tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88513647755106279982024-03-06T03:39:51.194+02:00the maX fileshaving my say from the southern end of africaMax-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.comBlogger848125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-82773176748343495112016-12-28T21:30:00.001+02:002016-12-28T21:30:45.341+02:00Mutual affection - ground squirrelsWhen going into the drier parks such as the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park of the Mountain Zebra National Park, one of my first quests is to find the ground squirrels. They are definitely my favourite rodent and I can spend hours photographing them and watching their antics.<br />
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Grooming time in the Kgalagadi.<br />
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One of the advantages of a big bushy tail in a hot climate, is that it doubles up as a sun shade.<br />
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<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-73164298772824108912016-12-24T11:00:00.000+02:002016-12-24T11:00:08.592+02:00Expect the unexpectedWhen heading toward the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park it is always with a high level of expectation, from the that I will be entering one of the wildest parks in South Africa and will have many interesting and exciting sightings.<br />
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On our last trip, instead of stopping at Upington, which was the plan, we pushed through and spent the night at the Kgalagadi Lodge. It is about five kilometres from the Twee Rivieren entrance, so it meant we could get an early start to the day, and be in the Park when it was still cool.<br />
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As the main gate only opens at 7:00 am we spent the first few hours of the day relaxing and walking about at the Kgalagadi Lodge, enjoying the local bird life and then this arrived............<br />
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One expects to see the unusual when coming to the Kgalagadi.....you expect to see lions and jackals around the camps, or snakes and scorpions...........but to be confronted by something this ugly, is something else.<br />
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Who would expect to come across an Emu in this part of the world.<br />
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After the initial feelings of surprise and realising that it was not predatory, we spent some time in its company, until it wandered off.<br />
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Where it came from I do not know, but it was last seen striding down the road in the direction of Twee Rivieren.<br />
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When visiting the Kgalagadi..........expect the unexpected.<br />
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<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-69806892811230301952016-12-23T19:27:00.000+02:002016-12-23T20:38:24.093+02:00Getting launched and Merry ChristmasThe past month has passed with a flurry of activity and we are now in the final run up to Christmas.<br />
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If those of you who live in the Southern hemisphere keep a watch out for Santa tomorrow night, you may see him travelling through the sky with his new helpers....and they won't be reindeer. A new tradition started when Santa's reindeer came down in the South African bush with a big <b><span style="color: red;">BUMP</span>, </b>because there are now so many more children in the world to visit that they were too tired to pull his sleigh.<br />
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All was not lost, because the new helpers saved the day.<br />
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When launching a new book, it is always with a degree of trepidation, but Santa's New Helpers has so far exceeded expectations and is selling up a storm. It has provided the impetus for the following books in the series to be published.<br />
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Aside from the launch Sue and I had a whistle-stop tour around the country, promoting the book and dropping copies off at our various suppliers, old and new.<br />
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Being the people we are, Sue and I could not confine our trip to selling alone. Since we were going to be in the Northern Cape anyway, why not make a small detour (about 1,500 kms) to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park? The trip has provided some wonderful source material for the drawings for the next book, which we hope to launch about mid 2017.<br />
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We would like to thank all our stockists for their support in getting the book out into the market and to wish you all a <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR</span></b>.Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-21079931702059903752016-11-21T22:50:00.000+02:002016-11-21T22:51:57.007+02:00Santa's New Helpers - Book LaunchThere's lots of excitement in the Hoppe household tonight, because tomorrow will be the fulfillment of a dream of many years, when my first childrens' book arrives.<br />
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Santa's New Helpers is the first in the series Tales from the Waterhole. It is a fun story about how Santa, with help from a very unexpected source, was able to continue delivering the toys when his reindeer dropped from the sky, in the South African bush, too exhausted to carry on. <br />
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The book is full of the most delightful drawings done by Theresa Hardman, local artist and architect.<br />
