Merle.
Shot 30 December 2012 at The Strand beach, about half an hour from Cape Town.
Canon 5D Mk11. Canon 28-80mm L.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
~ waves ~
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| Merle. Shot around Cape Town, South Africa. Canon 5D Mk11. Canon 28-80mm L Canon 100-400mm L. |
What Lies Beneath
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| The
huge Gariep Dam (in South Africa) hides a concentration camp
built by the British during the Boer War (1899-1902). Thousands of women
and children died in these notorious 'camps' set up with the approval
of the Royal Family, to force the farmers to surrender and hand over
their country. Maybe that's why they sing: 'God save the Queen'. Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2, 28-70mm f2.8 L |
Friday, January 18, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Top of the World (almost)
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| Top of the World. De Hel, Gamkaskloof. Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2, 28-70mm f2.8 L |
Friday, January 11, 2013
De Hel - The Journey in is the Same One Out
Looking back how at how far we'd come, it seemed like we'd been traveling forever in the 40+ degree heat but we weren't nearly there yet.
There was only one way to go and that was forward, and right to the top!
A backward glance, and we were still climbing....
We rounded the last bend and wow! what a view, with dust swirling we had to stop - looking over the edge, a snaking road of hairpin bends with sheer drops on our right awaited us to the valley floor. From here on it was down, down, down, a narrow one-way gravel road serving traffic going both ways - very scary!!!
Very annoyingly the road appears to look fairly tame and we too wondered what the hype was all about until of course we began the decent. If it wasn't for the vegetation when the wind blows, this valley (and all the pictures above) would be one enormous white-dust bowl. On this particular day it was gusting with all it's might - the dust we thought we'd left behind caught us on the down side of the bend and poured in through the windows... in the end we gave up - with no air conditioner we would melt.
To our surprise the valley floor was lush with trees, shrubs and various long grasses not to mention the mountain streams we crossed to get to our cottage. As lush as it was the heat persisted - it was hell indeed! The largest river that flows across valley is the Gamka River which you cross going over a wide low concrete bridge, at this time being mostly underwater. It twists and turns and then exits the valley only to be crossed again when back on the tar road other side Calitzdorp which is just over the mountain range on the left - hard to believe it was so close by!
Derrick's two panoramic pictures below, were taken from almost at the end of the valley in the above picture, looking back to this point and the other looking even further.
Merle.
Canon 5D Mk11. Canon 28-80mm L.
Happy New Year!
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| Rain near Ventersburg in the Free State on 1 January 2013. Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk3, 28-70mm f2.8 L |
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Looking West
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| The far side of De Hel. After driving in 4x4's only - for hours, the view makes up for it all. Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2 |
Looking Back
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| Looking back over De Hel to the only road into this forgotten valley. Click on the photograph for a better view. Derrick, Canon 1Ds Mk2 |
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