Pilanesberg - Current Conditions

Information & Discussions on Planesberg
Post Reply
Eland
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2012 9:29 pm
Contact:

Re: Pilanesberg - Current Conditions

Post by Eland »

22/11/2011

Feed back on the Restaurant at Pilanesberg Centre - our friends returned yesterday and reported that the restaurant and shops are still closed at the above centre.


Eland
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2012 9:29 pm
Contact:

Re: Pilanesberg - Current Conditions

Post by Eland »

23/01/2012

Dear all,
Update on Pilanesberg Centre - it is still very clean and very empty. We were there last Saturday 21 Jan 2012. There are however lots of visitors watching the animals at the waterhole. There is a service provider appointed, but nothing is happening there yet.

(BTW - we saw wild dogs kill and eat an impala)


User avatar
Dzombo
Posts: 2274
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:18 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Pilanesberg - Current Conditions

Post by Dzombo »

02/02/2012

Hi All,

I have been to Plianesburg 6 times in the last 7 years.
Staying at Bakubang 4 times (including December 2011)
Kwa Maritine once
Manyane once

I have a few comments to make, particularly the earlier part of the thread.

My understanding is that there is hunting in the park, but it is restricted to the extreme west of the park. I have found the game to be generally relaxed and surely this would not be the case if there was widespread shooting?
As distasteful as it is, and I certinaly don't condone hunting, I suppose that if the funds are ploughed back into the park, it has some sort of justification.

Re the rare antelope and Cheetah. Apparently the cheetah were under pressure from the lions and never thrived. And apparently the lions favoured Sable over most other prey. I am not sure why the Gemsbok did not do well. But apparently there are none left. There would be little point in re-introducing any of these into the park unless the cause of their decline was rectified.
I suppose that Pilanesburg is still relatively young and is an ongoing experiment. And management are trying to find out what works, and what doesn't?

Re relative scarecity of game. This last trip we did, there was little game south of Mankwe. Usually, Kubu Drive is chocca, and this time I think we saw 1 Impala (no joking!) I then did a drive along Tlou, and the game was plentiful (elephant on numerous occasions, rhino, Tsessebe, Zebra, Wildebeest). but only on 1 side of the road. And similarly with Tshwene. And then I worked it out. There must have been a veld burn in the winter. The area along this roads was lush, and must have attracted more animals away from the less palatable grass.
So game movmement and general distribution must be linked to veld condition.

Re Manyane Camp. We stayed there in December 2010. The occomodation was clean and well maintained. Though not the public areas. There were broken bottles all over and the pool was in desperate need of a clean - I would not let me kids swim in it.
Kwa Maritane is ok, but I don't like the drive into the park. Too much of a view of the motorway, and I never saw much along here.
Bakubang is by far my favorite.

The Pilanesburg Centre was still bare and not much there aside for the use of the toilets.

Kubu drive out of Bakubang is in need of some retarring. It seems that the pot holes are patched up, but new ones develope quickly.

Anyway, just a few quick thoughts I have jotted down.
Dzombo


User avatar
BunnyHugger
Posts: 333
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 8:24 am
Country: South Africa
Location: Jozi
Contact:

Re: Pilanesberg - Current Conditions

Post by BunnyHugger »

03/02/2012
Amoli wrote:
Penga Ndlovu wrote:I must agree with Dzombo for the biggest part except we saw our best sighting south of Mankwe.

And boy. What a great sighting that was.

The tar roads in general I found in an appalling state and really are in need of a major overhaul.

But the camps. Sanparks. Eat your heart out.
Dzombo, I found your post regarding the scarcity of some animals very informative... thank you.
I agree with PN regarding the roads - some parts are really, really bad.

Pilansberg had a lot of rain and I do believe that is also why the animals do not have to rely on the dams for water.

The ablutions, the camp, the swimming pool was 5 star condition and I compliment Leopard Resorts for this - and it was the same in December when the area was jam-packed.
There was always enough hot water any time in the mornings or evenings.
..... and this resort does not belong to the S.A. public :roll:
Pilanesberg is a National Park. I don't know that that means it is owned by the people, but thankfully it is not managed by SANPARKS. These Golden leopard peeps seem to have a much better idea. Just PLEASE fix the roads.


User avatar
Dzombo
Posts: 2274
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:18 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Pilanesberg - Current Conditions

Post by Dzombo »

Amoli wrote:
Pilanesberg is a National Park. I don't know that that means it is owned by the people, but thankfully it is not managed by SANPARKS. These Golden leopard peeps seem to have a much better idea. Just PLEASE fix the roads.
As far as I know, Golden Leopard manage the resorts (Manyane and Bakgatla)
Not the park itself - that is Northwest Parks Board.


