Satara - Berg-en Dal Restcamp
waiting for the daily heat .- a Lapped faced vulture
The last stage was now on our north - south route through the Kruger National Park.
The same ritual as in the days before, showering, having breakfast, packing and off we went.
Throw the key in the box and set off in full expectation.
Today no gravel roads and no detours.
First goal Skuskuza.
Not knowing what the day should bring.
With the main direction south, we once again crossed the most diverse terrain forms.
Wide flat areas, then hilly again, rivers nearby.
Here and there, a few antelopes, buffalo at a waterhole, sometimes an elephant far away or denser.
Until we came to a place where I perceived from afar movements on the opposite bank.
A little reddish brown moved there, big. Elephant?
Coming closer and now with a clear view, we could hardly believe it at first.
Rhinos and then two. There were White Rhinos .
At last we had seen her.
For the whole days before, whether in the Marakele, Mapungubwe and the whole time in the Kruger,
we had seen rhino dung, which also looked very fresh, but never the animals to it.
The greater was our joy.
We watched the two colossi as they rubbed against the tree trunk and rubbed the horn on it.
What great animals! - who are killed so mercilessly.
Not verified: Rhinos from the northern part of the Kruger are supposed to be injured. spent in Hluhluwe NP.
I do not have the official numbers of the killed rhinos in the Kruger ready.
But it is probably in the hundreds, - just MADNESS!
But continue.
We left the two.
Barely 2-3 km further on, some cars stood on the road and blocked the passage.
Slowly we rolled up.
The eyes went to the right, as well as the camera lenses of the safari guests on a car.
What was there to see such exciting?
We discover an elephant in the riverbed.
Was that really the reason why everyone parked so wildly?
The car in front of me drove away and I could push into the gap.
As we drove by, we asked the driver what she had to see.
A leopard lies on a tree branch across the river.
We could move on a bit further.- and searched.
Finally we saw a silhouette on the thick branch in the shadow.
Technically a horror.
Rather like a paper cut, the body stood out in front of the bright, overcast sky in the background.
My wife then said there are two leopards on the branch and right, there were two shadows moving on the branch
The heads were clearly visible.
"Mind games" bothered me, - "How do you take that so that you see something more than just black bodies?"
With different settings I hit the trigger of the camera.
On the one hand, I was happy that we were lucky enough to see two animals, albeit a long way away.
On the other hand, I "cursed" the conditions.
Bad light, animals in the dark and no way to get closer.
Crop 80% 500mm at Aps 1.5 = 750mm / Aperture 11 ISO 1600 ISO 800 was possible at Aperture 8 - tried Aperture 8-14 / ISO 800 -3200
Thanks to the raw format and the editing on the PC with Lightroom, this came out of it.
Certainly not perfect, but more than I expected.
The recording has more to do with reality.
Since the animals first lay on the thick branch, they were one with the tree.
As they moved, they became clearer.
The distance to the tree was about 60-70 m - without a big telephoto - that would have become nothing.
At some point, despite some active movements on the tree we had to continue.
What had been exciting the last couple of kilometers?
Before Skuskuza we had a small group of elephants close to the road.
Before the camp, it was then still in light rain showers over two bridges.
We drove to the camp, but not as busy as at lunchtime,
when all the safari tourists come back for lunch.
A small snack was ordered, the free wlan wasn't working :-(( , but the break was good.
Then it went on.
A few minutes later, my wife discovered a kudu goat standing on a rock.
For me, the animal had been hidden by a bush.
Braked the car and slowly back.
The buck stood, really "cheesy and clichéd" like a stature on the rock.
Almost "unreal"
Suddenly in the middle of the recordings drove from behind a car in between, "what a ...... :(,
I thought.
The kudubock jumped off the rock and was gone.
The disc from the other vehicle was lowered down, - "Did you see the lions?"
"No, where are they?"
"Back to the intersection and to the left, about 2 km ... .. on the left, right on the road in the grass."
We thanked and turned around - we had come from the other side and turned off before.
It was a little further, but the place was not to be overlooked, because there were some cars.
All standing in the opposite direction. So we drove closer, rolling made a few bad shots.
