Home

Trip report…Day 1 in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

A curious jackel

We’d taken our time getting to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, stopping over in Cape Town, Sutherland (to visit SALT) and Upington and we’d had lots of adventures along the way …  running out of petrol, making a 4 hour detour in the night courtesy of our sat nav and narrowly avoiding a head on collision with a speeding car. By the time we reached the entrance gate of Twee Rivieren our excitement and suspense had reached ridiculous levels and we could not wait to get in and explore the park.

Our excitement was short lived when we realised just how little time we had to make the journey to Nossob. We set off in haste, forgetting to deflate our tyres and proudly apply our yellow ribbon… but a quick detour back to Twee  Rivieren remedied this. Through the maze of roadworks and incredibly corrugated roads we saw so many animals which we did not have time to stop and appreciate (bat eared foxes, a cape fox, curious jackals, secretary birds,  eagles galore and wildebeest). As we pressed on, the road conditions got worse and worse. The 4×2 rattled and shook until I was convinced  it’d fall to pieces. We had to slow to unimaginable speeds to control the vehicle and avoid it tipping, already aware that we had very limited time to make it to camp. The vibrations from the road were so intense that Ali took his wedding ring off to prevent blistering. My bones rattled and shook and I got bruises galore. It’s fair to say that we became more than a little disheartened – this trip was a dream trip to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary and it was not a promising start.

However, as we neared Nossob the roads improved slightly and we were able to stop and take stock of where we were and which roads we have left to travel. We spent a few minutes aside a very friendly black backed jackal who ran alongside the vehicle and regarded us with such curiosity. We felt our spirits lift – these are the encounters we’d travelled so far and so long to experience.

Ground Squirrel We arrived at camp exhausted but delighted to be there, and immediately grabbed a cold beer, checked out the sighting boards, amused ourselves watching the cheeky ground squirrels, scoured the trees for scops owls and set about lighting the braai. It was magical night – two jackals prowled around our braai – we couldn’t take our eyes off them for a minute otherwise they’d steal our steaks.

After dinner we grabbed an Amarula each and walked across the campsite to a clearing where we could stargaze. What I saw moved me to tears – the night sky was lit with thousands of diamond bright stars, it was simply breath-taking. We spent many an happy hour that night putting to practice identifying the constellations (as taught to us by astronomers in SALT) and spotting shooting stars. This was the Africa I fell in love with 10 years ago on honeymoon and I was thrilled to be back.

More photos from our trip are available in the Taraji Blue Kalahari photo gallery.

Ten Years Of Travels In Pictures

 

 

The recent celebration of our ten year wedding anniversary was cause for some reflection on the places we’ve been and the things we have seen. In this blog post today we celebrate ten years of travels in pictures, and what a ten years it has been!

A Young Hyena
2002 – our Honeymoon in South Africa and the start of my love affair with Africa.

 

 

Satlzberg, Austria

2003 – European rail trip, our first independent holiday, visiting Austria, Switzerland and Germany.

 

 

 

 

A herd of elephants in Kenya

2004 – we return to Africa to visit Kenya

 Kremlin and St Basils

2005 – we visit Russia, Moscow and St Petersberg

 Marine Iguana Atop A Cliff

2006 – We visit the Galapagos Islands
Our tent in Danko Harbour, Antarctica
We live our dream and bring in the New Year 2007 in Antarctica, camping on the ice

The Treasury, seen from the Siq

2008 – we spend an incredible week exploring Jordan

 Sunset Over the Maasai Mara, Kenya

2009 – we revisit Kenya, a country we have fallen in love with

 A Huge Iceberg In Greenland

2010 – we explore the Arctic aboard the MS Expedition on the trip of a lifetime

Zip lining over Costa Rican rainforests

2011 – we self-tour Costa Rica and hike, explore and zip line 300m above the rainforests at 40mph.

 A cheetah yawns after feasting on an wildebeest carcass

2012 – we celebrate 10 years of marriage in the Kalahari desert, South Africa

 

Here’s to another ten years of travel and exploration.

For additional images from our travels, including The Arctic, Antarctica, China, Russia, South Africa, Kenya, Sweden, Norway and USA please visit the Taraji Blue Photo Gallery. 

Close Encounters That Make You Feel Insignificant

Greenland’s icebergs are immense. Up to 200 feet in height, and numerous in volume. I took to the fjord in in a zodiac eager to explore further. Here I stumbled across this ice monument and was immediately enraptured by its texture, contrast and intense colour. I waited until the clouds framed the iceberg in an ethereal way and took the opportunity to capture my favourite imageNotes: Handheld on an zodiac cruise

Greenland is guaranteed to maximise any inferiority complex you might have – and if you don’t have one, it’ll nurture one. It is, without a doubt, one of the most incredible and gigantic places on earth.

