# Southern Africa Rivers



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

I have been feeling really nostalgic about my 10 years in Africa; in fact I am missing Africa a lot







Perhaps I am looking at it through rose coloured spectacles ...







.... or perhaps Africa just gets into your blood?

Anyway here are sopme photos I took (low quality scans to save space) of the great rivers of Southern Africa









First Photo is the Vaal River near Vredefort, South Africa; here the river flows through the northern part of Vredefort Impact Strcucture (also known as the Vredefort Dome), something big hit South Africa about 2000 million years ago, (there is loads of stuff on the internet about it) creating a ring about 70km across. The hills in the photo are on the margin and were thrown up by the impact.










Second photo is the mouth of the Tugela River Zululand, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. I took the photo from a small earth fort used by the British Army in the Anglo-Zulu War. There is a well kept cemetry with a couple of dozen headstones with the inscription "Here Lies a Brave British Soldier", only the couple of officers in the cemetry had their names on the headstones. If you look carefully you will see the waves of the Indian Ocean breaking on the sand bar at the mouth of the river.










Third photograph: across to the west coast, the Orange River, at this point the river marks the boundary between Namibia (the side I took the photo from) on the north bank and South Africa on the south bank. It also marks the boundary between the Namib Desert and the Richtersfeld.










Fourth picture is the Fish River (or Vis River) sitting in the bottom of the Fish River Canyon, Southern Namibia. The canyon is second only to the Grand Canyon, it is hard to describe how big it is. In the picture (taken from a viewing platform) the canyon is over 500 metres deep.


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## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Gorgeous, John.

I need to make that RSA trip I had planned for last summer and cancelled.


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Fifth photo: Zambezi River at Victoria Falls, taken from the Zimbabwe side during the summer (wet season).










Sixth Photo: White water rafting on the Zambezi downstream from Victoria Falls, I am in the front of the raft







my now ex-wife was in the back, pity I didn't loose her see 7th and 8th photos


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

9th photo; Further down the Zambezi River looking towards a Zambian village near the start of Lake Kariba. I was in a boat near the Zimbabwean side which is pristine bush because of a huge minefield


















10th photo a Zambian paddled out from the village to scrounge a cold beer







a rare event for him a cold clear beer.










11th photo

The Shashi River, marks the western boundary of Zimbabwe, water does flow under the sand, every few years the river comes down in a huge torent, sadly I never saw it.










Finally the Shashi River again, and the boys having a beer under a not very good shade tree







I was stood on the earth rampart of Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company's Fort Tuli in the Tuli circle. This is a hunting area and you need special permission to enter here. Fort Tuli is very interesting, but that is another story


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## ESL (Jan 27, 2004)

Cracking shots there John. Did that guy get his beer?









I can see why you get a hankering to get back.


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## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

Great photos.

I too love Africa.

Everytime I go back its the smell that gets me first, gives me that "ah great to be back feeling" its sort of wood-smokey, earthy and humid.

weird huh?

cheers

Andy


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

foztex said:


> I too love Africa.
> 
> Everytime I go back its the smell that gets me first,Â gives me that "ah great to be back feeling" its sort of wood-smokey, earthy and humid.
> 
> ...


Spot on Andy, there is nothing like it ....

George if you look closely the guy has a bottle of beer in his right hand and was posing for the photo







rather him than me the water was full of crocodiles.

Colin, you wouldn't regret a trip to SA, winter is best for game parks and rugby, summer is good for other things







especially Cape Town, game parks are not so good in summer, malaria and too much water and vegetation. I don't know much about the diving, a mate of mine used to go to Sodwana Bay, Mozambique is accessible from SA as well, Ponta Mamoli was just being developed when I left, haven't met anyone who has been though.

I have a photo of the Limpopo River somewhere but can't find it


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Great pics John, big skies









I could blow up and frame the Fish River Canyon pic


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

JoT said:


> foztex said:
> 
> 
> > I too love Africa.
> ...


My best friend is British High Commissioner in Mozambique

Would you recommend visiting that country?

I visited him in India when he was Deputy HC based in Bombay

He is now based in Maputu


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Griff said:


> JoT said:
> 
> 
> > foztex said:
> ...


Griff Mozambique is well worth a visit; a lot of the country is inaccesible, however the area around Maputo and the some of the offshore islands are excellent. Maputo itself is getting better but is still very shabby; lots of interesting old Portuguese buildings. Also if you look at the map Maputo is very close to NE South Africa you could also do the Kruger Park and Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal. It would also give you some idea of the effects opf real socialism







sorry couldnt resist


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

MarkF said:


> Great pics John, big skies
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I can do a high quality scan if you like Mark


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