It was very hot in Kruger today the maximum reaching 39 degrees C. Summer is definitely on the way! Kruger National Park winters are short and even then the days are warm while the early mornings and evenings are cool. We have really enjoyed the August weather having only had very few cold days.

On this our last day we first did a short drive to the waterhole and back, made breakfast, did a few chores and then went out for a longer drive at 11:00 and returning at 15:00. Cathy and Alec did a longer morning drive and did not go out in the afternoon. The middle of the day is not the best time to be driving in the park but it was good to be in an a air-conditioned vehicle and we had a few nice sightings.

The visit to the waterhole at the end of S114 produced flocks of grey headed sparrows, yellow-fronted canaries, quelea and golden-breasted bunting coming down to the water’s edge to drink.

On S110 just before the turnoff to the H3 we found a honeymoon couple. The bride did not show herself properly but the groom did.

We wanted to go to Gardenia hide but the elephants had other ideas for us.

Two other vehicles were waiting patiently. There was a narrow route past the big mamma and the Earl wanted to risk passing by. But I said, “No, I am not yet ready to die.” Fortunately he listened to me and turned around. You never know what these creatures might do if they feel their young are threatened.

There had been nothing at Wimpies Waterhole but on the way back we found buffalo having a swim.

There were lots of giraffe around too.

It has been wonderful as always to visit Kruger National Park. It is always the highlight of my year and I hope to be able to make many more trips while the Earl and I are fit and healthy enough to do so. Having our new Power Touch caravan movers is a great help and will probably mean we can caravan for longer than might otherwise be possible. It has been encouraging seeing a number of people still camping/caravanning well into their eighties.

Berg-en-Dal is without doubt a great place to camp but there are a few problems. One would think that with so many caravans having Porta Potties there would be a facility for their disposal but there isn’t. This is the only camp we have been to where there isn’t one and using the toilets for this purpose is just wrong.

The ablutions are clean but are in need of an upgrade. The taps at the basin don’t work properly. The shower cubicles are a bit small and there is a need for a rack for your shampoo and soap etc. They do not have mixer taps which makes getting the temperature right a bit tricky.

Many people use their own caravan bathrooms which is great but some do not manage their grey water correctly and instead of collecting run off water in a bucket they let it out under the caravan leaving a scummy mess for the camper who comes after them. Park management needs to make a rule about how people manage their water disposal.

We love the park but this year we have noticed that litter has become a bit of a problem. Never before have we seen toilet paper blowing about or hanging on a bush, but this year it was glaring. There are plenty of picnic sites with toilet facilities so it is seldom necessary to risk getting out of your car in the bush when there is an urgent call of nature. But if you have to why would you leave your loo paper behind. How difficult would it be for offenders to put a Zip-lock bag in the center of the cardboard roll for holding their disposed paper. Who do they think will clean up after them?

In spite of these small problems the park is still a wonderful place to be. The staff are cheerful and friendly and will go out of their way to help. Each main camp has a swimming pool, restaurant, shop, laundrette and petrol station. Just remember if you wish to visit the park, book well in advance especially if you wish to visit during school holidays.

Today we were supposed to travel in tandem with Cathy and Alec but we left slightly earlier and planned to meet up on the road. But the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. The Earl and I checked out the waterhole at the end of the S110 before doing the Matjulu loop. There was nothing going on there and instead of waiting for Cathy and Alec to catch up we carried on. Bad choice! When they arrived they got the most amazing sighting which delayed them for another half an hour. To cut a long story short, things just didn’t go according to plan. We went on ahead to Crocodile Bridge and when they failed to catch us up on the road we guessed they’d been delayed by something exciting. When we got to Crocodile Bridge we called them to say not to try to catch up as the road was bad. Luckily they were in a spot where they could get cell reception.

We had had some awesome sightings and so had they so I am making this a two part report. I will showcase all Cathy’s fabulous photos in Part 1 and in Part 2 I will report on what happened to the Earl and me.

Part 1 Cathy and Alec’s Awesome Sightings

As I have told you before Alec and Cathy have not had much luck with leopard sightings in Kruger in the past. Earlier on in this trip they did get to see one walking toward them but the photos were not great. Today all that was to change. They arrived at the waterhole just minutes after we had left and had the most amazing leopard sighting anyone could wish for. I am going to let Cathy’s photos tell the story.

When they told us all about their day, Alec said that sighting made his holiday and nothing else mattered from then on. However, they continued to have some lovely sightings the photos of which are shown below.

Part 2 A Long Day for Earl and Helen

We left camp about twenty minutes before Alec and Cathy and what a difference timing can make to a day. However, although we missed the awesome waterhole leopard – the famous Berg-en-Dal leopard, I think, that is often seen near the camp, we did have a great day ourselves. Our plan was to travel the dirt roads to Crocodile Bridge, have breakfast there and then return on dirt roads too. BUT some of those roads are just not comfortable to ride on so we decided to return the long way round on mostly tar roads. This meant we were out from 07:15 to 17:00 making it a pretty tiring day.

