We had last visited the Kalahari Gemsbok Park in the winter of 2002. Even though I have heard contrasting reports about the Mabuasehube side as regards the long distances, deep sandy tracks and low game population and then other interesting adventures with the predators of the region, it would forever have left a void in our travels unless we did it. When my children (Solms and Alitha) came with the suggestion that the family safari for 2010 be to the Kgalagadi and Mabuasehube I reluctantly agreed, more from a family point of view than anything else. When in the course of planning Tom and Anna-marie agreed to fly in from the UK and rent a 4X4, and Sheldon and Pinnie decided to put their Prado to the test, I had no choice. The route would include Augrabies, Tweeriviere, Nossob, Mabuasehube and Pilanesberg.
Tom and Anna-marie who flew to Cape Town collected their rented Toyota D4D Double cab in Cape Town, departed for Springbok with Sheldon and Pinnie on Monday 20 September each with two very energetic toddlers (aged two and four respectively) in tow. Tossie and I left Port Elizabeth very early a day later to do the 1050 kms to Augrabies where we would meet up with the Cape Town contingent.
The idiom states “Early to bed and early to rise makes “Jonathan” healthy, wealthy and wise”. This was obviously ever so true of Jonathan Hearn (aged two) who enjoyed this new found freedom of nature and throughout the safari would act as the early morning alarm clock. Anytime from approximately four (a.m. that is) he would start communicating with whoever was ready or not ready to listen. And he did all this with a lovely victorious smile. Having been woken up early by the “alarm” we got up and faced a very annoying troupe of monkeys who, with enormous agility would snatch anything considered edible particularly from toddlers. Jed Smith (two years of age) was targeted and was scarred for life by “naughty” monkeys.
Alitha and Solms contacted us and informed us that they (accompanied by the Turner Family - Vivienne, Brenda and their three daughters) had left Loeriesfontein early and we arranged to meet in Upington. We broke camp and was ready to leave, but as mentioned, Jonathan enjoyed his new found freedom of the wide expanses of the Northern Cape and decided to go and explore. He was nowhere to be found. After a panic search he was discovered on the edge of the ravine, very pleased with himself as if to say “what was the panic about”.
We reached Upington almost at the same time as the van Niekerks and Turners, filled up vehicles and Gerry Cans with diesel and stocked up with last minute food before embarking for Twee Riviere in the Kgalaghadi some 250 kms north. En route we passed a “bushman” settlement and stopped for a discussion and some photos. J
onathan immediately became part of the “bushman” family and lovingly befriended their dogs.
With the road now tarred all the way to the Park Gates we reached it in comfort despite the fact that the temperature had risen to well into the thirties. We checked in and since we were going to cross the border later into Botswana we also went through their passport controls, which was, by passport control standards, very efficient and friendly accept for the fact that, being a foreign visitor the efficiency of the South African authority of customs control had to be demonstrated to Tom.
The Kalahari which is derived from the Kalagadi word Makgadikgadi meaning “salt pans” or “great thirst land” was originally roamed by the San. Over the years, they were driven out by other clans. Amazingly, towards the end of the 1800’s this dry area became the centre of political “war” between the Brits, Germans and the Hottentots. A century later, in 1939 the Kalahari Gemsbok Park was established, followed a few years later by the Botswana Gemsbok National Park and in 1992 the Mabuasehube game reserve was incorporated. In 1999 the Kalagadi Transfrontier park was established.
We pitched camp at Tweeriviere. With temperatures now approaching 40 °C we decided to only go on a game drive later. From the outset it was clear that the park was extremely dry and the grazing almost down to nothing. Surprisingly the odd springboks, gemsboks and wildebeests still found nutritious grass sprouts and appeared in good condition. In contrast to our visit almost a decade ago, even the normal large numbers of springbok and gemsbok dwindled to a rather sparse occurrence and it was clear that there must have been a migration to more abundant grazing in the transfrontier park. The standard of the grazing further east in Botswana, later proved to be dry but much more abundant and was probably the reason for the low numbers on the South African side. As with our previous visit the “large numbers” of Kalahari lions continued to evade us, but we were however privelaged to have a rare sighting of a pla
yful caracal which entertained us with its antics.
Back at the camp we discovered that a whirlwind had swept right through our camp and were told by our kind neighbours that it had scattered the gazebo, chairs and other light objects all over the camp. They were kind enough to carry it back to our camp and secure it. What good neighbours.
