South Africa Map

                     

                        Southern Africa Map

 

latest picture: March 12, 2015

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091  The Moederkerk Church

(Motherchurch) is the oldest church in the

touristy colonial town of Stellenbosch, built

1719-1723. Stellenbosch lies about 30 miles

[50km] east of Capetown in the well-known

South African Cape wine-producing region

092  Giraffes in every size in a souvenir shop

of Stellenbosch: N.B. – Giraffes (Giraffa

camelopardalis) require only between

10 minutes to two hours sleep within

24 hours. They eat daily 140 pounds [63kg]

of leaves and twigs

093  At the “Mountain Breeze Caravan

Park” in Stellenbosch we meet again

Ruedi and Julie with their three cute

children Ella, Markus and Noah. We got

to know Ruedi and Julie 2006 in Brunei

094  Many buildings in Stellenbosch

with its glowing white facades are

typical for the Cape Dutch architectural

style of the Western Cape

095  View over Gordon’s Bay beach

in an eastern corner of False Bay in the

Western Cape Province

096  Where the mountain meets the sea:

Wild coastal stretch between Gordon’s

Bay and Kleinmond – in the background

the Kogelberg mountain range

097  The flowers resembling daisies are

capable to storage water in their leaves. They

belong to the succulent plants and are native

to the Fynbos region in the Western Cape

098  Blossoming Fynbos scrub in the

Western Cape Region in shiny

yellow and white …..

099  ….. and blue. The richness of the

variety in this heathland is overwhelming

100  Sugarbushes (Protea) are flowering

on a bush in the mountainous Western Cape.

The King Protea (Protea cynaroides)

is South Africa‘s national flower

101  Two water-lilies (Nymphaea)

unfold their full beauty. There shall be

worldwide about 50 different species

(white, pink, red, blue etc.)

102  The orange blossoms of the

honeysuckle flower (Lonicera) are a magnet

for honeyeater birds (Meliphagidae)

103  Cafes, shops and restaurants line

the streets of Hermanus in the Western

Cape. The town is especially famous for

its wale watching from June till December

104  Wine tasting is very popular in the

Cape Region and not a bad pastime!

105  Vineyards as far as the eye can reach.

The Cape wine is exported across the globe

106  A cute rock hyrax (Procavia

capensis) is relaxing. It resembles

outwardly a groundhog/marmot, lives

mostly on rocky terrain and can reach

an age of seven to ten years

107  A rare sight: A white springbok

(Antidorcas marsupialis) and its fellow

member of the same species on the tramp.

It’s actually not an albino but another

“color phase”

108  ”Sorry – it does not go any faster!“

says the leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys

pardalis) and continues its own way

109  The long and wide sandy beach

at Struisbaai beach in the Western Cape

invites to long strolls. It is the most

westerly village along the Indian Ocean

110  Red blood lilies (Haemanthus

coccineus) bloom at slopes near the ocean

in the Cape region – here at Cape Agulhas,

the southernmost tip in Africa

111  The fiscal flycatcher (Sigelus silens)

is watching the world from its vantage point

112  Remembrance picture near the

lighthouse at Cape Agulhas, the most

southerly point of the African Continent.

It has been put into operation for the

first time on March 1st, 1849

113  A sense of beauty: The immaculate

white church in Struisbaai in its Cape Dutch

architecture in the Western Cape province

114  March 1st, 2015: We reached for the

second time Cape Agulhas, the most southerly

tip of the African Continent and the geo-

graphical border between the Atlantic and

Indian Ocean. The first time was on March

5th, 1992. In the meantime we drove 282’755

miles [455’050km] through 128 new countries

115  Idyll at the Breede River at

Bontebok National Park, situated

3 miles [5km] southeast of the

historic little city of Swellendam

116  A common waxbill (Estrilda astrild),

passerine bird, inspects the shore of the

Breede River in the Bontebok National Park

117  The shores of the meandering

Breede River in the Bontebok National Park

are covered with common water hyacinths

(Eichhornia crassipes). It’s native to the

Amazon basin and is seen in many places

as a rampant spreading pest

On the Breede River in the Bontebok National Park we experience the stunning changes of nature at different times of the day

