Aandiebeginwasdaar

Kenton-on-Sea sunset taken with Nikon D90; blended with Photoshop Elements 6.0

Ek het nou al ‘n bietjie kans gehad om met my Nikon D90 te speel. Ek moet sê ek is baie beïndruk. Hierdie foto het ek nou die aand in die donker geneem en tog was daar meer as genoeg detail in die foto. Hy is ook heelwat makliker en vinniger om te hanteer as my ou D70.

Hierdie foto is gemaak deur ‘n “blending” tegniek wat ek by die erkende fotograaf Hougaard Malan geleer het. Hulle gebruik (soos verwag) Adobe Photoshop CS3/4, maar ek het sommer Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 gebruik.

Ek het het vandag fotos gaan neem met my splinternuwe Nikon D90. Die kamera is die 1ste DSLR wat video kan neem maar dis glad nie hoekom ek hom gekoop het nie. Ek het niks verwag van die video nie, maar toe Elke en Gustav in die bootjie gesit en gesels het het ek gedink dis ‘n goeie geleentheid om te kyk hoe goed die video funksionaliteit is.

Ek was aangenaam verras. Ek het op die kleinste format 640 x 480 geneem en ek dink die kwalitieit is heel goed. Dit was bewolk gewees, maar soos julle kan sien was die beeld baie goed en lekker skerp.

Die video self is baie snaaks – veral die einde!

Na ‘n baie besige seisoen het ons drie (Ek, Lené en Elke) laas week ‘n vakansie in die Klein Karoo gehad. Ons het besluit om in Oudtshoorn te bly want dit is redelik sentraal vir ‘n klomp aktiwiteite in die omgewing. Ons het gebly in self-catering eenhede by Klienplaas. My indruk was baie positief – dis baie redelik; in die dorp en daar is ‘n reuse swembad (‘n moet vir die 40°C somersdae in Oudtshoorn).

Crocodile leaps 2m

Dag 1: Cango Wildlife Ranch. Dit is ‘n bietjie kommersieel en min mense hou van diere in hokke, maar vir kinders is dit ‘n belewenis. Ek moet sê die hokke is baie groot, silwerskoon en daar is ‘n bewaringselement (byvoorbeeld die jagluiperd program). Daar is ook wit leeus (waaroor ek maar skepties is). Die krokodille is nog steeds ‘n hoogtepunt van die park. Ek het ook by volwasse jagluiperds in ‘n hok geklim. Dit was iets spesiaals al sal dit nooit ‘n jagluiperd in die natuur klop nie.

Dag 2: Buffelsdrift Game Lodge. Pragtige plek wat waarskynlik heeltemal te duur vir ons sou wees om by te bly maar jy kan “klein” olifante daar voer teen ‘n aanvaarbare prys. Weereens ek verkies wilde olifante, maar dit was werklik interessant. En dit het ‘n groot indruk op Elke gemaak.

Ons ry aan Kango Grotte toe. Ongelukkig kon ons nie ingaan nie omdat Elke nog heeltemal te klein is. Maar as ek weer in die omgewing is sal ek baie graag die “Adventure” toer wil doen. Die storie van Veronica Hlabelela, ‘n oorgewig vrou, wat vasgesit het vir 10 ure laat ‘n mens egter twee keer dink oor die spul.

Meiringspoort

Ons ry oor die berugte Swartbergpas na Prins Albert toe. Dit was nie te erg nie, ‘n mens moet net stadig ry. Maar ek moet sê ek sal nie weer met lae profiel bande dit doen nie!! Prins Albert is ‘n pragtige sjarmante klein dorpie. Ons het terug Oudtshoorn toe gery deur Meiringspoort. Hier is ‘n baie bekende waterval & gat. Dit is rêrig iets om te ervaar. Jy klouter uit teen die omliggende kranse en duik in die skoonste water in. Die gat is vrek diep (ek het af geswem tot my ore begin pyn en ek was nie naby aan die bodem nie) so dis heel veilig om te duik; solank jy nie op die kranse gly nie.

Dag 3: Ons ry na die Rust en Vrede waterval so halfuur buite Oudtshoorn. Dis ‘n baie mooi waterval, maar dis nogal ‘n entjie om daar uit te kom en die gat is nie heeltemal so lekker soos Meiringspoort nie. Nog steeds beslis die moeite werd.

