SNOW IN THE BERG

South Africa isn't a country normally associated with snow, however there are a few locations where snow can be expected in the winter months; particularly the Drakensberg Mountain range soaring an incredible 10 000ft above sea level.

The Afrikaans name Drakensberge comes from the name the earliest Dutch settlers to the region gave it. They called them the Mountains of Dragons; an apt name indeed for this mythical and savage mountain range.

We recently went in search of snow in the Drakensberg and were rewarded with a light dusting of white on the high peaks. With all the holes we have cut in our aircraft for photography, I must say it was slightly chilly up there with temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius, but with the help of excellent piloting and a few flasks of hot coffee we managed to capture a few images of one of South Africa's most beautiful World Heritage Sites

                                     

TOURISM & CONSERVATION IN THE PILANSBERG NATIONAL PARK

Recently I accompanied Rae Safaris on an unusual Tourism meets Conservation safari at the Pilansberg National Park, with a group of veterinarians and animal behaviourists.

For the first couple of days we used telemetry to track down predators with the exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate John Power and Andrew Rae. Then followed up with a series of white and black rhino notchings and chipping with the Pilansberg Rhino Protection Service.

This was an exceptional few days where we got up close and personal to one of Africa's greatest of mammals in a meaningful way, that contributes not only towards their protection but also to our scientific understanding of them.