We then prepared supper and it surprised me that, also in contrast to a previous visit, even the number of ground squirrels, mongoose and black backed jackal which would visit camp sites were almost non existent. The drought was obviously devastating.
Our early morning game drive again did not bring us in contact with the reknowned Kgalagadi lions. In fact they evaded us for seven days of traveling the transfrontier park. The severe drought, no doubt played its part. Back at the camp we packed and started our drive to Nossob. At the Melkvlei picnic spot we stopped to have a breakfast of eggs, ham, vienna sausages, green onions and cheese “shaken and stirred” in “ziplock” plastic bags and cooked in boiling water. Clever Alitha. Then on to Nossob to camp for the night before our departure for Matopi 2 campsite on the Botswana side the next morning.
Whilst filling up with diesel and buying some last minute cooldrinks and drinking water, Nell picked up a huge “harmless” centipede much to the concern of the shop attendant who warned that it was poisonous and that blisters will form where she was “stung”. My reaction that South African shongololo’s are not poisonous was proved wrong, when before long, the
blisters did appear. Fortunately, by the end of the day it was back to normal.
We were faced with a 200 km stretch of deep sand jeep tracks to our final destination of Lesholoago pan where we were to camp for three nights. Wisely we decided to overnight at the Matopi 2 Campsite. Matopi is the Tswana word for a Shepherd’s Tree and that is exactly what the campsite consisted of. Reaching it was not quite so simple. With the exception of the Smith family, we were all towing heavily laden trailers which reduced our speed to approximately 30 kms per hour. In addition, ever so often a dune with very deep churned up sand tracks would be thrown in our way just for fun. Sheldon was the first victim and I immediately shared my “wisdom of expert sand driving” with him. After a further two approaches he went over the top. I did it with absolute perfection only to get properly stuck on the very next dune. Having cleared it after several attempts, Tom and Anna-marie very exitedly informed me that they had captured it all on video! On the next dune, my wis
hes came true when they got stuck. However, Tom defended it with an argument that he did not get stuck but had a “refusal”. Perhaps my limited knowledge of the Anglo Saxon language made the refusal appear to me to be very similar to getting stuck properly. After 50 kms of plowing through the soft sand Solms stopped the “convoy” and we enjoyed a few snacks. After approximately 105 kms we reached Matopi 2. We drew a “laager” of five vehicles to protect us against the elusive Kgalagahdi predators, prepared supper and went to bed.
Up to Matopi 2 it was absolutely impossible to get lost. There was one option only and that was to follow
the very deep sand jeep track. The road on the second 100 kms to Mabuasehube and Lesholoago appeared slightly more firm and the dunes more user friendly. However, once the pans are reached, road signs are few and far between. You only knew where you were when you arrived at the next pan. In addition, my GPS appeared to give different routes to Solms’. Even so, after a bit of a detour from Mpaathutlwa Pan to Mabuasehube via Khidding Pan we arrived at Lesholoago Pan. Our home for the next three days was a prime camp site as far as position went. Again we drew a laager with the trailers and filled the gaps in with shade cloth boma’s as best we could just in case the predators would become less elusive.
Although the Botswana side of the park was covered in long grass, it was also very dry. The dry sweet grass on the pans was already grazed short, but still provided grazing to
a number of springbok, Gemsbok and the odd Hartebeest which would visit it.
While enjoying my early morning coffee the next morning I walked out of the camp site and noticed what I considered to be a hyena, walking away from the waterhole some 200 meters away. Tom took the binoculars and identified it as a big leopard. With nothing much to do at the camp we went for a drive around Lesholoago pan and then continued to Mabuasehube, Khiding and Mpaathutlwa pans before returning to our camp site without much game to be seen. At the Mabuasehube camp site a regular Lesholoago camper confirmed that there is a resident leopard at the camp site. We spent a leisurely afternoon interupted by short drives around th
e pan and then settled in to make supper.
While preparing to go to bed, a huge very poisonous black scorpion run right between Anna-marie’s feet.
There were several footprints of hyenas around our camp so during the course of the evening Alitha at various occasions remarked that she smelled hyena. This was confirmed by Tom and others. I blamed the nearby toilet for the smell and immagination to do the rest. (I in fact invited the interested parties the next morning on a hyena smelling tour of the
toilet outlet). Being alert and (ever so slightly) concerned, just when we were about to go to bed, Solms decided to use his spotlight to see whether he could spot anything around the camp. His surprise was pretty obvious and the response in the camp one of nevousness bordering on panic. Even Bolt could not have gotten the children into the rooftop tents quicker. Not twenty meters from the camp was the huge leopard and still walking towards us. With the noise of the panicking campers, it then turned around casually and started moving away but with no haste. The next morning we found its footprints all around the camp site.
