It was not a good start to the morning. I’d been awake since pre-dawn, listening to the sounds of the bush. The cicadas who had been silent all day yesterday suddenly awoke and started their buzzing. As the light started creeping into the sky I got up and went to the ablution. I was looking forward to a nice hot shower and a hair wash. I turned on the tap – Nada! Not even a drop! As you can imagine I was not a happy camper! All I could do was use our bottled water to brush my teeth and give myself a lick and a promise. At least there was boiling water on tap that we could use to make coffee. Don’t, please, deprive me of my coffee first thing in the morning!
I consoled myself with the fact that at least I didn’t have to face the public. I could hide in the car and only the creatures of the veld would see me.
“I’ll shower as soon as I get to Satara,” I told the Earl. He just laughed. Why are these things unimportant to men!
We had our coffee, bade our neighbours who were also leaving goodbye and were on the road to Satara by 5:45.
As usual when towing we only stopped briefly to greet our friends of the veld.
Not in the mood to start the day just yet.Walter Warthog down on his knees – lucky thing found more water than I did!About time you showed up, Korri – You haven’t been around much lately have you?
After spotting the Kori Bustard, I called out, “Jackal!
“Where?” said the Earl.
“There,” I replied. “Quite far behind that bush.”
“What bush?”
“The dryish one.”
“Which dryish one?”
“Okay – you see that tall tree way back there? Well keep coming toward the car from there and you will see him.”
But still he couldn’t see it.
It’s quite far awayScan with your binoculars – It’s behind a logOh, there! You said far away – That’s just here!
Conversations like the above are common in The Kruger National Park!
We continued our journey and stopped for some more special sightings.
Brown Snake-eagle Yellow MongooseGrumpy Gnu gives us a look while Zelda Zebra laughs at Gilbert having a sand bath
When we arrived at Satara we found that our friends, Jim and Maureen’s caravan was still parked in their spot. They were due to leave yesterday but when they returned from their drive we found out that they’d extended their stay till Thursday.
We found a shady spot near them, unhitched the caravan, went for a very welcome shower and then after a short rest went for another drive. We did the S100 which produced all the usual suspects.
Me enjoying a giraffe sighting’Just ignore here – She’s snapping that camera again!
The Earl captured an African Hoopoe with prey!
We found three different swallow species in one tree
White-throatedRed-breastedLesser StripedDonkeys in striped pyjamas were everywhere. “Does my ‘ass’ look fat in these stripes?” Hurry Mom – I don’t like those humans staring at usUh oh, She spotted me!We are rather cute, aren’t we!
We also visited Sweni Hide but didn’t stay long as it was rather hot.
Mrs Saddlebill was on her ownKevin Crake had some funIan and Ivor Impie fighting for dominance
We rested at camp until about half past four and then went out along the Orpen Road to see if anything came to the dam. A few elephants came down and there were some lovely ducks.
Mom and baby having funProud as Punch with the knob on his noseEyes right but there’s always that one duck! White-faced ducksWe also got the Levaillan’ts Cuckoo
On our way back to camp we were held up by a road block of elephants. We watched them for a while and were delighted with the antics of the tiniest of the herd.
Ha – Got here before you, now you can jolly well wait!The tiniest member of the herdDon’t mess with our baby – you’ll come off second best!And I’m not afraid on anyone!
In the evening we joined Jim and Maureen for a delicious Pork Belly dinner cooked by Jim in their black pot.
The BoysThe Girls – ching ching
It was a simply stunning evening with a full moon shining
And to top it all we had an uninvited visitor.
Abe the African Wild Cat felt quite at home. He sat under the car and groomed himself just like your kitty at home would do. But, don’t be fooled – try to pet him and you will regret it!
After bidding farewell to our new friends, Terry and Christie, we were on the road to Letaba by half past six this morning. It was a beautiful day with just a few white fluffy clouds crimping the sky. The temperature was soon in the high twenties. Once again, because we were towing, we took only the tar roads. Stopping to see creatures was kept to a minimum. Our first road block came in the form of three elegant giraffe gliding first in single file on the road in front of us and then deciding to go abreast before changing course and heading into the veld.
As far as the creatures of the game reserve are concerned, the road is for them, not the tourists!
At quarter past seven we came to a T-junction where we needed to turn right. There was a waterhole straight ahead and the Earl remarked that there was an elephant there. “Lovely,” I said and then looked left to check for approaching cars.
Isn’t it strange how the brain works, “Wild Dog,” came out of my mouth before I actually realised what I’d seen. They were facing in the opposite direction to where we needed to go but we could see them beautifully from the stop sign. They hung around until they were all ready to trot off.
“Wild Dog,” who said that? Oh it was me! Now I’m excited.Are we all ready? Let’s go!
A car from behind must have been impatient that we did not move so crept up next to us. When he saw the dogs he turned right then made a u-turn to follow them. Unfortunately, that was not an option for us.
