October 2013: A family holiday to the Western Cape and my son's first footsteps on mainland Africa. We flew into Cape Town and then drove the Garden Route, taking in the sand dunes and whales of De Hoop, the beaches of Plettenberg and the wildlife of Amakhala Game Reserve, before returning to the city.
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Dusk over the dunes, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape. This is a stunning place and was the highlight of our trip. It feels otherworldly and despite the huts which you can stay in being fully booked, we saw very few other people
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Eland on the dunes, De Hoop, dusk
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Dawn view of the De Hoop Vlei – a landlocked body of briny water, also fed by freshwater springs
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Herd of Eland, dawn, De Hoop
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Rare Cape mountain zebra, De Hoop
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Female baboon with sleeping baby
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Bontebok, De Hoop
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Eland, with accompanying flies
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Harry, on the dunes, dusk
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In the autumn, southern right whales congregate in huge numbers off the coast of the Western Cape. De Hoop is one of the best places on earth to watch these magnificent creatures from land
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Whale watching, dawn, De Hoop
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Misty dunes, dawn, De Hoop
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Nic and Harry on safari, Amakhala
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Adolescent male white rhino, Amakhala Game Reserve
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Hartebeest, Amakhala
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Oryx – or gemsbok, as they're known in South Africa
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Defassa waterbuck
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The road from Franschhoek to Theewaterskloof
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Looking down on Franschhoek – wine country
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African penguins at Boulders Beach, Cape Town
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Cape Town, dusk, from Table Mountain
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Camps Bay and the 12 Apostles, from Table Mountain
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Table Mountain and the city centre
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The 12 Apostles, with Camps Bay in the background
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Khayelitsha, a township just outside Cape Town
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