CARRICKDRIVE

My final day in South Africa.

As they say all good things come to an end. Anne and Stan have been wonderful hosts introducing me to many of their friends and educating me in all things African.

Travelling with Anne to her school at Tanda Tula was very special seeing her class perform their end of school presentation. The game drive before hand took my breath away a kill on day one EPIC. Breakfast on the river bed was one of the best I had ever had OK I was up at 4-30 and in need of fuel.

The wild animals – Elephant so huge and so close almost touching the landrover. Lions in their natural environment and still as close as 10 m and closer on one occasion. Good number of Giraffe so huge and graceful in their movement as they picked up speed. There were numerous Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala and Warthog. The experience of seeing many Rhino especially as we in the UK hear so many distressing stories about poaching and the barbaric way the horn is severed from the Rhino.  We saw approx 6 all together and all with horns fully attached – a great sight.

Go home I must strong in the knowledge that I placed Margaret’s ashes just how she would have wanted – overlooking Vutomi Dam where many animals will come to drink a lovely tranquil spot chosen by Anne. I was so pleased to have Anne and Stan’s  company but especially Anne. I can see how close Margaret was to Anne they mirrored each other in thought and just the odd high jinx during their school days. 

Just a few pictures and video to collate and make something meaningful from my experience here in South Africa.

My final evening was spent inside the Traverse Reserve next door to Raptor View. A lovely tranquil setting to be enjoying a small drink or to in Anne and Stan’s company. The dam was not very full but the sunset over the nearby mountains made a fitting finale to my most wonderful stay in South Africa.

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Totsiens- Raptor, Anne and Stan.

Totsiens - South Africa

Can't wait to come back

It is Saturday now I think each day has flown by almost without taking a breath to catch up on something happening whether in the Park or here at Raptor.

After breakfast we sat down to watch the video with Anne, Stan and later Paige and Mark. Their reactions said it all. I know that I have become a little involved and emotional in putting it together over the last few weeks. It has been absolutely something that I have wanted to do and never found the correct time to tackle it. To think as I write this on 4th December 2016 that in 24 days time I would have seen Margaret for the first time in 1969. 

Reading through the letters which took me over 3 days – Margaret was 2-1 up on my replies, collating photos and film clips brings it home to me even more so what a wonderful person she was. Do I have a favourite picture it would be the school photo of 1969 and the one that I kept with me taken in Aviemore in 1969.

The chats I have had with Anne going over Margaret and their exploits, summer working at Hutton Park Hotel in Largs, brownies and many other hilarious moments. We seemed to also be laughing at the same time like Anne in the eerie in Balule sorting the inside out. I enjoyed my chats with Stan also learning a bit about life in Raptor and their travels around the globe.

The evening was complete with a sumptuous braai of fillet beef, ribs, sweet corn and boerewors (farmers sausage) finished off with a wonderful salad made by Paige and wine.

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 After the storm last night we decided to head back to Hoedspruit for some welcome R & R. We seemed to be racing about The Kruger National Park from place to place stopping often to take in the sightings of the game that you become overwhelmed with what you are see so close and in a natural surroundings. The diversity of the Park is so dramatic that you have days with lots of sightings and then others very few but then you stumble on a sight so wonderful it takes your breath away every time.

Arriving back at Raptor to be greeted by Anne’s granddaughter Paige and her boyfriend Mark a quick unload and a cup of tea was most welcome.

Later I set about completing the video I had brought our with me just adding the Ashes scatter to already completed story so far. First part done in about an hour but then I was still up adding touches to bits I was not happy with. Bed midnight

A lovely meal cooked by Paige rounded of the evening nicely.

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Margaret’s Ashes

Early start today as we are traveling north to our overnight camp at Balule near Olifants river. On the way we are stopping at Vutomi Dam as this is the place that Anne has chosen to scatter Margaret’s ashes.

Today was a poor day as regards wildlife sightings that was until we joined the S36 on the way up to Vutomi. The most gruesome sight was a tree with about 10 or so Vultures and then just round the corner was a headless Buffalo and the vultures on the ground were going to town ripping apart its intestines from any direction.

That was gruesome just a little further on there were 3 Lions one large male and two younger ones had killed a Buffalo, this one was fully incapacitated. Each lion would take turns in having their fare from the Buffalo, two kills during my stay unbelievable. 

We arrived at Vutomi Dam at around 10 am.

Anne’s chosen place could not be more perfect, a natural waterhole with development of the road infrastructure creating a dam just below the two trees that Anne had pinpointed to scattering Margaret’s ashes.

The trees are Buffalo-thorn (burial tree of the Zulu) they grow near water courses and are deciduous with mistletoe growing within its canopy. The Buffalo-thorn is particularly significant in Zulu lore, especially in burials of chiefs and royalty when branches  are laid on their graves.

