Once again we had a beautiful warm sunny day today. To us, from the cold and wet Western Cape, it felt like summer. At 4 pm it was 30 degrees C and even after the sun had set we sat outdoors without jackets.

Our morning drive started at 8:15 and we were back at camp by 11:15.
Just outside camp on the H13-1 we saw quite a few female kudu and continued to see lots of kudu in large groups for the rest of the day.

The H13-1 was quite active with birds but we heard more than we could see and when we did see them they refused to settle quietly for a photo. I was, however, delighted to see a flock of white-crested helmet shrikes and one obliged by sitting still for a few seconds.

Everybody who follows my travel blogs knows I love giraffe. Today. several came out to say howdy.

At 9:20 we turned onto the Ndzuondzwini Loop. Soon we found a huge herd of kudu and impala and in the distance some waterbuck too. We sat and watched them drinking and browsing and grazing. Sometimes they would all stop and stand perfectly still all looking in the same direction. We think they were aware of a predator in the area. They could certainly sense something. After a while they relaxed and continued with their breakfast and entertained us with their activities.

While we watched the buck interacting we were unaware that a bull elephant had appeared on the scene. I happened to look to the left and there he was.

Eventually all the kudu and impala left the scene and disappeared into the bush. The elephant soon lumbered off too so we moved on but stopped when we spotted an interesting bird.

We continued to see the usual suspects – more giraffe, zebra and birds who refused to pose, before returning to camp. Cathy and Alec had also gone for a short drive and were back at the same time. The Earl cooked us some lovely scrambled eggs for breakfast and we only went out again at 3:30 pm.

These are the highlights of the afternoon drive.

Baobab trees lose their leaves in winter but Spring is just around the corner and so some are beginning to wake up for the summer.

The sun was just going down when we arrived back at camp and as we parked I noticed two men staring up into the tree under which the Gecko is set up. I asked what they’d seen and they said it could be a Gabar Goshawk. I could only locate it after a few minutes of their careful direction. “Perhaps it’s a Shikra,” I suggested and we checked my Roberts App. Indeed it was and they were delighted. Well, so was I! A shikra in my tree!

It was my turn to do dinner tonight so I brought out my trusty Remoska pot and made a chicken casserole with lots of veggies.

I was up before seven o’clock this morning and did not have to wrap up in hat and gloves to leave the caravan. The temperature started at 10 degrees C and kept rising to the mid-twenties. It was a still, sunny day with cloudless skies.

The Earl and I left before Cathy and Alec this morning as they were to meet up with a friend along the road and instead of waiting for them we decided to try to get to Punda as early as possible to try for a perimeter site.

The R525 to Pafuri Gate was in fairly good condition with just a few small potholes from time to time – easy to see and avoid. We passed through some bustling villages and dodged the cows, goats and donkeys along the route. It was lovely to see lots of baobab trees decorating the landscape too.

We arrived at Pafuri at ten to nine and received a friendly welcome from the gate attendant. We filled in a Covid Form and he took our temperatures before we checked in at the office. Here again the friendly receptionist welcomed us to The Park and processed us very efficiently.

What a joy to be back in the Kruger National Park. This year we are travelling from the northern-most part right down to the south. This is the first time that we have entered from Pafuri Gate.

From the gate we took the H1-9 and then the H1-8 to Punda Maria Rest Camp. The first creature to welcome us was a squirrel scampering across the road and then a zebra hiding amongst the trees. Neither were too keen to pose for a photograph. But it was not long before some other creatures were more obliging.

We arrived at Punda at 11:00 and unfortunately found all the perimeter sites taken. However, we found one further back which still had a view of the waterhole.

We set up quickly and about an hour later Alec and Cathy arrived. Once we were all settled and ready we went to reception to check in and to have some lunch. None of us had eaten all day and it was 2 pm by the time we sat down to lovely chicken wraps, chips and salad washed down with refreshing Grapetisers.

Before lunch I had spotted something at the waterhole and dashed to the hide with my camera.

Later in the afternoon the Earl and I did the Mahonie Loop. It was already after four o’clock and gate closing time was at six. This meant we could not stop at a sighting for too long for fear of getting in late!

