Wet and Wild Kruger floods trip February 2023

[RogerFraser]

SANPARKS special Valentines week discount popped up in my inbox .I was working on a project for the site in Mkhuhulu hmm sounds like time for a Kruger trip 4 Nights at Pretoriuskop 2 Nights at Crocodile Bridge.

3 Days before trip heavy rains closing roads in Kruger we changed as 2 nights at Orpen become available so we switch 2nights at Pretorius to Orpen and pay the difference.

2 Days before trip floods start in Ernest Crocodile bridge closed access limited we decide to continue our trip to see the other side of Kruger to see the dry rivers running .

1 Day before trip floods in Swaziland wash away bridge on the top exit border post .We replan route through Jeppes Reef .

Arrival day 12 February Malelane shopping centre receive message from rugrat newsflash all routes closed and gates closed in south of Kruger . we rush the shopping and get to the gate . Sorry the tar road is closed we can only book you into Berg en Dal . What about Malelane oh yes you can get in there so we cancel the business trip and book into Malelane for the night and will decide in the morning what to do .

We unpacked at camp and headed out for our first drive ,

A very wet miserable tree of Vultures .


The normally nearly dry Ampie river


A small creature crossing in the rain




A very wet and unhappy Batleur Eagle


A fishing Egret


A Crock was staying out of the fast moving water


Heading back to camp we found allot of commotion just up the road to camp .Pulling up we found the source .Not one but two sets of spots .






It was raining quite heavily and soon they left the tree .







We went to camp very happy with the sighting but concerned about the rain and the warnings about more water due to come down the river that evening ...

[nan]

wow not only one... but two Leopards
I love the miserable Vultures tree and the Chameleon and of course the Bateleur and the Little Egret in the rain

nice start
miserable end ????... (it's only a question)

[Lisbeth]

I had almost forgotten about this trip

Fabulous leopard sighting! A pity that the weather was so lousy,,,but that's what the whole story is about

All the animals look miserable.

[Pumbaa]

Hi Roger,

seems we were the same time in Kruger and as well in Berg end Dal - Your sightings look familiar to me (the vulture tree) as well as all the rest besides the two leopards

Never seen those normall dry rivers that full as this year

[RogerFraser]

wow not only one... but two Leopards
I love the miserable Vultures tree and the Chameleon and of course the Bateleur and the Little Egret in the rain

nice start
miserable end ????... (it's only a question)

Hi nan thanks for joining . It was a different trip but apart from lots of rain limited road access and damage to the park not miserable

I had almost forgotten about this trip

Fabulous leopard sighting! A pity that the weather was so lousy,,,but that's what the whole story is about

All the animals look miserable.

especially the birds dont look happy in the rain .

Hi Roger,

seems we were the same time in Kruger and as well in Berg end Dal - Your sightings look familiar to me (the vulture tree) as well as all the rest besides the two leopards

Never seen those normall dry rivers that full as this year

Pumba -yes we seem to often be in the park around the same times .It was scary to see how much water can flow through the rivers but very interesting as well

Video of Ampie River on Day 1 -One item I did not mention we were only allowed to drive on the tar road to Afsaal and back all other roads were closed .

[RogerFraser]

That evening we made some chicken wraps that we bought from the Malelane spar ,While we sat outside and ate supper (the rain had stopped) the river was pumping and there was a surge warning for 8pm we were keeping an eye on the levels of . We walked to the fence to see how heigh the river was at that time .When we turned on the torch we came nearly eye to eye with a big Hippo outside the fence so we backed off and watched it ,it was quite scary and definitely the closest we have ever been to a hippo.




Luckily the river level while it did rise did not seem to be at any dangerous level for the camp so we eventually went to bed after a long stressful days drive .

The following morning the sun was out . But there was still heavy clouds around in the distance . We got in contact with the site and cancelled the planned meeting then headed to the gate as we had decided to cancelled the accommodation in Pretorius Kop for that night deciding to stay at Malelane instead and then go to Orpen .We checked with the gate if we could get to Orpen the following day -yes they just re-opened the road to Skukuza and the H1-2 Bridge was open to Satara .

On the way to the gate we found another Hippo and follower


We needed to get a few more supplies as we had rushed the shopping so went down to Berg En Dal .On the way we found speedy traffic crossing


A beauty pagent entry


And a rude bird that told us where to go


It was interesting to see the water still running off the Bergs


Some Giraffes were enjoying the better weather


While the Birds gave them a good cleaning


We stopped in a Berg en Dal .After getting the supplies we went to the dam and saw the water flowing strongly over the wall the first time ever .We also saw a heron fishing on a log .


We decided to take a drive on the tar as far as we could go along the route we would do the following day as all the dirt roads were still closed ...

[nan]

wow again a super episode
is the Tortoise a special one... I think so, could be a Homopus areolatus Parrot-beaked Tortoise.....
and I think of the Red-billed Oxpecker and all the others

interesting to be nose to nose with a Hippo
ready for more

[Lisbeth]

That was a close encounter with the hippo

Great pic of the "go away" bird, the "beauty" and the green-back

You were a bit limited in your movements, but it was a new experience

[Richprins]

Sorry only clocking in now, Rog!

Wow this is interesting, and all the challenges must have got your adrenaline up like crazy!

A bit scary to see so much water indeed, and I know the nervousness of being next to a rising river...

But leopard on the first afternoon, in the rain!

And of course all the general stuff, big and small.

I'm sure you had a eventually once all was sorted!

[Pumbaa]

Love all your birds, Roger,

luckily it did not rain the whole day