We’re spending the Women’s Day long weekend at Thendele, in the Royal Natal National Park. We couldn’t have asked for a more glorious winter’s day. We’ve been hiking and having picnics all day, and now we’re kicking back in one of the most beautifully situated camps in the country.
is your shadow!
The de Wet family looming over the Mahai stream, in the Royal Natal National Park.
“Beneath your feet” is the theme for this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge
My sister, Ansie, and I headed to the Kruger National Park for a 5 night visit in the early morning of Friday 17th July. After our latest trip to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Marilize had business to attend to and Joubert had to be back at school the following Monday, as the winter school holidays had come to an end. This therefore was a great opportunity for some sibling bonding in a place where we’d spend many wonderful days together growing up. Just a few hours easy drive along the N4-highway got us safely to Malelane Gate, on the southern border of the reserve, at around 08:30.
Malelane Gate, always a welcome sight after the drive from Pretoria
The route from Pretoria to Malelane, approximately 380km (drawn with Google Maps)
Just a few minutes spent getting our entry permit issued and to send a few quick text messages to let the loved ones back home know we arrived safely, before setting off into the Park. Our route took us along the S25 Crocodile River drive to Lower Sabie Rest Camp, where we’d booked the next two nights in a safari tent on the bank of the Sabie River.
After checking into our accommodation and unpacking the luggage and supplies, it was time to get back on the road again for our afternoon drive. We opted for just a short drive past Duke’s waterhole and Nthandanyathi Hide to the south of camp, and spent the last few minutes before the gates closed enjoying a magnificent sunset from the causeway over the Sabie just outside camp.
We awoke early on Saturday morning, eagerly anticipating what Kruger would have in store for us that day. We decided to stay out all day, and were one of the first vehicles waiting at the camp’s gates to open at 06:00. Lower Sabie’s renowned for predator sightings, which explains why it is so popular among visitors and often fully booked months in advance. Not long after leaving camp we encountered a pride of lions near Lubyelubye, keeping Lower Sabie’s reputation intact. After being robbed of our breakfast rusks by a big baboon at Nkuhlu Picnic Spot, we continued along the Sabie and onwards to Transport Dam via the S65-route. From there we had to get past a considerable traffic jam (where two lionesses, apparently with well-hidden cubs, were baking in the sun on a rocky outcrop), to get to Skukuza, where we enjoyed a picnic-lunch at the day visitors area near the Selati railway bridge. To get back to Lower Sabie, we chose the S21 Nwatimhiri Road, a gravel route that follows the course of the mostly dry stream of the same name. We were one of the first cars out that morning and one of the last to return to Lower Sabie that evening, just minutes before the gates closed at 17:30 – a long but very rewarding day in the wilds of the Kruger National Park.
After dinner, it was time to take our usual stroll through the camp, taking some night time photos along the way, before turning in.
Sunday was another early start to the day – we had to pack and head to Satara Rest Camp, northwards from Lower Sabie. We detoured to Mlondozi Picnic Site for breakfast, and ticked a quick leopard sighting (no photos unfortunately) about half-an-hour after leaving camp, completing the Big-5 for the trip less than two days into our visit. A quick pit-stop at Tshokwane and then arrived at Satara just in time for lunch, under the watchful eye of several of the camp’s feathered inhabitants.
Satara is the departure point for the next part, and undoubtedly the highlight, of this particular trip to Kruger – the Sweni Wilderness Trail. I’ll be telling you all about this incredible experience soon, in another installment of de Wets Wild.
It probably comes as no surprise that we’re inspired by the beauty of a tranquil South African sunset, like this one over the Sabie River near Lower Sabie Rest Camp, in the Kruger National Park.
“Inspiration” is the theme for this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge
The 31st of July is set aside as World Ranger Day, a day to appreciate the work these dedicated people perform on behalf of humanity, to celebrate their successes and commemorate those that laid down their lives in the line of duty.
Having just spent three days with two exemplary rangers on the Sweni Wilderness Trail in the Kruger National Park, it became as clear as ever just what an incredible debt of gratitude we owe the men and women protecting our natural heritage.
In the 20 years that I’ve been visiting the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, I’ve never seen the Black Umfolozi River bone-dry at the bridge on the way to Mpila Camp. That changed when we visited in July 2015. A drought has the north of Kwazulu-Natal Province in its firm grasp and it is evident that the Park is unfortunately not escaping its ravages.
Travelling south-west after entering at Memorial Gate, through the Hluhluwe-section of the Park, we couldn’t help noticing how parched even this normally lush area has become, a marked contrast from when we visited in December 2014. Game-viewing was easy going, as animals were congregating in their numbers around the remaining water sources and the denuded vegetation provided little cover. After checking in at Mpila, we headed for Sontuli Loop, our favourite drive in the reserve.
