Random Ramblings

Another Cloudy Day in NYC.

2011-10-28T21:14:00.001+11:00

Today was our last full day in New York. We took a ride on the hop on hop off Grayline bus and travelled around the downtown loop. We missed the areas near Wall Street and the United Nations because the UN was sitting and the close streets were blocked.

Grayline Tours

We travelled the complete loop and on our second time round we got off at the Empire State Building

Times Square by day

Empire State Building

Following photos taken from Empire State Building…cloudy again.

The 3 gold domes…all gold plated

We caught the Subway from The Empire State Building back to times Square.

We had lunch at

Ellen's Stardust Diner

Our last evening was spent on a tour of Manhattan. First stop was The High Line

From here we moved on to a water taxi and enjoyed a night cruise to the Statue of Liberty.

I forgot the camera and had to be content with my phone to take photos.

Next stop was Little Italy and dinner at Blue Grotto

The night concluded with a trip to the top of the Rockefeller Centre to enjoy the city lights.

Times Square at Night.

2011-10-27T17:53:00.001+11:00

Crown Plaza…our Hotel with Hershey Chocolate Store conveniently outside the front door.Mounted Police were present afternoon and night.

Hudson River Cruise.

2011-10-26T19:51:00.001+11:00

We only had two outings today. A Hudson River cruise with friends from New Jersey to be followed with dinner at The View Revolving Restaurant on the 47th floor of New York Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square.

We weren't meeting our friends until after lunch and decided to walk from our hotel to Pier 83 on the Hudson River. We walked down W.48th Street and then along the riverfront to Pier 83.

New building on site of World Trade Centre

Ellis Island Staten Island FerryRay & Colette Brooklyn Bridge

After the cruise we walked up W.42nd street to Times Square

By now you would have noticed another day without blue sky and sunshine

Check the link below for information on the hotel where we had dinner.

Marriott Hotel

NBC, Top of the Rock and PhotoTrek Tour

2011-10-25T18:10:00.001+11:00

We had a full day planned today starting with a walk from our hotel to the NBC Studios at Rockefeller Centre.We were booked on the 8.30 tour. We arrived early and while we were waiting to enter the tour area we managed to breach security, but that is another story.

Studio Tour

After the studio tour we took the lift for the trip to the top of the Rockefeller Centre. Floor 67 was first stop then an escalator to 69 and steps to 70…850feet above sea level.

I imagine you could see long distance on a clear day, but the weather was not co-operative for us.

Central Park Empire State Building…don’t think I managed to hold the camera straight for the majority of the “high shots”

Down comes the rain.Our hotel…in middle of picture.

It was windy and wet so we didn’t spend a lot of time on the open deck.

Our next escapade was a walking tour with a professional photographer

PhotoTrek Tours

After all the walking and stress of being the wrong side of the camera we needed sustenance to build our stamina and courage. The guide Marc left us in Greenwich Village with instructions and directions for catching the subway back to Times Square.

Two enormous coffees accompanied these temptations and we managed to catch our train as well.

Intercourse, Pennsylvania.

2011-10-24T20:18:00.001+11:00

Intercourse

More Intercourse

Tobacco…supposedly not for sale and just for personal use

Our buggy driver

Elderly Amish Woman

We spent several enjoyable hours in this little town.

Started with a buggy ride on the main highway and then onto a traditional Amish farm.

Amish information

We arrived back at Kitchen Kettle Village and spent over an hour browsing the quaint shops.

We purchased a box of assorted jams from the Jam and Relish Factory and planned to carefully pack it in our carry on and bring home…big mistake. There was no need to buy afternoon tea because there were so many jams dips and relishes to sample.

Would love to visit here again.

Day Trip to Philadelphia.

2011-10-24T19:11:00.001+11:00

Our long anticipated trip to Philadelphia and Amish Country was here

Rain greeted us as we waited for a Taxi to take us to 125 Park Avenue nr Grand Central. We had time for a coffee before boarding our tour bus

Roads blocked.Opposite Grand Central Station.Escaping the city…Building ArtLooking back to Manhattan.Yellow School Bus Diners every few miles.Philadelphia Benjamin Franklin Monument(kite and lightning)Historical area.Interesting additionOriginal Liberty Bell

No flash allowed and behind glass so not good for pics

Statues and monuments dedicated to Mr Franklin were plentiful.Steps where Rocky was filmed training…

Amtrak Acela. DC-NYC.

2011-10-22T17:22:00.001+11:00

We weighed all our options on transport to New York and our decision was the train.

Acela Express

First Class no less. Coffee and snacks in the First Class Lounge before boarding were pretty ordinary, but we only had to walk10 metres from the lounge to board.

