20 January 2014
After
picking up guests we drove to Phabeni Gate to enter park, this way avoiding all
the potholes and having a nice scenic drive as a bonus.
We entered
the park and straight away bumped into some impalas hiding in the bush.
We had a
great drive down Doispane with more impalas, kudu, warthog, buffalo and pretty
birds like a woodlands kingfisher and lilac breasted rollers.
Furthermore
we spend some time at Nyamundwa dam with hippos playing, rhinos bathing close
by and buffalo relaxing on the other side. Not to forget all the water
birds.
While
continuing on Doispane we came across a couple of elephant encounters while the
Marula trees drop their fruits. As there were no other cars we had those to
ourselves which made it great.
After the
busy road with sightings we continued down Skukuza road, Napi to Pretoriuskop.
On the way we spotted a crash of rhinos, some zebras with youngsters and
giraffes.
We arrived
at Pretoriuskop at 6:15pm! All in all a very good start to this safari,
Let's see
what tomorrow will bring!
21 January 2014
Today we woke up
early and after a nice cup of coffee or tea we left the camp at 6am. Within a
couple of kilometres we saw an elephant mum lazily feeding with her calf. They
did not feel intruded by our presence so we sat and enjoyed the sighting as
long as we could still see them. It was a good start to the day .
Further on Napi we came across buffalo close by the road and saw a rhino trying it on with his girlfriend. He sniffed her hindquarters and grunted and snorted and it looked like he was going to mount, but she wouldn't have none of that and turned around to snort back. As they then disappeared in the bush who knows what happened later...
On the way to breakfast at Skukuza we also saw giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, kudu and impala. We had a good day for spotting raptors too: martial eagle, brown snake eagle, yellow billed kite and a bateleur.
After breakfast we followed a tip from our colleague Frank and we were lucky enough to find a cheetah at the Renosterkoppies! He was relaxing under a tree keeping an eye on the impalas feeding close by. But those impalas had seen the cheetah as well and were way out of reach for the cheetah so he just rolled over and didn't bother getting up.
On the way back to camp via the H3 and once again Napi we spotted some new animals that we hadn't seen this safari yet: ground hornbills, steenbok, waterbuck, Chameleon, bushbuck, baboons, vervet monkeys and while standing at an elephant sighting we even had a leopard cross 50m in front of us. Unfortunately he was so quick that not everyone saw it and he had disappeared into the bush when we pulled up to the spot.
After a siesta in camp 2 of the guests went on a sunset safari while I took the other two back into the park for a short dash around Fayi Loop. At first it looked like a quiet drive but then we had a road block in the shape of a big elephant bull that was walking leisurly ahead of us. Being patient we followed at a distance and waited till he got off the road. And then just around a couple of corners we saw another elephant happily eating the fallen marulas in the middle of the road. It was a great sighting to watch. Before returning to camp we also spotted a black shouldered kite, leopard tortoise and 3 very pretty kudu bulls.
Tomorrow it's going to be an early day, so let's see if we have as much luck!
Further on Napi we came across buffalo close by the road and saw a rhino trying it on with his girlfriend. He sniffed her hindquarters and grunted and snorted and it looked like he was going to mount, but she wouldn't have none of that and turned around to snort back. As they then disappeared in the bush who knows what happened later...
On the way to breakfast at Skukuza we also saw giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, kudu and impala. We had a good day for spotting raptors too: martial eagle, brown snake eagle, yellow billed kite and a bateleur.
After breakfast we followed a tip from our colleague Frank and we were lucky enough to find a cheetah at the Renosterkoppies! He was relaxing under a tree keeping an eye on the impalas feeding close by. But those impalas had seen the cheetah as well and were way out of reach for the cheetah so he just rolled over and didn't bother getting up.
On the way back to camp via the H3 and once again Napi we spotted some new animals that we hadn't seen this safari yet: ground hornbills, steenbok, waterbuck, Chameleon, bushbuck, baboons, vervet monkeys and while standing at an elephant sighting we even had a leopard cross 50m in front of us. Unfortunately he was so quick that not everyone saw it and he had disappeared into the bush when we pulled up to the spot.