On the S118 near Wimpie’s Waterhole we found one of the Big Five

Cathy and Alec saw rhino at Gardenia Hide but they weren’t there earlier. However, we did watch some little birds outside the hide.

On the S119 we saw Jim and Maureen’s stationery vehicle and guessed they were looking at something exciting. As we drew nearer I saw exactly what they were peering at.

They had been with the leopard for a while and had taken some good photos of it looking at them. After a chat with us they left and we slipped into their spot. I would not let the Earl leave until the leopard showed us her face. After ten minutes she lifted her head, then stood up and stretched before turning around and facing the other way.

She decided to be polite and gave us quite a few lovely photo opportunities. At this stage we did not know where Cathy and Alec were. We called on the walkie-talkie – no response. We phoned – no response either. Later we when we phoned them from Crocodile Bridge they answered and were at this very scene, their second leopard sighting of the day. However, at that time she was fast asleep and did not look at them. After their morning at the waterhole they didn’t mind at all.

After spending some time with the beautiful leopard we moved on toward Crocodile Bridge and had some lovely encounters on the way.

We arrived at Crocodile Bridge at 11 o’clock. There is no restaurant there but you can buy sandwiches or pies from the shop and there is a verandah where you can sit to enjoy your snack with a good cup of coffee made on the premises.

On our return trip on the tar roads we stopped in at Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie Rest Camp.

Driving next to the Sabie River was rewarding. We saw large herds of buffalo, hundreds of elephant, kudu, impala, giraffe and zebra.

We also saw a big male lion walk through the bush and flop down out of sight.

There were many other animals and birds that we kept stopping for as we continued our long trip home but I think I have posted enough for today.
Sadly tomorrow is our last day and we plan to do a short morning drive so that we have the afternoon free to get ready for the long trek home.

Today we enjoyed mild temperatures with a low of 19 degrees C and a high of 25. The Earl and I left camp at half past seven and did the route that Cathy and Alec did yesterday while they tried some other roads.

We started on the Matjulu loop and stopped when we saw two stationary cars. “What have they seen?” asked the Earl. I scanned with my binoculars and spotted something half hidden by a bush – “Lion,” I said. But the Earl could not see it. However, he’d spotted his friend, Jim just up the hill and he headed toward him. “Don’t move!” I yelled. “We have a perfect spot here. The lion is moving.” But he ignored me and went to chat to JIm and Maureen who could just make out the lions from where they sat. I was not pleased to lose our spot and insisted the Earl return. Instead he continued to the dam at the end of the road.

“Stop,” I yelled. He thought I meant stop and turn back for the lions so he just drove on. “Stop, Bird!” I insisted. So he stopped and I got a photo of a brown snake-eagle.

It wasn’t far to the end of the road and the waterhole where the Earl intended to turn around but I hoped it wouldn’t be too late to see the cats. I didn’t want to delay the return but who can resist taking a quick look at a waterhole scene. There were zebra having their morning drink.

And then they bounded up the embankment to cross over in front of us.

“Go, go, go!” I urged the Earl. We have to see the lions.

When we got back to the scene, Jim was still in his spot but the other cars except for one had gone.
“Oh no, they’re hiding behind the bush so now we won’t be able to see them,” I lamented. The Earl parked at the spot where I’d first seen one and low and behold a cub emerged from behind the bush and tried to chase an impala!

Soon a few more members of the family appeared. We watched them regroup and then they all ran across the road in front of us and disappeared into the bush.

All of this happened in half an hour and after the pride had disappeared into the bush we continued with on the S114 with Jim and Maureen following. We stopped to photograph some lovely Kudu standing on an outcrop of rocks and staring into the distance.

At the end of the road, J&M went left and we continued along the Crocodile Bridge Road.

Ground Hornbills seem to like us because they have appeared to say hello almost every day. We’re not complaining. They’re fascinating birds.

At half past nine we turned onto the Mlamambane Loop. We kept a close eye on the riverbed for animals and birds. Just ahead of us we noticed a single stationary car. We thought he might be birdwatching but as we got closer I spotted her – Lion – I called.

From where we were we could see a campervan parked in a loop closer to the river bed and, wondering what they were looking at, we went down to join them. When we came alongside them they told us that there were ten lions on the rocks to the left. It was a pride of several males, females and cubs. The males seemed to be very good dads and were allowing the cubs to pull on their manes and bite their ears and tails. It was wonderful to watch.

Jim and Maureen appeared from the opposite direction and enjoyed the sighting with us.