When Sheldon drove around the pan, later during the day, the leopard casually crossed the road right in front of the car and then gave action to the call of nature and relieved itself a few meters away. The fact that Tom and Solms again notice the cat close to camp the next evening has made me speculate (quietly) that the toddlers inside our camp might h
ave been the attraction.
Although we did not see much more game during our stay, the serenity of the park and Kalaghadi is absolutely wonderful.
With a long way to go for the day, we were up early the next morning, to break camp, pack and head for Pilanesberg nearly 700 kms away including some 170 kms of deep sand tracks and a border crossing. The problem was that we had to reach the Pilanesberg park and Manyane Camp, where we would meet with Francois (cousen) and family before closing time. So it
was properlies “voet in die hoek” stuff in soft sand jeep tracks which required constant concentration. We phoned Francois and informed him that we would be late. He then “reserved” camp sites and arranged for entry. We reached Manyane at exactly 17h58. Two minutes to spare!
For Vivienne, Brenda and family, more than 600 kms to Keimoes included 134 kms of (according to the Ranger at the Park Gate) not so good road. On top of it, they were now on their own. Vivienne said that we had hardly said good bye to us and could still hear our vehicles when he got stuck. Feeling absolutely deserted, he said it got him close to tears. He never the less got out and got home safely.
Although the lions again avoided us, we saw loads of game, including many Rhinocerous, in the Pilanesberg Game Park. According to Tom, however, the true wilderness experience of the Kalaghadi is lost in these massive Zoo’s. On the third day we drove to Sun City where we enjoyed the “sea” and the various slides. For me it remains to be an impressive place.
During the course of the day Solms started toying with the idea of driving all
the way home non stop the next day (1480 kms for him and 1250 for me). After much negotiation we agreed. Sheldon and Pinnie, with their young children decided to rather do it over two days while Tom and Anna-marie who was returning to England from Johannesburg, two days later decided on spending another day at Manyane.
Tom and Anna-marie had only just reached their home in England when Tom was diagnosed as having tick bite fever for which he was prescribed Doxicycline. He said that the two ladies at the pharmacy had a great giggle as they prepared his prescription and only after studying the pamflet accompanying the Doxicycline did the penny drop. Doxicycline is prescribed for a whole list of venerial deseases ......................... and tick bite fever!
Tom and Anna-marie who flew to Cape Town collected their rented Toyota D4D Double cab in Cape Town, departed for Springbok with Sheldon and Pinnie on Monday 20 September each with two very energetic toddlers (aged two and four respectively) in tow. Tossie and I left Port Elizabeth very early a day later to do the 1050 kms to Augrabies where we would meet up with the Cape Town contingent.
The idiom states “Early to bed and early to rise makes “Jonathan” healthy, wealthy and wise”. This was obviously ever so true of Jonathan Hearn (aged two) who enjoyed this new found freedom of nature and throughout the safari would act as the early morning alarm clock. Anytime from approximately four (a.m. that is) he would start communicating with whoever was ready or not ready to listen. And he did all this with a lovely victorious smile. Having been woken up early by the “alarm” we got up and faced a very annoying troupe of monkeys who, with enormous agility would snatch anything considered edible particularly from toddlers. Jed Smith (two years of age) was targeted and was scarred for life by “naughty” monkeys.
Alitha and Solms contacted us and informed us that they (accompanied by the Turner Family - Vivienne, Brenda and their three daughters) had left Loeriesfontein early and we arranged to meet in Upington. We broke camp and was ready to leave, but as mentioned, Jonathan enjoyed his new found freedom of the wide expanses of the Northern Cape and decided to go and explore. He was nowhere to be found. After a panic search he was discovered on the edge of the ravine, very pleased with himself as if to say “what was the panic about”.
We reached Upington almost at the same time as the van Niekerks and Turners, filled up vehicles and Gerry Cans with diesel and stocked up with last minute food before embarking for Twee Riviere in the Kgalaghadi some 250 kms north. En route we passed a “bushman” settlement and stopped for a discussion and some photos. J
onathan immediately became part of the “bushman” family and lovingly befriended their dogs.With the road now tarred all the way to the Park Gates we reached it in comfort despite the fact that the temperature had risen to well into the thirties. We checked in and since we were going to cross the border later into Botswana we also went through their passport controls, which was, by passport control standards, very efficient and friendly accept for the fact that, being a foreign visitor the efficiency of the South African authority of customs control had to be demonstrated to Tom.
