Category Archives: Mpumalanga Province

Our experiences in the reserves of Mpumalanga, South Africa

Easter Sunsets at Loskop

Just below the tennis courts at the Forever Resort at Loskop Dam, on a piece of land jutting into the watery expanse, there’s a big old thorn tree standing next to the water. The tree’s extended root system, exposed by the action of countless waves, is the perfect perch from which to enjoy the most spectacular sunsets over the dam and the hills that surround it. Though cloud cover on the distant horizon obscured the setting sun on Good Friday, we got enough of a taste to be sure that this was the spot we’d want to spend every evening this Easter…

Good Friday Sunset

Saturday evening had an altogether different feel to it though. Very welcome rain had been falling almost the entire day, and dark, broody storm clouds and a constant drizzle were our companions that evening.

And then came Sunday’s sunset! On our tree-root front-row seats we were bathed in the glorious golden glow of a perfect bushveld sunset.

Easter Sunday Sunset over Loskop Dam

Easter Sunday Sunset over Loskop Dam Nature Reserve

Easter Sunday Sunset over Loskop Dam

As a Christian family celebrating the cornerstone of our faith, we felt profoundly blessed for being together in that spot at that point in time. Life doesn’t get any better than this.

Blur

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Our long weekend of family fun on the shores of Loskop Dam flew past in the blink of an eye…

Blur

We’ve just returned from spending the Easter long weekend at the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, and we’ll be telling you all about our time there in the weeks to come.

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

Orange

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This week’s WordPress Photo Challenge theme, Orange, seems the perfect excuse to show off another glorious Kruger Park sunrise!

Kruger sunrise (1)

Reward

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The reward for a long day in the bush; a tranquil sunset scene.

This photo was taken near Berg-en-Dal, in the Kruger National Park.

Reward

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

Remembering the Marula Leopard

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Today, we flash back all the way to July 2012 to remember this spectacular leopard encounter near Skukuza in the Kruger National Park

This is our second entry into the 5 Day Black-and-White Photo Challenge. There are only two rules for this challenge:

1. On 5 consecutive days, create a post using either a past or recent photo in B&W.

2. Each day invite another blog friend to join in the fun.

“i AM Safari” is the brilliant blog of another of de Wets Wild’s long standing friends, Maurice Hovens. Like us, Maurice and his family loves exploring earth’s wild places. Maurice, we hope you’ll accept our invitation to join the 5 Day Black-and-White Photo Challenge? If not, at least please see this as a token of how much we appreciate your friendship and support!

Remembering a special lion sighting

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We took these photographs at a memorable lion sighting we told you about last year, almost seven months ago (it still feels like yesterday, so vivid is the memory!), though we’ve now converted them to black-and-white for a new challenge we’re taking part in.

We’ve been invited by Jane (Just Another Nature Enthusiast) to join the 5 Day Black-and-White Photo Challenge. Jane cares a whole lot about what we’re doing to our planet, both good and bad, and if you share her love for nature, as we do, you”re sure to enjoy what she has to share.

There are only two rules for this challenge:

1. On 5 consecutive days, create a post using either a past or recent photo in B&W.
2. Each day invite another blog friend to join in the fun.

For this first of our posts, we’re throwing the ball to AJ Vosse, the expat South African talent behind “Ouch!! My back hurts” and a long time supporter of de Wets Wild. We hope you’ll find the time to join the challenge, AJ, and look forward to your contributions!

Depth

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The Bourke’s Luck Potholes, at the confluence of the Treur and Blyde Rivers, form the head of the Blyde River Canyon, the third biggest canyon on earth.

Bourke’s Luck Potholes

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

Our 2014 in pictures

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Looking back at the fantastic places we stayed at while exploring South Africa’s wild places in 2014…

Pafuri River Camp, February 2014

Letaba, Kruger National Park, February 2014

Swadini, Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, February 2014

Glen Reenen, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, March 2014

Giant’s Castle Game Reserve, April 2014

Shingwedzi, Kruger National Park, April 2014

Orpen, Kruger National Park, April 2014

Berg-en-Dal, Kruger National Park, May 2014

Skukuza, Kruger National Park, August 2014

Satara, Kruger National Park, August 2014

Shipandani Hide, Kruger National Park, September 2014

Shingwedzi, Kruger National Park, September 2014

Glen Reenen, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, November 2014

Skukuza, Kruger National Park, November 2014

Chelmsford Nature Reserve, December 2014

Ntshondwe, Ithala, December 2014

Mantuma, uMkhuze, December 2014

Chane Cheese Farm, December 2014

Mpila, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, December 2014

Midmar, December 2014

Glen Reenen, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, December 2014

A quick sojourn to Skukuza

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Roughly two weeks ago I was invited to Skukuza Rest Camp, in the Kruger National Park, and of course this was the perfect opportunity to mix business and pleasure again. Unfortunately Marilize and Joubert couldn’t join me on this trip, but instead I enjoyed the company of a colleague as passionate about the Park as I am.

We drove to Kruger on the Sunday afternoon and could enjoy the scenery and wildlife along the way from Phabeni Gate to Skukuza. It had been raining all day, and some more in the weeks prior to our arrival, and fresh, green growth was sprouting all over.

Despite heavily overcast skies, Monday afforded us more opportunity to experience the Park, before and after our important meeting of course. The rains heralded the start of the impala lambing season, and many other kinds of animals were getting into the birthing action too.

Alert impala

Hadeda Ibis

Buffalo remains on Skukuza’s promenade

Ample opportunity to enjoy the antics of Skukuza’s vervet monkeys

Purple-crested Turaco

Bearded Scrub-Robin

Bushbuck

Lazy lioness

Threatening clouds over the Sabie River

Impala lambing season

Hyenas are commonly encountered at Skukuza

Fruit bats under the thatch of Skukuza's shop

Epauletted Fruit Bat under the thatch of Skukuza’s shop

And then Tuesday dawned, with bright and sunny skies, but for us it was time to head back to Pretoria, via Lower Sabie and exiting the Park at Crocodile Bridge.

Baboons abound along the Sabie

Yes, they’re fast asleep!

Laughing dove in Lower Sabie

Glossy starling in Lower Sabie

Expertly camouflaged tree agama

Signs of spring all around

Arrow-marked babbler in Lower Sabie

Glossy starling after taking a bath

Warthogs drinking from the Sabie

Life and death in the Sabie

Leopard Tortoise enjoying freshly sprouted grass

Newborn warthogs

Common Emperor Moth at Crocodile Bridge

Nothing like an unexpected bush visit to rejuvenate mind and body! This last gallery sums it up so well for me; even such a short visit to the Kruger Park can deliver unexpected and very memorable sightings. While doing our walkabout at Lower Sabie Rest Camp, I came across this tree agama being irritated by a large ant…

Notice the ant on this agama’s leg?

She does!

Taking aim

Out comes the tongue!

And gone is the ant…

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The stork is making deliveries in Kruger!

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I’ve just arrived back from a quick two-day working visit to a very overcast Skukuza in the Kruger National Park. It’s amazing to see how quickly the Park is turning green after the first sprinkling of summer rains, and now some brand-new additions to Kruger’s animal population are making their debut. The stork will be kept very busy in the next couple of weeks!