Krugertripping this Summer...

Heksie
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Re: Krugertripping this Summer...

Post by Heksie »

:ty: :ty: :ty: :ty: :ty: :ty: :ty: :ty: :ty: :ty: :ty: :ty: :ty: :ty:
RP
Lisbeth
nan
Pumbaa,

Thanks you guys for your replies and still reading my too long ongoing TR.
But not to worry, it has come to an end. So here comes the last episode guys... 0()


2016
18-23 March Sabie Park

8 -11 July Tsendze
12-15 July Satara

30 Sept-4 Oct Lower Sabie

27 Dec-7 Jan Satara
Heksie
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Location: not where I want to be...
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Re: Krugertripping this Summer...

Post by Heksie »

Day 31… the last drive
10 January

I woke up this morning, not believing that this would be my last full day in the park, a month has gone by so quickly. It is really true how the time flies when you are having fun and a month in the bush is definitely the way I would spend every December, if my finances and time allows.
It was already starting to get hot and it was not even 5 in the morning, we went South again for our morning drive.
We had an early start, animal wise when we got these two beauts in the road…

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And a highlight for us were 2 African Goshawk, the light wasn’t on our side so we couldn’t get great kiekies but we did enjoy them ‘quick…quick…quick…-ing’ around us and their interaction.

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We had a bit of a roadblock, as we had to follow this massive truck at about 5 km/h but we were loving it… Another surprise sighting was the black-shouldered kite above the truck.

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We were also entertained by some submarines…

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And then we were back at camp, we saw some very dark clouds coming our way, and decided to have a family meeting. It was a hard but unanimous decision. We were going to pack up and leave the Park today, and sleep just outside at our Family house in Sabie Park. We believed that it would be best to pack up whilst it was dry, as I had that wet experience when I moved from Croc Bridge to Satara and it wasn’t all sunshine and roses so even though I didn’t want to leave the Park and end the trip a day earlier, do I really want to pack up in the rain with everything sopping wet? We didn’t want to take the chance so it was set in stone.
We still had a lot of time so I started a fire. We had our last brunch-braai in the park and then we started packing up. We left Lower Sabie by 15:00 so we can do an afternoon drive to Kruger Gate. As we left the camp we got some waterbuck, here is a beautiful bull…

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And then we got a kudu bull as well…

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We also spend some time with playful vervees...

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We turned on the H12 bridge deciding to take the H1-2 to Skuks. Somebody waved us down and informed us that there were some lala lions about 3 km N of the intersection so we got really excited, until we got there. First I got very upset as there were a dead tortoise between the few cars which meant that somebody drove over him whilst trying to check out the lions and secondly, even though there were only like 4 cars at the sighting, this is what we saw…

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Now if you look at the dam, just in front of it there is a row of darkish-ish green grass, if you follow it towards the bush on the left hand side of the picture just next to it you will see brown/cream ‘things’ lying around…. Uhm, yes… that are your lions…
So we didn’t stay long there, the gate was way too far to even hope to catch closing time by the time they’d decide to move. We got some general game, a black chameleon and rude drivers, swooshing past us the rest of the way, and then when we got to the S1/H11 intersection there were about 6 cars next to the road. It was strange finding such a small roadblock so close to the gate. And then out in the open in a tree we got to see this…

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She was a bit far off, and with the fading light you could only see a silhouette but still a great way to end a day. As we stayed with the leppie, we heard lions roaring in the direction of the S1, my heart was aching to go have a look but I didn’t know where they were and there were only 20 minutes left till the gate closes… The leppie got such a fright that she jumped out of the tree and vanished. Mum and sis put their feet down and said we should move on, so we drove to the gate and straight to Sabie Park. As we left KNP it started drizzling and we were so happy with our decision to pack up a day early. That night it was my first time in more than two weeks that I slept in a bed and it felt like heaven.
The next morning I woke up at 4:30 as well which felt strange for me, as the gates open an hour after the camps. We waited outside Kruger Gate as we would just drive the S1 to Phabeni Gate and leave.
Whilst I was sitting in the car waiting for the Gate to open I got my first mosquito bite for the whole trip, what is the chances… Just have to say that I only heard the mozzies at Sable Hide and rarely knew where my tabard was during the trip. I have this theory that December is just toooooo HOT for them blood-sucking critters to zzzzzzzz around.

There weren't jaw-dropping sightings on the 40km stretch to Phabeni Gate, a lot of general game though, but I enjoyed the drive non-the-less.

This was such an amazing experience spending a month in such a wonderful place. I had out of this world sightings and spent time with very special people.
This is definitely something that needs to be repeated, so I’m thinking Dec 2015 here we come…

To be continued…


2016
18-23 March Sabie Park

8 -11 July Tsendze
12-15 July Satara

30 Sept-4 Oct Lower Sabie

27 Dec-7 Jan Satara
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Richprins
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Re: Krugertripping this Summer...

Post by Richprins »

Heksie wrote:
Thanks you guys for your replies and still reading my too long ongoing TR.
But not to worry, it has come to an end. So here comes the last episode guys... 0()
Can't remember, so you'll have to start again from the beginning! ^0^

That black-shouldered kite is rare in the Park?

How nice to have a family hideaway at the gate for emergencies! :shock: :shock: :shock:

Ja, no fun pulling up camp in the wet, so good call! :yes:


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nan
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Re: Krugertripping this Summer...

Post by nan »

lot of Ellies... and others O/\
^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^
love the Leopard... seems to be an AWC... ^Q^


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Lisbeth
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Re: Krugertripping this Summer...

Post by Lisbeth »

Great lion sighting 0*\ lol lol

Camping is not my cup of tea ( age, overseas and all), but I can imagine what it must be like to pack up under the rain and then unpack all the soaking wet stuff O-/ A very wise decision \O A leopard even far away is a good thing :yes:

It looks as if you are going to finish your TT within the year lol ^Q^ ^Q^


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Flutterby
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Re: Krugertripping this Summer...

Post by Flutterby »

Hey Heksie, nice to see you again. 0/*

Just catching up again...lovely pics and stories. ;-) A month in Kruger would be a dream for me....one day.... O**


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