Summertide Diary: Exploring Wilderness and surrounds

21 December 2020

It pays to be out early in South Africa’s wild places, and the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park is no exception. Even when the sky is still heavy with rain and the sun nowhere to be seen.

A damp sunrise over the Serpentine

African Reed Warbler

Beware of children being followed by guineafowl and tortoises…

Pelargonium

Unidentified flower

Ertjieblom (identified with the kiind assistance of Bonnita Hill)

Sombre Greenbul looking even more glum in the rain…

Wild Camphor Bush

Grass Flower-heads

Red-eyed Dove

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

Greater Striped Swallow

After breakfast we felt like exploring a little further afield, and so headed to the Woodville indigenous forest a few kilometers away from Ebb-and-Flow. We explored the wet forest, marveled at the enormous Outeniqua Yellowwood that rules over it and kept a lookout for birds and other creatures trying to hide from us, until we could stand the pestering mosquitoes no more!

Woodville Forest

Woodville Forest’s giant Outeniqua Yellowwood (Podocarpus falcatus)

Woodville Forest – Common Arum Lily

Common Arum Lily

Unidentified flower

Woodville Forest

Woodville Forest’s giant Outeniqua Yellowwood (Podocarpus falcatus)

Large Wild Iris

African Paradise Flycatcher

Common Bush Brown

Forest Buzzard

From Woodville we extended our joy ride to Rondevlei and the Swartvlei beach, and then had a quick look around the holiday town of Sedgefield, of which I have many happy childhood memories, before heading back to camp.

Unidentified flower

Water droplets on a blade of grass

Unidentified flower

White-breasted Cormorant

Cross-berry

Swartvlei Beach with Gericke’s Point

Kelp Gull scavenging on the beach

Just being outside at Wilderness was such balm for the soul. You don’t always have to be out chasing the “hairy and scary” animals for which Africa is famous to enjoy yourself in our wild places…

African Hoopoe

Common Star-Apple

Grass Flower-head

As yet unidentified tree in Wilderness

Sooty Blue butterfly

Another Wilderness mystery plant

Unidentified flower

Sour Fig

Guineafowl feather

Water droplets on aloe leaves

Bar-throated Apalis

More frog hunting before bed-time resulted in these photographs of Raucous Toads:

Raucous Toad

If you’d like to read more about the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park, please have a look at this special feature about it that we published a while ago.

Greater Red Musk Shrew

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Crocidura flavescens

One of the real highlights of our visit to the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park was an encounter with a rarely seen small mammal: a Greater Red Musk Shrew.

Although it is tiny, weighing only about 30g, the Greater Red Musk Shrew is one of the biggest members of the shrew-family occurring in South Africa. We found the shrew next to a reed bed along the Touw River – typical habitat for the species, although they do occasionally venture into gardens and houses. Greater Red Musk Shrews are insectivores, feeding on a wide range of insects, worms and other invertebrates, and like other shrews have a relatively enormous appetite needing to consume at least half its own weight on a daily basis.

These cute creatures are mostly nocturnal, so we count ourselves very lucky seeing one in daylight (although heavily overcast) and out in the open. By day they hide in grass-nests built slightly above ground level in dense grass cover.

Females give birth to up to 7 young after a gestation of only a month, mainly in the summer months. The babies follow their mother around from 6 days old by forming a “train” nose-to-tail with their siblings. Like other shrews they live extremely fast-paced lives – the young are weaned at only 3 weeks old, reaching sexual maturity when they’re 2-3 months old and then have a life expectancy of maximum 18 months!

The IUCN considers the Greater Red Musk Shrew to be of least concern in conservation terms. It is almost endemic to South Africa, occurring all along our coast from Namaqualand to Maputaland and into extreme southern Mozambique and also along the Drakensberg through Lesotho and eSwatini to the escarpment in Mpumalanga.

Greater Red Musk Shrew

Greater Red Musk Shrew (photo by Joubert)

Greater Red Musk Shrew

Greater Red Musk Shrew (photo by Joubert)

Joubert photographing the Greater Red Musk Shrew at Wilderness

Summertide Diary: Arriving at Wilderness

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20 December 2020 (cont.)

Even though we arrived at the Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp in the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park under heavy skies, there was no reason to be gloomy. There’s no doubt that the Garden Route is one of the most beautiful parts of South Africa, no matter the weather.

Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Cottage 13A

Serpentine wetlands

Serpentine River in front of our cottage

There’s no containing our enthusiasm for exploring a destination once we’ve arrived and not even the threat of a downpour was going to keep us indoors while the expansive Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp beckoned outside our log cabin, however comfortable it may be.

Unidentified blooms at Ebb-and-Flow

Egyptian Goose (photo by Joubert)

Cape Wagtail

Touw River

This is the enormous nest of the Cocktail Ant

Large Yellow Eulophia (Eulophia speciosa) at Ebb-and-Flow, identified with the kind assistance of Carol from Nature Back In

Greater Red Musk Shrew (photo by Joubert)

Greater Red Musk Shrew

Joubert photographing the Greater Red Musk Shrew at Wilderness

Greater Red Musk Shrew

Scenery in an overcast and wet Wilderness

Brimstone Canary

Natal Plum (or Large Num-num) flower

White Bristle Bush

Glossy Currant berries

Unidentified but most interesting plant seen at Ebb-and-Flow

By now you probably know that we have a propensity to extend our explorations into the hours of darkness. Most of the camps in our national parks are safe to do just that and if you apply some common sense rules like walking with closed shoes you’re likely to be handsomely rewarded with some unusual encounters, like these we had on our first night at Ebb-and-Flow.

Olive House Snake

Raucous Toad

Spotted Eagle Owl

If you’d like to read more about the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park, please have a look at this special feature about it that we published a while ago.

Summertide Diary: Departing from Bontebok

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20 December 2020

With our next destination, the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park, relatively close we can afford to have a leisurely start to our final morning at Bontebok National Park. Marilize and Joubert opt to sleep in, while I start my morning attempting to get photographs of the Cape Serotine Bats catching moths around the outside lights in the camp before setting off on a drive. By the time I get back we have breakfast together before packing the car and heading to reception to check out.

Cape Serotine Bat

Scrub Hare

An as yet unidentified mystery bird sitting in the road

Common Quail

The only tortoise to been this early in the morning

Bontebok

Bontebok lamb

Karoo Scrub Robin

Blue Cranes in flight over Bontebok National Park

Rain Spider Wasp (Tachypompilus ignitus) photographed by Joubert

If you’d like to learn more about the Bontebok National Park, have a read through this special feature we published after a previous visit. For more about the beautiful Bontebok antelope, read here.

Map of Bontebok National Park, from a brochure published by SANParks

Summertide Diary: Exploring Bontebok

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19 December 2020

Our first morning in the Bontebok National Park started with a visit from a VERY big Rain Spider in the kitchen. Despite their large size these spiders aren’t deadly to humans (though a bite would be very painful), but considering that other visitors might overreact if they encounter this one and kill it I decided to catch it and relocate it to a suitable spot outside (and had to keep a curious Cape Bulbul at bay while the spider hid in an aloe). After all this excitement we could enjoy breakfast overlooking the Breede River as morning broke over the Lang Elsie’s Kraal Rest Camp feeling very pleased with ourselves.

Rain Spider escaping the Tupperware at Bontebok National Park

Rain Spider trying to hide among dead aloe leaves at Bontebok National Park

Very curious Cape Bulbul

Breede River at sunrise

The previous time we visited Bontebok it rained for most of the two days we spent in the Park, and so we didn’t get to explore much. This beautiful morning presented an opportunity to rectify that, so we got an early start to our first drive through the reserve.

Common Waxbill

The view from Aloe Hill towards Lang Elsie’s Kraal Rest Camp, with the Langeberg in the distance

Grey-backed Cisticola

Cape Mountain Zebras on a hillside in the Bontebok National Park

Denham’s Bustard

Spotted Thick-knee

Yellow Bush cones (Leucadendron salignum) in Bontebok National Park

Koppie Foam Grasshopper

Grey-winged Francolin

Cape Grassbird

Karoo Scrub Robin

Bontebok is a stronghold for the endangered Renosterveld vegetation

Red Hartebeest

Speckled Pigeon

Four-striped Grass Mouse

We wanted to go check out the local picnic spot, known as Die Stroom (“The Stream”) before it got too busy with day visitors. It does seem a lovely spot to enjoy a relaxed picnic while also taking pleasure in all the Park’s other attractions.

Die Stroom Picnic Area

When we got back to camp one of the star attractions of the Park, a Bontebok, was waiting for us at our chalet, together with an Angulate Tortoise and lots of birds.