Turned around to join us in the waiting vehicles.
It was getting closer.
Only the two best-looking vehicles did not move.
Waiting for 20 minutes, I had taken some shots from my lateral position, - then we drove on.
The lioness was fast asleep and did not move, the lion guarding her, dozing, but lying upright.
We had the BIG FIVE together, and that was not all.
Back on the road , after 10 km, another hyena ran in front of us - far away, but clearly recognizable, over the road.
Arrived at the place, - small bridge over a small dry stream, she was unfortunately no longer to be discovered.
Wow, what minutes and last hours!
Registration was easy in the camp, key collection and move into a brick house.
Quite different from the architectural style, as in the other camps.
Very large in size, large interior kitchen.
On tour again?
No, it was enough for the day.
After a break we went to the pool, - Chic and quite large. The water felt strange.
Also, it was not clear.
It shimmered silvery, suspended matter - lime flakes? - clouded the water, - the pelvic floor was in places greasy, dark.
Algae? - We only stayed in the water for a few minutes, - "do not get sick of it now ....!"
So we enjoyed the sun and the warmth at the house.
Dinner in the evening, same operator chain as in Shingwedzi and Mopani.
The food was ok.
BERG-EN DAL RESTCAMP and around:
Morning to noon .... a lot of road, - here and there some sightings
On an exploration tour in the morning.
Near the camp we went on a gravel road and on which it went quite up and down. (Matjulu loop)
The hoped-for leopard did not show up.
For this we came a little later on sleeping trees of vultures.
Most had already started and were looking for the updrafts to gain height and to forage.
We were 10-20 minutes late to witness the full spectacle.
Some animals were still sitting around.
One of them sat perfectly and I waited for his departure, waited and waited? ..
He shook himself and moved more, looking after his conspecific, but remained rooted to his seat.
The camera and the big telephoto lens became heavier and heavier.
Do not drop off, then he's going to fly? ..
Second by second passed, nothing happened, - rather relaxed the bird.
# come on .......
No, better not .......
I was on the wrong side.
We waited some more, but then drove on, -?
Stupid bird? !
At a T-branch, left. or right
Left hand it went to the loop?
Steep mountain? - Warning sign on potholes!
What the hell, let's try, if it gets too violent we turn around.
It was not bad at all, although some nice steep sections, but everything was mobile.
Many traces of rhinos, without a sighting.
On the other side, at the foot of the mountain, there was a bit more life.
A short way north on the main road and we turned east.
A gravel road along an almost dry river we drove along.
At some point, my wife saw a movement in the bush on her side - far away.
With the binoculars she discovered three rhinos, mother / child and a bull.
Scenic, the tour was on the one hand not bad, streams were crossed, animals were "in short supply".
- Impalas, 4 Kudus 2 x 2, a Elephant Bull, later a group of four, some birds of prey, warthogs, 2-3 zebras.
At the crossroads that connects Crocodilbridge and the Malelane Gate, it was so badly drivable,
that we made a planned detour to the area around Lower Sabie.
Back then it went to the camp, it was enough for the day.
In the late afternoon we went part of the cam trail and enjoyed an ice cream
Nice, chairs not very comfortable and in front of the falling marula fruits, you had to be careful.
---------- Post added 12-19-17 at 02:55 PM ----------
The last game drive in the Kruger NP.
It was time now, our last full day in the Kruger started.
Breakfast was early but not taken very early.
Then we drove north.
A large impala herd blocked our way for a while, until it could go on.
Once again a new route, that led directly to Pretorioskop Camp had been our destination.
The Voortrekker Road.
At the fork in the road, there is a rest stop on the other side.
There were plenty of safari cars, that took their break from morningdrive there.
That should only be right, maybe not so much traffic on the way.
After that, some cars rolled past us.
Then there was some peace.
We drove over a hill and came around a bend, the road slightly sloping and what we saw far ahead ......
Wild dogs on the street ..
Stopped and made a few shots through the windscreen.
Better safe than sorry !
Then I moved the car diagonally, - and the animals came towards us, and there were more, as again and again, Wilddogs came from the shoulder and the
changed from one side to the other .