After spending some lovely time with this pride we continued to Gardenia Hide where we found a single male giraffe.

Some aliens were sunning themselves on the rocks. Seems they want to meet Uncle Cyril.

Outside the hide we found a few birds flitting about

By this time we were getting hungry so we made our way to Afsaal picnic site where we met up with Alec and Cathy. We told them about the lions on the Mlamambane Loop and they made their way to the scene after lunch but there were only two visible when they got there.

After lunch we visited Renoster Pan and found some impala, wildebeest, zebra, a Dark Chanting Goshawk and a Malachite Kingfisher.

At another waterhole we enjoyed watching a giraffe drinking.

Just before getting back to Berg-en-Dal we saw elephants but the resident Berg-en-Dal leopard has still not made an appearance. Maybe tomorrow!

Today was the day that we had to take the car to Malelane to have ithe cracked windscreen replaced. We also decided to have the car serviced at Malelane Ford while we were at it. The service would be overdue by the time we get home in two week’s time. Once the car was booked in at 07:00 a driver dropped us at Wimpy. We ordered breakfast and then spent the morning entertaining ourselves on our devices. There was nothing else we could do until the car was ready at 14:00. We then did some shopping and returned to Berg-en-Dal. Our drive there and back through the park yielded the usual creatures namely elephant, giraffe, impala, warthogs and kudu.

While we were missing in action Cathy and Alec took a drive to Gardenia Hide. Here are some their day’s highlights.

In the evening we braaied pork chops. It was a stunning, still warm evening. And that is all for today everyone. See you again soon.

It was moving day today. Getting the caravan safely from one camp to another before the roads become busy and finding the perfect camping site was the Earl’s prime objective so it was an early start for us today. It was 7 degrees C when we left but it warmed up considerably and by the time we reached Berg-en-Dal the mercury had climbed to the high twenties. We left ahead of Cathy and Alec at quarter to seven and arrived just after nine o’clock. Of course, as usual, on a day we did not want to be delayed, the animals had other plans for us.

The Earl did not want to stop for the four hyaena I saw but reluctantly obliged for a few seconds allowing me to take some unpostable photos. They were still there, with their pups, when Alec and Cathy came half an hour later. Cathy got some awesome shots.

Giraffe, zebra, impala and kudu simply waved at as we passed by but just before the turn-off to the H3 we stopped to see what two stationary cars were looking at. One drove off but the other pointed and said, “There’s a leopard walking through the bush.” Then he drove off.

If only we were not towing we could have turned around and followed her. There were no other vehicles in sight.

The above shot by the Earl is a reflection in his side mirror

The creatures were all out to greet us this morning which was lovely to see but we only stopped to take a few photographs.

Alec and Cathy ran into some interesting sightings too. Our friends Jim and Maureen recognised their CS registration and Gecko caravan and realised they must be our travelling companions when they saw them at a very special sighing.

When we arrived at Berg-en-Dal we found the campground to be very full. There was no chance of getting a perimeter site but we found a fairly suitable one not too far from an ablution. It turned out later that it was close to Jim and Maureen too. We were all set up by the time Cathy and Alec arrived. The rhino had delayed them somewhat!

There were lots of birds about while we were busy including a brown-crowned tchagra, blue waxbill, bulbuls, sparrows and doves. I managed to get a shot of a sunbird.

By the time both caravans were set up, we went to the restaurant which overlooks the dam for brunch.

Afterwards I did the newly upgraded Rhino Walking Trail which is about 3,2 kilometres long starting at the restaurant and following beside the perimeter fence. Part of it is a Braille trail which also has a cable rail for the use of those needing it.

The trail has information boards with descriptions of various creatures. There are also riddles for children to solve. The answer can be found by lifting the flap.

It was a lovely trail to do and I saw quite a few creatures right beside me on the other side of the fence.

Later in the afternoon we did the Majula Loop and saw a big herd of buffalo at the waterhole.

We saw other creatures too but the light was not good for photography. It was a perfect evening after the past two days of chill we have had so we had a lovely braai for supper. Tomorrow the Earl and I have to take the Everest into Malelane to have the cracked windscreen replaced. Hopefully it won’t take too long and we can do a game drive in the afternoon. See you all then!

Today was a very long day. It was warm at first but became cooler as the day wore on. It was quite windy too. The skies clouded over and rain threatened but all we got was a spit and a spot later in the afternoon and evening.

At 08:20 we found ourselves at Shithave Dam but did not stay long as there were a number of cars and more arrived before we left.

We then took the H1-1 and passed groups of curious impies, kudu, giraffe and zebra.

The male ground hornbill has a pink skin patch on his throat while the female’s is violet blue. Sometimes it is difficult to see.

We also popped in at Transport Dam

We continued along the H1-1 and were thrilled to see all the creatures along the way.

