Frost, Fires & Family Time

[PJL]

Once we got round to the other side of the loop we were pleased to see that our gamble had paid off



We were definitely closer to the lions than the other side of the loop, but they were still quite a way off the road.



They seemed to take it in turns walking for a while then lying down and taking a break





At one point they showed the bond between them... something of a love-hate relationship







They continued moving along for a little while, with the scenery providing a stunning backdrop to these magnificent beasts



A few times they came very close to blesbok and black wildebeest, but never quite near enough to mount an attack so they flopped down in the sun. At least we knew where they were... the afternoon drive had been planned already



TBC

[Lisbeth]

There not that many lions there, right? If yes, you were very lucky once again They look very well fed

[PJL]

There not that many lions there, right? If yes, you were very lucky once again They look very well fed

Yes they do look well fed Lis - I guess that's why they weren't interested in chasing anything
There are 4 adult lion in the park - these 2 male and another 2 female

[Pumbaa]

Awesome scenery / lion shots, PJL,

reminds me of the Majesties and their Kingdom

[Flutterby]

Great lion sighting. The landscape reminds me of some areas of the Pilanesberg.

[H. erectus]

It's intriguing to see lion in another habitat other than
Kruger or Kalahari. The Kalahari lions and these two
specimens pose a far greater self esteem than the Kruger
lions. Especially the males. The Kruger lions seem larger
and far more wrecked. Great posting PJL.

[Mel]

Geez... another aardwolf And also a melanistic gabar That's a great find Oh, and lions again.... how lucky can you get
Plus some very cute meerkats up close and personal. Mountain Zebra was very good to you

I find the baboons there rather skittish. If you don't stand still to observe them and let them come closer after scattering upon your arrival,
they'll retreat. At least that's how they treated us.

[PJL]

Awesome scenery / lion shots, PJL,

reminds me of the Majesties and their Kingdom

Thanks Pumbaa

Great lion sighting. The landscape reminds me of some areas of the Pilanesberg.

Another park we must make a plan to visit sometime
Thanks Flutts

It's intriguing to see lion in another habitat other than
Kruger or Kalahari. The Kalahari lions and these two
specimens pose a far greater self esteem than the Kruger
lions. Especially the males. The Kruger lions seem larger
and far more wrecked. Great posting PJL.

Thanks H.e. Agreed about the Kalahari lions... the ones in Addo come from there originally and are really big boys. Not quite sure where these 2 in MZNP came from originally but they are very handsome

Geez... another aardwolf And also a melanistic gabar That's a great find Oh, and lions again.... how lucky can you get
Plus some very cute meerkats up close and personal. Mountain Zebra was very good to you

I find the baboons there rather skittish. If you don't stand still to observe them and let them come closer after scattering upon your arrival,
they'll retreat. At least that's how they treated us.

Thank you Mel! We were indeed extremely lucky on this trip. We also found the baboons a bit skittish... perhaps that's why they don't seem to be too much trouble in camp

[PJL]

After another nice relaxing lunchtime braai we decided to head round the longer of the two camp hikes. It takes you up to the top of the valley above the camp area, and on the way up there was a dassie enjoying the sunshine



The views from the top of the valley really are fantastic



But there was further climbing to do



At this point of the hike, the fence is close by and we realised we were being watched



Once at the highest point of the trail we stopped to take in the views





We even managed a family pic



From up here we could see all the construction going on down in camp... and we were very glad not to be in one of the upper chalets





The hike had got our temperatures up nicely so somehow at this point D forced me into some kind of agreement about having to go swimming in the pool if he jumped in. Of course, I wasn't expecting him to follow through
Let's just say that the water looks a lot warmer than it is... I won't bother with a pic of me in the water as it just brings back the pain of hypothermia



After drying off and de-frosting we started out on our evening drive. Umgeni 4x4 trail had been productive so we trundled off that way... the lower sections are fairly flat and easy going



TBC

[Lisbeth]

Lovely scenery and a lovely family