As we continued on our way I was struck by the beauty of our surroundings. The Kruger is like another planet and it felt like I was an alien taking in its beauty as if seeing it for the first time. The different shades of green in the grass, bushes and trees. The sky seemed enormous and the expanse of the earth seemed to go on forever, unbroken by man-made structures. Every now and then an elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest or waterbuck put in an appearance. A yellow-billed kite then a bateleur soared in the sky. I felt privileged, really lucky to be able to experience all this wildness and peace so other than my normal life.
Another exciting moment presented itself. We saw a stationary car up ahead. I was in the back seat and looked left. The Earl looked right. “Lions!” he said. And I slid over to the right. There under a tree were three lionesses preparing for a nap.
Good Morning – sorry my sisters are hiding behind the tree.
At 9:30 we arrived at Mopani for breakfast. The Fish Eagle Terrace overlooks Pioneer Dam and is such a pleasant place to enjoy your morning meal. Afterwards we walked to the deck below to observes some birds.
A special one to see – the Paradise Fly-catcher – the male would not pose but we got his wife.
We then went to the park shop as Letaba’s burnt down store is still not rebuilt. As we were leaving we heard the call of the Klaas’s Cuckoo. It was loud and obviously the bird was very close, up in the leafy green tree. “Let’s put our shopping in the car and come back and have a good look, ” suggested the Earl. This bird is always elusive and I had my doubts that we would find him but it was worth a try. The temperature was already in the thirties so seeking it in the heat was not very comfortable. After several frustrating minutes the Earl saw it and with his help I found it too. Now to get a photograph – what a joke! It kept flying from one branch to another and expertly hid itself in the foliage, teasing us with its loud ‘matie, matie, matie,’ call.
Gotcha, you sneaky thing – Don’t try to hide behind that leaf!Oh alright, I’ll pose nicely then.
Thank you Mr Klaas, I appreciate your being so obliging.
Who would have thought that a national park would have so many zebra crossings. No, not the stripy things across the road, real zebra crossing over! We had plenty of those as well as buffalo mowing the edges of the road.
Thanks for keeping the roadside neat, Mr Buffalo.
We arrived at Letaba a midday and it was probably about 40 degrees C. We are only here for one night so we did not even set up the awning but found a nice perimeter site with a concrete slab on which to park the caravan. Once we had the caravan level on its stays the Earl went off to the pool and I took a load of washing to the laundrette and then joined him a few minutes later.
So refreshing
After half an hour I nipped back to take the laundry out of the machine and popped it into the dryer. It’s R20 well spent, I believe. We then spent another hour or so in the pool and had just got back to the caravan when a strong wind blew up. Our neighbours were out and their tent looked like it would blow away so the Earl and I quickly did some securing. And then down came the rain. We were going to go for a drive but decided against it. We did not want to find ourselves caught in a storm outside of the camp. How strange that from a perfectly calm day such heavy rain can suddenly disturb your plans! It lasted for about two hours and then stopped.
When our young neighbours returned, nothing had blown away but their gazebo was wet and they needed to pack it up for departure tomorrow. They soon had it dried and their pack up went smoothly.
The weather cleared sufficiently for us to make a lovely braai and sit outdoors to enjoy it.
As I finish this post, I hear hyaena laughing, the barred owl screeching and the scops owl competing with its less harsh, intermittent prrrp. The cicadas for once are totally silent. I shall soon be drifting off into a wonderfully peaceful sleep.
It is an early start this morning. The cicadas are ringing in our ears as we wake and get ready for the day. At quarter past five we leave Letaba and make our way to Mopani Rest Camp for breakfast. We had heard hyaena laughing and lion roaring in the distance but will we find them?
It is a cool 23 degrees, there is no wind and the sky is slightly cloudy. It promises to be a ‘cool’ day. In fact temperatures do not rise above 30 degrees C and the average hovers around 28. Believe me that is cool by Kruger standards.
We decide to have a competition today. I keep the list and whoever sees the first of a species for the day gets a point. In the case of birds one has to be able to identify the species correctly to get the point otherwise the other gets a point too.
I believe I am the better spotter and The Earl believes that he is. He complains that being the driver puts him at a disadvantage as he has to concentrate on the road. I say that driving keeps him alert and aware of his surroundings while I have to keep the list so my head is often down updating which puts me at more of a disadvantage. Also I have from time to time check my bird app to ensure we have correctly identified a species. It is agreed that we are evenly matched and the game is on!
I am the first to spot an animal – A hyaena but it dashes away and the photos is blurred. We see a fellow camper, Dave, who is travelling alone. We pull up next to him and he tells us he is waiting for the lions that we heard to appear. We don’t have the same patience and move on and then stop to look down on the river where there is quite a bit of bird activity. This is fun – there are lots of birds to spot and the Earl is the first to get Burchell’s coucal, grey heron, little swift and fish eagle. He also sees the hippo first. I get grey hornbill, great white egret and green-backed heron. He is beating me and I don’t like it!