200ft icebergs towering over you in every direction are bound to have a powerful effect on you. Balancing on a small inflatable zodiac you bob in-between them as they groan and roll, casting waves that threaten to topple you into the icy waters.   Here we stumbled across this ice monument and were immediately enraptured by its texture, contrast and intense colour. We waited until the clouds framed the iceberg in an ethereal way and took the opportunity to capture my favourite image.

Curtains of green aurora borealis twist over the icebergs and mountains of Rypefjord, Greenland

At night the sky comes alive with the dancing lights of the Aurora Borealis. The silence is incredible – the movements and patterns disturb no-one and make no noise.  It’s just you and nature’s greatest display. As I lay on the deck of the ship in my pyjamas in the dead of the night the lights danced around me. At one point the aurora created an incredible chandelier which seemingly danced fingers of light right onto the surface of the water. I held my fingers up, wiggling them as if I could touch and tickle the light. I looked around me and fellow passengers were doing likewise. The silence would be broken only by the sounds of giggles and gasps as the display grew in intensity. I shed a tear or two – it was overwhelming. Surely this was a dream?

Further photos of the Aurora Borealis are available in the Taraji Blue Arctic photo gallery. 

This Is Why I Love The Ocean…

A spectacular Arctic sunset illuminates the cloud layers above.

I never thought I’d be a sea-going wench. I thought myself more of a landlubber who would never get used to the pitch and roll of the ocean – especially given my tendency for land-sickness in the early days of our travels.  Truth be told, on our first major sea adventure to Antarctica I was scared stiff – half excited and half scared witless – I had tears in my eyes when boarding the ship.

However I quickly fell in love with the ocean. The Drake passage was good to us and it fuelled my wanderlust for more time on open waters. Hence our trip to the Arctic years later.

I now love the serenity and silence of the ocean. The gentle pitch of the boat, the comforting roar of the ship engines, the sounds of waves lapping your cabin window…become accustomed and you are hooked! What’s more, a still ocean is an incredible vantage point to witness nature’s most specular sunrises and sunsets. The sun breaks through the clouds casting the entire horizon in the most vivid colours imaginable.  The ship’s deck offers a 360 degree viewpoint so you can watch the entire spectacle from start to end and capture photos like these (above and below).

Distance icebergs form a vaguely familiar shape on the horizon as we leave the southern part of Scoresby Sund, eastern Greenland

Additional photos from our Arctic sea-going voyage are available in our Taraji Blue Arctic photo gallery.

 

It’s World Elephant Day Today… Recalling first close encounter with a wild elephant

 

 

A baby elephant uses his trunk to pull thorns from the ground

For many, our relationship with these vulnerable giants begins as a child. Whether it’s a fleeting glimpse of an elephant at a zoo, or an introduction to the species though nature documentaries, it’s hard not to be mesmerised by these giants of the African Savannah. But nothing, yet nothing compares to your first sighting of an elephant in the wild. It’s an experience guaranteed to catapult you back to childhood, to an age when adults towered

over you and elephants were the largest giants to roam the planet. A time when you perceived elephants to be so large that you’d have to crane your neck to glimpse the sky above their bulk.

So dominant, so overwhelming. You’ll struggle to take a breath the first time a wild elephant walks by. Rooted to the spot you’ll want to reach out, overwhelmed yet unafraid of the magnamity that is this wild beast. You’ll notice details you never have before. The long, seductive eyelashes, slowly fluttering to protect the tiniest of eyes. The whiskers protruding from the mouth, drawing further attention to the stature and age of the matriarch. The minimalist tail, naked but for a few tatty end hairs which the young cling onto.

As the elephant ambles by, you’ll notice the plodding nature of the giant feet and your attention will be drawn to the footprints left behind in the sand, their size somewhat magnified as the youngest of the herd gingerly follow in the elders’ footsteps. It’s almost hard to spot the smallest among the herd. So protective, so loving, the elder females will encourage the young to walk in the centre, ever mindful of potential dangers yet seemingly oblivious to the risks of such small and fragile frames underfoot. Morphing between giddy with excitement and shy and retiring, each elephant calf will transform before your very eyes as they gain confidence with each step and they explore new landscapes.

The trust that these young have in their elders is evidence in their body language, their cries and their gazes. Reaching up to the sky with what little strength and trunk control they have, the youngest fondly caress the trunk and mouth of stooping elders. With delightful squeals and a skip underfoot, they exhibit a freedom and a soul that’s seemingly untouched and unrivalled by humans.

This is how an elephant’s life should start.

Extract from the TarajiBlue book, Vulnerable Giants.