The next morning saw us out exploring Imfolozi at the break of dawn. The animal population seems to be coping well with the harsh conditions and we had good sightings of several species of birds, mammals and reptiles. Unseasonably hot weather, in the low 30’s Celsius, saw us return to Mpila for a siesta during the midday heat before taking our afternoon drive to Ubhejane Hide .
Overnight a cold front accompanied by strong gusts of wind passed over the Park, seeing temperatures drop to less than half of what they were the previous day and overcast conditions prevailing throughout. This allowed us to stay out exploring for most of the day, visiting the Centenary Centre for lunch (we can highly recommend the ostrich burgers sold at the take-away kiosk!). A drive out to the extreme south-west corner of the reserve that afternoon put our minds at ease with the knowledge that the White Umfolozi River, that runs through the Park’s wilderness area, is still flowing, albeit only a trickle compared to the normal situation.
More of the same wintery weather greeted us as we woke on our last full day in the Park, and the hot cup of coffee and rusks we enjoyed that morning at Ubhejane Hide was indeed very welcome. By now we knew the few remaining pools at the viewpoint over the Black Umfolozi (near point 17 on the Park map) was like a magnet to wildlife, and finding three big male lions there guarding one of them was no surprise. The band of brothers remained in the same spot all day, doing what lions do best – sleeping! As for the de Wets, we headed for Sontuli Picnic Site for a lovely braai (South African barbeque) and then enjoyed our traditional last slow drive along Sontuli Loop at dusk before heading back to camp.
It’s unbelievable how quickly time passes when enjoying South Africa’s wild places. Leaving the Park on the morning of the 15th of July, we were concerned about the effects a prolonged drought would have on the Park’s vegetation and wildlife. Recent news about good rains falling in the area therefore was extremely welcome. It might not break the drought, but it will replenish the waterholes and hopefully carry the wildlife through to summer when (hopefully) more rain should come.
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For our July 2015 visit, we opted to enter and exit the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park at Memorial Gate, in the north of the reserve (a 7-hour, with stops, 570km drive from our home in Pretoria), and spent four nights at wonderfully wild Mpila Camp in the Imfolozi-section of the reserve.
The route from Pretoria to Memorial Gate
(drawn with Google Maps)
Sadly the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is under threat; if a proposed coal mine on the southern border of the reserve gets given the go-ahead it will mean the end of the reserve’s renowned wilderness area and much of its, and the Isimangaliso Wetland Park’s, ecological integrity. Visit “Save our Imfolozi Wilderness” if you’d like to add your voice in opposition to this unnecessary and unwelcome development.
This toad was waiting for us at the back door of our cottage in Mantuma Rest Camp at uMkhuze Game Reserve, in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, when we visited in December 2014.
“Close Up” is the theme for this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge.
I’ve just returned from an amazing three days on the Sweni Wilderness Trail in the Kruger National Park, preceded by two nights at Lower Sabie Rest Camp. It was an experience I will never forget, for so many reasons, and I’ll be telling you all about it in upcoming editions of de Wets Wild.
It is the winter school holidays in South Africa and we spent the last five days in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, where the authorities go to great lengths to ensure visitors enjoy the Park safely and responsibly. Naturally, we’ll be telling you all about our visit in upcoming editions of de Wets Wild.
“Symbol” is the theme for this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge.
The Red Duiker is a small antelope found in indigenous forests and other densely vegetated habitats on the wetter eastern side of South Africa. Despite their richly coloured coats, these diminutive antelope blend in perfectly with their dappled forest habitat, where they feed mostly on leaves, shoots, fruits and berries.
Adult red duikers stand only between 35cm and 48cm at the shoulder, and weigh between 10 and 18kg. Both sexes carry short horns, often obscured by a tuft of hair on the crown.
Red duikers are mostly encountered alone or in pairs consisting of either a ram and ewe, or a ewe with her lamb. Single lambs are born at any time of year, weighing less than 1kg at birth. They are very shy and rush away quickly at the slightest indication of danger, unfortunately mostly along well-worn paths which makes them vulnerable to ambush predators like pythons and leopards, as well as poachers. Their natural life expectancy is 8 to 12 years.
Although the IUCN estimates that wild populations of the red duiker are declining, they are considered to be safe from extinction as the species finds protection in several well managed Parks and reserves. In our opinion the best place to get a glimpse of this beautiful little antelope is at Cape Vidal and Mission Rocks in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and at Umlalazi Nature Reserve, though we’ve also seen them at uMkhuze Game Reserve, Tembe Elephant Park, in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and at Ithala Game Reserve.
DeWetsWild 