My Kgalagadi and Augrabies holiday- March 2010
Greetings to all the readers,
I went on leave for the past 2 weeks and decided to go and visit the Northern Cape area which is unknown to me and to go and see the special Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and also Augrabies Waterfall National Park.
For the guys who haven’t been there yet, it is definitely a DEFINITE to see…
It went through my mind as I drove through the Lowveld to the Highveld, then to the Kalahari and last to Augrabies waterfall, that we are very privilage to have such a big diversity in not only wildlife and scenary but different Cultures in 1 country like South Africa. Even though the road was long and hot, it was all worth while.
The 120 km gravel road to Mata Mata Rest Camp in Kgalagadi welcomed me with big open arms with beautiful sightings which included, the well known Oryx, Springbuck, Secretary Birds, Cori Bustards, Black Breasted Snake Eagles, Tawny Eagles, Bee-eaters, 2 groups of Cheetahs and the Lions. With the Sunset over the Dunes and the Barking Geckos which became active for the evening and my visit to Kennet Makondo (Student colleague- when we started working for SANParks at Letaba Rest Camp) was the beginning of a special time of my visit.
Everyday I went out with Kennet (Mata Mata Section Ranger) and his team of Field Rangers, fixing a Windmill, building a kraal (fence) around a Solar Panel and patrolling the fence line. That is how I saw most of Mata Mata’s Section. I had my fair share of driving the Kalahari Sand Dunes, saw the wilderness camps, saw Lions everyday and shared special moments of Kalahari Stories told by Oom Piet(Field Ranger). I had the privilage to be on a Night Drive and saw how a Lionness stalked and chased some Oryx, but didn’t succeed to catch any. I saw the big black mane Lion with his female, mating. I shared the moment of space and time with Springbuck and Blue Wildebeests playing with each other, running up and down, the Male Lion showing who is boss to his younger sibling, the Black Backed Jackals and Cape Fox who got chased by Cheetahs and the unique but different environment with its big diversity, from the soil up to the Night Skies.
I build friendships and strengthen the 1 with my friend Kennet and feel overwhelmed of the chance I had to see of what I always just heard about.
From there I had to pack up and enjoyed my last night in the Northern Cape at Augrabies Waterfall National Park. It was amazing!!! That big force of water coming down the Orange River, the Sunset over the Mountains and meeting new people at Augrabies brought the end of my holiday. It was a very rainy day back to Pretoria and me starting work on the 4th of April 2010 again, I decided to give all of you a chance to share this special time with me through the following photo’s. Enjoy it and go and see for yourself!!!
Cheetahs chasing a Cape Fox.
AUGRABIES WATERFALL NATIONAL PARK-
THE END…
REGARDS,
LOURENS BOTHA.
Like
April 3rd, 2010 at 3:01 am
Hi Laurence,
Great Pix !!!
It reminds my of a trip I once took in Christmas 1985 !!! Great experience,beautiful country!!
Had an uncredible duststorm one night.
Could you also take some pix of the camps if you’re still there??
Greetings Thomas.Vancouver BC
April 3rd, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Wowie!! I’m very very very jealous!
April 3rd, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Wonderful, awesome, amazing.
Thanks for sharing Lourens
April 3rd, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Hi Lourens,
Absolutely amazing photos. I have always wanted to go to KTP but just never had the oportunity. I eventually got to KNP for 6 weeks last year after 3 earlier short visits. Now you have made me more determined to get to Kgalagadi and I will start saving today. May take a while but WILL get there. Augrabies is wonderful, have been there 1997 on a caravaning trip via Upington to the Namaqualand flowers. Regards, Delene D. East London. (See we are far from everywhere – except Addo and MZNP – which are also great places)
April 4th, 2010 at 8:37 am
Lourens ….. Your report makes me want to get into my car and leave for Kgalagadi straight away. It is a place I have visited on a few occasions and your photo’s brink back great memories!!
Well done.
April 4th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Lourens
You make our rainy day here in the UK seem much brighter and made us even more determined to add Kgalagadi to a trip when next in SA. Please give us details of the camera that you used to take these excellent pics.
April 4th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Lourens, baie dankie dat ons jou pratige fotos met jou kan/mag deel, dit is asemrowend mooi. Toe ek jou opskrif gelees het het ek amper gedink dat dit my boetie se TR was, want hulle was ook in Maart op dieselfde roete as jy. Het net `n gedeelte van Namibië by gesit.
Lourens, ek glo (en dit sê ek na aanlyding van jou liefde vir die natuur) dat jy saam met my sal stem, dat daar net Een Hand is wat vir soveel mooi om ons verantwoordelik is. En dink net hoe bevoorreg ons as mens is om dit te mag aanskou, waardeer en geniet.
Baie dankie nogmaals.
April 4th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Hi Lourens
Thanks for those beautiful pics and the report from your holiday to the KTP.
Perhaps one day we can go there too – who knows.
