Wednesday Sky

The last Wednesday of 2011. Derrick, Canon EOS-1Ds Mk2, 50mm f1.4

Still Searching

Derrick, Canon EOS-1Ds Mk2, Canon 8-15mm F4 L

The Day After (Christmas)

Derrick, Canon EOS-1Ds Mk2, Canon 8-15mm F4 L

Rainy Afternoon

Derrick, Canon EOS-1Ds Mk2, Canon 8-15mm F4 L

Thunder on the Blauwbank

Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2, 17-40mm f4 L

A Bird's Eye View (Joburg-Cape Town-Joburg)

After taking off on the 7:10am flight from OR Tambo Intl Airport, Johannesburg, it wasn't long before we were flying alongside the winding Vaal River.  The Vaal River forms the boundary between the North West Province and the Free State. 

The Bloemhof Dam is on the upper left side of the frame with Hoopstad in the foreground.

The merging of the Riet and Vaal Rivers with the main river being the Vaal.

I am not sure where this zigzagging road is (on the left) but I have also seen it from the opposite  direction flying a different airline. According to my detailed map it could be between Douglas and Prieska and does not appear to have a name. (frustratingly many dirt roads have no names)

Very interesting landscape!!  We want to find this area on Google Earth and go and take a closer look.

Arid mountainous terrain around the Sutherland area.

The Voelvlei Dam in the triangle of Riebeek-Kasteel, Tulbach and Wolseley.

The Swartland - Malmesbury area where wheat is grown.

Durbanville area - neat vineyards producing wonderful wines!

Cape Town at last!  Table Mountain was completely covered with a billowing white 'table cloth'.

Three days later I returned to Joburg leaving on the 6:25am flight (very, very early!!) but the angle of the rising sun allowed me to take some stunning pictures.

Taking off from Cape Town Intl Airport we flew towards Muizenberg and left along the coastline, Strandfontein Beach, Macassar and then the Strand.

The Strand (left bottom corner) with it's emerging high-rise apartment block sea front. The jagged coastline fading in the hazy-blue distance, the most distant one being Pringle Bay.

The Strand now below with Gordon's Bay still in shadow and Steenbras Dam just over the mountain.

Theewaterskloofdam just before Villiersdorp.  A long bridge on Route 45 cuts right across the middle of the dam, luckily quite narrow at that particular point.

Traveling by road there are fifty-seven kilometers between Theewaterskloofdam and Worcester.  The Brandvlei Dam is just before you get to Worcester and is fed by the Bree River.

Part of the Brandvlei Dam with the Bree River shining in the distance.

The Hex River Mountain range.  The little town of De Doorns is at the foot of these mountains, also a wine producing area.

'The Cloud Blanket'!  Not much more to take after this, very poor visibility to the ground in places and therefore quite boring.

Merle.  Canon 5D Mk11.  Canon 28-85mm L.

The Blaauwbank 1874-1920

The old Blaauwbank Hotel, near the first gold diggings in the Magaliesberg, which date back to the 'recent' 1870's.
Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2, 17-40mm f4 L

Merle.  Canon 5D Mk 11.  100-400mm Canon L

Where You Can Dream

Derrick, Canon 1Ds, 300mm, f2.8L

Across the Jungle

Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2, 135mm f2 L

Summer Skyline

I always look forward to the stormy summer skies over Johannesburg. Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2, 17-40mm f4 L

Looking Up

Approaching thunderstorm, Friday, 18 November. Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2, 17-40mm f4 L

Johannesburg Sky

Strange clouds over Johannesburg, Sunday, 13 November. Sandton City skyline can be seen on the horison in the top photograph. The cloud was huge! (Click on photograph to see additional detail). A photographer in southern Brazil reported that they had similar looking cloud cover today! Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2, 17-40mm f4 L

Land of Contrasts

 

After travelling for approximately two hours (on dirt - and possibly lost), we came upon this scene in the mountains near Amersfoort, vicinity of Piet Retief.  Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2, 135mm f2 L

Summer Sky

I was rather fortunate to have ended up with this shot. All I had on the camera was a 135mm lens. Luckily the camera's tracking is accurate enough to allow me to crop the original and still end up with enough detail. Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2, 135mm f2 L

It's Jacaranda Time Again!

This year instead of going to Pretoria, the Jacaranda City of South Africa, we decided to see exactly what Johannesburg had to offer and we were not disappointed, these are truly magnificent trees.  Mostly shot around Houghton and Saxonwold.

4th Street, Houghton Estate

Houghton Golf Course, 2nd Avenue

'Angel of Peace' dedicated to all nations, men, women and children, who lost their lives during the Anglo Boer War 1899-1902.  The commemorative stone was laid 30 November 1910.

The South African Museum of Military History, Eastwold Way, Saxonwold