Western Australia road trip

Returning from South Africa to Darwin I found the temperature soaring and humidity up at unbearable levels. The build up was here and, every day, heavy dark clouds rolled in over the Beagle Gulf. Not much rain had fallen yet apart from the odd tropical downpour, but if the previous wet season was anything to go by, it wouldn't be long until the land was well and truly drenched.

Mitch collected me from the airport in the early hours and we headed out to Gunn Point, east of the city. Enough rain had fallen, though, to transform the bone-dry landscape to a spread of rejuvenated greenness. The black, parched bush had vanished under a cloak of new lush growth, which would become even thicker as the wet continued. It was good to be back.

As we bounced along the wide red track through eucalypt forest a big frill necked lizard dashed across the road perilously close to the ute. It was a near miss, but by the time we had stopped and run into the bush the fancy-looking lizard had vanished - probably sitting quietly up a tree. Now the temperatures were up, the lizards had emerged from hibernation and later I would see plenty around the city.

Gunn point wasn't a bad spot. Miles of deserted beach ran off in both directions from the large, shady tree under which we had camped. Occasionally, along the sand, turtle tracks broke the smooth surface where one had crawled up to the high water mark to lay eggs. Unfortunately, it seemed that most of the nests had been ransacked by feral pigs. A scorching hot day led through to a crimson sunset followed by a sky peppered with bright stars. It was a perfect way to arrive back in Australia, but things deteriorated after dark when thousands of mosquitoes came out to play. This was wasn't a major problem, but when I awoke late in the night, flashes to the north east warned of an approaching storm. We hoped it would skirt around us and head inland, but in the early hours of the morning large drops of rain started to fall on the sand. Mitch and Dion had pulled an old camper van out from Darwin the previous week, so now we all huddled inside as the heavy rain drops rattled on the roof.

Back in Darwin while I waited for Nick to arrive from Singapore I spotted this bush stone curlew, or bush thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius), acting suspiciously.  A closer look revealed that it was protecting its two young tucked under its wings. By lying as flat and as dead still as possible, the curlew hoped I couldn't see her! While I photographed this wonderful animal, the male curlew did his best to distract, or scare, me by running about with his wings extended.

A Kakadu Barra to christen a new popper

When Nick arrived we picked up a hire van and were both itching to get on the road, with the first stop being Kakadu for a spot of surface fishing. Knowing the spot from before, we made a beeline for the river I had fished, but stopped at a couple of bridges along the way. At one spot a shoal of tarpon fed below and it didn't take long for one of them to hit Nick's lure. The fish he hooked gave him the slip, but next cast a good barra crept up behind his fizzer before hitting it hard. This one didn't escape and so got us off the mark for the trip.

To reach the spot we wanted to fish meant some unsealed and corrugated road which, apparently, wasn't allowed in this particular hire vehicle. So the order of the day was to keep the vehicle in one piece and not get stuck somewhere deep in the bush!

After some fairly bumpy ground that made the little van moan and groan we reached our spot and made camp. It was hot and sticky, but the temperature dropped off a bit after sunset making things slightly more comfortable. Like back at Gunn Point, a huge electrical storm raged in the distance. It would spell disaster if the rain had reached us because the flood plain on which we were camped was dry clay that would turn into a sticky swamp with the slightest bit of rain. Without a doubt, we would be completely stuck, so I spent most of the night tracking the storm ready to make a fast exit if it happened to reach our camp. By some stroke of luck the rain skirted round to the east of us, but, later, around two in the morning, another storm came in from the north. Thankfully, this one also headed off east and, after that, everything was calm.

In the early morning, armed with a couple of surface lures, we walked over the bank and down to the clear water river. As soon as Nick's fizzer started to fizz, fish showed an interest and seconds later the first barra of the day was on the bank.

Surface lure gave spectacular results and it wasn't long before we had notched up a few good fish. It seemed, however, that a snake and crocodile phobia was really playing on Nick's mind, so, after a while, when the banks became steeper, we turned back to camp. It was a shame because, where the banks become harder to negotiate, the water becomes deeper and the fish are bigger. It didn't help that we heard an almighty splash downstream that sounded like a mammoth crocodile launching into the depths.

