Keaghan Lane
I believe that small reserves often allow for a more rewarding connection with nature. For some reason, you take notice of everything, whether it’s insects, birds, animals or merely the peace of being in nature.
Ezemvelo Nature Reserve is near Bronkhorstspruit, straddling the border between Gauteng and Mpumalanga. The landscape varies from open grassland to rocky inclines, with plenty of small streams. I once photographed a snake swallowing a frog at one of these! They have a couple of affordable huts and chalets, and a campsite where you’ll have wildebeest and impala strolling past your tent. The access road to Ezemvelo can be badly corrugated and many of the roads within the reserve need a 4x4 or a highclearance vehicle. Day visitors pay R75 per adult; R55 per child aged 4 – 16.
Considering you’re in the middle of the metropolis of Pretoria, it’s extraordinary that you can sit in the hide at Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary and photograph such a wide variety of birds. Entrance is free, but there’s a charge if you want a guided walk.
Another special reserve is the Marievale Bird Sanctuary (R30 per person; R20 per car) on the Blesbokspruit near Nigel. The lay of the land gives photographers the opportunity to get down low and photograph waterfowl at eye level. Walking around the sanctuary gives you the time to zoom in on birds that might otherwise go unnoticed (like yellow wagtail).
Because I’m a bird lover, I must also mention Bird Island Nature Reserve (R50 per adult; R30 per child) at Lambert’s Bay on the West Coast. This amazing little island is barely 3 ha in size, but it accommodates roughly 100 000 Cape gannets. It’s noisy, stinky and utterly alive! There’s also a colony of Cape fur seals. The island is a special place to visit, and to see behaviour you won’t see elsewhere. You can sit in the shade inside the hide all day and capture incredible images.
Irene, Gauteng
IG: @keaghan_lane_photography
• Ezemvelo Nature Reserve
ezemvelo.co.za
• Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary & other Pretoria reserves
tshwane.gov.za/sites/tourism/ Natureconservation
• Marievale Bird Sanctuary
nigel.co.za/marievale
• Other Gauteng reserves
gauteng.net/attractions
• Bird Island Nature Reserve
capenature.co.za