Time to start heading north

[Richprins]

Ja, Auslanders using your fire!

But what can one do?

One gets cast-iron tops for the gas braais, but they are expensive and use a different fitting...

You are brave going to Balule in the summer heat, bru, or maybe you were lucky?

the camp looks well-kept!

[Lisbeth]

Is the last pic the hyena? If yes, then I do not know what the "no entrance" sign is doing there Never mind

Okay, I finally saw the issue . Done now

Thank you, that's better and such a nice hyena photo

[Richprins]

What a pic!

[krugerbru]

The start of the drive from Balule to Mopani follows the Olifants river and has some of the most iconic scenery in the Park. Water birds are in abundance, antelope are grazing on the grass covered islands created by the low water, and I have a goofy smile on my face. I could have spent an excessive amount of time there, but in the back of my mind I knew that I still had a campsite to erect at Tsendze and I definitely don't have a pop up tent.

It dries up spectacularly once you cross the Letaba river, but before you get there, you need to take the opportunity to stretch your legs in the demarcated area on the High Level Bridge. It's a very surreal, but a rather awesome, feeling of standing there, small in the wild.



By now we were cooking in the car, the windows obviously open to let all of nature in. This buffalo we found panting in the minimal shade of a roadside tree, looked how we felt.



Saw quite a few ground hornbills en-route. I definitely feel like their numbers are increasing slightly as I see more of them these days. I find them quite tough to take a picture of though as they seem to hobble off as soon as I lift the camera.



At this point I felt like I was breaking new personal ground. I was told that I had been caravanning with Dutch friends in Shingwedzi when I was around 3 years old, but I don't recall the thrill. My only memory of this trip was sleeping the hammock and on the floor of an old Jurgens caravan. We were travelling north and it was getting exciting.

The air-conditioning in the reception at Mopani was very welcome, and once we had completed the check-in, we enjoyed the 7km drive back to Tsendze with an ice cold 'tea' from the shop fridge.

Camp site 3 was unanimously recommended by the people of the internet and it never disappointed. I do want to progress to a rooftop tent or a 4x4 trailer with tent at a later stage, but for now i'm still loving my Tentco canvas dome. It was given to me by my sister when she moved to Australia. She kept it when she split with her long time boyfriend, and I became the ultimate beneficiary. *Evil laughs*. It's from the time when they still used that old military grade canvas, which makes it exceptionally heavy, but super strong. When we embarked on an unforgettable trip to the Richtersveld and Kgalagadi about 4 years ago, we bought an extension for the tent which gave our simple 4 man bow, a 'luxurious' edge. My father-in-law and uncle would be sleeping in an old 3 man nylon tent that I bought in Australia, when I went over for my sisters wedding.

I often find it easier to erect the tent on my own as I have done it so many times. You cannot have too many chiefs, and everyone definitely needs to be on the same page. I used all my diplomacy with my father-in-law that day. His preferred location for his tent was behind where you see the table below, directly in the middle of our site, which I had to calmly explain to him was a very impractical idea. It got a little tense

It was not the most beautiful site I've ever erected, but it was done. The extra tarp I brought, I tied between the branches of the tree, and it gave us priceless shade which we would need in this relentless heat over the next 3 days.

[krugerbru]

You are brave going to Balule in the summer heat, bru, or maybe you were lucky?

the camp looks well-kept!

It was hot, I cannot play that fact down. Balule does have a lot of shade though, and alongside the river there can be a gently breeze

[Klipspringer]

I love this travel tale, great sightings, nice birding, history bits, burgers and landscape.

[krugerbru]

Camp site 3 was unanimously recommended by the internet and it never disappointed. I do want to progress to a rooftop tent or a 4x4 trailer with tent at a later stage, but for now i'm still loving my Tentco canvas dome. It was given to me by my sister when she moved to Australia. She kept it when she split with her long time boyfriend, and I became the ultimate beneficiary. *Evil laughs*. It's from the time when they still used that old military canvas, which makes it exceptionally heavy, but super strong. When we embarked on an unforgettable trip to the Richtersveld and Kgalagadi about 4 years ago, we bought an extension for the tent which gave our simple 4 man bow, a 'luxurious' edge. My father-in-law and uncle would be sleeping in an old 3 man nylon tent that I bought in Australia, when I went over for my sisters wedding.

Reading this piece over again, I realise how poetic it actually is. I was the beneficiary of my sisters tent as a result of a her break up, but then I bought a new tent when I went to her wedding in Australia

[krugerbru]

Our first morning drive at Tsendze took us south on the H1-6 -> S50 -> S143 -> S144 and them back to camp on the H1-6. It truly is a beautiful drive which gave me a few Kruger firsts.

South on the H1-6, we would spot a pair of porcupine every morning in exactly the same place about 5km from the camp. They would only be there if we were the first car, and quickly went back into their den. I loved it.

Sunrise on the S50 was always spectacular. Being the most eastern road in the park, you were always getting the glow first as it breaks over the Lebombo mountains.



The S50 and and Tropic of Capricorn Loop (S143) always felt like the best options in this area. So much so, that I think I drove them too often. The S143 in particular passes many water sources and crosses open plains that remind you of something from a travel magazine. They look especially good for cheetah, and I've been told of great sightings here. Visibility all along this sand road is excellent and you can see for a long way. Herds of zebra and tsessebe are common here as well as some of the biggest tuskers I've ever seen. I realise now though that I spent so much time enjoying this road, that I don't have one photo on it. I suppose there's something to be said for that.

On this drive we managed to spot a pride of lion deep in one of the more bushy sections. They seemed to be feeding on something, and we only saw them every few seconds when one would get up to re position themselves. I zero'd my odometer, and agreed with the uncle that we'd come back to the area later.

On our way back along the H1-6 we spotted a female hyena peering our of a culvert under the road. Only after a short while did we realise that she had two pups with her which seemed to be hiding in the subsequent days, so i'm glad we managed to get some great pictures of them that day.

[krugerbru]

It dries up spectacularly once you cross the Letaba river, but before you get there, you need to take the opportunity to stretch your legs in the demarcated area on the High Level Bridge. It's a very surreal, but a rather awesome, feeling of standing there, small in the wild.

Looking at this picture now, I remembered how the uncle (right) used to tease my father-in-law (2nd from right) about these shorts. He said that they made him look like a secretary bird. The word for secretary bird in Portuguese is 'Serpentario', and whenever I heard that while they were talking in their lingo, I knew what was going on and laughed hard.

[Peter Betts]

The S50 is one of the Great roads in Kruger especially around Grootvlei dam