Tag Archives: travel

Winter in Mokala: Lilydale Rest Camp

I am fresh back from a mid-week visit to the Mokala National Park in our Northern Cape Province with friend and colleague Hannes Rossouw.

We stayed in the beautifully situated Lilydale Rest Camp, where our chalet – # 1 – had a lovely view over the Riet River. Truth be told, all the chalets in the camp as well as the dining room behind reception have equally good views of the fast-flowing stream down below.

Chalet #1 in Lilydale Rest Camp

Chalets in Lilydale Rest Camp

Lilydale’s reception building

Lilydale might be built to provide a comfortable stay to human visitors, but it seems to be even more popular with Mokala’s wildlife – from tiny birds to kudus paid us a visit during our stay, and I’ll be telling you more about three of the cutest visitors in the next three posts on DeWetsWild.

Warthog family enjoying the green grass next to Lilydale’s swimming pool

Rock Hyraxes sunning themselves on a ridge below our chalet

This little Chestnut-vented Warbler was a frequent visitor to the deck in front of our chalet at Lilydale in the Mokala National Park

A Small-spotted Genet came by in the early evenings after we finished braaiing

This is one of two Kudu bulls that regularly ventured into camp after dark

We’ll soon be announcing a very exciting spring-time tour to the Mokala National Park – do keep an eye on DeWetsWild’s facebook page so that you don’t miss out!

Announcement: DeWetsWild’s portfolio grows again!

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Announcement!

We are delighted to announce that DeWetsWild portfolio of reservation services has grown again and now includes the following luxury lodgings in some of South Africa’s best known destinations!

In Addo Elephant National Park:

Kuzuko Lodge

In the Bushveld:

ANEW Resort Hunter’s Rest
Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway, Welgevonden Private Game Reserve
KwaFubesi Tented Safari Camp, Mabula Private Game Reserve
Mabula Game Lodge, Mabula Private Game Reserve
Safari Plains, Mabula Private Game Reserve

In Cape Town:

ANEW Hotel Green Point
Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel
More Quarters Neighbourhood Hotel
Oldenburg Residence, Stellenbosch
The Cape Milner
The Commodore Hotel
The PortsWood Hotel

In the Drakensberg:

ANEW Resort Vulintaba

In Johannesburg:

ANEW Hotel Parktonian
ANEW Hotel Roodepoort
DaVinci Hotel & Suites
Raphael Penthouse Suites
The Leonardo
The Michelangelo Towers

In the Kalahari

Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

In the Kruger National Park:

Hamiltons Tented Camp
Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge
Imbali Safari Lodge
Lion Sands Narina Lodge
Lion Sands Tinga Lodge
Lukimbi Safari Lodge

In the KZN Midlands and Holiday Coast

ANEW Hotel Hilton
ANEW Hotel Ocean Reef
ANEW Resort Ingeli Forest

In the Lowveld:

ANEW Resort Hazyview
ANEW Resort White River
Angels View
Elephant Point
Kruger Park Lodge

In the Marakele National Park:

Marataba Safari Lodge
Marataba Mountain Lodge

On the Mpumalanga Highveld:

ANEW Hotel Highveld
ANEW Hotel Witbank

In Pretoria:

ANEW Hotel Capital
ANEW Hotel Centurion
ANEW Hotel Hatfield
The Centurion Hotel

In the Sabi Sand Game Reserve:

Idube Game Lodge
Lion Sands Ivory Lodge
Lion Sands River Lodge

In the Thornybush Game Reserve

Monwana Residence

In Zululand and Northern Kwazulu-Natal:

ANEW Hotel Hluhluwe

Don’t forget that DeWetsWild can assist you in putting together the perfect itinerary for visiting our country’s most beautiful places with stays at any of 277 destinations right across South Africa.

DeWetsWild can assist you with reservations at all these destinations! (map courtesy of mapsland.com)

Bank Cormorant

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Phalacrocorax neglectus

The Bank Cormorant is an endangered species restricted to the Atlantic coastlines of Namibia and South Africa’s Northern and Western Cape Provinces, where an abundance of kelp (sea bamboo) occurs. It has a population estimated at only 2,500 breeding pairs (7,500 individuals), declining from an estimated 9,000 breeding pairs in the 1980’s due to human and seal disturbance at breeding sites and a reduced food supply. Away from the breeding colonies (where they often occur alongside other kinds of cormorant) they’re usually only seen alone or in small groups.

While the Bank Cormorant is strictly a marine species it seldom ventures further from the coastline than 10km seawards, where it catches fish, octopus, lobster, shrimp and other invertebrates by diving up to 30m deep and staying submerged for up to 80 seconds.

