Tag Archives: picnic spots

A month of monochrome memories: Close-up Zebra

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The relaxed nature of the animals at Pretoria’s Rietvlei Nature Reserve allows for excellent close-up photographic opportunities, as was the case with this plains zebra that walked straight past our vehicle.

Rietvlei 06122015 (8)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Proud Hartebeest

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Standing tall and proud, a red hartebeest surveys the Rietvlei Nature Reserve for hidden predators.

Rietvlei 06122015 (5)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Egret Style

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A Western Cattle Egret, in full breeding plumage, soaking up the early morning sun at the Otter Bridge in Rietvlei Nature Reserve.

Rietvlei 06122015 (3)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Stripes

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Plains zebras makes excellent photographic subjects, and are regularly encountered in Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Pretoria.

Rietvlei 06122015 (2)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Rietvlei Rhino

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True to our nature, we spent my birthday in early December at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, where a group of white rhinos greeted us close to the gate.

Rietvlei 06122015 (1)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Prinia Lunchtime

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A tiny Tawny-flanked Prinia showing off its even smaller grasshopper-meal at the Austin Roberts Memorial Bird Sanctuary in Pretoria.

Austin Roberts 22112015 (3)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Hunting Little Egret

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Austin Roberts Memorial Bird Sanctuary is a haven for several kinds of herons and egrets, going about their business rather unperturbed by the presence of human spectators. The hunting technique of the black heron we enjoyed close-up views of there was a special treat, and quite unlike the side-ways bobbing head movements employed by this hunting Little Egret in zoning in on its prey.

Austin Roberts 22112015 (2) Austin Roberts 22112015 (4)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Metro Mahem

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The tiny Austin Roberts Memorial Bird Sanctuary is one of the city of Pretoria’s gems, and the reserve’s flock of Grey Crowned Cranes (known as “mahem” in Afrikaans) must be among the most photographed of their species.

Austin Roberts 22112015 (1)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve

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Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve is one of the largest and most popular wild places in Gauteng, South Africa’s most urbanised province, providing vital environmental education and outdoor recreation to thousands of overworked city dwellers.

Suikerbosrand (5)

Proclaimed in 1974 and substantially enlarged in 2003, Suikerbosrand is managed by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Today it protects 220km² of scenic highveld grassland, rich in flowering plants and grasses, interspersed with areas of thorny bushveld, aloe forests, wooded gorges and marshland. The reserve is named after the Suikerbosrand range of hills (1,545 to 1,917m above sea level), which in turn is named for the Sugarbush (Protea caffra) that’s quite common in the area.

Aloes large and small abound at Suikerbosrand
Suikerbosrand scenery
Suikerbosrand scenery
Suikerbosrand scenery
Suikerbosrand scenery
Suikerbosrand scenery
Suikerbosrand scenery
Suikerbosrand scenery
Suikerbosrand scenery
Aloes large and small abound at Suikerbosrand
Suikerbosrand scenery
Suikerbosrand scenery
Suikerbosrand scenery

More than 250 bird species have been recorded at Suikerbosrand, and several species of non-threatening indigenous large game animals have been introduced. There is also an abundance of smaller mammals and reptiles, including a few venomous snakes, that find protection here.

Meerkat family
African Red-eyed Bulbul fledgling
Red hartebeest
Plains zebra
Lesser Kestrel
Eland herd on the move
Eland herd on the move
Cape Rock-Thrush (male)
Red Hartebeest
Kudu and baboons
Southern Rock agama
Baboon
Hidden eland
Red hartbeest

Hiking is a big attraction at Suikerbosrand, with day trails ranging from the 800m long Toktokkie trail, accessible in wheelchairs, and the 4km long Cheetah Trail to the 10 or 17km Bokmakierie Trail, while overnight hikes that take up to 6 days to complete along a 66km network of trails, with basic huts to sleep in, can also be undertaken. The reserve is immensely popular with the cycling fraternity, especially so on weekends and holidays, and due care is required wherever vehicles and cyclists have to share the roads. The reserve has a network of approximately 60km good tar road that traverses most of the area’s habitats, allowing good game- and bird viewing. Two picnic areas cater to the needs of day visitors. At the time of our last visit (December 2015), the Kareekloof Resort, which used to offer options to overnight in the reserve in addition to the usual holiday resort amenities, was closed with no indication as to when, or if, it will reopen. Sadly, the same applied to the information centre at Diepkloof, the reserve headquarters.

