Tag Archives: Safari

Stress

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Naomi

Whether you feel “I’ve-had-it-with-the-world-and-everything-in-it” hectic,

MALE LION BARING HIS FANGS – Schotia Safaris, South Africa

“get-out-of-my-face-I’m-having-a-bad-day” mad,

MALE LION SNARL – Schotia Safaris, South Africa

or “don’t-make-your-problems-mine” ratty,

LIONESS BARING HER FANGS – Schotia Safaris, South Africa

it pays to remember that stress arises inside.

STRESS:

In response
to a given stimulus,
Stress arises
inside

Allowed to rule,
it wreaks havoc
recognized, unresisted,
it recedes

Powerful,
potential teacher,
Stress offers options
on a silver platter

Succumb and suffer
or choose to transcend,
knowing that the choice
arises inside

©Naomi Estment

Quotes to consider:

“If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn’t ask me, I’d still have to say it.” – George F. Burns

“Don’t let your mind bully your body into believing it must carry the burden of its worries.” – Astrid Alauda

“Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.” – Hans Selye

“God will never give you anything you can’t handle, so don’t stress.” – Kelly Clarkson

“Give your stress wings and let it fly away.” – Terri Guillemets

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” – Chinese Proverb

Is Your Job Worth the Stress? (moneyning.com)
Honeymoon Must-Haves: What to Wear on a Safari (onlineshoes.com)

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Posted in Thought for the Day | Tagged Astrid Alauda, Big Five, Cat, Chinese Proverb, George F. Burns, Hans Selye, Kelly Clarkson, Lion, Lioness, Mental health, Photo-philosophy, Poetry, Safari, Schotia Safaris, South Africa, Stress, Terri Guillemets, Travel and Tourism | 22 Comments

This was certainly the case at Madikwe Game Reserve last week. In a show of sympathy for all those devastated by recent floods around the world, Johannesburg and surroundings have been drenched in downpours over the past while. Madikwe is a mere 3-odd hours’ drive from here, and seems to have shared in the rain too.

Luckily for us, we sneaked into a window of great weather and had the BEST time. Well, probably not better than the African Wild Dogs, who made a meal of the left-over puddles:

AFRICAN WILD DOG wallowing in mud – Madikwe Game Reserve, SA

AFRICAN WILD DOGS cavorting in the road – Madikwe Game Reserve, SA

It wasn’t all rosy, though, like one morning when a Landcruiser got stuck in the mud 😀 Our ranger saved the day, so we witnessed the good deed:

LANDCRUISER stuck in the mud – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

BUSH RESCUE – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

This was the reason for venturing off-road, which caused it all – understandable really!

TRACKS UNDERWATER – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

Later, we struck it lucky, courtesy of more puddles, when two lionesses squatted to drink right beside our vehicle. Tell me it gets any better than this!

LIONESSES drinking – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

There was more magic in store, thanks to the rain. The pan was a sea of yellow flowers:

RHINO & ELEPHANT in a sea of yellow flowers – Madikwe Game Reserve, SA

This is our head-ranger mate, Marc (of my previous post fame ;-)), getting down low with his Nikon. Don’t you just love it?

MARC LINDSAY-RAE in action – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

As you can imagine, we had plenty to talk about at the gourmet dinner every evening:

MADIKWE SAFARI LODGE dining area – Madikwe Game Reserve, SA

I could carry on, but instead here are links to my Facebook albums, which tell a lot more: Handful of Highlights – MADIKWE, Jan 2011 Playing on the Pan – MADIKWE, Jan 2011

A gift that keeps on giving… (naomiestment.wordpress.com)
Lionesses caked in mud (dailymail.co.uk)
Big 5 Travel that assists Local Communities (south-africa-travel.suite101.com)
Celebrating Southern African Getaways (naomiestment.wordpress.com)
Lion-el messy (thesun.co.uk)

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Posted in Musings | Tagged Africa, African Wild Dog, Big Five, Facebook, Game Drive, Johannesburg, Lion, Lioness, Madikwe Game Reserve, Madikwe Safari Lodge, Nikon, Rhinoceros, Safari, South Africa, Wildlife photography | 31 Comments

