Early morning Archives - Nicola Ann Art

Jan 18

by Nicola in 4x4, KwaZulu-Natal, Travel, Wildlife 0 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Big 5, Early morning, KwaZulu-Natal, nature, Off-road, South Africa, Sunrise, Wildlife, Zululand

Amakhosi Safari Lodge KwaZulu-Natal South Africa

This time, our adventure through Swaziland, as much off-road as on-road, prevented us from making the evening game drive at Amakhosi Safari Lodge, northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. With hunger at bay, three trips to the waffle station at The Royal Swazi Spa Hotel near Mbabane, Swaziland later, we thought we’d given ourselves enough time to explore off-road and make the game drive. Speaking of Swaziland, or now known as The Royal Kingdom of Eswatini, I ponder whether they’ll change their flag, as South Africa did… After checking Google Maps (yes, as mentioned before, not always a good idea), we decided to head for the 4×4 only dirt tracks from Nhlangano through to Mhlosheni in Swaziland, straight through the Swaziland / South African border post as shown on Google and then onto the N2 freeway towards Pongola. Around thirty kilometres later we’d then arrive at the private game reserve, Amakhosi Safari Lodge, just in time for the sundowners in the heart of the African bushveld. U-Turn Well, Google maps indicated a border post that did not exist, which was supposed to lead straight onto the N2 freeway about twenty kilometres outside of Pongola. A camouflage army tent […]

Jan 14

by Nicola in Nature, Uncategorized, Wildlife 0 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Big 5, Early morning, Kirkman's Kamp, Leopards, nature, Off-road, Private Game Reserve, South Africa, Sunrise, Wildlife

Kirkman’s Kamp Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve

From the meandering mountain passes of Swaziland, we drove almost six hours through Nelspruit to Kirkman’s Kamp in the heart of the emblematic Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve. This time we stuck more on-road than off-road so as not to miss the afternoon game drive at the lodge. Due to my car’s dead battery and having to replace it soon after reaching White River, we came extremely close to missing out. Of course, they would have waited for us, or taken us in another vehicle to join the safari. No doubt about it! Fortunately, with thirty minutes to spare we had time for high tea spread out on the patio before the show began… The Cats Known for its prolific leopard sightings, Sabi Sands had always been on the top of my list for wanderlust. Finally, I made it! After the fearless honey badgers, which are more elusive than leopards, the leopard is my next favourite animal to observe in the wild. The three leopard sightings with the game ranger, Jonty, unsurpassed any other sighting I’ve before experienced. We got to behold a female tearing a fresh impala kill to shreds; another smaller female strolling along the main track […]

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.

Dry grassland at Karkloof Nature Reserve

Oct 05

by Nicola in Adventure, Hiking, KwaZulu-Natal, Nature, Wildlife 0 comments tags: Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Early morning, Karkloof Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, nature, Off-road, Rugged Terrain, South Africa, Umgeni Valley, Wildlife

Two seasons at Karkloof Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal

Nestled in the ever-green heart of the Umgeni Valley, Karkloof Nature Reserve offers unspoilt trails amidst an undulating plateau – which has an average altitude of approximately one-thousand meters – mistbelt forest, grasslands, wetlands and wildlife – the non-predatory type. I first hiked the reserve in February; as dawn descended and the sun-exposed itself the sweltering heat appeared to increase at least five degrees per hour. The lush vegetation, a pulsating green as dense as a nineteenth-century novel, kept the giraffe from sight. From the top of the jagged cliff face far into the distance, we spotted the head of a giraffe grazing the tops of acacias. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to get up close and personal and vowed to return in the near future. Five months later, our pledge met, we returned in pursuit of the elusive giraffe. The lush green grasslands moved over for the wintery browns and the blackened grasslands caused by controlled fires. The sun took a little longer to warm my bones, and only increased a degree per hour. As a lone yellow-billed kite, unusual to see at this time of the year, hovered on the thermals overhead, we came across a […]

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, […]

Jul 14

Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa – a sea of tranquility

Whenever I visit Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa it’s as though I’m floating on a sea of tranquillity. One of my favourite little pieces of heaven just over an hour’s drive from Durban. Usually, I am either exploring the reserve by 4×4 or huffing and puffing along the 4×4 track on a mountain bike; however, this time I decide to self-indulge (actually, a friend treated me) in luxurious beauty treatments at the four-star (plus, in my opinion) spa. A decadent treat. As someone once said, resistance is futile… Before even reaching the main gate to the reserve, I stop a few times to photograph the rolling mountains with the sugar cane fields in the foreground blushing a vibrant green. The light haze from the sun enveloping the peaks make them appear too perfect for this world. Nature at it’s five-star best! At the main reception, where I announce my arrival, I help myself to a mug of Rooibos tea and take it down with me to the spa, overlooking more perfect peaks now with balls of cloud hovering above them, the sun almost disappearing for good. My favourite treatment without doubt is the hot stone massage. A […]