Ox-eye tarpon were about and hit the surface lures with their usual keenness. Shortly after catching this one I spotted a Sawfish cruising about at the junction of shallow and deep water. Maybe next time I'll get a closer look at one of these prehistoric beasts!

Spread out around Kakadu are numerous lush valleys where the creeks flow. We had to stop at this spot ... 'Barramundi gorge'.  I'd seen it on the map before I reached Australia and wondered what it might be like. Sure enough it didn't disappoint; clear water full of fish and, of course, plenty of barra cruising through the still water. The only drawback was that fishing isn't allowed, but it didn't actually matter - just being there was enough.

Barramundi Creek, Kakadu National park. Full of saratoga, barra, sooty grunter, and archer fish, amongst other smaller species

Nick flicking a lure in one of Kakadu's beautiful rivers. Small holes on the corners produced little saratoga and sooty grunter.

Frill necked lizard in all its glory ready to suck in a fly! When agitated, these lizards extend a huge frill around the neck which helps them look bigger. And if that doesn't do the trick he might even come in for an attack!

A quick stop and the Ord River at Kunnunura produced a couple of small barra and archer fish.

The Northern territory is home to many millions of flying foxes which roost during the day in shady trees. Unusually, these were low in the trees meaning a half decent photo could be shot. 

Our trusty van had covered over 500,000 km in Australia and seemed still to be going strong! We did wonder at times whether the Toyota would make it as far as Perth. A funny noise that developed half way through the trip had us thinking the worst, but the van plodded on to its destination unfazed.

A stop at eighty mile beach was pleasant. When I had stopped here on the trip north the place was seriously overrun with tourists. One could hardly move for caravans and cables, but now, a few months later, with all the tourers gone, it was actually an enjoyable spot. That is, apart from the fact that we still didn't catch a fish!

A peacock that, for some reason, was white. 

The first saltwater fish of the trip fell to nick's Halco Slice up at Point Samson at Dampier. Surprisingly, it was this shark that put up a nice little scrap!

A lot of careful thought saw us conclude that Exmouth was the best place for us to spend most of the trip! 4,000 km from Darwin, it took a few days flat out to reach the fabled fish spot of Exxy, as it's known! Not long after we arrived the fish started hitting the lures! This small barracuda was first up on to the sand!

A nice cod was up next! After a good fight I managed to coax him out of the reef!

Then a couple of coral trout fell to the lures

Nick and a shore-caught coral trout

Later in the day we headed up to the Mildura wreck and flicked a few lures. First cast with a soft plastic and wham! A strong fish took off leaving me pretty helpless. I managed to regain a little line, at which point the fish reefed me. Hmm ... so a swim was in order and, after a minute of tussling and diving, this beautiful cod lay on the sand.

The marina at Exxy holds a few good fish, but unluckily most of them gave me the slip. Small shoals of bonito cruised about harrassing bait fish shoals. No queen fish showed, but a few small trevally and snappers has a go at the lure. Evening and early mornings would probably see some good action - more so than at midday, when we usually fished.

From first impressions, Mildura shipwreck at north west cape looked like an incredibly fishy spot - a shallow reef runs out a hundred metres, giving way to deeper water channels and dispersed coral reef. Wading out at sunset and flicking a silver stick bait was the winning formula which almost guaranteed small giant trevally. Standing waist deep in the warm water with turtles swimming past within metres of my perch was a great experience. And every so often the lure would get smashed by a determined GT. Usually, the fish would shoot out of a deep channel twenty yards in front and start laying into the stickbait. On the light tackle, a good scrap would always result as the powerful fish scooted off at high speed over the reef. Surprisingly, no big fish and no other species hit the lures, but then again, the small GTts up to 6kg were enough for a good buzz. Small reef sharks would also cruise past within metres of where I stood and, sometimes, a large turtle would creep up and power off leaving a large boil on the water's surface. That was usually enough to start me wondering whether it was time to start wading back to dry land. The highlight of the evening sessions was when a dugong passed by just a few meters away, its back breaking the water's surface as it slowly plodded along. 

One of the target species of the trip was a shark. Now, most Australians don't seem too interested in catching sharks, but having lived in the UK where big fish are pretty scarce, the idea of getting your string pulled by a huge toothy shark is quite inviting! The plan was to fish nights when it would be cooler and the fish more active. A large bucket of berley was employed to try to attract some sharks into the area that we were fishing. First session it didn't take long for some beasties to show an interest in our baits and a good sized fish took the bait fairly quickly. For its size, the fight was pathetic, but the beauty of the fish made up for it. A fairly rare leopard shark rolled on the surface of the water and then posed for a photo before being slipped back into the warm sea.  Soon an absolute monster ray arrived and started nosing around on the berley trail. It was a massive fish which might have weighed >130 kg and, for some reason, I got the idea that it would be exciting to toss a fish head in the monster's direction. Five minutes later I was wholeheartedly regretting my idea as the fish powered away and I realised it might take a few hours before I lay eyes on it again. After five minutes the 100lb leader parted on what must have been about the only snag for 400 metres around! 

This chap was on holiday with his mates in Exmouth. Despite having a boat, they had fared pretty badly over the week they had fished, landing a few small tuna and trevally. Seeing us setting up tackle for the sharks, instead of leaving, they joined and in the end had the best fishing of their trip, landing a couple of beauties which looked like lemon sharks.

A snapper from the harbour.

A view of the Mildura wreck. The photo is deceptive in that the distance from the gulls to the wreck is much longer than it seems. After a hundred-plus metres of wading there is still eighty metres of water to the wreck, and this water is where the trevally hit the lures.

Just on sunset, the usual time for action, the water erupted behind my stickbait as this GT ploughed into it. The strike came soon into the retrieve so the lure was still far out near the wreck and the result was a long fight with me somehow winning the battle after some tense moments. Not a big fish by any means, but big enough to take over ten minutes to land and cause some solid excitement!

Back at the shark fishing spot we landed a string of good fish, as well as losing some crackers. For every fish we landed the hook would pull on another, but with so many runs every night it was nothing to worry about.  The larger fish usually took ten to fifteen minutes to play to the beach using 80lb power pro and a Fin Nor 6500 doubled with my Shimano Beastmaster beach caster. Four metres of 100lb hard mono and a further metre of 150kg wire with a circle hook finished off the rig and seemed to be strong enough to land the fish we encountered.

Nick with a good Lemon shark that took line for six minutes on its initial run. It looked doubtful for a while whether it would stop, but eventually, with very little line left, the fish turned and slowly started to come to the beach. See the run here..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbR6ZabxJA4&context=C3ff6134ADOEgsToPDskLVZFXlongJIjrOHzqkTSeC

These bait fish, known as hardy heads, are plentiful around Exmouth at certain times of the year. Unfortunately, we didn't come across many, but when large numbers are pushed up against the shore, good fishing is never very far away!

 

Another good shark that took a mackerel head bait.

The flies reached plague proportions while we stayed in Exmouth and there really was no way of avoiding them apart from jumping in the sea. But then, as soon as your breath ran out, the flies would be there ready and waiting.

The resident osprey usually seemed to have more luck than us when it came to fishing!

 
The night after I hooked and lost the big ray Nick also hooked into a big fish that fought differently to a shark. We suspected a big sting ray and, sure enough, after a relatively short fight of 45 minutes, we landed a huge sting ray. It was quite subdued for the duration of the fight, but when I grabbed the leader, the fish woke up and all hell broke loose. Unable to pull the heavy weight any further than the shallowest water we were happy when the leader popped and the big fish swam free without any further trouble. It's hard to appreciate from the photo quite how big the ray was, but with my limited experience I'd estimate it at somewhat over 130kg.

Another evening Trevally that couldn't resist the silver stick bait at the Mildura wreck.

The Naval pier is known for its big resident  GTs, but we unfortunately weren't destined to meet any of these powerhouses. A few big fish did hit the large surface poppers, but all were sharks. One afternoon as we walked up the beach towards the pier, packs of sharks were roaming up and down the reef that ran the length of the beach. A popper cast out was guaranteed to be chased by one of these 50kg fish, but without any wire I drew the popper away on every strike. A couple were pretty keen and followed the popper up into a few feet of water before turning to seek deeper water. One that sticks in my memory came so far up the beach that I had to back out of the knee-deep water in case the shark got any strange ideas!

Joy of joys; a bait-scoffing puffer fish! Nice!

Another spot on the cape produced some good fish, but unfortunately my luck was out and a string of slippery customers jumped the hooks! This small trevally was one of the unlucky ones that had to come ashore to have its photo taken.

After losing four in a row, I was over the moon when this beautiful queen fish stayed attached to the hooks. It was a spectacular multi-strike hook-up followed by numerous rocket-like jumps throughout the fight. For a twenty or thirty minute period the tide movement was just right for the fish to go on a feeding spree and then, suddenly, all would be quiet again.

Another shark that might be a whaler of some sort...

While we were in Exmouth hundreds upon hundreds of turtles were inshore to breed and lay eggs. Some of the beaches such as Janz were so busy with turtles that it was almost impossible to cast a lure. Every morning, many new turtle tracks led the way up the beach to just above the high water mark where the nest is dug and the eggs laid. Whereever we fished around Exxy, the turtle numbers definitely meant subsurface lures were out and surface lures were in!

After a week or so in Exmouth the flies drove us out. They were too much, so we headed south towards Perth, where a stop was made at Quobba.

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Singapore and Darwin

 Back in Darwin I got a quick fix of salt water fishing from some high speed small GTs. A friend, Jamie who is a licensed coral collector kindly let me tag along for the day and what a day it was. Passionate about the sea Jamie is a fountain of knowledge about Darwin and the surrounding areas, having spent many years diving, fishing and exploring the NT's coastline. First stop was on a reef near the Vernon Islands to the east of the city which to be fair looked like fisherman heaven. On the out going tide water rushed down a deep channel that cut the shallow reef areas in two. A huge amount of water was moving on the seven metre tide which meant in a matter of minutes we would have to move on unless we fancied waiting a few hours for the incoming tide to submerge the reef again. Everywhere fish were busting on the surface, mauling shoals of bait fish, which were disorientated in the strong currents and of course that's where we cast. Fighting fit trevally came every second cast and seemed like they thought the poppers might be the last meal in the world. Darting behind the lure repeatedly striking until finally luck would run out and a hook would grab hold. Although the fish were only small the strong current meant fights were magnified somewhat.

After thirty minutes we once again sped over the sea's calm surface, heading further east in search of new grounds. To the north the low land of Melville island stretched for many kilometres along the skyline. Usually obscured in the dry season by the smoke haze from bush fires it was great to see such a view. A few dolphins lazily surfaced as we  neared the spot we looked for. By now the tide was nearly low, which is what Jamie needs to do his work.

 The reef we stopped on was quite magical. Immediately a turtle swam by and later we spotted a number of small reef sharks patrolling the shallows. With the reef now dry, huge areas of coral were exposed which made for interesting viewing and in the middle of it all were two blue lakes perhaps seventy metres wide and twelve metres deep; the coral just ends suddenly with a vertical drop. I don't know how these were formed but they looked like good places for fish to become trapped with the dropping tide. And after only a few casts with a roosta popper a large Longtom hit home and rocketed into the air. After a series of high jumps and cartwheels the fish threw the hook just as he came to hand. A few casts later and another Longtom had a go before two large Trevally arrived. Not huge but probably nearing twenty pounds, I was pretty unhappy when they turned at the last second, never to be seen again!

