Africa Wild

13th July Lower Sabie to Biyamiti

When the alarm went off at 5am this morning I wasn’t keen to move as it had been a late night at RP’s spot and my pip wasn’t feeling too healthy, therefore when the Cow silenced it and didn’t move I just keep quiet, but the darn thing went off again 15 minutes later, so I was forced to move.

We were also moving to Biyamiti for our last night, so all the packing had to be done, which I definitely didn’t feel like doing.

We eventually had the car packed and were ready to leave just after 6:30am, however I noticed that there was no movement from RP’s spot, so I was seriously tempted to hoot outside his window, but decided it would irritate more than just RP, therefore chose to duck on our morning drive.

The plan was to head to the S79 causeway where we had spotted the mating leopards the day before and then just take things from there.

As we left camp I broke the news to the family about RP’s ice bucket curse, which didn’t go down well, so I said “Don’t be crazy, we are in the south so we will definitely find a predator of some sort”.

First up was a hippo cruising on the wrong side of the river and then some hornbills in the road.





I had high hopes approaching the causeway and drove it very slowly, but saw nothing until we were close to the end. It was Wendy stopped on the side of the road as the dirt met the tar, so I immediately said “Hey there’s Wendy”, but then remembered the “coffee” making story, therefore I stopped while we were still on the dirt and said to the Cow “What do you think Wendy is doing” and the Cow also wasn’t sure, so I said “Do you remember the coffee story, we better duck”, so we quickly charged past Wendy all looking out the other window in case she was “making coffee”.

Just up the road we found Heksie and her mom, so I shouted morning and explained our “Wendy sighting”. They had also done the causeway with the same hopes that we had, but also nothing.

We stopped at Nkuhlu and shortly thereafter Heksie and Wendy arrived.

I explained my RP induced sore pip and the ice bucket curse, so asked if they spotted any predators to send me a message as I had to break the pattern. Wendy explained that she was actually really pouring herself a cup of coffee. They headed up towards Skukuza and we ducked back towards Lower Sabie and I thought to myself “There are 3 of us looking now, so we have to break the curse”.

Next up for us were a few junior franklins which are actually a major mission to photograph.



We then found nothing much else all the way to Lower Sabie, so decided to drive a little of the H10, but after 8km had only spotted a buffalo, so took a pic and turned to head back.



The H10 Bridge produced a few locals who got the rats excited, but I was now starting to flap about this darn curse.







We then decided to drive down to the S28 turnoff as we had spotted a leopard there the previous day and others had found him there the day before also, so we stopped on the little bridge just before the turnoff, switched off and relaxed.

I was fairly happy with this relaxing for a change as I could rest my pip, but in 5 minutes we were surrounded by cars all chirping “What, where, etc”, so I lost it and continued on down the H4-2.

100m meters later we found an oncoming car stopped in the middle of the road and a camera was sticking out the window, so I slowed and stopped 5 meters from them as I didn’t want to drive past them while they were trying to take a picture of something. We then realized that they were taking pics of a LBR next to the road, so the Cow decided to also take a pic, but as she was about to the bird flew off.

Suddenly the oncoming car started revving, so I looked at them and an old duck was shaking her head violently at me, which I couldn’t work out and then she spun off, so I said to the Cow “What was up with that old bat” and she didn’t know.

We sat for a minute trying to decide what to do next as it was still early and we could only book in at Biyamiti at 2pm, so eventually decided to turn and head back to Lower Sabie for some hot chips as I was lacking in enthusiasm.

As we turned we were faced with the traffic jam we had created on the little bridge just after the S28 turnoff, as all were still convinced that we had spotted something there, so I was forced to stop behind the gang and wait for them to get bored of the imaginary sighting.

The old bat from the LBR sighting was also there and blocking the road as she had pulled up next to the other cars on the wrong side of the road and she obviously knew somebody else there as she was chirping out her window.

Suddenly she blurted “I had a beautiful bird in my view finder and that @@#%#%......*@#$$# behind you stopped and chased it away” (but in Afrikaans). It took the Cow and I a few seconds to register what the bat had just said, but when I did I was wild, so slammed my car in first and drove right up to the car in front of me and said “Hey, excuse me” and the Cow also suddenly let rip “I will get out and slap the old duck”, which caught me by surprise and I nearly started laughing.

The bat either heard us or spotted our instant approach and speed off.

We sat there shocked for a few seconds as we had made a point of not interfering with her photograph and it was just a LBR.

I now had forgotten that I was in KNP and wanted to make a speech with this bat, so decided to follow her up the road and tell her that her fabulous bird was just a LBR and there were thousands in KNP and just maybe I should wash her mouth out with soap as I had kids in the car listening to her conversion.

The bat was still out of sight by the time we reached Lower Sabie, so I thought that we would catch her in the car park, but we couldn’t find her car, so we eventually decided to just go and get the hot chips, but I was still wild.

We took pics of the normal hippo gang while waiting, but the entire time I was looking out for the bat.



The chips were taking their time as usual, but it was busy, so I decided to take the junior rats on a tour of the safari tent section and met a cool American dude who let us check his spot out. As a large clan we have never been able to stay in these tents, but I’m plotting to book 2 for next year.

After an hour we had finished the hot chips and I still had no messages from Heksie, so we decided to check out the sighting board, but in 3 years the magnets still haven’t been replaced, so the 1 or 2 remaining lion and leopard magnets move around with each new person, therefore we gave up on it and decided to just head down to Biyamiti.

Albert moaned all the way to the car “Dad, why did you take the ice, RP has cursed us”.

To be continued

Thanks Flutts, Mel, pooky, BB and STF for commenting.

