Sunset Archives - Nicola Ann Art

Aug 11

by Nicola in Adventure, Nature, Sailing, Sunset 0 comments tags: Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Ann Beykirch, Nicola Beykirch, Oyster 545

Sailing from venice to croatia on Bella Rose, our oyster 545 yacht

Once Bella Rose, our Oyster 545 yacht, was fit for sail, after spending a week in Venice that included an exploration of the Dolomites and Lake Garda, we were finally free to hit the open sea. WELCOME BACK, SEA LEGS Upon completing the final checks, packing everything away and checking out of the marina office, we left Certosa Marina just before 11am on Monday morning. MAYDAY-MAYDAY! At the risk of repeating myself, if you value your boat, do not leave it for any length of time at Certosa Marina. We were not the only yacht owners that experienced heart-ship. Another avid reader of Sailing Today contacted me via my website after reading about our troubles in an article published by the magazine to empathise with our very long, agonising story. Please do contact me directly if you are considering berthing at the marina, and I will provide additional details about our ordeal. COULD I WANT FOR ANYTHING MORE? The moment we left Venice in our wake and only the sea greeted us from every direction, I felt an invigorating peace wash over me from head to toe. With the wind through my hair, sun warming my skin and water lapping at […]

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 […]

Jul 29

by Nicola in Adventure, Sailing, Sunset, Travel 0 comments tags: Albania to Montenegro, BeanOn Photography, Montenegro, Montenegro Police, Oyster 545 Yacht, Sailing

PART 4: ALBANIA TO MONTENEGRO | BELLA ROSE, OYSTER 545, UP FOR SAIL | SUMMER of 2019

BELLA ROSE, OYSTER 545, UP FOR SAIL, AN INDELIBLY SENSATIONAL SAILING ADVENTURE FROM MALTA TO SICILY TO THE GREEK ISLANDS TO ALBANIA TO MONTENEGRO TO CROATIA TO VENICE. SUMMER OF 2019. Part 4: SAILING FROM ALBANIA TO MONTENEGRO Batten down the hatches! A stunning night engulfed my being upon departing Albania for Montenegro; a band of fiery orange exploded along the horizon, beneath a sparkling indigo sky. What a farewell to an enthralling adventure in Albania. Further excitement ensued the moment we dropped anchor at a bay just outside The Bay of Kotor. The police by RIB descended upon us like a honey badger on a swarming beehive. I’d prefer not to refer to the word ‘arrested’… So… with great theatrics, the police escorted us to the nearest customs office. The responsibility fell completely on us, of course. We attempted to push the boundaries but got caught. The consequences dealt by draconian hand! Indeed, I shall share further in the article to be published by the sailing magazine. Please Note: For copyright purposes I have considerably reduced the resolution of each image below.

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.

Jun 14

From Naughty Nimbin to Sydney, NSW, Australia

From Naughty Nimbin (to Sydney), we returned to Byron Bay for a swim in the calm sea, still not quite able to fathom why this place was again overcrowded with major traffic problems. Yes, it had beautiful beaches but so did most of Sydney’s north coast. Evans Head At Evans Head, a one-horse town compared to Byron Bay, we spent the night on an island overlooking the quaint harbour, in between where the boats docked. The stunning sunset, silhouetting the moorings, added to the tranquil feel of the place. Nambucca Heads Waking to heavy rain and wind that rocked the van, we set off early-ish the following morning and enjoyed a lunch over looking the river at Nambucca Heads, where the weather had cleared. Inspecting the 500 meters of rock gallery, we strolled along The Vee Wall to the pristine and uncrowded beaches beyond at Shelly Beach. Surprisingly, I spotted another two aboriginal people! Hat Head National Park Our next night’s rest landed us at Hat Head National Park. With only three other cars around in the park, and a few wallabies, we almost had the place to ourselves. The heavens opened again which prevented us from […]

Mar 22

by Nicola in Architecture, Beach, Cities, Sunset 3 comments tags: Architecture, Australia, BeanOn Photography, Manly Beach, Sunset, Sydney, Sydney Opera House, The Harbour Bridge