Bank Cormorants form monogamous pairs, breeding in small colonies of 20-100 pairs at any time of year. The pair works together to construct the large platform nest of seaweed, sticks and feathers glued together by guano on inaccessible rocks on the shore or on islands. The parents take turns to incubate the clutch of 1-3 eggs over a month-long period. The chicks take flight for the first time when they’re 8-10 weeks old but remain dependent on their parents until they’re about 6 months old. Fully grown they weigh about 2kg, measuring around 76cm in length.

Bank Cormorant

Bontle’s Springhares

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I know of no place better than Bontle Camp in the Marakele National Park to more reliably see our very own African kangaroos, or Springhares to give them their proper English name even though they’re not hares either!

Springhare jumping aroun in Bontle Camp after dark

Pedetes capensis

The Springhare is a large rodent, measuring up to 90cm in length and weighing between 2.5 and 3.5kg. Their mode of propulsion is unique among mammals in sub-Saharan Africa, jumping kangaroo-like as they move around and covering up to 2m in a single bound.

They inhabit areas with compact, but not hard, soil – usually sandy or sedimentary – in which they very prodigiously tunnel their own burrows of up to 140m in extent. Each individual Springhare lives in its own burrow system, except for females who’d share it with their latest baby, and these have several entrances, side tunnels and escape holes. They’ll often block the tunnel entrance behind them once they’ve entered it. These tunnels are important refuges for many other kinds of animals that shelter in holes in the ground. While several Springhares may have tunnels in near proximity to one another they’re not social animals.

Female Springhares give birth to a single young (very seldomly twins) at any time of year after a 3 month gestation period. The baby stays in the mother’s tunnels until it is weaned at about 2 months of age. Females may have between 2 and 4 young every year. They only live to about 6 years old in the wild.

Springhares are a favourite prey of almost every predator on the continent, humans included. They are active at night and do not emerge from their burrows until total darkness falls well after sunset. They forage near their burrows to enable a quick escape, and feed mainly on grass (roots, stems and blades), bulbs and herbs. Springhares are often considered a pest in farmlands where they can do considerable damage to crops.

The Southern African Springhare (P. capensis) is found in portions of all South Africa’s provinces with the exception of Kwazulu-Natal and the Western Cape. Beyond our borders their distribution extends northwards to the southern DRC. The East African Springhare (P. surdaster) from Kenya and Tanzania was recognized as a closely related but distinct species in the 1990’s. The IUCN considers both species of Springhare to be of least concern.

Continuing our Marakele Game Drive

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So far we’ve seen a leopard, beautiful birds, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes, creepy crawlies of all description, and inspiring scenery. Let’s see what else we might encounter as we continue our explorations of Marakele National Park.

Several groups of Banded Mongooses are to be seen in the Kwaggasvlakte section of the Park

Giraffe portrait (photo by Joubert)

Kudu cow

All ears! Kudu calf (photo by Joubert)

Kudu cow

Kudu bull (photo by Joubert)

Kudu bull

Coy Baboon (photo by Joubert)

Impala Ram

Rock Hyraxes are usually to be seen up top at Lenong Viewpoint

Warthog youngster with a mouth full of food

Warthog

Black-backed Jackal

Plains Zebras on the aptly named Kwaggasvlakte (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra on a hillside

Mountain Reedbuck

Klipspringer pair

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with a reservation and planning if you’re interested in visiting Marakele National Park and making the most of your visit.

Marakele’s Magic

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The Marakele National Park, and the Waterberg Mountains it protects, is a beautiful place.

Marakele scenery

Plectranthus hereroensis – the Herero Spur Flower

Stand of Plectranthus hereroensis – the Herero Spur Flower

Plectranthus hereroensis – the Herero Spur Flower – thrives on the rocky slopes of the Waterberg at Marakele’s Lenong Viewpoint

I suspect this is the blooms of a type of Senecio

Traveling on the plains below the Waterberg reveals a very different community of plants

Marakele’s Magic!

Towering cliffs of the Waterberg

Looking down into the valley from atop the Waterberg

Beautiful woodland lining a road through Marakele National Park

A small river running through Marakele

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with a reservation and planning if you’re interested in visiting Marakele National Park and making the most of your visit.

A more demure Marakele

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We jump from one side of the size scale to the other, as in today’s post we’re taking a closer look at some of the more diminutive inhabitants of the Marakele National Park that crossed our path when we visited last week.

Where there’s big herbivores, like those we featured yesterday, roaming free you’re sure to find Dung Beetles going about their important work.

Dung Beetle

Just because they’re a lot smaller doesn’t mean that the predators featured in the next few paragraphs are any less fierce! Watching this Solifuge inspect every nook and cranny of a zebra dung pile for an unwary prey was every bit as exciting as watching a lioness stalk her prey.

Solifuge on the hunt

This Yellow-and-Black Kite Spider is a lot more laid back with her hunting technique!

This Yellow-and-Black Kite Spider was hanging around in Bontle Camp

And this Puff Adder might be slow to cross the road, but that’s just because it is so confident of its own notoriety.