Ten Years Flies When You’re Having Fun!

Newly weds Marie and Ali Knock on honeymoon in a hot air balloon

We have recently celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary with a trip back to South Africa – the location of our honeymoon back in 2002.  I thought I’d take a trip down memory lane today and relive my first experience of South Africa – and reflect upon it ten years later as an older (and wiser?!) safari -goer.

Lets start with an embarrassing photo of Ali and me on honeymoon, looking like the babies we were back then. This is us on a morning balloon ride over Hazyview in Mpumalanga. It was my first time in a hot air balloon and I was a wicked combination of  a nervous wreck and ridiculously excited. Unbeknown to me, the balloon flight was subject to aircraft type controls and before I boarded I was given a boarding pass and informed of the emergency exits (!!!) The dawn flight gave us an incredible birds-eye view of Mpumalanga as we soared over rivers, valleys and hills. The landing was less serene and a lot more bumpy – we attempted to land on the back of a truck (!) .. but the champagne on arrival eased my jitters somewhat 🙂

What a fantastic welcome to Africa!

The next few days we did a combination of morning and afternoon game drives in Kruger. It was my first time on safari and I was beside myself with excitement. Before we’d even stepped foot in Kruger we’d had a hippo visit our balcony in the dead of the night and I’d been endlessly amused by the signs around our lodge freeing the management from any liability of the on-site crocodiles and loss of body parts or any deaths that might occur.

Upon entering Kruger National Park at dawn the next day we were welcomed by a herd of giraffe on the horizon – it immediately reminded me of Jurassic Park. That day we were treated to sightings of cheetah, lion, elephants, monkeys and hyena. The latter became my absolute favourite…

 

Ed The Hyena And His Stick

..Late afternoon we stumbled across a hyena den, the mother was absent and the cubs were incredibly curious. One wee fellow (which I named Ed) amused himself for 30 minutes with a single stick – trying desperatly to enter the den with it in his mouth but blocking his own entrance time and time again. Thankfully my giggles did not deter or distract him from his efforts and my heart went out to the wee guy.

However, it wasn’t long after that ‘Ed’ realised he had an audience – a prospect much more interesting than his stick. He ambled over to us, the glorious golden light of late afternoon casting an angelic light around him. He jumped up to place his paws on the back of the vehicle for a closer look – we were almost nose to nose. I kept having to remind myself this was a vicious wild animal, not the cute and cuddly teddy-bear he was pretending to be.

Whilst on our very first safari together an endless source of amusement for us was the playful vervet monkeys which were everywhere. Any attempt to enjoy a picnic and keep your food to yourself was futile. Your attentions would be temporarily diverted as one monkey would distract you and meanwhile another thieving paw would be rooting in your bag for tasty treats. As safari newbies we lost many items of our lunch – bananas, yoghurt and juice – and were lucky to retain our cameras.

Our time in Kruger was the start of a new obsession for me – I’d discovered a new world, one full of incredible wildlife, heart stopping sunsets and the most generous and friendly people I had ever met. I knew we’d be coming back!

 

Close Encounters With Another World

Space Shuttle Endeavour takes off on mission STS-130

My husband and I were lucky enough that our birthdays coordinated with the launch of the last ever night shuttle launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA.  Being space and science geeks we could think of no better way to celebrate and, after a tense ticket purchase process, we eagerly packed our bags and jumped on a flight out to the USofA.

On the evening of launch Endeavour STS -130 was delayed by 24 hours, meaning we’d end up spending three nights and 4 days without any sleep. We spent two full nights at Kennedy Space Centre on cold February evenings, anticipation building as we wondered will it / won’t it take off this time? We followed the astronauts on the big screen as they got suited and booted and took the ride to the launch pad and scaled the mighty launch towers. Commentary was provided by ex-astronauts who joined us in the cold evening air, fielding questions from the eager crowds as anticipation mounted. During the day we toured the space center and met the astronauts trying to understand what an incredible feat they were about to undertake.

28 hours after we first arrived at Kennedy Space Centre, she took to the sky. It was like nothing we’d ever experienced. Night instantly turned to day as the flames lit up the sky, creating an artificial dawn at 3:45am.  My knees literally gave way and I was grateful for my tripod as I slid to the ground I wonderment and cried tears of concern and joy.

Whilst I expected the launch to move me in ways like never before, what I did not expect was the profound impact this experience would have on us – for days we would discuss and de-construct the experience, marvelling at science’s achievements and debating whether a future generation should continue this passion for exploration. We discussed how we felt about our own lives and jobs – what it was to feel meaningful and how we could capture their spirit of exploration.  The whole experience of being at Kennedy Space Center during the prep and launch was an honour  – we met some incredible people, learned lots and were lucky enough to witness the shuttle on the launch pad literally hours before launch.  This is about as close as we will get to space (for now….)

