Visiting the Kids in Kokstad – Stopover at Mountain Zebra National Park

2015-04-23 | puppy1952

Our next stopover was Mountain Zebra National Park. We spent two nights there. Our accommodation was a family cottage and it was amazing. The beds had down duvets – very necessary as it was freezing! The cottage was spotless and well equipped, the towels snowy white and everything worked! We had a beautiful view and the monkeys were our most frequent visitors. We had one breakfast and one dinner at the restaurant and we were hugely impressed. The service was friendly and efficient and the food excellent.

The lovley thing about Mountain Zebra National Park which is situated near Cradock in the Eastern Cape is that it is totally unspoilt. It is a small park set in the mountains, with plenty of mountain zebra and other mammals including 2 male lions (we did not see them) some cheetah (didn’t see them either) black rhino (dipped of these too) buffalo, red harteest, gemsbok and variety of other buck species. The birdlife is also varied and we were well entertained on our drives. The scenery too is magnificent. We checked out the campsite and were impressed. We will come here with the caravan on future visits. The only reason we did not bring the caravan this time was because we were to be staying with Lauren and going to a few places where we could not camp.

Tuesday 14 april 2015 Mountain Zebra National Park

The drive to Mountain Zebra National Park near Craddock is a pleasant 5 hours. We stop for breakfast at Uniondale. We find a restaurant but are told that it is no longer functioning and she directs us to the hotel. It looks very bleak and uninviting but we are welcomed and shown into a large dining room with beautiful paintings of Italy on the walls. The coffee is excellent and we order omelettes which are lovely. The melon and ginger jam with toast is quite delightful. We are the only patrons but as we are leaving I see a woman of about my age and her mother approaching the restaurant. They look a little unsure. I ask if they’re going for breakfast and the younger woman says – We just want coffee – is it any good. Ï assure that it is and tell her that if she doesn’t want breakfast she could just order the toast and melon and ginger jam. She looks relieved and ushers her ancient mom, walking with a stick, into the restaurant.

It is overcast and cold at first and freezing in Uniondale but the weather gradually warms up. It is 24 C when we get to the reserve. We drive around for a while and see Mountain Zebra, Red Hartebeest, Kudu, monkeys and a variety of birds including scaly-feathered finch, common fiscal, white-browed sparrow-weaver, Cape sparrow, white-backed mousebirds, Rufous-cheeked warbler, blacksmith lapwing, spoonbill, Egyptian Geese and yellow-billed ducks.

This is why it is called Mountain Zebra National Park

We then check in and have a short rest in our cottage – number 6.

At 4:30 we drive out again and it is very cold. We see a variety of animals and birds and then return and have a braai for supper.

WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL 2015 MOUNTAIN ZEBRA NATIONAL PARK
We wake up without the alarm at 6:30. Gate opening is 7:00. We are out by 7:10 and take the mountain pass route. There is lots of game about – buffalo, black wildebeest, blesbok, springbok and eland. Birdlife is good too. A little pond produces spoonbills, yellow-billed ducks and red billed teal – rare in the park. The monkeys in the park are very naughty as moneys tend to be – we were amused to see them try to chase a pair of blue crane. By the end of the drive we had our bird list up to 35 – not as many as I thought but we seem to see the same species over and over again.

Back at camp we have breakfast at the restaurant – we are the only guests but the eggs and bacon for Earl and omelette for me are excellent.

Earl takes a nap and I go for a walk. I find a woodpecker, chestnut vented tit-babbler, mouse-birds, cliff swallows, a double-collared sunbird and lots of Cape Buntings. The walk is lovely and I want to do the longer, Black Eagle one but decide that it’s not idea to do it on my own.

Earl wakes up from his snooze at 2:30 and we go out for another drive. We take the 4X2 Loop which is very scenic but does not produce much game or birds. Towards the end we do see lots of baboons, black wildebeest, blesbok, zebra and springbok.
The birding toward the camp is good and once inside camp we find a few golden breasted bunting. Our list is now up to 42 species.

We return and it is getting really cold. Earl can’t seem to warm up and his gout is bothering him. I take a hot shower and put on a long sleeved dress and leggings. We go to the restaurant for supper. Earl has lamb shank and I order two starters – springbok carpaccio and chilli chicken livers. The meal is amazing. I am hugely impressed with the standard of the restaurant. Much better than the Bug ‘n Mean in Kruger National Park.
When we return to the chalet Earl has a hot shower and hops into bed. I put an extra blanket on to ensure that he doesn’t freeze to death. Later in the evening I have to get up and it is absolutely freezing! The temperatures really drop here at night – not that they are that high during the day!

