Wednesday 23 August 2023

The two Geckos – 81 and 109 have just returned to Twee Rivieren after eight days of no internet. We spent five nights at Nossob and three at Mata Mata. I will be posting about those days from today onwards.

At the Park Shops, I was able to buy a voucher costing R75 for 400mg of data. Each time you had to enter your username and password and it did not always work! Then when it did you could be cut off before you could send even one WhatsApp. Blogging was therefore out of the question.

Guest Blogger Cathy will also be adding a post soon.

It has come to my attention that if you read my blog on your phone some of the photographs are distoreted. Apologies for that. I don’t know how to solve this problem. It does not happen on a desktop or laptop.

Tuesday 15 August 2023 Off to Nossob

The temperature at half past six this morning was 1 degree C!  With great reluctance I threw off the duvet at quarter to seven and only because I had an urgent call of nature.  I donned my jeans, jersey and jacket and dashed to the ablutions.  On my return, I climbed right back under the duvet until it warmed up to 4 degrees C.    Packing up with freezing-cold hands is not easy.  I wore gloves but some chores required their removal. By 8 o’clock we were packed up with caravan hitched and after collecting our permit from reception we set off.  The plan was to get to Nossob as quickly as possible so we would only stop for very exciting sightings. I did, however, persuade the Earl to stop for one or two things.

As we travelled the temperature rose and by the time we stopped at Melkvlei for breakfast at around 11 it was warm enough to shed the layers to shirt sleeves. 

We were expecting the road from Melkvlei to be corrugated and sandy but in fact, it was not too bad. However, we still managed to get a puncture!   This we only realized when we pulled into the next picnic site.  By now the temperature had risen to 30 degrees C.   At first, we thought we’d just pump it up and see if we could get to the garage at Nossob.  But the pressure did not hold for even five minutes so it was clear that the tyre would have to be changed immediately.   With the car packed to the hilt, it was not easy getting to the tools.  The fridge had to be moved and this meant the back seat had to be folded down.  Easy – once I’d cleared all the stuff occupying it!

Now, I am not a modern woman. In my day it was not done for a lady to change a tyre.  That’s what husbands were for.  However, I am a willing helper and will do whatever I can to help.  Just don’t let it be anything mechanical.  I was, however, trained quite well by my older brother to hold this and pass me that.  I was not popular, though, when I handed a certain tool the wrong way round to my sweating hubby under the car!  But it turns out that small fingers are good for undoing wheel nuts once they’ve been loosened!

While Alec and Earl did the hard stuff, and I had a break between obeying instructions I managed to take some photographs.

The closer we got to Nossob the more game we began to see.  The herds of springbok, gemsbok and wildebeest were bigger than those we saw in the south.  We did not stop though, as we just wanted to get to camp and set up.

We arrived at around 15h00 and were assigned Number 3 and 4 Premium Sites.   Each has its own private ablution and outdoor kitchen.   What luxury and we’re here for five nights.

16 Augus 2023 Nossob to Marie se Draai

After packing coffee and snacks with the intention of coming back for breakfast we left camp at quarter to eight.  We went as far as Marie se Gat and then returned by 11 o’clock. 
The road in some parts is quite corrugated but this is the nature of Kgalagadi.  In years past they were far worse!

The usual birds – white-browed sparrow-weavers, sociable weavers, pale chanting goshawks put in an appearance but there was little else exciting.   We are surprised that we are not seeing more larks, and owls are conspicuous by their absence!

Kori Bustards are exactly where they should be – all over the Kgalagadi and we sometimes saw three or more together.  Some were far away and others closer, always walking and busy, stretching their heads backwards and forwards.  

At Marie se Gat a lovely big herd of wildebeest came down for a drink.   At first, they were nervous of something (perhaps us) and took their time coming to the fresh pond although they messed around in the muddy puddles. Marie se gat – Meaning Marie’s Hole has an interesting story. Marie’s husband, Henry Brink, was a borehole driller and was meant to do this particular borehole but he got drunk a little too often and was not able to work to his full potential. Marie got fed up with him so she drilled the hole herslef, hence the name. The site of this borehole is where the farm called Rooikop (Red Head or Hill) used to be.

On our way back to camp we spotted a few birds

We returned at 9:30 and the Earl cooked us scrambled eggs for breakfast and then we decided to try the north road but as were about to go through someone coming in told us they had seen absolutely nothing so we decided to follow Alec to Marie se Gat again.  

At Marie se Gat it was the turn of the Gemsbok to drink.   Doves, sparrows and canaries were also having a party at the waterhole.

While watching the birds and the gemsbok, I noticed a shape that looked like an abandoned pair of boots. Then the Earl said, Can you see the jackal?

We arrived back at camp at around 1 and it was very hot.  After I’d done some laundry in a bucket and tidied the caravan we both decided to have a nap but after an hour were woken when the caravan started to rock and the door slammed shut.   The wind had picked up and there was a huge dust storm.  It went on for half an hour and then calmed down slightly.   It was a bit breezy at 4 when we went out again but at least the dust had settled.

We were only going to go as far as Rooikop Waterhole but there was nothing there so we carried on to Marie se Gat again.   Very little to see but these are the birds that captured our attention.

It was 5:30 when we arrived back at camp.   We went to the waterhole but all we saw were birds – fascinating how they come in waves, all arriving and leaving together and how the different species sometimes take turns and sometimes just share.

It gets more exciting tomorrow. Watch this space.