Flutts, The Brat and Mommo - OUR BEST TRIP EVER

[steamtrainfan]

Oh man - what a wonderful start to Kruger trip. No wonder you call it "Best Trip Ever"

Your photos of the leopard are true masterpieces.

Then old "Floppy Ear" - quite a big guy by the looks of him.

Leopard drinking at Orpens water hole "green green green and even greener"

[Toko]

Now we are talking! That's a proper LIT sighting (even with traffic jam )

[Twigga]

WHOOOOOOW!



Fantastic sightings, and that leopard is a beauty!

[Flutterby]

Our bestest leopard sighting ever!!

[Pumbaa]

Indeed an incredible leopard sighting, Bush Brat

Really enjoy the tour with you

[Bush Brat]

wow wow wow this Leopard

It was a great sighting nan!

Oh man - what a wonderful start to Kruger trip. No wonder you call it "Best Trip Ever"

Your photos of the leopard are true masterpieces.

Then old "Floppy Ear" - quite a big guy by the looks of him.

Leopard drinking at Orpens water hole "green green green and even greener"

Yip stf, that is exactly why I called it Best Trip Ever...and the trip is not even far from over!

Now we are talking! That's a proper LIT sighting (even with traffic jam )

It was amazing Toko, such a privilege!

WHOOOOOOW!



Fantastic sightings, and that leopard is a beauty!

It was beautiful Twigga! Thanks for following!

Sept. 30 2010 – Orpen to Olifants and back – Part 1

After sleeping like the dead we woke at 5.15 ready for action. That morning we had planned for a brunch to have at Olifants later that day.

We were out the gate just after 6am and made our way towards Satara. Our first sighting were 4 jackals in the distance – our first of the trip, but too far for a pic. We then found 2 lazy hyena on either side of the road. Looked like they could have used a cup of coffee.



These warthogs were enjoying their breakfast.



There was a lot of game around – impala, kudu, monkeys, ellies – and birds – more ground hornbills, whitecrowned shrike, burchell’s coucal.



Before Nsemani we saw this little family.



Just before reaching the H1-4 there were lots of vultures circling. We stopped to try and get some pics and noticed that they were landing about 200m into the bush. There were also a few maribou storks and we could see that they were eating something. While trying to figure it out 2 rangers in a bakkie arrived and drove into the bush. One of them got out and walked around where the vultures were and then got back in the vehicle. When they got back to the road we stopped them and asked what they were looking for, but they were not very communicative and just said “carcass” before driving on. I thought they might have been checking to see if the dead animal was a result of a kill or poachers?



We stopped in at Satara to let Rex and Johanna have a look around, and my mom grabbed the chance to do some birding!! The birds were very busy in the parking area – barbets, hoopoes, orioles, paradise flycatcher, but no scops owl!

Not a very good pic but a first.



We carried on towards Olifants, passed some buffs and at last found a rhino – the Big 5 at last! We moved off and found another 4 rhino on the other side of the road sleeping under a tree. Not one rhino the day before, and now we see them all at the same time!! -O



A bit further on someone waved us down, and pointed out 2 lionesses in the distance , but they were much too far for any pics. While watching them through the binococules, another one appeared, but they soon disappeared into the shade of some trees. We moved on, seeing another rhino and the off to Olifants!

[steamtrainfan]

Excellent narration to go with the great photos. Well done B.B.

Looked like they could have used a cup of coffee.

-O -O

[Mel]

So, Toko was right - it had been a leopard ahead indeed. Great pix!

Like stf I had a good laugh about the hyenas needing some coffee. -O -O -O

[PRWIN]

Great shots

[Bush Brat]

Excellent narration to go with the great photos. Well done B.B.

Looked like they could have used a cup of coffee.

-O -O

Thanks so much for your consistent compliments stf!!

So, Toko was right - it had been a leopard ahead indeed. Great pix!

Like stf I had a good laugh about the hyenas needing some coffee. -O -O -O

Thanks for following Mel!

Great shots

Sept. 30 2010 – Orpen to Olifants and back – Part 2

At the Nyamarhi waterhole two ellies entertained us for a while. The smaller one was not at all impressed with the impala and flapped his ears and waved his trunk whenever they got too close.





This giraffe tried very hard to hide behind that little branch, and when that didn’t work, gave me the evil eye instead! -O -O



We made the obligatory stop on the Olifants bridge – Rex and Johanna found it quite exciting to be allowed out of the car in the wild!! There were lots of ellies and the resident croc.



Rex, me, Johanna & Mommo with the Tank!



We eventually got to Olifants, and the temperature was at least 40 degrees if not more!! We found the shadiest spot we could and got started on a big greasy fry-up – eggs, bacon, porkies, tomatoes, mushrooms, and to top it off some champagne & orange juice...well just orange juice for me!! We then made our way to the lookout point, with heavy stomachs!

Rex and Johanna loved the lookout point where we could see waterbuck, baboons and some kudu.

We decided to take the S92 to Balule, get onto the S90 and eventually onto the S100 – we had to do THAT road before going down to Lower Sabie the next day. The heat was now stifling (I don’t know why no one thought to put the aircon on?) On the low level bridge before Balule we had a kingfisher who sat perfectly still while we clicked away.



We moved on seeing more ellies, our first secretary birds, baboons, zebras and this raptor – a young bateleur?



Keeping cool. -O



The S100 at last – and what did we see? A Sabota Lark, a pair of Saddlebilled Storks, a Tawny Eagle and nothing else!! You either love it or hate it (although I have to admit that I still love it even though we have not had good luck there recently!).

We started back towards Orpen, seeing some ellies and vultures, and a herd of buffs enjoying the shade at Nsemani.



We got back to camp at about 5.30, and went straight to the pool to cool off. Then it was time to start the braai and relax. We feasted on spare ribs, rump steak, boiled potatoes and strawberry & sweet chilli salad, washed down with some cold wine, and an Amarula to end off the day. As we were getting ready for bed someone called out that the leopard was back , so off to the fence again!! The perfect ending to another perfect day. Or so I thought – there was more action to come!!!

While my mom was in the shower we heard a loud bang! We assumed it was my mom in the shower but then suddenly our hut was illuminated with torch lights and there I saw him...a honey badger on our veranda!!! My mom came out of the shower just in time and out we went to see if we could find as he had just run off. We saw him again quite far off and then went back to the hut. This was my first honey badger!! Since then we have seen Honey Badger on all but one of our trips to the park!

What a night!!! Leopard and Honey Badger!!