunny early summer days when we left but two and a half hours later when we reached the t-junction overlooking Jozini dam I ended up giving the guests a choice - straight back to the hotel or an extra trip to the dam wall with beautiful views of the gorge. The choice was needed because approaching fast was our first storm of the season - I do not think that they had any idea what our storms are like because for all my discription they chose to drive on (I think that they thought I was exagerating).
Culture Tours and African Thunderstorms
October 17, 2009 by Jean KZN · Comments Off
I started a scenic tour through the Lebombo Mountains with a visit to a rural Zulu homestead yesterday. It was one of those beautiful sunny early summer days when we left but two and a half hours later when we reached the t-junction overlooking Jozini dam I ended up giving the guests a choice - straight back to the hotel or an extra trip to the dam wall with beautiful views of the gorge. The choice was needed because approaching fast was our first storm of the season - I do not think that they had any idea what our storms are like because for all my discription they chose to drive on (I think that they thought I was exagerating).
Magic and the boat
October 16, 2009 by Jean KZN · Comments Off
So back from another magical boat cruise – made all the more special because I was viewing it with some trepidation (the north wind blows up some big waves and normally makes all the animals nervous). In a turnabout for the books (although we could not go far because of the waves) we saw a small herd of elephant with two tinys with them, hippo, croc, two large herds of buff, nyala, impala, reedbuck, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, warthogs, three pairs of fish eagles, goliath heron and a host of other water birds. The highlight was the last bay on my way back to dock. It is very protected so on windy days I tend to save it for last in the hopes of ending the cruise with a bang. I was lucky and this time nature played along well. On the left another small herd of elephant drinking, on the right hippo in the water with giraffe and kudu behind them, warthogs rooting in the shallows, white-faced duck whistling and fish eagles calling. All in all a magical experience made better by guests who appreciated every moment.
Wonderful, wonderful Hluhluwe Drive
December 4, 2008 by Jean KZN · Leave a Comment
Did a superb drive in Hluhluwe the other afternoon. As we came through the gate there was a large herd of bufalo wallowing in the mud looking for all the world like a great sea of rocks. Further on my guests got all excited about a Rhio in the distance and were very sceptical when I drove on telling them we would see some closer. Later a huge elephant bull was feeding next to the road and a little further three Rhino right next to us in a wallow. Drove on and there in a bush not 15 meters away was a pile of six lion right beside the road. Now remember this was in the heat of the early afternoon (between 2 and 3 on a hot, hot December day) and all on the main road. By the end of the day the tally was 10 lion, 3 elephant, more Rhino than impala, herds and herds of bufalo, lots of babys (warthog and impala) and great time had by all.
Weddings - Oh! Dear
November 9, 2008 by Jean KZN · Leave a Comment
So the wedding in the Gardens is over and now it is my turn - I get to take the wedding party out it for photo’s and this is where ( thanks to a bride with a great sense of humour) the whole thing becomes a comedy show. Frist of all it starts raining (I am not complaining we are desperate for the rain) so we load up on umbrellas. Just as it starts to look up I get a flat tyre (no problem phone a coleague - he brings another vehicle - I take the bride/groom and photographer for more shots leaving him to change the tyre and the rest of the bridal party to wait it out in the rain - characterbuilding the bride says). On the way to the next location a dog appears out of nowhere and I just miss running it over. We spend the next while getting lovely photographs on a scenic bridge BUT as we are parked there one of the local people comes haring up (his house overlooks the bridge) because he has been braaing and from where he is the one shot looks a little disturbing. The Photographer was lying on the ground with the bride standing in front of the game drive vehicle (so the the lights highlighted her dress) and she was twirling her dress around. To the group on the hill it looked like someone throwing a white sheet over a body.
I Don’t Know What To Say
October 8, 2008 by Jean KZN · Comments Off
The last few outings have been so good that I don’t know where to start – the boss wants to know why I have spent most of the morning productively staring at a computer screen – so I now have to write something. In no specific order:
Fishing and Boating in the Cold, Wet Wind
September 28, 2008 by Jean KZN · Comments Off
Another full day on Jozini - A cruise in the morning and fishing in the afternoon. Feeling somewhat pessamistic about both as the weather was not very conducive to either activity - I was pleasently surprised.
Boating, Elephants and Fisheagles
September 27, 2008 by Jean KZN · Comments Off
I did two boat cruises yesterday and although the wind was stiring up some rather large waves they were both very successfull. On the first the conditions were quite rough and I was about to take the easy route through some sheltered bays when I saw my freinds the cattle eagrets flying in the opposite direction. I told the guest the choice was to stay in shelter or brave the waves to find out what was attracting the birds. We were glad we did because around the corner and hidden from our view were over 40 elephants swimming. On a sadder note we found a beautiful reedbuck male who was trapped by something under the water (I think probably a poachers net) He was too shallow for me to do anything for him without endangering the guests so I phoned the honerary officers to have someone go out to help him.
Singing in the rain
September 20, 2008 by Jean KZN · Comments Off
It is raining at last. Soon all the black caused by the fires that went wild in the wind will be turning green and everything will be looking new and washed after a very dry and dusty season.
Update as Promised
September 15, 2008 by Jean KZN · Comments Off
The spring winds (I know us slightly older ones memories are not what they were but I swear that this season is the worst in years) are playing havoc with my boat trips, causing fire that plays havoc with my game drives and to top it all makes a delightful mess of the gardens. I hope that this means a good rain season we desparatly need one this season and I need something new to complain about (impassable roads, muddy vehicles and guests in raincoats instead of dry dust and red tinged (iron oxide in the dust), thirsty guests will make a good change. As long as the guests enjoy themselves never mind the weather is the motto of the moment.