Exploring Sydney, Australia

For years I had longed to experience a campervan trip along the north coast of Sydney, Australia and finally I did it! Two weeks in total, I spent the first two nights at the Sydney Harbour Marriott and the last night at the exceptionally beautiful Park Hyatt Sydney – a well-deserved treat after thirteen nights in a camper van. Talk about a room with a view! From there I relished exploring the spectacular city: the buzzing Circular Quay, along the waterfront to Wharf 2 and the Opera House, around the foreshore to the lush green spaces of the Royal Botanic Gardens, over to the Olympic swimming pool alongside the water’s edge, up to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, back along the waterfront to the western side where the promenade leads to the The Rocks, a pulsating hub of cafes, restaurants, bars and historic architecture. The other side of the iconic Harbour Bridge led me to Dawes Point where a wedding ceremony took place, and people posing for photographs in front of the Luna Park’s Ferris Wheel. At sunset on the second evening we caught a ferry to Manly Beach, one of Australia’s most famous surfing beaches, and […]

Jan 22

by Nicola in Adventure, Hiking, Nature, Sunset 0 comments tags: Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Cape Town, Exploring, Hiking, Kirstenbosch, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Lion's Head, nature, South Africa, Sunset, Table Mountain

Cape Town, Hiking Table Mountain and Lion’s Head

After returning to Durban end of November, I spent two and a half weeks in Cape Town during the manic holidays over December and January. I couldn’t resist hiking Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. The day after New Year’s Day, we hiked up Table Mountain first thing at 6:00am. The following evening we hiked up Lion’s Head at sunset and then the next morning we whizzed up Table Mountain again. Resistance utterly futile! Table Mountain Both expeditions up Table Mountain (1,086 meters) took place from Kirstenbosch Gardens. I had my camera with me during the first, stopping along the way to capture the ever-changing vistas – one minute the mist rolled in and the next it cleared. We enjoyed a few breaks to refuel with fruit, homemade oat crunchies and fudge, Lindt chilli chocolate and nuts. The second climb I’d left my camera behind – what a difference that made! – and with only a couple of breaks, we knocked off almost forty minutes from our original time of four hours. Once through Kirstenbosch Gardens, the easy stroll led us to the steeper gorge. Surrounded by indigenous forest, lush green vegetation that kept the heat at bay, […]

Sep 16

by Nicola in Back2Blighty, Hiking, Nature, Sunset 0 comments tags: Alton Barnes White Horse, Back2Blighty, BeanOn Photography, Chalk Countryside, Exploring, Pewsey Downs, Pewsey Downs National Nature Reserve, Sunset, The United Kingdom, Wiltshire

The Pewsey Downs – Peace at its most tranquil

I relished half a day wandering up and down the luscious Pewsey Downs, discovering peace at its most tranquil. Deliciously hot and humid – mid September in Britain – a mild heat wave upon us, a day before the flash floods; encircled by sheep, a bleat here and there; a family hiking in the distance; invigorating pollution-free air and a helicopter flying low, its throbbing engine the only sound out of place. On the southern edge of the Marlborough Downs, the Pewsey Downs National Nature Reserve delivers impressive views of the chalk countryside, famous for the Alton Barnes Whitehorse – learn more about the horse here. A sunset so vivid, its light changing the shape of the clouds at each blink of the eye: wispy, soft watercolour streaked clouds to the left of the setting sun, a sun resembling the sweetest, juiciest mango and strong clouds as though balls of paint are exploding through the darkening indigo sky to the right. Everything reflected below in puddles of water dotted around the recently ploughed fields. Its beauty left me mesmerised – a perfect way to end a flawless day. When the weather’s good, the English countryside is a […]

May 11

Would you live in Cape Town?

After my recent trip to Cape Town someone asked me, Would you live in Cape Town? I answered immediately. Without a second’s hesitation, I said, “No!” Cape Town is unreservedly South Africa’s most beautiful city! Wholeheartedly, I agree. Cape Town is clean, visually pleasing; the government go out of their way to attract tourists; the people of Cape Town, the locals respect their government; the taxis are well behaved, road users stop at red traffic lights and are polite. Okay, perhaps the reason for such a well run province – the Western Cape – is because the ANC (African National Congress) does not dominate. The majority of the Western Cape are not black and so the DA (Democratic Alliance) are in power, which apparently says it all. However, when Cape Town experiences a cold front, it suddenly turns atrocious. The dreadful winters feel like they are as long lasting as the UK’s winters. And I would not know what to do with myself in a place that only offered cold oceans. Even a 20mm dry suit wouldn’t get me into such icy waters. And I don’t think I could survive without surfing, not again. Did you […]

