Africa Wild

So we are back from our KTP trip... It was kinda weird… So different to everything we had seen and experienced before but still absolutely enjoyable. Funnily enough, the depression to having to leave the park never hit us this time, but that might be due to the fact that it’s only another 4.5 months until we are back once again.

I think the weirdest thing of this trip was the amount of lions we saw that seriously let us into saying “Oh no, not another lion again.” at some point throughout our trip. And that coming from somebody who loves her lions dearly…

Obviously the fact that the elands – a first of many for us – were still around on the SA side made the lions have field day with them. We counted as much as 10 carcasses visibly lying in the Aoub riverbed just between Auchterlonie and Houmoed – a stretch of about 30 k’s. The hyenas, jackals and vultures were obviously so spoilt for choices that they didn’t bother cleaning up after the lions.

The next thing that was strange (in a positive sense!) was the amount of martial eagles we saw. Usually, I’d be lucky to see about one or two throughout our entire trip. This time it was in the region of 15 sightings. Then the amount of brown hyenas we saw: While staying at Grootkolk we had regular sightings each morning and each night. There were at least 2 different ones around as one was very skittish and would run off if there was too much movement or too much noise coming from the camp and the other couldn’t be bothered with that at all. We also saw one on the southern dune road legging it into the dunes. One at Nossob hide and one at Urikaruus at 4.15 am in the morning which we thought was special as I hadn’t read much about brownies in the sighting books there.

Talking about dune roads: The view onto the vast burned area there was also very strange. It almost looked like a red moon landscape with all those burned stumps sticking out of the red sand and no other vegetation being left after the fire.



The roads throughout the park were much better than we had experienced on our last trip. Still badly corrugated in stretches but overall much more comfortable to drive than before.

Next thing are the waterholes that were reported to be empty. By the time we got into the park there were still quite a few left, but quite a few had been repaired as well. When we arrived on the Nossob side Jan se draai, Kwang, Langklaas, Kannaguass and Geinab didn’t have water. Kwang was fixed and with Geinab I suspect that it is purposely kept empty as didn’t carry water for quite some time now.

On the Aoub side it was Rooibrak that even had a sign (as did Langklaas and I think Geinab) telling visitors that the waterhole was empty and at some stage Craig Lockhardt, Houmoed and Gemsbokplein seemed to be void of water. But it could be just the eland having emptied them throughout the night and the water not filling back up quickly again as we had seen animals drinking there at other occasions.

Another weird thing was that you wouldn’t see anything (and I mean anything, not even springbok) for a long period of time and all of a sudden there was something special coming up for us.

That's the most pressing weird stuff that comes to my mind right now, but there might be more coming while I'm proceeding with my TT...

On a positive note: We met lots of friendly people throughout our trip and were delighted about the way Urikaruus (Erik and Jacques), Kieliekrankie (Willem and Jaques) and Grootkolk (Franco) were maintained by caring, helpful and knowledgeable camp assistants!

Also, people generally were chattier than we had experience before. Behaviour at sightings was mostly good with people sharing and trying not to block off or spoil it by just driving by. A lot of people shared the little they had to share and it seems that only a few got very lucky to see more than the ever-present lions…

Further, it was interesting to learn that each and every person we spoke to about the cycle challenge and / or the planned accommodation in KTP – either on Bots or on SA side – had very strong opinions about either. Don’t think I’ll have to mention which that would be.

Now let the weird fun start…

As I’m for a bit of change when writing TRs I decided to relate stories which touched me, excited me, amazed me, entertained me or in short: which I found interesting in some kind of way or another.

Richprins, this is a message solely for you: SO and I eat very little when being in KTP which is mainly due to the lack of appetite in the heat. However our small breakfasts or lunches (either, we never did both) alternated between crackers, cheese, apples, cottage cheese and leftovers from the previous day. I shall put up what was for dinner on the according days.

Day 1
21/10/2013 – Twee Rivieren to Kieliekrankie

The weird stuff started on the very first day when we entered KTP around 3.30 pm. Having dealt with the check-in process and the renewal of our Wild Card (which went very smoothly thanks to a very efficient and friendly reception desk at Twee), Spots and I proceeded to the gas station to deflate the tyres and to fill up on diesel. While Spots was taking care of the technical stuff I was headed to the shop to put together the supply of Charles Glass for the first few days. As we had arrived in Upington on a Sunday the liquor stores obviously had been closed, hence we need to stock up in the park as usual. As I was standing in front of the glass door fridges and trying to make up my mind whether to also get some Savanna or not I all of a sudden noticed that laminated white sign on the fridge door. It told me that I was not able to purchase any alcohol on Sundays anymore due to the new Northern Cape blabla regulation. Say what??? Our first day in the park and we wouldn’t be able to enjoy a decent sundowner??? (0) Can you imagine me standing there in front of that fridge door, my dried out tongue sticking to the glass in desperation of being so close to the cold stuff but unable to devour the golden liquid? I decided to return to the gas station to relate the bad news to Spots. He almost dropped the air thingy and he immediately put on one of Bushcraft’s famous pelican faces. On our way up Spots rhetorically asked every car that approached us: “Any cold beer that we could buy off you?” Rhetorically because he didn’t really stop anyone to ask but just said it out loud in our car.

