Water Falling ...

This area has an abundance of waterfalls. Perhaps that explains the good humour of Midlands folk, for I have heard that the falling of water creates negative ions, which are extremely therapeutic for man's soul. There is no question that I find a while spent listening to the splashing, roaring or even thundering of these wonders of nature very relaxing, and I have set myself a personal mission to visit as many of them as I can find. I have already made a good start having so far taken in the Howick, Woodhouse and Karkloof Falls, and I will become more serious in this quest when the next summer rains start in earnest. The Umgeni Valley alone is said to have some fifteen falls to see. In the meantime here is a fairly unknown cascade in the Dargle Valley area. Surprisingly it lies only a few hundred metres from the main road, but remains unsignposted, and is best viewed from a small path from a private residence. Having gained permission to hike down into the river gorge I was privileged to spend half an hour here exposing my stresses (what stresses?) to the negative ions of the Dargle waters.

Again challenged by the overhead lighting directly behind the falls, the shade cast by the overhead branches of a riverbank tree allowed a good shot of the twin cascades of these as yet unnamed falls.

Umgeni Valley ...

On these cool and frosty days nothing beats a good vigorous hike through the hills and valleys of the Midlands. The snakes are hibernating (hopefully), and although many of the grasslands have been burned (under control - as a fire prevention measure) many others still offer pleasant and scenic rambles such as this area of the impressive Umgeni Valley. The hills are typical Midlands savannah, populated with a variety of acacias and the fascinating candelabra like Mountain Cabbage trees, whilst closer to the waterways you'll find riverine forests similar to those seen on the gorge walk below the Howick Falls. Game is plentiful (buck, zebra and giraffe along with many smaller animals) and there is still an abundance of colourful flowering flora if you keep your eyes open for them (and of course plentiful blackjacks). The grasslands first thing in the morning, before the frosts which settle overnight have melted, are something magic to see; just be sure to wear warm socks and good waterproof hiking boots!!! As you'll notice from a closer look at this image (click to enlarge) the Umgeni Valley is a feast for waterfall lovers, some more of which I will feature in later postings.

Back to the old framing technique for this image, and the low hanging meandering branches of acacias with the long foreground grasses serve this purpose well.

Light & Shade ...

Looking back from the Karkloof Falls view site yet another small stream wends its way through from the forests to plunge down into the Karkloof Stream which itself becomes a tributary of the uMngeni River close to the Howick Falls Gorge. Visible in profile from the extreme edges of the picnic site this horse tail falls really needs to be seen from the south east face - I must make a plan to get there somehow, sometime.  I first saw this stream when the cyclists participating in the Karkloof Classic MTB event rode past this station, a cyclists’ see-saw having been set up to add a bit of fun and variety to the event. They would then cycle across the slatted wooden bridge before heading back into the forests and hills to return to the country club. Could a mountain biking venue get much better than this? Trails are open to the public most all year round, by courtesy of Sappi forests, permits being obtainable from cycle shops in Howick.

It is fairly clear from this shot why the lighting on the opposite facing falls was so challenging. Being winter the sun arcs across the southern sky making it almost perpetually overhead above the falls. But it does work well for the stream, creating interesting contrasts of light and shade, and millions of tiny reflections in the clear stream waters.

Karkloof Falls …

I must go back to the Karkloof Falls. Apart from the fact that it is an idyllic and peaceful spot, I really don’t yet have the shot that I want to get. Tumbling down some ninety seven metres, and directly below the Woodhouse Falls from the viewing site these two falls tend to look like a single drop, but I am reliably informed that when a cascade has its own pool and then continues to fall to another reservoir it is quite correct to separate them, nominally at least. As I have mentioned earlier many visitors find this sight preferable to the nearby, better-known and more visited Howick Falls. I think it’s probably a question of accessibility – the Howick Falls being in the centre of the town of that name, reachable by tar road, and easy entry to the gorge below allowing viewing from much closer quarters. There’s little between them in my opinion.