Bontebok outside our chalet at Bontebok National Park (photo by Joubert)

Angulate Tortoise

Greater Striped Swallow

Another one of the things we missed out on during our previous visit to Bontebok was most of the walking trails available to visitors, so before lunch (and before it got too hot) I got going on the Acacia and Bushbuck Trails, which follow the course of the Breede River. Along the way a few viewing decks have been built overlooking peaceful stretches of the river.

Viewing deck on the Bushbuck Trail

The Breede River seen from a viewing deck on the Bushbuck Trail

Toktokkie

Sombre Greenbul

Rain Spider egg sac

Egyptian Geese and Yellow-billed Ducks sharing a section of the Breede River

Walking trail in Bontebok National Park

Toktokkie

One of the decks along the Bushbuck Trail overlooking the Breede River

Ants exploding from their nest in a wooden bench

Bontebok National Park’s fishing spot along the Breede River

Breede River panorama

An as yet unidentified grasshopper

Common Meadow White

Sour Fig

Karoo Scrub Robin

After lunch there was time to walk around the camp.

Breede River rapids at Lang Elsie’s Kraal

Southern Masked Weaver female

Namaqua Dove

Angulate Tortoise

Fiscal Flycatcher

Thick-billed Lark

Cape Robin-Chat

And then another circuit of the Park’s game viewing drives saw us through till sunset.

Bontebok

Spotted Thick-knee

Denham’s Bustard

Grey-winged Francolin

Cape Grassbird

Bontebok running across our way (photograph by Joubert)

Grey Rhebok

Steppe Buzzard

Bontebok National Park protects the threatened renosterveld vegetation-type

After dinner and with the camp now clothed in darkness I went down to the river to look for frogs at the water’s edge. Thrilled to find a few of three different species, though even more exciting to see was the Sharp-toothed Catfish actually jumping onto the river banks to catch any frogs sitting too close to the water!

Cape River Frog

Clicking Stream Frog

Bronze Caco

Sharptooth Catfish patrolling the water of the Breede River after dark

While away from our chalet our little “camera trap” caught this Large-spotted Genet patrolling outside.

Large-spotted Genet caught by our camera-trap outside our chalet at Bontebok National Park

Map of Bontebok National Park, from a brochure published by SANParks

Summertide Diary: Arriving at Bontebok

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18 December 2020 (cont.)

After an exhilarating day on the road, traversing no less than four different mountain passes including the famous Swartberg Pass, it was good to arrive at the Bontebok National Park outside Swellendam in the Western Cape. It’s just a short drive from the reception office to the Lang Elsie’s Kraal Rest Camp.

The renosterveld plains of the Bontebok National Park, with the Langeberge in the background

Sugarbush (Protea repens) at Bontebok National Park

Bitter Aloe (photo by Joubert)

Pin-tailed Whydah male (photo by Joubert)

Greater Striped Swallows swooping over the lawns of the camp (photo by Joubert)

Cape Wagtail welcoming us to our chalet (photo by Joubert)

Tortoises are common in Bontebok National Park – this one being a Leopard Tortoise seen at the reception building

Female Malachite Sunbird

Cape Bulbul hoping for a handout (which didn’t come)

With our chalet overlooking the serenity of the Breede River and the sunset beyond, the day came to a fitting close.

The entrance to Lang Elsie’s Kraal Rest Camp in the Bontebok National Park

Chalet #7 at Lang Elsie’s Kraal Rest Camp in the Bontebok National Park

Sunset over the Breede River, seen from Chalet #7 at Lang Elsie’s Kraal Rest Camp in the Bontebok National Park

Map of Bontebok National Park, from a brochure published by SANParks

Summertide Diary: Swartberg Pass

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18 December 2020 (cont.)

On a clear day, when you turn onto the N12-highway just west of the gates to the Karoo National Park, you will see straight ahead of you the outlines of a large mountain range some 100km to the south. That’s the Swartberg (“Black Mountain“) – the highest mountains in the Western Cape, separating the Great Karoo from the Little Karoo.

The Swartberg seen from the N12

We had two choices to get to the other side of the Swartberg, driving as we were from the Karoo National Park to the Bontebok National Park. The first is to stay on the N12 and go “through” the mountain along Meiringspoort – a beautiful stretch of tarred road but the less adventurous of the two options. The other option is to turn off the N12 onto the R407 just before Meiringspoort, following the road that leads to the small town of Prince Albert, and then taking a left turn into the Swartberg Pass (road R328). For us, the choice is an easy one.

