Caravanning in the Kgalagadi Polentswa Thursday 26 March 2015

2015-04-18 | puppy1952

Thursday 26 march 2015

It is a lovely morning once again and we go out for an early morning drive. The owl is in his usual place, screaming for food from Mom.

We drive 5 km north and then turn around and go to Koussant Water Hole but do not see anything too exciting. We enjoy the birds, however, and are delighted to see that there is so much water around. The KTP really needed these rains. It does mean that the animals don’t need to come to the waterholes and are making themselves scarce. There is quite a bit of devastation after the storm and we find blown down trees across the road. Fortunately there are detours that we can take round therm.

We are once again fascinated to find water birds in the dessert. Isn’t it amazing how creatures instinctively know where there are new water venues! We have fun watching the jacana hawking in a puddle in the middle of the road.

Not often seen in the Kgalagadi – A juvenile black-winged stilt

We return to camp for brunch and have bacon and egg sandwiches. Later in the afternoon, M and J decide to stay in camp to complete their packing and Earl and I go for a birding drive. The results can be seen in the photographs below!

Red Hartebeest confrontation

Three-banded plover

scaly-feathered finch

Familiar Chat

Lesser Grey Shrike

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi – Polentswa Wednesday 25 March 2015

2015-04-17 | puppy1952

We wake to the sound of roaring lions this morning. I look out to see Jim shining his torch into the bush while standing guard at the long drop. I think the lions are just behind the tree but Earl assures me that they are far away.
We go south all the way to Nossob 60 km away. There is still a lot of water on the road and we see very little game.

At Polentswa we have been very frugal with our water supplies and showering has been limited to 30 second splash downs. So as soon as we get to Nossob we go the the ablutions for a shower. Joy of joy we find that the geyser system has been repaired and we have loads of hot water.
We then go to refuel and shop. I go ahead while he is at the filling station. When he comes in, he says – where is our envelope of cash? On our way here I’d checked how much there was and put it back in the cubby hole. It’s not there he says. Men! They look with boy eyes. I go and check, search and search – no envelope! It must have been stolen. But the wallet, iPad, cell phones, cameras are all untouched. I begin to doubt myself. Did I drop the envelope out of the car? I return to the ablution block and search around the area where we were parked. I report the loss to reception. The attendant asks me Where did you last have the cash? You must check your car thoroughly. But after all 4 do us search nothing turns up. Maureen pays for our purchases then we search again. I am sure I put the envelope on top of the handbook which sits on a bracket in the cubby hole. Maureen feels down the back of the cubby and declares that she can feel something, eRl tries too and agrees with her but is it the envelope? There is no way of grabbing it or reaching it I any way so we go to the picnic site, enjoy our brekkie and decide to take the cubby apart when we get back to camp. Our men have tools for the job.

001 Day Visitor Area - Nossob 2015-03-25 09-55-14 AM 4608x3456

Picnic Breakfast at Nossob Visitors’ Area

Our return it is heartening to see lots of game. The rainfall has brought them back. But no cats again today.

003 Red Hartebeest with Gnu 2015-03-25 12-52-21 PM 3069x2304

We often see just one wildebeest with a herd of another species

003 Red Hartebeest 2015-03-25 12-51-35 PM 4608x3456

Lovely herd of red hartebeest with young

Water everywhere

002 Red Hartebeest drinking from a road puddly 2015-03-25 12-20-51 PM 4608x3456

Just wait while I finish my drink, please

We return to camp and as Maureen is about to step into her caravan she spots something curled up next to her fridge. She leaps away nimbly and yells – snake!

004 Puff Adder 2015-03-25 01-23-52 PM 3456x4608

Lazy, fat puff adder – luckily fast asleep

I grab my camera, Earl runs with a tent pole yelling Don’t worry I’ll catch it. Jim also bravely approaches the spot while M and I scream don’t let it bite you. We don’t have snake bite kits. The macho men approach and Earl hooks him onto the pole and flings him away and onto the ground. The snake refuses to scurry off so he lifts him again and throws him under a tree where it curls up and goes back to sleep. My hero!

After the excitement dies down Maureen washes last nights supper dishes and I dry. Then Earl and Jim get going worth torque keys and screw drivers. There is much grunting and groaning and struggling, but the task is not as easy as they hoped. Maureen calls Jim for lunch but Earl refuses to give up. I fear that the effort is for naught and my fears are confirmed when he manages to get his hand behind the cubby and says there is nothing here. But he struggles on and although he doesn’t get the cubby hole free he manages to free it a little more. I can see it he yells and Jim brings a pair of pliers. He grips the envelope and to my delight R3500 is returned to my grateful hands. For the second time today my hubby is my hero.