 Mitch waited in the boat making sure the strong tide didn't leave us stuck on the reef. The variety of coral and other creatures was quite outstanding. And it was funny the whole time we were out there never did another boat pass by. Later Jamie spent a while diving in a clear bay while Mitch and I kept a look out for sharks. There is also the possibility of Saltwater crocodiles which is the last thing you want to meet while diving. Surprisingly they can be found far out at sea and Jamie told me of another diver that had ended up as croc tucker.

 We'd kept a couple of the better Trevally and when Jamie was all finished the bloody water and frames were discarded over the edge of the boat. Not even five minutes later the first reef sharks were ripping into the fresh meat. A minute after that a huge black sting ray arrived and took over from the sharks. In only a couple of feet of water it made for good viewing. Thanks Jamie for a great day!

On the trip out to South Africa a quick stop over was made in Singapore to visit and fish with Nick. There was a chance of some landing some Peacock bass which have been introduced into some of the Singaporean reservoirs. With nick acting as guide we set off through the sweaty metropolis in search of some fishable water. In a matter of minutes the taxi turned off the main road and left the buzz of the high rise town behind. We drove down a quiet jungle clad road and suddenly it was hard to imagine we were still in one of the most densely populated places on earth.

A good Peacock bass from one of the reservoirs. bigger ones lurk around the snags

A small rushing stream ran under the road and emptied into a large reservoir that could be seen a few hundred metres through the jungle. Where the stream widened lush vegetation hung down to the waters edge and provided cover for bass attacks. Still early in the day sweat already dripped from our clothes as we began to cast. Nick chose to fly fish while I flicked a small Mepps spinner on the light rod.

First up was this small Peacock bass that nailed the spinner. A beautiful fish that made me think about the Amazon more than before!!

This pretty Tilapia was next up to have a go, just below the stream in the fast water. In between fishing we had a few monkey related problems, namely a cheeky ape trying to make off with a few lures. Its not a good idea to feed the monkeys in Singapore as the sign below shows. The lure box must have looked like a pretty tasty fruit cocktail to the troop that sat in the trees watching our fishing antics.

These monkeys were definitely up to no good

It didn't take long for Nick to induce a strike with the fly rod. And after all the stories of monsters on the fly I was fully prepared to land the biggest peacock bass in Singapore. So I was a little surprised when Nick hauled a Mickey mouse mug from the depths of the river. Quite a catch really! congratulations mate!

The Jungle where we fished was pretty alive with insects and birds. This little feeder stream was the home to plenty of fish fry and freshwater shrimps. During a little walk around the far side of the river three very large clouded monitors took off through the undergrowth before launching themselves into the water. Without seeing them, the splash could easily be mistaken for a crocodile as these big lizards were 5-6ft in length!

At last I landed a jungle perch or Sebarau. a good fighter with a design similar to a Mahseer the little fish fought well. Last time I came across these was a few years ago in the jungles of Malaysia where I came close to landing a monster. Unfortunately it wasn't close enough!

 MacRitchie Reservoir in Singapore is a beautiful spot to get away from the bustle of the city for a while. Unfortunately fishing isn't permitted but a few sneaky casts usually go unnoticed. This is where the biggest peacock bass live and fish have been caught to ten pounds plus. While walking around a pair of adult bass gave themselves away as they followed their fry. A large orange coloured ball slowly moved through the water, followed by the two attentive parents and like snake head a lure cast near to the fry should be attacked immediately. For some reason the fish weren't interested and blankly ignored the two anglers throwing lures at them.

This monkey was choosing his moment to come in for the attack!

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Back in the bushveld

Another fantastic trip to the farm In South Africa has drawn to a close. As usual, it didn't disappoint. Just a week away and I'm already longing to be back. The thought of missing out on those starry skies, abundant animals and untouched bush doesn't seem quite right. Most people would struggle there because it's far away from all mod cons; you can forget about any mall hopping and facebooking, and even a plain old telephone. For four of the five weeks the land line decided to go dead but luckily a telephone tree provided backup. It's a tree twenty minutes up the road where a sporadic mobile signal passes so at least sometimes you can call if the urge is strong. When Richard the phone engineer eventually appeared, his snail-paced saunter said it all. What's the hurry? It's surely all coming - modern technology that is. Slowly encroaching, soon people will be able to check their emails and all of a sudden the bush will become a more inviting place to be. Let's hope it's not too soon.

