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Re: Social distancing in the Kgalagadi Oct/Nov 2020
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2021 9:00 am
by GavinW
Friday 13 November 2020
Having spent a good few days travelling the sandy and corrugated roads n the Auob side of the park, we were looking forward to going up the Nossob River again on our first day back in Twee Rivieren.
Waiting for the gates to open, we were presented with this sunrise, with a new moon setting in the west.
The road up to Melvlei was relatively void of any animals, but we were gifted with a secretary bird in gorgeous sunlight
As well as a herd of wildebeest.
Re: Social distancing in the Kgalagadi Oct/Nov 2020
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2021 9:02 am
by GavinW
We went as far a Melvlei with not much else to be seen, so we decided to return to Kij Kij and head over the Lower Dune road to see what the lower Auob would provide in terms of sightings.
The dune roads are well known for Korhaans, steenbok and Tsama melons.
We were not disappointed.
Re: Social distancing in the Kgalagadi Oct/Nov 2020
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2021 9:04 am
by GavinW
Once over the dunes, we stopped briefly at Auchterlonie before heading north.
We went up as far as Batulama before turning around.
Just south of Auchterlonie, a family of meercats were foraging next to the road.
Our luck changed in between Houmoed and Munro, when we spotted a cheetah under a tree in the riverbed. It was pretty busy sleeping, but did get up to move at some stage of proceedings.
We watched her for a while before returning to camp for the afternoon
Re: Social distancing in the Kgalagadi Oct/Nov 2020
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2021 9:05 am
by GavinW
In camp we were joined by this agama
As well as by this starling
Re: Social distancing in the Kgalagadi Oct/Nov 2020
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:06 am
by Alf
Do you lower the pressure in the tyres when driving around there
Re: Social distancing in the Kgalagadi Oct/Nov 2020
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2021 11:34 am
by Lisbeth
Yes, Alf, if not you'd not get anywhere
Sometimes pieces of the roads are really terrible; or too sandy or too corrugated
Great pic of the irritated Cape Starling
Nice cheetah sighting
Re: Social distancing in the Kgalagadi Oct/Nov 2020
Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 7:16 am
by GavinW
Alf wrote: βSun Mar 21, 2021 10:06 am
Do you lower the pressure in the tyres when driving around there
Yes to about 1.4 bar
Re: Social distancing in the Kgalagadi Oct/Nov 2020
Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 7:27 am
by Alf
GavinW wrote: βMon Mar 22, 2021 7:16 am
Alf wrote: βSun Mar 21, 2021 10:06 am
Do you lower the pressure in the tyres when driving around there
Yes to about 1.4 bar
So one of those machines to inflate and deflate is a must??
Re: Social distancing in the Kgalagadi Oct/Nov 2020
Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:58 am
by Lisbeth
They also do it at the petrol station at Twee Rivieren
(I don't think that KTP is your kind of place, Alf)
Re: Social distancing in the Kgalagadi Oct/Nov 2020
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2021 12:12 pm
by GavinW
Thanks for all your comments once again.
Sorry, itβs taken a while
For our evening drive we decided to head back to the lazy cheetah to see if she would move off from under the tree.
The cheetah was still there, but after a while she got up, but unfortunately walked up and over the far dunes.
We waited a while to see if she would reappear, but no luck.
We decided to turn around and head back to camp.
We spotted this korhaan no too far down the road
As well as these meercats
And then a lone springbok in the riverbed
We wondered
and turned around back to where we had come from