Club events:
Outing to Hluhluwe
Mfolozi Game reserve 2010 Umfolozi
Challange 2010
Feel free to request info, or just
write to us @
info@beachcombers.co.za
ZO Photo Competition results !!
Magnificent
Zululand Photo Competition hosted by the Zululand Observer
CONGRATULATIONS to Gavin Fordham for winning
the OPEN category,
and Sias van Schalwyk,
Winning the NATURE category.
Thanks
to the Zululand Observer for hosting the compitition,
and Canon,
Mondi, Mhlatuze, Kit's Photo, Photo First and Kwela Print & Sign
who all sponsored prices.
Outing to Hluhluwe
Mfolozi Game reserve - (Manie Combrinck)
We recently went on our now
famous outing
to the Hluhluwe Mfolozi Game Reserve with the assistance of our Deputy
President, Annett Nell. Annett, being
the force behind the chairman of the honorary game rangers, arranged
for us to
stay at Toboti, a sort of a bush camp only accessible to a lucky few. But then, if you know the right people (like
Annett) you can also be one of the lucky few who has access to Toboti.
We arrived there on a
chilly Friday evening
and were looking forward to the heat of a well stoked camp fire. The sun was setting and the evening sounds of
the African bush were all around. Hyenas
called outside the fence of Toboti and with a glass of red wine in
hand, I went
to light the fire. But where was the
wood that Annette promised would be there?
A thorough search produced a few
wet logs which we kept burning with some charcoal.
It was a chilly smoky evening but the wine
was good. We were up
early the next morning and got
some shots of the dead trees around Thoboti.
We then all headed into our own direction to find something to
photograph but the animals remained elusive to most of us.
Not so for Zeigfried and Ingred Weinert who
found two cheetah and made the most of it.
We eventually found a heard of elephant hiding in the bush which
made
them difficult to photograph. We headed
back to camp and had an awesome breakfast.
Annett was so disgusted that the
honorary
Parks Board Members failed to supply us with wood that she called a
meeting of
all of them on the Saturday Morning. We don’t know what she said to
them –
maybe it is better if we don’t – but after the meeting Danie arrived
with a
truckload of properly dry African thornbush wood, enough to cook a
buffalo on.
Before we could start
the evenings cooking
though, we headed out in the afternoon in search of prize winning
photographs. We found some at the
hide not far from Toboti
when a herd of impala, a heard of buffalo and a few nyalas came to
drink.
After that it was back to Toboti
to light a
proper camp fire and braai the meat that the Club supplied. This time we had a proper camp fire with lots
of coals to braai the meat on. There
were even enough coals to make a potjie of putu. In
between we even had time to take long
exposure photographs of the aloes and stars.
All too soon
Sunday morning arrived and it
was time to pack up and head home. But
we will be back there soon – the Club has another outing planned to
take
pictures at the Mfolozi Mountain Bike Challenge. This time we
will be taking pictures of a different
kind of animal – Mountainbikers. If your
name is on the list, you will be one of the lucky few to attend.
Umfolozi
Challange
- (Manie
Combrinck)
Conquering the fierce lions, elephant and
cyclists of the mighty Imfolozi Game Reserve
If anybody tells
you that photographers are not brave creatures, he is not to be
believed. This
year was the second year that the brave photographers of the
Beachcombers Photography
Club overcame everything that the game Park and cyclists could throw at
them.
They braved the elements and wildlife to take prize-winning photographs
of the
cyclists cycling through some of the most pristine lion, elephant,
buffalo,
rhino and leopard infested wilderness areas in the world.
The Imfolozi
Mountain bike challenge is a unique event that happens once a year in
July when
approximately 300 cyclists are allowed to cycle through the otherwise
closed
wilderness area of the Imfolozi game reserve. The route follows an old
4x4
track through the game reserve in which the big five roam freely. To protect the cyclists and photographers,
the 55km route is patrolled by game wardens that ensure that any
dangerous
animals are kept at bay. This can however not be guaranteed.
The proceedings
start on the Friday evening with the prize giving.
Everybody then stays over on the Game Reserve
on the Friday evening as the cycle challenge starts on Saturday morning
at
8:00. The prize giving is on the
Saturday evening. Sunday is free time to
do some game watching. On our arrival we
were treated with a lion kill 1km from the gate and a few kilometres
from the
camping area. The lions were still
feeding on the giraffe they caught next to the road and were later
joined by a
leopard. This set the scene for the rest
of the weekend as some of the cyclists were also rewarded with a wild
dog kill
the next morning on the way to the start of the cycle challenge.
Our
club was
once again invited to take photographs of the cyclists as they race
through the
game reserve trying to keep ahead of the elephants, lion, and buffalo.
In order
to take the photographs, our club members were stationed at interesting
points
along the route and were allowed to leave the vehicles to get their
shots. The
points could only be reached by 4x4 vehicles and the vehicles could not
be
parked within close proximity of the route due to the rough terrain.
This left
our members high and dry should any member of the big five come
prowling.
In addition
to
the wild animals, our members also had to endure the rustic camping
facilities
that the Park provides for this event. The only time that anyone can
camp in
the Imfolozi Game Reserve is during this event. The photographers were
allowed
to camp in a small area next to the Centenary Centre.
Showers were provided in the form of
scaffolding covered with shade cloth. A
bucket of hot water is then collected from the donkey (a geyser heated
by fire)
which is pulled up into the scaffolding on a rope.
The bucket is fitted with a shower head
underneath which is then opened to shower. As long as the water was
running,
you had to keep on singing or blow bubbles; otherwise you were harassed
by the
shower attendants.
The toilets
were
a special treat. Temporary toilets were placed all around the camping
area for
our use. After being used by 300 cyclists who had suspect pasta for
dinner, the
toilets were, let’s say, an experience to behold. Fortunately the
photographers
were able to use the permanent toilets at the Centenary Centre.
After
taking the
photographs, our members had to rush back to where the cyclists
finished downloading
the photographs to enable us to write it to disk. We then proceeded to
sell the
discs to the cyclists. The profits that were made in selling the CD’s
went to
club funds. The club made a profit of approximately R2000 from selling
the CD’s
which will be used for venue hire, gift vouchers, etc.
I am happy
to
report that all our photographers survived the ordeal in the game
reserve with
all their arms and legs intact. The same cannot be said of the
cyclists. Two broke their collarbones and
broke a leg on
the rough terrain. Medical assistance was close at hand and those who
were
injured received immediate attention.
Our Club
President swopped his camera for a mountain bike and participated in
the
event. He honourably finished in the top
30 and managed to improve his best time of the previous 5 events by 5
minutes. (You can see why it is called the
Big 5
Mountain Bike Challenge).
It must be said that all of the brave
photographers of the Beachcombers Photography Club thoroughly enjoyed
the
outing to the Imfolozi Big 5 Mountain Bike Challenge and we cannot wait
for
next year to do it all over again.