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You are welcome to join us at the official launch is on Wednesday, 23 November 2016. See details below.<br />
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<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-10229218555127692752016-11-07T13:52:00.002+02:002016-11-07T13:53:23.278+02:00Santa's New Helpers - Coming Soon<br />
Santa's New Helpers will be giving Christmas a decidedly African feel this year. It will be on the shelves of selected book shops and padstalle, by the end of November.<br />
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It's a fun book, with wonderful drawings and will be available in three of our official eleven languages.<br />
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Alternatively keep an eye on the <a href="http://elgeckopublishing.co.za/" target="_blank">El Gecko Publishing website</a>, where you can order on line.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfN7BIYXSfKVLI9WwgURVQ-FWjPct3K6vcnPl97X4F208QUHlaDtZF7xg_dNvhaCvCYMjZLGrzq5wxXm90EoH7OwfD61IG2RkAhYoK9T9zq7GTLqg25c-ubqwu5lNki1uoNJB9-6l9Dg/s1600/santa+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfN7BIYXSfKVLI9WwgURVQ-FWjPct3K6vcnPl97X4F208QUHlaDtZF7xg_dNvhaCvCYMjZLGrzq5wxXm90EoH7OwfD61IG2RkAhYoK9T9zq7GTLqg25c-ubqwu5lNki1uoNJB9-6l9Dg/s640/santa+1.jpg" width="640" /></a>Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-58397569628788931912016-11-03T20:50:00.003+02:002016-11-03T20:53:54.748+02:00Skywatch Friday - roaring through the skies<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been in the blogging wilderness for a while but I'm back.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sadly the Port Elizabeth airshow has been cancelled this year, but I still have unpublished from the last one. The gloomy day combined with the smoke trails make a dramatic backdrop for the fly-by by the Mango Airlines Boeing 737 800 and the
Silver Falcons team, in their Pilatus PC-7 Turbo-Trainers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visit the <a href="http://skyley.blogspot.co.za/" target="_blank">Skywatch</a> site for more photos taken by enthusiastic sky watchers from around the world. </span>Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-75231300435521877072016-11-03T12:51:00.000+02:002016-11-03T18:53:59.732+02:00Santa's New Helpers - soon to be published<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">t's finally happened!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">After having written a number of children's books over many, many
years, the first one is about to be published, through<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://elgeckopublishing.co.za/" target="_blank">El Gecko Publishing</a>, the
new indie kid on the block. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="background: #e6e6e6; color: #6fa8dc;">Santa's
New Helpers</span></b><span style="background: #e6e6e6; color: #333333;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">is book 1 in the collaborative new series, </span><b><span style="background: #e6e6e6; color: #6fa8dc;">Tales from the
Waterhole,</span></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">by me (Max Hoppe - author) and Theresa Hardman
(illustrator). </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over the past two years, I have discovered that books don't just happen. Writing
them is one thing, but getting them published into the market is another. This
one has exceeded my wildest expectations, with input from a very able and
enthusiastic team.</span></span></span><br />
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Theresa's illustrations are brilliant, and capture the essence of the story with
great style. They have added the wow factor to the book..........</span></span><br />
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The layout has been done with artistic flair by Sue Hoppe, who spent many hours
poring over her computer screen, until she got it just right.</span></span><br />
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The book will also be available in three languages. Mignonne van Heerden
brought her enthusiasm to the team, when she said it should not only be
published in English, and translated it into Afrikaans. Soon afterwards, Mpumi
Buyana stepped in and did the IsiXhosa translation.</span></span><br />
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The book should be ready for release in about the second last week of November
2016.</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>A taste of forthcoming attractions</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://elgeckopublishing.co.za/store/image/data/blog/santa_p34_eng_640x640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://elgeckopublishing.co.za/store/image/data/blog/santa_p34_eng_640x640.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Back cover - English version</b></span><br />
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Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-78934430533702295652016-11-02T09:37:00.000+02:002017-02-04T15:15:22.982+02:00Time to shake off the dustAfter being in the cyber wilderness for just over a year, it is time to shake the dust off The Max Files and breathe new life into my blog.<br />
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Much has been happening with me and Suzi over the past few years as we have travelled about South Africa and abroad and in-between launched our indie publishing business. We found that trying to get our books published by the main stream publishers was never going to be a proposition, so we took the plunge and dived headlong into publishing our first book. From there the business has taken on a life of its own.<br />
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Our first hard copy books:<br />
<ul>
