Kruger 2016: new park, new birds, new friends

[xelas]

Olifants Rest Camp / 1. – 3. 11. 2016 (continued)

 

 

There were cloudy mornings before, and quick rains, but this was teh first morning we woke up into grey and drizzly weather. And yes, we did not complain, as every drop of rain was much appreciated by nature.

It was also a chance to finally have the proper long breakfast, and to just relax. Our house was perfect for this type of weather; covered patio with large viewing area.

 

 

Grey and drizzly morning

 

Obligatory items for balcony birding

 

 

Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike

 

Black-backed Puffback could be a mascot for Red-eye flight

 

Dark-capped Bulbul under the water droplets

 

Brown-crowned Chagra in the light rain

 

Natal Spurfowl looked surprised

 

Chinspot Batis

 

 

Monkeys were always around the house.

 

 

 

Edited December 25, 2016 by xelas

[xelas]

Around midday the weather improved (or was it the other way around ?!), so time to do some exploring around the camp. Not too far, roads were a bit more bumpy in this area. Wildlife was what we have already seen before.

 

An unicorn?

 

 

 

Leopard Tortoise at closer range

 

 

Pied Kingfisher on a perch

 

 

Mother and baby giraffe crossing the river

 

 

Curious Vervet Monkey

 

 

 

African Fish Eagle from down under

 

 

Wild Werst scene #2

 

 

What did I told you about elephants and roads?!

 

 

Green on grey

 

 

Sun bathing Little Bee-eaters

 

 

Once upon a time there was a hippo ...

[xelas]

Coming back we hit the store first, and we found Jim there, buying a rope. And he advised us to buy some vegetables if we are still planning to do the stew. He did not say more, so we understod him only when we came back.

 

As explained earlier, this unit has two rooms connected with a covered terrace where there is also a kitchen. Smaller units have fridges behind a locked bars, yet this one the fridge was in one room. To make it easier to use, we pulled the fridge out, and to make it more difficult for monkeys to open it, we have turned it so its doors faced the wall. It was a big fridge, with regular and freezing compartments.

 

We have seriously underestimated the strength of the baboons, as they have managed to turn the fridge away from the wall, and of course there were a chaos when Debbie and Jim returned. They have

cleaned the patio, and luckily the freezer was not opened. Another lesson learned.

 

The Usual Suspect

 

[PeterHG]

"both the young lady at the counter, and what was even more disappointing,the store manager were showing none of desire to be customer friendly. Lesson learned. '

 

I can feel your frustration @@xelas, I have found the Kruger Park staff at entry gates and elsewhere to be less that customer-friendly on many occasions. You'd think that, while dependent on tourism, they would learn to act differently.

What a place, though, Olifants Camp! I only ever stopped there for lunch, but you had a great cabin with a splendid view! I love the flight shot of the Bateleur. Not often you get this angle! Also the Bronze-winged Courser is really beautiful, a bird I have never seen. And yes, monkeys and fridges...:}

Have a wonderful Christmas back home!

 

 

 

(Brown-crowned Tchagra..?)

 

 

 

Edited December 25, 2016 by PeterHG

[xelas]

Olifants Rest Camp / 1. – 3. 11. 2016 (continued)

 

 

Second full day at Olifants; the anti-baboon tactic Jim invented worked well. Our game drive took us along the Letaba river towards Letaba camp. Not for shopping. Some usual suspects, some not so usual ones, and a great close-by sighting of a very relaxed Tawny eagle. Driving all the way to Matambeni Bird Hide yet arrived close to midday so not much bird activity there.

 

Mischievous baboons

 

Cape Glossy Starling on green background

 

 

Greater Kudu

 

Coming out

 

 

Tawny Eagle sequence

 

 

 

 

Imposing Waterbuck bull

 

 

Happy hippoes

 

 

 

LBR having feeding time

 

 

 

[xelas]

In Letaba Camp we went to Mugg & Beans to see what all the good reviewers raved about. Cakes looked delicious, and portion was enourmous. Coffe was good. Also view from outside area is nice but too many guests at this time so all outside tables were occupied.

 

 

Kalahari type scene

 

 

The treasure chest and its content

 

 

 

 

Title of our next trip report?

 

If my lottery ticket will be a winner ...

 

 

Great outdoors

 

 

[xelas]

Back by the tarred H1-5 road, and a short loop drive by the Reitz's Pontoon.

 

 

Waterbuck ... in the water

 

Viewed from the Ritz's Pontoon

 

Last view of the elephants ... for this trip

 

Squacco Heron having a bad hair day

 

Two portraits of one giraffe

 

 

 

And again, not only birds ...