We spotted the usual suspects and a few familiar birds none of whom were very photogenic. Then I heard squawking. “Stop,” I yelled and scanned a very green tree for very green parrots. We saw a whole flock of them flying and then I managed to get this contented chap nibbling something nutlike.

From five o’clock the light begins to fade and it becomes a bit cooler. The gravel road, however, remains warm and attracts creatures to lie upon it to soak up the heat.

Time was running out and the Earl did not want to make any more stops. But he had to when Jumbo took up half the road to drink from a puddle. He ran toward us and raised his trunk. It was scary but I think he was just being playful.

He then returned to his drinking and moved more to the side of the road. The Earl edged closer and then put his foot down and passed the elephant. He seemed annoyed but did not chase us!

We made it back to camp with 10 minutes to spare.

How lovely it was to have a warm, still evening for our braai. The Earl braaied some pork rashers for starters and then some chops and wors served with vegetable parcels prepared by Cathy. She precooked some mixed veggies and potato in the micro added some frozen green beans and butter and wrapped them in tinfoil to be finished off in the coals – absolutely delicious.

And now as I listen to the giggles of the hyaenas it is time to say good-night.

This morning started at a slightly warmer four degrees Celsius this morning and by 08h00 we’d had our warming coffee and were on the road for a rather long trek to Tshipise. We refuelled at Caltex at 8:30 and continued along the well maintained N1 double carriage way when at 08h45 the traffic suddenly came to a standstill. My Waze app informed me that traffic would creep on for the next 25 minutes but no explanation of what was causing the delay. We were stuck in the right lane with huge trucks beside us in the left. On coming traffic was light and flowing.

Eventually we arrived at the toll gate at 09h34 and could see that only one booth was open. Alec called on the radio, “They’re diverting us. We won’t be able to carry on along the N1!” And sure enough we were ushered through to the left and did not have to pay the toll. We have no idea why but presumed there was an accident up ahead. This meant we had to detour through Modi and then onto the R101 before rejoining the N1 at 10 o’clock. We saw a bashed truck cleared off the road a little further on and wondered if that was what the fuss was about. We heard later that there had been a three truck collision.

Our breakfast stop was at Caltex Starstop, The Ranch near Polokwane and it was really good. The road was good until Louis Trichardt and then it was a bit rough. To add injury to insult you have to go through a toll and pay R50 for a bad road and then immediately turn off onto the road to the resort.

On arrival at the Forever Resort we had to provide our IDs, registration numbers of the vehicles and caravans and each of us had to sign in. Before driving through the gate our temperatures were taken too. As it is term time we were expecting a quiet campsite but nothing could have been further from the truth! It was almost full to capacity but we finally managed to find two sites next to each other.

Tshipise is derived from Tshivenḓa “tshisima tsha u fhisa”, ‘hot spring’, referring to the mineral springs. One of the pools at the resort is filled with the spring water and there are also two indoor pools which are very hot and good for relieving arthritic and rheumatic aches and pains.

Tshipise Forever Resort is popular for retirees from the cooler south. They set themselves up here for the winter months to escape the cold of their southerly homes. They’re known as “Swaelties,” the Afrikaans word for swallows. There were also lots of young families with children probably taking a weekend break. The facilities are excellent and there are big pools and other things to entertain the kids.

The ablutions are pristine, there is a well-stocked shop, a laundromat with several washing machines and dryers and a good restaurant. I took the opportunity of doing a load of washing at R40 for both the washing and the drying.

We also had supper at the restaurant in the evening and the food was excellent. Cathy and Alec had chicken schnitzel the Earl had lamb stew and I had a grilled chicken. We also ordered two portions of veg and 2 baked potatoes to share.

The weather is considerably warmer now that we’ve crossed the tropic of Capricorn. Evenings are cool but not freezing and it was warm enough this afternoon to wear short sleeves.

After today’s drama we are all relieved that this is our last overnight stop before entering the park tomorrow. It is only a 90km drive to Pafuri Gate and we can’t wait to finally start our Kruger Safari!