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi Twee Rivieren Tuesday 31 March 2015

2015-04-22 | puppy1952

Today is our last full day in the park. We are up at the usual early hour of 5:15 and ready to leave by 6:15. From tomorrow gate opening time moves to 7:00 am.

It is still overcast but the air temperature is warm. We take the Rooiputs Road. Just before Rooiputs Jim and Maureen stop ahead of us. I look to the right and spot one cheetah, then Earl says there is one in the tree – then a second one jumps down from the tree. We watch the three cheetah play and roll and generally get going for the morning. Soon other cars gather and we all jostle for position while watching what the cheetahs will do. Eventually they make their way to the ridge and disappear.

At 7:15 we find a tawny eagle that is very photographable. There is a Lanner in the same tree.

At quarter to eight we find the same two male lions we saw yesterday. They are fat and lazy and do very little but sleep. We wonder where the females are and Earl finds them on a distant dune but they do not make a proper appearance. After watching the more wakeful male do his ablutions we move on as the loo is calling.

At Melkvlei we have a brief loo break then move on to see if we can find the other cheetahs but don’t have any luck so we return to Melkvlei for breakfast.

Later we find one of the males on the move. We hear the first one had already gone over the ridge.

We then make our way back to Twee Rivieren stopping to enjoy the smaller things.

Back at camp, I do the laundry and make sandwiches for lunch. The Pearl Spotted owl is back in our tree and while photographing him I find a brubru as well. Earl takes a nap and I wander around camp to do some birding. When he wakes he joins me. We then go for a short drive to find more birds. We do find a Brant’s Whistling Rat!

Brubru

Groundscraper Thrush

Ground Squirrel emerging from his hole

Brant’s Whistling Rat

Secretary Bird on top of tree

Scaly Feathered Finch

For supper Maureen makes a delicious lamb chop curry. We turn in at 9. Tomorrow we will wake a little later, pack up and leave KTP at about 9.

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi Twee Rivieren Monday 30 March 2015

2015-04-21 | puppy1952

It rained during the night and it is quite chilly when we wake up this morning. However, I still think shorts will be okay. Luckily I take a fleece with me as the weather does not warm up above 20 degrees C.
Earl goes ahead to wait in the queue while I go to the loo. As I walk towards reception I notice that two cars are already lining up at the gate. This means that they did not hand in their permits last night and are illegally up front! The rest of us wait for the gate staff to arrive and check us out before we can drive to the game area gate! Jim should be first but is now third and Earl is fourth. We take the Rooiputs road and have a brief encounter with some playful jackal.
At quarter to eight we see the illegal starters stopped on the side of the road – they are looking at lion.
The first one I spot is a big male.

then Earl points out two females near to him. They are just lying there in on the dune.
Another male is short way away fast asleep. While we watch, the females get up and go up onto the ridge. Then three more come over to meet them. We can hear roaring and suspect there is another male somewhere.
We watch the male get up take a walk and find a puddle to drink from but nothing else special happens so we move on.

A few kilometres on we find a female crouching in hunting mode at the crest of the dune. We watch her for a while but do not see what she is stalking so we move on.

Martial Eagle

We stop at Melkvlei for a loo break and then decide to retrace our route and take the Dune road to Achterlonie. We find the same female and hear a roar. At first we think a male is calling her but then see that she is the one making the din!
On the Dune road we are delighted to see that beautiful yellow flowers have sprung up after the rains. I think they are called Dubbeltjies.

We see korhaan and Kori Bustards and two Spurwinged geese fly overhead. Some ant-eating chats don’t like the tawny that perches in their territory.

Two jackal puppies are exploring unattended by their parents. They seem nervous of the car at first and then ignore us and continue their antics. They are so cute one feels that one can pick them up and take them home for pets.

We have breakfast at Achterlonie and take a look at the old historic cottage. It is so cold that we eat in the car.
The rest of our trip produces very little and we are back at camp by 12:30. At half past three we decide to go to The Kgalagadi lodge for a late lunch instead of cooking supper tonight. We are delighted with our meals – pepper steaks for Jim, Maureen and Earl and I have an Adam and Eve – Rump steak with green fig and blue cheese sauce.

