27 April
2014
Today the guests came with Dean from Johannesburg
to Nelspruit, where we transferred in the open safari vehicle. A scenic drive
through the plantations brought us to the Kruger National Park. We drove to
Nkambeni Safari Camp, our home for the next few days. As soon as we entered the
gate we were already on safari as we saw kudu, impala and waterbuck on the road
towards the camp.
After lunch the guests, Hubert and Nelleke, had
some time to unpack and relax, before going on a Sundowner Safari.
28 April 2014
Last night's Sundowner safari left when it was spitting a bit with
rain, but it cleared up soon after they left. However it did stay cloudy, so
there was no sunset. They did enjoy the view from the top, as well as the few
animals they saw: thick-tailed bushbaby, buffalo and a spotted eagle owl.
This morning we had a cold start, a bit windy too, but the sun started warming up nice and quick. Upon leaving camp we saw the same impalas as we saw yesterday, a duiker and some waterbuck. We also saw some curious mongoose who kept on stopping and checking us out while we waited for them to pass in the grass on the side of the road.
On Numbi tar road we encountered some ellies, mostly bulls, but deep in the bush there might have been an entire herd. We didn't really see many elephants that occasion, just a couple of flapping ears, but we did hear lots of vegetation being broken or ripped. Just before Napi turnoff two bulls were having an uneven fight, where the little one kept on challenging a big bull. But once the big bull engaged he was no match for the smaller one and kept on pushing him back 10m each time with what looked like an easy shove.
We drove down Napi and stopped at Shithave Dam where we saw lots of waterbucks. Once again we saw a male making amok with the other males, chasing them off and fighting with one, before returning to the females. Those females were not impressed since instead of watching this male was showing off, so they just kept on grazing with their heads down.
On Napi we had multiple sightings of giraffes (once again, a pair of males fighting over a nearby female), zebras crossing, more dwarf mongoose, wattled lapwings in a rhino madden, a nice herd of elephants, vervet monkeys, a steenbok running away and a beautiful crested barbet.
We stopped for a break at Skukuza, where a bat was hanging over our table and a hippo was snoozing in the river. We continued to make a loop around the river. At Lower level bridge we had a nice sighting of a crocodile warming up in the sun and another lazily swimming by, a fish eagle, marabou storks circling above and a pied kingfisher.
On the other side of the river we drove Marula tar road and had baboons crossing in front of us as well as behind us, while some stopped to groom each other quite close to the vehicle. We also saw lots of impalas, including a massive herd crossing, two buffalos lying on the edge of the water, golden orb spiders and their massive webs, white-backed vultures drying in the sun after a bath and some bushbuck.
At High level bridge we had an awesome elephant sighting of a herd consisting of about 30 elephants that came walking from the bush to the water. First they drank and then some of them started playing with water, throwing it over their bodies. The youngsters were swimming. A baby elephant then was too tired and had a snooze in its mother's shade. Then suddenly two big bull elephants showed up. The matriarch instantly reacted, and while the older ones shielded their youngsters she led her herd away from the water and around those bulls to the safety of the bush, where one by one they disappeared from view.
Back up Elloff we saw 7 lions doing what they do best: snooze. Occasionally we saw a head come up, but no major movement. We had an elephant crossing real close to the vehicle as he was reluctant to walk in the sun and we were parked in the shade to watch him manhandle a tree. The tree, by the way, resisted and did not get pushed over.
We stopped at Skukuza again for a quick bite as we were running a bit late for lunch time. Then back on the road down Napi. This time the road was fairly quiet, seeing no animals for the first greater part of the drive. Close to the end we still saw warthogs, elephants deep in the bush, lilac breasted rollers, yellow-billed hornbills, zebras and a lone giraffe.
This morning we had a cold start, a bit windy too, but the sun started warming up nice and quick. Upon leaving camp we saw the same impalas as we saw yesterday, a duiker and some waterbuck. We also saw some curious mongoose who kept on stopping and checking us out while we waited for them to pass in the grass on the side of the road.
On Numbi tar road we encountered some ellies, mostly bulls, but deep in the bush there might have been an entire herd. We didn't really see many elephants that occasion, just a couple of flapping ears, but we did hear lots of vegetation being broken or ripped. Just before Napi turnoff two bulls were having an uneven fight, where the little one kept on challenging a big bull. But once the big bull engaged he was no match for the smaller one and kept on pushing him back 10m each time with what looked like an easy shove.
We drove down Napi and stopped at Shithave Dam where we saw lots of waterbucks. Once again we saw a male making amok with the other males, chasing them off and fighting with one, before returning to the females. Those females were not impressed since instead of watching this male was showing off, so they just kept on grazing with their heads down.
On Napi we had multiple sightings of giraffes (once again, a pair of males fighting over a nearby female), zebras crossing, more dwarf mongoose, wattled lapwings in a rhino madden, a nice herd of elephants, vervet monkeys, a steenbok running away and a beautiful crested barbet.
We stopped for a break at Skukuza, where a bat was hanging over our table and a hippo was snoozing in the river. We continued to make a loop around the river. At Lower level bridge we had a nice sighting of a crocodile warming up in the sun and another lazily swimming by, a fish eagle, marabou storks circling above and a pied kingfisher.
On the other side of the river we drove Marula tar road and had baboons crossing in front of us as well as behind us, while some stopped to groom each other quite close to the vehicle. We also saw lots of impalas, including a massive herd crossing, two buffalos lying on the edge of the water, golden orb spiders and their massive webs, white-backed vultures drying in the sun after a bath and some bushbuck.
At High level bridge we had an awesome elephant sighting of a herd consisting of about 30 elephants that came walking from the bush to the water. First they drank and then some of them started playing with water, throwing it over their bodies. The youngsters were swimming. A baby elephant then was too tired and had a snooze in its mother's shade. Then suddenly two big bull elephants showed up. The matriarch instantly reacted, and while the older ones shielded their youngsters she led her herd away from the water and around those bulls to the safety of the bush, where one by one they disappeared from view.
Back up Elloff we saw 7 lions doing what they do best: snooze. Occasionally we saw a head come up, but no major movement. We had an elephant crossing real close to the vehicle as he was reluctant to walk in the sun and we were parked in the shade to watch him manhandle a tree. The tree, by the way, resisted and did not get pushed over.
We stopped at Skukuza again for a quick bite as we were running a bit late for lunch time. Then back on the road down Napi. This time the road was fairly quiet, seeing no animals for the first greater part of the drive. Close to the end we still saw warthogs, elephants deep in the bush, lilac breasted rollers, yellow-billed hornbills, zebras and a lone giraffe.
More coming soon !!
