Victoria Falls to Harare - via Hwange, Matusadona and Mana Pools

[Zim Girl]

Lovely pictures of the vultures on the buffalo carcass @@Soukous

[graceland]

Well I was happy to hear the injured cheetah was on the mend! I always fret over injuries I see while on safari and always wonder after returning home if all is well.. Good to hear you had good news

 

As always great shots!

[michael-ibk]

Great Vulture shots! Glad to hear about the cheetah, I'm often wondering how certain animals I saw are faring today. (FB is helpful there.)

[Geoff]

Enjoying this report. Excellent reading and some beaut images.

[Kitsafari]

just started reading this TR @@Soukous. that's a lot of eland calves! and i love that pix of the rolling young elephant.

 

sorry those mean sable didn't stand still for you, but you have great pix of the birds. they hardly stay still for me.

 

The herds of elephants at the hide are amazing. i love watching big herds of elephants and we missed that in SLNP, so at least I get to see it in your TR.

 

forgot to add - so very glad to hear the injured cheetah is fully recovered.

Edited October 26, 2014 by Kitsafari

[Soukous]

Matusadona National Park

 

The inclusion of Matusadona in our itinerary was mostly to add variety.

I'd been warned that the game viewing was very hit & miss. You could get lucky with the mammals but don't expect too much. It would be mostly about the birds.

During our last dinner at Bomani the loud crass Canadian had told that he wouldn't bother going to Matusadona because there was nothing to see.

I'd never been before and was happy to arrive with an open mind.

 

As we come into land the first plane is sitting waiting to take off again and no sooner have we taxied off the runway than it roars off kicking up another dust storm. We disentangle ourselves from the seats and seat belts and climb out to be greeted by Memba from Rhino Safari Camp, our home for the next 2 nights.

He leads us down a dusty track to the lake shore where we clamber aboard a small motor boat for our journey around the shoreline to Elephant Point.

 

 

After about 20 minutes we see 2 game vehicles parked beside a small jetty.

 

 

Steve, who is to be our guide, introduces himself and takes us on the short drive into camp where Jenny is waiting to greet us.

 

While we sip our welcome drinks, Jenny gives us a briefing on Rhino Safari Camp.

Jenny is the manager, but she is also family. Rhino Safari Camp was established by her father in law and the passion she feels for the place is immediately evident. For Jenny, this is home.

Rhino Safari Camp is in a private concession within the Matusadona National Park.

 

One of the animals we had hoped to see at Matusadona was black rhino but Jenny informs us that the 2 rhino that used to be found close to camp have been poached in the last 18 months. There are still plenty of rhino in the park, she says, but they are hard to find.

 

Steve is a little disappointed that we do not want to go on a game drive but there is only an hour of daylight left and the consensus is that we'd rather just explore the area around camp.

 

Briefing complete, we set off to look at our rooms.

The rooms at Rhino Safari Camp are on stilts and all overlook the lake shore. Jenny tells us that elephants regularly stroll through the camp and it is not unusual to find yourself eye to eye with one munching on the bushes by your room.

 

 

 

 

Of course the first thing we all do is check out the rooms and the view. From our room we can see an elephant emerging from the forest onto the sand and a small herd of impala grazing near the water's edge.

 

 

 

The dead trees poking out of the water give the landscape an unworldly feel.

 

 

 

I couldn't resist trying my hand at some more arty shots.

 

first a high key version

 

and then a low key version

The jury's out on the that one.

 

Before long we've all made our way back to the main area, collected gin & tonics from the bar and sat ourselves around a crackling fire to watch the sun go down.

 

 

 

There are 3 other guests in camp, and when I go to the bar for a refill Jenny tells me one of them is having terrible bother with her camera. She bought it just before coming away to Africa and is worried that it might be faulty as her pictures are not clear. Would I mind having a look at it?

 

Long story short. The camera in question is a Nikon Coolpix. Not a model I am familiar with. (but even so thank goodness is was not a Canon or Sony or something else I have no knowledge at all of)

I look at the settings and make a few adjustments.