Most of our route was on the double carriage ways of the N1 which meant that passing the lumbering trucks was a lot less stressful.   Cathy was our able navigator and Alec lead us brilliantly through the awful traffic of Johannesburg.   But  the journey was not too long today and we only made two stops for loo breaks. 

How lovely it was to wake up in a lovely warm bedroom this morning.   Outside the brave sun shone but it was minus three degrees Celsius at seven o’clock and once again the temperature took its time to rise to 20 before dropping drastically after four o’clock.   Breakfast was included in our rate so at eight o’clock we enjoyed  lovely bacon and eggs and lots of good coffee and only left Arcadia Guest House at nine o’clock.

Bela-Bela is the Tswana word meaning ‘the pot that boils’ and was named thus when the tribe discovered the hot springs in the 1800s.  A Voortrekker named Carl van Heerden had the first farm in the district.  He named it “Hartingburg”  in honour of a Dutch biologist named Pieter Harting.   Later  President Burger’s Transvaal government bought the land and  they named the area ‘Het Bat’.  During the Anglo Boer War the British took over the town and in 1903 named it Warm Baths.  In 2002 it was re-named Bela-Bela. The main hot springs holiday resort in the town is still branded Warmbaths.

We are not staying at  Warmbaths Resort but at Mbizi Game Lodge which is lush with green grass and trees.   There are lots of ancient implements dotted about the grounds and at reception we were amused to see old kettles used as lampshades. 

We each have a campsite with private ablutions. The campsites are small and not the best in this caravan park. I would suggest rather getting the ones with communal ablutions which are just as pristine and perhaps even more spacious. There are benches in the shower rooms and hooks for hanging your clothes

Mbizi is not a place I would choose to come to during school holidays. It is a typical holiday camp with wonderful facilities for families and children. At times like these I imagine it would be quite noisy. So unless you love the sound of children indulging in excited play, come when they’re all at school.

The campsite not only attracts holiday makers but birds and beasts too.

The camp restaurant is open all day until 20h00. You have to choose from an illustrated board, order and pay cash at the bar and your meal is served in take-away-containers with plastic cutlery. However, there is seating and you may sit in or outdoors. Music was playing throughout the afternoon and was quite loud. We asked for it to be turned down and they kindly switched the speakers off in the indoor restaurant. The Earl and I had chicken wraps and Cathy and Alec had cheese burgers. We also had a Greek salad to share. We wanted to order a bottle of wine but they only had one off the shelf. However, they allowed us to fetch our own and did not charge corkage. Unless you want fine dining, I can really recommend eating at this place.

Tomorrow we travel to our last destination, Tshipise, before we enter Kruger National Park on Sunday.

At seven o’clock this morning the mercury dropped to minus one degree Celsius. Now, I am a morning person, but today it was cold enough for hell to freeze over, so under the duvet I remained! But I couldn’t stay there forever and after the Earl go up I quickly dressed in my warmest jeans and jersey and emerged to greet the day.

It looked like it should be warm outdoors and the bright sun was trying desperately to send its warming rays down to Earth. By midday she succeeded in only slightly warming the air to 14 degrees C. Of course as soon as the sun went down so did the temperature.

At half past eight we bade farewell to our campsite and the beautiful Modder River, filled up with fuel at Engen and continued onto the N8 towards Bloemfontein. Then we took the N1 toward Kroonstad. It was 10:55 when we stopped at Caltex Fresh Stop only to find that the Fantini Restaurant had burned down and we could not have brunch there so we went back 5km to the Shell Ultra City and enjoyed a good meal there.

Up until now we have had little traffic on the roads we have travelled but today the number of trucks increased and caused angst to our drivers. The roads were in reasonable condition but how long is this going to last with heavy vehicles like these using them. Surely rail transportation of heavy goods makes more sense.

No suitable caravan park was available in Kroonstad where we are stopping over tonight. Instead Cathy booked us into Arcadia Guest Lodge. We love our cosy caravans but a little bit of a spoil in luxury accommodation is not to be sneezed at.

