Not what we expected KTP Dec Jan 2017

[GavinW]

Meercat memories

I got back to TR just about when Debbie had started to think that I had secretly headed off back to Cape Town.

My lady had done what she had wanted to do and now it was time to move on.
We did some last minute shopping (mainly for Eric) and spin and beer in hand we set forth

The lion we had lost going over the dune at Auchterlonie had changed his mind and was now having a siesta in the valley.
Another flat lion to add to the list (which we had lost count of about 2 days ago!)



Then we hit meercat valley

Debs was in her element, as we watched the meercats and then one eating his supper:



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Just before home, our resident warthog was also looking for something to eat



By the time we got back to Urikaruus, the heavens opened once again.

Once the storm was over, looking at the view from our balcony one could hardly believe that we were in an arid park in the middle of summer







And even the birds came out to play in the puddles

V

The storm abated long enough for me to dry out the braai, and make our supper.
It started raining again later, along with a lot of thunder and lightning, which carried on through the night.

[nan]

love "dry" river bed

wow that Merkaats

[Mel]

Woah, what's the rush here all of a sudden... scheduled for another trip?

What a wonderful close up sighting of the BEFs

Love the meerkats too... although that breakfast does look a bit yuckie

Abdims Would love to see one of those again one of these days

[Lisbeth]

I love the meerkats

[GavinW]

After the storm.....................

It rained on and off for most the night, and we were woken early to the sound of a lion roaring.
It wasn’t really close, and it sounded as if the lion was to the south of us.
We were lured south and saw very little, besides naturally, a lot of water

These pics were taken at the point where the road crosses the riverbed just south of Urikaruus.





We travelled down as far as the Kamqua picnic spot, and saw nothing. It appeared as if the hyenas had moved their den as we had not seen sight of them for a good few days. :hmz:

As we traversed a lot of puddles in the road, just north of Urikaruus, we spotted this cold, wet and very miserable African wild cat, trying desperately to warm up.



Predator wise, the drive up to Craig Lockhart was pretty uneventful, but then we were not in the park purely to see lions and leopards.

On the thirteenth borehole loop, this journey of giraffe were keeping an eye on us.



As was this juvenile Pale Chanting Goshawk. Are his eyes just not the best!



Two wet Giant Eagle Owl chicks were also trying to cheer up as the day got warmer as we passed Dalkieth





We arrived at a very quite Craig Lockhart, and as we had decided to turn around and head back to camp at Craig Lockhart, I drove into the loop around the tree at the waterhole, when we spotted this chap:



I mean really! Are you serious?
A terrapin in the middle of the Kgalagadi







Drinking from the puddles



After showing the next car that came along what we were looking at and warning them not to drive through the puddles, we set off back to camp.
Along the way we saw:
More water



Rain Clouds



And another Abdims stork

[Lisbeth]

A terrapin I wonder where it comes from and how it knows

[nan]

I also got a Marsh Terrapine... twice

super and not usual

love the Owls

[GavinW]

A special sighting

We had a short break from the car at Urikaruus before we climbed back into the car and headed south.

We had just passed Kamqua when another vehicle stopped us and said that there were some cheetah on a kill a bit further down the road.

As we travelled on down, we impatiently expected to see them each time we rounded a bend in the road. Yours truly was getting a bit agitated as cheetahs are one of my favourite cats, and just as we started really wondering that we had missed them, between Batulama and Gemsbok Plein we saw the 4 car traffic jam.

We managed to get ourselves into a favourable position and soon we were revelling in the sighting
The photographs easily replace any words I may have relating to what we were experiencing







Luckily for us they were positioned under a tree right next to the road











Cars came and went as we stayed at the sighting enjoying every moment of it.



More pics to follow

[Lisbeth]

Mom and two cubs! Gorgeous

[nan]

Hanri and the gang

a bit bloody