Pilanesberg - My gift to the cubs *

[Amoli]

We entered at Bakubung and like super cubs, the boys started looking for animals each clinging to a window. z0z

Sure we all know the sound when they shout out : there, there and it feels as if your heart takes an extra beat.

On the Kubu stretch between Bakubung and Bakgatla, we saw :
Sacred Ibis, Ruppells Vulture, Zebra,
Blue wildebeest, red Hartebeest, Waterbuck,
Kudu ewe, Birds, birds, birds, Rhino,
Marico Fly Catcher, Guinea Fowls, Hippo’s, Yellow billed Stork,
Warthog, Springbuck, Impala, Turtle’s, Grey Heron, Dungbeetles.

All in all we had over 35 different specie sightings before we reached camp. Most of the wild was some distance, but we were content.

Here are a few :
Sacred Ibis - Skoorsteenveer


Kudu


Yellow billed stork - Nimmersat


Springbuck


Impala


Waterbuck
aterbuck

Dungbeetles - working in pairs


Our Campsite


The two boy cubs and myself whispered that if we get this camp going with a speed, there will be enough time for a late afternoon drive. It was super to see the excitement the cubs were showing towards game viewing – and my heart felt warm and pleased. OiO

Off on our late afternoon drive – gates close at 19h00…. To follow.

[Amoli]

Thanks Sprocky and Mattib - this trip meant so much to me... hope you enjoy it too.

Day 1 Part 2 – Afternoon Drive

The cubs calculated a round trip that should take us about an hour with another hour to spare (I was amazed with the allowances).

We discussed the fact that there were so many babies around all the animals – and I told a tale my Grandpa told us as kids.
Animals know when there will be food for their offspring before they mate –
if it will be a dry year, there are no babies. I have no idea if this is true – it was an old mans tale.

On our afternoon trip we saw :
Violet eared waxbill, Guinea fowl, Zebra with babies, lots of birds we need to ID,
Hippo’s, Kudu’s, Grey Heron, and seemingly a pregnant Hippo.
And the best was a Rhino and baby in the distant. We spent some time with them.






This lady just lay here and gave deep groans every now and then. When we went back the next afternoon, she had gone.
We followed her footsteps into the dense bush - the cubs say she prefers to be alone when having her baby... :)










This guy was a bit self conscious of having only one horn :lol:


It was rather dark when I took these pics - and she was some distant away.


With thankfullness in my whole being I watched the sun set on this glorius day.


We felt utterly spoilt with our sightings.
During dinner time a soft rain fell down and the grown ups had a nightcap while discussing our travels of the day.

We crawled into our tents and the cubs and myself lay discussing our sightings through tent walls.
I said that what we had seen was much more that I have ever seen in any park at any given time, BUT…. I want to see them close-up.
Before falling asleep, I prayed for sightings “in my face” please.
The cubs laughed at me, I smiled with tears in my eyes -
…..goodnight J-cubs. Sleep tight.

[Amoli]

Thank you Fluts and Eland .....

Day 2 Early morning drive.
I awoke with the cubs asking me if I’m still sleeping. I looked at my watch and it was 4.30am.
Wonder why their parents struggle to get them up for school?

We showered, got the water bottles filled and made a dash for the gate.
Plans are to be gone for a hour or so and be back before the others wake up.

The cubs asked whether I thought we would see any animals near to the road – in our face, so to speak.
I smiled as they were making fun of me in a loving way.

We discussed our wish lists and what we would want to see for today. Lion was on top of the list for them and ellies for me.
Told the cubs that a guy on the forum says – get out early and find the cats on the tar road. 8)

We saw :
Go-away birds a-plenty, Rooihartbeest, Blue wildebeest, more birds for ID.,
Warthog with babies, Zebra with baby, Baby blue wildebeest, more impalas,
Yin and yan giraffe, Rhino and a pile-up…..



It was a lion kill - yet a way off from the road side in the bushes.





















Our trip took us 3 hours and we had no cell signal to let the peeps at the campsite know of the kill and why we were late.

I was feeling good as most of the animals were much closer to the road and the cubs could tick off the lion on their wish list.
Now time for a breakfast that will last until we braai in the late afternoon.

I felt a sense of excitement as we started off on our daytrip. We will be heading in the direction of the Moloto Drive and to the farm, Driefontein, that I loved so much.

[Amoli]

Thanks guys for your kind remarks....

JN and PN - I did ask them to return the end of the month for the next show..... -O -O

Thanks Sprocky.


Day 2 – DAY DRIVE

As we headed on the Moloto drive we saw most of the animals we had already seen.
A new sighting was the Tsessebe (Basterhartbees) – but too far to take pics.
I started humming : all creatures great and small..... :)





We saw a lot of damaged trees which was a sure sign that there were elephants around.





