Kimberley - Home of the Big Hole

April 27th was a national holiday so the temple was closed, givin us a three day get-away we took advantage of.  With our mission coming to an end soon we wanted to go and visit Kimberley.  I served in Kimberley during my mission back in 1966, my third area of service.

The Garretts, Yorgesens, Jenee and I took off Friday at1:00 PM  after finishing our early morning shift at the Temple.  It is a 5-hour drive to Kimberley going south west of Johannesburg.  Kimberley is located in the Northern Cape Providence almost exactly in the middle of South Africa.

We had reservations at the "4 Carrington Guesthouse" which is an historic home owned by the De Beer family that was renovated into a very nice B&B.

We arrived in Kimberley at about 6:30 PM, checked in and then went to dinner at Annabel's, one of the restaurants just around the corner from where we were staying. Nice atmosphere, fine dining at a reasonable price.

After dinner we returned to our rooms for a well deserved sleep before our busy day ahead of us: up at 7 AM for breakfast before setting out on our adventure.

After breakfast we set out to see the two major attractions in Kimberley: the Big Hole and the Magersfontein Memorial, a monument to the Anglo-Boer War.

Kimberley is known for its fabled Diamond Fields discovered in 1869. The diamond rush equals the gold rush of California. Miners came from all over the world hoping to make it big in the diamond fields of South Africa. The first rock found was an 83-carat diamond that came to be called The Star of South Africa, "the rock upon which the future of South Africa will be built."  The major attraction in Kimberley is the Big Hole, the largest hand-dug excavation in the world.

After touring the mine we headed out for the Battle Field which was about 28 miles south west of Kimberley.  We drove along dirt roads to get there, driving between two game reserves.  To our surprise we saw some game animals that we have not seen up north.

NYALA

BLACK WILDEBEAST

SABEL

After that we stopped for a light lunch at the Milky Lane and then set out for home.  Tired and exhausted we arrived home at about 7:30 PM.  The trip was short but we all were glad that we took the time to visit Kimberly and see its history.

Final Safari

This weekend (April 20 - 22, 2013) we had time off from the temple to spend some time away from our daily  service.  A  group of new missionaries wanted to go on a Safari so I put together a trip to Madikwe Game Reserve. This is a park that is frequented by both the Area Office Missionaries and the Temple Missionaries.  We all stay at the Mosetlha Bush Camp which is an outdoorman's delight, staying in three-sided huts, no running water or electricity.  Cooking was done over hot coals - just like an outdoor safari should be.  Everybody enjoys this place and the hospitality is wonderful.  That is why we return so often.

This is the group who went along on this safari.  Left to Right - Jenee and I, Elder & Sister Ecklund, Elder & Sister Garrett, and Brother & Sister van  Heerden who are local ordinance workers from East London, South Africa.

                               Here are just a few of the outstanding pictures we took on this trip.

Up bright and early (6 AM) to get started on our drive.  A beautiful sunrise over Africa.

The first day out, we located this large pride of lions. At first we just saw females, then the big male joined up with the pride.

We are driving right behind this pride as they set out looking for food and a place to get out of the sun.  We did see the big females start stalking some Impala but they never did initiate a kill.  Our driver got right into the bush which made this trip extremely special.

Stopping for a rest during the day's drive to have some refreshments and drinks.  As you can see the vehicle we drove in was very open and made it possible for us to get such great pictures.

You are taken through the game reserve in their open top trucks, called louries.  Their drivers know where to find the game and go off road if necessary to locate the various game in the park.  Many of the pictures taken are so close you could touch the animals with a long stick.

                                  Here are a few of the other animals we saw during our safari.

At the conclusion of our final evening drive we stopped at a watering hole for a picture of the African Sun Set.

                 And then we set off saying GOOD BY to Madikwe and the African Safari Adventure.