After a siesta in camp 2 of the guests went on a sunset safari while I took the other two back into the park for a short dash around Fayi Loop. At first it looked like a quiet drive but then we had a road block in the shape of a big elephant bull that was walking leisurly ahead of us. Being patient we followed at a distance and waited till he got off the road. And then just around a couple of corners we saw another elephant happily eating the fallen marulas in the middle of the road. It was a great sighting to watch. Before returning to camp we also spotted a black shouldered kite, leopard tortoise and 3 very pretty kudu bulls.
Tomorrow it's going to be an early day, so let's see if we have as much luck!
22 January 2014
Last night's sunset drive was highly successful with, apart from a
lovely sunset, plenty of owl sightings, nightjars, a rain tree, elephant,
lions, hyena and wild dog!
This morning we started early again to see if we could find some great sightings. In the crisp morning air we followed Albassini road up to Doispane. The drive started quiet with just a couple of scrub hares, but when the sun started warming us we came across a couple of elephants snoozing and feeding. And a little while later we had our daylight encounter with the same lions that were seen on the sunset drive. This was a mating couple and we decided to hang around for a while. In the hour we spend watching those lions they mated 3 times! The second time was close to us and in plain view and the third time there were very few cars and no engines running that we had the privilege of hearing how noisy lions mate!!
This made a great start of the day and we only left because some stomachs started rumbling. On the way to breakfast we also came across impalas, kudu, hippos, chameleon, more elephants, leopard tortoises, zebras, giraffe and warthogs.
After a nice breakfast at the golfclub with the hippos close by, we stopped at Lake Panic to have a great view of all the waterbirds and our first sighting of a crocodile. And to make it easy he was lying right under the hide's "window". If we would have stuck out an arm we could have pet it so close! We also saw 2 bushbucks grazing, dragonflies mating, a green backed heron fishing and a fish eagle.
While leaving the hide we got a tip from another visitor that wild dogs were close to Skukuza crossroads, so we went off to look for them. We got at the sight and we were the luckiest people as right at that moment the wild dogs decided to stand up and reposition. We stayed for a while with dogs continuously standing up and lying down again until they were all comfortably back to snoozing in the heat of the day. Another great sighting!!
The way back towards camp via Napi was hot but we saw more elephants and this time a herd of females and youngsters, some of which crossed the road next to us, just before we entered the camp again.
After a siesta we went back out in the afternoon and came across a buffalo in the reeds at the first drainage line we came across. On the way to Shitlhave dam we saw 3 more. At the dam we saw another crocodile sunning himself with his mouth wide open. Also there were waterbucks and we saw a terrapin.
On the crossroads with Numbi road we then saw this lone young elephant cow with a calf that is about a year old. The calf had too much fun chasing at the cars while jiggling its trunk, throwing leaves and sometimes even trumpeting that he kept at it until he ran out of energy. All the while the mother just lazily kept on grazing barely keeping an eye on her youngster. I think this young boy is going to be a handful growing up with no other elephants around than its young mother!
The rest of the afternoon drive we enjoyed ourselves watching kudus, impalas, hippos, and various birds like white fronted bee-eaters, yellow billed kite, tawny eagle, bateleur, yellow billed hornbill, barn swallows and fighting woodlands kingfishers.
Tomorrow will be the last day and we will start bright and early again.
This morning we started early again to see if we could find some great sightings. In the crisp morning air we followed Albassini road up to Doispane. The drive started quiet with just a couple of scrub hares, but when the sun started warming us we came across a couple of elephants snoozing and feeding. And a little while later we had our daylight encounter with the same lions that were seen on the sunset drive. This was a mating couple and we decided to hang around for a while. In the hour we spend watching those lions they mated 3 times! The second time was close to us and in plain view and the third time there were very few cars and no engines running that we had the privilege of hearing how noisy lions mate!!
This made a great start of the day and we only left because some stomachs started rumbling. On the way to breakfast we also came across impalas, kudu, hippos, chameleon, more elephants, leopard tortoises, zebras, giraffe and warthogs.