We took a bumpy ride up the Lenong route to get to the nearest toilets for the cubs.
With amazement we stared at the building with the sign inbetween us ,warning us of wild animals.
Well….. we put out a ‘brandwag’ and did the necessary with speed : and quickly took 2 or 3 pics ….



There was a change in the way nature presented itself as we drove further.
The rock formations were so familiar to me – we used to play around them as kids, and we were never afraid of any danger.





These trees made an impression on me as to how desperate they were to grow… in which ever way….





When we reached our ‘farm’ – I sat back and just enjoyed the scenery and down came this eagle. A first for me. *sigh*
A thought came to me : the eagle has landed :lol:
The cubs were so excited and photographing was difficult with them jumping up and down in the car.
Lis - I will post my pencil sketch of the farm at the end of the report.



We stopped at Batlhako Dam and there I saw Fish Eagle on the other side of the dam and a Malachite Kingfisher :



Another long drive of emptiness, and as we turned a corner all I saw was leather!!!
I came to a quiet standstill and right next to me was this beaut :







We spent some time just watching it, it was so peaceful.

That was my day done!! I was happy…… except no elephants yet – but no need to be greedy.

A car stopped next us and ever so excited we told him of our wonderful sighting – but this guy heard nothing….
He was stumbling and stammering…. Telling us that there was about 100 elephant that passed next to our camp and was moving towards us……..

To follow……

[Amoli]

Thanks WD, Indlovu, Pumbaa and JN for sharing with me and your kind remarks.

Pumbaa, Pilansberg is a beautiful 'little' Nature Reserve... and not to busy, busy....



Day 2 Part 2 – DAY DRIVE

We headed straight for the camp gates. We could see elephants nowhere.
The destruction of plants in their way was visible all over.
I was so disappointed that the party had decided to call it a day……
when the next moment there was a turn around…
we are going in search of the elephants. Whoop- whoopee. :lol: :lol:

We tried to follow their trails up this hill, down that pathway, ride here, ride there, backup, turn around.
No interest was given to Zebra, Blouwildebeest, more Rhino and Impi’s.
The bino’s picked up a lonely lion limping in the distant and on investigation we saw the lioness going in another direction.
They will not be sharing sleeping space tonight!

I stopped on a bridge and caught one of my favorite birds, the African Darter.
It was one of the birds I was taught to ID by mites one day on FB and very patiently they did so – first the beak, then the neck.
I smile each time I see it. You mites remember?





















We saw more birds and a Pied Crown fighting a little bird in the air for his food. We saw three impala’s locking horns in a playful mood. A red-necked spurfowl also greeted us.

Levaillants Cuckoo - In afrikaans it is a New Years bird - and it was two days before New Year :lol: :lol:



While I was clicking away , the vehicles had stopped. They found some of the Ellies – or was it another group.
The group was no larger than about 8 or 10 and they were moving away from us.
This is what I could manage - it was rather dark and misty. They are not clear Indlovu – can you recognize the big one?





Not totally complete, but my wish list was doing good – and I was content to return to camp…. Until….

Looooooookkkk……

This was not on my list – just an added blessing






Now we can return to camp and sit down with an Amarula, and a smile.
What a wonderful day this has been.

The last words I heard was before falling asleep was : You need to wake ALL of us in the morning for the morning drive, you don’t leave us behind again…. (Hie, hie) -O -O

Day 3 (Last day) to follow :

[Amoli]

Flutterby - I was as surprised with the doggies - but the were hastened by the oncoming traffic who wanted to go and see the ellies (I think)

Mel - thanks - it was flabbertastic

Poplap - my cubs.... mmmm, I sometimes only see them every six months - that is why I pull the plug when I see them... :lol: :lol:

JN - thanks for staying with us on the trip... :P

Sprocky - I didn't see my rock-monitor

Tamer - hi, honestly glad to see you...

Nan - we were spoilt ne.... I only wish the same for you when you visit. :D

And thank you all for reading .......


Day 3

We made an early start and found the hot air balloons over Mankwe Dam with sunrise.
What a beautiful view.



At the hide I tried my hand on moving birds again…, and a favorite – the pied kingfisher.





We decided to explore the eastern side of the park for the day.
We saw more giraffes, zebra’s, wildebeest and many birds.





At fish eagle picnic spot you cannot really see the dam – thinking they use the area more as a memorial site.
The cubs enjoyed jumping around all the boulders.



The eastern and western sides of the park can be compared to the North of KNP.
Not a lot of animals – yet the rock mountains and fountains fascinated me.



This steppe buzzard gave me an opportunity to practice ‘in flight shots’ while taking to the wind like a kite.