Ons verken ‘n bietjie Oudtshoorn self. Rêrig ‘n mooi Klein Karoo dorp. Daar is heelwat wat my aan Graaff-Reinet, waar ek op skool was, laat dink. Ons ry aan tot by Calitzdorp waar ons aangaan by die beroemde Boplaas. Die plaas is sekerlik die beste Port produseerders in Suid-Afrika en van die beste in die wêreld. Hulle verkoop direk aan die publiek en dit is nie duur nie.

Terug in Oudtshoorn gaan eet ons by Jemima’s, een van Suid-Afrika se top 10 restaurante. Die ambiance veral in die agterste vertrekke (by die tuin) is regtig spesiaal. Die kos is goed, maar regtig baie duur – te duur. Vir baie mense is die koste blykbaar nie ‘n probleem nie want die plek was so te sê vol, maar dit sit my af. Ek sal nie sommer weer gaan nie.

Dag 4: Ons ry oor die Outeniquapas deur George en stop by die Sedgefield mark. Ek is nie iemand wat mal is oor markte nie en hierdie keer was dit ook weer so. Te veel dagga en te min substance!! Ons gaan stop by ons ou gunsteling, die Lake Pleasant Hotel, vir middagete. Die plek beveel ek gemaklik aan. Die kos is nie goedkoop nie maar dis so lekker, dis beslis die koste werd!! En die uitsig is unbeatable. Alles inagenome is dit ‘n beter ondervinding as by Jemima’s en vir heelwat minder geld.

Bloukrans Bungee

Vandaar ry ons huistoe – oeps nee amper vergeet ek. Nog een laaste stop. BLOUKRANS BRUG!! Ek het die vorige aand gelê en wonder of ek die guts het om te bungee. Toe ons verby ry het besluit ek moet probeer. Die hoogste bungee jump in die wêreld. Wel ek het my R620 betaal en gaan spring. Al het ek soos ‘n maer vark geskree, het ek dink baie geniet. Beslis een van die hoogtepunte van my lewe. Ek was net so bly dat ek dit uiteindelik gedoen het.

Alles en alles ‘n baie lekker familie vakansie en ons sal dit weer doen. Kyk gerus na al ons Oudtshoorn fotos en my Bungee Jump fotos.

Toutrek by Boesmans boeresport

Toe ek grootgeword het was die Boeresport een van die beste goed omtrent Desember vakansies by Boesmans. Ek is seker dit was altyd op die 1ste gewees, maar die jaar was dit die 31ste Desember. Die Boeresport word afgeskop deur ‘n marathon tussen Boesmans mond en Kwaaihoek. Daarna is dit naellope en die oggend hoogtepunt: Toutrek. In die middae is dit swem.

Toe ons klein was het ek (en glo my ek was nie atleties nie) aan die marathon, toutrek en die swem deelgeneem. Ek het selfs toutrek en swem-aflos oorwinnings gevuur in my jeug!!

Dit is wat my aanbetref regtig ‘n fantastiese tradisie. Ek aanvaar dat dit begin is deur die boere van Alexandria wat hier kom kamp het met hulle ossewaens (dit is terloops hoe Boesmans self ook begin het). Die boere wou seker maar ‘n bietjie sports hê om die nuwe jaar mee in te lei en watter beter manier as om teen mekaar te kompeteer.

Dit was rêrig lekker om daar te wees die jaar, maar ek is bekommerd dat daar so min mense was. Ek hoop ek is verkeerd, maar ek kry die gevoel dat die Boeresport nie meer so gesond is soos wat dit in die ou dae was nie. Miskien moet ons by Red Apple kyk of ons nie ‘n bydrae kan maak nie; dit is so ‘n kosbare ding.

Gaan loer gerus na die res van my Boesmans Boeresport fotos.

Jupiter, Venus & our Moon

On Monday, 1 December Jupiter, Venus & the Moon was in the same area of our night sky. This is a relatively (to us) rare occurrence, the next time this is expected to happen is in 2057 when I’ll be 84!! The really good thing about this event is that it is entirely visible with the naked eye. I took this photo with my Nikon D70 and Tamron 200-500mm lens. The photo was published on DieBurger’s website.

