Given our love for South Africa’s wild places, the earthy, natural colours would probably describe us best…
This picture was taken at Pafuri, in the far north of the Kruger National Park and we post it here in response to the latest weekly photo challenge from WordPress; “The Hue of You“
Yes, we’ve been to the Kruger National Park again…
Our Heritage Day long weekend in Kruger started early, on the morning of Friday the 20th of September, waiting at Phalaborwa for the gate to open. Formalities completed, our chosen route took us along some of the less traveled gravel roads in the area to Letaba Rest Camp, where we’d spend our first night in the Park.
We spent the afternoon traversing the roads around the camp, soaking in the peaceful atmosphere and spending some time with our favourite Letaba resident, the big tusker Masthulele, and Hlahleni, one of the pretenders to the throne.
Come Saturday morning, we were on our way to Punda Maria, Kruger’s northern-most rest camp. A cold front was heading for the lowveld, and strong gusts of wind accompanied us all the way. Good sightings of elephants and some of Kruger’s rare antelope species, and a variety of other animals and birds, kept us entertained on the long drive northwards, and we arrived at “Punda”, where we were joined by Marilize’s parents and would be staying for the next three nights, just in time for the 2PM check-in time.
(We’ll dedicate a special post to Punda Maria soon – the camp and the area around it has a rich and fascinating history and plenty to offer nature lovers)
No visit to the north of the Kruger National Park would be complete without a pilgrimage to magical Pafuri. And so, despite the cold front having Kruger now firmly in its cold and wet grasp, this is where we headed on Sunday. Pafuri is a lush tropical paradise next to the Luvuvhu River, a bird watcher’s heaven, with regal nyala antelope around seemingly every corner.
That evening, a herd of elephant spent a lazy hour or two at the floodlit waterhole next to the camp fence. You’ll understand why I blame the waterhole and the hide that overlooks it for losing quite a bit of sleep this weekend – who can sleep when there’s this much action right on your doorstep!
Elephant herd at Punda Maria’s waterhole
We decided to visit recently re-opened Shingwedzi on our last full day in the Park. Shingwedzi Rest Camp and its immediate surroundings was hard-hit by the January 2013 floods, and we were curious to have a look at how our favourite Kruger camp has bounced back (some photos in our “Shingwedzi after the flood” post). Along the way an extremely aggressive elephant bull showed two buses and several SUV’s exactly who is in charge of this piece of wild Africa!
Elephant roadblock on the way to Shingwedzi
The Shingwedzi area is teeming with game at the moment. We had our first ever sighting of an albino impala, and a massive eland bull spending some time in the almost dry Mphongolo River was a welcome surprise, as these large but skittish antelope are rarely seen by visitors to the Kruger Park.
Almost back at Punda Maria that evening we had a thrilling encounter with a young lion walking past a herd of elephant on the Dzundwini Loop (photo here).
See the lion?
Dinner was followed by some more time spent photographing Punda Maria’s nightlife instead of sleeping…
Genet, Punda Maria
Milky Way above Punda Maria
But all good things come to an end and Kruger said goodbye with a magic sunrise on our way to Punda Maria Gate and back to Pretoria. Wouldn’t a scene like this also just convince that you need to get back here as soon as possible? Yes, we are already planning our next visit to Kruger National Park…
Punda Maria sunrise
Heavy thunderclouds hanging threateningly above an already overflowing Pioneer Dam, at Mopani Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park
“Saturated” is this week’s photo challenge from WordPress
Our September 2013 trip to the north of the Kruger National Park afforded us the opportunity of visiting our favourite Shingwedzi Rest Camp for the first time following the devastating floods in January 2013.
Most of Shingwedzi has re-opened for visitors, with only some facilities, including the restaurant, remaining out-of-service – a sterling effort getting the camp up-and-running again so soon!
Revamped Shingwedzi shop
The view downstream from camp, to where the causeway is now buried beneath a thick layer of sand
View upstream from camp – a huge pool of water now houses hippos and crocodiles where previously there would have been nothing but sand in the dry season
Shingwedzi accommodation
Shingwedzi camping site
Shingwedzi main building – reception, shop and restaurant
Shingwedzi accommodation
Shingwedzi camping site
Driving around the area, the impact on man-made infrastructure and the natural environment was still clearly evident eight months after the flood waters of the Mphongolo and Shingwedzi Rivers swept through here in the dark of night.
Elephant at a pool in the Shingwedzi River
Deep sediment deposits where the Shingwedzi burst its banks
Bent trees and shrubs along the Shingwedzi river
What’s left of the Kanniedood Dam wall. Not a single tree remain standing in the immediate area below the broken dam – before the flood you could not even see the wall due to the dense plantlife!
Debris, deep sand and newly formed pools of water along the course of the Shingwedzi River
Nature is resilient and we have no doubt that the Shingwedzi area will remain a firm favourite for many of the Kruger faithful, the de Wets included! Have a look here to find out why we love Shingwedzi so much!
The blotches, and the lines between them, on a giraffe’s hide are as unique as human fingerprints. These photographs were taken during our recent trip to the North of the Kruger National Park.
“From lines to patterns” is this week’s photo challenge theme
Never a day passes in the Kruger National Park that is not full of surprises.
We will be heading back home to Pretoria tomorrow, but today we had great sightings of huge elephant and buffalo herds, jackals, a massive eland bull, several grysbok and even an albino impala.
The highlight of the day was seeing a young male lion walking casually past a mixed herd of elephant and buffalo on the Dzundwini loop-road near Punda Maria – that’s three of the “Big-5” in the same spot! Unfortunately I could only manage a shot of the lion and elephant in the same frame.
It was a cool, overcast day at Punda Maria in the Kruger National Park today, and this buffalo wasn’t impressed with us disturbing his slumber!
We were very fortunate to have encountered two of the rarer antelope species to be found in the Kruger National Park today: a roan antelope bull mixing with a herd of tsessebe, near Babalala picnic spot in the north of the Park
We bid you good evening from Letaba Rest Camp, in the Kruger National Park!
We arrived through Phalaborwa Gate early this morning and will spend one night here at Letaba before moving on to Punda Maria in the morning.
We had a fleeting late-morning sighting of a leopard on the prowl, but the highlight of the day unquestionably has to be the time we spent with the magnificent old elephant bull Masthulele, currently the biggest of Kruger’s tuskers, where he was feeding in the Letaba River not far from camp.
Edit: SANParks announced in September 2017 that Masthulele died during 2016.
Exploring South Africa’s wild places is always nicer when the experience is shared with good company!
Pictured here is Joubert and his friend Louw getting acquainted with one of the bushbuck that have found a safe, predator-free home inside Letaba Rest Camp, in the Kruger National Park.
“Companionable” is this week’s photo challenge from WordPress
DeWetsWild 