Lisbeth wrote: ↑Sat Apr 27, 2019 10:22 am
Clever Mel

I am sorry that you only saw two cheetahs, but you certainly had you part last time. Very instructive to learn how the weather conditions influence the sightings.
Were the waterholes still empty like last time?
Union's End was, but the windmill is fixed. However, you need good wind to fill up the water tanks and only when those overflow,
the waterhole gets filled. Friends of our are up there at the moment. We asked them to check it out and report back. Hopefully,
the wind has done its duty by now.
Kannaguass is still dry. They have built a new waterhole behind that big tree and they allow you to go around that tree. But that's
a really dumb idea because the tree often hosted a leopard that was able to hide at the back. Now there is no hiding anymore, ergo
probably no more leopard.
Langklaas, that has just been fixed after years of being out of order, is dry again because the windmill collapsed. Not sure if there
will be something done about it.
All others seemed to have worked. Even if the odd one was dry for a day, it was probably because the wildebeest or so had raided it.
The waterholes were working again the next day.
But generally we had a bad feel about what's going on in that place. For example, instead of using money for conservation, ALL signs
were replaced and new ones were put up in the wilderness camps. Looks horrible. The park management's feeble attempt to enforce
the rules and to get the backs against the wall (indemnity thing).
Also, the started on working on a further camp which will be at Craig Lockhardt. Then there is talk about some sort of accommodation
at Samevloeiing and I think it was Jan se Draai or there about...
Further have they created a second detour through the riverbed at those sandy stretches on the Mata Mata route somewhere between
Uri and Craig Lockhardt (the first one had already been there in October, and maybe even already a year ago).
Therefore, I don't see us going there forever anymore. Seems it's time that we get our head around camping to be able to afford
Botswana one of these days...