Prince Albert’s pass leading to the town of the same name

The start of the Swartberg Pass

Unquestionably one of the most exhilarating drives in South Africa and a personal favourite of ours, the Swartberg Pass is an engineering masterpiece designed and built (with convict labourers, many of whom died during construction) by the renowned Thomas C.J. Bain between 1881 and 1888. Recognised as a national monument, with a gravel surface and supported by impressive dry-stone retaining walls, the pass connects the Western Cape towns of Oudtshoorn and Prince Albert. Crossing over the beautifully unspoilt Swartberg, itself a declared nature reserve and World Heritage Site, while reaching a maximum altitude of 1,575 metres above sea level, the scenery along the Swartberg Pass is as awe-inspiring as the numerous tight switch-back bends, blind rises and steep gradients are hair-raising!

Swartberg Pass

Summertide Diary: Departing the Karoo

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18 December 2020

Sunrise over the Karoo

Today we have to leave the Karoo National Park to travel to our next destination, however there is still time for one last drive through Lammertjiesleegte before we go.

Eland (photo by Joubert)

Sickle-winged Chat

Mountain Zebra foal

Mountain Zebra crossing in Karoo National Park

Mountain Zebra crossing in Karoo National Park (photo by Joubert)

Mountain Zebras

Kudu herd

Kudu Bull (photo by Joubert)

Red Hartebeest

We were very lucky to encounter Black Rhinos during our visit to the Karoo National Park, but for their safety will not divulge when or where we saw them.

Black Rhino in the Karoo National Park

If you’d like to learn more about the Karoo National Park, have a read through this earlier post of ours detailing the natural and man-made features of the Park.

Map of the Karoo National Park showing Potlekkertjie Loop, Klipspringer Pass and Lammertjiesleegte, from the official guide book published by SANParks

Summertide Diary: Exploring the Karoo

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17 December 2020

As the sun rise over the Great Karoo on the 17th of December we’re joined at the breakfast table by a very tame Cape Bunting hoping for a few crumbs.

Cape Bunting

Karoo National Park Rest Camp

Now that we are all wide awake and with full tummies thanks to our coffee and rusks, we set off on our morning drive, again taking the Klipspringer Pass and Potlekketjie Loop, but this time the other way around.

Mating ostriches

Very satisfied male ostrich (photo by Joubert)

White-throated Canary

Klipspringer

Grey Rhebok

Karoo Scrub-Robin

Gemsbok

Grans vistas in the Karoo National Park

Steenbok

Rufous-eared Warbler

By the time we reach the Doornhoek Picnic Site all three of us are in need of a leg stretch.

Sweet Thorn in Doornhoek Picnic Site

Cicada nymph exoskeleton

Doornhoek Picnic Site

The second leg of our morning drive delivers even more encounters with the wild inhabitants of the Karoo.

Young Vervet Monkeys

Gemsbok

Karoo Korhaan

Steenbok pair

Secretary Bird on the hunt

Springbok (photo by Joubert)

Karoo Sandveld Lizard

Baboon

Back in camp by midday we explore as much of it as we can – from the interpretive centre and camping site at the one end to the swimming pool and bird hide at the other.

Speckled Pigeon

White-backed Mousebird

Black-throated Canary

Rock Martin nest

Cape Sparrow (female)

Leopard Tortoise

Bird Hide at Karoo National Park

Marsh Terrapin

Common Moorhen

Leopard Tortoise cooling off

Red-knobbed Coots

Three-banded Plover

Cape River Frog

African Reed Warbler

Red Bishop females

Cape Wagtail

Well camouflaged grasshopper, presumably from the genus Sphingonatus

Rest Camp in the Karoo National Park

Red-winged Starling (female)

Red-winged Starling (male)

Bowker’s Sapphire

Familiar Chat

Red Bishop male

Immature Cape Robin-Chat

White-throated Canary

Cape Bunting

Male Southern Masked Weaver

For our final afternoon drive of this visit to the Karoo National Park we opt for a leisurely amble through the Lammertjiesleegte; the open plains between the rest camp and the park’s eastern border which, despite its foreboding name (translated directly from Afrikaans it means “empty place of the lambs”, which sounds like a sequel to a horror movie), is actually a section of the park very rich in wildlife.

