For The Love of Travel

May 28, 2017
by Lids
Comments Off on Out of Africa – 25/5 – 28/5/17, Duba Plains Camp, Botswana

Out of Africa – 25/5 – 28/5/17, Duba Plains Camp, Botswana

Flew from Johannesburg to Maun, Botswana and then by a six seater plane over amazing wetlands, to my first “safari glamp”…@ Duba Plains, in the Okavango Delta. The Delta is formed when the river flows into the Kalahari Desert from the Angolan Highlands forming a unique wetlands and a myriad of waterways, which attracts thousands of animals, creating a concentration of wildlife. Yay!

Half an hour to relax and settle in, not too shabby accomodations ….and lovely view from sundeck as well. We are introduced to our guide Name (anglicised/shortened from real Setswanan name) and we are off on safari…by all-terrain jeep, which plunges into waterways and then bumps along on dry land. Name is an excellent guide and tracker, reading animal prints in the sand, identifying animal droppings and setting a course for adventure each time we go out with him. We get up at 5.30 and are off by 6am, choosing to take brekkie with us and enjoy it after a few hours of nature watching. Then back to camp for lunch; a quick relax and off again @ 15.30 for 4 hours. Dinner 19.00, sleep by 22.00. And start all over again the next day.

Some fab moments : A pride of lions (8 in the group) stalking a warthog and trying to catch it for a meal….but it scurries away. Spending time with a pride, watching their interaction.

Elephants picking up water lilies out of the waterway and rinsing them by thrashing them in the water, before eating. Many colourful birds swooping past, displaying their vibrancy. A troop of baboons moving geographic location, with babies carried on mothers’ backs.

Lechwes and Tsessebes (different antelope subspecies) jumping and galloping through water to escape becoming a meal for lions. Sunsets and ‘sundowner drinks’ (yes a G&T would be lovely!), out in the wetlands…with mozzies attacking and everyone being worried about getting malaria (poo pooed by guide as it’s winter and the worst we’ll get is itchy!). Seeing a crocodile pull a lechwe into water, doing a number of rolls to drown it and eventually ‘parking’ the animal for a while, to allow it to rot.

Elephants munching on bushes and trees; hippos and rhinoceros’ ambling past.

Really enjoyed my 3 days here.!!

January 19, 2017
by Lids
Comments Off on 4/1 – 10/1/17 Port Macquarie, Kinchela Creek and Sawtell, NSW

4/1 – 10/1/17 Port Macquarie, Kinchela Creek and Sawtell, NSW

Holiday travels with friend Bev from Adelaide, to visit her son Josh and partner Casey – both studying at Charles Sturt Uni, Port Macquarie.

Port Macquarie is located on the Mid North Coast of NSW, boasting 17 gorgeous beaches and a lush hinterland.

A beautiful place to survey the Southern Pacific Ocean, Tacking Point lighthouse was worth a visit.

It is also a site of major significance to the Birpai people, who camped and fished at the site and hunted/gathered from the surrounds. The spot where the lighthouse now stands was an observation point from where they would stand and watch the tides and fish.

We stretched our legs on the 1.3kms boardwalk of the Sea Acres National Park’s Rainforest Centre, walking under the rainforest canopy. Much cooler in there!!

Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail is one of the region’s most popular attractions, with widespread support from business government and community organisations. 56 one metre high koala sculptures, manufactured in fibreglass and individually painted by local artists, dot the Port Macquarie- Hastings landscape from the mountains to the sea. We enjoyed coming across these critters, in the shopping centre, galleries, rainforest centre and on the beaches.