Krugertripping this Summer...

[Heksie]

Thanks Toko, BC, Lisbeth, Bushbrat, RP, FC, Flutts, Mel an d Nan for still following my TR even though I'm MIA most of the time, at least it is now school holiday so I can catch up on some serious writing. Have been reliving some of my Kruger days this morning so I will be back on track from today.

[Heksie]

Day 18… a day full of surprises
28 December

This is our last day together in the Park as Wendy is going back to Pretoria tomorrow and I would pack up to go to Satara for a week. I decided to try the H5 for the last time this morning, firstly for the ‘serval’ which I’m thinking is a Kruger myth and maybe I would drive into the menere again? So waking up, I got my first greeting for the day at the bathrooms by a scorpion. I was third in line for the first time but in no hurry, when the gate opened I got a glimpse of a hyena disappearing into the bushes and then not even 2km from the camp some kitties in the road…





They didn’t like the attention from all the cars so they moved off into the drainage pipe, they were there the whole day. I moved on and wouldn’t you believe what we would find at the S entrance of the s130…



There were 3 ladies and they too decided that they prefer some paparazzi free time. All the cars decided that they are going to do the Gomodwane loop so I was glad knowing that there would be no cars on the H5. But before I got to this road I saw a burchells coucal searching for brekkie on the tar.



Just check the beautiful sunrise this morning on the road…



I was about 17km on this road when I got my first roadblock, there was already one car waiting and I asked him if he is enjoying the roadblock or can I move on past him.



He said that he has been waiting for 20 minutes already and would like nothing else… but this caused my first headache… I was driving an i10 which was the same size as one of them, I moved as close as I could get and then some of them jumped up, the others just looked at me and shook their heads. I sat close to them for about 20 minutes and got some awesome kiekies though… There were a lot of babies around and I could get a few close up, I also got a few kiekies of them that were some first ones…











But now I had enough of these wild cows and I wanted to go through them, thankfully a bakkie came from the same direction as us and he just drove through them, I thought of doing the same but it wasn’t as easy as you think as some were very interested in this stupid little car that was revving and going a bit forward, they came closer and then I started panicking and reversing again. This was an absolute mission but after another 20 minutes or so I got through. I was again on my way and then I spotted these two double-banded sandgrouse in the road.
Female



Male



I also were lucky enough to see a rhino crossing



Then I decided to take the S112 so I can visit Transport dam, I got to a 3 car roadblock on the narrow road but because I had a small car it was no issue to squeeze in. A very excited women in the other car directed me to something I would’ve missed if I was on my lonesome… can you spot it?



I was going nowhere in a hurry so I waited, I sat here for about 40 minutes and at last she sat up, just to turn around and lie down again and then you couldn’t see her at all…





I was lucky enough to meet tiny as well at this sighting to be informed that about 2 hours back she was sitting and posing beautifully, but it was ok, I saw her and it was all that counted. Now on my way again and some more great sightings…





As I left Transport dam I drove into Thokozani and his SO. We parked at either side of the road so that people could drive past us but it cause d a bit of a traffic jam as well. I mean, we are parked directly across from each other, how could I see something on their side and vice versa. But the cars stopped in a row between us and we had to explain that we are having a conversation. One girl actually asked her parents ‘mum, what is a chat?’ After about half an hour we said our goodbyes and I decided to drive to Malelane via the tar and they would take the H2-2. We would hopefully meet up somewhere on the road again.
At kwaggaspan I got a beautiful breeding herd of ellies



And then somewhere on my way down I had an amazing sighting, I was driving when these birds flew quickly past me, I stopped to see that it was these great spotted cuckoos and they were following starlings, I saw a starling feeding them but didn’t get a kiekie of this. But it was a great moment and a lifer to tick as well…



Just past Afsaal there were another ellie roadblock which I enjoyed at a distance.



And then I also met up with Kaapsedraai. They had seen a doggie sighting at the gate so I was wishing and hoping that I was just as lucky. I drove on and unfortunately they were gone. It was getting scorching hot and it was only 13:00. When I got back in my car at Malelane Gate, Thoko arrived and they informed me that they are going to take the N4 to Croc Gate. Something I didn’t think of, and I was so glad they did as it was getting unbearably hot and I would love to get to camp. So out of the Park we went.
Within an hour I was back in camp chilling with an ice cold KPA in the hand. I used this extra time to pack up my gazebo and table as I was to move camp tomorrow morning. Wendy arrived at 15:00 and told me that the lions were still there in the drain pipe since this morning and Sparrow was chilling there so at 17:00 I decided to have a look. Ag I saw him but no cats, there were cars everywhere and the lions were far, I decided to take the S25 for a few km for my last drive and also nothing but it was way more chilled a drive. I got to camp as the sun was setting.



