Today to got my Land Rover Defender assigned to me, my real “open air office”. Thanda 3 is not a new Landi, but he has a lot of character 🙂
I took him for the first drive this afternoon (to start learning the roads) and I ran into a large group of Giraffe. Looking at the picture above it is no wonder that a group of Giraffe is called a Journey of Giraffe.
The two pictures below are of one of Giraffe in the evening sun and Thanda3 in front of Thanda House.
Enjoy the pictures!
In my blog message on Friday I mentioned various birds around my Thanda Lodge room.
Here are four pictures I took that evening sitting by the small pool on my porch.
They are Pied Crows (top left), a White-brown Scrub Robin (top right), a Green-winged Pytilia (bottom left) and a Yellow-bellied Greenbul (bottom right). I hope I identified them correctly (I am still a bit shaky when it comes to birds 🙂
Good night from South Africa!
Yesterday and today I moved all my stuff into Thanda House. The office is still a “work in process”, but here are a view pictures of my room at the house.
It is certainly a room with a view. The picture with the Giraffe and my car was taken from my front door 🙂
More to come …
PS: The Journey of Giraffe was made up of 18 animals – adults and youngsters!
Today is a very happy day for me 🙂
After many years of planning to work in South Africa I have arrived at Thanda Private Game Reserve and I am enjoying a beautiful winters evening at the Thanda Lodge. I got a very warm welcome from staff members – many still knew me from my previous visits.
Tomorrow I will move into my room and my office at Thanda House.
This is a picture of the view from the porch of guest room No.9 at the Thanda Lodge (where I am typing this blog message right now).
The only sounds I can hear are the birds around the place – heavenly 🙂
I got my new car today 🙂 Tomorrow I will be on the way to Thanda Private Game Reserve, my new home and workplace in Kwazulu Natal.
These are two pictures of me and my new vehicle in front of my friends’ house in Pretoria.
Thanks again to all my friends in the USA and Europe who contributed to my African car fund.
And here is a little preview of what is come: Below is a picture of a herd of buffalo which I took at one of my previous visits at Thanda.
More to follow soon …
… and for the car enthusiasts: The car is a Toyota Fortuner 3.0 Diesel – 4×4 with manual transmission (http://www.toyota.co.za/VehicleRange.aspx?vehicleRangeId=13).
After a my short visit to Germany and Switzerland I have arrived in South Africa.
The picture above is a first glance at my new home country shortly before the plane landed in Johannesburg. The weather was beautiful at my arrival – a good start!
For a few days I am staying with very good friends in Pretoria, sorting out the necessities of modern live (phone, car, … 🙂 before I will make my way to my new workplace – Thanda Private Game Reserve – in Kwazulu Natal.
The picture below documents my last look at a beautiful sunset in Zürich, Switzerland, before I boarded the plane to South Africa on Saturday evening.
More from South Africa soon ….
Some of you have asked what I will take to South Africa and what I will do with all the things I cannot take with me. Here are the answers:
This is a picture of the Pelican cases with all my stuff, to be sent by sea to South Africa. They will arrive a few weeks after I will have arrived at Thanda.
This is a picture of the four cases and the bag which will travel with me on the planes first to Switzerland and then from there to South Africa.
I will only take my cameras, computers, clothes and a few other personal items to South Africa. Everything else has to go!
So here is the procedure how I will get rid of my belongings:
Where: My apartment at 6900 Lenox Village Drive – Unit 320, Nashville, TN, 37211, Phone 347 819 3030
DIRECTIONS to the SALE : from the corner of Nolensville and Old Hickory go south on Nolensville for about 1 mile. After you see the PIE IN THE SKY restaurant on the left turn left at the next traffic light (this Lenox Village Drive)
Then turn right into the parking garage of 6900 Lenox Village Drive and drive one floor up (this is considered level 3). Park your car in one of the 2 hour places on the west side of the parking. Enter the building (on the south side). This is the block with my apartment and your are on the correct level. Go to apartment 320. If you have problems finding it give me a call (347 819 3030).
When: From May 22 to May 24 from 3pm to 7pm
Open House Sale – Day 1 and Day 2
Tuesday May 22, 2012 and Wednesday May 23, 2012
On these two days I will sell all items in my apartment. All sales are cash and carry! (Any purchased item must be taken away on the day of the sale).
Open House Give Away – Day 3
Thursday May 24, 2012
On this day all remaining items (not sold on day 1 or 2) are giveaways. You may pick them up any time between 3pm and 7pm
Goodwill – Day 4
Friday May 25, 2012
All items not gone by then will be moved to goodwill on this day. And then I am ready to leave 🙂
What items are for sales:
– Computers
– Screen
– TV
– Blu-ray player
– Surround sound system
– Tables
– My famous wooden cubes (large and small)
– Briefcase
– Printer
– Speakers
– Cabinets
– Bed
– Plastic containers all sizes
– Glasses
– Plates
– Cutlery
– Lamps
– Books
– Clocks
– Clothes
– Shoes
– Safe
–
… and many other items …
Note: Unfortunately I have no time for previews and answers to questions about the sales items. If you are interested you have to come and see yourself.
Looking forward to seeing you at the sale 🙂
Small Cheetahs – as all other small cats – love to climb. Once they grow up it is much harder to get onto trees with their “semi-retractable” claws. These claws are designed like spikes to aid fast acceleration.
Nevertheless, in the picture below an adult male Cheetah climbed a low branch for a better look around in the morning mist.
Enjoy the pictures 🙂
For more Cheetah images go to http://www.sperka.biz/cheetah
From now until end of May I will be preparing my move to South Africa. This will leave me less time than usual for shooting pictures and posting blog message.
Once I have arrived and settled in at Thanda (South Africa) I will be posting again regularly (probably end of June 2012).
Thanks for subscribing to and reading my blog!
PS: I will post as often as possible during the move and let you know how it is going 🙂
[View all Pictures of the Week 2012]
This weeks’ pictures are in honor of two of my favorite mammal species which are under the threat of extinction by humans. If the poaching madness is not stopped these creatures, which were on this planet long before us, will disappear forever!
The main difference between Black Rhino and White Rhinos is the shape of their mouths. White Rhinos have broad flat lips for grazing and Black Rhinos have long pointed lips for browsing foliage. A popular theory claims that the name White Rhinoceros was actually a corruption of the word weid (“wide” in Afrikaans), referring to their square lips.
“Rhino Dawn”
More about Rhinos:
Rhinoceros, often abbreviated as rhino, is a family of five species of knee-less, odd-toed ungulates. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia.
The Rhinoceros family is characterized by its large size, with all of the species able to reach one tonne or more in weight; a herbivorous diet; a thick protective skin; relatively small brains for mammals this size; and a large horn.
Rhinoceros are killed by humans for their horns, which are bought and sold on the black market, and which are used by some cultures for ornamental or (pseudo-scientific) medicinal purposes. The horns are made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails.
Click here if you would like to help the “Save our Rhino” effort on Thanda Private Game Reserve.
Click here is you would like to know more about the “Rhino Poaching Issue”.
Click here if you would like to see more of my Black Rhino pictures.
Click here if you would like to see more of my White Rhino pictures.
Christian Sperka Photography | Custom Luxury Tours 