A gift that keeps on giving…

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Naomi

Big thanks to the lovely ladies at Well Designed Journeys for featuring a two-post interview with Dave on their beautiful blog, sharing his advice on wildlife photography: Wildlife Photography Tips for Travelers on Safari: Interview with Dave Estment and Wildlife Photography Tips for Travelers on Safari: Part II

This passion has blessed us with countless incredible trips into the African bushveld. It’s one of those gifts that keeps on giving. In fact, we’re off to Madikwe Safari Lodge again tomorrow, courtesy of their head ranger, Marc Lindsay-Rae – a fabulous friend and fellow photographer, who has just won the 2010 Africa Geographic/Canon Photo Competition for rangers and safari guides (with an awesome shot of a mother and calf black rhino charging him). Way to go, Marc! Here he is, with his winning photo (for the month and year):

MARC LINDSAY-RAE with his winning wildlife photo!

For those who don’t know, black rhino’s are endangered, which makes that pic all the more exceptional. We were treated on a previous visit to Madikwe to a spectacular sighting of three together, and a pack of endangered wild dogs on the hunt. It was too dark for decent photo’s, but regular readers of this blog will have seen plenty more wildlife pics in the past. Some stunning ones of Dave’s are included in those two posts at Well Designed Journeys, and here are a few other highlights just for fun:

AMARULA HOT CHOCOLATE – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

MORNING BREAKING – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

BREAKFAST FOR TWO – Madikwe Safari Lodge, South Africa

MARC, CLAIRE & GREG ENJOYING SUNDOWNERS – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

AFRICAN SUNSET – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

HEAVENLY SUITE – Madikwe Safari Lodge, South Africa

. . . and a quote from another photographer (as well as actor, artist and writer):

“I have never been in a natural place and felt that was a waste of time. I never have. And it’s a relief. If I’m walking around a desert or whatever, every second is worthwhile.” – Viggo Mortensen

Wishing you all a wonderful few days, until we return with more wild magic to entice you to visit the bush soon too 🙂

Celebrating Southern African Getaways (naomiestment.wordpress.com)
Shootouts kill five rhino poachers in South Africa (gadling.com)
Samara Private Game Reserve, Great Karoo, Eastern Cape, South Africa (lonelyplanet.tv)

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Posted in Messages, Musings | Tagged Africa, Africa Geographic, African bushveld, Blogging, Game Reserve, Madikwe Game Reserve, Madikwe Safari Lodge, Photo competition, Photography, Safari, South Africa, sunset, Travel and Tourism, Viggo Mortensen, Well Designed Journeys, Wildlife, Wildlife photography | 39 Comments

Judgement

Posted on November 15, 2010 by Naomi

Judgement can be unjust.

VULTURE COMING IN TO LAND – Moholoholo, Hoedspruit, South Africa

VULTURES FEEDING – Moholoholo, Hoedspruit, South Africa

It’s a steamy summer evening near the Kruger National Park. Anticipation spikes the sunset as we pull up to the ‘vulture restaurant’ at Moholoholo (“The Very Great One”) rehabilitation centre. A simple patch of sand to us, the spot is significant to the birds. Dozens of them. The moment the carcass thuds to earth, they swoop in from their circling. A bombardment of quietly beating feathers flares dust into the air, muffling soft tearing and crunching sounds. Not a single squawk is uttered.

Each species knows precisely what to do. Larger-beaked prey ‘openers’ jostle beside their cousins who pick the bones clean. The ten minute melee is marked by precision feeding, highlighted with huge hops and tugs of war, as well as the intermittent scampering of a warthog. He’s having dinner too, snatching morsels from the heaving heap.

As swiftly as it began, the meal is over; barely a scrap to mark the spot. A flurry of large bodies lifts off and flies away. No wonder Nature is not strewn with waste. Among the less endearing of her feathered set, vultures sometimes receive a bad rap. Perhaps not the prettiest, they each have a part to play. As we all do.

