After our previous stay at Ironstone Cottage outside Graaff Reinet, during which overcast and rainy conditions ruined any chance of astrophotography, I had decided to return and now the time had come.
Naturally, we arrived in Graff Reinet to overcast conditions, but at least with the weather forecast promising better conditions for the next day and, most importantly, evening. In the meantime, I took out my camera and started looking around for subjects to photograph and also scouting possible photos for the next night. A nearby ruin of a stone cottage held much promise.
A prickly pear plant also looked interesting.
We had a surprise visit from a Brown Hooded Kingfisher.
The next morning, we took a drive out to Nieu-Bethesda to visit the famous Owl House. Arriving in Nieu-Bethesda just before 9am, it initially seemed like a ghost town, with not a person in sight. We stopped to photograph the church.
By this time, we realised that we were simply a bit early and businesses started opening up. The visit to the Owl House was interesting, but an unexpected pleasant surprise was the visit to Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre, which included a guided walk, with a very well informed guide, to view some fossils still embedded in the river bed.
Before leaving Nieu-Bethesda, we purchased a cement owl from the daughter of Koos Malgas, the man who had worked closely with Helen Martins at the Owl House, manufactured by his grandson.
Back at Ironstone Cottage, we saw that the skies had started clearing and the evening turned out perfect for astrophotography
The next day saw us traveling north, to Douglas, for a brief family visit and to collect two puppies for friends. That evening, staying with family on their farm on the Vaal river, provided further opportunity to photograph the stars, despite the presence of a few clouds.
An early morning start, saw us collecting the puppies in town for the long drive home.
