Pilanesberg Game Reserve

A day at Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Hippo family, sunning their hides.

There was a lot of birdlife. I saw terapins swimming, and a baby crocodile in the reeds.

Elephants, giraffe, zebra, and the normal plethora of antelope, bushpigs, and the like scedaddled around.

There were much less animals to see than I remembered when I lived here in the mid 1980's, but it might be because of the good rainfall the past few months and the waterholes being full, as well as the bush being lush. Pilanesberg is quite a large reserve.

Where?

Pilanesberg near Rustenburg and right next to Sun City
North West Province of South Africa

Canon Camera

I used a Canon 400D Camerawith a Canon 300mm Lens
See more on Camera Equipment I use

Links to other events since I left Cape Town on 1 April 2012

Utopia Nov 2012
Buffelspoort Dam Nov 2012
Olifantsnek Dam Feb 2012
Pilanesberg Aug 2012
Photography Course Oct 2012
Margaret Roberts Herb Farm
Dikhololo Game Farm July 2012
Overberg April 2012 till end June 2012
Living in Rustenburg July 2012 to date
 - my furry friends at the Inn
Broke my arm in August 2012
Cape Town Dec 2012 - paint my flat and put Hugh's stuff in storage
Mpumalanga Trip Feb 2013

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Buffelspoort Dam

Fun on Buffelspoort Dam

A day in the sun, braaiing, riding inner tyre tubes and other fandangles, with a few drinkies to round off the day. F-a-b-u-l-o-u-s!

Here speedboats and other motorised watersports are allowed. 

Not so at Olifantsnek dam, this is much more sedate and only sailing and so on is permitted.

Utopia

Utopia Holiday Resort

My family came here when I was still at school.  It brought back many happy memories.  I also met one of my boyfriends here, an artist, that later became an architect. I even competed for 'Miss Utopia'.

It is no longer open to day visitors, but you can buy timeshare, or buy a plot with or without a house on it.  It is situated in the Magalsburg mountain range.  The landscape is beautiful here.

The houses are mostly a-frame thatched buildings.  It has a paddling pool and a swimming pool fr adults, pub, restaurant, the river runs through the property, and there are many walks in the viscinity.

Canon amera

I used a Canon 400D camera with a Canon 300mm lens

Where

North West Province of South Africa

List of blog posts for events since I left Cape Town on 1 April 2012

Utopia Nov 2012
Buffelspoort Dam Nov 2012
Olifantsnek Dam Feb 2012
PilanesbergAug 2012
Photography Course Oct 2012
Margaret Roberts Herb Farm
Dikhololo Game Farm July 2012
Overberg April 2012 till end June 2012
Living in Rustenburg July 2012 to date
Broke my arm in August 2012
Cape Town Dec 2012 - to paint my flat and put Hugh's stuff into storage
Mpumalanga Feb 2013 - Kruger Park Lodge - to follow

Photography Course in October 2012

Have my Photographic Skills Improved?

I'm not sure my Photographic skills have improved at all, but at least I have an idea.  Practicing time has been at a premium, so have reverted to automatic setting as I take too long when I'm in a hurry to get the settings right.  No time for experimentation.

Practicals

We did a fashion shoot with a model at some ruins just outside Rustenburg.
We did a nighttime shoot at Sun City.
We did a wildlife shoot at Getlane Game Reserve on the outskirts of Rustenburg.

 Fashion Shoot

Sun City

(not so great 'cause it is one of 3; the underexposed shot for a combined pic)

Getlane Game Reserve

the beautiful bushveld landscape

Canon Camera

I used  a Canon 400D with a Canon lens 300mm

See more about the Photographic equipment I use

Where?

North West Province  of South Africa

 

Links to the other blog posts - since I left Cape Town in April last year

Utopia Jan 2013

Buffelspoort Dam Nov 2012
Olifantsnek Dam Feb 2013
Pilanesberg Aug 2012
Photography Course Oct 2012
Margaret Roberts Herb Farm August 2012
Dikhololo Game Farm July 2012
Overberg April till end June 2012
Living in Rustenburg July 2012 to date
Broke my arm in August 2012
Cape Town Dec 2012 - to paint my flat and organise storage for Hugh
Mpumalanga Feb 2013 Kruger Park Lodge

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Margaret Roberts Herb Farm

Margaret Roberts Herb Farm

The dining room looks like a hospital ward/hall, but the food was tasty and out of the ordinary.  There were herbs and flowers in the salad and it looked really colorful and festive.  I enjoyed the lavendar and pear cheesecake, the coffee was also definitely drinkable.

I thought there would be a greater variety herbs in the garden, fresh herbs for sale, or at least more herby plants to buy in the nursery.

However, there are great soaps, ointments, oils, lotions and potions to pick and choose in the shop.