One of the most critical aspects of photographing nature is to get the lighting right, and that means not only being around at the right time of day and the right time of the year, but with waterfalls also in the right season – not too much water, and not too little. There’s no chance of using fill in flash techniques, and water is a reflector, and refractor of light. On the two occasions I have been to the Karkloof Falls light conditions have not been ideal with the falls too shaded – and so like Arnie I will be back!!! And I’ll let you know when I get that perfect shot.

Up Streaming ...

The Midlands area has been endowed by nature with a number of waterfalls, the most well-known of these being the Howick Falls (and its gorge) which were the subject of a few earlier posts (check the archives to the right). I’m trying to get around to visiting them all, and most recently took the road through the Sappi Forests to get to the Karkloof Falls. The road is well signposted from the Karkloof Road outside Howick, and whilst not strictly a 4X4 track, sections of it do require careful negotiation and a fairly high ground clearance in an ordinary vehicle. It is worth the effort, with the Falls being as magnificent (some say more so) than the better known Howick ones. Of equal attraction are the streams and rivers flowing through the gorges and valleys that give rise to these falls. (falls? rise?) Sappi has generously provided well-kept picnic areas around the site of the falls, and it’s a great place to take a leisurely break when motoring around the area. (The provided toilet facilities were out of order due to theft of the copper piping – only in South Africa!!!!). Here we see the Karkloof stream coursing its way to firstly the smaller Woodhouse Falls then immediately into the considerably higher Karkloof Falls.

I usually look for something in the foreground to frame or add depth to a landscape image, and here two lumbering adjacent fir trees did the job beautifully.

Howick Falls & Gorge 4

As the sound of the cascading waters of the Falls gets louder you'll know you're near the end of your walk (unless, as I did, you have decided to go boulder hopping some way further down the river and deeper into the gorge). The well trodden path leads out to the banks of the Umngeni River, and a well chosen viewing site for a closer look at the spectacle than you will get from the earlier shown viewing deck. I cannot understand man's apparent need to litter - there is a plentiful supply of bins both along the path and at this clearing. Yet, empty bottles and detritus of human life, some presumably washed downstream by the river are all too evident. The guide was clearing some away, as on occasions do a group known as Friends of the Falls - but this should surely not be necessary. Arrival at the view is reward enough for the effort of the walk, and I was fully aware that I had signed an indemnity on entering the gorge - but my boulder hopping excursion was irresistible. It is not dangerous, but do be aware you're out there on your own. The area guide provided in the price of entry had seen me going downstream, and on encountering him some time later on my return to the top he commented that he had been looking out for me, knowing I had been there for a while. That's reassuring!

Returning to the original footpath there is an extension of the trail that leads right to the pool below the cliffs - your final prize, and the end of the rainbow. You'll notice evidence that at times the river must obviously take an an additional path - the second, to the viewer's left of the main fall, runs when rains have been very heavy. 

I can wait.

I guess every photographer doing landscape work dreams of a getting a perfect shot over an expanse of completely still clear water, where the mirror effect of the reflection almost makes the image reversible. Despite the muddiness of the river below the falls, due to the heavy late autumn rains, I think I'm making progress.

Howick Falls & Gorge 3

Continuing through the undergrowth of the forest leading down into the Howick Falls Gorge, the sound of the falls is hardly noticeable. But, I do now know what a babbling brook is - for the Karkloof stream babbles alongside the path for much of the way. River otters can apparently be seen in the waters if you're lucky enough to spot them. Also present are rock hyrax (dassies), vervet monkeys (not to be fed) and bushbuck. Bird life is not plentiful under the canopy, but from time to time you'll spot a feathered friend darting through the growth, and eagles are known to prey on the smaller mammal inhabitants. 
Do take time to also appreciate the smaller wonders of nature. Some of the most elaborate spider webs I've ever seen were here, and myriad multi-coloured insects scurry beneath the decomposing mulch of fallen leaves and bark. The ferns and fungi are plentiful too and often provide a surprising colour burst against the greens and browns of the foliage (and the mud). Coming from the Falls' viewing platform it is interesting to note how different the vegetation is through this east facing (and therefore shadier) side of the gorge. The sunnier, warmer and drier western facing side tends to have more Paperbark Acacia grassland and aloe vegetation. Sadly a number of alien invader plants threaten the indigenous forests especially the vigorous and rapid seeding balloon vine.
Again (as in yesterday's posting) the lighting on this walk can be challenging, and I found my best shots were taken where either the light filters in rays through the trees, or where the shade was solid allowing a consistent light reading.