 

 

 

In the evening we had another splendid dinner, in excellent company of our hosts. It was the last night inside Kruger park for the two of us so there was no rush to go to bed. We exchanged more stories about our past travels, and did some plans for future ones. This is also time and place to express how grateful Zvezda and I are to be invited by Debbie and Jim to join them on their Kruger trip. We have enjoyed immensely the places we have stayed at, the dinners we have had togethers, the relaxed atmosphere Debbie and Jim were so able to create. Thank You !

 

 

Farewell, beautiful Kruger

[xyz99]

The more I read, the more convinced I am we would love to self drive next time. Thanks for stories and the photos, you had a great trip!

[xelas]

The more I read, the more convinced I am we would love to self drive next time. Thanks for stories and the photos, you had a great trip!

 

@@xyz99

Self-driving is easy in Kruger. Camps are well appointed for self-catering. Self-guiding will yield plenty of excellent sightings. Time to start planning!

Edited December 26, 2016 by xelas

[xyz99]

What if we just want to self drive, but not self cater? Any restaurants for breakfast/lunch/dinner at the camps?

 

 

Time to start planning!

 

 

Planning is not the issue here...Maybe time to retire and win the lottery :-)

[michael-ibk]

Love the LBR-chick, don't think I've ever seen one. Nice capture! Very funny "Don't follow me" sign. Is this already the end (hopefully not) or more to come?

[Davesg]

Excellent trip report and some beautiful photos @@xelas. Thank you!

[xelas]

Love the LBR-chick, don't think I've ever seen one. Nice capture! Very funny "Don't follow me" sign. Is this already the end (hopefully not) or more to come?

 

Still to come, @@michael-ibk . A couple of photos from around Graskop, and a day at botanical garden with Peter. Stay tuned!

Edited December 26, 2016 by xelas

[xelas]

Excellent trip report and some beautiful photos @@xelas. Thank you!

 

Thank You, @@Davesg , for taking time and following us through Northern Kruger.

[Tdgraves]

What if we just want to self drive, but not self cater? Any restaurants for breakfast/lunch/dinner at the camps?

Planning is not the issue here...Maybe time to retire and win the lottery :-)

At all of the main rest camps there are restaurants, but not at the wilderness ones @@xyz99

[xelas]

Graskop / 4. 11. 2016

 

 

We left Olifants quite early, as we have skipped another morning game drive. My original plan was to exit via Phalaborwa gate, then driving slowly towards Graskop passing by Blyde River canyon. Somehow, when in Hoedspruit, I have continued straight on R40. The drive was easy on a good tarred road but a bit boring, until we reached the foothills and extensive wood plantations. In the hindsight, we should opted to exit via Orpen Gate. That would gave us more time in the park, and also in a different area.

 

Graskop itself is a small town with basically two roads, lined with shops and restaurants. Quite clean, IMO. Our lodge was actually outside of Graskop. Thaba Tsweni Lodge is a small property, with excellent position close to main attractions in that area.

 

Our unit is the on the far right; notice the barbeque

 

Living room

 

Bedroom

 

 

After early check-in we headed back to Graskop, to see what all the fuss about the famous pancakes was. Pretty good, they were, and there was wi-fi also. Side note to wi-fi: I have bought a 5 GB data card, which would suffice for all 14 days – if I would not forgot to turn off automatic updating on iPad. Lesson #3 learned.

 

Harrie's pancake

 

 

Still early for dinner (which were about to be also the last braai in 2016) we did the short loop drive via God's Window. I didn't have much expectations about it yet it was a nice walk in refreshingly cool air. Views were not specatcular, because the light was not good at all.

 

 

God's Window entrance

 

The view

 

 

Storm is brewing

 

Wooden trail in the rain forest

 

The plant ...

 

... and the photographer

 

 

Already descending the trail we stopped once more at one of the viewing »balconies« where a couple was fiddling around a P&S trying to getr a photo of themselves. I offered my expert hand, taking a couple of shots, and after a long kiss (between them two) man whispered to us »I have proposed her!«. OK, good, and since he wore a BMW t-shirt, I have engaged him in a bikers conversation.

Once we left the scene, Zvezda looked at me asking: «Did you not get what he said?!« »Yes, that he has proposed her and that they are on a bike trip.« was my answer. »Yes, that also. But he has proposed her right now, right there!«

 

What?! And she must have said yes, otherwise there would be no kissing. So not listening with enough attention, I have just blew my chances to be invited to a probably nice wedding in South Africa! Because there must be some rules saying that whoever took the first photo has to be invited to the wedding, yes?!