Holhoek Picnic Site
The road through Suierbosrand
The Diepkloof Visitor Centre seen from atop the Suikerbosrand

Suikerbosrand is easily accessible from the N3 highway, just north of the town of Heidelberg, south-east of sprawling Johannesburg.

Road to Suikerbosrand

Summer heat at Olifants

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After three nights at Lower Sabie it was time to move northwards to the central regions of the Kruger National Park. Just as we set off, a light drizzle started falling, and kept falling for the entire 50km or so distance between Lower Sabie and Tshokwane picnic site. While the low clouds meant that we could not enjoy the magnificent view from the top of Nkumbe mountain, we did not mind having a break from the previous few days’ oppressive heat! Pretty soon little puddles were forming on rocks and in the road, and while the shower would not have broken the drought, it would have brought a little bit of relief to the parched veld.

Giraffe under heavy skies
Zebra crossing a very wet road
Klipspringer ewe enjoying the drizzle
Wet waterbuck
Klipspringer ram on Nkumbe
Bushbuck ewe at Tshokwane
This trusting Golden-tailed Woodpecker distracted us from our breakfast at Tshokwane
Young kudu bull
Mazithi Dam was little more than a drying mud puddle crammed with tired hippos and flayling barbel
Grey duiker
Elephant cow in the dry bed of the Nwaswitsontso
Towering giraffe
Pair of Little Bee-Eaters

Between Tshokwane and Satara we encountered two more pairs of mating lions. While one couple moved away from the road for more privacy, the other was a lot more relaxed in the company of the few cars that had gathered to watch them. The prevailing drought makes catching prey much easier, and the way the lions are going on there will soon be many more young and hungry mouths to feed.

The loving couple
“All this attention is so boring”!
“Look at me posing”
“Come on, you’ve seen enough!”
Praying that we’ll leave them in peace

After lunch (take-away pizzas enjoyed in Satara‘s day visitors area) we tackled the final stretch of the long drive from Lower Sabie to Olifants Rest Camp. The plains between Satara and the Olifants River were positively teeming with wildlife of all descriptions.

Buffalo looking for fresh grass on the side of the road
Red-billed Buffalo Weaver in Satara
Big bull on the way to Olifants
At times Satara’s plains are reminiscent of the Serengeti
Ostrich siblings
Pod of hippos in the bed of the Olifants
Young kudu bull
Two tiny warthogs in a big, scary world

Checking in at Olifants Rest Camp, we were given the keys to our cottage, number 14, one of the most popular units in the camp, and for good reason. The view of the wide bend of the Olifants River with its pods of hippos and lurking crocodiles far below, the endless wild plains beyond and the continuous stream of game and birds arriving to slake their thirst, is almost unrivaled anywhere on the continent, and you can take it all in from the comfort of a sofa on the wide veranda!

Olifants Rest Camp, unit 14, December 2015
There aren’t many places with a view like this!

With the area around Olifants suffering from an extreme drought and intense heat, we thought it best to stick to the routes along the Olifants River and some of its tributaries that still held water for our afternoon drive. The high bridge and low-level causeway crossing the Olifants, and the weir at the Ngotso-crossing (on the S89 route) proved to be hot-beds of wildlife activity, though in the areas in between, away from the water, there were few animals to be found.