<li>It all began with "The Climax Collection, the Secret Life of Windmills" a quirky but naughty coffee table book that looks at what they get up to when we are not looking. The books is filled with pictures of windmills taken on our travels, with captions to insure that you will never look at these iconic South African landmarks the same again. We are now into the third print run.</li>
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<li>This was followed by "<strike>Travels</strike> troubles with Koos". Written by Sue, it is a fun look at our travels around South Africa in my quirky and unreliable 4x4. The book is entertaining but at the same time provides great photos, details of interesting places and how to get there.</li>
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<li>We then decided to launch the Climax Collection 2. Another fun coffee table book that takes a look at what music windmills listen to when we are not around. </li>
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<li>Currently at the printers and to be launched before Christmas is, "Santa's New Helpers". It is the first children's books from the series of African stories, "Tales from the Waterhole" that I've written. The book has been superbly illustrated by Port Elizabeth artist Theresa Hardman and promises to be a winner.</li>
</ul>
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Visit the <a href="http://elgeckopublishing.co.za/" target="_blank">El Gecko Publishing website</a> for more information about these books and other products.</div>
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<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-28705079499312562952015-10-21T13:20:00.002+02:002015-10-21T13:27:51.803+02:00Enjoy the little guys<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As a regular national parks visitor it never ceases to amaze me how so many visitors get fixated on seeing the big five to the exclusion of all else. There are so many beautiful and interesting birds, animals and reptiles to see that it seems a shame to limit your options.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Striped
field mice and a Kalahari Tree Skink cohabiting quite amicably. Lijersdraai,
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Ground
agama. According to the bushmen if the agama climb a bush and look north it
will rain within 24 hours. In this case they were absolutely right - that night we had a good
old fashioned thunder storm</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I've seen many foreign tourists haring around Addo looking for the lions, in the hopes of finding them conveniently posing for alongside the road. It doesn't work that way. Generally they leave disappointed. Sue and I adopt the approach of enjoying everything we see.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This little Bar-throated Apalis is extremely difficult to photograph, as they usually frequent thick scrub and never seem to stop and take a break. If you don't take time out to look for them you might just miss a special sighting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I can sit and watch the little guys for hours. Let's face it, you get more action from a few active striped field mice than you could ever hope to get from a pride of sleeping lions. Don't get me wrong, coming across lions in the wild still gives me a thrill, but there is a limit to how long I can sit and watch them sleep. When they are on move or hunting they are awesome - but they probably sleep for about 20 hours a day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This shot was taken at Lijersdraai, in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park, a short while after leaving a lion sighting at Kwang. This was really a special moment, watching the interaction between the Striped Field Mice and the Sociable Weavers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On one trip to Addo Sue and I came to a quick stop when we spied some Karoo rats on the side of the road. We sat there for quite a long time watching then and enjoying their antics. A few cars drew up alongside us and the eager occupants wanted to know what we were looking at. "Rats," came the short reply and their interest waned like a popped balloon.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A striped field mouse taking a big chance out in the open. Marie se Draai, Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When going into the bush look for the little guys, they might be small, but they are interesting and can give you plenty of viewing pleasure. And if you prefer lions, scroll down the page and meet the ladies from Kwang.</span></div>
Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-71967741011926220962015-10-15T12:50:00.000+02:002015-10-15T13:04:45.218+02:00Romance in the Kgalagadi - ground squirrel style<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I first came across ground squirrels in the wild they very quickly became my favourite rodent. Suzi and I can sit for hours watching their antics and and before we know it we've clicked away many gigs of space on our SD cards.</span><br />
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I managed to capture t<span style="font-family: inherit;">his little interlude at Nossob in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, when this fellow had designs on one of the "ladies", who very clearly </span>was <span style="font-family: inherit;">not interested.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is nothing subtle about this male ground squirrel in hot pursuit of this female at Nossob.</span><br />
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Gotcha..........or so he thinks, as he eagerly continues his pursuit......<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHKKGYaex68QZU09KW6I9CJmfeuwr6Hb2_6jZlGfX-VQoKPIC7c8V6Dm0xoa5vo0JiA7L8hdzJgl8GDUBxnPjUJ80MR-pTd9s_3rmvVqmCWqAmtKu444djddbqnGSHMlyYdxJVq8qagE/s640/A+IMGP3307.JPG" width="640" /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">.........it's
