Kruger Park | It had always been a distant dream to take Todd to South Africa, to show him where I grew up, to meet my relatives, and to see and experience the beauty and culture of the land I was once blessed to call home. My sister, Mari-Ann, had the same ambition for her and her husband, Mark (who is Todd’s cousin). The adventure and excitement began a couple of months ago, when Todd and I were surprised with plane tickets to South Africa! (THANKS Mark & Mari-Ann!) We made the trip in March for two weeks. I wish we could’ve stayed much longer, as Todd only got a taste of Africa, but strong enough to make him fall in love with it, and for me to miss it dearly.
We spent the first couple of days in Johannesburg, showing our husbands our house that we grew up in, our elementary school, our favorite mall, restaurants etc. We also loved and cherished every moment spent with our dear Opa (grandfather) and Donate (his wife). It was exciting for me to give Todd a feel for who I was growing up, and for him to understand my background.
Then came the exciting and unforgettable trip to Kruger Park. I had only been there once, but was too young to have any memories of it. After about an eight hour drive, we arrived with much anticipation. During our drive into the park, we saw elephants and baboons right next to the road, and had a Kudu gallop across the road right in front of the car! The excitement of seeing animals this close, in their natural habitat, without fences, was a rush. We were in their territory, marveling at their beauty and power. Each morning, we got up at 5:30 (ok well tried, but only got going at 6:30) and began our expedition to find the animals and capture them. It was an experience that we won’t forget!
With a great zoom lens, I was able to capture some of the animals we saw up close! I had a hard time choosing some of my favorite photos, but eventually narrowed it down. (If you scroll over each photo, the name of the animal will appear, for those of you that are interested.) Being elusive creatures, we unfortunately did not see any of the big cats at Kruger. However, later in our trip, we visited the Lion Park, where we got to see lions and cheetahs.
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After each morning’s expedition, we stopped at a lodge to enjoy some delicious South African food, and share our stories with each other.
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Check back soon for several more blog entries with photos from the Drakensburg Mountains, The Lion Park and Cape Town.
Gorgeous pictures Dianne! South Africa is dear to my heart. Can’t wait to see your Drakensburg picts – one of the MOST spiritual places on earth.
these pictures are INCREDIBLE. I absolutely LOVE the zebra pictures!!!! soo prettyyyyy!!!
those elephant phtos are amazing! and the monkey on his mom’s back, adorable! love giraffes, too. nice.
I absolutely Love the pictures Dianne. Makes me miss South Africa so Much. can’t wait to go back home soon with my wife and 5yr. old Son. My wife is dying to go and I believe she will fall in love with the beauty of Capetown and Kruger Park. Johannesburg will be quite an experience I bet. Hahahaha. Pics look as if they were shot for a wildlife magazine. Great Job.