For kids there is a fairy garden and fairy shop, not my cuppa tea.

I don't seem to have photos of this excursion, disappeared.

Its near Hartbeespoort (Dam) in North West Province of South Africa

Dikhololo Game Farm

Dikhololo near Brits in the Northwest Province of South Africa

We went for a visit to this Game Park where you can get out of your car and be close to the animals.  It is a real treat.  We saw giraffe, kudu, zebra, blouwildebeest, impala, and many other antelope, and even more when we went on a game drive the one evening.

Up close

There are these huge rocks all over the place.

 

 

 

A pair of Giraffe

 

Wildebeest

Zebra

Dikhololo have conference Facilities, Pool tables, Swimming pool, Restaurant, Pub, Hot pool (not sure its a spring, but it may be), etc.  We had a huge thatched-roofed house to ourselves with a braai area outside.  Really fantastic place if you're into photography, walking, biking, game watching, bird watching, and so  on.  We had a great time.

 

You have to travel on dirt roads to get there, but it is passable. It is not too far from Brits, on the Rustenburg side, in the North West Province of South Africa

Where?

North West Province of South Africa

Canon Camera

I used a Canon 400D Camerawith a Canon 300mm Lens

Links to other blogs - Events since I left Cape Town on 1 April 2012

Utopia Nov 2012
Buffelspoort Dam Nov 2012
Olifantsnek Dam Feb 2012
Pilanesberg Aug 2012
Photography Course Oct 2012
Margaret Roberts Herb Farm
Dikhololo Game Farm July 2012
Overberg April 2012 till end June 2012
Living in Rustenburg July 2012 to date
Broke my arm in August 2012
Meerkat mudered
My furry friends at the Inn
Cape Town Dec 2012 - to paint my flat and put Hugh's stuff into storage Mpumalanga Feb 2013 - Kruger Park Lodge - to follow

My New Accommodation website

Accommodation in South Africa
Subscribe to the Newsletter to get Special Offers, Vouchers, enter Competitions, and to get the best deals on Accommodation

If you have Accommodation, Venues, or Events you want to advertise

Add FREE accommodation directory Listing
Add FREE venue directory listing
Add FREE event listing

Advertise on our site
See our other Services. 

Looking for accommodation or a venue in other provinces of South Africa?
Use the Quick-reference Site links map to find what you are searching for quickly.
Have a look at the Map of South Africa

What's News? Competitions, Prizes, Special Offers and other News.
What's on in the location you are looking for?
What's the weather like in the place you want to visit?

Need anything else?

Notebook

Consoles

Apple Shops

Cameras and Equipment

Bestselling Books

'Hottest' Music

Movies DVDs

Games

Blu-Ray

The latest and best selection of eBooks

Toys

Afrikaanse Musiek Treffers

Baby Offers

Spoil your Pets

Luggage must travel

 

Overberg Splendour

My visit in the Overberg

Thanks to Gill and Rob Gimberg for putting me up when I left Hugh, or is it putting up with me?

I loved the early mornings watching the sun come up in all its splendour, sitting in the kitchen sipping coffee, stroking Tigger (one of the 3 cats, the one that resides in the kitchen).

The other cats are Cricket, and Mischief.

When I arrived there everything was bleak and grey.  In January the fire had wiped out all their plants.  They were immensely fortunate that the house didn't burn down too.  Their neighbor's did.

A few rainy days later, the veld started sprouting new green leaves, and was well on its way to recovery when I left.  It was great having to start a new garden from scratch. We put up a fence to keep the 'bokkies' out.  Not sure it would keep the porcupines and hares out though.

Anyway Gill says they are eating potatoes, tomatoes and all kinds of leafy things out of the veggie garden.

I take my hat off to this couple as they are living completely off the grid.  Rainwater gets collected for all necessities, and so is a scarce commodity, especially if it doesn't rain that well. Sun- and wind-power is used to generate electricity.

The toilet is an organic one, - not a long drop thanks goodness.

Compost gets made from all the vegetable cuttings.

This is... you guessed it, Mischief

 Tigger

Cricket, the hunter

Sunset.

 

 

See more pics here of my stay at Overberg

 

The Overberg, what a wonderful place to stay, with Greyton and Caledon close by.

 

Where?

Western Cape Province of South Africa

Canon Camera

I used a Canon 400D Camerawith a Canon 300mm Lens

Links to blogs of events since I left Cape Town on 1 April 2012



Utopia Nov 2012
Buffelspoort Dam Nov 2012
Olifantsnek Dam Feb 2012
PilanesbergAug 2012
Photography Course Oct 2012
Margaret Roberts Herb Farm
Dikhololo Game Farm July 2012
Overberg April 2012 till end June 2012
Living in Rustenburg July 2012 to date
Broke my arm in August 2012