Dome pools

This is the main pool at Dome Pools. It's at least 2.5m deep, nice and clear - even when there's not a lot of water... as it was this day. Rita is having a kip under the tree - top right.

rush job

A rush job: "Remove the doors and fill up the gap in one day."











Me and my mate after the wall is complete. We had a few concrete blocks to use but had to find others to fill the gap. It was hard enough to find the right size so the colour didn't matter. The dark patches are wet plaster and dried lighter.

Hike in Magaliesberg - Dome Pools

The water starts just up this valley in a little kloof (gorge) to the right.









































Rock Agamma - about 250mm (10") long.













This is a shallow pool on the way up to the main pool.

Some nice rock formations. All this rock was deposited when Africa was the central part of Gondwanoland, and this rock was sand deposited in shallow water over flat land similar to the Okavango. It then got cooked by a volcanic intrusion 1,800 million years ago into quartzite. The intrusion is mined for uranium and other precious metals.

Work: Debbies place

Final result. We had to square off the larger opening, tile all the ground floor (loo, kitchen, patio as well), replaster all the walls to make them flat - instead of the streaky plaster commonly used, some changes in electricals, ... quite a big job.




During - we didn't do the undertile heating, maybe next time, it looks quite easy.






A few pics of work related

- Debbie's place before.

more mini-camp pics

Early morning view:

This Rock Kestral had a nest right above the entrance of the bat cave, and was very nervous of me; I waited half an hour for these photos.

Bat cave: a few bats were right at the back of the cave after a long tunnel, only just big enough to squeeze through. I went through the first tunnel to a small cavern (big enough to turn around but not to stand up in) but turned back there. The next tunnel and cavern wasn't worth the effort. I'd already seen bats.

more pics of Mini-camp

This way down looked really dangerous from above. One couple said "We're not going down there!!! ... Good grief; someone's down already!!" That was Rita; I followed and so did the rest, most of them can be seen treading carefully in some places.











aloes



Close-up of Aloe flowers




Boy this was a cold day on top of this hill, brilliant views though.









Me - getting a bit heavy:

Grootriver MCSA Mini-camp

Lunch spot at Ladder Cave, a ladder leads up to view a nest - probably an eagle's.

Rita giving feedback to the group on the day's hike:

Rita


Blue Cranes on our way up the first hike:

Nice view on the way to the Eastern Cape

Nice view on the way to the Eastern Cape