That darn ice bucket curse goes back a long way and first made its appearance on the SPF many years ago, but has since be banned from there.

To my knowledge it hasn’t been broken, but RP knows the details. I certainly won’t steal RP’s ice again

Heksie wrote:BC I remember sending something of cat sorts at Biyamiti weir
I'm sorry that you didn't see any cats You can always try again next time
YOu should've given the old bat the finger to fly with her LBR's to a warmer climate...
Love the monitor peeping over the bridge

Yip, cheetah, but they weren’t at the weir; they were at the Biyamiti Bridge on the H3, so too far Probably the same ones spotted by RP

I have only posted the morning part though, we still drive to Biyamiti

I was shocked at what the old bat said, so the brain took time to kick into gear

13th July Lower Sabie to Biyamiti continued

It was just before 11am now and I was sweating for a predator to break RP’s darn curse, so we decided to drive the S28 down to Croc Bridge, fill the car up and then duck down the S25 towards Biyamiti.

Halfway down the S28 Albert came up with a desperate plan to con RP. She suggested that we put her fluffy toy leopard in a bush at camp and take a few photos only showing the spots and then say we found a leopard deep in the bush. I thought it was a brilliant plan if required.

We arrived at the S28/S107 intersection and decided to check out the old Nhlanganzwani Dam and as we arrived there was a movement on the old dam wall. They were a long way off, but we didn’t care as the mission to break RP’s curse had been achieved.







We could relax now and really didn’t care what we spotted next.

The rest of the drive to Biyamiti produced the normal locals, more ostrich, a faulty large ellie and strangely a hyena cruising around in the middle of the day.








During the course of our morning travels we also spotted plenty rhino, including another blackie found by BP and what was amazing for me was that most didn’t have a clue it was a black rhino and just drove on.





To be continued

13th July Lower Sabie to Biyamiti continued and 14th July Home

We all have our favourite camps and Biyamiti is mine, so I always relax and slow down when there, which works for me at the end of a KNP trip as we have a long drive home the next morning.

There was a large herd of ellies just in front of the units, so we went on a walk around camp before unpacking. The difference between watching ellies from Biyamiti and Lower Sabie deck for example is that there’s complete silence except for any noise that they are making and you almost feel that there’s no fence between you.





After we unpacked I poured myself a dop and went to sit on one of the benches next to the fence line to continue watching the ellies. A few minutes later my phone beeped, it was Heksie and there was major action on the H4-1, but I won’t mention what was happening as it will spoil her TT. This update from Heksie got me checking the time and plotting routes, but there was no way we could make it there and back, so I continued watching ellies.

Then the phone went again, it was another mate at Croc Bridge, 15 lion had appeared just outside camp and were currently sleeping next to the road. This was a sighting we could make, so I went to inform the family who didn’t seem that interested and when I thought about it I also wasn’t that interested in seeing more sleeping lions and fighting the gang of cars that would come with it, so we stuck to our original plan which was to cruise the private road down to the Biyamiti weir.

The road to the weir produced giraffe, buffalo, kudu and a few other locals, but we didn’t take pics and just enjoyed the peace of being alone on the private road as we only spotted one other car all the way to the weir, which we have found is often the case on this road.

The weir locals were all out to greet us.













The drive back to camp produced the same locals, but with one addition, a member of the faulty Biyamiti ellie gang made an appearance.



Our Biyamiti ritual of a large wood fire and gathering followed



Lions roared on and off while we were cooking and I really feel that there’s something special about Biyamiti

Our final morning arrived with the normal pelicans, so I just wanted to get home; therefore even if it meant long lips from the Cow and clan I headed for Croc Bridge with blinkers on and only stopped once for an Eagle Owl.



Check the temperature halfway to Croc Bridge, which was a little cold for a KZN gang




Lastly, thanks to all of you guys that have shared our adventure with us and for allowing us the opportunity to relive our trip.

Bushcraft, the Cow and the Rats.

steamtrainfan wrote:Your pics of the fish eagle and malachite king fisher are exceptional. What camera did you use?

A truly stunning and entertaining TT that has had Joan and I sharing all the emotions you guys experienced.

Thanks so much for allowing us the privilege of sharing this TT with you.

Looking forward to your next one.

Thanks STF

It’s funny that you ask about the camera

Most will give me carrots for this but google the below

Canon SX50 vs Canon 550 (or 600 or 650 or 700) and the SX50, which is a point and shoot (@ R4500), will give them all carrots according to the experts

Check the below

550D at 500mm



SX50 at max optical zoom, which is around 1000mm equivalent



I personally would rather have the SX50 pic and find it drills most for stationery subjects, although it does fall flat when speed is required, but what would a 7D or 700D cost with a 1000mm lens

Bushcraft wrote: what would a 7D or 700D cost with a 1000mm lens

I know how much a 700D costs...especially when you get scammed in the process!! The Brat has/had the Canon SX 30 IS before the 700D and the pics weren't as good as yours! Let's see what he produces on our trip, but a great pic anyway!

With a zoom capability of 1200mm you are going to have a rock steady hand or a tripod to get such clear pictures on any zoom from 500 to 1200mm.

However, the difference in clarity is between the two is amazing.

Hi BC! Awesoem pic of the Kingfisher!
Thanks so much for giving us an awesome TT - really enjoyed it!

On all the occasions I have used my 700D (which have not been too many ) I have found it to be a lot better than my old SX 30, but I don't know so much about the SX 50.

Amoli wrote:I am amazed by the comparison of these pics BC..

My grandson is due for a camera, and I will certainly look at this option

You can't go wrong with the SX50