When we return Earl and I decide to take a quick drive to the waterhole – but stay out longer than we planned! We try to find yesterday’s caracal without success but enjoy a bit of bird-watching. The highlight is a martial eagle and when we get back into the gate we find black-faced wax-bills.

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi Polentswa Tuesday 24 March 2015

2015-04-16 | puppy1952

It rained again in the night but this morning, though cold the weather has cleared. Nevertheless I dress in jeans and a long sleeve shirt and we head for Polentswa waterhole. The baby owl is the only creature of real interest.

We continue to Kannegaus and on the way find a rabbit in our path. There is plenty of water on the road and all the waterholes are flooded with other water lying about nearby. We see mainly wildebeest and gemsbok drinking.

002 Kousant Water Hole flooded Helen Powershot 2015-03-24 07-48-03 AM 4608x3456

The Gemsbok seem amazed at the extra water at the borehole

The sandgrouse are having a lovely time with more choices of water supply and less hassles from lanners. We find them drinking all over the place.

We do not see much but here are photographs of what we did see today.

The Crowned Lapwings were everywhere – just loving all the puddles

A lanner wondering where all the doves are

A jackal relaxing on the muddy river bed

We were back in camp by lunch time and the weather had warmed up to shorts and t-shirt status again.

The enormous sky

And the sun starts to set

Red Sky at night Kgalagdi delight

For dinner Maureen cooked a lovely meal of mince, potatoes and gem squash. It was pleasant sitting out but by 8 o’clock it looked like it would rain so we got into our caravans and had an early night. There was a brief storm but nothing too serious.

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi – Nossob to Polentswa Friday 20 March 2015

2015-04-12 | puppy1952

Last night is a bit chilly but it makes a change from the extreme heat. We must remember, though, to pack an extra blanket next time. The weather can change so suddenly in the desert.

We are a tad later than usual and once again the showers are cold! Yet, in the laundry the water is piping hot! There is obviously a maintenance problem that is being ignored.

Packing up this morning goes a lot more smoothly than at Mata Mata. Earl decides to use a screw driver to help get the roof to lock down. There is no threat of divorce or murder! It is an uneventful trip to Polentswa except for a kori bustard walking on the road ahead of Jim’s car.

Polentswa is on the Botswana side of KTP and is an unfenced camp. There are only three campsites quite separate from each other with private en-camp long-drops! There is no water and no electricity. Thus we have to bring enough water, food and fuel for 7 days! We each find a shady tree and begin setting up. Although the morning started at 12 degrees C it is now very hot. We manage to set up with little frustration and no fights! Earl and I are ready first as we do not travel as elaborately as Jim and Maureen! Earl decides to cook breakfast and scrambled eggs, bacon, tomato and banana are ready by 12 noon.

My own personal chef

We sit under the A frame which at this time is the coolest part of the campsite.

Shady and cool under the A Frame

Some pretty butterflies settle on our fingers

Tiny, blue butterflies were flitting about and weren’t to shy to settle on a finger

Our closest neighbours are some confiding birds and half a dozen mice!

Striped Mouse

Chestnut-vented Titbabbler

At 4:30 we take a drive to Polentswa waterhole which is just a km from camp. We see jackal drinking. A red hartebeest comes down is seems nervous of the doves which swarm to and from the drinking hole. At last he sums up the courage and goes down on his knees to get a drink. Nothing else happens so we return to camp and have braaied steaks for supper.

002 Red Hartebeest Drinking at Polentswa Earl 2015-03-20 05-31-12 PM 4752x3168

Getting closer to the water

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi – Nossob Thursday 19 March 2015

2015-04-11 | puppy1952

Today is a rest day. We go out early in a southerly direction and try to find the lions but we have no luck and find out later that nobody else had a particularly successful day today either.

The highlight of the drive is at Casper se Draai. We spot the melanistic Gabar settled in a tree which does not make for good photography. But it flies off and we head in the same direction and find it perched in a tree with a juvenile and another Gabar of normal plumage. It is obviously a family – Mom, Dad and junior. They have a dove in the foliage and are feasting on it. Luckily for us they are on the correct side of the road – not into the sun – and we get some reasonable photographs.

Melanistic Gabar Goshawk

Normal plumage of Gabar Goshawk

001 Melanistic and Normal Earl 2015-03-19 07-50-45 AM 3162x2116

Parent and juvenile on right

We decide to return to camp and have a rest day as we are leaving for Polentswa tomorrow. On the way back we do some more birding.

