Johannesburg

It looks like Italy but actually this is Johannesburg and our last stop before heading back to Wellington.  See you all soon!

 The casino and indoor shopping mall where the sky turns from daylight to night just like the Venetian and Cesars palace in vegas

My Time in Shamwari Game Reserve

After a while of driving we reached our game lodge Sarili which is situated between the south side of the Shamwari game reserve, where we had a view of a wide field where we could see warthogs, Eland, Springbok, Gemsbok and more.

Every day we had to wake up at 5:30 for our first Safari which would end three hours later at 9:00 then we would have our second Safari/Last Safari of the day at 4pm.

Best pics of the first days game drives, the cats were out so we got some good sightings.

WaterBuck

Leopard

Hunting Lioness

Cheetah Brothers

Hunting for tea

 This is a baby zebra only 1 day old learning to walk.

 We stopped off for an afternoon snack which included Wine, Fizzy drinks, Biltong, Droewors, Caramelised Nuts, Bread Cheese Sticks and some Vege Crisps.

The second day was the same deal so here are the best pics from day two's Safaris.

Early morning - this is what 6am looks like in South Africa.

Giraffe

 Zebras enjoying the waterhole, the waterhole can be a dangerous place because of Lions waiting in the bushes for the exact moment to strike.

 White rhino and her cub ( One of the most if not the rarest animal on Safari anywhere).

Jackal

Cheeky Vervet Monkey back at the lodge stole our four balls of butter.

 We stopped the vehicle to listen for the Elephants and couldn't hear them so we turned the corner to find these animals right in front of us! That left us dazzled and shocked at how silent they can be.

This baby elephant was learning how to cross over a blockage.

Eventually she made it (with a little help).

This guy was right beside me so I had to stay still.

Just like my cat Paddy, handsome. RRRRROOOOAAAARRR!

Sleeping lions - we saw them the next day polishing off a baby giraffe for breakfast.

 Leopard enjoying the evening sun super close to me, so I couldn't move. Yet again.

Back to lodge for a traditional African Braai.

Day three photos.

Dawn

Oryx or Gemsbok with huge horns.

A Black not White Rhino who was hanging out with his family.

A Gemsbok with a broken horn.

Happily surrounded by Giraffes.

Hyena looking for the scraps of the baby giraffe the Lions ate this morning.

Mad giraffe who really didn't like us at all... He actually charged us and we barely got out of the way.

he stalked us, tried to block our way down the road, swung a head punch warning at us and charged at us.  Our hearts were racing!

Sunset

                                  Day 4 - front seat view to see a cheetah stalk and kill a baby springbok.

 He wasn't alone - he had help from his brother.

Off they raced, as fast as a ferrari, to catch their breakfast.

WARNING!
WARNING! WARNING!
WARNING!

THESE NEXT SET OF PHOTOS ARE GRAPHIC AND INVOLVE PHOTOS OF CHEETAH EATING A BABY SPRINGBOK, IT IS NATURE AT IT'S RAWEST AND CHEETAHS HAVE TO EAT.

The birds were going crazy above because of the kill and want to alert the Cheetah's predators, (Lions) which were making the cheetah's nervous so they started to panic that a lion might be coming to steal their catch.  

MORE GRAPHIC PHOTOS

MORE GRAPHIC PHOTOS MORE GRAPHIC PHOTOS

MORE GRAPHIC PHOTOS

Then, after our own breakfast, we flew to Johannesburg.

I loved both Safaris it was impossible not to love them.

Joseph Hewson