Drink orders were taken before we departed and we settled for coffee. Nine am is a tad early for anything else

On train…

Free Wi-Fi was a perk as wellNot that easy to take photos…Arriving in Philadelphia

Our trip took just under 3 hours. No stress. Penn Station was busy busy busy.

Penn Station

It was just a short drive from the station to our hotel.

Crowne Plaza Times Square

View from our room Our room on 46th floor.

We finished our day with a Broadway show…Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Priscilla.

Attended and enjoyed the show in Sydney several times, and think the Broadway version is brilliant.

Washington Day 2 cont.

2011-10-19T14:29:00.001+11:00

Washington's newest Monument

Lincoln Memorial Vietnam Memorial

Heading back to our hotel we passed the White House again.There were several choppers circling and we also saw the Presidential Chopper. Further along the activity increased and we then saw the flashing lights and heard the screaming sirens…Presidential Motorcade…our problem was we were a block away and could only see the vehicles and not the occupants.

All we needed to end a long day was FOOD

Washington… Day Two.

2011-10-18T13:38:00.001+11:00

Today we planned to walk to several of the Monuments in Washington D.C.

Enjoyed a scrummy breakfast at the hotel while planning our walk.

Our starting point was Union Station and it was recommended that we catch a cab.We quickly checked inside and found where we would catch our train the next day. A mini shopping mall and food court on multiple levels was bustling away behind the entry doors.

The Capitol Building was now in our sights. The sky was cloudy and showers were forecast. A great day for a walk.View down to Washington Monument.

Walk…FoodMust be healthy…no salt Ginormous bee Impromptu rugby gameWildlife

Washington. White House tour.

2011-10-16T20:55:00.001+11:00

We were lucky enough to gain a place on a Tour of the White House East Wing.

White House Tour Info

The only photos were taken on our phone after the tour had ended.

We finished our tour before 10 and walked back to our hotel.

Crowne Plaza-Hamilton

Lunch was across the road DC Coast ….. Menu

We needed another walk after the lunch and walked to the White House and the Washington Monument.

Another healthy meal to end the day.

NB…this was probably the most blue sky we experienced in our 2 weeks in the US

Washington DC

2011-10-05T21:31:00.001+11:00

Night tour after last day of Driver Training

White House

Washington MonumentLincoln Memorial

Winchester Virginia.

2011-10-01T19:17:00.001+10:00

Winchester was to be our base for 4 nights while David took part in his training. Our hotel was The Wingate .

First day training for the guys was in the meeting room and also surveillance training in the surrounding streets. I was lucky enough to catch a ride to the mall on one of the training runs and managed to get some shots on my phone.

Well behaved students…

Misbehaving studentsNeighbouring streets. One of the few days we saw a blue sky.Full moon One of the better RestaurantsClass photo at training facility.Four of the “Gang of Five”Ring LeaderNever leave your camera unattended when there are naughty boys around…These were the only photos that could be made public On our 4th night in Winchester we had dinner in the local Japanese restaurant where we not only enjoyed superb food, but were seriously entertained as well.

Our ever patient shuttle driver.A birthday boy (partner of Amy the liaison for State Dept.)Some body art The s**t stirrers.The Chef and food.

Will we ever depart on time???

2011-09-29T20:56:00.001+10:00

Our short trip to the United States was supposed to happen in April. Unfortunately it was cancelled 48 hours before we were due to depart.

New travel date was issued a few days later and the task of cancelling and rebooking began. This was a pretty painless process and we decided to add an extra couple of days to the trip. The only downside was the price of accommodation in the already expensive New York increased by 50% because the United Nations was sitting.

We set off for Canberra airport and on check in received our boarding passes for our 3 legs to Dulles in Washington DC. We appeared to have sufficient time between each leg of the journey and were confident we would arrive on time and with our luggage. (last trip to same destination our bags missed the last leg).

We were settling down with our coffee when it was announced that due to congestion in Sydney our flight would be delayed for more than 30 minutes

We eventually departed but we were put into a holding pattern before we could land in Sydney. As boarding time for our flight to LA drew closer I imagined us being the last to board. We managed to immediately get on the bus to the international terminal, so finally some luck was with us. Next shock was when we entered the Immigration area…wall to wall people. We managed to pick a fast moving queue so no dramas.

We moved pretty quickly to our departure gate only to be greeted with another announcement re our departure.

We were only an hour late leaving but this meant it was going to be a rush in LA.

There is not much that one can write about 13.5 hours locked in a confined space with300+ strangers. The passenger behind me kicked the back of my seat at least every 5 minutes and the other 4 she coughed and sneezed and I was convinced I would have some deadly disease by the time we arrived. I won’t comment about the service provided on board by Qantas because it is hard to comment on something you don't receive.

