Thursday, 31st May DAY 14

We leave Shish at 6am and travel through the grasslands shrouded in wintery, morning mist. This always gives beautiful sunrises as the golden sun breaks through. Our camp neighbours have told us of three leopard cubs north of Ngotso Dam…

Wednesday, 30th May DAY 13

We awake early at Shish (Shishingane – Warren’s quarters) and at 6am travel to the Sweni causeway. I’m afraid that my Painted Snipe seems to have disappeared so after a time of coaxing with the bird caller, nothing better than…

Tuesday, 29th May DAY 12

In the semi-darkness and together with Warren we drive in the Quantum down to Singita, some 15Km distant. Here we transfer onto one of these open tourist Land Rovers that the lodge has kindly put at our disposal and the…

Monday, 28th May DAY 11

The internet, or lack of it, at Satara is driving us crazy. We are forced again to travel to Orpen purely to make contact with the outside world. I have been having a running battle with Sanparks for the past…

Sunday, 27th May DAY 10

So as to get prime position at Nkaya Pan this morning we are up early and (wait for it Jenky and Warren) we are first at the gate. Unfortunately, there is a cloud cover so not ideal conditions for photographing.…

Saturday, 26th May DAY 9

The wintery mist is hanging thickly in the hollows this morning as we head for Sweni (S126). A car stops ahead of us on the tar and says that a leopard has just crossed over. On Sweni we begin with coffee…

Friday, 25th May DAY 8

Warren is again going to be at the airstrip at 10am but…. I now urgently need the internet. So we are heading for Orpen Gate where apparently there are good comms. So with an unfortunate time constraint we move at…

Thursday, 24th May DAY 7

It is a beautifully still, clear morning and the tactic today is to let the pack blaze ahead down the S100 Nwanetsi while we sedately follow behind. So as we join the river we stop to watch the sun break…

Wednesday, 23rd May DAY 6

We have a meeting today with Warren at the Satara airstrip at 9.30am so we decide to do a quick circuit – northward up the tar (H1-4) for 7Km’s and then cut across east (S90) to Gudzani and then back…

Tuesday, 22nd May DAY 5

I have noticed something rather strange. Whereas Croc Bridge – Lower Sabie – Biyamithi, the Sand and Sabie rivers are full of water, and although the veld around Skukuza is well grassed, the pans and streams here are empty. So…

Monday, 21st May DAY 4

Monday, 21st May Grey and overcast we are headed to Salietjie (S30) today. The problem in winter is that the 6am gate opening time is too easy for everyone. We arrive a couple of minutes before and the queue stretches…

Sunday, 20th May DAY 3

Despite the clear sky last night, rain again begins drumming on the roof of the caravan in the early hours. By the time I get up at 5.20am, the sky is clear again. Today we head for the Paul Kruger…

Saturday, 19th May DAY 2

Early morning rain (10mm) means we are a little late in leaving camp at 6.20am. We are heading for the Biyamithi Weir (S114). Crisp and fresh after the rain prospects are looking good but the clouds thicken and by the…

Friday, 18th May DAY 1

Well this is a new one. Yesterday I bring the caravan to our rather cramped simplex in Simbithi and after packing it, find that the street is too narrow to turn so I must reverse it in the dark. I…