Krugertripping this Summer...

[Richprins]

Yay!

Welcome back, Heksie!

Ai, Nkuhlu!

Great baboons!!!

Difficult to get kiekies of mongoose...as you say, they run!


Have a good holiday!

[harrys]

Welcome back Heksie

Nice sightings and some great photos

[Toko]

Heksie

I hope the year to come will be peaceful and relaxing for you

Striped skaapsteker

Banded mongoose is cool, not very common to find in Kruger

[Pumbaa]

Indeed great to have you back, Heksie,

love your saddle billed stork and the chameleon and for sure the baboon shots

[nan]

no problem for me... I was in the Kgalagadi

nice Snake... Baboons, Striped Mongooses and Bee-Eater... and... and...
oups Hyena in the... shop... well almost

[Bushcraft]

The front view of the SBS makes it look vicious

I believe that hyena have been raiding at Nkuhlu a fair bit lately

Great junior boon pic but the last boon pic isn’t very ladylike

Lion in the distance

[Heksie]

Thank you guys, something is wrong with my comp, can't quote or post any emoticons....

RP,
I'm glad the year is finished, it has been hectic but I survived. Just not happy that I woke up so late, I could've been in the bush now, but when I started looking for accommodation it was already fully booked. This won't happen again... How is your holiday?

Thanks Harrys

Toko,
I think I must organise my time better, thats all. Hopefully I learnt a bit this year...

Always great to be on the forum, really missing my cyberfamily Pumbaa.

Nan,
I need to then check out how was your KTP trip?

BC,
How have the Browns been doing? Still sorry that we missed you guys in July,
The bobby was in seventh heaven, I just had to take a kiekie of her position. I just love sitting and watching them grooming.

[Heksie]

Day 29… the day I have been waiting for
8 January

This morning my sis decided not to join us, she wanted to have a late morning and unlike normal people I have been leaving the camp every morning this trip at 4:30… Well I can state that it has paid off in ways you wouldn’t believe. So me and mumsy woke up and trudged towards the bathroom so that we can transform into human beings…
It was an easy decision, we decided to take the H4-2 straight to CB and then take the S28 back to Lower Sabie and then take the H4-1 and do the S79 so we can turn back to camp to catch up on some reading and relaxing, as we were going to do a sunset drive we didn’t really worry all that much about a lot of driving during the day.
It was raining this morning but it didn’t bother us, you guys know it is rather warmish this time of year so the cool air was inviting. It was a quiet drive as it seems that most of the animals aren’t really that keen about rain as we thought. So on our way to CB we had an encounter with buffies



And then after a few kilometres there were two kings coming from the front each with their own entourage. It was strange that there were only two cars with them but we didn’t complain.







We stopped and the flashes were flying around until they passed us and then we moved on, we weren’t in the mood to follow them as we already had a great sighting (I believe these were the same two brothers that I saw on the H5 on 26 December…
Some other sightings on our way to Croc Bridge,







And then on our way back there weren’t a lot of sightings, it seemed that all the animals stayed near the tar, less muddy I presume?



And then a martial eagle with a kill, just before camp…



The clouds cleared and the sun was quickly heating up things in the Park, and the cars were also passing us one by one so we were glad that we didn’t plan a long drive. As we did the last stretch on the H4-1 to camp mum just shouted: ‘STOP!’ Which I didn’t do quickly enough and after reversing to see what all this fuss was about mum pointed out next to her in the road a baby terrapin as big as a R5 coin.



Was the smallest thing we’ve seen in the Park and we stayed with him till he got of the tar. We got to camp by 11:00 and chilled in camp the rest of the day. We then went to the Lower Sabie deck Restaurant at 15:00 to order some pizza for ‘dinner’, we don’t normally prefer going to a restaurant when you can braai but we decided that because we are going on a sunset drive and will only return to camp after 20:00 and we have a long day tomorrow as we were going to meet Barry and Hilda in Satara, we didn’t really want to stay up late.
I know the restaurants have changed in the Park but I just want to say that the service and food that day got 2 thumbs up.
After a delicious meal we waited in anticipation in the parking lot, it was my mums and sisters’ first drive at Lower Sabie and they had a lot of expectations. The other people started arriving and I hoped that we weren’t a full truck, as it isn’t very lekker when you have to peer over people to see something or fight for a great spot on the truck. But thankfully the truck was only about 50% full and after we all settled in the driver introduced himself as Lunga. I have to say that this oke is the BEST gamedriver I have ever had from any camp or gate I’ve driven, he could answer all the questions that the tourists gave him and also told us many stories and entertained us from start to finish.
We started our drive by going to Sunset dam. We just left the gate when we saw our first animals. The resident bobbies where out and about and entertaining everybody who wanted to enter the camp. We had such a laugh as one stole a bag of bread from one of the tents and they were all trying to get something from the bag.







We sat with all the bobbies for about 20 minutes, we got some mating bobbies and groomers as well as babies just fooling around. One thing I’ve learned that day is that the more inflamed/red/swollen the lady bobbies bum is it means that she is ready to mate (on heat). And then we turned around and was on our way South, we turned unto the S82 and then unto a no-entry road. We had a lot of sightings on this road, it was blooming with life.
Marabou stork



Steenbokkie (you guys must let Lunga tell you where this name comes from, very informative)



Then a few big animals hanging around together









It got dark and the flashlights were out, we didn’t see much only a few antelope, we then after about 30 minutes we turned unto the S28. We got to see a fiery-necked nightjar (My first opportunity to take a kiekie of one)



And then it happened, a cat of some sort came out of the grass a few meters in front of the vehicle, Lunga said it is a serval and my heart jumped out of my chest. This was the moment I was waiting for the whole trip and then as soon as the cat appeared, it turned around and melted away in the grass again. We drove closer and I was just hoping and praying in my heart for the opportunity to see one up close and being able to maybe hopefully take a kiekie… Lunga stopped and spotted it, about 10 meters from us. The moment was just too big for me, I was shaking trying to focus on her, and she was so beautiful, what do you guys think?



She sat still for a few moments and was off again…



We didn’t even get a chance to recover from our excitement when we got to see another ‘one of its kind sightings… It was hyenas and a hippo having a stand-off. It was a bit further in so my kiekies aren’t that good, but it was great seeing the hippo chasing them and how big his mouth can open whilst the hyenas are cackling around him with it seemed like pieces of dead impala lying around, and one had a piece in its mouth.



It was very exciting. We had to move on as time was against us, we had a quick sighting of a porcupine as well just before we entered the camp.
Yes, I know we didn’t see any big cats, which most people want to see, but that is not the reason I do these kinds of drives. I learned a few things during this drive and I got to tick a special cat that I have had on my list for a few years.
We got to camp and sat there for about 30 minutes discussing our amazing evening, then when all the adrenaline evaporated it was time for us to hit the sack as a full day of driving was waiting for us.

To be continued…

[nan]

wow a Serval
Lions in the rain... and only 2 cars ... and spraying... not enough wet
Boon and Tortoise on the road... drinking
super wet Martial with a prey
those Baboons but nice opportunity to have "different" pictures
I love the little Buff in the shelter of mum's tail

[Richprins]

Wow...a lot in one go!

Those martial love catching Leguaans...a major part of their diet!

Lovely pic of "Miss Lower Sabie"...

Exceptionally rare, that hippo business!

My holiday is lovely, Heksie! Thanks for asking!