Nature sometimes gives you a lesson in life : it doesn’t matter where you are at/in – grow out of it !!



We reached Kwa Maritane and made an exit – took the main road up to Manyane and entered the park again.
At a slow pace we headed for camp – our stay was over.
On the way we greeted all and promised to return soon – and thanking them for a great show they had put up for us.

For a goodbye – this gent made an appearance and said : it was only a pleasure lady …….



Conclusion and sketch to follow.

[Amoli]

Thanks for your kind remarks - Nan, Pumbaa, Just Nature, Flutterby and Bunnyhugger.

BH - I will do the stop over and you can look at all 1900 pics I took .... -O -O

My wish list for end January is Elephant and Leopard...

Conclusion :
We left the farm Driefontein, Pilansburg in December 1963 to return to Dett in Hwange.
We had to say our goodbyes to the farm and on our return to Dett, we started packing to move to South Africa.
In my child existance I felt like being uprooted and longed for what I called home.
I have not wanted to return to either - maybe to shy away from the hurt I experienced as a child.
After my visit to Pilansberg I am filled with pleasure and gratitude of what has become of this land.
Next up will be Hwange...

Short History Facts :
PILANSBERG
The white farmers of Pilanesberg were expropriated by the Nationalist Government during the early 1960’s as part of a plan to make more land available for settlement of the Batswana people in a so-called “homeland”. Pilansberg was established in 1979 and declared a Park in 1984.

The rehabilitation plan included removal of old cattle kraals, fences and drinking troughs, removal of windmills and the sealing and marking of boreholes. Demolition of farmsteads, eradication of alien trees and major plantations of gum trees and citrus orchards; breaching of certain earth dams, and removal of all other signs of human habitation and farming activities.

H9 DRIEFONTEIN FARMDriefontein is named after the three springs that are to be found on the farm. In the early 1980’s when the farm was rehabilitated, it was still clear that productive farming was taking place. The removal of a gum tree plantation and the two farmsteads on the property was a major undertaking. Each of the gum trees had to be felled and the stump buried underneath the ground. The signs of the former farmsteads and plantations are still visible even thirty years after the renovations.

[Amoli]

Thanks for the reminder Pops.... somehow I put this aside as done .. :D :D

This is part of the land that I have used in my drawing. In the back ground are remains of what seems to have been the kraal.



I never received any prizes for artwork.. here is my remembrance made by pencil.
I will add small examples I borrowed from the net as I remember them – not one of the family have a single pic ..



You had to cross the spruit (1) (originating from the three fountains) before reaching the entrance to the farm (2).

Near the main house were two majestic ‘wine-gum’ trees (3) with roots growing well above the ground.
Great place for kids to play. They bore a fruit kind that looked like a squashed bunch of grapes, and were poisonous.
This picture is of another tree - only the roots bear resemblance as to what I remember.


The main house (4) was a simple home, relevant to a different lifestyle.
We ate in the kitchen,
we visited in the kitchen,
we got hiding in the kitchen,
we said prayers in the kitchen,
and we bathed in the kitchen.
The back entrance (nobody ever used the front entrance) had a verandah that had to be smeared with a mixture of cattle dung every so often - with your bare hands and on your knees. -O -O That was my job..


The skuur (5) was used as a storage place for the spaider. z0z
It was also the living quarters for laborers.
One laborer was a big black guy – named Poison. He always had a knob stick with him, to help with baboon attacks.
My granddad got his first car at the age of 72. Think it was a Carona bakkie.. :D
The skuur was something similar to this...


No. 6 was the tobacco shelter where the leaves were hung out to dry. I loved the smell. 8-)
Halfway dug under ground with the low roof nearly touching the ground.


No 7 The loo…. Long drop :oops:

The kraal (8) was built of round rocks and we loved being there at the time they milked the cows.
We had some of the warm milk before the cream was removed.
BTW - that's how gran made her money by selling off her cream and turkeys. When she passed away, she left each of her 5 kids a piece of land.

In the koppies (9) we played for hours with our paper dolls on flat pieces of rock while the boys played with pieces of ochre and sticks – it helped to be 5 kids… enough friends. OiO
This is a pic I took in Dec2011 of the area...


The road (10) leading to the back of the farm, was lined with eucalyptus (gum) trees and had a strong smell to them. As children we even chewed on the young leaves. It was on this road that I remember bunches and bunches’ of those little red flowers.


Thank you for sharing your pop-corn with me,
The end… really, really

[Amoli]

I will post a a few pics of our sightings..... these were literally 'in my face'. :lol: I could not fit the whole giraffe in my picture, because it was SOOOO near.

The herd was well spread over a big area - so I did have the far pictures and the near - the front and the behind - and the tar crossing... -O







Every visit has it's own surprises...