SANParks Blog

Having been an avid traveller, writer and photographer for some years, I like to think, perhaps presumptuously, that I have a fairly keen interest in and thus heightened awareness of the wider world around me; a good eye for detail and difference. Yet it seems that in constantly trying to explore and discover what is [...]

My first Pangolin encounter happened on the morning of the 2nd of November 2009 conducting a Metsi Metsi trail. We had a group consisting of two French, two German and two South African guests. Myself and Phillip Gumede, my trusted trail colleague and assistant, started the first morning walking from our camp heading north towards [...]

Dear all, sorry to be sooooo late.  I said I will be late with posting but …. I wrote this report on Monday but it is only posting this today Thursday. Well Jobourg syndrome , no time for anytHing. Here it goes: I was at work today and now still recovering from lack of sleep. [...]

  Good day. Huh… it was one of those days.  Left camp at 5:30 and decided to do S114 , S23 and back via H4. And it was fabulous. You will see from the pictures. We were the only car on S23. This lioness and her cub were in the middle of the road. Just [...]

We are sad to leave De Hoop. Like all of the wild places I’ve been, I’m always reluctant to leave. It seems like the more you find out about the wildlife, the plants, the people, the history…the more you want to learn. And I think you always leave a little bit of yourself at every [...]

As you may know, the famous Kalahari lions eluded me and Gareth on our recent trip to the Kgalagadi. Everyone else seemed to see them! Anyway, while we were there, we met up with Michelle Swemmer, who works as a wild dog researcher in Natal, but who was on holiday with her parents in the [...]

The Kgalagadi…or as some people know it – the Kalahari. The name comes from the Setswana word for “The Great Thirst”. I wouldn’t disagree, especially at this time of year. Its dry, and windy, and very dusty! (Our growing beards seem to be collecting more and more dust…might have to use a vacuum some time!) [...]

Today we spent exploring the area around Tatasberg Wilderness Camp, walking along the river, and skimming stones, swimming and taking photographs. At one point, Gareth said something, and we realized that we hadn’t said a word for at least an hour. But it didn’t seem to matter…we both agreed that time seems almost irrelevant here. [...]

The camp where Gareth and I are staying takes its name from Tatasberg, a boulder-strewn mountain peak about 8 kilometres from the river. Park manager Nic de Goede told us last night that it takes about “an hour” to walk up. “My laaitie, who’s only seven, made it easily the other day,” Nic said without [...]

In the Tankwa Karoo, there are flowers underneath your feet, and stars above your head…I’ve spent a lot of time on my knees and stomach this week, lying on the dusty earth taking photos of the millions of flowers. So last night I turned my head to the heavens, and saw a sky which took [...]