KwaZulu-Natal 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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

Feb 21

by Nicola in 4x4, Nature, Safari, Wildlife 1 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Big 5, Buffalo, Early morning, Elephant, Exploring, KwaZulu-Natal, lion, nature, Off-road, Rhino, Rhino River Lodge, Rugged Terrain, South Africa, Sunrise, Sunset, Wildlife, Zululand

Rhino River Lodge: a sacred retreat

For me, after being away from home for nine months, nothing beats time in the bush. I chose Rhino River Lodge for a second visit because the first experience, eleven months ago, stayed with me every day since. I simply had to return. Again, expectations exceeded. Less than 3 hours from Durban, just off the N2, Rhino River Lodge, home to the Big Five, warmly awaited us. Chelsea, Clair, Kyle and Alex to name but a few were all as welcoming as the African sun (not once have I complained about KZN’s amazingly humid heat). The day we arrived, the temperature reached thirty-six degrees Celsius, in the shade. What a greeting! A pity about the drought… I’ve been fortunate enough to experience the knowledgeable and highly amusing ranger, Kyle, on both occasions. He threatened to name a meal after me for mispronouncing a Zulu word. I refuse to even attempt spelling it here. Swiftly moving on… While on a game drive, a French tourist asked: “What’s the difference between impalas and springboks?” Kyle began: “Springboks are lighter in colour, and —” “Impalas don’t play rugby,” a fellow South African piped up. Well, that tickled me! An […]

Feb 14

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Black & White, Nature, Off-Road 2 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Exploring, Gwahumbe Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, nature, Off-road, Rhino, Rugged Terrain, South Africa, Wildlife

Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa

Resistance is definitely futile when it comes to spending the day at Gwahumbe. Just over an hour’s drive from Durban, Gwahumbe Game Lodge & Spa is a favourite of mine to enjoy 4x4ing, game viewing and lunch all in a day. As I’ve previously published a couple of blogs on the reserve, the last fourteen months ago, I’ll limit my words this time and allow the images to speak louder. We only managed a distant sighting of the young male rhino, now grown in to an expert vehicle mock-charger. Bring it on! I secretly wished to experience such, but he didn’t even notice us with his head buried in the veld about twenty meters away from the vehicle, munching away on the lush grass. Never in my entire life have I tasted a more succulent and perfectly cooked piece of kingklip fish. This is no exaggeration. Compliments to the chef!

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 […]

Mar 19

by Nicola in Beach, on the Rock camera club 0 comments tags: BeanOn Photography, Durban beach front, Indian Ocean, KwaZulu-Natal, Moyo Ushaka Pier, on the Rocks camera club, Paintings by Light, South Africa, Spinning Orbs

Spinning Orbs at Moyo Ushaka Pier

This time last week On The Rocks Camera Club (OTRCC) hosted an evening of sparking, spinning orbs and paintings by light at Moyo Ushaka Pier, Durban beachfront. With the excitement spinning, moment by moment, we waited, some not so patiently, for the weather to improve; unfortunately it worsened. Spinner, Pierre Retief, one of OTRCC’s professional photographers, braved the electric storm and pelting rain to display a fantastic light fiesta. A pity about the rain as the OTRCC’s members and guests huddled in single file under the pier to capture the dampened display of dancing fire, spitting sparks and brilliant paintings by light. What a shame I didn’t have the correct lens with me to capture the entire painting by light pictures. Thank you, Pierre and OTRCC – I truly enjoyed the sparkling experience; another first for me. Should you be interested in photography and experiencing firsts then please visit OTRCC. Every monthly meeting and exciting outing is a thrilling learning experience. For more information, please find details on their website contact page here: http://otrcameraclub.wix.com/otrcameraclub#!contact/cxcd Hope to see you there!

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…

Jan 21

by Nicola in Beach, Nature, Wildlife 0 comments tags: BeanOn Photography, Exploring, Indian Ocean, KwaZulu-Natal, Lagoon Drive, South Africa, uMhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve, uMhlanga Rocks, Wildlife

uMhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve

Between the M4 freeway and the Indian Ocean, on the south bank of the Ohlanga River overfilling with reed beds (hence the reason the Zulus named it uMhlanga Rocks – ‘Place of Reeds and Rocks’), one will find the uMhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve with its entrance gate (free of charge) just past the Breakers hotel at the end of Lagoon Drive. There is a secret parking area, end of the cal-de-sac, at the entrance to the reserve. Explore a well-marked heritage trail through ancient coastal forest, along boardwalks over the river, that’s home to vervets, small buck and birds. There are benches discreetly scattered amongst picnic spots. The lush vegetation framing the blues of the ocean and golden sand is definitely worth capturing.

Dec 24

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Cycling, Nature, Off-Road, Safari, Wildlife 0 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Challenge, cycling, Early morning, Gwahumbe Game Reserve, Jimny, KwaZulu-Natal, Off-road, Rhino, Rugged Terrain, South Africa, Suzuki, Suzuki Jimny, Wildlife

Fancy mountain biking with a rhino?

Can you even imagine mountain biking with a rhino…? Well, unfortunately – of course I did it hoping for the ultimate experience, a beastly encounter that would make the heart drop to the foot and adrenalin force the blood to violently pump – it didn’t happen while on two wheels. After exhausting ourselves by bicycle through the spectacular Gwahumbe (Saturday morning, 13 December) a favourite private game reserve for a day visit (because of the rugged landscape, and amazingly it’s just over an hour’s dive from Durban), we jumped in to my Jimny. The climb down to the hippo pool brought us head-on with the rhino. We ensured we kept our distance, and that he was aware of our presence. A non existent exist strategy caused the brain to deal with many jumbled thoughts – in other words, we were trapped. He appeared to be relaxed, and while munching the grass on the edge of the track he glanced in our direction and moved closer and towards us. I felt my body stiffen, my heart do somersaults, goose flesh ripple all over my body the moment his nose touched, albeit it a gentle touch, the Jimny’s nudge […]

Nov 30

by Nicola in Art, Nature 1 comments tags: BeanOn Photography, Exploring, KwaZulu-Natal, Long Walk To Freedom, Marco Cianfanelli, Nelson Mandela, Nelson Mandela Capture Site, Nelson Mandela Memorial, President Jacob Zuma, Sculpture, South Africa, The Midlands Meander, The Natal Midlands, Tribute to Nelson Mandela

The Nelson Mandela Memorial

A week before the first anniversary of Mandela’s death, 6 December 2013, I visited The Nelson Mandela Memorial, at Madiba’s Capture Site for the first time. A spectacular tribute to Nelson Mandela –South Africa’s first black president died aged 95 – by artist, Marco Cianfanelli, marks the 50-year anniversary of Mandela’s “Long walk to freedom.” Upon President Jacob Zuma unveiling the artwork on the 6th of August 2012, Cianfanelli stated: “This represents the momentum gained in the struggle through the symbolic of Mandela’s capture. The 50 columns represent the 50 years since his capture, but they also suggest the idea of many making the whole; of solidarity. It points to an irony as the political act of Mandela’s incarceration cemented his status as an icon of struggle, which helped ferment the groundswell of resistance, solidarity and uprising, bringing about political change and democracy.” It is incredible how only from a certain point, about 35m before the sculpture, do the 50 steel column constructions the image of Mandela, facing west, comes in to focus. The museum takes you on a journey through the life of Mandela and his battle against Apartheid that brought about a democratic South […]