The distance from Bredasdorp to Pafuri Gate, where we intend entering The Kruger National Park is over 2000 km. Planning a safe route, and finding good caravan parks is a lot of work and Cathy is the one to have done it for this trip. She has also compiled a comprehensive list of caravan parks in Southern Africa for our Gecko Caravan owners. All the parks we are visiting on this trip are on this list. Members should please give feedback about the camps they visit and also let Cathy know about any others that could be added so that the list can be kept current.

There is a caravan park in Kroonstad that Cathy and Alec have visited and enjoyed in the past but unfortunately it now has a reputation for being unsafe. We passed it today and it was empty. We have heard that work is being done to upgrade it and to improve security.

Below are some photos of the lovely Arcadia Guest Lodge.

Cathy and Alec took the opportunity of being in Kroonstad to catch up with life-long friends of theirs who live here. We all met at Spur for dinner and then had coffee back at their home. It was an awesome evening.

Tomorrow we make our way to Mbizi Game Lodge and Spa – Bela Bela.

Stay warm and stay safe.

This morning I woke to silence and chill.  The wind had died down to nothing but the temperature had plummeted to 2 degrees C!   It was insanely cold!  Donned in hat and gloves I emerged from my caravan to find Alec wearing shorts!  To be fair, he did have on a fleece and was boiling the kettle for good welcome cups of  hot  coffee for us all.

It did not take long to be packed up and ready and by 08h30 we were on the road.   The N12 to Kimberley is in excellent condition and the traffic was minimal. 

At Three Sisters we turned left into the Northern Cape and the vegetation soon changed from  scrubby bush to scattered trees.  

It was 11:30 when we arrived at Britstown and after refuelling we dropped in at The Old Mill Coffee Shop for brunch.  We’d discovered this quaint little place on our way to Mountain Zebra National Park in March and were delighted that they were still there in spite of the effects that Covid has had on the restaurant and tourist industry.

We were pleasantly surprised to have very few trucks on the road as we travelled the N12.   We arrived at Riverside Lodge in Ritchie, 40 km from Kimberley at 3 pm. By then the temperature had risen to 22 degrees C.  The Lodge is right on the Modder  River and has lovely facilities.  The showers are spacious and have enough hooks and a bench outside each one.

After setting up camp I took a walk  and to my great joy saw a fish eagle dive feet first onto the surface of the water and come up with a huge fish. He then took the poor creature up into a tree – not a great photo but wow – what a lovely thing to see.

My travelling companions missed the scene but came for a stroll a little later on.

At this time of the year the mornings are really chilly but for a few hours it warms up to the early 20s. But once the sun goes down the chill returns. We are expecting another very cold morning tomorrow but right now we’re snug in our caravans.

Good night to you all and thanks for following.

The Earl and I did a long circular drive. One section was called “klipspringe” but none put in a appearance and the birds and other animals seemed to be in hiding too. This I am sure was probably because they were sheltering from the wind somewhere. However, the scenery was spectacular and what we saw was awesome.

The wind blew all night and when we arose at 08h00 this morning it had not died down! I have to admit it was difficult to extract myself from my warm and cosy bed but when I did I found that it was not that cold outdoors. The mercury was soon up to 17 degrees C. After a compulsory cup of strong, hot, black coffee and a rusk with our travelling companions we got ourselves ready for some exploring.

It was around 1 o’clock when we returned. After doing some camp chores and catching up with emails and social media the others took a nap and I did the rest-camp trail. The wind was howling so it was not very pleasant but interesting nonetheless. I started on the south trail which had detours to see things of interest and then joined the north trail to complete the circuit.

Along the route certain of the plants were labeled but they all looked the same to me. It was very dry and nothing was flowering.

One of the detours took me to an olden day hyaena trap. Early stock farmers tired of losing their stock to jackal, hyaena, leopard and other predatory wild animals would build these traps

The bait was secured to a pin at the rear of the trap. A rawhide rope would be covered with animal fat and attached to the bait at one end and to the pin on the trapdoor at the other end. When the animal tugged at the bait the rope would tighten and release the trapdoor. A small aperture (usually blocked by a stone) was located above the bait enabling one to see into the trap. The farmer would insert a rifle or assegaai through the aperture and kill the poor trapped thief.
Sadly, the use of these traps contributed to the extinction of the brown hyeana in the karoo.