I ask a few questions and make some suggestions then hand it back. “I can't promise anything but try it like this on your next game drive and see how it goes.”

She is very grateful and I keep my fingers crossed that she'll feel the same way after her morning drive tomorrow.

 

24 September 2014

 

The open sided rooms at Rhino safari Camp have huge mosquito nets draped over the beds but during the night a lively breeze renders them irrelevant. Not only do we not need them but they will not stay where they are supposed to and keep flicking us in the face. With the stiff breeze there is no fear of mosquitoes so I tie the net out of the way.

 

Our nights at Rhino Safari Camp yielded, without doubt, our most comfortable nights sleeps of the whole safari. If only I could sleep there every night.

 

This is so different from the other places we have been. The wind, and the proximity to water, mean that the air is much fresher and the sky brighter and we are all looking forward to exploring this new environment.

 

Apart from the lovely scenery and some great birding along the shoreline, our morning drive was a bit of a non event. We saw elephant, kudu and impala, but after the vast numbers we'd seen in Chobe and Hwange none of us got very excited seeing a few elephant.

 

Nevertheless, it was great to get to know Steve and we enjoyed his sense of humour. At one point we were watching a Fish Eagle when he said “delete, delete, I hope you like deleting.”

“what do you mean? I asked.

“You'll be deleting those photos because we're going to get closer for better ones.”

When he'd driven a few yards closer and he heard my camera clicking away he said “I told you so, delete, delete.”

 

 

 

We saw several species that were firsts for me. I was fascinated in particular by the Kittlitz's Plover and its broken wing display. It is a tiny bird (about 12cm) and it lays its eggs on the ground.

When it thinks the eggs might be in danger, it quickly scuffs some dust over them to hide them and then moves away from the nest and pretends it has a broken wing. Once the threat is passed it hops up and returns to its eggs.

 

 

a Kittlitz's Plover showing its broken wing routine.

 

a glossy ibis

 

and, of course, a carmine bee eater

 

 

 

Will we make it?

Quite early on in our game drive we started hearing alarming noises coming from the underside of the vehicle. A couple of us got out to take a look but could see nothing immediately untoward.

As the drive progressed the noises became both more frequent and more ominous until we were no longer concentrating on game viewing but waiting for something to go clunk. Steve, for all his skill as a guide, was clearly not a mechanic and saw it as his responsibility to continue with the game drive, no matter what.

When we started to smell burning oil and could see smoke coming from the read right wheel I decided enough was enough and urged Steve to have mercy on his Land Rover and return to camp.

 

All the way back we wondered whether we would make it or not and were trying to guess how long it might take us to walk back if we had to.

We made it, just. When we stopped the smell and the smoke were obvious and the wheel was too hot to touch.

Levi, the camp's mechanic had arrived the day before; called in to repair the other game vehicle. One look told him that ours was in far more urgent need of attention.

 

When we'd finished brunch I went to see how Levi was getting on and he held up a small bent piece of metal.

“That is all that's left of the wheel bearing.” The bearing had disintegrated completely. No bits, no thick paste, nothing but dirty oil. Because the bearing had gone so totally, the hub had also suffered damage. Levi had his work cut out for the afternoon.

Just as well we'd already decided that we'd be doing a boat ride on the lake.

 

At brunch I found myself sitting next to the American woman who had been having camera problems. She couldn't stop thanking me. Her photos that morning had been so much better and she was very happy indeed. It actually became a bit embarrassing as every time she saw me she thanked me again. Then Jenny came over and thanked me as well for helping her out. My travelling companions could barely contain their amusement.

 

I spent the midday break just enjoying the birdlife around the camp

 

Blue Waxbill

 

Dark Capped Bulbul

 

 

Red Billed Firefinch

 

Yellow Bellied Greenbul

 

Our boat ride was fun. It was great to be out on the lake and I just love seeing the wildlife from a different perspective.

We didn't get the great sightings that @@graceland got, but we did see elephants, waterbuck, bushbuck, greater kudu and of course hippo but in terms of sightings it was mostly birds,

 

Goliath Heron (immature)

 

 

Saddle Billed Stork (immature)

 

Malachite Kingfisher

 

The definite highlight though was the heronery. Wow!