Howick Falls & Gorge 2

If you want more spectacular views of the Howick Falls and the gorge through which the waters of the uMngeni River flow on towards the sea (and who doesn't?), put on your hiking shoes or boots, and head to the Gorge Walk. The footpath laid out for you will take you through some spectacular riverine forest, with grottos and the meandering Karkloof Stream alongside you most of the way. It is usually damp and so shoes with a good grip are a necessity, but like a winding Alpine road the thoughtfully plotted path ensures that no slope is unmanageable for even the youngest and most novice hiker. The entire walk to the foot of the falls can be done in an hour (or less) if you're in a hurry, but my bet is that if (like me) you want to explore a little further along the gorge than the end of the public footpath allows, or simply soak in the atmosphere - you'll need a little more time. It's worth it.

This image gives you some idea of the conditions you'll find along the way. With much dense undergrowth, there are also areas where the light streams through making brilliant shadowy contrasts - be sure to check your camera's exposure and white balance to get the most effective lighting effects.

Howick Falls & Gorge 1

This week will be dedicated to the Falls and its gorge. The 95 metres high, single drop Howick Falls on the uMngeni River are probably the most well known attraction of this small (but fast growing) Midlands town. Known for its restorative air, Howick has for many years been a popular choice for convalescents and today the area boasts a couple of luxury spas, many B+Bs, country inns and lodgings, and ongoing upmarket retirement and leisure developments. And, if any visitor has but one enduring memory of the place it is of the spectacular waterfall.

The town was named in 1850 after the family seat of the British Colonial Secretary at the time of its establishment, the third Earl Grey (Henry George), (son of the eponymous tea Earl) – Lord of Howick (in Northumberland).

This first view of the falls is one well known to the drive-by tourist, the falls as seen from the public viewing deck. Although it is an attractive vista, as a declared national heritage site I often wonder what the foreign visitor makes of the backdrop of the partially tree-screened, disused Dunlop factory and the ever present local washer women with their multicoloured laundry draped across the rocky crest of the falls cliffs. Laundry activities in the river however are nothing new – historic photographs of early settlers show that they too found the location to be a natural Laundromat.

On a clear sunny day such as this there is little required of a photographer to get a good image in 1/380s, other than the ability to set the camera to ASA 100, use an f stop of 5, a focal length of 4.6mm, aim and press the shutter. Nature (and those washer folk) provides the rest.

Green is this valley ...

Amongst the man made forests of the Midlands, beautiful as they are, lies an even greater attraction for the lover of indigenous forestation. It is the Karkloof Forest and Nature Reserve. This area (largely on privately owned land) extends over some 930 hectares, and is categorised as mistbelt forestation. Indigenous trees found include Yellowwoods (Podocarpus Latifolius - amongst other varieties) and Stinkwoods, so named because of the strong smell of their wet timbers. Ancient cycads too abound - and it's a treat to see them thriving in their natural surroundings The area is also rich in birdlife, with some endemic species and there is a crane conservancy protecting the endangered Wattled Cranes of the area. It is estimated there are only some 230 of these birds remaining in South Africa's wilds. 

A great (if pricey) way to see the forest canopy is with a commercial canopy tour experience. Not far from the better known Howick Falls, in this valley are found the Karkloof Falls, and although not as high as their near neighbour they run in considerably more pristine surroundings. We'll get to the falls, but it is the vegetation and sheer rock cliffs of the valley that will first capture your attention.

Standing close to the edge of the cliffs facing the falls, I wanted to capture the drama of the forests and the valley, the endless variety of greens, and the almost luminosity of the cycads as they seemed to glow in the noonday sun. By focussing the lens on a nearby branch the depth of field resulted in just the effect I wanted.