Great White Egret and Grey HeronGreta Grey Heron catches a ride on Horace Hippo’s back – She uses her wings to balance as he moves forward“Thanks for the ride, Horace,” she says. “You’re welcome,” he replies
I then spot the squacco but the Earl spies a brown-crowned tchagra. I’m not winning at this game!
Squacco Heron
An eagle drops down and we are both foxed as to what it could be. It strikes me that it’s an immature something or other so I suggest it could be a fish eagle. Upon checking I find that I am right so claim a point for that! The Earl is not amused.
Immature Fish Eagle
We continue our drive and see the usual gang of gnus, necks of giraffe, zip of zebra, clumps of elephant and even a warthog, ostrich and another two hyaena. The competition is becoming close. At the confluence lookout we find Saddle-billed and Woolly-necked stork
He then finds jacana, spoonbill, stilt, Egyptian Goose and wattled starling. I claim a point for identifying the latter.
We move on stopping at various points beside the river to find still more birds. Soon we are pretty even but the Earl is still ahead.
On the River Loop we are told by a fellow traveller that there are lion in the dry river bed. We look with our binoculars and find a pride of lionesses lounging in the sun. They are too far for a photo but a few km further one of the pride is guarding their kill – not a good photo either but it’s an impression shot.
Lioness guarding the buffalo killWoolly-necked StorkFemale Saddle-billed stork
When we stop at Mopani’s Fish Eagle Terrace for breakfast, the Earl is still ahead but I’m gaining fast. He leaves his binoculars in the car but I take mine and my camera too.
Entrance to Mopani’s Restaurant
The Tindlovu restaurants in Kruger offer a lovely menu and their “The One” breakfast for under R50 is perfect. It’s supposed to be one egg, one piece of bacon, one grilled tomato and one slice of toast but they add an extra egg at no added cost. Their coffee is good too.
We sit at a table on the deck which overlooks the river. The birdlife is awesome and I start spotting one after another. The Earl says, “I’m not spotting now – it’s breakfast time.” “You can spot while you wait,” I reply. But he doesn’t want to play. I claim the points anyway!
Golly, it’s a Goliath HeronGiant KingfisherMocking ChatWhite-faced Ducks
After breakfast, I have almost caught up to the Earl in points! On our way to Shipandani Hide we find a car whose occupants are staring into the bush. They point out a male lion. Nearby is a Tsessebe that he and his mate have killed and half eaten. The lion is hiding behind the leaves of a mopane tree.
I get a good photo of his teeth!
The female is asleep nearby but something disturbs her and she gets up to sniff around before flopping down again. We manage to get some photographs
As we approach Shipandani we find a huge herd of buffalo
We also visit pioneer dam and find a cute hippo having a nap.
By now it is time for a loo break so we go to Mooiplaas picnic site which is another of the wonderful rustic sites in the Kruger National Park. Phineas is in charge here and he makes sure everything is pristine. While I am at the loo, the Earl chats to him and he shows him where an owl resides.
Mooiplaas Picnic SiteResident Scops Owl
Phineas also takes us to Tsendze Camp to see the barred owl but he is not there. But back at Mooiplaas Phineas has a surprise.
A Paradise Fly-catcher on its nest
This is certainly the highlight of my day.
Other creatures we see and score points for.
Tsessebe Steenbok
We return to camp at about one o’clock and rest during the heat of the day. At quarter to four we go out again and do the Mingerhout loop. It is quite quiet but we get some interesting sightings
ZebraAnd of course giraffe
There are quite a few elephants too and the usual yellow-billed storks, spoonbills, Egyptian Geese etc. From time to time we hear red-crested korhaan calling but they refuse to show themselves. Then the Earl spots one camouflaging quite well. We hear the clack, clacking of its beak and then the piercing whistle. Suddenly he flies up into the air, curls up into a ball and free-falls to the earth. This is an amazing display he does in order to impress a mate!
Red-crested Korhaan
We arrive back at camp at six o’clock. I am the winner of the competition with 30 points to The Earl’s 26. My prize is to cook dinner! I make a chicken casserole in my electric Romosca pot. It has been a wonderful day!
Today we left camp at six o’clock. It was overcast and started at a cool 23 degrees C. There was no wind and it did not rain. The day’s high was 28 degrees C.
We started on the H11. As we crossed the bridge over the Sabie River we had our first sighting of the day – eight hyaena scampering in the river bed. There were five adults and three still outgrowing their black, baby fur.
They were all over the place and very active but I managed to get three into one frame
The birds, at this time of the morning, are very active. The Earl called out that he could hear parrots. We stopped and scanned and this is what we found.
Brown-headed parrots decorating the dead trees A close-up of two of them
Another special bird to make an appearance was the European Bee-eater
The elegant giraffe were also silently munching their breakfast
There were also plenty of elephants about today.
Just before Kruger Gate we turned left onto the S3 and found a warthog fraternising with a herd of impala.
We then followed the S1 and found kudu and zebra
We were also amused to see two sleepy hyaenas taking their nap in full view of the tourists
We arrived at Nyamundwa Dam at eight o’clock and were delighted to find this scene.