 

Immediately after the big moment

 

Not a white horse but a red BMW

 

 

 

Another days has ended

 

 

 

[xelas]

We had full day to reach Johannesburg, so I thought that we will explore all the way till Blyde River canyon. We must have been tired already as after visiting Bourke's Luck Potholes we decided to skip the rest. Truth to be told, Bourke's Luck Potholes was such a nice place to explore. We have arrived at 8 am when the place opened, and have had it all to ourselves!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The road over Long Tom's pass is a scenic one, and we arrived in Lydenburg quickly. There I have made one more mistake. Instead of taking the R540 via Dullstrom I opted for (shorter on map) R36 as approach road to N4. I don't know how is the surface quality of R540 but it cannot be worse than R36! Whoever was in Costa Rica and knows its potholed roads, well, this one was much worse. Avoid it at all costs is my advice.

As traffic was low (and driving slow) we eventually reached N4, and it was smooth driving to Jo'burg with an obligatory stop at Alzu Petroport. Much of the N4 is a two-lane highway, and I assume it could be quite dangerous to drive it in the nighttime.

 

 

 

 

 

When in Jo'burg some dark clouds started to threaten, and as Peter and me were in the middle of washing the car, the sky opened with force. As quickly as it started, the rainshower also stopped. One last thing to do was to drop off the rental car at Avis depot on JNB airport. Finding depot was easy, but finding the petrol station not so much. Only with a friendly support of a parking garage person who jumped into my car, we have found our way to it. The drop-off was quick, no extra damages were noticed, so off we went. Another lovely afternoon at @@Peter Connan home and family, then early to bed at Peacock Inn. This one is close to the airport, very nice, small business, I can recommend it to anyone looking for a room near the airport.

[Chakra]

Wow !! Xelas the Matchmaker !!

[xelas]

Wow !! Xelas the Matchmaker !!

 

 

Nope. Only the photographer. Not even a wedding photographer.

[PeterHG]

 

Wow !! Xelas the Matchmaker !!

 

 

Nope. Only the photographer. Not even a wedding photographer.

I think proposal photographers are much rarer....! Edited December 27, 2016 by PeterHG

[Alexander33]

@@xelas

 

This has been a thoroughly enjoyable report. I am sorry I was late to it. The northern Kruger has been a goal of mine for some time. I hope one day to make it there. (I've heard great things about The Outpost, but haven't researched it in some time.)

 

You do an excellent job of summing up my particular sentiments precisely: Take photos first, ask questions later. Indeed!

 

It is so true that there are vast differences in approaches between birders and bird photographers. Huge! But the ticker versus clicker comment is perfectly hilarious (or is that hilariously perfect?). Good to know I have some fine company in the "clicker" camp.

[xelas]

@@xelas

 

This has been a thoroughly enjoyable report. I am sorry I was late to it. The northern Kruger has been a goal of mine for some time. I hope one day to make it there. (I've heard great things about The Outpost, but haven't researched it in some time.)

 

You do an excellent job of summing up my particular sentiments precisely: Take photos first, ask questions later. Indeed!

 

It is so true that there are vast differences in approaches between birders and bird photographers. Huge! But the ticker versus clicker comment is perfectly hilarious (or is that hilariously perfect?). Good to know I have some fine company in the "clicker" camp.

 

One is never late to read a trip report, @@Alexander33 . And this one is not even finished. The ticker and clicker comment I have borrowed them from another bird photographer who also post on this forum, @@Dave Williams .

[FlyTraveler]

What a great trip report @@xelas! Fabulous sightings and a great photography by Zvezda! You have certainly made the most out of your time during this safari.

[wildlifepainter]

Alex I've been following your report religiously but can't seem to post at home... but I can at work. I am so impressed with your photos and I love seeing what we missed. Since we were sharing the lodging and headed out in different directions on most days (or sat by the pool instead of going to the bird hide) it was great fun to see what if. I think I need to spend more time with the camera and a little less time with drink in hand. I definitely need to go back! Funny we couldn't find the gas station at the airport either.

[xelas]

Alex I've been following your report religiously but can't seem to post at home... but I can at work. I am so impressed with your photos and I love seeing what we missed. Since we were sharing the lodging and headed out in different directions on most days (or sat by the pool instead of going to the bird hide) it was great fun to see what if. I think I need to spend more time with the camera and a little less time with drink in hand. I definitely need to go back! Funny we couldn't find the gas station at the airport either.

 

 

Debbie, I have seen your extensive list of wildlife spotted on this trip, and I am the one that is impressed! But birding is a really fun activity, as you can always count on them. That gas station, it is so obvious ... but so difficult to get to.