Not sure of the exact time we arrived in LA, and we had to sit and wait to cross the main runway and then wait to be taken to our gate to disembark. We were not confident at this stage of making our connection. As we were leaving the plane we were told that if we had a connecting flight in the next 2 hours we should collect an express card. We checked our name off list to prove we had a connection and our little orange card that we were been given was to be kept visible at all times.This card worked miracles. We were sent to a specific area to be fingerprinted and have an Iris scan.

Next stop was to collect bags and recheck them for ongoing flight. Our orange card was really speeding things along. We then had to walk to another terminal for our flight, and once inside our card took us to the front of the security queue. Security is over the top...even have to take off shoes.We finally reached our departure gate and to our surprise we had 20 minutes to spare.

Departed on time and arrived early into Dulles. Caught a fast shuttle train to terminal and collected bags. The shock was when we exited the terminal. Hot and humid was not what we were expecting, but thankfully the hotel shuttle had the aircon blasting chilled air and we only had a short trip to our hotel in Herndon Virginia.

A great meal from a restaurant across the road from hotel.

ElDorado

Pork Chops Chuletas De Puerco served with rice fried & beans

We eventually tried to sleep around 10pm but were wide awake around 2am. Internet and TV occupied us until breakfast. We spent a lazy day checking the area close to the hotel, and the one highlight was the assistant at the nearby Starbucks asking us if we were Chinese.

Sunday was supposed to be our tour of DC, but this was cancelled because of the high alert. It was the 10th anniversary 9/11. We instead visited the National Air and Space Museum nr the Dulles Airport. Check here

McDonalds…inside the Museum.

We left the museum and travelled to Leesburg outlets. After lunch we moved on to Winchester Virginia.

This would be our base while David took part in his Driver Training course.

As close to paradise…

2011-08-05T20:38:00.001+10:00

Marloth Park

We spent 2 nights in Marloth Park with Freda and Malcolm. It was an experience to sit with our coffee and have the locals wander over and visit. I am now waiting for a win on lotto to purchase a property here.

We cannot thank Freda and Malcolm enough for inviting us.

The zebras were my favourite and I managed to not have my camera when the kudus, bushbabies, baboons,bats and warthogs were around.

Woolly neck stork

Saddle billed stork

Hiding hippo

Billy forgot all the rules about getting close to wild animals.

Our time here was special and we were mentally preparing for our trip through Swaziland. You may ask why we would need to prepare for this short trip. In August 2009 we did the reverse trip through Swaziland and got ourselves well and truly lost. No phone signal no map no road signs and a dark winters night. Oh and we were pulled over by the police for speeding. Yes we needed to prepare.

Last Day in Kruger

2011-08-04T19:25:00.001+10:00

15th July.

Today was our last day in Kruger. We were sad to be leaving and could have stayed for another 2 weeks.

On the plus side, we were only moving across the Crocodile River and spending the next 2 nights in Marloth Park.

We set off to look for the cheetah, but had to be content with 2 Jackals that were running away from a kill.

And finally, another big bird.

Crocodile Bridge-non cooperative cheetah and a few biggies.

2011-08-04T14:15:00.001+10:00

First stop today was the Hippo Pools to deliver a new pair of binoculars to Daniel the Guide who will take you up on the rocks to view the surrounds. This is a a restricted area unless he accompanies you.

The binoculars were a gift from Louise, Central Coast Australia.

We had another quiet day sighting wise. We took a short trip out of the park at lunchtime to meet Anna aka Moose in Komatipoort.

Sightings on 13 July 2011

2011-08-04T13:36:00.001+10:00

Berg en Dal to Crocodile Bridge

Another late start today. I think the days of being out the camp gate at 6am are a fading memory for us.

We were moving camp as well so extra time taken to pack the car.

A few k’s from camp there were quite a few vehicles parked. We were told there was a lion off in the distance and decided it was too far for a photo and continued on. 500 metres further on a lone vehicle was crawling along and asked if we could see the leopard. We quickly did a U turn and were rewarded with the rear end of the leopard heading into the bush.

I took another 30 minutes for our next major sighting

Three minutes later we knew there must be something more amazing ahead.

The cats bring out the worst behaviour in humans.

This feline is perhaps sizing up her lunch…

We had a quick stop at Afsaal to say goodbye to the Manager.

David and Japie had to have the obligatory photograph wearing their Wallabies jerseys. The jersey story goes back to our visit in 2007 at the height of the rugby world cup. The photos are on display at Afsaal and a new photo taken every trip.

Time to find some more wildlife.

There had been a few showers early in the day, bringing out the big ones…

The last sightings of the day.

Today everything wanted to hide behind grass and bush.

2011-07-15T05:40:00.001+10:00

Today we had booked a full day drive from Berg en Dal. It was cancelled yesterday afternoon and we decided on an easy day.Feathered friends provided some entertainment at a waterhole.