Rock Kestrel

Nervous Kudu bull

Nervous Kudu bull (photo by Joubert)

Mountain Zebra

If you’d like to learn more about the Karoo National Park, have a read through this earlier post of ours detailing the natural and man-made features of the Park.

Map of the Karoo National Park showing Potlekkertjie Loop, Klipspringer Pass and Lammertjiesleegte, from the official guide book published by SANParks

Summertide Diary: Arriving in the Karoo

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16 December 2020

From our home in Pretoria the shortest route to the Karoo National Park in the Western Cape Province is a distance of roughly 1000km, almost all of it along the N1 national highway. With Marilize still having to work the morning of the 15th of December, we opted to depart home by midday that Tuesday and break our journey at Bloemfontein, a historic city almost smack in the middle of our beautiful country.

We rise early on the 16th of December, a public holiday in South Africa, at the cosy A Little Guesthouse on the outskirts of Bloemfontein. The sun is just starting to peak over the eastern horizon as we tackle the final leg of our journey to the Karoo National Park. With Joubert’s grade 5 geography syllabus, freshly concluded, including a few South African landmarks, we take a detour to one of the them – the Gariep Dam, South Africa’s biggest man-made lake, located at the border between the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces.

The Gariep Dam

Just after midday we arrive at the entrance gate to the Karoo National Park, a most welcome sight after the long drive.

Turnoff to the Karoo National Park

Karoo National Park’s entrance gate

Watch out for the little ones!

Karoo National Park scenery

After quickly checking in, thoroughly sanitizing every corner of our accommodation unit (oh, the joys of travelling in the time of COVID-19, and yes the Park staff do sanitize the units before you arrive, we are just very cautious) and unpacking the luggage we waste no further time in starting our explorations of the vast national park. Our route of choice for the afternoon is the delectably-named Potlekkertjie-loop – this being the local name for a kind of lizard, translating into English as “little pot licker” – and ending with the Klipspringer Pass leading back to camp.

Bokmakierie with a fat caterpillar

Pale Chanting Goshawk

Ostrich

Karoo Chat

Karoo National Park scenery

Karoo National Park scenery (photo by Joubert)

Karoo National Park scenery

Steenbok

Southern Rock Agama

Pale-winged Starling

Rufous-eared Warbler

Red Hartebeest

Grey Rhebok

Klipspringer Pass

Grey-winged Francolin

Arriving back at camp, we can relax on the stoep (verandah) of Chalet 28, reveling in the beautiful view and visits from a variety of creatures. The holiday we’ve been looking forward to for so long has finally arrived…

Our accommodation at Karoo National Park – Chalet #28

The view from our chalet

African Monarch

Common Orange Tip Butterfly

Cape Bunting on our stoep (photo by Joubert)

Bibron’s Gecko that lived behind the built-in braai (barbeque)

Purcell’s Gecko

Flattie spider living inside our cottage

Small-spotted Genet outside our cottage at Karoo National Park (cameratrap photo)

If you’d like to learn more about the Karoo National Park, have a read through this earlier post of ours detailing the natural and man-made features of the Park.

Map of the Karoo National Park showing Potlekkertjie Loop, Klipspringer Pass and Lammertjiesleegte, from the official guide book published by SANParks

DeWetsWild

Disappearing into South Africa's wild places… Again!

Summertide Diary: Exploring Wilderness and surrounds

21 December 2020

Greater Red Musk Shrew

Crocidura flavescens

Summertide Diary: Arriving at Wilderness

20 December 2020 (cont.)

Summertide Diary: Departing from Bontebok

20 December 2020

Summertide Diary: Exploring Bontebok

19 December 2020

Summertide Diary: Arriving at Bontebok

18 December 2020 (cont.)

Summertide Diary: Swartberg Pass

18 December 2020 (cont.)

Summertide Diary: Departing the Karoo

18 December 2020

Summertide Diary: Exploring the Karoo

17 December 2020

Summertide Diary: Arriving in the Karoo

16 December 2020

21 December 2020

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Crocidura flavescens

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20 December 2020 (cont.)

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20 December 2020

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19 December 2020

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18 December 2020 (cont.)

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18 December 2020 (cont.)

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18 December 2020

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17 December 2020

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16 December 2020

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