Much of our route took us along the river and across weirs, low and high bridges. Where there is water, you will usually find animals.

Crossing the bridge on the H1-2 we spotted a fish eagle.

We were entertained by more creatures as we moved on.

As we got closer to Lower Sabie the traffic on the road became worse. It is a popular route because of the Sabie River and the abundance of animals especially lion and leopard. Today there were no less than three serious road blocks because cars would not adhere to the rule to stay on the side of the sighting and leave the other side free so people can take their photographs and move on. The worst one was for a leopard in a tree. We never got to see it because of the traffic jam. It turned out that it was so hidden that it was hardly worth the trouble to find it. By this time we were hungry and wanted to get to Lower Sabie for our lunch and so we concentrated on taking the first gap and dashed through quickly. There were two more roadblocks after that and it took an hour to do a distance that normally takes 15 minutes!

We managed to glimpse lions at the second roadblock.

The third one was ridiculous. The lions were all fast asleep and would be for hours. There was absolutely no point for so many cars to block the road in anticipation of the creatures waking up.

It was quite cold when we arrived at Lower Sabie but we were lucky enough to get a table in a sheltered spot on the Mug and Bean deck. We were all a bit rattled by having to fight traffic in a game reserve and decided to get back to Pretoriuskop as soon as we could. We did not stop to photograph too much.

We visited Sunset Dam just outside the camp before and after lunch.

We were tired so did not stop for very much more on the way back to camp. However, who can resist babies

Our last stop was at Mathekenyane

As we’d had a good lunch at Lower Sabie we did not cook but instead warmed up some pies for supper and then it was into our cosy caravans for our second last night at Pretoriuskop.

It was 18 degrees C when we left camp this morning and it remained a pleasantly warm day reaching a high of 26. We left Pretoriuskop at 07:45 and shortly thereafter three little pigs crossed the road in front of us.

We then took the S7 and S10 which wound through the typical rocky outcrops of the Pretoriuskop area.

This is typical klipspringer territory and we were not disappointed.

This area is not the best for seeing animals but we did have a few interesting sightings.

The S3 was a little more productive.

Next we took the S4 which was uncomfortable to drive due to it being quite corrugated. On the S1 we found Giraffe and Ground Hornbill

Our destination was the Lake Panic hide near Skukuza and we spent a while there before going to Skukuza for lunch. The lake was fuller than I have ever seen it.

After lunch at Skukuza’s Cattle Baron we made our way back to camp stopping at first Transport Dam, and then Shithave Dam. It was difficult to find a place to park at both of them so once we’d taken a few photographs we did not linger.

The park is busier than we have ever seen it. It is not school holiday time and it’s an off season month which is usually a good time to come if you don’t want crowds at your favourite spots. We think the reason for the sudden influx into the park is because Gauteng private schools did not close at the usual time but did lessons online right through Lockdown. When the president announced that the borders were open and things could return to normal they were given their delayed holidays in the month of August.

When we got back to camp we did a bit of shopping at the Park Shop and did the usual camp chores. Dinner was chicken casserole and it was early to bed!

Thursday 26 August 2021

Today was moving day. The distance between Satara and our next destination was 140 kilometres so we were up bright and early and had the caravan hitched and ready for departure by 07:15. We only travel on the main roads when towing and travelling between camps. The rule is that we try to get to the next camp as quickly as possible but Murphy always ensures that something will delay our progress. Today was no exception. Why, when we are towing a caravan, do we invariably have exceptional sightings!

Early into our trip we spotted two stationary cars up ahead. When we drew closer I spotted a cheetah on the move.

Cathy and Alec were just behind us and called on the walkie-talkie, “What do you see?” “Two cheetah,” I replied having spotted a second one. ” They’re on the move, try to get a photo. We can’t reverse.”

Female cheetahs are usually solitary unless they have cubs with them. Some males are solitary while others form coalitions with their brothers. These two cheetahs were probably brothers hunting together.

Not fifteen minutes later we had another interruption.

Next we stopped to photograph three very handsome buffalo boys. “Take the photo quickly,” said the Earl. “They’re going to cross the road. I will move on so Cathy can get her photo.”

As Cathy was snapping her photos of the buffalo on the other side, Alec called out, “Hey, look over there!”

Buffalo are the lion’s favourite food but it takes more than one to bring one down. As the females do most of the hunting, this male would have no chance of handling three who soon became aware that he was there.

Alec’s walkie talkie battery had gone flat so we were quite unaware of the drama that had taken place when we stopped at Tshokwane for a loo break and to get the chargers out of the caravan. After seeing the buffalo on one side of the road we hadn’t thought to check the other side!

The rest of the trip was quieter. We stopped at Skukuza for breakfast and arrived at Pretoriuskop at 13:00