There were waterbuck, blue wildebeest, at least forty zebra, hippo and a few interesting birds. The zebra entertained us with their antics and the waterbuck were also in a frisky mood chasing each other across the veld.
As we continued we came across a black-bellied bustard. What an entertaining bird. He was quite happy to demonstrate his call which sounds like a frog’s croak followed by a pop similar to a cork releasing from a champagne bottle.
It is a very pretty drive to Pretoriouskop and soon the kop came into view.
Because of the dense trees and bush it is not easy to spot animals in this area. However, the birdlife is interesting.
We took a break at Pretoriouskop’s Wimpy which has lovely seating outdoors and in.
We then started our return trip on the H1-1 where a buffalo popped out from the trees to greet us.
Soon after this we turned down a dirt road to a waterhole where we found some giraffe and more buffalo
We then did a detour from S11 to see the Nahpe Boulder
The ashes of Joseph France Ludorf who had a great deal to do with the early establishment of the park are scattered here.
We made another detour to Transport Dam but there was not much to be seen there beside zebra, waterbuck, a yellow-billed stork and some starlings.
We continued our journey and spotted more of the usual suspects, giraffe, zebra, kudu, impala etc. De Laporte Waterhole is about 5 km from Skukuza and we turned in there for a look and see. There was absolutely nothing or rather that is what The Earl said but I insisted on scanning with my binoculars and found two crested francolin, a three-banded plover, greater striped swallows and a pin-tailed whydah. They were too far for photos but fun to watch. The Earl was about to start the car and move but I insisted he wait ten minutes. Only three minutes later these giants came silently onto the scene.
These were the firstThe rest of the troop weren’t far behind
They frolicked drank and showered and then turned around and left as silently as they had arrived. The Earl was about to start the car when I noticed more visitors approaching at a rapid rate.
The three little pigs must have been waiting for the elephants to leave before they rushed down to quench their thirstAnd then the oxpecker groomers arrived for workJust checking to see if your nostrils need cleaningLooking good, Mr PiggyAll done – could you please give us a lift home?
We arrived back at camp at half past one and then went back to the De Laporte at half past four. It was quiet for a while but then European Bee-eaters came swooping down to drink in mid-flight, settle in a dead tree and then swoop down again. It was most entertaining to watch. A few male elephants visited in turn and just before we left it looked like some giraffe might come down but they decided to browse instead.
We have been in Kruger for close on a month now and have experienced all the pleasures and trials of caravanning. Thank Goodness we gave up rooftop tenting some time ago. Now that we’re ‘glamping’ we can deal with all the hassles that may befall us as far as heat, wind and rain are concerned. This trip we have had it all!
It rained during the night and it was still raining when we woke up this morning. We decided not to go out at an impolite hour so lay in until 06:30. By then it had calmed down to a drizzle and we got up and walked to the ablutions for a shower. Yesterday, at reception, we put in a complaint about no hot water. This morning I am pleased to report that the problem was resolved.
We then went to the restaurant for breakfast. It was still raining but we enjoyed watching the hippos frolicking in the river.
At 08:00 we set off for our wet morning drive. The temperature was 19 degrees C and did not drop any lower. We took the tar road to Crocodile Bridge and back as most of the dirt roads were closed. Before taking the Croc Bridge road we popped in at Sunset Dam
A pile of crocodiles
Playful hippos
Wood Sandpiper, I think.
A Ruff, I think
Black-winged Stilt
Collection of birds – Stilts, Jacana and Egyptian Goose
Taking photographs on a rainy day is challenging. If you take the photograph through a closed window there will be raindrops in your picture. Open the window and your lens gets wet and so do you! It was a matter of taking the shot and immediately drying off the camera, the inside of the car and yourself! Well – we chose to come to Kruger in the rainy season so we have to suffer the consequences!
Today we took a few bird photos. Most of them were having a bad hair day.
African Fish Eagle
Immature Bateleur
Finally an adult Bateur posed for me
The Earl got a shot after she’d smoothed down her feathers.
A Swainson’s Spurfowl trying to deal with the weather
The Purple Roller always looks rougher than his cousin the Lilac-breasted but it’s worse on a rainy day.
A few other birds were looking particularly lovely in spite of the weather.
The Cattle Egret is always a pretty bird but is particularly so when dressed up for courting.
A treeful of Green Pigeons
This one might need to comb his moustache
We saw very few mammals. Elephants were conspicuous by their absence as were the buffalo. Only impala, zebra, wildebeest and giraffe showed themselves.
Giraffe – always elegant no matter what the weather
The cutest Impala lambs
Mom keeps a close eye on them
At Crocodile Bridge Camp we had a coffee and then went back to Lower Sabie. After a rest, we went out at 16:00. We saw the usual suspects but it was raining hard and we didn’t take any photographs.
The rain had almost stopped when we returned so we took down the canopy and packed the groundsheet away. Packing up camp in the rain is not the most pleasant experience so it’s best to do it when conditions are bearable.