Quotes to consider:

“Judge a tree from its fruit, not from its leaves” – Euripides

“We judge others by their behavior. We judge ourselves by our intentions.” – Ian Percy

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” – Carl Gustav Jung

“The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world.” – Georgia Harkness

“. . . It’s one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it’s another to think that yours is the only path.” – Paulo Coelho

“Although I cannot lay an egg, I am a very good judge of omelettes” – George Bernard Shaw

Here are a few more pics taken by Dave:

VULTURES & MARABOU STORKS – Moholoholo, Hoedspruit, South Africa

WARTHOG WITH VULTURES – Moholoholo, Hoedspruit, South Africa

WHITEBACKED VULTURE – Moholoholo, Hoedpsruit, South Africa

WHITEBACKED VULTURE – Moholoholo, Hoedspruit, South Africa

Enough Said – Hoedspruit, Limpopo, South Africa (travelpod.com)

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Posted in Thought for the Day | Tagged Africa, Birds, Carl Gustav Jung, Euripides, George Bernard Shaw, Georgia Harkness, Hoedspruit, Ian Percy, Judgement, Kruger National Park, Marabou Storks, Moholoholo, Paulo Coelho, Photo-philosophy, Safari, Scavengers, South Africa, Travel and Tourism, Vultures, Wildlife | 29 Comments

Pending Trip of a Lifetime with Hills of Africa Travel!

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Naomi

Soul Safari 2009
Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

‘Thank you, Amy, for your excellent suggestion!’ Because of it, we’ve become a group within a group. Threaded together through our shared passion for photography, we’re allocated our own vehicle. Oh, the lush abandon of unreserved agreement to linger with wildness! Indulgence permeates our journey like French perfume. We’ve barely left the lodge when we spot our first subject. My heartbeat accelerates. This is unusual. Sitting a seat away from Dave, I feel his same response. All hands on board close around cameras.

The Martial Eagle rests on a bare branch, eyeing our every move. Marc manoevres the Land Cruiser so that the sun bathes our backs. A flurry of whispered questions fires from the back, fielded by him and Dave in the front. Brand experts both, they support Canon and Nikon respectively. Not that the raptor cares. It perches just long enough to allow an explosion of shutter clicks, like popcorn passing its eruption point. Huge wings unfurl for a preliminary hop. Then with a mighty flap, the bird is airborne, becoming a small speck on a distant tree. Never to be erased from memory, digital or otherwise.

MARTIAL EAGLE ABOUT TO TAKE OFF – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

MARTIAL EAGLE IN FLIGHT – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

Here’s the group of photographers, brilliantly guided by Marc, with Dave fooling around! Amy is the lovely lady second from right 🙂

PHOTOGRAPHERS – Soul Safari 2009, Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

. . . and the whole happy tribe!

SOUL SAFARI 2009 – Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

That raptor sighting was one of countless magical moments on Hills of Africa Travel’s Soul Safari 2009, with Oprah-featured psychic, Ainslie MacLeod. Dave and I were fortunate to be the official photographers, documenting what was truly a trip of a lifetime. Perhaps this video clip of Day 3 explains it more fully, starting with the eagle taking off:

NOW FOR THE GREAT NEWS: Our friends at Hills of Africa are planning another dream adventure for Sep-Oct 2011, also including Madikwe and Cape Town. This one will feature personal participation with Dr. Jonathan Ellerby, the ‘Spiritual Program Director for the acclaimed Canyon Ranch Health Resorts and an esteemed expert of holistic healing, spiritual counseling, and integrative medicine’. Read about all the AWESOME details here: Awakening Inspiration Safari – with our heart-felt recommendation!

To summarize in Dr Ellerby’s words: “At the end of this amazing safari, participants will be culturally enriched and spiritually inspired to live a life they love.”

