More flat terrain from the air {there's Gold in them thaar hills} as we return from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg

More aerial shots on the return to Johannesburg from Bloemfontein ...

Up at 0630 today - this time another one-day commute, but to Bloemfontein this time ...

Arrival and departure at Bloemfontein - Propeller-driven this time, with more FAB aerial views of the terrain ... we're in 

Gold Field Country!!!

Up at 0430 to catch the one-day commute plane to Polokwane

It's a tough job - 

but someone's gotta do it!!

Sleep near the airport under the runway approach, to be woken at 0430 

{what's the '0' for? Oh-My-God It's early!!!  

{apologies to GM Vietnam}}

Gotta get to Polokwane for the day! Check out those views ....

Polokwane approach ...

It's those circular fields again!

Please note - 'International'

Quiet on the apron Hey??

Close shave after return from Langebaan/Darling ... Stuck in traffic in Cape Town outskirts in the evening ... wondering if I'll make it to the airport in time?!?!

As I got into the outskirts of Cape Town, appproaching the Motorway network to get out to the airport {the other side of town} there was an 'unfortunate' gridlock situation due to an earlier accident ... we did get to the airport in time though :-)

But howabout this view while you're in the traffic???

An even quicker Drive-through of Darling [I'd heard about it, so decided to 'risk' taking a look] ...

Darling is a small town in a farming area on the west coast region of the Western Cape, about 75 km from  

Cape Town.

By the beginning of the 18th century about 29 farmers lived in an area called Groenkloof and on one of these farms, Langfontein, Darling was founded in 1853. It was named after Sir Charles Henry Darling who came in 1851 to the Cape as Lieutenant Governor.

The South African satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys performs many of his shows as Evita Bezuidenhout at  

Evita se Perron, a cabaret venue and restaurant in Darling. The adjacent arts and crafts market has been taken over in 2006 by the Darling Trust, a charitable organisation which addresses the problems of impoverished communities in the area through the establishment of grassroots projects.

Heading out and away from Darling - see how the land has changed after the flat coastal fringes around Langebaan ... now I've gotta drive to catch that plane!!!

 

Leaving Langebaan:- The West Coast National Park - a VERY quick drive-through

After leaving Langebaan, the TomTom took me the 'back way' and I dutifully followed - only to find myself at the gates of the  West Coast National Park .... so for the princely sum of 40 Rand [about £3] I decided it was worth the detour ...

The West Coast National Park is ~120 km north of Cape Town. It's 27,500 hectares (106 sq mi) in size, and is bordered by the Atlantic on the west and the R27 coastal road to the East, and runs from the town of Yzerfontein in the south up to the Langebaan lagoon. The park is particularly well known for its bird life and for the spring flowers which occur in the months from August to October, especially in the Postberg flower reserve section of the park. The park, with the islands in Saldhana Bay, has been identified by Bird Life International as an Important Bird Area.

 

Bees 'n' Blossoms (for any bee-keepers amongst you :-)

Found this group of hives as I left Langebaan, so couldn't resist taking some close-ups ...