Great !
  
But the idyll then came to an end quickly.
There were three safari cars on the other side.
Such a crap !
They also headed straight for the group.
Equal are the way, I thought.
But oh no wonder, they stayed and kept moving towards us.
I drove to my side and soon the dogs were in front of our car, more and more dense ... ..
Then they were around us and the safaris too.
Something had to happen in front of us on the car, as the guests' cameras were fully aimed at the front bumper.
Everyone grinned, even the guide.
I was so fascinated, still with my elbow out of the open side window,
when suddenly a wild dog was standing by my door.
Our eyes met and I caught up with my arm slowly and closed the window in half, for sure.
What an experience, - the troops / dogs and safaris then left and we continued on our way.
Happy about this sighting.
The next meeting followed a few minutes later, when another car stood a bit diagonally on the road.
Our eyes went to li. and re. to find out what they discovered.
But what, was there ????
Still rolling, the driver indicated that we should stop! - and pointed with a finger in front of us on the street and took her camera.
I did not see anything, neither did my wife, so we put something back.
Now I recognized the reason for the attention -
it was a chameleon, which was standing in the middle of the street.
I would most likely have overlooked that on my own.
So we made some shots and drove it with safe distance.
Since it did not move at all during the time, I wondered if it would not have been better
to put it on the side of the road to make it "safe" despite the ban on leaving the car in the park.
There remained a stupid feeling in me for a long time.
At least my senses were sharpened to pay more attention to the road ahead of me.
Two buffaloes were then very interesting, because they were eyeing closely, and then crossing the street.
In addition to the changing landscapes, we then had a nice lizard in front of us on the road until we reached the Pretoruiskop Camp.
At Wimpy we had our second breakfast and then continue on our way.
We drove the H1-1 visited a water hole and then later came to H3, which we drove south.
A detour to the H2-2 followed, to return to the camp via the S114 / H3 / S110.
On the way there were also lions. Unfortunately, so hidden in the tall grass, about 10 meters away.
Except for the brown-yellow skin, which shimmered through the green, there was nothing to see ....
Only the tourists in a large, high-quality touring coach had the exclusive look.
- that was the conclusion, just before the camp,
- unfortunately so absorbed in the food intake that it did not want to lift his head .......
That was it, unreal that it was over, our days in the national parks in the north and in the Kruger.
Sitting on the sunny terrace, we reviewed the days.
Reminded us of many impressions of the parks and encounters with the animals.
Later it was time to pack things, at least that, for an early start, only the most necessary work still decency.
Food for on the way was prepared.
The few foods that were now superfluous we left there, as well as the rest charcoal.
Everything was prepared, it could start early.
Our longest stage was on - about 600 km to Saint Lucia.
Conclusion: Berg-en Dal
Quite different than in the other camps, larger rooms, stone houses, everything somehow quiet.
The camp is a bit off the beaten track and you have to drive a few kilometers to get a larger selection of routes.
It had been a good choice for our graduation from the Kruger.
Conclusion of the Kruger days:
After 10 days in Kruger to give a conclusion is really difficult.
Because, so many subjective impressions would be included for a rating that should be fair.
In addition, it's all snapshots of the experience, which makes it even more difficult.
Therefore, my more general rating.
With the accommodations we could everywhere be satisfied and would recommend me so on.
Whether the bungalows with the "better view" must be in Mopani and Satara, everyone has to decide for themselves.
On the subject of food:
Braai / self-catering for the evening
- Visiting a combination of the house food and the restaurant is probably the best solution for the number of nights.
Itinerary and sightings:
In each camp minimum 2, if necessary stay 3 nights to have enough time for drives, without being in a permanent time pressure.
It is worthwhile in any case to drive the north-south route.
The different scenic impressions are already enormous.
It was very green to our travel time, the higher seating position in the car, was therefore a clear advantage.
In the north it was very quiet at the beginning of February in the camps and accordingly also on the roads.
The blocked routes and loops were annoying, but after the rains in the days before, probably necessary.
For the sightings, I have written a lot in the posts.
