Tickled pink in Kruger

Kruger Park, pink African dusk

In terms of project visits scheduled, we’d had another shift in plans earlier in the week. The project that we were scheduled to visit on Sunday, Hlanganani Arts & Crafts came back to us to say they weren’t able to accommodate us, and the project booked for on Monday wasn’t able to move. So sadly Hlanganani Arts & Craft fell off our itinerary which was a real disappointment (as there are crafters and then there are good crafters), and this was definitely one of the Old Mutual Foundation-supported projects that I wanted to see. They don’t have their own website, but are listed on the Phalaborwa tourism pages: http://www.phalaborwa.org.za/hlanganani.htm

As a result, this meant that we had a free day and being 50km away from Kruger National Park, what better way to take a break after two weeks of being on the go, than spend it in the bush savouring one of our country’s most precious national assets.

So we were psyched and our plan of action was to get up and be at Kruger Gate as early as possible. Unfortunately this was scuppered immediately by the fact that I overslept – me, Miss Time-keeper, Toe-tapper, Watch-watcher had let the team down. What made me feel worse was that the guys were so gracious to me…

Then we discover that the dawn breakfast we’d planned to have at the hotel before leaving wasn’t possible. No, our waiter had misinformed us the previous evening, so instead we have to wait whilst breakfast packs are made for us. Standing around, stamping chilly feet in the pink pre-dawn air for another half-hour, watching the best game viewing time slowly slip away…

Finally, the bakkie’s packed, we bundle in bulky with jackets, scarves, beanies and off we go, later than planned but hey, we’ve got Kruger in front of us. We arrive and grin with delight at each other as the bush starts to work it's magic on us, within minutes we’re blown away by a roadside sighting of a hyena mother sunning herself in front of her den whilst nursing two pups. The guys are all over the bakkie reaching for cameras, gear, lenses when Tim stops dead, looks at both of us, we look at him, something is clearly wrong. Then those horrible cold words, “Where’s my video camera?” We phone the hotel immediately, relief, yes it’s there sitting on the counter. But bang goes our early morning viewing as we have to turn around to travel 100km to get this sorted as soon as possible. Tim feels awful…

Ah well, we decide we might as well start eating our breakfast sarmies in the car if we aren’t going to have them at a picnic spot in Kruger. Heading back through the park gates, I hear "$%&*," erupt from the back seat. In all the time I've been with Mark, I've never heard him swear, so I swing around shocked. “Sjeez, %*&^, I’ve just sat on my yoghurt,” says Mark. We stop the car, get out and there is thick pink strawberry yoghurt smeared everywhere, the seat, his shoes, his hands, his backside, down the side of the door, he is the moer-in with himself. The three of us look at each other and then just double over with laughter. The entire morning has just been a comedy of errors, going from bad to worse, so this just popped the cork off the champagne bottle. After another 30min mopping up the car and Mark’s strawberry-scented derriere, we get going again. By now, we’ve given up our schedule and decide to just flow with African time, easy and slow. Seems that maybe that bush magic worked after all ...

Our beautiful country:

(Above) Memorial to Paul Kruger, namesake of the Kruger National Park (below).

 

Unusual sighting of a hyena mother nursing her young, so relaxed in the morning sunlight.



After returning back to the park, we saw two young leopard cross the road right behind our car, we were so shocked that they were almost gone by the time Mark squeezed off a few photos. He says he knows this isn't a great image, but we did see leopard!



Brown-hooded kingfisher, a dash of brilliant turquoise against the grey drabness of the winter African bushveld.



Yellow-billed hornbill, common and comical, curious and clumsy, in amongst the roadside bushes.



Lone giraffe bull - can you spot the red-billed oxpecker?

Earth and sky, tree shapes touch cloud space.

Help, we didn't know what flower this is? Any informed blog-readers out there who can help us? It's a delicate splash of colour against the bush.

Oh my, Mr Ground hornbill! Aren't we so handsome with those long eyelashes!

 

Zebra grazing, as curious about us as we were about them.



Elephant playfully nudging and tustling at the waterhole.

The rivers were unusually full, great for game, but not so great for game-viewing.



Looking out over a sea of grey-green thorn trees as far as the eye can see. Kruger is one of the biggest game parks in Africa, over two million hectares stretching 360km from north to south, and 65 km from east to west.

Master lensman Mark... can only work if he's wearing a hat. Taken by Tim