A Majestic Wonder-World

Several weeks ago, my family and I embarked on an adventurous journey from our home next to the beach in Port Elizabeth, to the beautiful landscapes in Mpumalanga. The road was long and tiring, but the scenery was breathtaking and just made me realise once again, how beautiful our country is! After resting in Bethlehem and Sabie over a period of two nights, we finally arrived at our designated destination – the Kruger National Park. As a photographer who is passionate about nature and wildlife, I was in awe of the beauty that surrounded me. We were very lucky to see hippos, impalas, zebras, wildebeests and elephants (only to name a few) on our arrival. My cameras were always on standby, ready to capture the beauty of God’s majestic creation!

We were fortunate to spend nine days in the Kruger National Park and we spent those nine days in seven different camps. Even though the packing-and-unpacking everyday was quite exhausting, moving around to the different camps definitely gave us the opportunity to see a big section of the park – something that would be impossible to do over a weekend. There was never a dull moment, as I got chased around by a couple of vervet monkeys, got stalked by several ninja turtles and their crocodilian leader (true story) and went for bush breakfasts with the possibility of a predator jumping out of nowhere and preying on us (not that it’s likely to happen, but still...)! I also had a close encounter with a yellow-bellied sand snake and some iguanas I photographed.

We went on two sunset game drives which were absolutely spectacular! A pack of about twenty five wild dogs came running towards the vehicle whilst we were driving! It’s so easy to forget that these magnificent animals are wild, because their behaviour is exactly like that of domesticated dogs. I specifically remember one that jumped up against the vehicle and wagged his tail furiously as if he wanted me to play with him or scratch his belly! He reminded me so much of my own dog, Tala. On our second game drive we came across a couple of hyenas feasting on a carcass the lions had killed the previous night. The strength of their jaws is unbelievable! All we could hear was the cracking and breaking of bones and a blood-curdling laugh every now-and-then.

The last day was bittersweet as I didn’t want to leave such a beautiful place behind. It was lovely to go on sunset game drives, have bush breakfasts and experience the amazing atmosphere at the camps. It was an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world! South Africa is truly a majestic wonder-world overflowing with a profusion of splendour. As South Africans we are blessed with the beauty that surrounds us.

I spent the past week in the Garden Route where I was blessed to spend time with some beautiful and – unfortunately – endangered animals. A visit to the Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre at Plettenberg Bay just made me realise how fortunate and blessed we are to live in such a beautiful country with such vast and magnificent wildlife! Tenikwa’s main goal is to educate people on how to conserve nature and wildlife – especially the wildcats of Southern Africa – for future generations. Unfortunately, because of mankind’s destructive behaviour, these animals are now endangered and face the risk of becoming extinct...

As a photographer who is passionate about nature and wildlife, it is my dream and my goal to share these magnificent animals’ story with you through my work. I want you to look at them and see them through my eyes as the majestic creatures they are.

Do yourself a favour and pay the Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre a visit when you’re on the Garden Route. It is truly a life changing experience in which you can contribute to save these wildcats. It is after all our duty to help conserve the wildlife of the world we live in.