Familar Chat

Yellow Canary

Crimson-breasted shrike

Burchell’s Sandgrouse

After lunch I go for a swim and meet some people from Somerset West. They ask where I live and I say – Fish Hoek. Oh says the lady, we are with our aunt and uncle from Fish Hoek – Eric and Margaret. I am gob-smacked. They are members of The Bird Club and I know Margaret and Eric very well. I also know their daughters! Later Earl and I pop up to their chalet to say hi. I had told Eric that we were off to KTP and he’d said – You lucky fish! At that stage he didn’t know that he would also be having a trip here – two weeks ago his daughter, Alison, suggested he and Margaret go in their place as here hubby, Alan was not well. Margaret tells me that it has been a brilliant trip with their niece and nephew treating them like royalty! Her niece also said that they’d learnt a lot about birds from Eric!

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi – Nossob Wednesday 18 March 2015

2015-04-10 | puppy1952

We wake to a calm and pleasant morning. But there is desert sand everywhere! Maureen and I head for the showers at the same time and decide to deal with clean up after our morning game drive when it is light enough to see. The showers are cold again this morning and as the temperature of the day is cooler I don’t feel as tolerant about the cold water as I did yesterday!

We head North on our drive and see very little. There is a family of three jackal that amuse us and watching the Lanners chase doves at the waterholes is always fun.

They are up to something

Annoying a bateleur

Earl has a tummy ache and we decide to return to camp. At 9:30 I give Earl a Myprodol. An hour later the pain is gone! It It just 10:40 when we get back to Nossob and the delivery truck has arrived. However, very little produce is delivered. We buy water, ice a packet of tomatoes, bread and some canned foods. I spend the next hour or so cleaning up the sand and wiping down the caravan. Fortunately there is no damage. We set up the side wall of the canopy and all is well again.

Maureen and Jim arrive an hour later and I take all the dishes from last night to wash. I boil some eggs and make and add them to our left over salad which we all have for lunch along with some canned fish and 3 bean salad that Maureen produces.

After lunch Maureen and I both have a bit of washing to do and to of course the lunch dishes are done before we go to the pool for a swim. Earl has a nap and feels much better afterwards.

We go for our afternoon drive at 4:30 taking the South Road and Marie se Draai. We stop to watch a PCG catch and devour a mouse.

On the way back on the Nossob road we see a traffic jam caused by 18 lions lying asleep all the way across the road. We decide to turn around and go back via Marie se Draai.

Supper is a delicious Chicken and vegetable stew cooked by Maureen. Stormy weather threatens and there is a spit and a spot of rain but nothing soaking. We photograph a lovely rainbow and pray that more rain will fall. The wind is blowing but not as violently as yesterday. We watch the lightening for a while and then decide to turn in early.

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi Mata Mata to Nossob Sunday 15 March 2015

2015-04-07 | puppy1952

We are up very early and start the final packing for departure. The most difficult part is getting the roof of the Comfort Van down. It is very difficult to clip into place there being a front part and a back part that needs to be done. If the one end clips the other won’t and we have not yet learned the knack of getting it right. One is also in danger of bashing one’s head on the ceiling if one doesn’t duck just in time. I am uselessly impractical and tend have serious coordination problems which frustrates the perfectionist in my darling husband. He has soon collected several reasons to divorce or kill me when Jim comes to the rescue and offers to help. I feel fractionally better when I find that the two men have as much trouble as I did with the task but they finally do it without destroying their beautiful friendship. This particular caravan has a problem and Earl says he will have to make a few adjustments so that the mechanism will work more easily in the future!

We had planned to leave at 7 but are ready to roll at 6:35 and we are out of the gate by 6:40 – just 10 minutes later than our usual start. This is as well as we have 160km of rough roads to negotiate while towing our caravan and the maximum allowed speed is 50km/hr

We spot at speed for a while and get Jackal, White-backed vultures and gemsbok before Jim and Maureen stop at 7:00. What do they see – then I spot them – 3 female lions and a tumble of the tiniest kittens. I call them kittens because they are the tiniest cubs I have ever seen. They must be only a few weeks old. Other tourists are turning their vehicle round to follow them and one chap teases us – “Why don’t you turn round and follow too!” If only!

