Thanda Game Reserve

Thanda game reserve is home to the Big 5.  The Big 5 consist of the elephant, rhino, leopard, water buffalo and lion.  So far, I have seen 3 out of the 5.

We saw Tulani, the elephant on the first day but haven’t seen any other since.  There is a whole herd of them, including babies that I am looking forward to seeing.

We tracked the water buffalo the other day but didn’t see them.  We knew where they were, but they were too far in bush for us to get at via vehicle.

The leopard is very elusive as it can actually get in and out of the game reserve (by jumping over the 15 foot high electric fence).  There are some people who work here that have never, or rarely seen a leopard.  So we are all pretty excited and are keeping our fingers crossed that we’ll be lucky enough to spot one.

We’ve seen most of the lions so far.  But not the two brothers of the south pride.  So hopefully we’ll see them soon.

We have seen several giraffe on 3 different occasions.  They are so huge and lanky and elegant.  They almost look like they move in slow motion.  I like watching them run.  They mostly don’t’ mind us and keep eating away.  We did come across a group of them one day and one of them was pretty inquisitive.  She came over closer and just stood there looking at us.  She was a very pretty one was huge beautiful eyes and long eyelashes.  Another time we found a mamma and her about 2 week old baby.  He was pretty cute to watch.  He’s pretty flexible and coordinated as he could scratch his face with his hind foot, something that an adult wouldn’t be able to do. 

We found rhino only once so far. It was a pair and a baby.  They were pretty happy to just continue eating as we watched and snapped hundreds of photos.  They came fairly close to the truck as they grazed away.  Although some of the people got chatting too loud which made them graze away a little further.  I am planning on learning what the difference is between a white rhino and a black rhino.  Black rhinos are more skidish and tougher to find.  Apparently they dropped a few new rhinos in the reserve next to Thanda (Kings Land) which will eventually be joined with Thanda one day.  The research group got to go and watch it and they said it was pretty cool).

We have seen many other animals on the drive.  Lots of different species of birds (a lot of the photographer guys are big into birds), impala, inyala, kudu, bushbuck, zebra, wildebeest, wart hogs, and some monkeys.  There are still lots of animals to find so many more game drives to come I’m sure!

Game Drive # 2

Well the amazing experiences on game drives have continued.   Most of our game drives start at 6:00 am.  It is so easy to get up so early when you are going to do something as exciting as a game drive.

Basically our game drives consist of driving around the 70km sq area of Thanda on search of animals.  The guides at the Thanda 5 Star lodge as well as our guides and other people of Thanda will radio any spotting of the animals so we can decide which wayto head, depending on what animals we want to see.  There are dirty trails all around the reserve that we follow and can sometimes go off road, depending on the area and the animal we are spotting.  There are strict rules about certain animals and the etiquette when watching them.

Our second drive was just as amazing as the first.  We were lucky enough to spot the south pride of lions which consists of the mom, Sahara, her 3 cubs, and her older daughter.  Usually a lioness will keep her cubs in hiding for about 2 months.  But she actually kept them in hiding for 6 months so they haven’t been seen very often so this was a really exciting find.  The big main male of the reserve was killed a few months ago so Sahara had to raise her cubs and hunt all on her own.  Her teenage daughter has recently joined up with her again so they are a happy little family. 

The cubs are fairly inquisitive of the vehicle as it is fairly new to them.  The adults are more used to it and just carry on with their day as we watch them.  The cubs are so cute and playful.  It was great to just watch their family dynamic and follow them around for a little bit.

We almost got to watch a kill.  2 jeeps from the lodge were watching the lions which means we had to leave because there can only be 2 vehicles with the animals at once and the high paying guests at the lodge get dibs over us.  However as we went to leave the lions, they sort of turned back and were stalking some wildebeest right in front of us.  It was great for us, but we could have gotten in trouble as we ended up breaking the rules.  It was neat to see the lions body language change as they went into stealth mode.  Unfortunately they didn’t catch anything so fortunately for us we weren’t in trouble.  We also saw some zebra, who seem to travel with wildabeest quite a bit.  They were just intently watching the hunt go down.

What weighs 26kg?!?!

(written Monday the 19th)

Well, my first game drive is in the books and boy was it is worthy of the history books!!! If every game drive is going to be like this, then I’m in for an exciting 4 weeks. Only 2 minutes into the drive, we find the biggest and oldest elephant of the park, Tulani. He was maybe 20 meters off the road just eatin some trees so we got a pretty good glimpse of him (except for the dead tree branch on the ground which blocked my view of his face).

Oh ya, and by the way, there are 9 of us volunteers on the jeep along with the photographer teacher and our guide, so it is pretty cramped. And also especially cramped because most of the other volunteers have pretty nice cameras and gear and need to bring it all along so that made for even less space.

Our guide, MaryAnna moved the jeep a bit so we could get a better view and sure enough, the elephant came walking over to our vehicle. He is so big! He was towering over us. At one point his tusks were within inches of the vehicle near me. The guy on the edge was pretty nervous and even leaned out of the way a little bit. It was unreal. To look into his eyes, too see his skin and to smell him (he’s in musk which means he’s in heat so he excretes a oil that is quite strong). He was so close that we couldn’t get much for photos because we had our long lenses on. But it was unreal to hear his ears flapping, to hear his feet as he sauntered. Just awesome! In some ways it was very intimidating but in other ways, so calming and surreal.

