Browns in Kruger October 2018

[Bushcraft]

Great spot by Albert! And another great spot by the Cow!

Something really needs to be done about these OSV's radioing their sightings to other OSV's....that's really not fair!!

Albert was stoked

The OSV gang will only increase in numbers The argument is less cars on the road Never mind there's just too many day visitors allowed in which is the real problem

[Bushcraft]

Nice owls there, BC! Gump and I had brekkers at M&B yesterday, very nice!

No sympathy with you about OSV's on that road - it is suicide!

Nice big leppies, though!

M&B breakfast is cool, but the supper is suspect in my opinion

Ja, OSV madhouse

Howz Gump

[Bushcraft]

What to say spots over spots, Bushcraft,

you have to tell me where to find the barn owls at Mugg & Bean at Lober Sabie…...

Plenty spots Pumbaa

The owls like to hang out next to the chimney thing in M&B. The chimney thing is on your left as you enter the seating area and they park off in the rafters at the top.

[Bushcraft]

6th Skukuza to Biyamiti continued

The H4-2 and the initial part of the S25 produced all the normal locals and we stopped a few times but didn’t take pics.

At the S25/S26 intersection we plotted for the leopard local and Hawkeyes eventually picked him up deep in the bush chowing something. I went forwards and backwards 10 times but couldn’t get a clear view from the driver’s side except through the window, even if I tried to put the car diagonally across the road. Hawkeyes, sitting behind the Cow, could see it, but the Cow couldn’t, which I couldn’t understand because it was clear to see in my opinion and I wanted her to take a picture with my camera, so we were having a “there next to the tree” drama, which resulted in a huffed Cow and “take your own #$^& pictures!”

Hawkeyes then made an attempt but couldn’t focus through all the twigs which increased the general “frustrated mood”.

I think the tension from the previous chaotic leopard sighting was still hanging around, so we agreed to rather just move on to Biyamiti and once there just relax in camp for the rest of the trip.

In the proof pics below, which are more about “twigs in focus and can you spot the blurred leopard head behind them”, is all we ended up with and the only way one can see it’s a leopard is that he moves his head while eating. This was our last leopard of the trip.

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As we turned onto the S139 Biyamiti road all tension disappeared as there’s something different about this road. We have found the big 5 on the road, however we have never had massive luck on it, except for looney ellies as there are plenty of them, but it’s just the thought of being on a road in the south which is driven less than most.

The short stretch to camp produced more birds of interest for the Cow and a large buffalo herd sleeping right next to the road and on both sides of the road, so it was very cool to be able to drive slowly “into the herd” and stop in the middle, switch off and just sit quietly.

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[Bushcraft]

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Biyamiti has turned into our traditional final afternoon “wind down” so we just park off in camp, but today the plan was to also all cruise to the staff village and watch the “Springboks against the All Blacks” as a family like normal, however the plan went pear shaped when nobody at reception knew what we were talking about even after an explanation of what the tradition was when “Gordon” was the manager, so we went off to the unit in a huff.

Before we had even finished unpacking Albert had found a rock bird bath thing and filled it with water and I found it incredible how quickly birds and vervets arrived, but the area was very dry. Is it or would it be considered “interfering with nature” if the staff actually put water in them daily? I don’t care and will put water in them until they remove them.

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After unpacking we went on our traditional family walk around the camp fence line. We have done every path in the camp and around the camp over the years, but my “war stories” to add adventure from when the rats were small have stuck, so I always delight in throwing the odd branch into the bush, but today as we entered the thicker bush sections which are perfect for the “branch ambush” a bush buck appeared.

The buck hadn’t noticed me so I called Bushpig closer to see as she was just behind me, but Bushpig decided to stalk up on it for a picture and just cruised past me. She got very close before the buck spotted her, but when it did I nearly hit the floor laughing because it was a “WT…..” moment from the buck.

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Next up were some zebra who instantly started barking at us which got us laughing initially but then we felt guilty because they were trying to get to the small patch of water in the riverbed, so we turned and ducked back around the opposite direction and the section passed unit 1 up towards the staff area produced ellies chowing in the riverbed and then a snake eagle.

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[Bushcraft]

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It was getting close to 5pm so we jumped in the car to listen to the rugby match, but the darn car has some safety feature which cuts power to everything after 5 minutes so it was rather frustrating, however my boet, Supernova, came to the rescue and provided commentary via whatsapp so we all ended up around my phone next to the fire.

60 minutes into the game I was bopping around the fire because the Springboks were a long way ahead and I was shouting “We are going to make it 2 in a row against the All Blacks!”

5 minutes later the negative messages started to arrive and the final whatsapp completely changed the mood and pelicans developed as they had lost in the dying minutes.

I ended up putting more wood on the fire, pouring another dop and plonking myself in a chair next to the Cow as part of the recovery program.

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The only other excitement was later in the evening when Hawkeyes started shrieking and frantically shaking her head. I thought it was amusing, but got those “evil eyes” from the Cow so pulled my face straight.

It turns some beetle from the overgrown family had landed in Hawkeyes hair.

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To be continued

[Bushcraft]

7th Biyamiti to Home

We woke this morning with the normal “leaving Kruger pelicans” so the car packing happened in silence and we were out of camp just after 5:30am.
It’s a long drive 1 hit to Amanzimtoti, so I put blinkers on and just go, but just past the S25/S26 intersection we had no choice but to stop

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His brother was parking off in the grass so eventually he got up and joined him and we continued on, but I had to stop again minutes later for some BBJs that the Cow wanted to photograph.

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The 1 BBJ suddenly got up, had a brain fart and ran straight at us and then onto the road in front of us, so I followed along, but the BBJ just kept on going in front of us and eventually we were all laughing as it made no sense and he/she looked like our pavement special at home called “Pebbles” which for some reason made it familiar and funnier.

After around 1km of this he/she stopped, checked us out and then wandered off into the bush.

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We were out the park before 7am and home at around 3pm.

In conclusion, it was a good 9 days in Kruger, but as normal it’s over far too quickly.

Lastly, thanks to all of you guys who have shared our adventure with us as I have posted it fairly fast and I understand it’s a mission to keep up and post the “cheerleader” stuff continuously.

Bushcraft, the Cow and the Rats.

[Richprins]

The buffalo look in good condition, much better than previous years!

Yes, no problem with putting water out, of course not, and staff should do it... (do they still irrigate the lawns?)

We were watching the rugby at Olifants with equal drama technically! Snap!

Nice bush walk tradition you have going there!

Ja, BC, it is a schlepp cheerleading on your reports, but what can one do?

[Alf]

Another amazing report BC.

You make us all feel bad with all your cat sightings

But i will still stick to the northern part thank you

I can't handle these roadblocks and rude people. It spoils my holiday and create a very bad mood inside the car.....

[RogerFraser]

What another great whirlwind cat tour .

It looks like the Browns had great trip