But we are delighted to have got this much of them. I find out later that M&J had seen the male too. He was sitting down proudly watching his family. Somehow E and I missed that!

We do not take the loops round the waterholes but travel the bypass road instead keeping a sharp lookout for anything interesting. We spot three cheetahs (which J and M miss) on the ridge of the dune. It looks like they intend going to 14^th Waterhole.

We pass some giraffe then turn onto the Dune Road toward Nossob. The vegetation is denser now but the game is sparse. We find one or two steenbok which we haven’t seen this trip yet. A Kori Bustard struts past and a lanner flies into a tree. At Vaalpan we find a black headed heron in a small waterhole.

Jim is ahead of us and when we catch up he is stationery – we think to wait for us but when we draw up beside him he points to Northern Black Korhaan – the dunes are famous for these birds.

At Elan Water Hole we find a jackal and a little later we spot red hartebeest.

Our loo stop is at Kikbaardskolk picnic site where we meet some people who warn us that there is ‘nothing to see’ in the Nossob area. The annual rains have not yet arrived and may in fact be too late. There will be consequences to the wildlife if good rains don’t come soon.

We find Gemsbok at both Dikbaardskolk Water Hole and Kaspersdraai Water Hole where there is also a jackal. Finally we arrive at Nossob at about 9:30. Jim and Maureen go straight to the camping area and find the shadiest spot they can. I go to reception and the man complains that people seek their camping spot before checking in! We decide not to go out for a game drive today as it is just too hot!

I am finding camping so much nicer than staying in chalets. Ones fellow campers are all so friendly and one gets to meet some interesting people. After breakfast I take the dishes to wash and find a gentleman sitting at a counter, laptop plugged sorting out his photographs. He calls me over and shows me the most amazing video and photo sequence of a leopard that came down to drink as Kaspersdraai water hole. It was on his granddaughter’s birthday so he named her Tara. Later when I return to do some washing he is there with his friend Peter – both of them on their computers. They are discussing birds that they might see and mention that in the rainy season you could sea knob-billed duck. Isn’t that now called comb duck, I ignorantly chime in. Oh no, says Peter – the comb duck is in India – we’ve changed our one’s name back to knob-billed duck. And if you read my book you will have all the new names. Turns out he is Peter Ginn chief editor of The best companion to Southern African Birding.

I meet Peter, his wife Irene and their friends in the pool later. Peter offers me his set of books at a reduced price and I tell him that I’ll chat to E which I do later and Earl is dead keen. Other campers had shown us these beautiful coffee table books at Mata Mata and E was impressed. Peter agreed to give us his banking details and we are now the proud owners of these stunning books signed by both him and his wife who is co-editor!

For supper we do steaks, sweet potato and onions on the braai and combine our ingredients for a salad. It won’t be long before we run out of fresh veggies so we’re making the most of it while they last.

It is very hot tonight and I wring my sarong out in cold water and sleep with it draped over me. I don’t wake till 5 the next morning!

Caravanning in The Kgalagadi – Mata Mata Friday 13 March 2015

2015-04-05 | puppy1952

It is a calm day today – no cats but we do have fun seeing birds and other creatures as the photographs will show.

We ended our day early and came back to camp at 2 pm. The temperatures gets up to 36 every day but while in an air conditioned car this is not too bad but in camp it is energy sapping. I decide that I will go to the pool for a quick swim but stay in for an hour! I meet some interesting people. Mike is a vet from Hout Bay and heavily into Bird Watching so we have a lovely chat while his companions tease us about looking at birds when there is a lion right in front our noses. This is too true!

When I am out of the pool I chat to a lady who is on one of the recliners in the shade. It is her first visit to Kgalagadi and she is not impressed. “It’s just a dessert,” she says – “I miss Kruger.” I tell her that it will grow on her. “Why,” she asks – “The -vastness of the dry, scorched land, the muted grey-green-pink-mauve-lime-green-khaki colours that contrast with the orange dunes and brightly coloured bee-eaters and crimson breasted shrikes, the huge sky and the dusty pink clouds, the very earthiness of the place – I don’t know – but it does grow on one and one keeps longing to come back. Kruger has a different kind of fresh, lush beauty. Kgalagadi has a rugged character that keeps drawing you back time and time again.

Maureen cooks Puttanesca (Prostitutes’ Pasta) for supper and Earl is impressed. He wants me to learn to cook it!