To cut a long story short: We had an understanding neighbor at Kieliekrankie who would provide us with a few cans of Guinness (for Spots) and a few cans of Windhoek light (for me). Not sure, if you are a forumite, but if you read here, let me tell you that we will be grateful forever for your tremendous humanity and your eagerness to save our lives!

But I’m sure you guys and gals are actually more interested in the sightings we got on our way from TR to KK. Spots and I had laid out guesses of what would be the first critter we would see. Well, Spots won with his springbok.



On the dune road we got our first first: eland!!! I was one happy gal as I knew they did occur but had never laid my eyes on any during the last visits.


Shortly after Houmoed we saw our first meerkats. WOW, that was quick! Usually we have to look and look and look before we would find at least some. Alas, a bit far off:



Then there was nothing. Nothing at all… Then a car stopped us to tell us that there were 4 lions on a kill at Auchterlonie. And sure they were: two females in the riverbed, with the older, very sturdy one being flat out underneath a tree right next to the road and a younger one snacking on an eland. Two younger males with big tummies were playing lions at their best in the shade of a bush just below the dune ridge. One eventually got up to feed some more.











So we had an amazing start into the sightings for our trip and hoped that this would be a good omen for the time to come. Little did we know back than that it indeed had been an omen…

The last time we were in KTP you could still buy the golden stuff in the park on a Sunday.
It was only days after that we had left that the new law became effective. So we didn't
have a clue.

Thanks for your kind words, Dewi! We were certainly chuffed with the first drive as well.

Other sightings along the way:

The lambing season had already started:


One of the many eland carcasses:


For Lis:


Fork-tailed Drongo:


Marico flycatcher:


Northern black korhaan:


Wildebeest lazying around:


Jackal with his trophy:

(See, Toko, this is slightly blurred already -O )

Dinner: Boerwors and Greek salad (pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, black olives and feta)

Day 2
22/10/2012 Kieliekrankie

The morning offers got my adrenalin pumping - just around the corner: At Auchterlonie waterhole where the jackals and a lonesome vulture were attending to the rest of the eland carcass the lions from yesterday had left. Especially the vulture was special to me as I had never seen such a close one in KTP before. Usually they would hang out in their nests on far off tree-tops.





The next encounter that touched my heart was a familiar chat who had built its nest into the wall of the ablutions at Auchterlonie.



After we had finished our business at Auchterlonie we decided to take the southern dune road towards Kij Kij. We had to get to TR to finally buy that stuff for the sundowners. Just before Tierkop we found another vehicle parked at the side of the road. It was parked next to a jackal den with the cute pups playing in the early morning sun.



Just a shame they wouldn’t cooperate and move out from behind the little twigs and branches…

And the most exciting critter of the day certainly was my first AWC that finally didn’t run away from me and my camera. I was one happy gal!



But the excitement for the day was done and dusted by 9.30 am in the morning…

Other sightings of the day:

Kori on the access road to KK:


A took that would have made me really happy as well if I hadn’t spoilt the opportunity:


Steenbok looking for brekkie in the sparse vegetation of the southern dune road:


A juvenile BSE that would have got me excited as well if it hadn’t been so far off that the pic came out the way it did:


Gemsbok on top of the dunes – by now already in not so favourable light anymore:


Grey-headed sparrow at Kij Kij picnic site:


PGC perching on top of a dead tree along the Nossob riverbed:


Swallow-tailed bee-eater just opposite where we found our cute AWC:

Nesting giant eagle owl just outside TR. Loved that one as well, but would have never found it on my own. Thanks to Jannie for telling me where to look:


Yellow mongoose – for a change not in a camp or at a picnic site but roaming the Aoub riverbed:


The empty looking landscape of the Aoub:


Wildebeest congregation at Kampfersboom:


LBJ (lark of some sort?) at Auchterlonie picnic site: *edit* After conferring with one of the forum's expert birders: It's a spike-heeled lark (tick!)
Thanks, Dewi!


Our afternoon drive revealed almost nothing with this springbok roadblock being the most memorable encounter:


The vast landscape of red sand dotted with green shrubs against a deep blue sky from our balcony at KK:


And finally the day saying farewell:



Dinner: As we had a guest we added some rumpsteak and potatoes to what we already had eaten the night before.

Thank you, Dewi, Toko, Lis, pooky, Sprocky, Bushcraft, Flutterby!

Let's move to the Nossob side now.

Day 3
23/10/2012 Kieliekrankie to Grootkolk

As we were headed north to Grootkolk we were on the southern dune road again and hence stopped by the jackal den once more. This time they allowed me some clearer shots which made me one happy gal:





Otherwise this day should turn out to be one of those “nothing for ages spiced with a sudden exciting sighting”. Well, we would have to wait for that. For a looong time...

After having checked in for GK at Nossob and the always needed toilet break we exited north. And then at Cubitje Quap – bang! – I couldn’t believe my eyes A lappet-faced and a white-backed vulture as well as a young bateleur and at least 5 secretaries. Apart from the lappet-faced being another first for me, I like my bateleur and my secretaries. So here was a happy gal once more.

But if I had thought it couldn’t get any better I was taught the opposite at Polentswa: At least 11 bateleurs of all ages, 2 tawnies and 7 secretaries where hanging out together either around the waterhole or in the surrounding trees. WOW! (Get ready for a bateleur overload… )


Count the bateleurs in the tree…





They were absolutely everywhere






This looks like a very fresh one?









And they even had some flashers among them