The picture below is me with Alfred Worden, perhaps best known as America’s First Astronaut to perform a Deep Space EVA on the return from the moon aboard Apollo 15. It was an honour and a pleasure to meet him.

Marie Knock and Al Worden

Further images from Kennedy Space Center are available in our Taraji Blue USA Photo Gallery.

Cheetahs Go For Olympic Gold in the 100m run ..62mph in 3 seconds!

Cheetah on the run

Cheetahs are incredible athletes. They achieve by far the fastest land speed of any living animal—between 112 and 120 km/h (70 and 75 mph) in short bursts covering distances up to 500 m (1,600 ft),. They have the ability to accelerate to over 100 km/h (62 mph) in three seconds. That gives our Olympians something to aspire too.

On our recent trip to the Kalahari we were lucky enough to see a cheetah chase a kill a wildebeest and see her sprint in full glory.  We’d spotted her at first light walking along a riverbank – she was clearly on the prowl. We stayed with her for an hour or so and then decided to take a gamble and leave her, driving off in the direction she was heading to see if there were any large herds of prey which she might decide to hunt.

We stumbled a cross a herd of wildebeest and stopped there to wait and see if she’d appear. 45 minutes later her silhouette appeared on the river bank – she paused briefly before sprinting down the riverbank, reaching full speed as she arrived at the herd – sending them into blind panic.  She locked onto one wildebeest and begun the chase. The cheetah’s speed was no match for the beest and she quickly caught and strangled it – not before she’d chased it right into the direction of our car, narrowly missing us. It was an unbelievable opportunity to see the sprint – to literally feel her speed as she sped by the car, her tail hitting the car door. They really are incredible athletes and very, very beautiful animals.

Further images of cheetahs are available in our Taraji Blue Kalahari Photo Collection. 

Icy ‘Close Encounters’ Of The Titanic Kind

Search lights explore the surrounding fjord in an attempt to find a navigable path out of the jigsaw of icebergs that had surrounded us as we slept.

This truly was a close encounter of the titanic kind… Whilst resting in Greenland’s Scoresbysund one evening, our ship was struck by an iceberg. Our captain used powerful search lights to explore the surrounding fjord in an attempt to find a navigable path out of the jigsaw of icebergs that had surrounded us. As the single beam of light danced over the water, icebergs emerged out of the black of night. I captured this image, heart in my mouth, wondering what the beam would illuminate next.

Further images from our Greenland expedition are available in our Taraji Blue Arctic photo gallery.

 

New gallery – Images from the Kalahari, South Africa

A cheetah yawns after feasting on an wildebeest carcass

In June this year we celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary and decided to head back to the country of our honeymoon – South Africa. Only this time we didn’t seek luxury – we sought solitude, big skies and big cats, so we packed our bags and headed off to South Africa’s Northern Cape to explore the Kalahari Desert.

We had an amazing 8 nights in Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park (KTP), a haven for birds of prey and big cats. We were fortunate enough to witness a host of spectacles – from fluffy, curious cheetah cubs exploring dry riverbeds, barn owls chicks exploring their new world, tree climbing mice, mating leopards and  cheetahs chasing and killing a wildebeest before our very eyes.  We caught a lot of this on camera. I’d like to say it was sheer luck but it was more a product of hard work! We spent a lot of time tracking and observing animals to capture the behaviour we wanted to photograph, gambling on whether or not situations we anticipated would unfold.

We stayed in some of the most incredible accommodation, courtesy of SanParks who never fail to exceed expectations. From isolated dune cabins offering endless vistas night and day, to permanent tents with baths and braais ideally situated to view the endless milky way each evening. It’s the stuff  stressed out managers dream of. Nothing but you, nature and a pace slower than anything you’d ever experienced before. Days turn into weeks, nights into months. You can easily lose yourself stargazing each evening as the dazzling stars overtake the blackness of the night. You watch satellites and shooting stars fly overhead with a cold beer / glass of cape wine in hand and reflect on the beauty and wonder of mother nature.  You then awake in the dead night by owls, hyena or jackals howling outside your door, and you snuggle deeper into your thick pile blankets with a smile on your face and a longing for daybreak so you can explore some more.

To help spread the word about the incredible beauty of the Kalahari we have released the first batch of photos from our trip – more is yet to come – but we didn’t want to delay their release any longer. I hope that they give you a feel for life in this arid region and give you some sense of the desolute beauty of the place and the incredible animals that call this home. The Taraji Blue Kalahari photo gallery is available here.

(If I click my heels three times and declare “Home. Home, Home,” can I go back?!)