 

Grey Herons

 

 

 

 

 

The images there stuck in my mind as amongst the most memorable of the whole safari; along with the sables in Chobe and a certain elephant in Mana Pools.

 

Boats and Gin & Tonics are made for each other and it was marvellous to watch the sun go down, drink in hand, as we bobbed around on the water.

 

At dinner that night the American woman came over to thank me again. I was happy, and relieved, that she was getting on much better with her camera.

Edited October 26, 2014 by Soukous

[michael-ibk]

All great shots, but particularly love the pic with the three Grey Herons and your artsy "Low Key" one. Even if you didn't see that many mammals Matusadona looks like a very beautiful, tranquil park. And the camp with the open rooms must be wonderful!

[graceland]

@@Soukous,

 

You are way to kind....I DID NOT have the sightings on the lake as you did!!

 

Wish you had been there dining with me as I needed photo tips as well

 

However, as you know luck was with us ~ a lion researcher with her gps technology...allowing us to "find" Toulouse and Matsudona, and WALKING...which brought us to the leopards in Craig's video. As he reminded us over and over, We Were Very Lucky with this Zim trip...everything just happened to be where we were!

 

And of course more elies than ever every where one turned. The lake is so lovely; my fav. sunset of the trip.

 

I had no illusions of Mats and Hwange before we arrived; but both of us were totally enthralled

 

Lucky.

Oh and I have been calling Steve, GEORGE...omg, thank you for correcting this. Karl and Jenny must think I really am a dumb blonde from the USA. I promise --I try to put a positive spin on the blonde thing.

[marg]

@@Soukous, lucky you to be able to get such a good photo of an African Hoopoe...among all of your other great photos

[Soukous]

@@Soukous, lucky you to be able to get such a good photo of an African Hoopoe...among all of your other great photos

 

Very kind @@marg and there was me cursing because he wouldn't raise his crest for me

[Zim Girl]

@@Soukous

 

Lovely pictures from Matusadona. I love Rhino Camp, it's location on Lake Kariba is just stunning and Jenny is so welcoming.

[wilddog]

Some lovely Images @@Soukous. I think I need to come on one your courses/bump into you in the bush somewhere. But I have got a copy of your Wildlife Photography - A beginners guide.

 

Rhino camp is lovely and those sunsets on the lake are special. So sad the rhinos have gone

[Soukous]

Some lovely Images @@Soukous. I think I need to come on one your courses/bump into you in the bush somewhere. But I have got a copy of your Wildlife Photography - A beginners guide.

 

Rhino camp is lovely and those sunsets on the lake are special. So sad the rhinos have gone

 

That sounds like fun @@wild Dog. let's bump.

[Big_Dog]

Great stuff. I believe Cheetah are not that common at Hwange? And glad you stayed with the dead buffalo, those were some nice vulture shots, something not too common with even veteran safaristas. Matusadona is also wonderfully scenic.

[FlyTraveler]

Great birds-in-flight photos @@Soukous ! From the Vultures through the Fish eagle to the Herons... Enjoying very much both trip reports from this trip of yours.

[TonyQ]

@@Soukous

I love the pictures from the lookup - elephants and lion.

Good to see all of those Eland calves. Excellent pictures of vultures in flight as well + and fascinating behaviour from the Plover with the "broken wing"

It is great to see the pictures at the heronry -beautiful!

Edited October 27, 2014 by TonyQ

[Marks]

Good choice to skip the game drive (can't believe I'm typing that!!) at Rhino Safari Camp; you were rewarded with some great lighting and landscapes. Excellent photos all around.

[hpsafari]

That broken wing plover is fascinating. Amazing behavior.

 

I like the high key version - looks very pure.

[Soukous]

Good choice to skip the game drive (can't believe I'm typing that!!) at Rhino Safari Camp; you were rewarded with some great lighting and landscapes. Excellent photos all around.

 

yeah, I know @@Marks. choosing to skip a game drive just goes against the grain doesn't it.