He then cooks us bacon and egg sandwiches and we sit and relax while watching lightening and listening g to thunder. The storm is some miles away but within minutes a bright flash of lightening and deafening clap of thunder warn us and E says we had better get to the caravan now. He and Maureen pack the chairs under her shelter and I run and put everything that’s out away and shut up our kitchen. Just as we shut the door the rain comes pelting down and an enormous wind violently rocks the caravan. After 5 minutes it gets worse and rips the tent poles out of the ground and the tarpaulin rips free from the Velcro. Earl rushes out to rescue what he can. Jim’s solar panels are whipped up by the wind and a Earl chases after them too. Jim rushes out to help. Our tent poles are be bent and the hooks scattered around the campsite. It’s all over in 20 minutes and then the mopping up begins. Not too much damage but we decide to do without the extra side tarpaulin for now. Earl is my hero yet again.
The rain clears and there is calm once again.

Our hero enjoying a well deserved drink after all the drama of the day!

In the evening we have a braai. As we turn in for the night we hear Maureen scream – it’s back and it hissed at me. Earl calls out – Just hang on – I’m coming – He tries to get his head torch on but the strap comes loose – it’s seems like hours but is only seconds before I help him get it together again – he rushes forth with braai tongs in hand and he and Jim march off like Vikings into the night to make sure the snake does not return.

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 – Wednesday 11 March 2015

2015-04-03 | puppy1952

We have still not learned to keep up with Jim but we have improved. Maureen is second in the queue, a chap named Des – a hardened bush whacker who has to be out first – has been waiting since 5:45! I am third! We chat with Des and he says it is vital to get to the waterholes as early as possible and that if something exciting is going to happen it must be right next to the road or it won’t be worth watching! But we are still torn between wanting to see the cats and wanting to enjoy the early morning birdlife!

It is already 23 C and rising. The first animal of the day is a Black-backed jackal.

By 7:10 we’ve spotted Gemsbok, Springbok, Kori Bustard Giraffe and Tawny Eagle.

Our first proper stop is at 13^th Waterhole where there is quite a bit of action. A jackal is drinking and so is a large tortoise.

Black-backed Jackal taking an early morning drink.

The birds – Namaqua doves, red-headed finches, lark-like buntings, grey-backed sparrow-larks, yellow canaries, Cape sparrows and laughing doves are flying down is flocks grabbing a drink and flying up into the trees again. The juvenile Gabar and a Lanner are there swooping down on the hunt. We see the Gabar take a lark-like bunting and settle in the tree to enjoy it!

Larklike buntings taking refuge in the trees

Juvenile Gabar with prey

We then head to the breakfast spot – Kamqua – and find a good table under a tree but the shade hasn’t reached it yet so Jim uses his canopy which works perfectly. This time we decide to have muesli and yogurt.

We then head toward Montrose Waterhole find very little so turn around and come back. We find a hyena lying in the shade on the side of the road.

He gives us a look that says “Hey – what are you looking at?”

Just let me sleep!

As we continue I yell STOP Go Back, I’ve seen a White-faced Owl. Earl reverses and sure enough there among the foliage is the bird I’ve been looking for in camp! Soon after this we find 4 spotted dikkop.

There were supposed to be a pair of these in camp but we never found them

One of the four spotted dikkops we saw

At Dalkeith a lovely family of ostriches runs away from us.

We watch a Namaqua Sandgrouse take drink

And a grey headed sparrow goes rock jumping

A car stops to tell us there is a lion at Craig Lockhart and when we get there we look toward the waterhole and see nothing. The chap in the car parked next to the big tree that dominates the site points next to us and there in all his glory sits a big male lion!

No peace from the tourists

Please go away

I wonder what Human tastes like

I have very sharp teeth

Half an hour later we find 4 cheetahs resting under a shady tree. We return to camp after a cursory glance at some beautiful giraffe and then return to the cheetahs later in the afternoon. They wake up and mover around and we hope to see them hunt but all too soon it is time to go back to camp so we don’t have that privilege.

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.