118  Morning: With the backdrop of the

Langeberg mountain range, the Breede

River meanders through dense undergrowth

119  Afternoon: The grass is streaked with

gold in the approaching thundering front

120  Evening: Dramatic colors paint the sky

121  ”What is going on?“ The southern

masked weaver bird (Ploceus velatus)

is looking attentively downward

122  A speckled mousebird (Colius striatus)

is basking in the first rays of sun

123  Really sweet: The cape robin

(Cossypha caffra), like #116 a passerine

bird, follows Liliana wherever she goes,

either on the ground or in the air

124  A Cape Sparrow (Passer melanurus)

is hopping around on the grass

125  Every evening, the two white-throated

swallows (Hirundo albigularis) sleep on the fire

extinguishers positioned in the ablution block of

the Bontebok “Lang Elsie's Kraal Rest Camp”

126  ”Is everything clear?“ The striped

mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) scurries from

the bush looking for food and disappears

in a flash at the slightest movement

127  A Bontebok (Damaliscus

pygargus pygarus) is grazing peacefully

on the campsite. Once critically endangered,

the number of this antelope in the

Bontebok National Park has increased

again to 200 and worldwide to 3‘000

128  On the Acacia Trail in the

Bontebok National Park a honeysuckle

flower (Lonicera) is sprouting out

of the dry grass

129  A big leafless tree rises against an

electric blue sky in the Bontebok National

Park making Liliana look very small

130

131

132

On discovery tour through the Fynbos landscape of the Bontebok National Park lying at the foot of the majestic

Langeberg mountain range. Fynbos flourishes in the temperate climate with winter rains

133  The “Dutch Reform Church” in

Swellendam belongs to the Cape Dutch

architecture buildings. Swellendam is the

third oldest town in South Africa

134  Historic ”Drostdy“ in Stellendam

dates from 1747 and hosts today a museum

135  Special bush vegetation dominates

the landscape in Little Karoo around the

“Warmwaterberg Spa Resort”

136  Our peaceful campsite at the

“Warmwaterberg Spa Resort” between

Barrydale and Ladismith in Little Karoo …..

137  ….. where a peacock family

(Pavo cristatus) strolls around. The

brightly colored males rest and the females

are searching for food with their offspring

138  View from the foothills of the

Warmwaterberg mountains over the

”Little Karoo“, a semi-desert region south

of the Swartberg mountain range

139  Sisal plants (Avave sisalana) with

its clusters of yellow flowers are towering

from the plain. They reach a height from

10 to 20 ft. [3 to 6m] and bloom only once

140  Curious ostriches (Struthio camelus)

on a Ostrich Farm near Oudtshoorn.

These flightless birds can live up to 75 years

141  Sweeping view over the coastal town

of Mossel Bay from 2’820 ft. [860m] high

Robinson Pass on the R328, which

connects Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay

142  A flowering Fynbos plant on the

2’822 ft. [860m] high Robinson Pass

in the Outeniqua Mountains

143  The survival ability of nature: A

honeysuckle flower (Lonicera) is blooming out

of a rock crevice on the 2’822 ft. [860m] high

Robinson Pass in the Outeniqua Mountains

between Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay

144  An orange-colored ‚redhot poker’,

called also tritoma torch lily or knofflers

(Kniphofia uvaria), on the Robinson Pass

between Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay

145  View from the uptown residential area

”Knysna Heads“ on the Garden Route over to

the “Featherbed Private Nature Reserve” that

separates the tranquil lagoon formed by the

Knysna River from the pounding sea …..

146  ….. the snow-white mini-lighthouse

at the ”Heads“ that watches over the

mouth of the Knysna River …..