[Sangeeta]

@@Soukous - sounds like it is official then - that Mvura was poached? I am truly heartsick at this news. Up until now, I had been hoping against hope that somehow she had wandered off to another section of the park, though I knew it was an unlikely scenario given how comfortable she was in and around Rhino Camp. Which was the other rhino that was poached? Her daughter? Or was it the older one - her son? All this even after they had de-horned her and kept as close an eye out for her as was possible. Did they find her or is she presumed poached? Many of us spent some lovely moments with this rhino - always scared that her trusting nature would betray her. And sounds like it did. I can't even properly express my feelings today - I am so angry and so saddened by this. Very sorry to bring this dark shadow over your TR, though, and if you have more news about her, we can take this to another thread.

[Sangeeta]

I can't even imagine how all those people feel who had seen her since she was a baby,  It breaks my heart to think about her and I only spent one day with her. So the second poached rhino must be her little daughter then, who was still nursing when both you and I saw her. She was probably still with her mother. I feel like crying right now. I hope and pray they can translocate the remaining 4 rhino - the Intensive Protection Zone is a meaningless concept now.

[SafariChick]

Just catching up with this report too. Love the photos - loved the baby elephant who didn't want to leave the water, and the photos of the trees sticking out of the water are very cool. But the fact that the two rhinos were poached just breaks my heart.

[Zim Girl]

When we were at Rhino Camp last year, Mark, our guide, told us he thought there were only 5-6 rhino left. We had specifically gone there to find rhino and spent many hours trying. Every time we came back Jenny was obviously upset that we were not finding any trace whatsoever.

It is extremely sad and I do hope they are able to get the last four to safety (if there is such a thing).

[Zim Girl]

That's good to know. I also did not know about Bubye. Will have to look that up.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2018 by Zim Girl

[Soukous]

25 September 2104

 

Mana Pools here we come

Our flight to Mana Pools was booked for 9 o'clock, so we had to make an early start.

Our stay at Rhino Safari Camp was much too brief (much much too brief). Although we had 2 nights there, because of or later arrive and early departure times we'd only had one full day and only time for 2 game activities. We didn't have time to do any walking and I could have spoent a whole afternoon just watching the heronery.

Undoubtedly the park has a lot more to offer than we have seen.

 

Helmeted Guineafowl are a bird that you see in almost every park in every country, but for some reason the ones here at Matusadona seemed to have much more vivid colours than those I've seen elesewhere.

 

 

Steve drove us to the jetty for our boat ride back to the airstrip. We said farewell and Steve asked us to say 'Hi' to someone called Cloud for him in Mana Pools.

 

A strong wind was making the lake waters pretty choppy for our boat ride back to the airstrip.

 

Our plane arrived late, having first landed at a different airstrip. I have no idea whether it was him or us that were in the wrong place.

 

We had a larger plane this time, an 8 seater, so we could all travel together.

 

 

Flying over the lake was amazing, it is so huge and the Kariba Dam looks so small and dumb arse here had packed his camera away.

 

Mana Pools at Last!

For some reason the Mana West airstrip was laid so that there is an almost permanent cross wind and our landing was interesting. Coming in to land the tree tops were so close I felt I could have reached out and touched them. They looked awfully close to our wingtips.

 

I'd never been to Mana Pools before and I was very excited indeed to be in this legendary park at last. If it lived up to its reputation we were in for a treat. It was because I'd heard and read so many great things about Mana Pools that I'd put it last on our itinerary, the icing on the cake so to speak.

 

There was alone vehicle with a single occupant waiting at the airstrip. He introduced himself as – yes you guessed it – Cloud.

I passed on Steve's greetings and Cloud responded by saying that he had trained under Steve and “if I do anything wrong you can blame Steve.”

 

The drive from the airstrip to our camp on the banks of the Zambezi was pretty dull. The dry, rock hard, mud offered little in the way of grazing.

 

Our camp though, was a dream. What a location!

We were staying at Zambezi Lifestyles, a seasonal camp on the banks of the river operated by African Bush Camps.

Although I have always pronounced Zambezi as 'Zambeezi', all the Africans I met in Botswana and Zimbabwe pronounced it 'Zambeyzi' and so I have started trying to remember to do the same.