Black Stork

Egyptian Geese

Hamerkop

White Rhino…strategically placed behind grass

We were in search of the dogs again and someone told us there was a Leopard just down the road. The traffic was again chaotic and blatant disregard for Park rules was evident.

The Leopard was quite a distance from the road and the dense bush didn’t help when trying to get a clear photograph.

Birds in camp.

To compensate for our cancelled day drive we were offered a complimentary sunset drive.Just us the driver and the bush.

Saddle Billed Storks and a Cheetah.

2011-07-12T21:06:00.001+10:00

Today started sunny so we were optimistic. We were rather impressed with our first sighting

Rhino rear end.

All I can say is it took until day 11 of our trip to find this spotted one

Can you still see me?

Another example of disrespect of rules…

Open wide.

All that is left now…wild dog/caracal/porcupine/Duke

Shy Sable Sunday.

2011-07-12T20:25:00.001+10:00

We set out on Sunday with no expectations. Cheetah and Wild Dog usually elude us, but we took a dirt road where the dogs have been spotted in recent times. The day was cold and cloudy and we were ready for what ever crossed our path.

We were finding plenty of general game but were lucky enough to spot a herd of 12 Sable well back in the bush. It was near impossible to get a clear photograph through the grass and trees.

We thought they were heading for a nearby water trough and drove the few hundred metres and sat waiting for them to arrive.

To our surprise a hyaena came loping past the water trough. She appeared to be searching for something and was continually sniffing the ground. She walked partway down the road and back past us and disappeared. A few minutes later she was off past us again and disappeared down the road.

The Sable still hadn’t arrived at the trough so we drove along to see how close they were. The were retracing their steps and not coming to the water trough. These two sightings were the highlight of our day.

We did have other sightings though…

A Big 5 Day.

2011-07-11T06:19:00.001+10:00

A little late today…out the gate at 6.10am. I was hoping to find the jackals.

A few ks down the road there was a line of traffic. What could we expect? As we stopped I could see the Leopard only 50 metres from the edge of the road. He then walked off and into the bush.

Further on near the spot where the lion was causing mayhem yesterday we found two Jackals.

Remember the eagle harassing the guinea fowl yesterday? Here it is a day later sitting under the same bush as the guinea fowl.

More Big Birds harassing one another.

Rhino

Find the baby ears…nr centre of pic

Big Daddy

Full Bellies

On the road to Skukuza.

We had passed the Kruger Tablets and were discussing the possibility of seeing the wild dogs that frequent the area. We considered turning down the dirt road but decided not too. We were then overtaken by a vehicle towing a caravan (on a blind curve…and a vehicle did appear at the crest of the hill). The caravan sped down the hill and was still in sight when the young fellow below stepped onto the side of the road and walked towards us. In their haste they missed a super sighting.

I managed to run out of space on my camera card,and I am sure when I play the film we took it will be me grumbling because I couldn’t quickly get the new card in my camera.

A three Leopard day was a first for us, and was also our first day of this trip to spot the big 5.

Baboons etc cont…

2011-07-11T04:13:00.001+10:00

This is not a good example to set.

On our return trip to Satara from Olifants we couldn't miss the traffic chaos ahead.

We fully expected it to be a lion sighting. We were lucky enough to witness a hunt in progress away from the roadblock. The eagle was terrorising a flock of guinea fowl and it was rather comical to watch. Lots of chasing running squawking and flying. More on this tomorrow.

Roadblock craziness

If you look carefully the centre of the attention was this lion. He is in the centre at the base of the dead tree.

We were stopped in this middle position long enough to get this shot

This fellow had now followers.

Taken outside our bungalow.

In the bush

Using your imagination…the shot below is the closest we got to a cat. The tail flowinf behind the retreating kitty

Baboons Big Birds and Others.

2011-07-11T03:45:00.001+10:00

Surprise…we made it out the gate at 6am.

First photo opportunity was the black back jackal. This was followed by Kudu.

Had to be quick to catch this Burchell’s Coucal.

We slowly came around a bend and there were two African Fish Eagle in a dead tree. Before I could lift the camera one gracefully departed. This is the closest we have been to this bird.

Some monkey business in the early morning sun.

I am hiding behind this twig.

Olifants River

Dead Hippo at bridge.

Bateleur at Ngotso north

Ellies coming to drink at above water trough

Billy is a naughty boy and he has his entire body out of our vehicle…a big no no!!!

Will post second part in a few minutes

Turning Sixty in Satara.

2011-07-10T05:40:00.001+10:00

With the time difference, I am not sure when it was actually my birthday. Maybe if I am in a different timezone each year I can avoid the 60’s.