Puff Adder crossing a road in Marakele National Park (photo by Joubert)

Lizards and chameleons put in regular appearances as we traveled through the Park

Flap-necked Chameleon

Speckled Rock Skink inside a tree stump

At night, Red Toads hunt around the ablution blocks and other artificial lights spread around the camping area.

Red Toads hunt around the ablution blocks at night

With so many dangerous creatures around it’s no wonder this millipede decided to go underground!

A particularly interesting sighting in Bontle Camp was a multitude of butterflies, flies, moths and beetles congregating at and around a fallen-over Marula tree stump oozing sap.

Guinea-fowl Butterfly

Foxy Emperor butterfly

Demon Emperor Butterfly

Pearl-spotted Emperor

Foxy Emperor butterflies

Foxy Emperor butterfly

Bushveld Emperor butterfly

A very nondescript moth blending very well with the dying wood

Marbled Fruit Chafer beetle jostling for position with a trio of flies at the saphole

Yellow Pansy

Foxy Emperor butterfly

Pearl-spotted Emperor

Foxy Emperor butterfly trying to chase off a Demon Emperor butterfly

Guinea-fowl Butterfly

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with a reservation and planning if you’re interested in visiting Marakele National Park and making the most of your visit.

Marakele’s Behemoths

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There’s no denying that Africa’s mega-mammals are a great attraction for visitors to our national parks, and being in close proximity to these majestic and charismatic animals remains a thrill we cannot ever tire of, no matter how often we have the pleasure to see them up close.

The Cape, of African, Buffalo may not box in the same weight division as the rhinos and elephants that also call Marakele National Park home, but they have a well deserved fearsome reputation, especially the cantankerous lone males, of which we saw quite a few while we were exploring the Park on our short visit last week.

A lone Cape Buffalo bull sauntering along the road in Marakele National Park

An old Buffalo bull staring at us from behind a bush

With our white and black rhinos being so severely threatened by poachers it was heartening to have several good sightings of these prehistoric-looking animals at Marakele, and we realised again what a great debt of gratitude we owe the rangers who keep these animals safe on a daily basis.

White Rhino family in Marakele National Park

White Rhino family in Marakele National Park (photo by Joubert)

Enormous White Rhino bull walking straight at us (photo by Joubert)

Enormous White Rhino bull walking straight at us

Young White Rhino by its mother’s side (photo by Joubert)

White Rhino family in Marakele National Park

Big White Rhino Bull (photo by Joubert)

Big White Rhino Bull

An elephant roadblock is always a wonderful experience, but in Marakele, where the elephants are less used to having vehicles in their space, it can be downright exciting! It is important to give the grey giants lots of space and respect, so I am grateful that I can trust Joubert to get the shots while I keep the car pointing in the right direction!

Elephant claiming the right of way in Marakele National Park (photo by Joubert)

Joubert taking pictures of the elephant

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with a reservation and planning if you’re interested in visiting Marakele National Park and making the most of your visit.

More to Marakele’s Birdlife than Hornbills

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The rich variety of habitats protected within the borders of the Marakele National Park harbours an amazing variety of bird species (besides the hornbills we showed you yesterday). These are just a few of the other species we saw and photographed in the two days we spent at Marakele last week.

Cape Vulture in flight over Marakele National Park (photo by Joubert)

Black-winged Kite

Black Stork (photo by Joubert)

Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Immature Marico Flycatcher

Immature Gabar Goshawk (photo by Joubert)

European bee-eater

Cape Turtle-Dove

Crested Barbet (photo by Joubert)

Mocking Cliff-chat (female)

Red-backed Shrike with a dung beetle in its beak

Female ostrich striding through Bontle camp (photo by Joubert)

Helmeted Guineafowl

Black Flycatcher

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with a reservation and planning if you’re interested in visiting Marakele National Park and making the most of your visit.

Bontle’s Hornbills

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Yellow-billed Hornbill

A few days ago the image we posted of a Yellow-billed Hornbill (re-posted above) elicited quite a bit of interest. Hornbills, particularly the Yellow-billed and Red-billed varieties, are very common at the Marakele National Park’s Bontle Rest Camp, and they already came to welcome us as soon as we started pitching our tents soon after arriving. They’re used to having humans around and have very expressive faces, making for wonderful photographic opportunities. Enjoy this little gallery of other hornbill pictures taken in Bontle while we put together a few more posts about our recent short visit to Marakele and have a read here if you’d like to learn more about these charismatic creatures.

Red-billed Hornbill (photo by Joubert)

Red-billed Hornbill

Yellow-billed Hornbill (photo by Joubert)

Red-billed Hornbill

Yellow-billed Hornbill (photo by Joubert)

Yellow-billed Hornbill

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with a reservation and planning if you’re interested in visiting Marakele National Park and making the most of your visit.