Africa Wild

We reached the end of our first day in the park and had managed to settle into our unit so all in all a good day. The bush is thick but the signs of winter are starting to appear.

It gave me such a nice feeling driving through the gate just before closing and smelling the fires - only in Africa.

As we had driven the van basically all day we decided not to connect the van's fridge, freezer to the units power so just took out the cameras , flask etc and started getting ready for our first evening of relaxing.

We set up our own chairs not that KNP's are bad but we just prefer ours. For those who are following my KTP report they will know Penny dropped my gin bottle and true to form my Johnny Walker Black also ended up in pieces but lucky that happened when packed in JHB so I had a replacement. Guess who carried it for the rest of the trip.

I cannot think of anything better sitting in the push with someone you love just relaxed and taking in the surrounding's. As much as I have some big issues with Sanparks they thank goodness have not yet figured out a way to impact that.

Looking out from the unit and seeing each unit having a fire going and family gathering takes me to a good place and I hope that this is not destroyed by the commercialisation of the restaurant's.

After lighting the fire we downloaded the first days photos just to check setting and see what adjustments we want to make with environment around camp. I decided to consume red wine while Penny had a beer shandy.

Eventually got the chops on the braai with onion and potato in tinfoil. Penny did the butternut on the stove as a wanted in mashed and just easier that way. During the first night is when we figure out what we have forgotten to bring even thou we do a list packing process something is always missing. We realised nothing major so we both get a pat on the back and another drink.

After dinner we packed, washed dishes, took our malaria tablets and hit the bed hard at 9h15pm.

I also love that quiet time at night with all the fires going....my happy place!! Did you also notice how many spurfowl there were in the park?

Kesheshe wrote:
I will post quite a few plants from the trip but will need help with ID's.

I would think this is an Apple-leaf Philenoptera violacea. Do you have a pic of the entire tree or the bark on the stem

The Wild Melon is a Lagenaria sphaerica

Great photo of the Swainson's Spurfowl

Flutterby yes lots and lots.

Sorry Toko no that is the only shoot I have.

Sunday the 27th started as just about ever day in the bush up 1 hour before gate opening so in this case 5am. For us it is nice to sit outside having a coffee and listening to the bush wait up.

While having the coffee we pack the cameras and sort out the flask for our morning drive. We also look at the map and decide our route and were we want to stop for breakfast (does not always work out).

Unless we are planning a long drive breakfast is cereal or rusks with enough snacks, water, juice etc to keep us going just in case.

We also as this is the first morning rearrange the van to suit our needs and get the reference books into an accessible place. We had the Ipad with Robertson's but for some reason did not use it much on this trip.

We do not do queuing at the gate so let the rush go and depart through the gate about 5 mins after opening. Today we departed out the front gate and planned to drive S56.





Shoots not great could not get any closer otherwise they would have gone bye-bye. Also struggled in the low light to get high enough shutter speed as a did not what to push ISO to much or EV. Need to continue to practice.

Okay, that doesn't look like a mating dance and one of the francolins (or was it spurfowls?) seems wounded at the neck.
What happened?

Mel wrote:Okay, that doesn't look like a mating dance and one of the francolins (or was it spurfowls?) seems wounded at the neck.
What happened?

which one
it seems one of the birds has a wound, in the neck

Great start Kesheshe!
Awesome shots too!

Looks like Natal Spurfowl to me Two males fighting

Interesting

Love your description of your first night in Kruger

Fowls having a scrap Great pics