We left camp and made our way towards Orpen gate. There was not a lot of game and I was scanning for the larger birds. I pointed ton a tree not far from the road and said stop. As we were reversing David spotted what he thought was a Honey Badger in the brown grass. We scanned the area without success. I complained because the bird had flown off. David checked the rear view mirror and another 2 badgers were crossing the road behind us. They move so fast and were well camouflaged in the grass it was difficult to catch a glimpse let alone a photo. As they waddled further into the bush the first on sighted also appeared further a track. A great sighting to start the day.

We saw a lot of giraffe…more than we have seen in our previous 9 visits to Kruger, amazing birds and seven rhino.

Kitties and more.

2011-07-10T04:00:00.001+10:00

A quick trip back to Phala gate before we head to Satara.

A couple of kitties at Sable Dam…sorry about the quality but taken through the windscreen and in a hurry.

This fellow was right in front of us. Another reason for the hurried shots.

This yellow billed hornbill was phased by no one.

We moved on from the lions and found a speed trap and seven ground hornbills with too much leafy bush for a good photo.

The klipspringers were where we saw them two years ago on the main road Letaba to Olifants.

12 ostriches in a huddle and we were the only car to stop.

Second lion sighting of the day.

Waterbuck

S100

Our first Kruger leopard, pity we were looking in to the sun. The jockeying for a better spot to view had to be seen to be believed. Total craziness.

Back on the S100 not as many cars at this sighting.

I failed to mention in the last post that we paid a visit to the Amarula Lapa just outside Phalaborwa. Enjoyed the video and complimentary drink. Purchased Amarula chocolates and a bottle of their liquid velvet.

Shingwedzi–Letaba–Phalaborwa–Letaba

2011-07-09T17:11:00.001+10:00

The trip to Letaba from Shingwedzi would have been relatively swift if we had taken the tarred road. We decided to take the longer dirt road.

We encountered another large herd of buffalo and had constant elephant sightings…only one ellie roadblock.

Vultures

Kori Bustard

Steenbok

Shopping excursion to the outside world.

Our food supplies had dwindled and we decided to head to the supermarkets in Phalaborwa for meat and

vegies and a bottle of coffee. This busy town is only 50k from the Letaba camp.

We also took the opportunity to catch up with an old friend Dolf who was a great help to us on our trip in 2009 when we had a medical emergency.

Sunrise

We were hoping to see wild dog as there has been regular sightings not far from Sable Dam. No luck, but we decided that we would travel back to the Phalaborwa gate before we moved to our next camp Satara.

The small cafe at the gate also had reasonable internet connection and they served a good coffee.

Punda Maria – Shingwedzi

2011-07-08T18:26:00.001+10:00

Our first lion sighting was not far from the Punda Maria camp gate. Three young males, desperately thin were resting close to the road.Hungry or sick?? We took a few photos but prefer not to post them.

We were only driving a short distance today to our next camp Shingwedzi.

We arrived at Shingwedzi and were a little concerned to see signs posted that there was no water in the camp. We were assured that all would be well soon. We had a snack at the cafe and then checked in.

We sat and watched the entire herd of buffalo cross. DP counted in excess of 800.

Another day gone and yes the water situation was resolved. Shingwedzi is one of our favourite camps

Letaba will be our next camp.

Kruger National Park Top End

2011-07-06T17:24:00.001+10:00

BIG BIRDS and ELEPHANTS

First two nights were spent in the tents at Punda Maria.

Location…superb

Such a pity the equipment is in a grotty and broken state.

Crested guinea fowl…Pafuri picnic spot

Crooks Corner (Sth Africa Mozambique & Zimbabwe…joining point)

Mapungubwe…will have to eventually return

2011-07-05T20:54:00.001+10:00

If you want rest, peacefulness and time away from the ‘rat race’ Mapungubwe is the place for you.

The accommodation is faultless and human contact is minimal.

Self catering is essential and all cooking utensils and equipment is supplied and in perfect condition.

Animals are not as abundant as KNP and there are a lot less species but every sighting is usually you and the animal.

More Mapungubwe.

2011-07-05T19:52:00.001+10:00

Wednesday we decided to see if the elephants would reappear at the waterhole.

Bonus viewing. A herd of 91 close enough to reach out and touch. Several were spooked when someone fired their camera flash

Elephant heaven

Mapungubwe…a slice of paradise.

2011-07-05T19:12:00.001+10:00

A leisurely 480k drive from Pretoria and we arrived in Mapungubwe.

I will add links to this breathtaking place in a later blog.

We stayed in Leokwe camp in the Eastern section. Sixteen bungalows in total, well spaced for privacy.

Apart from the birds and baboons the only other sound was the shrill voice of and English tourist sharing her daily events with her friend whilst they were in the outdoor shower…as a result we all shared

We discovered the Western section of the park on Tuesday, and at the waterhole/hide we experienced what we thought was our best elephant sighting. Eight elephants up close and personal.