The Kalahari which is derived from the Kalagadi word Makgadikgadi meaning “salt pans” or “great thirst land” was originally roamed by the San. Over the years, they were driven out by other clans. Amazingly, towards the end of the 1800’s this dry area became the centre of political “war” between the Brits, Germans and the Hottentots. A century later, in 1939 the Kalahari Gemsbok Park was established, followed a few years later by the Botswana Gemsbok National Park and in 1992 the Mabuasehube game reserve was incorporated. In 1999 the Kalagadi Transfrontier park was established.
We pitched camp at Tweeriviere. With temperatures now approaching 40 °C we decided to only go on a game drive later. From the outset it was clear that the park was extremely dry and the grazing almost down to nothing. Surprisingly the odd springboks, gemsboks and wildebeests still found nutritious grass sprouts and appeared in good condition. In contrast to our visit almost a decade ago, even the normal large numbers of springbok and gemsbok dwindled to a rather sparse occurrence and it was clear that there must have been a migration to more abundant grazing in the transfrontier park. The standard of the grazing further east in Botswana, later proved to be dry but much more abundant and was probably the reason for the low numbers on the South African side. As with our previous visit the “large numbers” of Kalahari lions continued to evade us, but we were however privelaged to have a rare sighting of a pla
yful caracal which entertained us with its antics.Back at the camp we discovered that a whirlwind had swept right through our camp and were told by our kind neighbours that it had scattered the gazebo, chairs and other light objects all over the camp. They were kind enough to carry it back to our camp and secure it. What good neighbours.
We then prepared supper and it surprised me that, also in contrast to a previous visit, even the number of ground squirrels, mongoose and black backed jackal which would visit camp sites were almost non existent. The drought was obviously devastating.
Our early morning game drive again did not bring us in contact with the reknowned Kgalagadi lions. In fact they evaded us for seven days of traveling the transfrontier park. The severe drought, no doubt played its part. Back at the camp we packed and started our drive to Nossob. At the Melkvlei picnic spot we stopped to have a breakfast of eggs, ham, vienna sausages, green onions and cheese “shaken and stirred” in “ziplock” plastic bags and cooked in boiling water. Clever Alitha. Then on to Nossob to camp for the night before our departure for Matopi 2 campsite on the Botswana side the next morning.
Whilst filling up with diesel and buying some last minute cooldrinks and drinking water, Nell picked up a huge “harmless” centipede much to the concern of the shop attendant who warned that it was poisonous and that blisters will form where she was “stung”. My reaction that South African shongololo’s are not poisonous was proved wrong, when before long, the
blisters did appear. Fortunately, by the end of the day it was back to normal.We were faced with a 200 km stretch of deep sand jeep tracks to our final destination of Lesholoago pan where we were to camp for three nights. Wisely we decided to overnight at the Matopi 2 Campsite. Matopi is the Tswana word for a Shepherd’s Tree and that is exactly what the campsite consisted of. Reaching it was not quite so simple. With the exception of the Smith family, we were all towing heavily laden trailers which reduced our speed to approximately 30 kms per hour. In addition, ever so often a dune with very deep churned up sand tracks would be thrown in our way just for fun. Sheldon was the first victim and I immediately shared my “wisdom of expert sand driving” with him. After a further two approaches he went over the top. I did it with absolute perfection only to get properly stuck on the very next dune. Having cleared it after several attempts, Tom and Anna-marie very exitedly informed me that they had captured it all on video! On the next dune, my wis
hes came true when they got stuck. However, Tom defended it with an argument that he did not get stuck but had a “refusal”. Perhaps my limited knowledge of the Anglo Saxon language made the refusal appear to me to be very similar to getting stuck properly. After 50 kms of plowing through the soft sand Solms stopped the “convoy” and we enjoyed a few snacks. After approximately 105 kms we reached Matopi 2. We drew a “laager” of five vehicles to protect us against the elusive Kgalagahdi predators, prepared supper and went to bed.Up to Matopi 2 it was absolutely impossible to get lost. There was one option only and that was to follow