Once we were done with packing up we went to the restaurant for dinner. Lower Sabie has a Mug and Bean which is not my favourite franchise in any part of the country. There were a few of them in the park but all were closed down because of bad service. This morning’s breakfast was good and dinner was okay. I had the rump steak, asked for rare but it came medium and was not very tasty. I had to add salt. The vegetables and salad made up for it and one can’t complain about the price. The Earl had ribs which he said were a little dry.
Loads shedding is a problem all over the country and one would think that Mug and Bean would be prepared. Luckily our food arrived before the power went off. Why, we wondered, did M&B not have candles on the tables? Why did they not have an emergency generator? Foreign guests were dumbfounded to find they would have to wait for up to an hour before they could put in their orders for food. Not good enough, Bug and Mean!
Tomorrow, we will be going to Crocodile Bridge for two nights and then our sojourn in the park will be over!
Clearly, the school holidays have started as today we saw more cars than usual on the Kruger roads. It’s lovely to see families enjoying the wild. It is the most awesome way to spend a holiday. We have had our grandchildren in The Park with us before and they just loved it.
When I booked at very short notice for this holiday, I had no problems getting the camps that I desired. The only camp that was a little tricky was Lower Sabie – it was totally booked up except for the three nights that I wanted. So I was a little surprised and disappointed to find that this is the worst maintained camp of all that we have visited this year. There was no hot water in the ablutions this morning. The men’s side had blocked drains, no benches in the shower cubicle and only one hook on which to hang a towel and clothing. Two of the camp kitchens that I went to did not have boiling water on tap. The third kitchen I tried did. It is really a beautiful camp and it is a pity that management here is so poor.
It rained quite heavily last night and it was still raining when we got up at 4:30 am this morning. After a cold shower, we set off at 5:30. It’s lovely to have the rain in Kruger but it does mean that the animals are hiding somewhere we can’t see them and when we do photography is difficult. So today I am simply going to show you the highlights of what we saw.
When you have a whole river to swim in why would you choose a tiny, muddy pond?
Baby Elephant
I’d just taken a cell phone photo when this ellie and I had an encounter. The Earl took the photo
Of course, birds feature a great deal.
Lovely to spot some Brown-headed parrots. This one was all wet!
A Black-bellied Bustard spread his wings and fluffed up his feathers
A treeful of cattle egrets
A Green-winged Pytilia
A Blue Waxbill
A treeful of Wattled Starlings
Male Wattled Starling
An immature Martial Eagle
A Treeful of Barn Swallows
Zebra and Giraffe enjoying each other’s company
Giraffe Browse – Zebra Graze so they do not compete for food.
Wildebeest
Warthogs
This morning, just outside the camp we found this impala carcass hanging in a tree. There was no sign of the leopard who had obviously left it there. Unless a ranger had put there as a joke!? A few cars decided to wait and see if the predator would return. I’m afraid we don’t have that kind of patience. We went past it again on our return and there were still cars waiting – nobody had seen any sign of a leopard. When we went out in the afternoon – same story. And on our return at 5 pm, all that could be seen was the impala hanging in the tree but still, there was a traffic jam!
Leopard’s pantry – perhaps he likes his meat well hung!
It will be interesting to see whether the impala is still hanging there tomorrow.
This evening the Earl cooked a curry in the Smart Space pots and we sat outdoors and enjoyed the wonderful ambience of a wildlife campsite. Two bushbabies came to visit and entertained us with their amazing ability to bounce from the ground and into the trees.
The dawn chorus woke us well before it was actually dawn this morning. Going back to sleep was impossible so we packed up and were on the road with Gecko in tow by quarter to five. It was going to be a long drive as we would start on the S110 then take the H3 tar road to Skukuza and have breakfast there before taking the H4-1 to Lower Sabie.
One does not expect to have too much excitement on the tar road especially when one is towing a caravan! But today all the animals came out to play.
Just minutes after exiting Berg en Dal we saw a car stopped up ahead. “We see a lion! – Under that tree,” said the little girl in the back seat. And sure enough, but a fair distance away, sat a male lion staring with big eyes. Because of the caravan and not wanting to spoil their view we rode on.
Not long afterwards, still on the S110, we saw this.
I woke up this morning with a strong feeling that we would see African Wild Dog today! They’re also known as Cape Hunting Dog or Cape Painted Dog
Wild Dogs are endangered and they are carefully monitored in the Kruger National Park.
This animal is collared so his movements can be monitored. This is probably the Alpha male. He is looking into the bush and waiting for a straggler from his pack
Another worried member waiting for the straggler
I’m coming – don’t worry!
There were three or four cars slowly following the dogs but we managed to overtake and go past the animals so that everybody could have a good sighting. It also gave me the chance to look back and aim my camera at the running dogs.
Let’s have a race!
Come on Pack, enough of the high jinks. Let’s get away from these nosy tourists!
Wow – what a great start to our morning!
