Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Cape Vidal Beach has Washed Away


I have been planning a trip down to Cape Vidal in St Lucia KZA, South Africa for close on a year now. 

I am due to go down at the end of September, last week a mate sent me a few pictures of the beach that has complete washed away. 

I know that this is a normal thing but I have not been able to find anything online that details this and how long it will take to recover.

Does this affect swimming when the tide is out at the beach their?

I have seen a few posts from guys that use boats and jetskis that Cape Vidal is limiting the number of boats and jetskis

I have also seen a few posts from people saying its still an amazing place to go to.

The photo attached show the beach at low tide 

If you have been their in August please tell me whats going on? 






Tuesday, August 21, 2012

WASP Burial Services/ Obituary for The Unknown GrassHopper


This was filmed at Mabalingwe Nature Reserve 
At First I spotted the WASP on the ground and was happy to see my camera could pick it up, a day later I saw that the WASP had killed a grasshopper and brought it back to the hole to feeds its babies

Sorry its a bit wobbly


Obituary for The Unknown GrassHopper

Alas we never met him 
but were present At him burial

He lived life for the day, and hope 
And Jumped on spring legs

All we can say is you live by the sword
And die by the WASP

Man what a sting



Rietvlei Nature Reserve 13 May 2012, Rhombic Skaapsteker/ Spotted Skaapsteeker


On a trip to Rietvlei Nature Reserve we spotted this skaapsteker and he was quite happy to approach the car to see what we were all about
Thx to the guys at http://www.sareptiles.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=150&t=29147&p=236867#p236867 for helping me identify this snake Rhombic Skaapsteker/ Spotted Skaapsteeker
Psammophylax rhombeatus (psammo=sand, phylax=guard) or Rhombic Skaapsteker, is a small, attractively patterned, Southern African snake usually measuring between 45 and 85 centimetres in length, though occasionally reaching 140 cm.
In colour it is greyish to yellowish brown or olive-brown, with 3-4 rows of dark, rhombus-shaped spots along its back, which may merge to form a zig-zag pattern. The colour and patterning may be quite variable. Its underside is yellowish-white, with the top of the head being uniform brownish.
It is found in the Cape Province, Transkei, Natal, Lesotho, Free State, Transvaal, Swaziland, Northern Cape and Namibia.
Occurring from sea-level to mountain tops, it is a fast-moving diurnal snake and an active predator on small frogs, lizards and mammals. Its common name, meaning ‘sheep stabber’ or ‘sheep stinger’, is misleading as its small teeth are set so far back in the jaw and its neurotoxic venom is so mild, that it is incapable of killing any large animal. It has a gentle disposition, being reluctant to bite even when provoked.
The species falls between viviparous and ovoviviparous as it lays its eggs partly incubated.[1] It lays up to 30 eggs of 20-35mm x 12-18mm, taking up to 6 weeks to hatch. Females are occasionally found coiled around their eggs in a protective attitude.[2]
The Striped Skaapsteker (Psammophylax tritaeniatus) occurs throughout the same habitat and has similar habits.


Mabalingwe Warthog


This must be one of me favorite bush residents at Mabalingwe,
We were visited through out the day but various size Warthogs
You can see the animals are used to being fed since they stand and stare at you for hours
Distribution of the Common Warthog
Possible range or accidental records
The Warthog or Common Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa.[1][2] In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P. aethiopicus, but today that scientific name is restricted to the Desert Warthog of northern Kenya, Somalia, and eastern Ethiopia.[3]
The common name comes from the four large, wart-like protrusions found on the head of the warthog, which serve as a fat reserve and are used for defense when males fight


Mabalingwe Red-chested Cuckoo / Piet my Vrou


Mabalingwe is a great resort just out side of bela bela,
We had a great week their, the accommodation is great and the resort defiantly deserves its gold crown status from RCI
We stopped quite a bit and the Piet my Vrou was great since he was not bothered hiding at all
The Red-chested Cuckoo (Cuculus solitarius) is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It is a medium-sized bird (28 to 30 cm), found in Africa south of the Sahara.


Swadini Hoedspruit



This must be one of my favorite holiday destinations in South Africa, The forever Resort Swadini is very kid friendly. The units are great and well maintained but basic.
The area around Hoedspruit is exceptional, with loads of things to do for yong and old
If your looking for an affordable bush break this is the place
Limpopo Hoedspruit forever resort. Landlocked by the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve and nestled amongst the Drakensberg peaks on the banks of the Blyde River, the Resort is situated 35 kilometers from Hoedspruit in Mpumalanga. The dam boasts one of the world’s largest active “Tufa” waterfalls and a 75 kilometer drive will take you to the Orpen gate of the Kruger National Park


J Le Roux, Berg en Dal Rest Camp - Kruger National Park, South Africa


J Le Roux, Berg en Dal Rest Camp – Kruger National Park, South Africa,
This is a short video clip of the house we stayed in at Bergendal in the Kruger Park, we had a great two days here and got to see 4 of the big 5.
The highlight was seeing a pack of wild dogs right by the car and a leopard takings its kill into a tree
The accommodation is good but I think the unit still needs a redo
I love this camp in the Kruger, and if its your first time heading in this direction its a great starting point as its only 4 hours from Jozi
The J Le Roux Guesthouse has 3 air-conditioned bedrooms which can sleep a total of 6 persons. One bedroom has a bathroom en suite (bath, toilet and basin and the second bathroom (bath and basin) has a separate toilet and shower. The open-plan kitchen is equipped with a stove (with oven), refrigerator/freezer, sink, cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery. Other facilities include a lapa with braai/barbecue facilities and carport.