He was actually getting too close so MaryAnna was talking to Tulani, and making some tapping noises on the side of the truck. She was just communicating with him that we were in this space first, so he needs to back up out of our personal space. Which he did. Our guides know their stuff for sure so it makes things feel a lot more comforting.

Then we drove on and found some cheetahs. It was 2 brothers who were being pretty lazy and just grooming each other. They'd get up and walk a few feet and then lay down again. Then get up and walk a few feet, then lay down. We got within 20 feet of them and at one point one of the walked directly in front of the jeep. They were pretty cool to just sit and watch them interact. I love watching their backs move and how flexible you can tell they are in order to be able to run as fast as they do.

I tell ya, if every game drive is like this, I am set. It’s so exciting and amazing! We are off for a 6:00am drive tomorrow so hopefully we’ll get a bunch more close encounters again!!

P.S. An elephant penis can weigh up to 26kg….they are huge!!!!

Safe and Sound

Thanda Game Reserve Day 1-Monday (pronounced like Tanda)

Well after a long and tiring 24 hours + of travelling, I arrived safe and sound in Durban late Sunday morning. Unfortunately I didn’t sleep much on the plane so I was pretty darn tired.

I had a wonderful whirl wind tour and time spent in London. It is so full and rich with history. There is so much to learn and see and do there although the loads of people and the busyness is not quite for me. I took lots of photos from the hop-on-hop-off tour bus as I was told some interesting facts. Although I already forget what some of those are. I did hop off the bus to check out Buckingham palace which was great. The queen did not come and waive at me but I didn’t take it personally as I understand she is away for a short while. Some heads up would have been appreciated though.

Me in front of Buckingham Palace

Big Ben

Yesterday was a hot hot day which I was not dressed for so it was a sweaty sweaty day for me. The people from my project all arrived one at a time as we waited at a patio café at the airport in Durban. So we got time to get acquainted as each person came along. There is a wide range of age and experience so it will be interesting getting to know everyone.

It was a 3 hour sweaty drive to the game reserve (which for me, included a lot of head bobbing. I tried to stay awake to take it all in, but my body had other plans from the lack of sleep). The drive was interesting. I saw a lady doing her laundry in a creek alongside the road. I saw a lady carrying something on her head as she walked down the highway. Of course being a farm kid, I had loads of questions about the land, the farming, the cattle breeds, etc.. I am hoping to get some of those questions answered over time.

I had envisioned the game reserve to be in a very remote locations at the end of the pavement, at the end of a gravel road, at the end of a dirt road. However it is only about a 10 minute drive off of the pavement. But the nearest town is 1.5 hours away I believe, so it is isolated enough. It is a lovely little set up here. There is a big common building where the offices, kitchen, eating area and common lounging area are. The main hall is ‘open’ to the outside so there are birds flying around, eating up breakfast crumbs and pooping on the floors. There is a balcony that overlooks the watering hole that I was so excited about. Unfortunately, with the terrible drought, it is simply and dirt whole and not many animals come along. There is also a swimming pool that I was also quite excited about. Unfortunately, with the terrible drought, they used the swimming pool water for showering and have yet to fill the pool back up.

I am rooming with a gal, Robyn form Australia and her accent makes me miss all my Aussie family. So far we are getting along quite well. Out little cabins are nice (not fancy) with our own bathroom, single beds and chairs. Along with our own geckos who poop on everything. So nothing is safe. Even your bedding, pillow, clothes, etc.. Robyn had some poop drop on her as we were first getting acquainted with our room. In some aspects, the accommodations are nice, but there is still an element with roughing it which I believe will be more difficult for some people to be okay with then others.

Our hut

The dark nights and beautiful star filled sky is something most people have never experienced so it is interesting. I was explaining last night that it is common for us to have a fire and to sit out and enjoy the night sky, so I am thankful that I get to enjoy that.

There are a few rules at Thanda:
• Stay on the paths as there are snakes and scorpions that are tough to see in the grass
• Never walk alone at the night, always take a buddy with you
• Always take a flashlight or torch with you while walking at night
• Keep a keen eye for animals in the camp area. Although there is a fence, animals to get in, including impala, warthogs, hyenas, lions, etc..
• If you come across an animal of the scary kind, stand still and make lots of noise so someone can come and find you and help you (hopefully). I doubted impala fit into this category so I wasn’t too worried when I saw some of them on our walk to our cabin last night. However I was reminded to be worried about what eats impalas. That they could be nearby as well.
• Water is in short supply so use it sparingly. The good old saying ‘if it’s yellow, let it mellow - if its brown, flush it down’ applies here. As well as 2 minute showers.
• Electricity is also in short supply and there are times when we might be completely without power. So it is also to be used sparingly.