Giraffe matching their background

The ever-present tawny eagle

He finds the remains of the cheetah kill

And what a feast it will be for him

Unusual to find a barn owl

Gemsbok (Oryx) at Thirteenth Water Hole

Rufous vented titbabbler

Ground Squirrel in our camp

Built in sunshade

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi – Mata Mata Thursday 12 March 2015

2015-04-04 | puppy1952

Once again it is an early start to the day – I am second in the queue behind Des today. Maureen is a close third! We decide to stick as close to J&M as possible as they seem to bring us luck!

We speed-spot on the move and I mark down jackal, giraffe and Secretary Birds before we stop for a hyena at 7:05.

An early rising spotted hyena

At Dalkeith Waterhole we find a beautiful group of giraffe drinking and Gemsbok are there too.

Gemsbok drinking at Dalkeith

At 13^th Waterhole we spot a Tawny Eagle in a tree and also the usual bird activity going on.

Tawny by Earl

It is 9:30 when we arrive at Rooibrak Waterhole and here we are delighted to find 5 lions. They are drinking and then start moving. We follow them until they drop under some shady trees and clearly settle there for the day.

Lovely lions

We retrace our steps and go to Kamqua for breakfast – Muesli again as I forgot to pack the cutlery!

We meet some interesting people. A Dutch couple who have shipped their huge camper over for a 4 year sojourn in Southern Africa tell us all about their plans. They have everything they need in the bus and it requires a special licence to drive it. They were able to get a pensioners’ Visa to stay in the country for this length of time.

We hear about a cheetah who has killed a buck and then left it lying in the open while she and the cubs are taking a nap at the top of a ridge under a bush. There are a couple of Tawny Eagles in the tree watching and waiting for something to tear it apart so they can get a share too. But no jackal, hyena or any other predator appears. We watch the cheetahs for a while and then Mom gets up and makes her way over the ridge. The cubs follow but then return to their slumbers. A few minutes later Mom reappears with a buck in her mouth! It looks like bits have already been eaten. We assume she killed this first, started snacking on it then went and made the kill that she has now left to whoever wants it. She takes the kill to a bigger tree with more shade and the cubs obediently follow. We watch them feast and then decide it is time to leave.

Mom Cheetah

She has something

She brings it to the cubs

On our way back to camp we find two beautiful bee-eaters.

Swallow-tailed bee-eaters

I cook a risotto for dinner and as we sit down to eat a fellow camper calls to us – Lions at the Waterhole – we leave our supper, grab binoculars and cameras and race to the fence. Sure enough there are three beautiful lions taking a drink. What fun – right on our doorstep.

Lions at Mata Mata waterhole

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi – Mata Mata Tuesday 10 March

2015-04-03 | puppy1952

I wake up from a comfortable night in my comfort van with the usual feeling of excitement and anticipation when I’m in a wildlife park. We are up at 5:15 and get ourselves ready for our first trip around Mata Mata. It is already quite warm and the air is dry, dry, dry. We are still drinking coffee when Maureen and Jim say they’re heading for the gate and will see us on the road. Wow – travelling companions who are ready before us – that’s a first! We take our coffee in the car and chase after them. In the Kgalagadi you have to check in and out before leaving camp. Gate opening time is 6:30 and it is quarter past six now. Maureen is number 2 in the queue. I am number 4. It takes a while for the guy on duty to meticulously write down time of departure and whether you’re on a game drive or leaving the camp/park and he only starts at 6:30 on the dot! So it is a while before we actually get going. By the time I’m through Maureen and Jim are long gone. It is our practice to take it very slowly in the park and to stop for every bird and tiny creature. After today we learn – get to the waterholes as early as possible and don’t dawdle or you will miss the sightings as we do today! When we finally catch up with J&M they tell us that Lions came down to drink at 13^th Water Hole and they had 9 cubs with them! They also went as far as Achterlonie and the spot where we’d seen our leopard and there they found lions eating its kill! When we go to the spot a little later the lions have left the scene. They have not left much of the leopard’s kill.

The lions left this for the poor leopard

Oh dear! But we do enjoy our bird watching. We stop to admire Pale Chanting Goshawk, Secretary Birds, Familiar Chats, Sociable Weavers with the condominium nests, ant eating chats, Namaqua Doves, Lark-like Buntings, Grey-backed sparrow-larks, Marico Fly-catcher and swallow-tailed bee-eater among many others.

