Buffalo Bay beach ...what a magical place this is !

I can't count the times when I thought, how can I ever capture the beauty of this landscape in my photographs ? South Africa is stunningly beautiful You know those kind of places where when you look around you and it doesn't matter where you look, all you see is pure beauty ?
Those kind of places where you feel sheer happiness and joy just being there ?
Buffalo Bay Beach is such a place
I loved it, there were very few people and the colours of the beach,the rocks,the drama of the far away * Outiniqua Mountains in the mist, all added to the mistique and beaty I could have stayed on and on

I walked carefully toward the estuary as I didn't want to disturb the birds until the very last moment but a man and his dog walked on the opposite side along the beach and the dog broke away, ran to the birds scaring them

and all what was left, were their feathers lining the edge of the river

When finally the sun set, I walked back to the car, picking up a piece of driftwood from the beach which I will place at my own rock pools as a memory of this awesome place which is Buffalo Bay beach
You know what ? I loved Knysna so much I'm returning in September Its already booked !

*Outeniqua Mountains, Western Cape/South Africa are named after the people of a Khoi tribe whose name means ‘Men Bearing Honey’, the area being known for its bees.

Sunset over the pretty lagoon at the mouth of the Knysna River.

I woke to pouring rain in Knysna and even though it was supposed to be 23 degrees it really was fleece weather then to my dismay the sky stayed grey the whole day but at sundown, just as I was about to down a glass of delicious Chenin, the sky briefly cleared and coloured red, forcing me to grab my cam, ruining my moment of peace. :)
The above photo was the fabulous view from my hotel room

See this view on webcam here
I was at Cornuti's a super nice but very busy restaurant at lunch time, its on top of a hill over looking the limestone cliffs of the Heads which dramatically separates the tranquil lagoon from the pounding surf of the Indian Ocean and while waiting for my table I shot this tiny lighthouse, warning sailors of the dangers ahead
The Knysna lagoon at low tide on a rainy day

Passing through the Transkei

I have been traveling most of the day from East London and have now arrived in Knysna in time for the oyster festival
Since it was such a long journey there was no time to stop and take photos, these 2 were taken from the car

Transkei the Wildcoast has its own eery beauty with its gaily coloured rondavels dotted around on grass covered hills and warm coloured rocks and sand but it also looks like a desolate place
Interestingly 2 ex presidents were born in the Transkei: Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki

Durban 2010 new soccer stadium is not as beautiful as our Green point Stadium in Cape Town !

Driving through rain for 6 hours I finally arrived in Durban, tired and badly in need of a shower but when on my way to the hotel in Umnlanga Rocks, I suddenly saw the new Durban 2010 soccer stadium along the road I told my companion we had no option but to stop so I could take a few shots at it I thought it looked impressive but not nearly as beautiful as "our new Cape Town 2010 Green Point Stadium !

Moses Madhiba Stadium in Durban
Has a seating capacity of 70,000, the design of the stadium will be characterized by two large archways which arc 100 meters above the stadium roof.

Umngazi on the Wild Coast photos.Third and last part

I spend the rest of the afternoon walking along the beach, which beauty was difficult to capture
Needless to say my jeans got totally soaked when I took this shot crouching down low in the water and a wave rolled in while I was looking through the viewfinder but I didn't care the day was warm and when I finally arrived back in the camp in late afternoon my jeans were dry again

Its been an amazing time staying in the Umngazi bungalows on the Wild coast was pure bliss, it was very easy to make temporary friends with other guests, everybody young and old,seems to have a fantastic time, that evening there was live music in the bar before we devoured a sea food buffet with Crayfish calamari prawns and loads of other delicacies,finished off with a dance and singing show by our Zulu staff it was fun ;)

These last photos were taken during the morning hike in the hills


I must say I felt so sore the next day, the climbing and walking in soft sand had taken its toll

you can see the accommodation clinging to the hillside, surrounded by sub tropical vegetation on the right of the photo

I hope I was able to show you what an heavenly place this is
Difficult to get to, bad roads and lots of cattle wandering on the road forces you to take them slow but so worth it !

Umngazi photos, second part

In the morning I walked up the hills high above the Umngazi River bungalows the Indian Ocean and the estuary of the river for a few hours just to be back in time for a delicious lunch The food in Umngazi is amazing the chef deserves a medal to cook for so many people, the place was practically fully booked and produce meal after meal of such a high standard
The weather as you can see here could't have been better it was like a summers day
Umnagzi is on the Wild Coast,Transkei, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Umngazi on the Wild Coast.. a very special place

It was late afternoon, when after a very long drive, I first saw Umngazi river bungalows They are in the middle of nowhere on the Wild Coast. Words can not describe the beauty of this place but I will try and show you through my photos

The recent storm force winds had whipped up the waves of the Indian ocean so high it was an awesome sight to watch and at times sounded like gunshots The only way to get to the beach was by boat which ferried you over or back as many times as you liked

The third cottage from the right was my home for a few nights it was right at the edge of the river and with views and sounds of the sea

Leisurely days at Addo Elephant National Park

Deep within the shadows of the dense valley bushveld of the Sundays River region of the Eastern Cape lies the Addo Elephant National Park where I spend several blisfull happy days photographing animals it is home to the densest African elephant populations in the world
but even though there are numerous elephants its no guarantee you see them the place is huge !
164 000 ha to be precise

There are 450 elephants, Cape buffalo, black rhino, a variety of antelope species
zebras etc


I have many close ups of animals but here I selected a few photos where you can actually see the landscape of Addo

The mouth of the Sundays River a stunning area it reminded me of the desert

Swinging between giant forest trees in Storms River , Tsitsikamma

The Tree Top canopy tour in Storms River, Tsitsikamma

Imagine gliding along steel cables from platform to platform, like Tarzan or Jane :) 30 meters above the forest floor The longest slide is over 80m the whole tour takes about 3 hours but I could easily have slid along for another 3 I felt like 10 again reminding me of my youth in the Caribbean when I spend half of my life climbing trees !

Just click on the photos to see how high I was, the forest trees are really beautiful and teeming with birds

Have you been in Tsitsikamma ?

Then you remember this view I just caught it as the light was fading rapidly

The flowering aloes are everywhere at the moment adding a stunning splash of colour to the landscape
This is the view you get to see while crossing the Tsitsikamma suspension bridge on the left into a deep gorge
I am using a 3G "wireless" internet connection since I am often in the bush or no where near internet and last night I spend an hour trying to upload these 3 photos but eventually had to give up so excuse me if I cant reply to your comments as soon as I wish I do apreciate it so much when you take the time to leave a comment