147  ….. and the sandstone cliffs of the

„Featherbed Private Nature Reserve“

that prevent the pounding ocean surf

from entering the lagoon

148  View over the Knysna lagoon

with “Leisure Island” from the viewpoint

Emu Cres on the ”Knysna Heads“

149  The snow white blossom of the

Gardenia bush (Gardenia thunbergia)

150  Lovely view over the beaches and

clear blue water of Plettenberg Bay on the

”Garden Route”. The Keurbooms River flows

from the left (= North) into the sea. In the

background the Tsitsikamma Mountains

151  The old road (#R102) through the

Tsitsikamma National Park to Storms River

leads us to the blue shining Groot River that

meanders through lush green vegetation …..

152  ….. to a secluded little cove along

the Groot River near Nature’s Valley

that invites for a swim …..

153  ….. and to a spectacular panorama

from the height over the Groot River lagoon,

the beach and the sea. On the right the

village of Nature’s Valley

154  Who is walking so lonely around

the meadow? – it’s a blacksmith lapwing

(Vanellus armatus)

155  The spotted running frog

(Kassina maculata). Is it really

running or just hopping?

156  The characteristic of the hoopoe

(Upupa epops) is its beautiful distinctive

”crown“, i.e. feather crest

157  A healthy mountain cypress

(cedar) (Widdringtonia nodiflora) with

its clusters of still green closed cones

158  View into the Groote River valley in

Tsitsikamma National Park along the R102,

not far from Nature’s Valley (see pic. #153)

159  A pine (Pinus), also known as

conifer, raises towards the sky

160  Against the dark backdrop, the

yellow blossoms of a Fynbos brush

flower shine even more intensively

161  When the common heather (erica)

flowers (Calluna vulgaris) are in full

bloom, they transform the landscape

into a beautiful pink carpet

162  A flowering eucalyptus tree

(Corymbia ficifolia) with its

clusters of red blossoms is a

beautiful example of nature

163  Emil is balancing on the swinging

suspension bridge that spans 253 ft. [77m]

across the waters of the Storms River mouth

in the Tsitsikamma National Park …..

164  ….. a boat trip through the wild

Storms River Gorge is regarded as the

highlight of a visit to the park .....

165  ….. in the humid climate also the

white calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica)

with its fleshy huge leaves is growing

166  Rika and Robert from Holland,

exploring Southern Africa for six months

with their LandCruiser, enjoy their camping

life in the Tsitsikamma National Park

167  The Cape Gull (Larus dominicanus)

on the cliff has every reason to ‘laugh’

having nature for itself

168  The coastal wildness of the Tsitsi-

kamma National Park covers more than

50 miles [80km]. The park was established

in 1994, and has been amalgamated 2009

into the Garden Route National Park

Continuation to the next South African page: South Africa Part 3 – March 13th to April 7th, 2015, from Addo National Park to the Lesotho border

 

The African trip 2013-15:

CapeVerde: Santiago/Praia part 1 – November18th to December 13th, 2013

CapeVerde: Fogo – Dezember13th to 23rd, 2013

CapeVerde: Brava – December 23rd to 26th, 2013

Cape Verde: Santiago/Praia part 2 – December 26th, 2013 to February 28th, 2014

Cape Verde: São Nicolau – February 28th to March 13th, 2014

Cape Verde: São Vicente/Mindelo part 1 – March 13th to 20th, 2014

Cape Verde: Santo Antão/Eastern side part 1 – March 20th to April 7th, 2014

Cape Verde: Santo Antão/Western side part 2 – April 7th to 10th, 2014

Cape Verde: São Vicente/Mindelo part 2 – April 10th to 29th, 2014

Namibia Part 1 – from Walvis Bay to Windhoek

Angola Part 1 – September 26th to October 4th, 2014

Angola Part 2 – October 4th to 22nd, 2014

Namibia Part 2 – from Windhoek to the Angolan border, back again and on to South Africa

3rd Major Repair of our LandCruiser FJ60 - 1982  (due to two broken sideshafts)