Happy Birthday Chris!

Day 16 started early and Chris and Dan were on the road by 7.30am.  We left the boys with Nana and Poppa for the day as we intended to do the big loop, including gravel road, about 8 hours total driving.  The goal; finishing off the Big 5.

First we started by going along the bottom area of the park, but saw very little.  Well, little of interest.  There were still plenty of Elephants and Warthogs and of course the Bok.

Then we headed north along the sealed roads (how good was it to be on the seal again!).  We stopped half way up for a coffee and snack, and were stopped further up the road by 5 buffalo casually walking down the road in a line.  Between them and the Elephants, no one was getting past in a hurry!  Before we found the Buffalo, we came across another animal, very similar, but a bit smaller.

We stopped at a number of little water beds on the way up in the hopes to see cats drinking, but there were none.  What there was were hippopotamus and turtles and even a crocodile or two on the bank (they looked like dead animals to Dan).

We were following Crocodile river, and on the other side of the river was a high bank, so we were keeping an eye here for cats.  Again, no cats, but lots of Giraffe and Zebras.  And Hippo/ Elephants in the water. 

Chris downloaded an app (of course) which shows local sightings, and so we knew some Lions had been seen near the road about 2 hours north. We doubled back (we passed the spot without realising) and were rewarded for our efforts.  Three Lions (though hard to see), a bigger and a smaller one sitting under a tree facing away and another lion on its own sitting in the grass.  Not the best viewing and not the best photos, but definitely Lions, and definitely marking off the Big 5.  You can always tell a Lion or Leoapard sighting, as all the cars are crammed tougher parked all over the road, and no one can move forward or back and everyone is fighting for the best spot.  Remember, you can’t get out.

We stopped for lunch in Shukuza (2 hours north and the top of our loop) at a lovely restaurant with lots of delicious food and fantastic views of elephants playing and relaxing in the ravine below.  it also has a train parked on a bridge over the ravine which has been converted into a restaurant.  We didn’t check this out, but would have liked too.

Home time again, and so a straight two hour trip down the country, stopping when there were interesting things to look at (including Dan’s interesting rock that she swore looked like an animal when passing). There were two or three leopards that crossed the road a minute or so before we arrived, but we couldn’t see them, they had taken off when we got there.    

The monkey above tried to bite Chris then stalked us around the camp. We had to fend it off with sticks and a water bottle.

Back to the camp to purchase some post cords from the shop and another Braai dinner.  Packing up in the morning as we head out of Kruger and to another park over the river, but not within the conservation land.

Good night

Chris, Dan, Karl and Issac