Tag Archives: nature

Tsitsikamma

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Fairy tale forests and rugged rocky shores

Tsitsikamma was South Africa’s first coastal national park, and has recently been incorporated into the newly proclaimed Garden Route National Park which spans the borders of the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces.

The Garden Route is one of South Africa’s best known tourist attractions, and the Tsitsikamma is a very popular destination, especially in summer. Accommodation and camping is provided by the South African National Parks at Nature’s Valley and Storms River Mouth – the former in a beautiful forest setting near the Groot River estuary and the latter right on the rocky shores of the Indian Ocean.

Hiking is a popular pastime in the Tsitsikamma, and at Storms River Mouth there’s a variety of trails to suit most tastes and fitness levels. The most popular of these lead to a suspension bridge, 77 meters long, across the Storms River just before it empties into the sea.

The wide range of habitats provides refuge to a rich diversity of plants, small animals and birds and the scenery is extraordinarily spectacular.

Many visitors spend weeks at a time here in the Tsitsikamma, and once you’ve experienced it for yourself it is easy to understand why.

Free Spirit

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A White Rhinoceros, photographed in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in South Africa – feeling safe and free to laze around wherever it chooses for however long it cares to do so. Ironic, as these creatures currently face an immense threat from poaching.

More on our latest visit to the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park.

White Rhinoceros, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, South Africa

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, August 2012

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“I don’t think we’re going to braai* tonight, that hyena just licked the grid clean”

The sun has just set over Mpila Rest Camp on the first night of our latest visit, and we are relaxing in our accommodation when we notice the movement outside – a spotted hyena sniffing around looking for an easy snack. That’s exactly the kind of reason why we return to South Africa’s oldest game reserve so often – it is true wilderness. Mpila is unfenced – there’s a single strand of electrical wire around the camp to keep the elephants out – and that scuffling sound you’ve heard behind you in the dark could have been anything from a sounder of bush pigs or a group of grumpy old buffalo bulls to a patrolling hyena or a lurking lioness. Maybe it was just your imagination, but better move a little closer to the door just in case…

Scenically, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi doesn’t have to stand back for any of Africa’s other great reserves, and its rolling hills and clear skies make for spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

Of course the wildlife is Hluhluwe-Imfolozi’s main attraction, and, like with every visit before, were not disappointed with our sightings.

Unfortunately a runaway fire ravaged a huge area of the park just a day prior to our visit. By the time we departed five nights later, tree trunks were still smouldering and strong winds caused the flames to flare up frequently.

The Hluhluwe and Umfolozi Game Reserves in northern Kwazulu-Natal were formally proclaimed in 1895, and long before then this area was the exclusive hunting preserve of the Zulu royals. The Park has two medium-sized rest camps: Hilltop, forested and modern, in the northern Hluhluwe section, and our favourite Mpila, in the southern Imfolozi section. There’s also a number of exclusive small bush lodges throughout the Park. Good game viewing roads, a number of photographic hides and picnic spots and scenic viewpoints make for an ideal self-guided safari experience, though guided drives, walks and wilderness trails are available as well.

It is always with heavy hearts that we drive away from Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park – it’s one of those places that you miss the moment you leave.

* A “braai” is the traditional South African equivalent of a barbeque

Cape Vidal and the Eastern Shores of Lake Saint Lucia (August 2012)

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A testament to the resilience of nature!

 

During August 2012, we had the pleasure of returning to one of our favourite nature destinations: Cape Vidal, situated in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park on the northern coastline of South Africa.

Cape Vidal is a popular beach resort, and not without reason. The unspoilt beach stretches as far as the eye can see and the warm blue waters of the Indian Ocean provide endless opportunity for swimming, snorkelling, fishing etc.

The beach at Cape Vidal

The beach at Cape Vidal

We frequently visit the area and it was an immense pleasure to see how quickly nature is claiming back its rightful place following the removal of the exotic and thirsty pine plantations which, not so long ago, covered huge tracts of land here on the eastern shores of Lake Saint Lucia. Large wetlands have re-appeared and now play host to big flocks of waterfowl, pods of hippopotamus and numerous crocodiles.

Whistling Ducks

We were also delighted to experience many of the new amenities that the Park authorities have built for visitor’s enjoyment. At Catalina Bay a viewing platform overlooking Lake Saint Lucia is the perfect spot for sundowners and one can easily spend hours at the new photographic hide overlooking the Mfazana Pan.

We had excellent leopard sightings during our three day visit, seeing no less than five different individuals. The best by far was of a beautiful male ambushing four warthogs in the early morning as they bolted from the hole in which they spent the night before, only to have the tables turned on him and being chased back into the forest by the bold hogs.

We were amazed to find a colony of fruit bats hanging above the parking spot at our chalet accommodation – normally the daytime roosts of these creatures are very difficult to spot.

A pair of bushpigs also paid us a visit one evening as we were enjoying dinner outside.

