Sunrise Archives - Nicola Ann Art

Dec 20

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Nature, Off-Road, Safari, South Africa, Sunrise, Sunset, Travel 0 comments tags: Motswari Giraffe’s Nest, Nicola Ann Art, Safari, South Africa, Timbavati and Umbabat Private Nature Reserve

Five-star Safari & Adventure At Motswari Geiger’s Camp

FROM ESWATINI BACK TO SOUTH AFRICA Resuming our Southern Africa adventure, we left Piggs Peak, Eswatini and explored as much off-road as possible before reaching the five-star safari experience Motswari Geiger’s Camp in the Timbavati and Umbabat Private Nature Reserve, South Africa in time for the afternoon and evening game drive. JUST THE TWO OF US We had the entire camp, a ranger and a tracker to ourselves, the only two booked in at the main reserve. A novelty, something neither of us had before experienced; as if deliberately arranged, but so happened by sensational chance. MOTSWARI GIRAFFE’S NEST Straight after the afternoon game drive, the ranger dropped us off at Motswari Giraffe’s Nest, so that we could witness the dramatic sunset; well worth cutting the drive short. While enveloped by untamed wilderness, as far as the eye could wander, we spent our first night in a luxurious nest, high above the ground in a treetop overlooking Xanatsi Dam. The chef had prepared our dinner and breakfast, with bowls of snacks and as many soft and alcoholic drinks as desired. Both the food and the drinks would last at least a few days. STAY ALERT – DON’T GET HURT We […]

Dec 12

by Nicola in Adventure, Sailing, Sunrise, Sunset, Travel 4 comments tags: Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Early morning, Exploring, Oyster 545 Yacht, Sailing, Sunrise, Sunset, The Mediterranean Sea

Oyster 545 Yacht Always Up For Sail

Recently, I submitted an article, together with photographs, on the striking Oyster 545 yacht from Palma to Djerba, Tunisia via Sicily and Malta to a sailing magazine. It will be published as a feature in their spring edition. The photographs instantly transported me onto the deck of the Oyster 545 and now being back ‘home’ in South Africa – sun, sea and surf – I can appreciate every sensation all over again. I felt myself slipping into a mesmeric trance while watching nature at its best. Clouds dropped like a curtain over the tangerine sun. The luminous light and wind created patterns on the water, a constant movement of change. Soon the blood-orange ball reappeared. A tall, thick band of haze then gulped the sun. The clouds and haze turned a pomegranate pink. The blushing sky broke through sections of the barriers. The water below took on every shade from the sky above, reflecting, sparkling, dancing, rippling over the sea. A smorgasbord of colour and evolution all for the soul to spectacularly drown in. With nothing but sea and sky around in every direction, it’s effortless discovering a peaceful bliss.

Apr 02

by Nicola in Beach, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, People, Sunrise, Uncategorized 0 comments tags: BeanOn Photography, Durban, Durban beach front, Early morning, Indian Ocean, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Happy Easter, Durban, South Africa

Happy Easter, Durban! Durban, vibrant and bursting with soul, is always a happy place to be but appears to be even happier during holidays. So many from around the country visit for the warm ocean and still hot sun. Even when the waves aren’t spectacular it’s crowded with surfers. Once again, even in Autumn, Durban is the warmest place to be, thanks to the locals. Most of these snaps were taken with my iPhone.

Scalloped hammerhead shark, the canal side, Durban

Jul 23

Durban is the warmest place to be

Unequivocally, Durban is the warmest place to be – it is practically summer all year round with its sub-tropical climate and laid-back, friendly people. Most mornings (when I am home, of course), at first light, I spend at Durban’s vibrant beachfront: running along the soft, golden beach sand; cycling up to thirty kilometres along the promenade, up and down the piers, around Moses Mabhida Stadium, across the Umgeni River and back again; surfing even in winter, mostly with a spring wetsuit; and recently, my new found addiction, yoga with Lauren from SurfSup Yoga. At dawn this morning I warmed up with an hour’s run along the beach sand before enjoying a soothingly stimulating session of yoga at Snake Park Lawns, on the promenade. Exercising alongside the ocean, while watching the sun rise and sharing it with others that were clearly health conscious, was an experience to behold. A few hours later, mid afternoon, I returned to the beachfront with my camera where I experienced a completely different world compared to the world at dawn. A promenade teeming with people, from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, exultant and savouring everything the beachfront had to offer from rickshaw rides to Zulu dancing, […]

Dec 12

by Nicola in Architecture, Black & White, Cities, Sunrise 0 comments tags: Architecture, BeanOn Photography, Early morning, Exploring, Israel, Jerusalem, Jerusalem’s German Colony, Middle East, Ramparts Walk, Sunrise, The Old City, Yad Vashem - The World Holocaust Remembrance Center