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 09

by Nicola in Back2Blighty, Hiking, Nature, Sunset, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Back2Blighty, BeanOn Photography, cattle, England, Exploring, fox, Guildford, Hiking, nature, semi-rural village, Sunset, Surrey, The United Kingdom, woods

A few moments worthy of photographing

As I was about to put on my trainers for a run through the woods, the heavens, yet again, released its floodgates. Over the past couple of weeks, during a rather damp festive season that’s crept in to the New Year, I’d managed to steal a few moments worthy of photographing. With five days left, my time here in this quaint, semi-rural village in Guildford is soon to end. If only it would stop raining until after the day I leave so that I may enjoy one, just one, mud-free run through the woods. I suppose I should carry on dreaming… But soon, so soon I can feel the heat already, I’ll be back in Durban with humidity warmer than an incinerator – the type of weather I’ve never found fault with. Having an ocean less than a kilometre away, solves many issues accompanying overheating.

Jun 16

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Dubai, Nature, Off-Road, Safari, Sunset 4 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, bbq, BeanOn Photography, camel riding, Desert Safari, Dubai Desert, Dubai Diary, dune bashing, Exploring, Marsh Fun Travel & Tours, nature, Off-road, quad-biking, Sunset

Dubai Diary: Dubai-Desert-Safari

My Dubai Diary, a total of 4 days experiencing Dubai, a thrill-seeking 4×4 dune bashing during a Dubai-Desert-Safari. Just after 3:30pm a driver from Marsh Fun Travel & Tours picked us up and drove us, just over an hour to the desert. As they offer tailor-made itineraries, we opted to hire a 4×4 vehicle and driver for just the two of us (ooh there’s a song in that somewhere…) to avoid sharing with other tourists. Just before the 4-wheel-drive safari started, we were able to freshen up, drink tea or water while the tyres on the vehicle were deflated. A hot wind didn’t provide any relief from the 40 degree Celsius heat and 69% humidity. Durban’s mild, cool even, in comparison to Dubai. Almost 20 minutes of already dune bashing, the driver asked if we wanted to experience speed. “Yes,” I shouted excitedly. Oh how I wished I had my Suzuki Jimny – it made me ache with nostalgia, and especially crave off-roading in KwaZulu-Natal. The driver sped up to a high ridge of a dune and the vehicle had to be counter steered so as not to flip and roll down the other side. Oh so […]

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 […]

Mar 08

by Nicola in Beach, Nature, Sunset, Umdloti beach 0 comments tags: BeanOn Photography, Blue Bottles, crabs, Indian Ocean, KwaZulu-Natal, nature, South Africa, Sunset, Umdloti, Umdloti beach, Umdloti South Beach

Umdloti crabs

What a spectacular sighting: the Umdloti crabs doing their thing at twilight; every time I’ve enjoyed a run or walk along south beach, a third of the way towards Umhlanga, they’d caught my attention. I’ve never seen these types of crabs along the north beach, and I wonder why… Last evening, with the perfect weather, I couldn’t resist taking along my camera and doing my best to capture them running in to the water, burying themselves as deep as possible in the sand when the flow of the water hits them (be prepared to get drenched in the process), and some are still in the exact same place as the water ebbs, while others tumble into the next flow of the wave. A few of them had Portuguese man o wars (aka blue bottles) wrapped around their claws and appeared to be munching on them. It proved a challenge, hence the not so sharp photos, trying to capture the little critters as they kept dancing around as if on a stage, performing for each other. The setting sun turned the sky over the ocean pink and orange and made for stunning moments worth holding on to… […]

Feb 10

Umdloti sunset and moonrise

While briskly walking along beach late afternoon, the cloud formations shouted out, get in to the sugar cane fields, up that hill and capture what’s about to be a stunning Umdloti sunset and moonrise. With my camera equipment already in my car, we tackled the tracks amidst the fields; changing to low range 4×4, we ploughed through the soft red earth and climbed to reach the peak, the ideal viewpoint. Seized by a dramatic vista – composed of Boeings flying alongside the setting sun, heading towards King Shaka Airport, Sibaya Casino to the left and the moon rising over the Indian Ocean. A basket filled with picnic food was the only thing missing…