Bushbuck and samango monkeys are frequently seen both in the camp and while driving around, and reedbuck occur in large numbers in the swamps and reed beds that surround the lake and pans.

There are a number of large buffalo herds in the area and they are not always happy to have humans in vehicles interrupt their grazing.

A real surprise find was the female spotted hyena we encountered on a gravel loop road early one morning – we followed her for several kilometres and watched as she attacked, without success, a small group of reedbuck before disappearing from sight.

iSimangaliso means “miracle and wonder” and it is one of South Africa’s most diverse nature reserves. Cape Vidal is an excellent base from which to explore a most beautiful part of it and there’s no doubting that we’ll return as often as we possibly can.

Chelmsford Nature Reserve

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A small reserve that punches way above it’s weight class!

Chelmsford is a small reserve, covering only 6,800 hectares, roughly half of which is inundated by the Ntshingwayo Dam. But don’t let its relatively diminutive size fool you: in the larger South African conservation picture, Chelmsford Nature Reserve is a very important piece of land.

Chelmsford’s flat grasslands protects the country’s largest population of the highly endangered oribi, a small antelope, and it also harbours breeding populations of other rare or endangered wildlife such as the blue crane (our national bird), crowned crane, bald ibis, Cape fox and black wildebeest, not to mention many of the more common species.

The reserve has been in existence since 1975 and is located in northern Kwazulu-Natal, about thirty kilometres south of the large industrial town of Newcastle. Managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, it boasts eight fully self-contained cottages (very reasonably priced!), sleeping up to 5 people each, as well as two beautiful electrified camping areas (Leokop and Sandford) with well-maintained ablution facilities. Neat picnic facilities, conveniently situated throughout the reserve, are also available at the water’s edge.

Though the reserve is never crowded, it is especially popular over weekends with local folk enjoying the outdoor recreational opportunities the dam and surrounds offers, such as boating, sailing, skiing, fishing, cycling, hiking, bird-watching and game viewing. The reserve and the dam that forms it’s focal point is named after a British Lord and Zulu General respectively who were on opposing sides at the Battle of Isandlwana, and is a convenient base from which to visit many of the Anglo-Boer and Anglo-Zulu War battlefield memorials in the vicinity.

We were quickly taken in by this dynamic little gem when we first visited three years ago, and it’s become one of our firm favourites.

Leopard Sighting 24 July 2012

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A picture paints a thousand words, or so the often used cliche goes. And then sometimes Mother Nature dishes up a feast so grand that words alone cannot describe the experience nearly adequately enough. This recent sighting of a pair of leopards in the early light of 24 July 2012, on the Marula Loop near Skukuza in the Kruger National Park, ranks as one of my most memorable wildlife encounters ever.

Shingwedzi, Kruger National Park

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Heaven could definitely be a place on earth. It is called Shingwedzi.

Shingwedzi

Shingwedzi is our favourite rest camp in the Kruger National Park. Located in the far north of the Park, on the bank of the Shingwedzi river, it’s as far away from the hustle and bustle of the city as you could hope to get.

Shingwedzi Sunrise

Shingwedzi feels genuinely untouched by the passing of time. The exteriors of the huts built when the camp first opened in the 1930’s have remained largely unchanged, though the interiors have been modernized over the years, and the camping area is very, very spacious. Over the years additional accommodation units and facilities have been provided and these days the camp has a restaurant with a thatched veranda overlooking the river,  a medium-sized shop stocked with curios and basic commodities and a filling station, while the swimming pool offers welcome respite from the heat of Shingwedzi’s tropical summers. None of the additions however has detracted from Shingwedzi’s old-world charm.

Shingwedzi bungalows

Inside the camp, small animals and birds abound and have become quite accustomed to having people in close proximity, providing excellent photographic opportunities.

The Shingwedzi is a temperamental river; devoid of surface water for most of the dry season it can quickly swell to incredible dimensions after a deluge. We witnessed one such flash flood in January 2006; the pictures below were taken one day apart:

The low level causeway across the river outside Shingwedzi’s southern gate is a particularly beautiful spot to while away the last minutes just before the gates close in the evening, and there’s always some interesting birds and animals in the vicinity.

There are three excellent game-viewing drives to undertake from Shingwedzi. The first, to the south-west (road S52), follows both the southern and northern banks of the Shingwedzi river towards the Tshange viewpoint. The spectacular cliffs and pools at Red Rocks are well worth the short detour along the way.

The second route (S56) follows the course of the Mphongolo river to the north, through beautiful riverine woodland, and ends at the Babalala picnic site.

Our favourite Kruger Park route of all (the S50) follows the Shingwedzi River in a south-easterly direction towards the Lebombo Mountains. Numerous little loops offer peaceful vantage points over the waters of the Kanniedood Dam and the hides at Nyawutsi and Kanniedood are enjoyable alternatives to driving around. Along this route we’ve often seen crocodiles using their bodies to herd schools of fish to the bank where they can then be picked off easily.

