Bicycles in Kruger

[Flutterby]

We get woken up at the crack of dawn every weekend by our neighbours kids on their scooters, riding back and forth in front of our gate, driving our dogs mad!! I have to put up with it here, but not in Kruger!!

While we're at home the Brat gets bored after five minutes but when in the bush he goes into Kruger-mode (tx Poppie ) and just enjoys being there - he used to take his I-Pod and Nintendo games with him, but he never used them so now he doesn't bother. As long as he's got his animal guides and his daily check lists to keep him busy, he's happy.

[mposthumus]

Too many kids in my opinion need constant stimulation, go go go... it is not an inherent kid thing, society has allowed or even facilitated this - if children learn to slow down sometimes and reflect on whats around them quietly it will only benefit them in the future.

agree 100%

And as for bicycles a definite "NO"

[Poplap]

...there's a time and place and national parks are not the place either.

Thanks for all your responses - The majority clearly rules! And now, as Lis states, time for SANParks to apply those controls. Full stop.


Allow children to do their sit-ups, stretches, run-arounds, screaming and whatever else in "sound proof" bungalows. Take a "health walker" with (if you have space for the bikes, you have space for the "health walker" or treadmill). There are many ways to get rid of cooped-up energy, i.e. send them to the shop four or six times a day. In Tsendze, send all those on bikes on foot to Mopani Restcamp to fetch ice creams.


When we spoke about the outrageous behaviour of the kids (and of course their parents, who else?), we ended up with a flat tyre.


Bottom line:
I'm not paying to see children on bikes. (I see it for free in the city).
I'm paying to get away from it all.
Keep it green, keep it simple.
And don't disturb the peace and quiet and spoil the serenity and tranquillity for others.

[Penga Ndlovu]

Well said tannie.

I have always kept mine on a short leash whenever we were in Kruger and educated them, with the little knowledge I had, as best as I could about the bush.

[Poplap]

Good for you, PN! Surely that's the point of the whole trip and experience?


No room for egomaniacal bikers (blame it on the adults, I say, that load those bikes and condone biking (of any form, shape or size or any other imaginable design protected under IP laws by WIPO) in a Park. And we are quite sure that a parent was also involved in the malicious deflating of our vehicle's tyre. (In fact, a dad erected the volley ball net for his kids and the rest of the camp's kids!!). The start of a vicious cycle, 'cause the young ones grow up with a sense of entitlement (and we see it all over SA!) and with an attitude of 'the h@ll with the rest'. 'Daddy does, sonny do'. As parents, we guide by our spoken/unspoken example/attitude/behaviour. Fact.

[Flutterby]

Well I was almost run over by one outside the managers office in Berg-en-Dal, with two staff members standing right there

Needless to say, I have read on the 'other' side that the manager himself uses a bike to get around the camp, great example or what :?

As far as im concerned, you either enforce a rule or dont have it at all. The fights occur and tempers flare in the 'grey' areas of rule enforcement.

[Lisbeth]

Many staff members use a bicycle and I can accept that, because they have to do distances as part of their work and sometimes it would be a useless loss of time to walk.
IMO this has nothing to do with guests taking bicycles into the park.

[pooky]

In March 2012 we were in Satara then Shingwedzi.
In Satara there are signs everywhere stating no bicycles etc etc.
In Shingwedzi not a single sign anywhere.
Two families camping next to us had 4 children all with bikes
which they used around the camp - they were aged between
7 and 11 - roughly. Being a bit older the riding wasn't too out of hand
BUT 4 abreast across the road - no place to pass with a car. When Easter arrived they were told 'no more riding of bikes' big outrage
from mainly the parents. Their main arguement was that their
usual camp - Berg n Dal -allowed cycling all the time.

We belonged to a caravan club for many years and our experience
was that the moment the families get to an enclosed area - ie a
campsite/caravan park whatever, the parents switched off and the
children were allowed to do as they pleased with scant regard for
other campers. This applied to noise, bicycles, skateboards etc.
We also found that older folk were very vulnerable to being knocked
over by a racing/speeding child on a bike, especially after dark.

If a designated cycling area/track is implemented one still has to get there and who is going to push/carry their bike to that area - no one!!
Bang goes the rule. There are many other ways to entertain children
where the parents need to put in a bit of effort - mainly to bring the
correct toys etc.

I really cannot understand why one has to have all these extra activities
in a game park. One of the arguements for the hotels in the Carte
Blanche article was that there is nothing for anyone to do in the
evenings - well really - if you are there for the purpose of game
viewing/enjoying nature is it not a case of early to bed and early to rise.
Who the hell wants all that STUFF in a game park

[Flutterby]

Totally agree Pooky!

[iNdlovu]

100% Pooky, normally it's so that parents can abdicate their responsibility. The bike becomes the baby sitter as does TV's, computer games or whatever else back home