Hier is die 1ste foto van Oscar (amptelike naam Oz of Aquador). Hy is ‘n opregte (met pampiere) Duitse Herdershond. Hy is geteel in Port Elizabeth en is gebore op die 4de April 2008 (dit maak hom amper 4 maande oud). Sovêr is ek baie bëindruk met sy ge-aardheid; ek dink hy gaan ‘n goeie waghond wees. En hy is baie oulik met Elke (ons 22 maande oue dogter). Hy is mal oor ons nuwe grasperk en die is al ingewei!

Nog fotos van Oscar.

John Deere at the Bathurst Show

Yesterday was the last day of the 2008 Bathurst Show. This year the show was a 100 years old.

We took Elke (1½) and we met my father and my brother-in-law and his son, Gustav (2½), and his parents. The kids loved it! They “drove” some impressive equipment and checked the engines and kicked a tyre or two as well. They also enjoyed a tractor race featuring some real antique tractors (see photo above). There was a bull that got loose and started charging people (and us) but luckily the kids were totally unaware of this. There were lots of stalls so I was pleasantly surprised when Lené only bought 1 thing.

Elke really enjoyed it. You can always judge how much fun she has had by how long it takes her to fall asleep. This time she was fast asleep by the time we left the car park!!

See my Bathurst Show photos.

1.5m Cape Cobra (Naja nivea)

On Friday I took Elke to our new house to take photos. I got out of the car and walked around to her side. As I was about to open the door I heard a “slithering” movement. In that instant – before I could even turn around to look – I knew from the sound that it was a big snake.

When I turned around I saw it – big and fat; a Cape Cobra that was at least 1.5m long.

For those that don’t know, the Cape Cobra is a deadly snake with 60% fatality rate (if anti-venom is not administered or administered late). It is also known to, other than most other snakes, actually move closer to you when feeling threatened and will attack.

Needless to say I nearly crapped myself! I followed the snake to its hiding place under some kerbing. Later I phoned Fanie Fouche, a local Nature Conservation official. He and a colleague came out and caught the snake. They released it about 15km away.

This time of the year there are many snakes in our area.

Recently our friends from Germany, Dr. Carsten Holtmann & Anke Plog, visited us. When they visited us in England I kept on (sometimes I think too much) about Africa’s wilderness. Carsten specifically showed a real interest in the topic so I decided to take him to Kruger National Park. The Kruger and the Kalahari Gemsbok Park are the best options for “real Africa” in South Africa. Regrettably Anke was pregnant and couldn’t go (because of the Malaria risk) so she and Lené relaxed in the Eastern Cape.

As expected it was a great trip. And yes; we did see the big 5. My personal highlight was a leopard which we saw on our last drive of the trip! Before this I had never seen a leopard in the wild in South Africa. He was very close to us – in fact he was so close that my 500mm lens wouldn’t focus! Despite this temporary setback we took some great photos. Check them and others out at Kruger National Park Photos.

Another highlight was a morning walk we did with guides Irving Knight & Eliab Khosa. I can definitely recommend this. The guys are very experienced and they can teach you so much about the bush. From the word go we went looking for lions. That was very exciting, but unfortunately we didn’t find any. Our best sighting on the walk was an African Buffalo that was about 25-30m away from us. I love the fact that you can get so close to these magnificent creatures while on foot. Irving also kept it very interesting by telling us some entertaining stories about Kruger. He also told me of some awesome tricks to find predators and kills. Thanks Irving!

Unfortunately there were disappointments as well. They were the same as the last time I visited Kruger, namely: the restaurants. We had a buffet dinner with no service, a bottle of water and a beer and the bill came to R310!! My best advice is just to stay away from the restaurants; it really isn’t worth it. We had another minor disappointment when they overbooked a morning walk; but this was when we saw the leopard so in the end it worked out perfectly.

All in all the trip just proved again that you can’t beat Kruger! And I’m very pleased to see that arguably our greatest treasure is in very good hands – except the restaurants.

Opel Meriva Diesel

I was playing around with my camera when I took this photograph of my car, an Opel Meriva 1.7 CDTi. I love the car – it had some problems in the beginning but Kenrich Delta sorted it out – now it is good on fuel, comfortable, fast, has all the features you need and I think it looks fantastic! I will certainly consider an Opel as my next car as well.

Update: Turns out they never could fix the Meriva, so I settled for an Astra.