Maabwe Bay

Imagine waking up to this view every day?

This is Maabwe Bay on the Zambezi River.

The owners have developed the area, and are selling off a limited number of units (13) with similar views. Owners can then buy outright, or share with two or three others.

Just at the corner of the first bend, is a house site…oh man, I am SO tempted. Imagine spending the cold, cold Johannesburg winters here, knowing your house is maintained for the rest of the year? Spending time at the Zambezi of old.

I took the above photo standing on the house site, the Zambezi river at my back. What I love so much about Maabwe Bay, is that its pristine, and the owners hope to keep it like that as much as possible – with natural vegetation, rocks etc.

To the left of this road, I was told is a house site suitable for an “off the grid” existence. For me, the draw card is “solitude!” Imagine waking to the fish-eagle early morning wake up call, with no sounds of humans!!!

Luckily there are no crazy building restrictions on the Zambezi and the owners of the company who hold the lease to Maabwe Bay, are allowing a variety of building styles – although they want all the development to blend in as much as possible with the environment.

 

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And Mopane trees… How I love them!

I took this photo from the driveway of the first member of this exclusive “Zambezi Time-share.”

Maabwe is on Facebook – click here to check it out and if you want to find out exactly where it is, click on this link to google maps Maabwe Bay

Fairy tree…

Taken directly into the sun – once again, I’m very impressed with the way this camera handles light.

This is very unusual foliage for dry old Matabeleland – a delightfully cool “natures garden.”

I bet the fairies are playing here under their mushrooms!

 

Ghost’s swimming pool…

This is an HDR taken at the upper Hillside Dam – you can just see Ghost swimming (making the ripples on the left of the pic.)

Aloes in Manicaland…

The aloes were flowering when we worked in Manicaland recently. Below is a ‘natures garden’ at a rather unspectacular place called Kudziwa.

The church, where we surveyed for water, is on the top of a granite kopjie. The bright aloes will be faded when the Msasa come out (very soon!)

Below, taken at the Vumba Botanical gardens…

Out walking in the Vumba, I spied that bright red dot clinging precariously to the side of a granite kopjie:

Closer inspection! (Dontcha just LOVE the plant in the foreground – I’d describe it as ‘frazzled’ how I feel, on occasion!)

 

 

Taken overlooking Mozambique…Imagine how pleased we were to stay at a (lovely place called Outside Inn) in the Vumba with aloes in prolific flower in the garden. This is the view from the front veranda.

The bird is a bonus.

This is the entrance to ‘Outside Inn’ – only a few kilometre from the Leopard Rock Hotel. It’s a cute little cottage (three bedrooms and two bathrooms, plenty firewood and all to ourselves for $50.00 per night!!!)

Nature’s jewellery…

I want a necklace like this:

Or ear rings like this:

I’d like drops like these…

Maybe in my hair?

PS – Ive been learning how to use the aperture priority setting on my Panasonic Lumix FZ1000! All these pics were taken using this setting and with the macro facility on.

Nature’s Gardens

Climbing down from Isotsha, I came across this little piece of nature I’d love to have in my garden.Those candelabra plants!

Dried arrangements…

Nswazi gardens…

All over the country there are what I call ‘natures gardens’ and Nswazi didnt fail me…this one (above) was right in between two homesteads. Reminded me of our home in Esigodini when I was a child – spent hours climbing.

I would love to steal this little bunch of rocks and resurrection plant (green from the recent rains) for my own garden. I photograph it instead.

Dontcha love this ground cover…(above)

Pompom…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It had just rained in Filabusi when we went there to do a borehole survey. Driving along I saw this red flower right near the road. I couldn’t resist stopping.

I’m told the bulbs of this plant can be used to cure gangrene?

 

Underwater gardens…

I find little bits of nature that I want to take home, add to my garden…of course I can’t, so I take photos instead. These were little ‘gardens’ underwater, growing in amongst the rocks and the crashing waves.

I couldn’t have arranged it better if I tried..

Those little thingies at the water level are hell on your feet walking on the rocks!