Featured Image: Artwork by Vera Adxer, who graciously allows me to display her work, thank you Vera!
Here’s our fearless leader, who’s been in South Africa for the past two weeks…
After an initial visit to set, a meal with Sam, Cait, and Maril, and doing some promo work for Season 3, Diana and her husband went traveling…
Where am I??? pic.twitter.com/KsBX0LsHOs
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 2, 2017
Not. 😜 This one's Table Mountain… pic.twitter.com/qHI6uSJmfZ
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 3, 2017
Allyson Williams: Cape of South Africa!
Bingo! https://t.co/bckaekTNo5
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 3, 2017
Rebecca Anderson: Did you climb up there after knee and foot surgery? Us rebuilds need to know if it’s doable.
We want some pics of this dinner!!! 🙏📸📸
— MHTH (@mh2016tor) April 3, 2017
Nah, it was a private dinner, just among friends. Did post one or two photos from the set today, though… https://t.co/e2XNM5GzbC
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 4, 2017
(you can read about Diana’s trip into set, including a brief Q&A here: Thar She Blows and see photos of her visit to set here: Diana on set in SA )
Doug and Diana went to a game lodge and saw the stunning animals of the area. Diana, always the educator, gives us the highlights and answers questions about her trip: (from Facebook and Twitter)
Introduction at the game lodge: "If you open your door and see a hippopotamus or a leopard, close the door and call Reception."…
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 8, 2017
Outlander Headquarter: Oh my! Are those two the worst animals you don’t want to see? ?
Yes, they are. Very dangerous, both of them. Especially hippos! https://t.co/wh4f0mrL2n
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 8, 2017
Laura Vaughn: I’ve heard/read that hippos, more than any other animal, are responsible for most human deaths in Africa. Can you confirm? (Not personally!)
That's certainly what all the rangers and lodge staff said. (There was a lake right by the eating area, and we could see a large hippo.) https://t.co/0h5uLVpw9G
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 10, 2017
This lion was apparently 15 feet away from Diana when she took this shot… ?
…Evidently, if you see an elephant or a band of Greater Kudu, that's OK… pic.twitter.com/uv9V725NtW
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 8, 2017
Stephanie Bryant: Any gorillas?
Wrong part of Africa (it's a big place). Gorillas don't live in the bush. https://t.co/sPEdL6Icjn
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 8, 2017
Meanwhile, this happened back at the office… which is very exciting!
https://twitter.com/TheMattBRoberts/status/850728878838611968
Congratulations! Great feeling, innit? 😜 https://t.co/w5UQoSZ5Ul
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 8, 2017
Fade out is direction for how the scene should end; this technique is used in dramatic, significant, or “to be continued” scenes. This presumably means that Matt has finished the finale for Season 3. As I reach back into the recesses of my steel trap, I do remember Matt saying that he would be co-writing the finale with Toni Graphia. So, I think this “FADE OUT” is for the last episode (if I were given to squee’ing, I would squee here). As a writer, I can say that the editing process is not short, which is a good thing for quality, and a bad thing for having to wait. It shouldn’t affect the premiere date though, as I trust that September won’t do anything drastic, like change places with October this year ? . If you’d like to read more from that Q&A with Matt, click here .
Back in Africa…
Three Lazy Leopard, hanging in a tree… (cubs, sisters, 8 or 9 months old, stashed by their mother for safe-keeping). pic.twitter.com/RwkefYY9Ac
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 9, 2017
Wow. I guess when you see people touring every day you get used to it.
— Breanna @🏡 (@Breanna_A89) April 11, 2017
Our ranger said he thought they just regard the jeeps as big, noisy animals, like elephants. https://t.co/f01n9VQUSW
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 11, 2017
Met this guy on the road; our jeep nearly ran over him. He was standing there with one leg lifted and his mouth hanging open in shock. pic.twitter.com/15C3hP7uID
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 9, 2017
And, back at the lodge, Diana is hard at work doing the copy editing for BESIEGED…
Yes, I do work while traveling…. pic.twitter.com/107UmVqlJJ
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 9, 2017
She fields a question about an S3 cameo…
GCsunrise: I know you won’t answer this, but I’ll ask anyway! Are you going to show up in Season 3?
