1: Nikon users get nothing for free. In fact, they pay a very hefty premium for decent optics. It is not apparent from your post, but are you disappointed with the DA* 16-50mm lens, or the fact that other lenses make more noise when focussing?
2: Jessops did not 'stop selling' Pentax, rather, Pentax stopped supplying Jessops (so they couldn't sell Pentax).

Noise control at ISO3200 looks perfectly acceptable to me. Thanks for these.

Is that the 135-600mm from SRS, my old one?

That surprises me, I thought I might have to join a very long queue.

Can you recommend a tour company?

We might be able to help you more if we knew where in the world you are. Go to your profile and enter your location (town or city or country).

Jeanette, if you are ever short of a travelling companion, I'm up for it.

I spent a weekend in the Krueger National Park in South Africa (when it was under white rule) and took hundreds of shots on film (PC's weren't even around then, let alone DSLR's). Best weekend of my life so far except I never did see a cat up a tree and the only lions I saw were about a mile away.

Excellent images, thanks for sharing them.

My dad had a Mk 1 Cortina, white exterior and . . . red interior ! ! ! My second car was a Morris Minor Traveller, the one with the car. . .pentry.

I had a brand new 'J' reg Triumph Herald 13/60 . . . as a company car. Brilliant machine.

My bestest ever old car was my much loved Rover V8 3500, my dad bought it new for £1760. I sold it . . . for £400 (but it did need a shed load of money spent on it to restore the rusted wngs, oxidised ally parts etc. etc.

What's really sad is that I can remember the reg numbers of all of them. The car I have now . . . I haven't got a clue.

Best advice . . . open the window.

You can have mine for only £799.00. I'm not sure I could include free delivery though (hell, I'll deliver it in person, gift wrapped, with a bunch of flowers, the biggest box of chocolates you've ever seen, lifetime membership to the brewery of your choice, and a couple of theatre tickets - not just any old tickets - would Broadway be OK?)

Microsoft . . . monopoly . . . surely not.