Anne found a rock and wrote her name on it and spoke first about Vutomi Dam and the significance in her family of the place and why she chose this place to scatter Margaret’s ashes. I spoke about how much Margret would have loved to experience the magnificence of South Africa, Anne’s life and friends here. I read a poem that Margaret wrote in her many letters to me on 15/04/1969 called:-

The Search is Over

The thought had been there , though it was hidden,
It took someone new to prove this too me
We had met, certainly fated, the truth was there, covered
by confusion, disillusion which I couldn’t see
Uncovered now, was my aim and my longing,
Those of another struck home, sound and dry,
My life in a nutshell displayed before me,
By he desired what in mere shall try
to find. For we know what the other has dreams of
The longings ambitions and the feelings so strong
For love between two, which will not be destroyed.
By time, or man ,or death,
The growing affection and love of two bodies,
The one and the other are united as one.
Yet the miles between us don’t hinder, but nurture
This growing love growing deeper with each thought and deed
As if geared tomorrow, its hopes and its sorrows.
Together we two will be united as one.

Anne than placed the rock between the tree and a termite mound which as we stepped back appeared to be shaped like an M we were taken aback at this final thought as we departed for Olifants.

An emotional moment of reflection that Margaret’s journey in South Africa was complete.

We made our way to Balule for our overnight camp, pitched tents and had pasta with beef stew for dinner with our headlights on. The wind got up and Stan thought we may have a storm. Storm it certainly was from around 10pm till about 11-15pm it raged, lightning making virtual daylight and overhead we had two tremendous thunder claps that shook the ground. I had closed my vent flaps in my eerie on top of the land rover but Anne and Stan’s tent had not been closed down because of the heat so Stan was up whilst the storm raged to close up.

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On our way to Skukuza this mornings was to be our lowest sightings so far especially to what we had seen in our previous days in The Kruger.

In fact the only sightings were of Elephant and Giraffe.

Buffet breakfast taken at Skukuza again overlooking the Sabie river.

The museum here is dedicated to the first Official Game Warden James Stevenson Hamilton. The Kruger Nation Park was established in 1926 with the first visitors in 1927 all 27 according to records. In 2013/4 that number had increased too over 1.5 million. The numbers of animals in those early years are beyond comprehension only 25 Elephants were recorded and the latest count has the number of over 13000. 

On our way back to Lower Sabie the traffic was at a standstill at a sighting of a Leopard in the tree just a little commotion ensured as traffic sorted it self out and everybody had their moment to witness the Leopard.

In the evening Anne and I took our own game drive towards Crocodile Bridge we had to be careful as the gates are closed at 1830 hr.

Sighting of a good journey of Giraffe on the far side of the river we diverted off onto dirt track to visit the Ntandanyathi hide here we saw a pod of Hippos and in the distance a small herd of Elephant had just left the area.

Towards the end of the drive Anne spotted an unusual shape in a water hole which turned out to be a large Rhino wallowing in the muddy waters. Back to the main highway north on our back to Lower Sabie we spotted some Southern Grand Hornbills we later to learn that some have been ringed and asking to report sightings to learn about their habits.

Back to Sunset dam for evening shot and back to camp in good time.

Today was very warm and we were treated to power outages from about 9 pm when a tremendous thunderstorm developed in the west reaching us quite soon the lightning was just like daylight for ages as well as heavy rain for a couple of hours.

Early 5 am start for our game drive along the Skukuza road and back to Lower Sabie for breakfast along  designated dirt tracks.

Just outside Lower  Sabie Camp is Sunset Damp where we saw Crocodile and Hippos.  Not much further on we came across a large herd of elephant making their way up from the river and onto vegetation on the opposite side of road. Everything stops to see these beautiful creatures cross in front us replenishing their food intake – patience is needed as any sudden movement could increase the possibility of  a charge.

Our next sighting was of a Lioness with her cubs coming onto the tarmac road, she was very clever in ushering the cubs back away from the traffic and into the bush.

Two more Rhino were spotted with full horn attached, so far we are up to about six in all with complete horns which is reassuring after all reports of poaching.

Arriving back at Lower Sabie we were able to stop on the bridge here we saw Goliath Heron and on our travels Yellow Billed Kite, White Backed Vulture and Bateluer Eagle.

Next was a day/night organised game drive in the locality. The Elephants were very much in evidence as they made their way back across the river to their overnight stop before stating their journey again. Apparently they eat roughly 20 hrs a day whilst making their journeys back and forth.

Two young Lions were spotted resting up and then three Rhinos likely a male, female and a young Rhino again fully horned.

The darkness falls very quickly here just as we spotted a lone Lion in the distance only distinguished by eye colour in the light beams are you able to tell what it is.

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Hi folks back in contact again after our journey to the south of The Kruger National Park.

We left Hoedspruit just after 9-45 to make our way into The Park at the Orpen Gate en route to Satara and then onto Lower Sabie Camp for 3 nights. The Park has eleven entrances nine on the South African border and two on the Mozambican border. The Park has a staggering diversity of wildlife and plant species and beautiful unspoilt scenery. Whilst I have been here the temperature has soured every day into the high 30’s.

On entering the Orpen gate we immediately saw two Rhino and male Lion in the distance along with Zebra and Impala. Lunch was taken at Satara after making confirming our booking for Lower Sabie.

The vegetation changed very quickly as we climbed out of the Veld still on the main H10 road and then wildlife sightings increased as well.

We came across a water hole with two magnificent Lions a male and female we stayed here for a while watching them no more than 4/5 m in front of us. Elephants were in abundance as we got closer to Lower Sabie and the Sabie river. 

Anne, Stan and I had a wonderful meal overlooking the river and finished off our meal with a full on toffee cream which was very sweet so definitely high calorie count here.

A super day traveling down from Hoedspruit.

(Pictures to follow)