The following are not in any particular order of sighting.

Shopping and connecting with old friends.

2011-07-05T17:04:00.001+10:00

Saturday

We did a quick grocery shop at Menlyn for the basics we would need in Mapungubwe.(no shops and nothing close by). List was already prepared before we left home, so everything was purchased in less than an hour. Meat and perishables we on the to do list for Sunday.

Next was a quick trip…in our dreams, down the N1 to Johannesburg.past The Fourways and on to Monte Casino. We reached Fourways in under 30 minutes. It was a quick if not hair raising experience. Our ‘loan’ vehicle was an extremely small Getz, and even though we didn't exceed the 120k speed limit the larger vehicles powering past us obviously thought the legal limit was much higher. Possibly they mistake the 2 for 4 or even 6.

The final 3k of our trip took an hour. Line marking in progress

We met and had lunch with Jan and Dave, or maybe it was Dave and Jan. It was great to be able catch up again with Dave and Jan who will be off to the UK in a few days for a special family occasion. Many thanks to them for taking the time to have lunch with us.

Sunday morning we collected a new rental vehicle.

It was alsoanother day to catch up with old friends. Eugene and Jireh, Andre and Hester who served at the SAHC in Canberra, and Ian and Lorraine from Pretoria.

We enjoyed a Nepalese buffet at The Royal Swagaat at the Grey Owl shopping centre.

We finished the day buying more food at Woolworths.

We packed most things in the car in readiness for our early departure

This will beat the rising fuel costs.

Welcome to South Africa

2011-07-05T17:02:00.001+10:00

Finally we were at the air bridge and it seemed forever until it opened.

Half of the passengers on the flight were continuing to Cape Town and this made exiting relatively easy.

The cabin crew had asked that we have ready our passport, boarding pass or baggage claim to show as we disembarked, and it was a rather harsh welcome when a shrewish “South African” voice screeched at us over and over to produce the abovementioned documents. In reality the majority of passengers had the documents ready and this is not the friendly welcome one would expect after a ten and a half hour flight. We have not experienced this rudeness on any of our previous trips and one hopes that the ‘lady’ in question is taught some pleasant people skills. On the plus side the staff checking the documents we pleasant and welcoming.

The immigration checks were finished in no time and we collected our bags and were on our way to the arrivals hall. We collected the sim cards for our phones and arranged for our internet modems to be delivered to us in Pretoria.

Next stop was car rental and we were soon on our way to Pretoria.

Early check in had been arranged at B & B in Hatfield and we arrived at 10am. Many renovations and additions have been made to this facility since our previous stay in 2005.

We had a relatively easy day…internet modems delivered at 2pm, but there was one minor drama. The fuel flap would not release and allow access to fuel the rental vehicle. Calls to the depot at the airport remained unanswered and as a last resort we paid a visit to the agency in Pretoria. They were extremely helpful and gave us another car until ours could be repaired.

We swapped vehicles and continued on to meet up with forum friends Theuns, Elzet and their adorable daughter Lané. We enjoyed a pleasant meal and evening with them…lots of catching up after not seeing them for 15 months.

Jetlag managed to overtake David and we said our goodbyes and made plans to meet before we return home.

Sleep came pretty quickly…our first night back in South Africa.

Mapungubwe...4 nights are not enough

2011-07-01T21:10:00.001+10:00

Sheer bliss
No phone
No Internet
Not a lot of people
Amazing land formations
Abundant wildlife

Will post when I have reception

LP

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Breakfast stop

2011-06-27T17:11:00.001+10:00

I know this post is out of order but am posting because we won't have signal for a few days.
We left Pretoria at 6.15am and we are halfway to our destination Mapungubwe.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Singapore sleeping and on to Johannesburg

2011-06-26T15:57:00.001+10:00

Cold Sydney …Hot Singapore…Freezing Johannesburg. Impossible to get the clothes right for this mixed bag.

Our transit time in Singapore was 12 hours and we decided to book a room in the transit hotel.(3pm)

Reasonable accommodation and much better than sitting in the airport proper.

We had a quick walk through the terminal after checking in and a bite to eat.

Our plan was to rest for an hour or so and then do some shopping.

10.30pm we received our wake up call for 11pm check out…so much for shopping.

11.10 we emerged fresh and rested. Time to find coffee and food.

The 2 hours till boarding passed quickly.

Had a 35 year flashback when I saw this poster in the Chocolate store.

We thought we were looking at a photo of our Son Nicholas (36)

Indoor garden Changi airport

Taken from seat

Nearly there

African Sunrise

Photos are from my phone so not the best quality.

Ten and a half hours and we were ready for the sights and sounds of South Africa

Another snippet soon

Real journey starts.