now time for some action.......... or so he thinks............</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Not
to day old fellow," the one in the background seems to say, as she
disappears into the burrow.</span></span><br />
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Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-72790429615319003222015-09-22T08:53:00.000+02:002015-09-22T09:31:52.910+02:00World Rhino Day 2015 - Persevering to preserve our rhinos<div style="text-align: center;">
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Let us celebrate and enjoy these magnificent animals and preserve them for the future generations. The thrill I experience when coming across rhinos in the bush is something I will never lose or get tired of and it will be a sad day if future generations are only able to view rhinos in maximum security zoos. </div>
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We need more than mere words to tackle the onslaught of organised crime that seems to be intent on wiping out these animals - stronger action is needed. Justice needs to be swift and harsher penalties must be implemented.</div>
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This is not just a problem for the countries that are fighting an ongoing war against poachers, but is a world wide problem. The sooner all nations realise this and get serious about wiping out the scourge of poaching the better. I am no trying to minimise the work that is being done, as there have been some awesome initiatives. What I am suggesting is that there needs to be a greater level cooperation between countries in the fight to preserve our rhinos. </div>
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I would also like to pay tribute to all the tireless warriors who have persevered in the fight to preserve our rhinos, no matter what role they have played. </div>
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<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-10671875469803940422015-09-20T19:14:00.002+02:002015-09-20T19:18:50.966+02:00Spring flowersIt is spring and the country side is a blaze of colour, but one aspect about living in the Eastern Cape is that no matter what month it is you will always find flowers.<br />
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A trip to the van Staden's Wild Flower Reserve this weekend provided a delightful feast for the senses.<br />
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King protea opening up<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Pincushion protea (Leucospermum cuneiforme) is
putting on a magnificent display.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Strelitzia regina also known as the crane flower or bird of paradise.<br />
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<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-16959322450811328552015-08-21T22:44:00.000+02:002015-10-21T13:30:17.171+02:00The ladies from KwangWhen you see lions on the move it is invariably a great thrill, but mostly when you come across them they are taking time out. It's almost like watching the grass grow. They stretch out and sleep and generally take it easy and you can sit and watch them for hours and nothing happens other than changing positions and getting more comfortable.<br />
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But even so, if you choose your moment you can get some gems, because they are after all still cats.<br />
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Like domestic cats they do have a need to press up against another living being.<br />
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<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-45630027634630019032015-06-01T20:13:00.003+02:002015-10-21T13:29:22.028+02:00Taking a break - or just lion aboutThese two lionesses, at Kwang in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park are doing what lions are so adept at doing....taking a break. It does not matter where you find them, or how big or small they are, a cat will remain a cat. They know how to make themselves comfortable and ignore the world around them.<br />
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Most people who see the lions in the wild go completely moggy and entrench themselves alongside these felines for the day. As magnificent as they are I find that there is a limit to how long I can sit and watch lions sleep. These two were part of a much larger pride that we came across early in the morning and after watching them for a while left. When we returned in the late afternoon, they were still taking it easy.Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-26184104930973315352015-05-28T20:02:00.000+02:002015-05-28T20:02:37.789+02:00Skywatch Friday - back in the airI'm a sucker for an airshow. If it's on I'm there and nothing will keep me away, because I get such a thrill watching these machines doing their thing in the sky.<br />
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These shots were taken at the 2014 airshow in Port Elizabeth.<br />
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The big mango and the Silver Falcons (SA Air Force aerobatics team) going through their paces<br />
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When it comes to versatility and thrills, you just can't beat the Pitts Specials<br />
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.......especially when they do the "mirror"...............................<br />
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..........or how about doing an inside loop?<br />