the very deep sand jeep track. The road on the second 100 kms to Mabuasehube and Lesholoago appeared slightly more firm and the dunes more user friendly. However, once the pans are reached, road signs are few and far between. You only knew where you were when you arrived at the next pan. In addition, my GPS appeared to give different routes to Solms’. Even so, after a bit of a detour from Mpaathutlwa Pan to Mabuasehube via Khidding Pan we arrived at Lesholoago Pan. Our home for the next three days was a prime camp site as far as position went. Again we drew a laager with the trailers and filled the gaps in with shade cloth boma’s as best we could just in case the predators would become less elusive.Although the Botswana side of the park was covered in long grass, it was also very dry. The dry sweet grass on the pans was already grazed short, but still provided grazing to
a number of springbok, Gemsbok and the odd Hartebeest which would visit it.While enjoying my early morning coffee the next morning I walked out of the camp site and noticed what I considered to be a hyena, walking away from the waterhole some 200 meters away. Tom took the binoculars and identified it as a big leopard. With nothing much to do at the camp we went for a drive around Lesholoago pan and then continued to Mabuasehube, Khiding and Mpaathutlwa pans before returning to our camp site without much game to be seen. At the Mabuasehube camp site a regular Lesholoago camper confirmed that there is a resident leopard at the camp site. We spent a leisurely afternoon interupted by short drives around th
e pan and then settled in to make supper.While preparing to go to bed, a huge very poisonous black scorpion run right between Anna-marie’s feet.
There were several footprints of hyenas around our camp so during the course of the evening Alitha at various occasions remarked that she smelled hyena. This was confirmed by Tom and others. I blamed the nearby toilet for the smell and immagination to do the rest. (I in fact invited the interested parties the next morning on a hyena smelling tour of the
toilet outlet). Being alert and (ever so slightly) concerned, just when we were about to go to bed, Solms decided to use his spotlight to see whether he could spot anything around the camp. His surprise was pretty obvious and the response in the camp one of nevousness bordering on panic. Even Bolt could not have gotten the children into the rooftop tents quicker. Not twenty meters from the camp was the huge leopard and still walking towards us. With the noise of the panicking campers, it then turned around casually and started moving away but with no haste. The next morning we found its footprints all around the camp site.When Sheldon drove around the pan, later during the day, the leopard casually crossed the road right in front of the car and then gave action to the call of nature and relieved itself a few meters away. The fact that Tom and Solms again notice the cat close to camp the next evening has made me speculate (quietly) that the toddlers inside our camp might h
ave been the attraction.Although we did not see much more game during our stay, the serenity of the park and Kalaghadi is absolutely wonderful.
With a long way to go for the day, we were up early the next morning, to break camp, pack and head for Pilanesberg nearly 700 kms away including some 170 kms of deep sand tracks and a border crossing. The problem was that we had to reach the Pilanesberg park and Manyane Camp, where we would meet with Francois (cousen) and family before closing time. So it
was properlies “voet in die hoek” stuff in soft sand jeep tracks which required constant concentration. We phoned Francois and informed him that we would be late. He then “reserved” camp sites and arranged for entry. We reached Manyane at exactly 17h58. Two minutes to spare!For Vivienne, Brenda and family, more than 600 kms to Keimoes included 134 kms of (according to the Ranger at the Park Gate) not so good road. On top of it, they were now on their own. Vivienne said that we had hardly said good bye to us and could still hear our vehicles when he got stuck. Feeling absolutely deserted, he said it got him close to tears. He never the less got out and got home safely.
Although the lions again avoided us, we saw loads of game, including many Rhinocerous, in the Pilanesberg Game Park. According to Tom, however, the true wilderness experience of the Kalaghadi is lost in these massive Zoo’s. On the third day we drove to Sun City where we enjoyed the “sea” and the various slides. For me it remains to be an impressive place.
During the course of the day Solms started toying with the idea of driving all
the way home non stop the next day (1480 kms for him and 1250 for me). After much negotiation we agreed. Sheldon and Pinnie, with their young children decided to rather do it over two days while Tom and Anna-marie who was returning to England from Johannesburg, two days later decided on spending another day at Manyane.Tom and Anna-marie had only just reached their home in England when Tom was diagnosed as having tick bite fever for which he was prescribed Doxicycline. He said that the two ladies at the pharmacy had a great giggle as they prepared his prescription and only after studying the pamflet accompanying the Doxicycline did the penny drop. Doxicycline is prescribed for a whole list of venerial deseases ......................... and tick bite fever!
No comments:
Post a Comment