Dr. Jonathan Ellerby to Lead Awakening Inspiration Safari in South Africa (prweb.com)
On an African safari, Brian Windhorst and friend are ‘in a constant state of awe’ (cleveland.com)
Big 5 Travel that assists Local Communities (south-africa-travel.suite101.com)
Soccer and Safari – A True Taste of Africa (globalthoughtz.com)
Travel by Train through Southern Africa (subsaharanafricatravel.suite101.com)

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Posted in Messages, Musings | Tagged Accommodation, Africa, Africa Travel, Awakening, Awakening Inspiration Safari, Canon, Creativity, Dr. Jonathan Ellerby, Eagle, Hills of Africa Travel, Inspiration, Lodges, Madikwe Game Reserve, Madikwe Safari Lodge, Martial Eagle, Nikon, Photography, Raptor, Safari, Soul Safari 2009, South Africa, Travel and Tourism, Wildlife photography | 32 Comments

Khwai is calling, battling Hippo’s and all . . .

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Naomi

Selecting a calm, open spot along the winding Khwai river in the Okavango Delta, we loll beside our vehicles while Danie fires up the gas. He’s a master at the art of the skottel braai, tossing bacon and eggs like a ninja with a nunchaku. The aroma is enticing as the air is crisp, and we’re starving. It’s around 8:30 am, but we’ve been awake for ages, catching the best of the light ever since sunup.

Hippo’s blast lazily every so often, reminding me of Jeremy Mansfield’s brilliant impression. He had us in stitches one morning on Highveld Stereo, transporting us right here to one of our favourite places. The snorting intensifies, trapping our attention on two large beasts, intent on one-upmanship. Their teeth clack together for a good twenty minutes, against the lively orchestra of splashing water.

HIPPO CONTEST – Khwai River, Okavango Delta, Botswana

They’re still at it by the time we’ve wolfed down breakfast, so we mosey further along and drift into the day. Swinging past later on our afternoon drive, we find the pool more peaceful. That’s not to say there’s little to photograph. Game is abundant, but Dave is diverted by a branchful of Bateleurs. Climbing from the car, he creeps closer, avoiding heaps of dung while relishing the freedom of this stretch of land.

DAVE AT PLAY – Khwai River, Okavango Delta, Botswana

The raptors oblige, perching long enough for him to capture their beauty:

ADULT BATELEUR – Khwai River, Okavango Delta, Botswana

JUVENILE BATELEUR – Khwai River, Okavango Delta, Botswana

Botswana: Safari Under Cover (audleytravel.com)
Heart-warming pictures capture the tender moments between animals and their offspring (mirror.co.uk)
The Caprivi Strip (audleytravel.com)
Taking a punt on the polers of Botswana’s Okavango delta (guardian.co.uk)
Picture Perfect [Snap Judgment] (jezebel.com)

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Posted in Musings | Tagged 94.7 Highveld Stereo, Africa, African bushveld, Bateleur, Botswana, Eagle, Hippo battle, Hippopotamus, Jeremy Mansfield, Khwai River, Okavango Delta, Raptor, Safari, Travel and Tourism, Travel Services, Water, Wildlife, Wildlife photography | 24 Comments

Grace

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Naomi

Grace = Gift

KALAHARI SUNSET – Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

We call it ‘Big Sky Country’, the Central Kalahari. Somehow the horizon seems more expansive. Parked alongside a pan in Passarge Valley, we contemplate the meeting point of Heaven and Earth. Mesmerized, we forget to sip our nicely chilled drinks and nibble on the cashew nuts. Regal Gemsbuck drift nearby, quietly crunching the rough grass. Further away, a Ground Squirrel family frolics above its burrows. We’re done filming them. That was exclusive to Golden Hour. Maybe they’ll humour us again in the morning.

Light lingers solely in the sky, gone from the sand. The first rumble of far-off roaring reaches our ears. Warm up for the hunt. Anticipation tingles through the evening air, tempered by a peculiar peace. ‘I have a theory,’ Dave murmurs. ‘It’s almost as if the animals enter a trance-like state, accepting that one of them will go down.’ He’s right, I muse. Predator and prey appear to share a primordial pact. Premeditated panic knows no place here. Only Grace.