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For more great photos from around the world, visit the team of photographers at <a href="http://skyley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Skywatch</a>.Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-52186792847961983242015-05-27T22:11:00.001+02:002015-05-27T22:16:57.808+02:00The quick and the dead<div>
Dead trees standing starkly in a field of lush green grass.</div>
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This was one of those unhappy moments in the life of a photographer when I realised that I had accidentally moved the settings dial and over exposed the photo. The result was not what I expected, but after playing around with the contrast and luminescence settings I ended up quite liking the result. I do so love the digital era.</div>
Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-6044847867272470672015-05-01T21:04:00.001+02:002015-05-01T21:06:22.713+02:00Skywatch Friday - The day the sky came down to earthMy, my but the week has flown by quickly.<br />
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With two long weekends in a row and a short week in between, with only three working days, it been a manic time, trying to get through all my work.<br />
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Last weekend Suzie-K and I did a spontaneous trip to the Mountain Zebra National Park. What was just going to be a day visit turned into an overnight stay, when we secured a chalet as a result of a cancellation. Unless you book well in advance accommodation in the Park is not available over a long weekend.<br />
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But for that we would never have seen the sky come down to earth.............<br />
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This picture was taken three years ago looking in the same direction at the endless vista of rolling hills that disappeared when the sky came down.<br />
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Two mountain zebras having a drink in a pool, reflecting their images and the sky. These rare animals may at a first glance look like their cousins, the burchell's zebra, but they are quite different with denser stripes, a brown muzzle, a dewlap and slightly larger ears.<br />
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More pictures from around the world can be seen at the <a href="http://skyley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Skywatch</a> site.<br />
<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-6252523153687976412015-04-23T21:14:00.001+02:002015-04-23T21:14:39.811+02:00Skywatch Friday - Kgalagadi Sunset and BateleursThe Kgalagadi has definitely become one of my favourite spots in South Africa, in spite of its harsh and inhospitable climate, but for me that is part of the attraction.<br />
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Add to that its rugged beauty and its variety of wildlife from antelope to predators and the unbelievable variety of bird-life from the little brown jobs to the magnificent raptors. It is no wonder the place is fully booked a year in advance. Once it gets into your soul you can't get it out.<br />
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This sunset scene was captured along the Nossob River, with the clouds starting to build up at the beginning of the rainy season.<br />
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I usually keep my posts to one picture, but today I have decided to also include some of the magnificent raptors I was waxing lyrical about. The Bateleurs do not subscribe to the old adage that the early bird catches the worm. They are late risers and prefer to wait for the sun to rise before they do. Bateleurs are scavengers and set off as soon as the air to warms up, so that they can catch the thermals and look for their prey, or should that be carrion.<br />
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For more super pictures from around the world visit the <a href="http://skyley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Skywatch</a> site.Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-61488521019438906692015-04-23T20:21:00.000+02:002015-04-23T20:43:24.607+02:00The Climax Collection - The Secret Life Of Windmills - Special Offer<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">In honour of world book day, for today and tomorrow only (up to
midnight, SA time, 24-04-2015) if you order one copy of the Climax Collection:
The secret life of Windmills online from our website (<a href="http://www.theclimaxcollection.co.za/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #333333; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.theclimaxcollection.co.za</span></a>),
you will get a second copy for free, ideal as a Mother's or Fathers Day gift.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">The Climax Collection - The Secret Life Of Windmills is a unique book
which combines elements of coffee table photography and colloquial South
African humour, with playful innuendo around the fact that most windmills in SA
are Climaxes. It even offers a gentle armchair tour around some of South
Africa’s back roads, because most of the photos have captions showing where the
windmills were found.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">It’s a fun book with quality photos of a well-loved South African icon,
and the irreverent captions give it an amusing and unexpected twist. All this
makes it the perfect gift for anyone who loves windmills and humour and is
especially ideal for the man who is hard to shop for. The compact format makes
this book easy to post overseas to all those visitors who would like a reminder
of our unique country and to ex-pats who look forward to anything that reminds
them of home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">Not one of the pictures from the book, but one taken on a recent trip to