2011-06-24T17:58:00.001+10:00

Our day started with a 3.45 wake up call
Bags zipped and locked
Net books and phones fully charged.
Billy is prepared for his second trip to South Africa, but Singapore will be a first for him.

Rental car is returned and we make our way to departures to check in.
We already had printed boarding passes through to Joburg and only needed to present our passports.

One last set of forms to complete

Ten minutes and we were on our way to customs.

Boarding was as only boarding can be...

I think we departed on time and this is always a plus.

Billy enjoying the service

We are now three and a half hours from Singapore ann I think I might have a Singapore Sling...just the one though :)

Billy is not drinking, he is a responsible young man who knows that drinking can lead to loss of self control and making choices that are not safe.

LP

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Tembisa,South Africa

The day before departure.

2011-06-22T18:03:00.001+10:00

A miserable cold morning in Canberra. One two hour shift to work.

David delivered Cam to his one day a week workplace, drove home and then caught the Katie taxi to collect our rental car. We had reserved a vehicle several weeks ago, but the continuing #ashcloud problems created car rental nightmares. Instead of the roomy sedan we usually hire we were downgraded to an extra small compact. A small car however is better than no car

Stopped for a take away coffee at Marulan and 5 minutes into the next leg of our trip we spotted a flock of 50+ Black Cockatoos. WOW. I was lamenting while we were getting our coffee that I hadn’t seen the Wedge Tail Eagle at Lake George but the Cockatoo sighting was welcomed. Usually only see them in 2’s & 3’s at home.

Arrived at Rydges World Sq and lucky again. Upgraded to the Bellerive Suite. A free coffee as we waited for our room as well.

Drinks

2011-06-22T17:11:00.001+10:00

Relaxing before I write a short blog

LP

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Optimism Reigns

2011-06-22T06:21:00.001+10:00

In three and a half hours we will be off to Sydney.

Bags are packed, camera gear as well. I have not taken many photos of late but hope this changes in a few days. The iPhone is sometimes too convenient for everyday pics.

Hoping to get some of the following…in KNP and Mapungubwe National Park will be a new experience for us

Snapped the above in March 2010 Kruger National Park

Will we fly or will we be delayed...

2011-06-21T21:24:00.001+10:00

When the volcano erupted in Iceland, April 2010, we sat “down under” and watched the turmoil evolve as air traffic ground to a halt.
Fourteen months later, “down under” air traffic is in a state of fly and no fly as a result of the volcanic eruption in Chile. The volcanic ash is on its second circuit of the lower southern hemisphere.
Second Ash Cloud
Animated footage of ash cloud

We are not flying until 8.05 on Thursday morning and are hoping that we will be fortunate enough to depart on time.
We expect to arrive in Johannesburg on Friday morning and arrive at our B&B in Pretoria before lunch
B&B

Providing the ASH moves away in a timely manner there will be more to report.

LP

Ears Safari Saturday

2011-03-11T13:55:00.001+11:00

Ear’s lookin’ at you

Small Sightings Safari Saturday

2011-02-24T18:26:00.001+11:00

This little BUGger was sitting on the fence wire at the Talamati Hide.

Kruger National Park 14th September 2009.

Sunrise………….Safari Saturday.

2011-02-07T20:16:00.001+11:00

We experienced this sunrise on Saturday 26th August 2007. We were making our first trip to West Coast National Park to meet up with SanParks forumites from Cape Town.

SHOUT…..Safari Saturday

2011-01-20T13:54:00.001+11:00

I think this might have been a yawn, so I will call it a silent SHOUT .

Sojourn in Sydney

2011-01-12T15:22:00.001+11:00

The way this instalment is going we will be looking at Easter eggs before I post.

2010 was the year we decided to go our separate ways for Christmas.

Katie was planning on Tamworth with Cameron for company.Danielle was deciding between Melbourne and Dungog. Nick has his own young family and in-laws to celebrate with.

David and I had decided months ago on Sydney.

I suddenly remembered that we still had Ms Callie, who was not able to care for herself while we were absent. Rae who always cares for Callie while we are away was planning a trip north as well, so we were just a little panicked.

Two months out…the first speed hump. Katie could not take leave. She decided that she would stay home with Cam & Callie…all was well. Danielle decided on Dungog to visit her Grandmother and Aunt, with a stop in Newcastle on her return trip to visit her other Nan.

One month out…Katie can have her leave, so bus tickets were purchased for Tamworth.

Now we still have a problem with Callie.

Three weeks to departure and Rae (our “other” daughter), decides to stay home, so Ms Callie can now spend Christmas with Mitch the golden Labrador.

Departure day for four of us was Thursday 23rd December. Katie and Cam caught the bus at 12-30pm. David and I caught our plane at 4.50pm.

Mini Christmas cakes in Qantas Business Lounge.

