Wine Cellar

Whilst on Holiday in the Western Cape we visited Franschoek, a picturesque town flanked by mountains on three sides. Thereafter we visited the La Motte wine farm. Of course one has to do some wine tasting during your visit. The settings at this farm were idyllic. The wine tasting room with its decor is magnificent. Adjacent to the room is this large wine cellar with an impressive array of casks that are sustained at a specific temperature.

There are dozens of wine farms in this area that contibutes to the bulk of the production in South Africa. The countryside is scenic and a pleasure to drive through.

Whilst on vacation in the Southern Cape I took a shot of this interesting tree on the banks of a lagoon. A perfect candidate to convert into a black and white shot. The town of Kleinmond is about 100 kilometers east of Cape Town. Many of these sea side towns have only about a third of their houses that are permanently occupied. The rest are vacation homes and the population swells during the month of December and other peaks seasons during the year. I spite of this the area is quite and affords one the opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Hermanus, not far from this town, is rather busy during the vacation seasons. And, it is a hive of activity when the Humpback wales are calving.

Jakaranda Spring

Once again the Jakarandas are in full bloom. The city is bathed in purple with flowers. It keeps many street sweepers busy as they fall to the ground. Spring days are hot in Pretoria with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius at midday.

Gautrain Progress

June 28, 2008

August 19, 2009

June 21, 2010

The changing landscape of the motorway between Johannesburg and Pretoria is ever present with these three photos taken from the same spot over 2 years.

This is the bridge that will carry the Gautrain, across the Lyttleton junction.

The Gautrain (derived from Gauteng being the province) is an ambitious rapid rail link that will operate through many suburbs through Pretoria and Johannesburg. It will certainly make a positive contribution in easing the traffic congestion between the two cities. It's main function is to augment the development of the public transport infrastructure that is so badly needed in this region. And, it will provide a safe and rapid transport system to service the commuters traveling between the two cities.

African Art

African art on display at the entrance to Mac Mac water fall in Mpumalanga (formerly the Eastern Transvaal). This site is located midway between Sabie and Graskop and is part of a picturesque and scenic route in the eastern part of the country. These stalls offer a variety of crafts for tourists and augment eco-tourism for the local inhabitants.

Just outside Sabie is the Long Tom pass where the Boers made there last stand against the British in the Anglo Boer war. It is also the one of the sites where the legendary Kruger Millions (in Gold Bullion) was supposedly buried by the fleeing Boers. Nobody has ever found it, but it stimulates the old folklore and imagination to believe that it does exist.

Fountains Circle

Fountains circle has been revamped in preparation for the soccer world cup with the kick off next friday on the 11 th June. Flags of the countries participating are proudly fluttering in the winter breeze. The Telkom communications tower in the background is sporting a giant football. This shot is not far from Lotus Versfeld where the USA and Algeria will play their pool match.

48 days to go

The flags of all the countries competing in the 2010 soccer world cup are suspended from the roof of the Menlyn shopping center. The tournament will kick off at the African Calabash in Soweto just west of Johannesburg.

Menlyn is a large shopping center located in the eastern suburbs of Pretoria. It's worth a visit for a pleasant shopping experience.

Air conditioning in the Kruger Park

These two shots of the same elephant were taken a few seconds apart. It give one an idea of the size of their ears that serve to help keep the animal cool. They gently flap them in a rhythmic manner as the they move along and graze. On this particular day the temperature was about 32 degrees Celsius.

Colourful Huts

These colourful Ndebele huts are situated inside the Botanical Gardens east of the city center. These traditional huts with thatch roofs are often painted with an attractive array of creative patterns. I always enjoy looking at them when driving through the country side. The inside of the huts are amazingly cool even on a very hot summers day thanks to the thatch roof.

Thirsty Elephants

This group of Elephants in the Kruger National park found a water tank and proceeded to drink from it. A large elephant requires 200 liters of water a day and consumes about 250 kilograms of vegetation. That is rather industrious and one observes that constantly grazing.

Moses Mabhida Stadium

I was in Durban last week and took a shot of the Moses Mabhida stadium where several soccer world cup matches will be played. It is a magnificent marvel in architecture and construction. I had the opportunity to take the Sky Lift to the top of the arch. It offers a splendid view of Durban.

Zakumi

Meet Zakumi, the official mascot for the Fifa 2010 soccer world cup. The tournament starts in South Africa on the 11 th June. All the stadiums are ready and South Africans are preparing to greet all the visitors to our beautiful country.

During a recent visit to the Kruger National Park I managed to get a shot of this large lion dozing at the side of the road. He wasn't too perturbed by our presence just a few meters away.

The Kruger park is a large game reserve where many animal species roam in a natural habitat. Just 450 kilometers from Pretoria it is a great place to visit. Here you can see the big 5 - Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo and Rhinoceros. I was lucky to see all 5 on this trip. The leopard in particular is elusive and difficult to spot.