 

 

 

Cloud introduced us to the rest of the camp crew who would be looking after us.

The resident guide at the camp was called Lovemore. Everyone called him simply 'Love'.

 

Even after 2 days I still could not get used to saying 'Thank you Love' to a young man.

 

Once the introductions were over the first thing I did was to take Love aside and explain to him that we had been on safari for 10 days already and had seen quite a lot. I suggested that he would not get much of a response from us if he stopped to show us baboons and impala.

I gave him our bucket list: wild dogs, Boswell and leopards. Of course we'd be happy to see lions too. He smiled and gave me a look that suggested he relished the challenge.

From then on every time we passed baboons or impala he would shout out “Impala, but we're not stopping.” or “Baboons, but we don't stop for them.”

 

Lunch was simple but one of the best, most tasty meals we had on the whole trip. All the food at Zambezi Lifestyles was outstanding.

 

 

One of the tasks we had to get out of the way when we set out on our afternoon game drive was to register at the park office and although we set off in that direction it did not take long for us to get side-tracked.

 

I spotted a small group of elephants ahead of us and Love turned towards them. When we'd got a bit closer he pulled up and said quietly, '”It's Boswell.”

The fact that he wears a large tracking collar makes Boswell easy to identify although I doubt that the guides need that assistance.

 

 

 

Up to this point I had not said anything to the others about Boswell celebrity elephant and his party piece. Love grabbed his rifle and we all go down from the vehicle to approach closer on foot.

As we walked I asked Love whether there were any other elephants that had learned to do what Boswell could do. He said not yet.

 

 

 

As we watched Boswell, followed by a small group of acolytes, move from tree to tree I explained to the others why this was such a special elephant.

 

 

 

Now that I'd given him the big build up it was over him to perform. And he did.

 

 

 

With his group of followers waiting to pick up what Boswell couldn't be bothered to eat we watched him rise up on his hind legs and tear down branches and then move on.

 

Following in his wake, other elephants tried to imitate their mentor.

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately it was not long before he moved into an area of quite thick bush and we could no longer clearly watch his antics, but even so it was a very special moment.

 

During our stay in Mana Pools we saw a few other elephants arching their backs to reach as high as possible,

 

 

but no others that could go up onto their hind legs.

 

1 down, 2 to go.

 

We walked back to the game vehicle and were all set to drive to the camp office when we saw a couple of other cars a few hundred meters away. A quick scan of the area in front of them showed that there was a group of Wild Dogs lying in front of them.

The dogs were dozing in the shade of a large acacia albida and seemed content to just lie there.

 

 

We sat and watched and waited, hoping for some action.

 

 

The only action we got was for each of them to get up, scratch, shit and then sit around looking bored.

 

 

 

 

 

There were some impala grazing along the tree line further away from us and the dogs noticed them and looked as though they might be interested in hunting.

They did all get up and trot off in that direction but it wasn't a hunt and they just disappeared into the trees.

Not the most exciting wild dog sighting but even so; 2 down and 1 to go.

 

another nice surprise

Our half hour with the dogs meant that we were cutting it pretty fine to get to the gate to register and then drive back to camp before dark.

 

We'd only driven 500 metres when we saw 2 cars parked by the side of the track. One of the drivers walked up to Love and told him that a leopard had just killed an impala ram and had it at the base of a large albida tree.

We got out again and walked carefully towards the spot. We couldn't get real close but we could just make out the leopard and its kill.

 

 

It was very wary and we were reluctant to try and get any closer for fear of scaring it off. Even so, the leopard climbed up the tree and out of sight, leaving its kill on the ground.

 

3 out of 3! A perfect score. Not bad for our first afternoon in Mana Pools.

 

It was a mad scramble to get to the gate to register and we then had to head straight back to camp. There were some grumblings from the back seat that we'd not had time for our sundowners, but I'm not sure they were entirely serious.

What a brilliant start to our stay in Mana Pools. But the bar had been set very high indeed. I tried to think up something more challenging for Love for tomorrow.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Soukous