A typical Kgalagadi Scene - Dalkeith Watherhole

A typical Kgalagadi Scene – Thirteenth Watherhole

Red-backed shrike

Tawny Eagle

White-backed Vultures

Pale Chanting Goshawk

Lark-like buntings and female red-headed finch

Red-headed finch

We also see wildebeest, giraffe and the ever present springbok and Gemsbok. Jackal are also commonly seen and as it is our first full day in the park we stop to photograph them of course. J&M. While waiting for them we are told by other tourists that there are Cheetah lying under a tree a short way off so we head out to look at them. They are quite far from the road under a shady tree so photography is not great. However, we enjoy them for a bit before returning to meet up with the Gibsons.

The picnic site is busy and all the shady spots are taken but no problem – Jim has a canopy on his bakkie and we cook in the shade of a tree and have our chairs so between us we have enough shade. The Gibsons are surprised that we cook eggs and bacon while they settle for cereal! They decline our offer to share brekkie.

After breakfast we follow Jim and Maureen and find lions and later a cheetah with a kill. So all is not lost today!

We also find lions lying about in the shade of the trees – it is really hot.

Today we have a long day out and only return to camp at 4:00 pm. Our campsite is big and shady and we enjoy watching the birds and the ground squirrels who try to beg food from us. We are on the perimeter and a water hole is not far off. We hope to see game come down to drink before dark but only the odd springbok appears.

I cook Risotto for supper and we turn in early.

Struisbaai with three Generations – Exploring the Agulhas Coast Rock Pools

2014-12-20 | puppy1952

Earl was up at an indecent hour and went off to fish on Abrie’s boat. Lauren, Shannon, the boys and I were out of the house by 7:30 as we were to meet Professor Gavin Marneveldt for a rock pool excursion. His talk yesterday had peaked our interest and we were looking forward to exploring the rock pools with more informed eyes. It was overcast and cool and there was a splash of rain as we drove to Stinkbaai, just next to the Agulahs Camp Site. It was a good day to have something different to do. While we waited we explored on our own, watched the competitors in the Cape Agulhas Classic ride past and observed a family of francolin.

The Cape Agulhas Classic riders were also up bright and early

Crabs having a feast on a fish head in one of the rock pools

Southern Most Fracolin on an early morning walk

Southern Most Cape Francolin on an early morning walk

There was an excellent turn-out to the rockpool excursion – just a pity more didn’t pitch up to Professor Marneveldt’s lecture yesterday – reason being, I think, because there were quite a few young children. This morning they all had an amazing time.

We started at the Littorina zone on the upper shore. This region is named after the small snails that inhabit this zone. Littorina spp. has the ability to survive the severe conditions of heat stress and water loss of the upper shore.

Because of the overcast conditions the periwinkles were out in their hundreds instead of hiding beneath the rocks

We worked our way to the other zones, upper balanoid, lower balanoid and cochlear and found all kinds of interesting creatures and plants in the pools. Ninety nine percent of life on earth is in the sea.

Brain seaweed

This limpet has a huge appetite and lives on micro organisms and algaes that live on the rocks

sea sponge in cochlear zone

The kids were thrilled to find an octopus

Marine Explorers of Stinkbaai

View toward Agulhas lighthouse

Chiton found in high tide zone

sea urchin found in cochlear zone

Brittlestar on Shannon’s hand

sea cucumber

After spending a few hours enjoying the rock pools we decided to pop into Potpourri for breakfast. Grandpa’s fishing excursion ended early without much fish being caught.

Checking the menu at Potpourri

Rock pooling is hungry work so a healthy breakfast went down well

When we got home the three boys went to the beach, Lauren, Lisa and I got stuck into cleaning house while Allan trimmed the tree – what a transformation!

After the chores we were all ready for the beach. The wind had blown away the clouds and the waves were superb for boogy board and body surfing.

The tourists have arrived and the beach is more crowded than a week ago!

Warming up for a swim

Bat and Ball with Simon and Jay

Si has a good eye for the ball

Catching a wave

Go Josh!

What a stunning day it turned out to be. Tomorrow is our last day and we are all feeling a little low – “why are we letting the house out?” is the lament from the young ones.

Well kids, Cape Town is cool too you know. And now that Granny and Grandpa are pensioners every cent counts. We have had a brilliant 10 days and there is always next year!

Watch this space for further reports on our family holiday! The new title will be “Kokstad Kids in Cape Town”