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 […]

Hawks Nest, North Coast of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

North Coast of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Crowdy Bay, North Coast of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Seal Rocks, North Coast of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Crescent Head, North Coast of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Apr 10

North Coast of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The moment we collected the camper van, all singing all dancing home on wheels, from the other side of Sydney, the real adventure began. For ten nights we slept in the van while exploring the North Coast of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Not even thirty minutes after Apollo signed over their beast to us, we’d gently knocked a van’s wing mirror while trying to parallel-park the vehicle near Bondi Beach while stopping off for a bite to eat. Ouch! Hawks Nest A few hours later, after taking up most of a shopping’s car park while stocking up on groceries, we arrived at Hawks Nest, our first port of call, many minutes too late. The campsite had locked its boom gate and no one answered the emergency number on the office door. They definitely weren’t open for business. Ah look! The beach with a car park – a perfect spot to spend the night. Without any interruptions, we slept soundly. A forty-minute run along the silky soft sand had me rearing to go first thing the next morning. Seal Rocks At the stunning, pristine beaches of Seal Rocks we spent a night at Treachery Camp. […]

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. […]

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 […]

Men gazing over Jaffa’s Shuk HaPishpushim, or Flea Market

Nov 25

by Nicola in Architecture, Cities 0 comments tags: Arab children, Arab quarters, BeanOn Photography, Early morning, Israel, Jaffa, Jaffa Old Port, Jaffa's nightlife, Manta Ray Restaurant, Market House Hotel, Middle East

Israel, Jaffa

Shalom! My second visit to Israel left me desiring more. I can’t believe we missed out on Abu Hassan, apparently it’s one of the best hummus restaurants in Israel, Jaffa and because of such loss I shall return. After all, hummus (pronounced with a guttural ‘g’ instead of an ‘h’) is one of my favourite things to eat. Twelve years ago, I first visited Israel and had since lost all my photographs due to a hard drive crash. A return couldn’t have been more welcomed. This time I had my own personal tour guide, and instead of buses with hordes of tourists we’d hired a car and also bicycles, whereby experiencing more of the extraordinary. From Ben Gurion Airport, we took our lives in our hands while driving the twenty-five kilometres in to Jaffa. Just about every car tooted their horns, no gaps left unturned and everyone behind every wheel pushed in, into the absent gaps, not a single driver indicates and add a bit more hooting. Behaving like a driving instructor, my foot constantly wanted to slam down on the imaginary foot brake. Bloodcurdling, to say the least! However, the daily car journeys, many kilometres later, […]

Apr 07

Tala Private Game Reserve’s Gems: Five Adult Rhinos

With the craving gnawing at my heart, it had been thirty days plus since I’d last seen a rhino. Just under forty-five minutes from Durban we arrived at Tala, amidst the thick mist from the drizzling rain. Resistance is futile when a craving is upon thee… After paying our dues at the gate we headed up the hill to the right in search of Tala Private Game Reserve’s gems: five adult rhinos. Okay, we cheated a little and asked the guard at the gate where they were last spotted. And there they were… Five large, healthy rhinocerotidaes (commonly known as rhinoceroses) huddled together on a mound of earth, resting while the rain gently fell. We spent about thirty minutes watching them stretch and roll over, as though their comfort in the damp truly mattered. After exploring the reserve, relishing a packed breakfast at the Hippo Hide, a coffee at the restaurant’s veranda and bouncing along the 4×4 only tracks, we returned to the rhinos up and about munching their way through the grass. Such spectacular creatures! As I’ve previously published a post on Tala Private Game Reserve about a year ago, I shall keep this one brief. […]

Golden Gate Highlands National Park

The moment one witnesses the beaming sun-rays, either from a sunrise or sunset, softly gild the sandstone cliffs making up the Maluti Mountains, it becomes instantly apparent how the Golden Gate Highlands National Park acquired its name. Mr van Reenen, in 1878, spotted this sighting and named his new farm, wait for it – Golden Gate. From Kiara Resort, we drove approximately five kilometres to Glen Reenen Rest Camp within the Golden Gate Highlands National Park and parked the car. With the sun already casting a glow on to the distant cliffs, we crossed the road and embarked on our hike just after 6am. Desiring to knock off at least an hour from the four-hour Wodehouse Peak hike, we meandered via Mushroom Rock. In awe of its magnificence, we breezed around the mushroom-like rock formation, glancing up every few moments to absorb the scale of the mountain that loomed above us. Zigzagging up towards Wodehouse Peak, steeper and steeper we climbed. Feeling safe, we traversed along the extremely well maintained path with its perfectly carved sandstone steps, wooden bridge and iron rods strategically placed for hands to grab, to heave one’s body up the mountain side. Up and up we climbed, and […]

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 […]