After a nice breakfast at the golfclub with the hippos close by, we stopped at Lake Panic to have a great view of all the waterbirds and our first sighting of a crocodile. And to make it easy he was lying right under the hide's "window". If we would have stuck out an arm we could have pet it so close! We also saw 2 bushbucks grazing, dragonflies mating, a green backed heron fishing and a fish eagle.
While leaving the hide we got a tip from another visitor that wild dogs were close to Skukuza crossroads, so we went off to look for them. We got at the sight and we were the luckiest people as right at that moment the wild dogs decided to stand up and reposition. We stayed for a while with dogs continuously standing up and lying down again until they were all comfortably back to snoozing in the heat of the day. Another great sighting!!
The way back towards camp via Napi was hot but we saw more elephants and this time a herd of females and youngsters, some of which crossed the road next to us, just before we entered the camp again.
After a siesta we went back out in the afternoon and came across a buffalo in the reeds at the first drainage line we came across. On the way to Shitlhave dam we saw 3 more. At the dam we saw another crocodile sunning himself with his mouth wide open. Also there were waterbucks and we saw a terrapin.
On the crossroads with Numbi road we then saw this lone young elephant cow with a calf that is about a year old. The calf had too much fun chasing at the cars while jiggling its trunk, throwing leaves and sometimes even trumpeting that he kept at it until he ran out of energy. All the while the mother just lazily kept on grazing barely keeping an eye on her youngster. I think this young boy is going to be a handful growing up with no other elephants around than its young mother!
The rest of the afternoon drive we enjoyed ourselves watching kudus, impalas, hippos, and various birds like white fronted bee-eaters, yellow billed kite, tawny eagle, bateleur, yellow billed hornbill, barn swallows and fighting woodlands kingfishers.
Tomorrow will be the last day and we will start bright and early again.
23 January 2014
As today would be a short drive we decided to start as early as the
gate opened. Yesterday we did start early as well, so much so that we did some
stargazing while having our morning cup of coffee. After spotting Scorpio and
the Southern Cross we saw the sky lightening in colour telling us it was time
to go.
However this morning there were no stars or sunrise, it was actually raining. This caused us to see a new animal almost straight away as the rain made the frogs come out. But unfortunately it made our start a bit cold.
Today was a day of babies. It took a while before we saw mammals but we were rewarded a glimpse of a rhino with her small calf and an impala herd with babies. Furthermore we had an amazing sighting of 7 hyenas and 2 pups that were calling and a male that was trying to mount one of the females (but she wanted none of that). And to top it off we encountered two separate herds of elephants with very young calves, 1 even crossing the road in front of us giving us a good look.
Even though it was cold and rainy in the morning we saw leopard tortoise, hinged tortoise, impalas, kudus, giraffe, warthog, baboons (also with a baby), the sun which came through the clouds and ended this safari on a high with even more elephants just before the exit.
After a quick stop at Numbi gate it was time for the return journey. The slalom around the potholes from Numbi Gate to Nelspruit completed the safari. I thank Aaron, Seth, Ian and Eva for joining me on this wonderful trip!!
However this morning there were no stars or sunrise, it was actually raining. This caused us to see a new animal almost straight away as the rain made the frogs come out. But unfortunately it made our start a bit cold.
Today was a day of babies. It took a while before we saw mammals but we were rewarded a glimpse of a rhino with her small calf and an impala herd with babies. Furthermore we had an amazing sighting of 7 hyenas and 2 pups that were calling and a male that was trying to mount one of the females (but she wanted none of that). And to top it off we encountered two separate herds of elephants with very young calves, 1 even crossing the road in front of us giving us a good look.
Even though it was cold and rainy in the morning we saw leopard tortoise, hinged tortoise, impalas, kudus, giraffe, warthog, baboons (also with a baby), the sun which came through the clouds and ended this safari on a high with even more elephants just before the exit.
After a quick stop at Numbi gate it was time for the return journey. The slalom around the potholes from Numbi Gate to Nelspruit completed the safari. I thank Aaron, Seth, Ian and Eva for joining me on this wonderful trip!!
Keep watching for more updates!!
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