Quotes to consider:

“I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief… For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.” – Wendell Berry

“Grace is available for each of us every day – our spiritual daily bread – but we’ve got to remember to ask for it with a grateful heart and not worry about whether there will be enough for tomorrow.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach

“We cannot go faster than grace…If God will not go ahead with us, we must wait and go with God.” – Marcia Hollis

This is how the Gemsbuck looked a little earlier:

GEMSBUCK HERD – Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana
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Posted in Thought for the Day | Tagged Africa, Botswana, Buck, Central Kalahari, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Game Reserve, Gemsbuck, Golden Hour, Grace, Kalahari Desert, Marcia Hollis, Passarge Valley, Photo-philosophy, Safari, Sarah Ban Breathnach, sunset, Travel and Tourism, Wendell Berry, Wildlife | 10 Comments

Journey

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Naomi

Journey = Joy

‘GEARBOX’ – Welgevonden Game Reserve, Waterberg

‘Gearbox’. Not for nothing is it named that. Gnarliest road on the reserve, it snakes steeply up the side of a spectacular valley. As we approach, I engage my core, calling on my inner yogi to straighten my spine. It’s one of the ways I maximise the pleasure of being in the bush. Along with breathing deeply. And looking for little things among the magnificent. Pulling aside to let another vehicle pass, we spot a Chameleon. The feather touch of its feet feels like love on our skin.

Further on, a Kudu bull leaps across our path, the heaviness of his horns tilting his head. Chattering Monkeys peep from treetops, sending a Warthog bolting from beneath. It kicks up the scent of faintly bruised bushes. As we stop and start, warm air contrasts with cold wind on our faces. A mystical moon begins to rise. The main gift of the game drive is its focus on the moment. There is no destination. Instead we return to the same place we started, each experience unique. All the Joy is wrapped up in the Journey.

Quotes to consider:

“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.” – Matsuo Basho

“A journey is best measured in friends rather than miles” – Tim Cahill

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end” – Ursula K. LeGuin

As an afterthought . . . here’s a pic of the little guy:

CHAMELEON – Welgevonden, Waterberg, South Africa
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Posted in Thought for the Day | Tagged Africa, Colour image of moonlit path, Game Drive, Game Reserve, Greg Anderson, Journey, Joy, Matsuo Basho, Safari, South Africa, Tim Cahill, Travel and Tourism, Ursula K. LeGuin, Waterberg, Welgevonden Game Reserve | 13 Comments

African Elephant on the Charge!

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Naomi

Several things happen simultaneously:

– an Elephant trumpets
– men yell
– tyres spin
– dust flies
– Plovers shriek
– Impalas scatter
– Hippo’s submerge
– my throat constricts
– the video camera tumbles into my lap

. . . and Dave calmly fires off a sensational sequence, hand-held from our roof rack:

I don’t know how my husband does it, but there you go 🙂

He shot this near the Khwai River Lodge, just North of Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. No, we weren’t doing the five star thing, rather the real bush deal, camping at the Khwai Development Trust site just up the drag. Thereby hang a whole lot more tales, but we’ll save them for another day.

Our friends in the Prado had inadvertently come between the elephant and the water. Never a good idea. They got off fine, albeit shaken and stirred!
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Posted in Musings | Tagged Africa, African Elephant, Big Five, Botswana, Elephant, Elephant charging vehicle, Khwai Development Trust, Khwai River, Khwai River Lodge, Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta, Safari, Travel and Tourism, Wildlife | 19 Comments

Taking a shower on the Wild Side…together with Lions!

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Naomi

Little compares to the quiet symphony of a bush shower. Hot water is preferable, regardless if it spouts from a tap, bucket or bag. But the essential ingredient is open air. That perfect blend of shampoo mixed with wildness. It holds a primal pull. Midday is best, mellowing the burst of freshness from drying off:

CLEANSING SUNLIGHT – Welgevonden Game Reserve, Waterberg

Sometimes, however, caution is prescribed, like once at Mabuasehube in Botswana. Our own campsite barren, we investigate another, only to find that we’re not there first. A pride of thirsty lions precedes us. Maneuvering our vehicles into a safe scenario, we oblige with a steady trickle, before retreating to let them drink. It’s clear that the water tastes delicious to their tongues. You’re most welcome, magnifient friends, with all our love 🙂

YOUNG MALE LION LOOKING FOR WATER – Mabuasehube Game Reserve, Botswana