Lower Sabie 16 – 19th July

Tues,  16th        At 2.45am I leave the Dolphin Resort in Ballito and take the N2 heading towards Swaziland and Kruger. All goes smoothly except encountering some terrifying driving from the bulk carrying lorries that at one point were overtaking three abreast around a blind corner. Defensive driving is all one can do and hope for the best. The border crossing into Swaziland goes smoothly and with the roads so much improved, I exit again at 9am reaching Komatipoort after 10am. Here I do some grocery shopping and at 11am I at last enter Kruger after a year’s absence.

Of course it is the winter dry season  and the veld is well covered with long, golden grass. I move rapidly to Lower Sabie where I am fortunate to find a good campsite and quickly have the caravan sorted.

Late afternoon and I go to Sunset Dam where life seems to go on much the same as ever. Much the same bird and animal life that makes this such a wonderful place to relax.

After a while I decide to move down to the bridge but as I join the tar H4-1 I notice a cluster of cars a few hundred meters up the road. One can usually get a good idea what the sighting is by the behaviour of the cars. Cars strung out along the road usual indicate lions in the riverbed or on the opposite bank whereas a tight grouping often means a leopard. And leopard it is as a large male strolls to right (riverside) of the road before crossing underneath through a culvert. He comes out close to me but is on the wrong side for photos. Jostling cars are not to my liking so I decide to turn back and head for the bridge.

After about half an hour I return to Sunset Dam where I find by now all the leopard cars have disappeared. I decide to check up and am amazed to see our leopard lying in the open with the occasional car whizzing past. I turn and get a portrait shot of what proves to be rather old and frayed leopard.

But his attention is not on me but rather a point near the culvert to my right. Movement there suddenly reveals a large warthog emerging from a hole whilst the leopard creeps behind some bushes.

Our wary warthog next trots almost to the very spot where the leopard had been lying and I have a perfect view. With camera poised and the trap set I hope to capture the moment. Suddenly, the leopard dashes through the bushes but wartie sees him coming and high tails it for his hole all the time squealing and sending up a cloud of dust.

Had wartie not been so vigilant that would have been the end of him – and I would have got my photos. But his rapid exit took him behind some bushes and the moment is lost. The leopard then circles the hole sniffing therein but then loses interest and wanders off.

Today has certainly been action packed and after my early start, I retire to camp tired but well satisfied.

Wednesday, 17th      The nights are a little chilly in Kruger at this time of the year, 5 – 10ºC whilst the daytime temperatures are usually in the mid twenties. Most days are still, clear and sunny – a far cry from the weather dramas of the Cape. This Ballito – Kruger must become an annual event for us in mid winter.

I begin the day at Sunset Dam and as the sun rises at 6.40am, I am positioned at the old leadwood tree hoping to photograph the Giant Kingfishers fishing. But none arrive so I must content myself with herons and geese.

Winter time is aloe time in the camps of Kruger and the sunbirds are everywhere

The area south of Lower Sabie has been burnt so Duke will not feature much during our stay this year. This afternoon I travel out along the H10 towards Muntshe mountain and Mlondozi so beautiful in the golden evening light.

Thursday, 18th           Renette arrives today from Cape Town where it has been raining continually for the past two weeks. She is flying direct to Skukuza Airport so early today I take our old favourite road, Salitje, S30 which runs along the north bank of the Sabie River towards Skukuza. With the sun behind one this road is a real picture at this time of day.

Although so beautiful, the Salitje road is very quiet this morning.

The internet coms are really poor at Lower Sabie and have seen so for years. So I head for the Cattle Baron restaurant at Skukuza from where I send my first blog. Renette duly arrives at 1pm and I meet her at the excellent Skukuza Airport. Today is quite warm at 33ºC suggesting some pre-frontal heat. From there we travel quickly down to Lower Sabie where Renette quickly restores order in the caravan.

Friday, 19th       This morning Renette requests a rerun of yesterday’s Salitje Road and I am happy to oblige. The game along it seems a little more plentiful today and we begin with a fine Sable bull – quite a rarity.

Next we meet three hyenas coming towards us along the road.

The baboons love to sun themselves in the early rays of the sun.

Crossing over the river, we dawdle along the H4-1 river road towards Lower Sabie. We stop at the revamped Nkuhlu Picnic site which is such an improvement and here we enjoy a Kruger pie and coffee.

Continuing  along the road we come to the Monument Dam near the Nwatimhiri Bridge and from this lovely vantage point we enjoy a large  herd of impala frolicking below. In  the correct setting even the lowly impalas can provide lovely entertainment.

A lunch time braai in the winter sun is something to savour and we both mention how fortunate and privileged we are to enjoy this paradise in such idyllic conditions.