Nutcracker Ballet

The afternoon of September 23rd we went with Sue Johnson to the Nutcracker at the Teatro at Monte Casino in Fourways. Chris Johnson was too sick to go and we were given tickets by Linda and Rex Scott because Linda was also ill. We are sorry our friends missed the beautiful sets, costumes and, of course, ballet. It was a lovely matinee show so we were home before dark.

Teatro before the crowds arrived

The finale showing most of the cast. This was the St Petersburg, Russia ballet company with beautiful costumes and sets.

Roadkill Cafe

On September 16th, Sue & Chris Johnson hosted the monthly Area missionary couple's dinner with a Roadkill Cafe theme. I couldn't miss putting in some photos of this cute event. We had some fun hillbilly themed games and ate good food (not quite roadkill!).

Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden

Saturday, 23 of September we drove to the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens in Roodepoot, near Jo'burg. It is a beautiful garden with a number of different small gardens. It also boasts the lovely Witpoorjie Waterfall. We enjoyed walking and sitting to enjoy the beauties of nature including lots of birds. The Garden is famous for the Verreaux eagles who nest there. We saw them but they were too high for a photo. It was nice to get away from the city and only 45 minutes from our apartment.

This is what mosquitoes look like here! 

This is part of the succulent garden

More of the succulent garden, there are a lot of native SA succulents 

Bottle tree from Namibia - it stores water for the desert.

Beautiful flower

Witpoorjie Falls

Bushveld area of the Garden

Crocodile River as it flows through the Garden

African WattledLapwing

White bellied Sundbird

Lesser Masked Weaver with his nest

iSamagaliso Wetland Park

On Wednesday, the 9th, Jon picked us up again along with 4 tourists from France to go into iSimangaliso Wetland Park to drive as far as Cape Vidal. At first it was very quiet as it was just after dawn and Jon hoped to see some leopards. Evidently the leopards didn't want to be found,but we had an enjoyable drive to a rest stop where we had hot chocolate and rusks overlooking Lake St Lucia, We saw the most beautiful kudu with long, long horns. They too were healthy looking. We saw other animals during the day. We also stooped twice to over look the Indian Ocean, once at Mission Rocks. We drove to cape Vidal where we spent some time sitting on the beach as it was too cool and windy to be tempted to go in the water although we saw a few people who did. We had a delicious braii of club steak and sausages with potato salad. After lunch we drove back through a swamp forest  and red dunes. We saw hippos and some lovely antelope. As we were heading back to St Lucia we saw a rhino family. It was another good day. We slept so well while in St Lucia that we wish we could return frequently just for the rest.

Woolly necked stork

Cape Vidal Beach

Beach

Red Dunes

Hippos

Cape Buffalo

Beach with no swimming sign

Mission Rocks

Mission Rocks

Kudu

Mountain Reedbuck (first time we've seen this antelope)

Rhino family

Interesting tree 

Blue Wildebeest

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve

On Tuesday, August 8th we were picked up by Jon, a former ranger for H-I Game reserve to drive us about an hour for an all day safari. It was just Dave & I so it was quite a treat. We had hot chocolate and rusks at the entry to the reserve, then went into the Infolozi side first. We saw Cape Buffalo, antelope, and even lions sunning themselves on a river bank (it was far away so the photos didn't turn out very well). Amazingly, we even saw a spotted hyena which Jon said is rare to see. We had breakfast at an overlook which was beautiful.

Later we went into the Hluhluwe (it sounds sort of like shshuway) side of the reserve where we saw elephants, beautiful giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and many birds. The animals were not as close as the ones we have seen in Pilanesberg, but we noticed that Jon gave them plenty of space. He had grown up on the reserve and then became a ranger. Part of the time he worked the rhino protection unit which is dangerous - both from the rhino he was trying to protect and the poachers who will kill the rangers! He fixed us an excellent braii (bbq) lunch of "texas steak" and SA sausage, potato salad and a curry pasta salad. Malva Pudding was dessert!  We may not have seen as many animals as sometimes, but they were the healthiest we've seen and the reserve had excellent roads. they are experiencing a drought so a lot of the waterholes were dry. It was a great day and we were tired by the time we returned to St Lucia passing the villages on the road back.

Babboons

South African hornbeck

Crested Guinea Fowl

African Hoopoe (its call is like its name)

Cape Buffalo

Elephant

Giraffe - note the 2 swinging their necks at each other

Spotted Hyaena

Impala

Jon Burke, our guide

Lioness

Lions in the tree

Nyala - first time we've seen this antelope

Nyala

Rhinoceros - He has a beautiful horn

Country

Waterbuck (the distinctive white marking on the rear)

Zebra