Hippos from N’wamanzi Viewpoint
Hippos from N’wamanzi Viewpoint
Yellow-billed Kite in low level flypast
Another pod of hippos at the Ngotso weir
Martial Eagle surveying his landscape
Waterbuck close-up
Showing just how the waterbuck got its name!
Egyptian Geese at the Balule causeway
Wood Sandpiper
This Free-tailed Bat came visiting after dark

Next morning we were already waiting, with a few other cars, at Olifants’ gate for the 04:30AM opening – that’s the way to maximise your chances of encountering large predators on the prowl in the hot summer and we didn’t have to drive far before encountering two spotted hyenas just as first light started painting the African morning. Our drive took us along the Olifants and Letaba rivers, an area of rugged beauty, to Letaba Rest Camp, where we planned on enjoying our picnic breakfast. We didn’t however bargain that we’d be joined by a snake, even if only a slightly venomous Olive Grass Snake. Happily the snake was very well behaved and totally relaxed, and so he enjoyed the warm morning sun while we enjoyed our rusks and coffee…

Spotted hyena close up
Hyenas always seem to be on the way to somewhere…
View over the Olifants River back towards the camp
Two kudu bulls in the bed of the Letaba
Letaba is well-known for the buchbuck in camp
Letaba’s relaxed bushbuck give excellent photo opportunities!
Our friendly breakfast Olive Grass Snake
Here elephants have right of way!
Baby impala in the mopane scrub

Seeing as the Olifants river delivered such enjoyable sightings to us the previous day, we again focussed on the H1-5 tar road and the connecting S90, S91 and S92 gravel roads the following afternoon. This time we worked a quick detour to Bangu waterhole, some distance to the south of the river, into our drive as well – a well rewarded decision as we found a pair of black-backed jackals and flock of Temminck’s Coursers at the Xipembane stream, which still held a bit of water.

Grey Heron
Yellow-billed Stork
Another old timer at Olifants
Black-backed jackal
Temminck’s Courser
Three-banded Plover

Driving up to Olifants two days earlier, the tremendous concentrations of game around Satara really drew our attention, and we decided that we had to explore that area a bit more on our final full day at Olifants. With the tarred road between Olifants and Satara carrying most of the tourist traffic, we opted to rather follow the gravel S90 “old main road”, past Bangu and Gudzani waterholes, to Satara, and then return to our lovely cottage at Olifants along the tar route when the day starts hotting up. Ticking excellent sightings along the way; a large pack of hyenas, showboating hippos, a rarely seen honey badger, two regal lions, more jackals and a quick view of a pair of cheetahs surrendering their kill to descending vultures, not to mention a huge number of more commonly seen birds and animals, and despite heavy cloud cover, a howling wind and the irritation of a punctured tire (quickly fixed at Satara’s car wash), you’ll appreciate that we were a very happy group when we arrived back at Olifants that morning!

Two very coy young hyenas
It’s been a long night…
Hippo posturing at the Balule causeway
Another lone old tusker
Just a sliver of light at the back of these kudus
Ostrich female being blown all over the place by the strong wind
Old buffalo
Honey badger on the hunt
Windblown Kings
Towering over the plains
Playful jackal pups

After spending the hot midday hours in camp appreciating the enchanting view and the accompanying birdlife, it was time for our final leisurely afternoon drive along the Olifants and Letaba Rivers. While the drive wasn’t anywhere as exhilarating as our drive that morning, it did give us another opportunity to enjoy the rugged scenery of the valleys these rivers have carved over aeons through the Lebombo foothills.

Female Red-winged Starling on her nest at our cottage
Wahlberg’s Eagle hunting from a perch near our cottage
Zebra grazing on new growth next to the Letaba
Giraffe in the mopane

We still had three nights left at Shingwedzi Rest Camp after our time at Olifants, and we’ll be telling you all about those next week. We’ll also be telling you more about Olifants and its environs in an upcoming edition of de Wets Wild.