We missed getting a photograph of the first lion but on the H3 a car up ahead stopped. As we approached we saw the lion walking on the road. She then went into the bush and we could see her but she was not photographable. The Earl got a bum shot which is not worth posting. We couldn’t hang around to see if she would emerge as more cars arrived from both directions and we didn’t want to get caught in the mess.
Not long after that – you’ve guessed it – more lions! This time there were several young cubs of various ages. They’d been left alone while the mothers went hunting we presume. One lay on the road while others were spread out in the grass and under the trees.
The older ones were babysitting
The little ones were very obedient
When’s Mommy coming home – I’m hungry!
We continued on and found the birds were enjoying the early morning sun. The Lilac-breasted roller is very common in Kruger but still very pretty.
Lilac-breasted Roller
I’m outa here!
Sensitive viewers, please skip the next two pictures! A car up ahead of us stopped and we looked into the bush to see what they had spotted. But the front passenger pointed downward from her window and then they drove off.
I saw a snake – a puff adder I think – wriggling his tail like mad but not moving forward. On closer observation, I saw why.
He had a frog in his mouth and was trying to ingest it!
Sorry can’t chat now – I have a frog in my throat!
It was soon after this that we arrived at Skukuza. We parked the Everest and Gecko at the caravan park and walked to the restaurant to have our own breakfast which was a lot more appetising than frog!
I have to say that The Cattle Baron at Skukuza is awesome. We sat on the deck with a wonderful view over the Sabie River and ordered The Sunrise which was less than R50,00. The Earl had a cappuccino and I had a black Americano. I’m fussy about coffee and I had no complaints. The sunrise consists of two eggs, two slices of bacon, a potato rosti a grilled tomato and toast. You can choose to have your eggs any style and we both asked for scrambled. When it arrived I could not believe how much food was on my plate – three large slices of bacon instead of two and I am sure you can’t get that much scramble out of two eggs! It was awesome. I told the waiter that I had a complaint. “I ordered two slices of bacon and I got three!”
“I like your complaint,” he said with a look of relief on his face!
Giant Kingfisher was seen at breakfast time
We continued on to Lower Sabie and had some lovely sightings.
Fish Eagle in a tree next to the river
Quite a few elephants including these two
And another pride of lions!
The sky began to cloud over as we arrived at Lower Sabie but it was still very hot. We set up camp and then had a rest before going out again. There was a light drizzle all afternoon.
We had some lovely sightings of elephant and buffalo and other animals but the birding was particularly good.
Levaillan’ts Cuckoo
Red-breasted Swallow
We have been seeing the Red-crested Korhaan frequently but the Black-bellied Bustard only revealed himself to us today. He looks similar but has a longer neck and is taller in stature.
We were thrilled to add Black-bellied Bustard to our Kruger list for 2019
Woolly-necked Storks were also new for this trip
I have been trying all holiday to get the Red-faced Mousebird to pose for me and today he sat still beautifully for the Earl.
Thanks for not hiding today, Mr Mousebird
It was quite a thrill to see this family cross the road in front of us
They are not commonly seen
Shelley’s Francolin is an uncommon resident of the area
I hope I have identified you correctly!
In spite of the rain, we were able to make a fire and braai in the evening.
Don’t go to Kruger in summer! It will be too hot! You won’t be able to cope with the heat! The grass is too long. You won’t see any animals.
The above is advice I have received from many well-meaning people, most of whom have never been to Kruger or who only go in winter. All the information out there suggests that the winter months are the best. It’s warm during the day but chilly at night but you will definitely see the animals as they won’t be hiding in the long grass!
Well, most of my visits over the past 20 years have been in summer and yes, it’s hot and the grass is long but the game viewing is still awesome. Also, it’s a fantastic time to see birds as the migrants from Europe love the Kruger.
Now what we have never been warned about – mainly because the prophets of doom have never been here themselves – is that you might just get flooded out! The weather can become rather extreme at this time of year. In past years we have had a spit and a spot of rain and on a few occasions have had to pack up in wet conditions. But read on dear reader to find out what happened to us today!
The roaring of lions woke us at an impolite hour this morning. I turned over and ignored them! Only crazy people go out at 4:30 in the morning. The saner among us wait until after six! I was up before the Earl and after my shower, I had coffee and a rusk ready to tempt him from his comfy bed. The weather was overcast and warm and while I pottered around, a lovely white-browed robin made an appearance.
In order to have the Ford serviced we have to get to a certain number of km on the clock. It didn’t have enough before we left home and by the time we get back, we’ll have too many. So our Bredasdorp man organised for us to have it done in Nelspruit tomorrow. We were just short of the required kilometres so we decided to do an extra-long trip today. After coffee and rusks, we set off just after six stopping at Afsaal picnic site for breakfast and then continuing to Pretoriuskop Camp, arriving around midday.
The overcast weather meant the light for photography was not great. We hoped for a bit of rain as the park, like the rest of the country, really needs it. Since arriving in the park we have not needed to put on jackets or jerseys. The temperatures have hovered in the early to late twenties. Today it went right up to 33 degrees C.