Spring was on the way. September and October often bring the first rains, complete with fierce electrical storms. That's when I appreciate having a roof over my head. Lightning is so regular that one would  surely be dicing with death to sleep out in a tent. I'm not sure how, but the Baboons manage to remain up on their cliff in such weather, but it must be a terrible time. As the second storm of the year rolled in the young ones cried for an hour beforehand. These must have been around the previous season so they knew what was coming. The first storm was violent and practically "dry". Towards the end, behind the southern hills, a pink glow came from a bush fire that soon got quenched by a light rain that briefly fell. The second storm lasted longer and lashed the hell out of everything in its path. Almost continuous electricity fell from the sky for nearly two hours.  At half time, heavy, tropical rain began to beat on the tin roof. It was hair raising stuff to witness such powerful natural forces so personally.

A couple of lightning bolts fell perilously close to the house. So much so that I beat a swift retreat away from the metal framed window close to which I had been sitting. Where they landed I don't know, but it must have been within a couple of hundred metres because the earth-shattering crash came instantly. Then came the strike when things had all but calmed down. The storm had moved off south leaving a gentle rain its wake and it seemed safe to venture outside. That was a mistake!  I wasn't far from the door when a rip roaring lightning strike crashed into the earth nearby causing the ground to shake. A shower of bright blue sparks cascaded from the workshop roof and I fled to safety, repeatedly cursing and glad to be alive. By far the most impressive sound I have heard - I wondered exactly what had been nailed. The morning after, everything is  fresh and the dust settled from thirty mm of rain, so I wander out to find where the lightning had touched down.

The previous week, a team from the electricity company had arrived with a huge cherry picker intent on making the transformer "lightning proof". I listened intently as Daniel, the leader of the gang, explained about the fancy new surge protectors they were busy fitting to the poles. "Do not worry Scott, now your electricity will continue to flow even in the event of a storm". Old Daniel seemed to have faith, but I wasn't all that convinced. The new protectors looked much like the old ones, but maybe I was missing some of the finer details of the new set-up. Well, I got a closer look because that strike had blown the new components to smithereens. Two lay on the ground and the third dangled on the pole from a strand of wire! So much for Daniel's confidence ...

The South African bushveld isn't an easy place to photograph. Continuous bush makes one landscape look much the same as the next so it's all about the animals and smaller details. As the winter draws to an end the monotonous greys and browns are refreshed with a myriad of fresh greens of new spring leaves. Things are slow at first until the signal of the first rains. Then things happen fast. Suddenly a myriad of insects emerges and snakes begin to move from their winter retreats. I hoped to see one of the resident Rock Pythons and, the day after it rained, a true beauty crossed the dirt road ahead. At three and a half metres it was a big snake. Perhaps not quite big enough to eat a person, but small game such as Steenbok and Duiker would definitely be on the menu. As I photographed he slowly wound up in a the striking pose before trying to sink his teeth into my arm. A metre and a half was as far as he managed to strike, but after a while hebecame bored and retreated  in the most impressive way as huge, sideways swipes of his long body propelled him to safety.

I searched long and hard for a leopard, but obviously not hard enough. This one was encountered inside a hamster cage at a nearby zoo. It was very sad indeed. Unfortunately predators such as leopards face a tough life in the bushveld. Like everywhere in the world, man can't put up with his livelihood being eaten by wild animals. The recent increase of rare game breeding must also make the leopard's life hard. Scarce game animals worth huge sums of money are protected behind huge electric fences that stretch for kilometres through the bush. Soon, if all these fences join up, there may be no corridor left for the wandering leopard  and that will surely seal the fate of this magnificent animal.

Not as large as some of the animals, but probably more impressive, is Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko (Homopholis wahlbergii).  The name is pretty good for starters.

