Browns in Kruger July 2015
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 11:39 am
Hey Guys,
It’s time to start our July 2015 TT.
This was the 1st trip to KNP this year for Bushcraft, The Cow, Hawkeyes, Bushpig and Albert.
It was once again the school holidays, so the usual booking mission started 11 months in advance and we ended up giving up on the day bookings opened. We eventually managed to piece a trip together by following the online availability over a few months, but it again wasn’t what we wanted, however at least we got in.
The trip ended up as below:
9th Jozini Dam
10th, 11th and 12th Skukuza
13th Tamboti
14th Satara
15th and 16th Skukuza
17th Biyamiti
18th Mpila Imfolozi
We were meant to stay at Jozini Dam on the 10th also, but at the last minute the Cow managed to squeeze a BE3 out at Skukuza, so we ducked into Kruger a day earlier than initially planned.
I’m finding it rather difficult to summarize the trip as it seemed to have a little of everything, however no major fireworks. We had a “cat” everyday in the park, but as is often the case, many “sightings” weren’t the best, with just a spot or ear visible.
We battled a little in the rhino department, which may have something to do with the area we were staying in, etc, however we did find rhino every day except 1 day, but we did notice they were missing in many areas where we had found them previously over the years which is a worry.
Bushpig started this trip as our queen spotter and it looked as if her lucky spotting streak was going to continue, however that nose dived a little during the trip with the other rats applying pressure. I think we would have missed plenty sightings without the rat’s beady eyes and I hope that this continues in future trips.
Hawkeyes is emerging in the photograph department and I feel that we are going to have to upgrade her camera shortly, as her little “hand me down super-zoom” doesn’t really cut it. I may end up handing my kit over and just do the “driver” thing.
There were no medical issues this trip besides my normal stomach drama which “pops up” at strange times and it did just that big time on this trip. At one stage during the first few days I thought we were going to have to leave the park as morning drives for me turned into a “tracking the nearest toilet” affair.
We got to meet Heksie on the road for a brief chat and then RP and Gump pulled into Skukuza for the 15th and 16th, which was cool.
I’m going to omit 95% of the rhino sightings as most locations are obvious, although I don’t really think it makes a difference as I doubt there’s a poaching gang waiting to read KNP TT’s.
In summary, I’m under time pressures due to work load so I’m going to spit this out fairly quickly, but I hope all ride the wave, hang around during the boring times and still enjoy the TT.
To be continued
It’s time to start our July 2015 TT.
This was the 1st trip to KNP this year for Bushcraft, The Cow, Hawkeyes, Bushpig and Albert.
It was once again the school holidays, so the usual booking mission started 11 months in advance and we ended up giving up on the day bookings opened. We eventually managed to piece a trip together by following the online availability over a few months, but it again wasn’t what we wanted, however at least we got in.
The trip ended up as below:
9th Jozini Dam
10th, 11th and 12th Skukuza
13th Tamboti
14th Satara
15th and 16th Skukuza
17th Biyamiti
18th Mpila Imfolozi
We were meant to stay at Jozini Dam on the 10th also, but at the last minute the Cow managed to squeeze a BE3 out at Skukuza, so we ducked into Kruger a day earlier than initially planned.
I’m finding it rather difficult to summarize the trip as it seemed to have a little of everything, however no major fireworks. We had a “cat” everyday in the park, but as is often the case, many “sightings” weren’t the best, with just a spot or ear visible.
We battled a little in the rhino department, which may have something to do with the area we were staying in, etc, however we did find rhino every day except 1 day, but we did notice they were missing in many areas where we had found them previously over the years which is a worry.
Bushpig started this trip as our queen spotter and it looked as if her lucky spotting streak was going to continue, however that nose dived a little during the trip with the other rats applying pressure. I think we would have missed plenty sightings without the rat’s beady eyes and I hope that this continues in future trips.
Hawkeyes is emerging in the photograph department and I feel that we are going to have to upgrade her camera shortly, as her little “hand me down super-zoom” doesn’t really cut it. I may end up handing my kit over and just do the “driver” thing.
There were no medical issues this trip besides my normal stomach drama which “pops up” at strange times and it did just that big time on this trip. At one stage during the first few days I thought we were going to have to leave the park as morning drives for me turned into a “tracking the nearest toilet” affair.
We got to meet Heksie on the road for a brief chat and then RP and Gump pulled into Skukuza for the 15th and 16th, which was cool.
I’m going to omit 95% of the rhino sightings as most locations are obvious, although I don’t really think it makes a difference as I doubt there’s a poaching gang waiting to read KNP TT’s.
In summary, I’m under time pressures due to work load so I’m going to spit this out fairly quickly, but I hope all ride the wave, hang around during the boring times and still enjoy the TT.
To be continued