There were long stretches of driving when there was absolutely nothing happening – not a bird nor a buck – yet by the end of the day we’d seen some interesting creatures and four out of the compulsory BIG FIVE! Leopard, Buffalo, Rhino and Elephant. Sorry – no lions.
Always exciting to see eagles – this one we think is an immature Martial
Very common and very pretty – the lovely Macdonald’s for lions – Impala females
And a shy grey duiker
Gardenia Hide produced very little but this Natal Spurfowl entertained us
Lots of small herds of elephants and of course quite a few single males like this guy
At the waterhole, he almost stepped on a terrapin
As we drove along we came across a stationary car. “What have you spotted?” asked the Earl. He was foreign and his answer sounded like, “kudu” We couldn’t see a thing so the Earl drove on. “Go back,” I said, “They’re still staring into the bush. There must be something there!”
“Anything to make you happy, my love,” he sighed obligingly. And then I saw it – not a kudu – a cuckoo!
Yesterday I posted the dark morph Jacobin Cuckoo – This is the pied morph Jacobin Cuckoo!
First, he refused to look at me but I asked nicely so he posed beautifully – Male Waterbuck
After we’d stopped and enjoyed an ice cream at Pretoriouskop we got back in the car to make our long way back to Berg en Dal. The skies looked threatening and we expected a shower of rain.
Not too scary looking
There was first one big splash and then another on the windscreen, a few stokes from the wipers and it was clear again. This went on for a minute or two and then the wind got up. Omiword – it was gale force – almost like a hurricane. The rain pelted down in huge drops and then the hail hit sounding like shots from a gun! The Earl drove with full headlights on at snail’s pace and then had to come to a complete stop as visibility was zero!
I was terrified! I was afraid that the golfball-sized hailstones would crash through the windscreen or windows, we’d be drenched or drowned and never see home again! I was wearing a fit watch that measures your heartbeat and mine went up from its normal 70 to 91! The storm went on for an agonising 15 minutes and we were alone in the middle of the wilds of Africa!
And then it was over as suddenly as it had begun. We were in one piece and perfectly safe. What an adventure!
We continued and saw a few more animals. Miraculously they’d survived the storm too! Imagine being a tiny bird or helpless buck in a violent storm like that!
A klipspringer surveying is surroundings – How that rock doesn’t tumble I do not know!
There was a baby too but he was hiding from the camera
A happy ellie
Distinctive pattern on this guy’s rump
A rather wet steenbok
One of the many buffalo seen today
We also glimpsed a leopard again today. It took us ages to locate him hiding under a tree and then he got up and disappeared into the bush. Too quick for a photograph, I’m afraid.
The skies clouded over again as we approached Berg en Dal. The Earl wanted to get back to camp quickly to secure our canopy and make sure the hatches were securely battened down!
Just as we got to the caravan the heavens opened, there was thunder, lightning and a heavy downpour. We secured the poles and the Earl made sure the canopy didn’t collapse under the weight of the water collecting in it.
The Earl using a broom to push the canopy up so the water emptied
Suddenly we had a river running past our caravan!
This storm too lasted only about half an hour and then all was calm again. We abandoned our original plans to braai and I cooked chicken in the Remosca pot. So yes, we survived!
Karoo National Park is 356 km from Mountain Zebra. We needed to stock up on supplies and refuel which we did in Graaff-Reinet. If ever you travel though there don’t miss stopping for a bite to eat at The Blue Magnolia. It is awesome. We managed to find a double parking place for the caravan and a car guard made sure that it was safely looked after.
The campsite at Karoo National Park is one of the best Sanparks facilities we’ve been to.
We chose #11 which had sufficient shade and was close to the bathrooms. The sites are set up in a crescent, it is well lit at night, the ablutions are sparkling clean with extra touches like hand wash next to each basin, a full-length mirror and a counter with a lit vanity mirror for doing your hair and make-up.
Gecko 81 happily set up
On our first evening, this female kudu thought she’d join us! She must have jumped the fence to get in!
The Park was established in 1979 and as it is in the semi-desert Karoo, and like Mountain Zebra, it is very dry. The scenery, however, is also magnificent.
Like Mountain Zebra this park has similar animals like vervet monkey, springbok, gemsbok, eland and kudu. We enjoyed seeing them all as well as a few extras
Male Kudu
Mountain Zebra of course
Back view of a Chachma Baboon
A dear little steenbok – there were many
Black-backed Jackal – we only saw this one.
The Karoo Korhaan was on our wish list and on the first morning we nearly missed them. I saw two strange-looking ‘bushes’ and yelled ‘STOP!” The bushes turned out to be crouched korhaans trying to keep warm. The temperature at that time was 4 degrees C and only warmed up to 30 much later!
The female Karoo Korhaan
The Male Karoo Korhaan
We did not see as many birds as we would have liked but here are a few that we enjoyed.
The Karoo Chat – saw many
Mouth open!