Nope. I'm just a consultant, this season (too much work to do!). https://t.co/6s6PAqd7v0
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 10, 2017
Stephanie Bryant: Did you get the acting bug out of your system in S1 or would you like to do it again?
I've never _had_ an acting bug. They asked me to do the cameo in Season One, to entertain you guys. 😜 https://t.co/73oR3QtiNI
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 10, 2017
Well, if the script ever calls for a gnu, you are a shoe in Diana! ?…
So this happened… pic.twitter.com/wgDRZpOvBx
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 9, 2017
Monica Kroon: have you seen any rhino Diana?
Yes! Both black and white. https://t.co/mv10HTtnJp
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 10, 2017
Paca Whisperer Jayme: Any giraffes? I’m obsessed with giraffes
LOTS!! https://t.co/mKB1QUHtYJ
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 10, 2017
(I love giraffes too, I went through a phase as a 4 year-old when I painted only giraffe portraits)
But… Africa is all about the food chain. Diana’s caption for the two pictures below was:
And should you doubt just how dangerous lions can be….
On April 10th, Diana was back on set and posted a photo from the Artemis! …in one of her famous where am I posts…
Where am I? pic.twitter.com/IVOBCl0n7m
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 10, 2017
A clever reply from Jenny Jeffries…
Spent the morning in the hold of the Artemis, this afternoon beneath the waters of the Indian Ocean! pic.twitter.com/1DadpHrD2s
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 10, 2017
Backing up here… in case you didn’t know, the reason the cast and crew are in South Africa is that they’re using the Starz Black Sails set for filming. Black Sails is a prequel to the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel “Treasure Island.” Set in 1715 West Indies, it’s a pirate adventure centered on tales of Captain Flint, the most brilliant and feared of all the Golden Age pirates. Read more here
I am not a Black Sails watcher, but apparently one of the Black Sails ships burned in a fire during filming this past season. Fans of Black Sails know something about this and which ship is being used for Voyager…
IIRC, a sloop and Spanish Galleon survived Black Sails. The 3rd ship accidentally burned 2nd to last shoot day. Others were partial sets.
— Jen Bortz (@badgabbycat) April 10, 2017
Yes–was just talking to the VFX director this morning about it. He said they'd filmed a fight and had fire shooting out of a port… https://t.co/UazBAILsmM
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 11, 2017
Back to the aquarium…
No, at the Two Oceans aquarium down the street. pic.twitter.com/OGBuinnG4c
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 11, 2017
On April 11th, Diana visited the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden and reminds us about her background in ecology…
Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden this afternoon! pic.twitter.com/xhP25fekhQ
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 12, 2017
Lady Z: Gorgeous! What species are these? The spike-rimmed one on the left, a cactus?
No, it's a euphorbia–convergent evolution. https://t.co/0yh9MHH4LF
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 12, 2017
OutlanderPNW: I wonder what predator drove the adaptation of spinous processes on that plant?
Just herbivores, most likely, https://t.co/bhchYtUhiX
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 12, 2017
I think Diana’s adventures in SA will end soon, as she said they’d be there about two weeks. Her reports have been great. Have a safe journey home Diana!
As for the rest of you, I’ll keep you posted…?
Great article. Loved reading everything together instead of posts at different times. Been following DG’s journey to SA. She’s having a great time, so happy for her. Speaking of the Voyager ship and Black Sails. I actually purchased the three released seasons on Amazon Prime here in Germany. Don’t really care for pirates but I was curious about Capt. Vane (saw a pic w. Sam) and wanted to see the great ship that’s going to be seen on Voyager. Now I really can’t wait for September, it’s going to be a great season.
Thank you Gisi, I bet watching Black Sails gives you a real feel for what the ship scenes will be like – I’m guessing they’re using some of the same crew even? And maybe equipment? Would make sense since it’s all Starz. However, Sony owns the material rights to Outlander and I think a different company owns BS. Starz is a distributor, not sure who pays for what.
Seeing and reading Diana’s travel is making me homesick for Africa. I was born in the ex-Belgian Congo, in Burundi which was at the time Rwanda/Urundi.
That’s fascinating to me Astrid, what years were you there and how did you come to be there? I can see why you miss it, it’s such a beautiful place. x