This is elephant country. Large breeding herds, bachelor groups and lone bulls can be expected along any of the drives that radiate from Shingwedzi, and not all of them are equally happy to share their living space with curious humans so are best appreciated from a safe distance. Over the years we’ve had the pleasure of encountering a number of elephant bulls carrying extraordinary ivory whilst staying at Shingwedzi.

Another reason why we like Shingwedzi so much is that you have a very good chance of getting good sightings of the rarer antelope species that occur in the Kruger National Park.

In the late afternoon one often find baboons and vervet monkeys lounging in and under the large trees on the river banks, getting ready for the dark of night ahead. Their antics can keep you entertained for hours.

In the far north of Kruger, Shingwedzi is your best bet at finding Africa’s mega predators, with hyena, leopard and lion being relatively plentiful and often found along any of the roads in the region. Taking part in one of the guided night drives on offer often results in good sightings of these sought-after animals.

And now that I’ve pondered over all the reasons Shingwedzi’s so close to our hearts, I still can come to only one conclusion.

It’s true: Shingwedzi is heaven on earth.

Kruger Park Day Visit: 11 June 2012

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“Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba…”

With the soundtrack to Disney’s animated movie “The Lion King” spurring us on, we’re heading through the dark to reach the Orpen Gate as soon as it opens. While we’re staying at Forever Resorts Swadini there’s no way we can be this close to the Kruger National Park and not make time for a visit.

Despite the strong wind blowing for much of the day we had a lovely time – as always – with great animal and bird sightings and a very enjoyable picnic in Satara. After a full day in paradise we hung around the vicinity of Orpen as long as we could before the gates closed again and we had to be on our way.

By the way, “Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba” are the opening words of the Zulu chant at the start of the film, from the song “Circle of Life” and it means “Here comes a lion, Father” – a very fitting caption for the central plains of the Kruger National Park, around Satara and Orpen, where numerous lion prides rule over the savannah (though they eluded us this time).

 

Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve June 2012

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The third largest canyon on earth, carved over millennia through the Drakensberg escarpment; standing below and staring up at those spectacular cliffs, hundreds of metres high and millions of years old, brings home the reality of our own comparative insignificance and fleeting tenure on this planet.

Considered the largest “green” canyon in the world (the larger Grand Canyon in the USA and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia are both to be found in desert environments), the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is one of South Africa’s most popular destinations. The reserve is found in eastern Mpumalanga Province, and is managed by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency. Bourke’s Luck Potholes, God’s Window, Wonder View, the Pinnacle and the Three Rondavels are world renowned attractions to be found on the escarpment near the town of Graskop.

On this visit however, we based ourselves at the Forever Resort Swadini in the Lowveld portion of the reserve, near the town of Hoedspruit. Set in a lush subtropical environment, along the Blyde River and at the foot of a magnificent cliff face, with a myriad of animal and bird life abounding and beautiful walking trails through the indigenous vegetation along the river, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more scenic camp in any reserve.

Swadini is also an excellent base for visits to nearby attractions such as the Blydepoort Dam (on which guided boat tours are available daily), the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre and of course the Kruger National Park (Orpen Gate is only 75km away).

Of course we had to feed our Kruger addiction – here a quick report of our day visit to the Kruger National Park.

Willem Pretorius Nature Reserve: 2 to 4 December 2011

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A Cinderella story? Definitely not yet, but lets hope it will be. The Willem Pretorius Nature Reserve has loads of untapped potential – it reminds us of a long-lost heirloom that, rescued from a mouldy box in a dark attic, can be lovingly restored to the precious piece of jewellery it’s meant to be.

The reserve, easily accessible from the N1-highway 150km north of Bloemfontein, belongs to the Free State Provincial Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs and, from a conservation perspective, is well managed with healthy herds of game roaming over the 12,000 hectares of beautifully preserved grasslands, bushveld, koppies, kloofs and riverine areas. During our three day stay we encountered 90 species of birds and 25 species of mammals, including white rhinoceros, buffalo, southern and mountain reedbuck, giraffe, eland and sable antelope.

Aldam Estate is a privately operated resort on the northern shore of the Allemanskraal Dam, while the provincial authorities offer a resort on the southern shore. Both options offer quality accommodation, camping and dormitory-style overnight facilities and a host of associated amenities for guests to enjoy.

Unfortunately the rest of the reserves tourist facilities seem to have fallen into disrepair, with parts of the road network in poor state, picnic sites sadly neglected and cultural heritage sites such as the Ghoya ruins in dire need of upkeep. It’s the catch twenty-two situation many of our reserves find themselves in; tourists require well-maintained infrastructure before they’ll visit, but in the absence of adequate state funding these desperately needed facilities cannot be provided without a steady income from visitors.

That’s why we definitely encourage you to pay this undiscovered gem a visit next time you’re travelling past – the welcome at the reserve’s entrance gate will probably be one of the warmest you’ve ever received.