Nicola Ann Art
African Penguins at Boulders Beach African Penguins at Boulders Beach Boulders Beach African Penguins at Boulders Beach African Penguins at Boulders Beach African Penguins at Boulders Beach
Feb 20
by Nicola in Beach, Nature 2 comments tags: African penguins, BeanOn Photography, Boulders Beach, Cape Town, Early morning, Muizenberg Beach, nature, penguins, South Africa, Western Cape

Cape Town, African Penguins at Boulders Beach

A trip to Cape Town wouldn’t feel complete without visiting the African Penguins at Boulders Beach.   Let’s arrive early, we thought, and enjoy a swim with the penguins at Boulders Beach. Okay, but only after devouring the hotel’s five-star breakfast that started at 7am. Well, early out of season is a lot different to early in season. After discovering that not a space existed at the main car park we ended up parking along a residential road past the second car park.   With the sun beating down in a blemish free sky, already melting the suntan lotion from my body, we discovered hundreds of bodies down on the beach. Families sprawled out on the soft, white sand, up on the impressive granite boulders that naturally protect the beach from the wind and unruly waves. What an idyllic swimming spot, albeit it slightly colder than Durbs’ Indian Ocean. A few penguins, feathers ruffled, languorously basked in the sun, on the sand, on the rocks. Others dipped in to the sea to get away from the larger two-legged creatures. Four or five juvenile birds were moulting on the beach. And a rogue couldn’t resist attacking a sandal: starving little fella. […]
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Jan 30
by Nicola in People, Street Photography 0 comments tags: BeanOn Photography, Cape Flats, Cape Town, Gugulethu, Gugulethu Township Tour, South Africa, Township Tour, Western Cape

Cape Town, Gugulethu Township Tour

Once upon a time, many many years ago, I desired experiencing life in a township. Longing to spend a weekend with my maid and her family, I had an urge to walk kilometres for water, walk to the shop and carry the supplies on my head, make a fire to cook dinner and heat water, and everything else that encompassed living in a township. What would it feel like to exist without luxury? For some reason my parents prevented me from gaining such an understanding. So, the next best thing had to be the Gugulethu township tour whilst visiting Cape Town.   We chose AWOL to provide us with the Gugulethu walking township tour, known for its importance during the struggle against apartheid, because they are a non-profit organisation and proceeds are put back in to the community, given to the people who make the tour possible.   The knowledgeable and interesting guide, Ncebe, met us at Mzoli’s, a traditional bring and braai true-African-style establishment, and directed us to his home. Noticeably proud, he showed us around, explaining how he’d broken tradition with his renovations by building a bathroom inside the house instead of it being out back where most […]
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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, […]
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May 11
by Nicola in Cities, Hiking, Nature, Sunset 1 comments tags: Adventure, beach, BeanOn Photography, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Peninsula, Cape Point, Cape Town, Chapman's Peak, Exploring, Hout Bay, Indian Ocean, nature, Off-road, Sea Point, Simon's Town, South Africa, Sunset, Western Province

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 […]
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