the Northern Cape, which I have called the "Sociable Climax" because
the Sociable Weavers have decided that this is a perfect place to build their
nest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">Just for fun I have also added a picture of two Sociable Weavers, being
sociable with a stripe field mouse at the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. This is
an arid part of the country, where the windmills have a vital role in providing
water to the animals in the park. The water these guys are drinking was poured
into the bottle caps left lying about by careless picnickers - kind of shows
how scarce water is for these creatures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-75872823807979414722015-03-05T21:26:00.001+02:002015-03-05T21:26:39.092+02:00Skywatch Friday - Clouds and dustThis was one of those moments when a sudden change in the weather occurred and created a picture perfect moment. The clouds started filling the sky and the gusts of wind that seemed to spring up spontaneously created mini dust storms in the road - nice for photography, but hectic out in the open.<br />
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For more Skywatch photos from around the world <a href="http://skyley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</div>
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Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-24091668683525428202015-02-19T20:39:00.002+02:002015-02-19T21:26:19.942+02:00Skywatch Friday - Fifty Shades of BlueTravelling between the towns of Aberdeen and Klipplaat I stopped to photograph a row of sisal plants, when another photo opportunity presented itself, in the form of a troop of vervet monkeys that had been feeding on the pods. This guy kind of blended in with the sky.....well ever so slightly.<br />
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Many more super pictures from around the world can be viewed at the <a href="http://skyley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Skywatch</a> page.Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-71087213621856163152015-01-08T22:11:00.000+02:002015-01-08T22:12:26.071+02:00Skywatch Friday - Mata Mata SunsetThis was one of those moments where I had to stop the car and enjoy the sunset even though there was a race against time to get back to camp, before the gates closed. With the dry air and dust the sunsets in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park are breathtaking.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #e6e6e6; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Visit </span><a href="http://skyley.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: #e6e6e6; color: #e1771e; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Skywatch</a><span style="background-color: #e6e6e6; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> for more great pictures from around the world.</span><br />
<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-84509514078149122752015-01-01T09:32:00.000+02:002015-01-01T09:48:03.293+02:00Happy New Year May 2015 be the start of many good journey's for you. May your roads be without too many bumps and if there are may you sail over all obstacles without a care. Let 2015 be a fantastic year, look for adventure, take risks, have fun and make your dreams happen. When the road starts to get blurry, stop and smell the flowers. Spend time enjoying the sunsets and sunrises and look for the rainbows. Take pleasure in all that is around you and look forward to seeing what new experiences the next rise or turn in the road brings.<br />
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<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-12024657165435406562014-12-19T12:09:00.002+02:002014-12-19T12:15:24.513+02:00Lappet-faced Vulture - KgalagadiThe Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park can become a special place, if you allow it to get into your soul. I did not feel like that on my first visit last month, because the place is so hostile. It is almost as though it is conspiring to see how it can make life uncomfortable for you, but the heat, wind storms, dust storms and thunderstorms all become part of the experience and is what sets it apart from other parks.<br />
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Processing my photos after the trip is what has done it for me and I will have to start planning the next trip soon. It's not as though you can just decide to jump in your car and go there. You have to book your accommodation a year in advance - that tells you something about the place and its popularity.<br />
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One of the amazing features of the Park for me was the variety and number of raptors that one gets to see there. The Lappet-faced Vulture is just one of these - a magnificent bird, always ready to clean up after the predators.<br />
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<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8851364775510627998.post-37510884776168512762014-11-26T23:40:00.000+02:002014-11-26T23:40:03.731+02:00BateleurThis was one of those moments in photography that you dream of.....getting this close to a Bateleur. We disturbed him while he was on the ground at Melkvlei in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and followed him to a tree where he had settled.<br />
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After taking a number of photos from various distances before he was frightened off, we were eventually parked under the tree with him peering down at us through the sunroof.<br />
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These are truly magnificent birds.<br />
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<br />Max-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262963488938958848noreply@blogger.com3