I also detoured to a wonderful fossil trail which would delight anybody interested in paleontology. The Karoo is very rich in fossils of terrestrial animals from the Permian and Triassic geological periods. The 300m paved trail, has collections of fossilized creatures in glass cabinets each having a signboard explaining its exhibit.

These Karoo wildlife fossils are from 255 million years ago. Today the Karoo is a dry semi-desert but 300 million years ago it was a sea.

Of course I was also on the lookout for birds.

It was tea-time when I returned and it was a relief to escape the gusting wind.

For supper we once again went to the restaurant and all had the ox-tail which was excellent.

Tomorrow we leave for Kimberley.

For the past several weeks, the third wave of Covid brought an Alert Level Four Lockdown with strict curfews, alcohol bans, and limitations on travelling through Gauteng.  Then to add insult to injury insurrection and rioting caused havoc in Kwa-Zulu Natal causing us to rethink routes to avoid the rebels, hijacking and fuel and food shortages.  The joys of living in Africa!   Fellow Gecko owners, Alec and Cathy (109) and the Earl and I (81) had a 38-day Kruger Trip planned and feared we might have to postpone or cancel.   But with a positive attitude and a desperation to get into the bush we planned regardless and prayed that calm would descend upon our country and that our esteemed president would return us to Alert Level Three.  And yes – we listened to his address to the nation on Sunday night and to our relief and joy found that not only could we travel through Gauteng without our permits we could pack our favourite alcoholic beverages too!  A sunset in the wild is just not the same without a glass of “Life from Stone” to enjoy it with.  Cheers and thank you dear President Cyril Ramaphosa.  

Just before departure date the country was hit by an incredible cold front and just two days ago our first destination, Karoo National Park was covered in snow!  Now for those of you who don’t know our beautiful sunny South Africa, snow in The Great Karoo is a rare thing.  Yes there might be a sprinkle on the mountain tops but not  that often anywhere lower down thank you very much.  All over the land temperatures plummeted and we were shocked to see, on social media, snow storms occurring all along our planned route!   Even in our seaside village of Struisbaai it has been bitterly cold causing us to light the wood burning stove from early on in the day.   But clearly the Gods are on our side as today dawned chilly with clear skies and a promise that the Little and Great Karoo had left the minus temperatures behind.  But our caravan beds were made up with down duvets and an electric blanket to ensure that the chill stayed well away.

We met up with our Napier friends Cathy and Alec at the Bredasdorp silos at 8:20 am and with joy in our heart drove the scenic route to Karoo National Park.  The snow still lay thick on the mountain tops but temperatures did not drop below 6 degrees C. Mostly we enjoyed sunshine and warmth to 21 degrees C by midday.

The entire trip from Bredasdorp on the R319, N2 and R324 through Swellendam and Suurbraak to Barrydale where we stopped for breakfast at the delightful Country Pumpkin and then followed Route 62 to Oudtshoorn where we refueled and joined the N12 and passed through the very beautiful Meiringspoort to Beaufort West finally arriving at Karoo National Park at 3 pm.   We will be spending two nights here, before continuing for another 5 days to enter at Pafuri Gate in the north of Kruger National Park.   Watch this space for reports of our adventures.

The Little Karoo thrilled us with its unusual greenness and beautiful orange flowering aloes. against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains.  The Great Karoo was dry in spite of the recent snowfalls.   But what I love most about the stark Karoo are the colours – the awesome beauty of the muted pinks, mauves greens and russets.  

Karoo National Park’s campsite is awesome. Today is the first day of Term 3 so there were not many campers and we had no trouble picking out two lovely campsites next to each other. The ablutions are pristine and beautifully cared for.

We had dinner at the restaurant this evening and were their only guests. The food was fantastic – Chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and feta for me, Karoo lamb chops for Cathy, Beef Steak for Alec and Venison steak for the Earl. All served with veggies and potato wedges.

It is now half past nine. I am snug under my down duvet, the hot blanket is on and the Earl is already fast asleep. Outside it is chilly and the wind is blowing but luckily no snow! Tomorrow we will explore the park and hopefully I will have some more photos to show you. Thank you for joining us on our latest Gecko adventure.