Skukuza 17 – 20th August

One of the delights of this type of lifestyle is that one comes into contact with so many likeminded people. Invariably, our campsite neighbours are just decent, well behaved people who appreciate the small things in life. But, no sooner has one established a report with them, either we or they move on, never to be seen or heard of again.

Saturday, 17th       This afternoon we go down to the high-level bridge over the magnificent Sabie River.

A video clip doing the rounds today shows a leopard bounding through the Nkuhlu Picnic Spot with guests scattering before it. One lady in a neighbouring caravan here in Skukuza was actually there and relates how she was in its path and hastily had give way when it snarled at her.

Sunday, 18th          Today we have planned to go down to Lower Sabie.

Why Lower Sabie? Firstly it is a beautiful early morning road before the masses get going and secondly, there are some rare African Skimmers on a sandbank at the Lower Sabie bridge that I would like to photograph. The best of plans then sometimes come adrift. All goes well as we go quietly down the H4-1 but beyond Nkuhlu Picnic Spot we suddenly realise we have forgotten to close the air-vents in the roof of the caravan. On Friday a neighbouring caravan was raided by monkeys which tore open the screens around the roof and ransacked the caravan. The consequences of this happening to us are just too much to think about so we turn and go quickly back to Skukuza where we find the monkeys have fortunately been occupied elsewhere in the camp this morning and we have escaped their revenge.

That leaves me with a good opportunity to do a little birding about the amazing Skukuza camp.

This afternoon we go out along the H1-2 over the Sand River and along the main road that runs next to the Sand River.

Another beautiful route and come to think about it, probably my favourite evening drive in Kruger. It has everything – great beauty with the riverine  trees, many birds and animals.

Monday, 19th               Thwarted yesterday, today we again head for Lower Sabie. The H4-1 river road early morning is just magnificent and we spend a couple of tranquil hours meandering in and out of the little loop roads that line the river. Near Nkuhlu we miss two leopards crossing the road by minutes.

No Skimmers down at Lower Sabie and after breakfast at the excellent Mugg & Bean we make our way back up the road. Every now and then we come to a huddle of cars that indicate a lion sighting. However, up near the high-level bridge a real pile-up of cars indicate something special – and so it proves to be  as a catch sight of a  leopard dragging what I first take to be a warthog kill amongst the trees down in the riverbed. The Quantum does give a height advantage of seeing over the tops of cars but I still struggle to get into position and the photo quality is very poor.

Only later do I realise that the kill is actually a muddied impala ram that must have been taken down whilst drinking.

We repeat again our afternoon H1-2 drive out to the Sand River and beyond.

We sit on the Sand River Bridge enjoying our coffee and rusks whilst I focus up on a nearby Fish Eagle. Suddenly my rusk is wrenched out of my hand by a large unseen baboon that creeps up on me and then sits on the bridge right next to me, quite unruffled by the curses that I throw at him.

Absolutely brazen. But I do get my Fish Eagle shot.

We then creep along the Sand River road, magnificent in the late afternoon light.

Tuesday, 20th            Today we are going somewhere different.  The Biyamiti weir to the south along the S114 is always a favourite destination. So on a dark, cloudy morning  we set off alone down the S114 stopping for coffee at the Renoster Koppie water point. Then on to the S23 Biyamiti river road where we really creep along on high alert. We finally reach the weir but find that although water is trickling over the wall, the one-time pool is completely choked with sand. There is no pool. With no prospects of photographing we push on to Afsaal. All the way the air is hazed with smoke coming from the Pretoriuskop area where they are veld burning. Ship Mountain is not visible at all.

At Afsaal we buy a snack and then retreat to the vehicle to eat it because the monkeys here are so aggressive. Snarling with bared teeth, they raid people’s breakfast tables and one young boy gets nipped on the ankle. When monkeys and baboons lose their fear of people then problems ensue.

Our morning trip was really poor made worse again by the atrocious gravel roads that are not being maintained. We see few cars on these roads whilst the tarred roads are choked with traffic. Quite understandably as we will not be repeating this morning’s route.

This evening it’s out along the H1-2 Sand River but there is not much doing.

Today was a really poor day but being Kruger one presses on and waits for the tide to turn.