Author Archives: DeWetsWild

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About DeWetsWild

Nature and wildlife enthusiast and tour guide, based in Pretoria, South Africa.

Spring in Kruger: September 2014

Well, according to the calendar it should have been spring. But judging by the temperatures we experienced, it seemed the Lowveld had skipped that season all together. It was only late September, but daytime temperatures rose to the upper thirties. The land was parched and animals were congregating in numbers at the last remaining water sources. It made for thrilling game viewing and just reminded us again that every season holds its own special appeal in the Kruger National Park.

Over the last couple of weeks, we already shared with you some of our most memorable sightings of the trip. Finding five cheetahs moving along the Shingwedzi River was exciting in the extreme, we were enthralled watching the interactions of different species of game at marvelous Mooiplaas waterhole, we laughed for joy at the playful antics of baby baboons, our encounters with the elephants of northern Kruger kept us on our toes and we empathised with thirsty, tired buffaloes along the Mphongolo. Time to wrap up now, and what better way than with a gallery of images taken during our four night stay – one night in the Shipandani Hide (near Mopani), and three nights at special Shingwedzi Rest Camp.

Achievement

Few achievements in South Africa’s conservation history can rival that of Colonel James Stevenson-Hamilton, whose career of 45 years at the helm cemented the Kruger National Park as one of the world’s premier conservation areas. If you’d like to learn more about Stevenson-Hamilton and the Kruger’s formative years, have a look at our special post on Skukuza.

Achievement  (2)

Achievement  (1)

“Achievement” is this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge theme.

Lightning over Glen Reenen

Time to pack up and head back to Pretoria this morning, but not before sharing one last photograph from the Golden Gate Highlands National Park; last night we were treated to a display of thunder and lighting over the mountains around Glen Reenen as a storm cell passed quickly through the area.

Golden Gate 8 Nov 2014(b)

 

 

Minimalist

Baboon in deep thought…

Minimalist

“Minimalist” is the theme for this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge

Golden sunrise at Golden Gate

We woke up this morning to find the valleys of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park cloaked in a thick fog, drove to one of the mountain tops, found a spot above the low lying clouds, and were rewarded with the most beautiful sunrise.

Golden Gate 8 Nov 2014

Some de Wets have all the luck…

While I was working today, Marilize and Joubert spent some time at the Golden Gate Highlands National Park’s Vulture Hide. And they were rewarded with a fantastic sighting of another rare South African bird, the Bearded Vulture! Am I jealous? Yes. Yes I am.

Golden Gate 7 Nov 2014

A birding highlight at Golden Gate

This afternoon we were very fortunate to enjoy a quality sighting of one of South Africa’s rarest bird species here at the Golden Gate Highlands National Park: the Southern Bald Ibis.

Golden Gate 6 Nov 2014

All work and no play…

Not for us, thank you very much!

We’re visiting Golden Gate Highlands National Park again, for business and, come the weekend, pleasure. And of course we’ve already enjoyed an afternoon drive through the Park, taking in the magnificent scenery and plentiful wildlife.

Golden Gate 5 Nov 2014

I was inspired to try some “slow shutter panning shots” of these galloping black wildebeest by Susan Portnoy, The Insatiable Traveler. I’ll have to keep trying to get anywhere close to the awesome results she gets with the technique though. Thanks for the tips Susan!

 

 

Buffaloes of the Mphongolo

It was hot. It was dry. It was dusty. The bellowing and snorting of buffalo filled our ears, their smell hanging thick in the air. The ground around our position was already littered with the trampled dung and tracks of hundreds of the animals. And still more of them kept coming, making their tiresome way in single file up the steep bank of the Mphongolo, then standing at the top catching their breath before rushing after the rest of the massive herd disappearing into the mopane. The last thing a tired buffalo needs at the end of a long, hot Lowveld day is to be caught alone when darkness falls…

During our September 2014 visit to the Kruger National Park, we encountered several exceptionally large buffalo herds around Mopani and Shingwedzi Rest Camps. This sighting however was the most memorable and we’ll undoubtedly think back to it every time we pass the location in future. The dry winter season had seen to it that the Mphongolo River was reduced to little more than a few stagnant pools surrounded by deep, soft, dusty sand. These pools sustain an incredibly diverse array of birds and game through the dry winter, making the 30km-long S56 Mphongolo River Loop, which follows the river course and offers dozens of good vantage points over the river, one of the best drives in the Shingwedzi area.

 

 

Descent

There’s the right way, and then there’s the quick way 😉

Downhill at the St. Lucia Crocodile Centre

Downhill at the St. Lucia Crocodile Centre, in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Mind your step at the Bourke's Luck Potholes

Mind your step at the Bourke’s Luck Potholes, in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve

“Descent” is the theme for this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge