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I had the unique opportunity towards the end of 2019  to go to a place I had never been, and never even considered seriously until this past year: South Africa. What an amazing experience it turned out to be. The landscape was just stunning. From mountains and vineyards to rainforests. The incredible coast from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, and of course, the wildlife on a safari in the bush country farther north. So much spectacular diversity, and I only saw a small section of the country. So let's dive in and see what I found in this remarkable place.

No.17 - 19th

My trip started out by attending a wedding at a resort that was just off the coast near the town of Hermanus. Being a wildlife sanctuary, there were plentiful birds. My girlfriend called my attention to this house across the lagoon, being a classic cape style house with the thatched roof. You can see the hillside behind looks like something out of Scotland with the greenery. After the rain we had been having, (which seemed to follow us all through our trip) the waterfalls came cascading down the steep cliffs.

After the wedding, we headed over to the coast to stay for a couple of days at an AirBnB in Gansbaii. We stayed at a lot of great little places that way, and the rates were really reasonable for us given the conversion rate from the South African Rand to the Dollar.

We got to take several walks along the ocean, mostly from nearby De Kelders. The rocky rugged coast in this area, with its orange coloration on the rocks against the deep blue of the ocean was just beautiful. One afternoon I took a hike following a trail that hugged the coastline and found lots to explore, including a seaside cave, and this nice natural archway.

A Cape Cormorant sitting atop some of the rocks along the coast.

There was also plentiful birdlife, like this Cape Cormorant sitting atop a rock outcropping near the water. You can see the coastal mountains off in the distance.

The coastline was as beautiful as anywhere I have ever seen. Living in a state more than 1000 miles from any ocean, it was a real treat for me. Not to mention a real challenge to photograph. This was a theme that would repeat itself often on this trip. Not being familiar with the lay of the land, the movement of the sun in the southern hemisphere, and the light and moods of the ocean, I found myself challenged to say the least. Photography is a discipline and art with many components. It's not always as easy as just point a camera at something and clicking the shutter. This is one of my nicer coastal landscapes, taken in the last light of day.

We finished our time in this area of the country back in Hermanus with a wonderful seafood dinner at Bientang's Cave, an amazing restaurant set right on the ocean. So close, in fact, that you could feel the spray of the waves crashing against the rocks right next to the table. This image was actually taken by my girlfriend Kat who timed it well with the crashing waves right behind me. This concludes installment one from my South Africa trip. Stay tuned for more!

Cheers!