We are having our first photography session this afternoon followed by our first game drive which I can’t wait for. We saw 3 giraffe’s on our drive in that we had to wait patiently for them to move off the road and they are magnificent!! I can’t wait for more close encounters and from what I’ve been told, there will be plenty. Nothing like getting a look into the eyes of a lion or having an elephant run its trunk through your hair.

Eye on Africa

Well, my dream of going to Africa is now one step closer to becoming reality; I’m sharing my goal with my friends and family.

I have always wanted to go to Africa, for as long as I can remember and as the years went on, that desire grew and grew. I knew I needed to experience the life, culture, animals and nature that Africa has to offer and, and to give of myself and to make a difference in someone’s life. I’ve realized now is the time in my life to make this dream a reality before we begin a family, so I have officially started my journey. I am registered for 2 volunteer projects in South Africa and will be spending a total of 6 weeks immersing myself in everything the projects, land and people have to offer, while providing education and care for the people, land and animals in need.

The first 4 weeks will be spent on a photography and conservation project on a game reserve. I will spend 4 weeks doing bush walks photographing the plants, animals (including the Big 5) and insects of the game reserve, helping researchers collect animal identification information, create a photographic database, and help raise awareness in the local Zulu community about the importance of conservation. It was THIS project that made me realize that this is something I HAVE to do. This project speaks to my soul. For anyone that knows me, I am an outdoor girl who loves to get out, get dirty and experience what God has created. I have always had a love for animals, and lately I feel myself being pulled towards photographing nature’s wonders, so this is a perfect fit for me. I love the fact that I won’t just be experiencing Africa from a vehicle on some 4 day safari. I will be submerged in the land and culture and will actually get to feel and understand what this area has to offer, and will help make a difference.

The remaining 2 weeks I will be spending in an Orphan Day Care Center near a town on the coast where I get to interact with and educate children who have been infected with AIDS as well working alongside other exciting community outreach initiatives which include: HIV awareness in the community, farming to encourage positive living, refurbishment of community buildings and helping at an after-school reading club with high school students. I have heard that spending time with these children who are so innocent and have so little yet beam happiness and wonder can really bring a sense of awareness and gratitude to your own life; an experience that could change anyone’s life. Not only do I get to give back to nature, but I will also get to give back to the people; another big motivation for this trip.

So where am I at with this process? I have registered and paid my deposit for the 2 volunteer projects. Now I am working at earning the rest of the funds for my trip. My goal is to make $10,000. This will cover the expenses of my trip and will also allow me extra money to be able to give to the project as a donation and to purchase some additional photography equipment.

This is where you, my friends and family come in. With this goal in mind, I plan to expand my airbrushing business and book as many parties as I can so I can make my financial goal for this trip a reality. I have registered to be leaving in September 2011, therefore I have the next 4 months to make $10,000. So if you are looking for a fun get together with your friends where you get your toes fancied up for summer, I’m your gal. Also, I’d appreciate any referrals you can give me. Do you know someone that might enjoy hosting a ladies night in toe party? I’d love to meet your friends and family and to expand my business. I welcome you to check out my Facebook PAGE "Beauty in Balance Airbrushing' and click LIKE to check out all the fun options to fancy up your feet.

If you’re not interested in a toe party, that’s okay. I am open and willing to earn my goal doing other odd jobs so please consider me when you have some work that needs to be done.

Thanks so much for your time and support. It is greatly appreciated!!

Ngiyabonga

(Thank you in Zulu)

Live An Amazing Life

A friend and fellow (and much more avid) blogger is celebrating the 2 year anniversary of her blog 'Live An Amazing Life'. She is also a motivational speaker and has published a book so her ideas, thoughts and insights are always an uplifting read. So check out her blog and her giveaways and enjoy a read while you are there! Just click on the linked picture below

Therapy with the Judds

I recently watch an Oprah show that had Wynonna and Niomi Judd on it. The Judd's were my absolute favorite singers when I was younger. I love love love them!

Over the years they have spent many hours in therapy as their relationship has always been very strained. They shared a few of their learned communication keys that work with any relationship in your life with Oprah and I really liked what they had to say so figured I’d pass them along.

1. ‘Is this a good time for you’. Whether it’s wanting to have a discussion with someone, or simply phoning a friend to chat, being considerate of their time is important and asking if this is a good time for them shows that.

2. ‘What I hear you saying is’. I like this one as I know all too often I come out of a conversation with my husband, mom, boss or just a friend and I think I’ve understood the outcome. And so have they, yet we each have different ideas of what that outcome is. By repeating back to someone it gives you a chance to confirm that you are both on the same track.

3. ‘Do over’. I think this one is great, especially for moms. If you ever snap or react to someone quickly without thinking and don’t like your response after you’ve thought about it, ask for a do-over. Perhaps it would come with an apology, depending on how bad your reaction was.

4. ‘That doesn’t work for me’. I know we all have a tough time saying no. Either you can’t turn down someone needing you or you don’t want to sound rude. Well this is a better way to respond to someone especially if it’s followed by what does work for you. Example: “Wednesday night does not work for me. But Thursday morning works very well for me”.

I love all this ideas and am trying to implement them into my life which will hopefully increase and open the communication which will in turn create a better relationships.