White-throated Canary
The Ostriches ruled
Ant-eating chat
Pale-chanting Goshawk
White-backed Mousebird
I’m just not sure about this one – any suggestions?
We did not get an impressive list but for the record here they are
We got back from our morning drive at 11 am today and decided to go to the restaurant for a snack. They were only open for take-aways so we ordered a chicken wrap each – not bad at all. We have dined at the restaurant on past visits and find the food excellent. They serve a very good breakfast too.
Tomorrow we leave the last of the parks we are visiting on this trip.
If you have never done a Sanparks holiday, I don’t want to put you off, because the experience you have in any one of them is wonderful but it is only fair to warn you of the hitches.
In certain parks and camps, the maintenance is bad. Addo used to be fantastic but since about 2015 we have seen a steady decline. The roads are not regularly graded – those potholes need to be filled in! The ablutions are acceptable on the female side but not on the male side. Drains are blocked and they are not properly cleaned.
Mountain Zebra’s campsite is neat and tidy but their bathrooms need a serious upgrade – the hot water in the showers is erratic and the cubicles too small! The washing machine in the laundry was broken! Addo didn’t have washing machines at all and that’s okay but if they have them, please Sanparks, keep them in working order!
Karoo National Park was such a surprise. Everything was spotless and everything worked. The communal kitchen had boiling water on tap, lovely cooking facilities and a fridge and freezer for the use of the campers. The bathrooms are functional, clean and there is even an arrangement of flowers to pretty it up. The laundry washing machine and dryer work!
If Karoo NP can do it – so can the others! It’s all to do with good management. So well done Karoo National Park!
After our wonderful three days in Addo, we moved on to Mountain Zebra National Park near Cradock in The Eastern Cape. En Route we stopped at a farm stall in the middle of nowhere just off the N10. I just love finding these hidden gems and Daggaboer Padstal was indeed unique. We were greeted at the door by our hostess who offered us a thimble of ginger beer or lemonade to taste. I had the ginger beer and The Earl the lemonade and both were delicious – homemade of course. Inside was a feast for the eyes and there were a variety of goodies from rusks to crafts for sale
Breakfast was a wholesome fried egg, bacon, boerewors and tomato served with roostekoek of course. The coffee would do any Boer (farmer) proud! It was percolated and had to be poured through a sieve. For my non-South African readers – roosterkoek is a ball of bread dough cooked on a grid over hot coals. It is often served with a braai/BBQ but is also often served in restaurants as an alternative toast.
An interesting Padstal (Farm Stall)
A wholesome Boere Breakfast – I declined the roosterkoek
Our three days at Mountain Zebra were lovely. This park was established in 1937 with the prime focus being to protect the endangered Mountain Zebras. Many of the other parks both Sanparks and private obtained their mountain zebras from this park. Mountain Zebra Park is also the most significant contributor of The Cheetah Metapopulation Project and many of their cheetahs have been relocated to other parks in the country.
We did not see any cats during our stay in the park but what we really enjoyed was the magnificent scenery in this mountainous reserve. The first day was hot but after that we enjoyed sunny but very cold days! Early mornings and nights were down to 5 degrees C!
Camp on Day 1 – Nice and warm
Note the mountain zebra
A tree growing out of rock – HOW?
Dry but beautiful
The roads were very steep in some parts
At a lookout point – The Earl took a picture of me taking a picture of him
My picture of him taking a picture of me taking a picture of him
On Thursday we drove the most hectic of the 4X4 trails. We only read the description later – “Umgeni is the most challenging of the 4X4 trails -It can either provide a lot of excitement or induce premature aging!” It did both for us! At one point The Earl had to get out of the car to remove a particularly large rock from the road! His choice was to risk being eaten by a predator or destroying his car! Luckily there wasn’t an animal in sight.
During our three day stay, we enjoyed seeing a variety of game and birds.
Brown-hooded kingfisher
Acacia Pied Barbet
Gemsbok (Oryx)
Kudu female – Saw lots of males too
Familiar Chat
Cape Rock Thrush
Ground Squirrel
Double-banded courser
Vervet Monkey
Black Wildebeest – different to the Blue Wildebeest seen in Kruger and other parks – Note the white tails
Red-billed ox-peckers giving an Eland a spa treatment
Eland
Pale-chanting Goshawk – only raptor we saw
Mountain Zebra
Dark-capped bulbul
A herd of Black wildebeest (Gnus)
Large-billed lark
Our national animal – Springbok
Spike-heeled Lark
Scaly-feathered finch
Golden-breasted bunting
Southern Boubou inviting himself into the caravan
Then asking The Earl for a snack
This naughty monkey stole an egg from my box and then went to wash in the puddle next to the caravan! One has to be constantly on guard when camping in the wild!
Our most exciting experience was spotting three rhinos while on a lonely drive and no other cars were there to share the sighting with us.
Black Rhino
Mom and baby
A little while later we were also the only car to see a fourth rhino on his own. When he caught sight of us he made a mock charge and then thought we weren’t worth the effort and ran off into the bush.
Adventuring into Retirement 