It was like this - does not have to be like that again .......
(The variety of species that we saw was enormous, - we are technically spoiled on the other two trips.
This was particularly evident on this trip, which was light, weather and location / view of the animals)
We were now for the third time in the Kruger and in the adjacent area (2 x Balule West) on the way.
It was always nice and every time different.
Go exploring in new areas,
We liked it very much.
Routes we had traveled before and had great memories,
were rather disappointing (the expectations are simply too high, even though the mind tells you
that it can not be like it used to be! )
For nature lovers, not only for the Kruger, the more time I have, the more relaxed I can feel.
It would be better to stay in one place longer than to rush on a daily basis.
What we would definitely include in a new travel plan, would be a combination of selfdrives and booked safari tours in a game reserve.
The offers in the Kruger in this regard we did not like so much , because a "mass of people" was moved and if that then also meant "class" ??
The long trip ......
After a quiet night, most of the things we had packed the night before, there was a small breakfast.
All the things were spent in the car so we left the camp early in the morning.
The Malelane Gate was only about 15 km away.
A few gray goodbyes from the Kruger were granted to us.
Unfortunately no leopard anymore.
At the gate, we had a very nice guard who congratulated us on our "long" visit to the park.
"Oh, so long and what's nice, you come back, again?"
Our response pleased him and he salutedat our exit, as if we were "special" guests.
There was some melancholy in the next few kilometers, memories of the last few days resonated.
The last glimpse into the park and our concentration was now about 600 km to Elephant Guest House.
In advance, we had a lot of thoughts on how we should tackle the long trip and wanted.
Two years earlier, we were coming from the south, after the Tembe NP, two nights on a farm near the Swaziland border.
At that time we drove through the Swaziland to Komatipoort.
The pure distance would have been a lot shorter if we had chosen the route again.
At the reception, we had obtained information.
The very nice staff recommended us the way, which should not lead through the Swaziland.
Road conditions should be good to very good on the SA route.
We opted for the longer route in SA, as the time savings would only really be effective,
if everything went smoothly at the entrances and entries and vice versa.
And what was the main reason for our choice, that was, that this route to Pongola was new territory for us.
So we went to the tour, quickly it went ahead.
On Sunday morning early there was little traffic on the streets.
Especially when we drove from the N4 to the R38 it was empty.
Very scenic and the roads in a really good condition.
Through valleys, over heavily wooded ridges and wide grasslands on a high plateau, everything was there.
How fast the landscape changes can be seen in 3 videos - which document the period of about 20 -25 minutes driving time!
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Really a very nice area, although on a section we noticed signs on the side of the road, which urgently warned against the take-off of anholding.
On the high plateau, there were several billboards and driveways.
Which pointed to farms, lodges and guesthouses.
We are always fascinated by how different South Africa can be.
We love it! : Saflag:
The trip was without major incidents.
We quickly advanced.
From Pongola we knew a short part of the route, then the following kilometers we took quickly from the "clock".
It was really hot out there.
The outdoor thermometer will soon show 40 degrees - that was in 2015 as well.
To the left and right of the lane quite dry, withered, brown dusty areas that belonged to game resorts.
Approximately 40 km before Saint Lucia, a refueling stop at 41.5 degrees and wind, as in a hair dryer .......
Quickly on, - shortly, around 2.15pm, we were at the guesthouse.
Right on the house parking lot, - we knew each other.
Rum around the house to the main entrance and from Ciska and Albert we were received.
During a refreshment in the garden the formalities were quickly done, some new things, in and around the house, discussed.
Innovations in the bookable excursions and what has changed in the center since our last visit, explained.
The keys to the doors we got and so we moved our stay for the next 4 nights.
Relaxing at the pool and in the evening in the Ocean Basket the day with delicious fish dishes end, were then announced.
Whether the long "ride" is the right thing for everyone? I do not know.
If you can get up early, drive long hours without a break, then yes.
But if I want to stop here and there and need several breaks, then it can be very long.
That was ok for us - because we included it in our tour planning.
On another trip, in whatever form, would be a stay on the way for 1-2 nights again in question.
There are enough possibilities for this.
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