Israel, Jerusalem

At first light, 5:30am, we drove sixty-five kilometres from Jaffa to Jerusalem. With only a few maniacs on the road then, we arrived, without incident, in time for Friday’s sunrise over Jerusalem’s Old City. What a difference it made being able to explore without the masses of tourists vying for the same vista. Ramparts Walk With the Old City waking – people setting up shop, the smells of bread baking, fresh loaves of bread dangling from shop doors, and minimal tourists around – we surrounded ourselves with the religious. Strolling through the Christian quarter, along the Via Dolorosa, Way of Grief, the apparent path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion, lead us to the Ramparts Walk. With Lions’ Gate closed, we scaled the wall, over the fence and made it to the top near the Western Wall Plaza and the Jewish Quarter. Before setting off, we munched on fruit while absorbing the peace and unique views of rooftops, Mount Zion, Mount of Olives and the Dome of the Rock, its gold-plated roof so vivid. Hiking up and down stairs along the wall, overlooking the city on the other side, we arrived at Herod’s Gate, adjoining the […]

Kiara Resort, Maluti Mountains

This past Friday we drove an easy – with not one pothole in sight – four hours from Durbs to Kiara Resort nestled in the striking, sandstone Maluti / Maloti Mountains between the Golden Gate Highlands National Park and the charming village of Clarens in the Free State. From the moment we left Bergville we spotted herds of pure black wildebeest, small oribi antelope, eland antelope, blesbok antelope, springbok antelope, mountain reedbuck and zebra freely roaming the vast open scrublands at every meandering turn. The temperature reached 34 degrees Celsius before midday. The car’s air-conditioning turned up to maximum failed at providing relief from the incredibly dry heat. And this is autumn? With just over an hour to spare before check-in time at 3pm, we refuelled at the Golden Gate Hotel. While admiring the sandstone mountain range from the recently renovated hotel restaurant, we enjoyed a light, great value for money, lunch. Kiara Resort’s reception area appeared in great need of a spruce up. Fortunately, the apartment style self-catering chalet allocated to us wasn’t in the same state as the reception area. Clean, new and modern, the spacious chalet, comfortable for six adults, deserved a three-plus-star […]

Jan 29

by Nicola in Beach, Durban, Sunrise 2 comments tags: beach, BeanOn Photography, Durban beach front, Early morning, Indian Ocean, KwaZulu-Natal, Moyo Ushaka Pier, North Beach, sea, South Africa, Sunrise, uShaka Beach, uShaka Pier

Habanero-hot welcome back to Durban

What a warm, actually habanero-hot welcome back to Durban. And I’d left London the day after the snow had settled overnight. With Emirates, from London Gatwick to Dubai and then finally Durban, the flight path permitted me to take in kilometre after kilometre of the rich-blue Indian Ocean bubbling below. What a sight after eighteen hours of flying time and three-hours wait in Dubai. Never mind the nine months of being away. It felt as though I was away for much longer but from the moment I stepped off the plane it felt as if I had never left; the epitome of home. I don’t know how but I resisted (resistance is usually futile) snapping the sunrise at uShaka Beach my first morning at home. Well, to be honest the need to catch-up on sleep triumphed and I ventured down to the beachfront for the sunrise the second morning after my arrival. My brain failed me momentarily, but it was 5am after all. I forgot that during the summer months the wall of the harbour mouth blocked the sunrise and it didn’t rise directly in front of the pier. I’ve since discovered the incredible SunCal, informing me that on […]

Jun 07

St Ives in Cornwall

End of April (for my birthday), I ventured down to St Ives in Cornwall and explored the seaside town, on the coast of the Celtic Sea, and its surrounding areas (St Just, Lands End, Mousehole – don’t get me started on the pronunciation of such place – and St Michael’s Mount) for a few days. The moment the sea filled my vision when arriving at St Ives I felt my jaw drop – the stunning colours of the water caused awe to wash over me. “Is this really England?” I’d asked my friend. I’d never known England to present such exquisite beauty before. About 12 years ago I first visited Cornwall and I did not recall it to be as vividly pleasing. Unless it’s taken my eyes and mind thus long to be fully open and aware and appreciative… Another delight took place while dining at the Porthmeor Beach Café, less than a 5 minute walk from St Ives’ harbour. The heated booths outside on the balcony overlooked the beach without any interruption, and the tapas of fresh fish couldn’t have been cooked better elsewhere. The dramatic sky added to the ambiance of the place, to the […]

Jul 18

by Nicola in Beach, Sunrise, Umdloti beach 1 comments tags: BeanOn Photography, Early morning, Indian Ocean, KwaZulu-Natal, Sunrise, Umdloti beach