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi – Veldrift to Molopo Lodge to Mata Mata

2015-04-02 | puppy1952

We survive our first weekend in the caravan. Prior to this It has been a week of stressing, faffing and fussing to get everything ready for a month long trip away in the Kgalagadi. Isn’t it amazing what people will do for fun? Here we were in a large home with everything that opens and shuts, electricity, hot and cold running water, air-con – the list goes on – and what do we do? We swap it for a tiny hut on wheels. I think this is going to be so much fun! But I think my darling husband anticipates every hiccup and tries to squash our familiar life-style into this small abode. Not gonna happen honey – we have to be prepared for the odd discomfort – and don’t panic – I will survive!

Sunday 8 and Monday 9 March

We are wide away just before 4 am on Sunday morning – the noise of the Sishon Saldana iron ore train being our alarm clock! There is no point going back to sleep for 15 minutes so we rise and get ready to leave. The biggest hassle is getting the roof folded down – there must be a knack that we haven’t mastered yet – but with only a minimum of grumpiness and a few giggles we finally did it. By 5:00 am were are on the road in beautiful weather and only a few stop goes to negotiate.

It is a 950 km journey to our overnight stop Mopolo. I love driving through the Karoo. It has a stark beauty all of its own but the roads can be long and straight with little change in the scenery. But I just love the muted green-grey and orange-khaki colours, the low scrub and mauve, flat-topped mountains and koppies that resemble crusty loaves of bread or Christmas cakes.

We stop at Vanrynsdorp to refuel and take-away toasted sandwiches and coffee. I am impressed with the pristine state of the loos and the quality of the coffee! The staff are gentle and friendly too.

We arrive at Molopo Lodge at 3:30 and decide to check into a chalet as there are no campers in the camp site. Also it’s been a long, hot drive and we don’t feel like battling to set up the caravan for just one night. What bliss to get a chalet with a plunge pool right in front. We spend a couple of hours in the pool and watch the many birds flitting about in the tropical garden. This place is like an oasis in the middle of the dessert. In the evening we go to the restaurant. The service is shocking – the waitress doesn’t know what Dry White wine is and brings a sickly sweet glass of something awful. We send it back and order a bottle of Durbanville Hills sauvignon blanc. I have a couple of glasses and take the rest with me. However, the Gemsbok steaks are really good and are accompanied by beautifully prepared vegetables and chips.

The plunge pool

White-backed mousebird

Red-eyed bulbul

Looking toward the Lodge Pool

Monday 9 March

The hot water doesn’t work in the chalet but as it is very hot we are not too fussed about it. We are up at 6:00 and ready to leave by 6:45, pay our bill and ask for the ice bricks we asked them to freeze for us. But they are not frozen. Clearly they were put in the fridge and did not see the inside of a freezer at all! Oh well!

We arrive at Twee Rivieren at 8:30, check in and pay the balances we owe and then check in at the Botswana side too. Maureen has already paid for us here but the receptionist insists we fill in the register too. We decide to breakfast at the restaurant – our last bit of luxury for the next three weeks.

We have over 100km to travel and the first 15 takes 3 hours as we tend to stop for all the birds and little things too!

The Kalahari Sky

The Pale Chanting Goshawk is very common in the park

Most of the flycatchers we see are Marico Flycatcher

A familiar bird is the Familiar Chat!

Here he is with a kill!

Before taking the Mata Mata Road we detour to Samevloeiing Waterhole which is very rewarding.

Namaqua Sandgrouse

Sociable Weavers and Red-headed finches

A jackal slakes his thirst

The signature animal of the park – Gemsbok (Oryx)

En route we find a lanner falcon in a tree

Lanner

What a delight to find the Northern Black Korhaan

This cross little chap is a scaly-feathered finch

Kgalagadi is famous for the swallow-tailed bee-eater

Here we are at Agterlonie Picnic Site

Soon after leaving the picnic site we find a car with its occupant staring into the bush. I look into the tree and say – He’s looking at a leopard’s kill

In the “pan-tree” springbok for lunch.

And then we see him – on the ground but well hidden. Imagine our first cat of the trip – a leopard!

Leopard resting up after making a kill

We see a whole pool of secretary birds at Montrose waterhole. Here is one of them.

Secretary Bird

The main diet of the predators is springbok and there are plenty of them

Taking shelter from the sun

Giraffe

The cutest creatures reside here – Ground Squirrel

We arrive at Mata Mata at 16:00, check in at reception and are told we have to find the campsite as none are allocated in advance. We find Jim and Maureen easily – fortunately they are not out! In no time we set up the caravan – Jim lends a hand and gives some good advice. Maureen kindly offers to cook the meal for all of us this evening and I will repay the favour tomorrow. Her chili con carne is to die for!