User avatar
Dzombo
Posts: 2274
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:18 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Pilanesberg - Current Conditions

Post by Dzombo »

Dzombo wrote:
BunnyHugger wrote:
Amoli wrote:
Pilanesberg is a National Park. I don't know that that means it is owned by the people, but thankfully it is not managed by SANPARKS. These Golden leopard peeps seem to have a much better idea. Just PLEASE fix the roads.
As far as I know, Golden Leopard manage the resorts (Manyane and Bakgatla)
Not the park itself - that is Northwest Parks Board.
Thanks Dzombo. Got to give them a salute. They are doing a better job of it than their eastern counterparts. Those hooglians don't have a clue. KNP is filthy. Litter everywhere, speeding is rife, and idjits getting out of their cars at cat sightings. The road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie has more traffic than Eloff street and traffic jams are worse than gridlock at Grayston offramp at 07h30 on a normal business day in JHB. And not a single sign of any kind of management of the tourists, their driving habits or anyone cleaning up. In fact, I think KNP staff are on strike today.

So the only thing I have for the right now is this: (shoot, where did I put that missile launcher dis-ting now?)
Don't think you are being fair :shock:

As I said above, at Manyune, there were smashed bottles everywhere. No sign of it being cleaned up.
The swimming pool was more muddy than the water holes .

Also re bad behaviour in the park. Well I have seen the same in Pilanesburg as Kruger.
People whizzing past me in their cars. I was close to the speed limit (heading to PB Centre as one of my kids was desperate for the toilet), so the other person was doing way more than the limit.

I was at an an elephant sighting. A breeding herd trying (operative word) to cross the road. Everyone weaving their cars all over place to get a better view. Then the lorries from the fancy lodges also pushing in for a better view. I guess they felt that since their guests were paying $ or £ so they have priority? :evil:

At another incident, there was a chaotic traffic jam.
I managed to edge my way through and asked the another driver what he was looking at. Apparently there were lions. In tall grass behind some bushes. In the heat of the day. You couldn't even see them! But the behaviour of lots of the other drivers was despicable. You couldn't even see the lions!

Seems to me that there is a general lack of respect. :evil:
Everywhere.


User avatar
Dzombo
Posts: 2274
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:18 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Pilanesberg - Current Conditions

Post by Dzombo »

Flutterby wrote:Welcome Dzombo,

Nice to see a newbie getting stuck in!!

I think I'd have to agree with you - people are just generally ill-mannered. I was forced off the road in Pilanesberg by some guy in a big 4x4 on a very narrow road. I ended up with my front wheel in a hole and had to be towed out! :roll: Also seen people getting out at a lion sighting. BH, I think you guys were just lucky not to encounter any of that! ;-)
Flutterby - Thanks,

Asbsolutely, BH must have been lucky. (Wish I was as lucky with sightings)
It happens everywhere.

While I am having a rant....
I was photographing some Swallows on the courseway as you approach the slope up to the PB Centre. Driver comes up behind me. I had been there for 30 seconds, if that. He can see my camera lense pointing at the birds. But he had to hoot at me so that I would get a move on. And of course, the birds fly away.


User avatar
Dzombo
Posts: 2274
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:18 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Pilanesberg - Current Conditions

Post by Dzombo »

Sprocky wrote:Dzombo, this behaviour is not only in reserves, just look around you any where in the country!
Sprocky,

Not only in SA, everywhere in the World. You should see some of the mothers at my kids' school!
I live in the UK. I pay a fortune on airfaires for my annual wildlife "fix". To have it spoilt by idiots :evil:


User avatar
Penga Ndlovu
Posts: 2404
Joined: Thu May 31, 2012 9:38 pm
Country: Bush area
Location: Grietjie Nature Reserve, Phalaborwa
Contact:

Re: Pilanesberg - Current Conditions

Post by Penga Ndlovu »

Guys please let me correct a few things here.

BH is still a bit under the influence of the Noggas or he is getting old damn quick.

We did see behavior that got my hair stand straight up.

Not as bad as what Dzombo and Fluts describe, but just on the edge of being unruly.

A car passing us at great speed on a dirtroad when we were going up to a birdhide, Youngsters that are sitting on top of the cars while parents are driving etc.


User avatar
Dzombo
Posts: 2274
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:18 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Pilanesberg - Current Conditions

Post by Dzombo »

Anyway....this wasn't supposed to become a thread on bad behaviour. Or should I say another thread on bad behaviour.

Back to the original thread
In December, Ratlogo Dam was totally dry. Just mud.
Would be interesting to hear what it is like now.


Post Reply

Return to “Pilanesberg Game Reserve”