Early bird catches…

…a stunning sunrise at Umdloti. What a treat to enjoy breakfast with such a sight before the eyes. Only the early bird…

Jul 13

by Nicola in Beach, Nature, Sunrise, Umdloti beach 0 comments tags: BeanOn Photography, KwaZulu-Natal, Salt Rock, Sharka's Rock, Sharkaskraal, Sheffield Beach, Sunrise, Umdloti

Umdloti and beyond

The Dolphin Coast explored, partly. Up at 6:30am and out immediately – an essential spur of the moment. With camera and banana in hand, I start photographing the red sun rising at Umdloti, from above and then down from the beach. Shaka’s Rock came next, I gasp the moment I spot the beach fringed by rocky cliffs. At 8:50am I first step on to the sand, the wintery sun warming my bones. The turquoise blue waves roll, form barrels, clear and inviting before crashing upon the black rocks. Luminous green seaweed wave in all directions when saturated by pristine white foam; red and purple stained rocks glint beneath the gilding sun. I pass through Salt Rock and end up exploring Sheffield Beach, another first. Almost as stunning as Shaka’s Rock but with fewer people – three families scattered in different directions play in the rock pools, a man lying under a towel reading a book. A mansion overlooking the golden beach sand, more golden in the sun’s glow, with the perfect view of the Indian Ocean, soon to be transformed into a palace the way the dozen builders are hard at work. I […]

Dec 16

Amakhosi Private Game Reserve

The day after Mauritius, from 14th – 17th December, I retreated to the middle of the bushveld at the stunning Amakhosi Private Game Reserve, on the banks of Zululand’s Mkuze River. Surrounded by thick bushland, wetlands and mountains makes for spectacular vistas from one of the six luxurious river suites I stayed in, and found a challenge departing from. The entire five-star experience – from the welcoming staff, the sensory cuisine, the game drives, the landscape, the animal sightings, the noises of the bush, the smells and the packed lunch given to you upon farewell – had you feeling like royalty; an experience fit for a king. It was worth driving 4.5 hours from Durban to Pongola, and I plan to visit again sometime in the next few years.

Dec 13

Le Touessrok, Mauritius

From the 7th – 13th December, I relinquished my senses to sun, sea and sand amongst private, pristine beaches along Mauritius’ east coast. Their website describes the luxurious five-star hotel, Le Touessrok, as “…one of the world’s great romantic resorts.” I couldn’t agree more – a zenith of tropical bliss. An encounter that led to a blissful blur… No two other words perfectly capture the idyllic, paradisal utopia… With views of the tranquil Trou d’Eau Douce Bay, the resort lies on a stunning stretch of white sandy coast. Within the lagoon are two islands Ilot Mangénie and Ile aux Cerfs, with hospitable staff awaiting your arrival. The resort boasts an 18-hole championship golf course, one of the best in Mauritius. Startling. Staggering. Dramatic. A sensory shock; all senses awakened, like a jolt of lightening bursting through an ink-black sky.

Oct 03

Lions Valley Lodge

Lions Valley Lodge, http://www.lionsvalley.co.za/, a stunning five-star experience enveloped in virgin bushveld of 21,000 acres within the Nambiti Conservancy, Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal. The lodge is built true African chic with an infinity pool and decking and main boma-style restaurant that all overlook the spectacular view across the valley, where herds of impala and zebra quench their thirsts. Immersed in history, there are two memorial sites on the reserve commemorating the Boer and English troops that did not make it through the Battle of Elandslaagte, 21st October 1899. The one and only thing I disliked about the luxury experience was thinking about the lioness mating with her offspring after photographing the pair close up, as close as possible… Of course there was no end to snapping away with my camera, almost like a video, and feeling in awe of being so close to lions in the “semi” wild…

Jun 19

Sacrilege, but I don’t care!

Just over 4 years ago a dear friend bought me my first DSLR camera for a birthday. Talk about being bowled over by the receipt of an unexpected gift. Of course he’d chosen the brand he’d always used, the camera I’d always wanted that came with a 18 – 55 mm lens. Later the same friend spoiled me with a telephoto 28 – 300mm and then a stunning macro. Anyway, I loved this camera despite feeling it never lived up to what I’d researched its potential to be. I thought that perhaps I needed to practice more, learn the camera to its depths and that’s what I did for the next 4 or so years, but still the quality of my picture taking didn’t live up to my expectations. I wanted to buy a new camera; however, since getting the property ladder rolling I thought I’d better disperse the desire, the desire as violent as a hurricane ripping up buildings, as far away from my heart as possible. Whilst doing my best, my camera stopped working; the shutter did not release yet everything else appeared to be working fine or rather displaying correctly on the screen. […]