Unlocking Mountain Zebra

[PJL]

After a final easing of some of the lockdown restrictions here in SA, we couldn't wait to get away for a short break for the first time in about 8 months, and promptly booked into a place called Mountain View Guest House which is about 15mins away from Mountain Zebra NP. We managed 4 nights and had morning/afternoon visits to the park mixed with some unwinding on the farm. It was quite incredible to sometimes be the only day visitor vehicle driving around

Here are a few pics of the accommodation - great place and worked out cheaper than if we had been able to stay in the park itself

[Pumbaa]

The place is looking extreme lovely, PJL

[Flutterby]

Nice accommodation.

[harrys]

Very nice must be awesome to just get away from home

[Lisbeth]

Looks great

Always MUCH cheaper to stay outside any SANPark

[Mel]

Much cheaper and often much nicer too

Looks excellent

[Richprins]

Brilliant, Peej!

What's the weather like there?

[PJL]

Thanks everyone, the accommodation was indeed very nice, and they gave us a very generous discount

@RP - the weather was quite a mix, but started out warm in the days - 28 degrees or so... down to about 4 at night. Then we had a cold front move in which dropped the temps significantly

[PJL]

After settling in to our nice farm accommodation, we took an afternoon drive into the park. We had heard that lion had been seen earlier in the day further up the valley from the main camp along Kranskop loop so our plan was to see if we could find them and then head up onto Rooiplaat and down the Link Road towards Ubejane Loop.

There was a nice herd of springbok shortly after entering the park - someone must have been playing hide & seek here



We called in at reception to get our exit permit (the entrance gate is just forms, so you have to go past main camp reception at some point to get your actual permit). It was quite strange to see the place so empty



Our spotting skills were put to the test but we managed to find a lump of lion flat out on a rock





We couldn't really tell if it was just one or if there were more, but higher up Kranskop loop we could look down on them and saw there were at least 2 flat lions. Not exactly the most amazing lion sighting, but nice all the same as it was our first for 2020



The views heading into the mountains were as spectacular as ever



As we turned onto Rooiplaat this bird of prey caught my eye. I think it's a juvenile pale chanting goshawk



Rooiplaat itself was rather quiet, but some mountain zebra were posing nicely



A short way down the link road we stopped at the small dam to watch a few springbok and zebra. On the other side of the road there was movement in the grass from a couple of birds - first a double-banded courser and then a cape longclaw





The rest of the link road was uneventful, but on Ubejane we startled a couple of bat-eared foxes. They ran off into the tall grass but it was great to see them

[Klipspringer]

Love the birdies and the scenery.




Almost no visitors and you still hear about where to look for lions