A slight hitch with the aerobridge in Sydney had us “trapped” on the plane for 10-15 minutes longer than necessary. Taxi ride to city was uneventful as most of the traffic was leaving the city.

Check in and a drink in the Executive Lounge, and our Christmas break had started.

This dingo greets us with his back end every visit…still waiting to catch him front on. You can find him on level 20.

Shopping in the city was in full swing with the major stores remaining open until midnight.We took a leisurely walk to the Pitt St Mall around 8pm. Checked out the Christmas window displays at David Jones and feel they were nowhere near as impressive as they were in 2008. The crowd was 5-6 deep around all of the windows and this combined with those shopping, made footpath negotiation a tricky business.

We checked out the new 5th floor food court at Westfield. An extensive range of food goodies to choose…..but really humid inside. We were lucky enough to find a spot where the air conditioning was deflecting off a support column and in our direction.

Back to the hotel…bags unpacked and time to relax.

Christmas eve arrives and we decide on a walk to the QVB after breakfast. The streets are busy with everyone looking for last minute gifts. We had made the decision several years ago that Christmas was going to be a non event rather than a lavish celebration. No presents and no over the top spending and preparations for Christmas food.

QVB.

Close up of decoration.

There really wasn’t a “perfect” spot to capture the entire tree

QVB clock….I will not make any comments about the clock. Couldn’t force myself to photograph the “white invasion”.

In the lead up to Christmas I prepared 2 festive recipes Ice Cream Pudding and Raspberry Ice-cream Cake. They were my only attempt at Christmas fare.

We spent an hour or so browsing in the Queen Victoria Building and by the time we sat for a cold drink and some lunch the crowds were pulsing through. So many people laden with so many bags. So many stressed unsmiling faces. Too many unhappy children tagging along with parents and grandparents. I was feeling exhausted watching.

It was a relief to walk or rather negotiate our way through the crowds and back to our Hotel.

Enough with words….I will let the photos tell the remainder of the story.

Christmas Lunch.

Ice Sculpture for the Prawns.

Seafood

Turkey, Pork and Ham.

Vegies.

This enormous gingerbread house took pride of place on the desert table.

Each table also had their own house as a gift.

The three days following were spent recovering from Christmas lunch.

We had a quick look at the post Christmas sales and purchased several bargains from Canterbury in Pitt St.

Oh, and we did manage to eat more food and chill in the Executive Lounge every evening.

Apologies for the quality of the photos that were taken with my phone.

Bum Shots….Safari Saturday

2011-01-07T14:12:00.001+11:00

Every trip to Kruger National Park is filled with anticipation.

What will we see?

Will we finally see a Caracal or Porcupine?

Not sure if I want to see a kill.

Are we going to need another eight trips to see African Wild Dog? $$$$$$$

A 14 hour plane trip and 4 hours in a car makes a day trip rather expensive, so the pressure is on.

Rare sightings and “perfect” photos are on the wish list.

Cameras ready and waiting with empty SD cards.

Run a book on the first sighting.

If you choose Impala you are more than likely going to win this competition.

Our 2009 entry at Malelane defied the odds and our first sighting was a Hippo followed by a small herd of Buffalo a young Lion and an older Lion.

Cameras were at the ready……..

10.30pm is not the appropriate time to be flashing in a wild animals eyes.

Who knows what our sightings would have been had we entered the park before the gates closed at 6pm.

Maybe I should have listened more carefully to our road directions through Swaziland…perhaps even jotted them on paper……..Lost in the Kingdom of Swaziland is a story for another day.

Oh well we can start on the perfect shots tomorrow.

Good Morning visitors

Another day in paradise

Pesky flies

Follow that Bum….sorry leader…

Bottoms up

That is not my best angle

Does my Bum look big or not….

Nothing is private

A feathery wisp of cover

It’s all washed

Thank goodness for a long lens

Bum above eye level

King Bum

Elegant Bum

I am still waiting for the “perfect” shot and only have to wait until June/July 2011.

Cannot wait to aim my lens into the soulful eyes of the misunderstood Hyaena or the burning calculating eyes of the Lion.

2010-12-23T11:12:00.001+11:00

Another ecard by Smilebox

Silver Birch….My Tree Year 2011.

2010-12-20T17:18:00.001+11:00

I didn’t have to to look far for my tree.

My front garden is the home of a beautiful Silver Birch.

Really is two trees, but planted cosily close.

Each new season shows another costume.

Leaves grow, change colour and fall.

The birdlife visits daily.

Spiders spin their webs.

Insects abound.

An occasional possum.

Previous years have seen the Silver Birch take part in Christmas fundraising, but this ceased in 2007.

This photo was taken in 2006. Pine tree with star, also a haven for the birds succumbed to the prolonged drought in 2007

I am looking forward to capturing (with the camera of course) the birdlife and anything else that visits my tree.