This extremely large Rain Spider had taken up residence in my brother's room in his nice warm bed. After being thrown out it returned a few days later and had to be taken out of spider walking distance from the room as Craig was fast getting arachnophobia! 

Detail of a gecko

Disease resistant buffalo have become much sought after in the last few years and prices for good animals have sky-rocketed. Game auctions are held in the area every few weeks and prospective buyers can view the animals before bidding later in the day. Anything can be bought, from  Rhino or Hippo, down to the smaller species such as Bush Buck and Klipspringer. It all depends on how fat your wallet is! 

While I was on the farm we took a couple of American trophy hunters out to search for animals. One was after a Kudu and the other an Eland. 

Blue Waxbills and a Jameson's Fire Finch provide a dash of colour amongst the dull winter browns. Busy groups of these little birds will often be seen around the water in the early morning before they head off into the bush to feed.

Spring time always gives rise to a flush of new butterflies of various species. Here a newly hatched Acraea prepares to take flight.

One of the large Monkey Thorns (Acacia galpinii) on the farm. Covered in flowers, and being one of the earliest sources of nectar and pollen, it attracts plenty of insects .

Neil's grader waiting for the hydraulic motor to be repaired. Soon it will be in action after the first rains.

Kudu are perhaps the symbol of the bushveld. Kudu bulls are truly magnificent animals that blend in perfectly with their surroundings. The striped face and great curled horns somehow give them an air of aristocracy.

A huge swarm of flies decided to stay in the garden where conditions seemed to be cooler than the surrounding bush. There must have been millions, but luckily they all vanished after the first rains.

Many trees were bursting into flower while I was on the farm. The Monkey thorn's light yellow powder puffs stand out well against the clear blue African sky

As a fancier of mosquitoes, Bibrons Gecko (Pachydactylus bibronii) is always welcome!

Guess who this leg belongs to? A small Leopard Tortoise (Geochelone pardalis) that I found as it was leaving its hibernation retreat ... perhaps a little early in the year, but maybe it could sense the rain coming?

Uncle Mark admiring the very large Rain Spider that took up residence in my brother's bedroom

Klipspringers are nimble little antelope that are perfectly adapted to living on the steepest rocky slopes. When alarmed they will let out a series of stiff snorts before taking off up a nearly vertical cliff.

The hunters and Jet the tracking dog look for Eland.

Periodically, the bush is burnt before the summer arrives. If timing is good, rains will fall shortly after the fires and give the new grass a good kick start. A week after this fire, green shoots were already showing and then thirty mm of rain fell, so there should be a good crop of grass. Some areas, like here, are often choked with Sickle Bush (Dichrostachys cinerea ssp. africana), which forms an impenetrable thicket; fire apparently helps to control it.

A giraffe on Shabala - the neighbouring farm.

An inquisitive Kudu cow.

A banded mongoose, along with nineteen friends, sleeps under one of the tin water reservoirs. Every day after hunting they return in the early evening to laze and play in the rays of the setting sun before retiring to the safety of their burrow. After some time, they became quite used to me and carried on with their antics just a few metre from the camera lens. 

Sunset at the local fishing lake where Carp, Sharptoothed catfish and Tilapia can be expected.

We managed to get out for some fishing on the local Crocodile River and on a lake where these magnificent Tilapia took some worm baits. Locally known as Blue Kurper, they are probably the best eating amongst local freshwater fish. Down on the river, Catfish were also pretty keen to take fish and dove baits. A rogue Serrated Hinged Terrapin of around four kg also took a liking to my bait.

Spring lilies flowering.

This lovely little scorpion decided the kid's dirty clothes was a good place to live. Luckily it was spotted before being able to sting someone.

My grandfather built the house around sixty years ago and the now-mature Jacaranda trees show off their mauve flowers every spring. Huge bougainvilleas add bright pinks to the scene. 

A fairly new sight on the farm is the herd of Zebra.  They seem to have settled in well.

Kudu bulls - Kings of the Bushveld

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