plant Archives - Page 5 of 22

Lifeguards

Llandudno Beach is one of the Cape’s most naturally diverse beaches, surrounded by large granite boulders and overlooked by mountains. It is a popular surfing spot, but the swimming can be treacherous, with rough seas and extremely cold water. Llandudno has lifeguards on duty during the summer season, operated by the Llandudno Surf Lifesaving club. It is also the access point for the walk to Sandy Bay, an isolated beach still popular with nudists. On 26 September 1903 the valley was declared a township and named Llandudno after the North Wales seaside resort of Llandudno, which means “Parish of Saint Tudno” in the Welsh language. The striking similarities between Kleinkommetjie Bay in which the valley resides and Llandudno in Wales were noted as reasons for choosing this name.
Info source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llandudno,_Cape_Town
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The photo was taken during October 2014 at Llandudno, Western Cape, South Africa.

16 July 2019Picture of the day, Travel

Fluff

In the heart of Gauteng, lies Dinokeng – ‘a place of two rivers’, where you will find the amazing KwaThabisile. Wake up in the morning to game grazing peacefully under your bedroom window; enjoy sunset drinks overlooking the valley and watch various animals live in the bush nearby. The game in the area includes kudu, zebra, blesbuck, impala, wildebeest, eland, waterbuck, duiker, steenbuck, warthog, porcupine, jackals, caracal, mongoose, vervet monkeys, bushbaby, baboon, reptiles, snakes, frogs, and tortoises. There is a range of activities close to the lodge that will delight and occupy visitors for many hours upon a time. Visit Ostrich Paradise, Lion Camp or Roodeplaat dam; go to Cullinan and enjoy a wonderful diamond tour or a relaxing game of golf; the Kollonade shopping centre is close by as is the gaming haven of the Carousel Casino. The old Thabisile farmhouse was originally built by Italian war prisoners and has since been converted into 3 self-catering units. In case you need any amenity, there are shops, a liquor store, butchery and petrol station just 2km away.
Info source: https://www.afristay.com/p/5346
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The photo was taken during February 2019 at KwaThabisile Bush Retreat, Cullinan, Gauteng, South Africa.

9 July 2019Picture of the day, Travel

Curvature

The nyala is also a very unique species with regards to its extreme sexual dimorphism (i.e. the differences between males and females). The male is dark brown in colour while the female is a bright orange colour. Males are born the same colour as females, but as they mature they will gradually change from orange to a dark brown. In the larger antelope species, the male is known as a bull and the female is known as a cow. With smaller antelope, the male is known as a ram and the female is known as a ewe. The nyala is used as a marker to distinguish between the names given to the males and females of other antelope species. This is because of the drastic difference in size between the male and female nyala. The male nyala is classified as a bull, while the female is classified as a ewe. Any male antelope smaller than the nyala bull is classified as a ram, and any female antelope bigger than the nyala female is classified as a cow. The species is also unique in the way males compete for females. The males will display what is called a lateral display. This is when the fringe fur on the backs and bellies of the males will become rigid and stand up straight, giving them a bigger and bolder appearance. This display of size can settle a dominance dispute the majority of the time, but on rare occasions when two bull nyala are well matched, they will lock horns and fight for breeding and dominance rights. The displays are spectacular to see.
Info source: https://arathusa.co.za/a-unique-antelope-species/
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The photo was taken during September 2017 near Nkuhlu Picnic Spot, Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

4 July 2019Picture of the day, Wildlife