WRITTEN BY DEBORAH RICHIE - 13 JULY 2010
This was my first visit to Creighton, with a wish list of only 8 birds. Malcolm really went out of his way to find these birds, and to top it all I listed 112 species in 2 days in a 10km radius around Creighton!.... read more >>

WRITTEN BY LISL VAN DEVENTER - 17 MARCH 2010
This was my first visit to Creighton, with a wish list of only 8 birds. Malcolm really went out of his way to find these birds, and to top it all I listed 112 species in 2 days in a 10km radius around Creighton!.... read more >>

WRITTEN BY MICHAEL GRAHAM - 01 MARCH 2010
The flight is 25 minutes ahead of schedule on arrival so off to a good start. A nice breakfast at Amanzimtoti on the way South to Oribi and we are set but the weather looks "ify". Still we are optimists and there are good birds to be seen. Before we get to Oribi we make a couple of diversions to Umdoni Park.... read more >>

WRITTEN BY MICHAEL GRAHAM - 22 OCTOBER 2009
An early start from Hermanus at 0300 in order to catch the 0615 Mango flight to Durban. A strong tail wind gets us into Durban 25 minutes early at 0800. The first lifer for the trip is sitting on the tarmac, a Mynah Bird. Malcolm Gemmell of Button Birding, an ex-farmer and our guide for the 8 days meets us at arrivals and we head for Beaconvlei.... read more >>

WRITTEN BY MICHAEL GRAHAM - 01 OCTOBER 2009
Margaret and I were privileged to be part of the inaugural N3TC (N3 Toll Concession) Birding Trip to the Drakensberg and Sani Pass in November. Arranged through BLSA Travel Department, this was a trial run to see if the route was worth advertising. We were joined by Con Roux (head of the N3 Toll Route), Jon Minster (reporter with GO Magazine) and 2 other "twitchers" plus our host and guide Malcolm Gemmell of Button Birding, Creighton.... read more >>

WRITTEN BY MICHAEL GRAHAM - 16 SEPTEMBER 2009
After a pleasant flight up from Cape Town and an overnight stay close to Johannesburg Airport, Malcolm pick Margaret and I up shortly after 0815 for our 7 hour drive to Punda Maria Camp.... read more >>

DERRICK WILBY - 24 FEBRUARY 2008
I have just returned from a 4 week South African holiday when I birded the two most hottest locations - Sani Pass and the Cape Pelagic!.... read more >>

IRENE RASMUSSEN - 30 OCTOBER 2006
Just spent the weekend birding with Malcolm Gemmell around Creighton and Nsekeni. Saw some really good birds including THE EURASIAN BITTERN!!.... read more >>

CHRIS CAMERON & JULIE DAWSON - 27 September 2005
On arrival at Button Birding, which is signposted for the final few kilometres of the route and easy to find, we received a warm welcome from Gail and Malcolm Gemmell and were shown to our room and given a chance to freshen up before dinner.... read more >>

HELM VAN ZIJL - 01 April 2005
Gill and I spent this past Monday and Tuesday at Smithfield Guest House run by Malcolm and Gail Gemmel... read more >>

ROB CLIFF - 28 March 2005
To anyone who wants to do birding in this area (which is full of exciting specials) I highly recommend the expertise of Malcolm Gemmel. We spent a whole day going up and down Sani Pass and recorded almost all the specials including: Lammergeier, Drakensberg Rockjumper, Drakensberg Siskin... read more >>

NEELS JACKSON - 19 January 2005
Die groot voëlkykuitstappie van die week was 'n oggend saam met Malcolm Gemmell van Button Birding. Ons het hom in Donnybrook gekry waar die woudpapegaaie (Cape parrot - waarskynlik Suid-Afrika se mees bedreigde voël) sommer oor ons gevlieg het in die parkeerterrein van die Spar... read more >>

HELEN & EARL - 01 January 2005
Before Christmas, Lauren read about Creighton in the December issue of Getaway, which I’d brought up from Cape Town. The cover feature was on South Africa’s favourite ‘dorps.” “Creighton is just up the drag,” she said. “and there’s a place there that does birding tours... read more >>

RYAN EBEDES - 05 December 2004
Sometimes, memorable birding experiences come not from the sightings themselves, but rather from the signs that your elusive target is, or has been, present nearby... read more >>

JIM & MORNA - 29 November 2004
Before the joys of our recent KwaZulu Natal birding trip are completely submerged in the pre-Christmas rush, I thought I`d drop you a line to tell you of fresh wonders awaiting you all out there... read more >>

RYAN EBEDES - 27 May 2004
On Thursday the 27th of May a morning's birding in the Creighton area in the hope of finding the endangered Cape Parrot proved highly successful, and began with one of the finest starts one could ever wish to have for a day's birding... read more >>

MICHAEL MILLS - 16 November 2003
We headed immediately to the south along the coast of the Indian Ocean, then cut inland to the town of Creighton and the Smithfield Guest House where Malcolm and Gail Gemmell made us very welcome. Malcolm would take us up the Sani Pass to Lesotho the next day, but we had plenty of light left for birding around the Gemmells' farm area, and took full advantage of it... read more >>

MICHAEL BUCKHAM - 08 May 2003
We arrived in the late afternoon at Malcolm and Gail Gemmell's awesome guest-house and it was really a fantastic stop-over. It really felt as if we were spending the evening with close family and I would recommend anyone in the area should stop there and spoil themselves... read more >>

JOHN HOPKINS - 20 November 2001
Highlights include Black-rumped Buttonquail, Stanley's Bustard, Cuckoofinch, Halfcollared Kingfisher, Barratt's Warbler, Cape Parrot and Lammergeier... read more >>