5 April 2011

Cape Town to Oudtshoorn t0 Kokstad to Kruger National Park for 7 days then  back to Kokstad to Karoo National Park (Beaufort West) to Cape Town.  Phew – a lot of travelling done in 10 days.  But it has been a most rewarding time.   Seeing our grandchildren’s faces and hearing their cries of delight when they’ve spotted cheetah, leopard, lion, hyena, elephant, rhino, buffalo and wild dog has given us great pleasure.   We have watched as they’ve become more observant of the smaller things in the park, they have a fresh appreciation for birds and they’re all deeply concerned about poaching and determined to do their part for conservation.
We would love to take them again but next time we’ll choose a different time of year – summer is best for birds.  Luck was with us as far as spotting interesting things this time and each day had its special highlight but there were long stretches in the car when little was seen.  Many people say June/July is best when the grass is short and its easy to see game but for us summer has always been productive for both birds and mammals.   I think the time has come too when the long drive from Cape Town is just too long.   We will in future fly and hire a vehicle – and this is for the sake of Grandpa who insists on doing all the driving!

We are proud that the kids were so patient in the car, did their chores dutifully and behaved beautifully.  We hope we’ve given them a passion for the wild and that their introduction to photography will become a life-long hobby.