We decided to have a braai at Sparrow ‘s but Wendy was MIA, little Sparrow (Ross) even asked me if I was had a tiff with Wendy as she is drinking in front of the shop with an outoppie. I had a laugh, got my fire on and went to go fetch her, she was having a lekker time there in front of the shop and I just told her that I’m over at Sparrows. I was sitting with them telling them about all the scorpions I have seen in camp as Sparrow’s friend was afraid of them and then left them to fetch another KPA. When I got back I was told that by the 4 boys that it was my fault that there is a scorpion in their camp. Hahahaha they were looking at it so I just grabbed the Park map and scooted it it away, men are such babies. Our braai started and Wendy arrived in a very jolly mood, just as we started having fun we got attacked my mini stink bugs, they were everywhere, biting us and stinking up the place, we put off the lights and got out Sparrows bugzapper which didn’t help at all as they were in full swing. I just said that I want to eat and bugger off as I’m gatvol at these devil spawn in the camp. As I got a bit of my tomato I hear a crunch and when I took my flash light and looked in my plate I had those evildoers all over my chicken and tomatoes, I couldn’t eat it and just threw my food away. Wendy didn’t dare look at her food and just gulped it down. When my beer was finished I bid them farewell with the necessary hugs and kisses as it would be our last time seeing eachother this year and trip.
I went to bed as tomorrow would be an early start… but something happened that I never expected.

To be continued…

[Flutterby]

What a great day! The one little buff looks like he's wearing a helmet! Great lion and leopard sightings but the best for me is the cuckoo!!

I wonder what happened next!!

[nan]

love the little Buffaloes... and the Cuckoo
and of course the Leopard
and... and...

[Richprins]

Sho! A long and productive day again, colleague! Enjoy the holidays with me!

You can drive through buffalo herds, just take it slow. I still know of only one buff attack on a car...it was a parks bakkie in a remote area that came between the cow and calf.

Fascinating that cuckoo...also never seen one! So two virtually adults still chasing the starling for food!

Oh the irony if one converts that to SA humans!

[Mel]

Productive day (once again!) - Big 5 plus a cute chameleon and bird on top of it.
Nothing to moan about.

[Heksie]

What a great day! The one little buff looks like he's wearing a helmet! Great lion and leopard sightings but the best for me is the cuckoo!!

I wonder what happened next!!

It was a good day in 4 hours I saw the BIg 5 so the rest of the day I was chilled with no worries and enjoying everything that KNP threw my way, it was a quiet but very relaxed drive towards Malelane and if it wasn't for the heat, I would've driven the whole day
YOu will know in just a few minutes...

[Heksie]

love the little Buffaloes... and the Cuckoo
and of course the Leopard
and... and...

Nan, it was a treat watching the buffies, the baby suckling on mum and the other ones, haven't been blessed with close ups of babies before so this was my best buffie sighting ever

[Heksie]

Sho! A long and productive day again, colleague! Enjoy the holidays with me!

You can drive through buffalo herds, just take it slow. I still know of only one buff attack on a car...it was a parks bakkie in a remote area that came between the cow and calf.

Fascinating that cuckoo...also never seen one! So two virtually adults still chasing the starling for food!

Oh the irony if one converts that to SA humans!

This is an amazing month with another long weekend in two weeks and the end of the month a 10 day holiday again, it gives me enough time for me to catch up on the forum as I'm getting very behind, just can't keep up with the schoolwork and other things, there is either not enough time in a day or I'm getting too old
I did survive the buffie ordeal and pass them so all's well, just think that they wouldn't have been so intimidating if I was in a larger car, I think they are the same size as my i10
THe cuckoo was the highlight of the day and seeing their interaction was great I'm jsut bummed that I was unable to record it on any film

[Heksie]

Productive day (once again!) - Big 5 plus a cute chameleon and bird on top of it.
Nothing to moan about.

HI Mel
Not everyday was like this, I had a few dry run days after this so this luck all cancels out
You will see my next episode and understand why I moaned, this was absolutely the one day I wished that I wasn't in the PArk but maybe at Sabie Park in a house of any sorts