Our next trip brings us in 3 weeks to Botswana and in October back to our favourite, the KNP.
In the meantime I am hungry to read your reports from the Park.
Just carry on!
Kind regards from Switzerland!
April 4th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
WOW ! Lourens
thanks a lot, magnificent… those dunes, sunset… Antelopes in move… Cats… Foxes… etc…
less than one year… and I’ll be back….
April 4th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Hi Lourens,
Absolutely STUNNING photos!! Thanks for sharing …
SC
April 5th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Thanks Lourens, fantastic photos and a wonderful trip making us live the trip with you through the Park.Hope you safely back home and look forwrd to your reports from Phalaborwa !!!!!
Frans Shirley Margate KZN
April 5th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Hi Lourens
Great photos, glad you enjoyed you 2 week break. We are leaving on Friday 09 April 2010 for KNP hope we get some photos as good as yours.
Leo
April 5th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Hi Lourens,
Thanks for sharing your truly spectacular and amazing photos with us. I always love your photos. What is the road like now from Uppington to Twee Rivieren, as well as to Mata Mata?
Regards,
Tibby
April 5th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Hi Lourens,
WOW! You know how to handle your new toy quite well already! Fantastic pictures!!!
That pinkish lion in love is fab!
And you found the cheetahs the morning after we spoke at the lion sighting at Dalkeith it seems.
Greets
Lionspoon
April 6th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Wow………….awsome………………grandios…….Thanks Lourens!
Kind regards from Bavaria!
April 6th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Hi Lourens.
Thank you, we are leaving onFriday for a few days, As we have never been before to the KTP were alittle apprehensive about what we were going to see.. Now we can’t wait to get there. Hopefully we will see you in September when we visit the KNP.
Regards
Barbara
April 6th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Hi Lourens
Really beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing.
Cheers
Jenette
April 6th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Fantasties!! Dankie dat jy die fotos met ons deel.
April 6th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Lovely pics Please tell me if I can go with a car or will I need a 4X4 also whats the best time of the year to visit
April 7th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Amazing ! Going to Kgaladi 7th to 14 th August 2010. Can not wait till it is time to leave.
April 7th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Hi Lourens,
It has been said time and time again. Beautiful pictures Lourens. Just great.
Must try and get there sometime soon.
April 7th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Hallooooooo Lourens,
a wonderful sunny springday in Germany to enjoy your breathless taking pictures and amazing story about your trip again and again. Thank you soooooo much for all your effort in making our days a bit brighter.
April 7th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Hallooooooo Lourens,
a wonderful sunny springday in Germany to enjoy your breathless taking pictures and amazing story about your trip again and again. Thank you soooooo much for all your effort in making our days a bit brighter.
April 7th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Hallooooooo Lourens,
a wonderful sunny springday in Germany to enjoy your breathless taking pictures and amazing story about your trip again and again. Thank you soooooo much for all your effort in making our days a bit brighter.
April 7th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Hi Lourens,
Ek sit hier met my mond wat oophang en my woorde wat verdwyn. Dit is pragtig daar! Wow!
Dankie dat jy dit met ons deel!
Groete!
April 8th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Oh Wow Lourens, what beautiful pictures. Everything is so beautiful in its starkness!!! Thankyou so much for sharing your experience!!!!
April 9th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Asemrowende foto’s. Was nog net een keer daar maar gaan beslis weer ‘n plan maak om daar uit te kom, jammer dit is net sover van Pretoria maar die stop by Red Sands in Kuruman was vir ons ‘n lekker ruskans. Hoop ons kan sulke mooi foto’s neem as ons September KNP toe kom. Kan nie meer wag nie!!!
April 10th, 2010 at 5:04 am
Hi Lourens,
Dit is ‘n omgewing met ‘n eie bekoring wat slegs ervaar kan word deur ‘n persoonloke besoek daaraan!
Jou inset behoort baie mense aan te spoor om self daarheen te reis. Ekself was baie lank gelede laas by enige van die twee plekke en beplan wer ‘n besoek. Jy skep by my die besef vir ‘n dringender optrede.
Bly jy het die geleentheid gehad en benut.
Baie mooi fotos!
Seëngroete,
ALAN
April 10th, 2010 at 11:35 am
Lourens baie mooi fotos – ek kom van daai wereld. Jy laat verlang my terug.
Malan van Zyl
New Plymouth
New Zealand
April 12th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Lourens jou foto’s is soooo mooi en die diere lyk in puik kondisie. Ons beplan volgende jaar Maart/April ‘n trippie KTP toe en nou sien ek nog meer uit daarna.
April 13th, 2010 at 9:52 am
hey lourenz, dit is werklik stunning foto’s wat jy geneem het… watse kamera en lens is gebruik?
watse werk doen u dat u die vooreg het om na kgalagadi toe te kan gaan vir werk?
April 13th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
hi ,ja jy het n wonderlikke vakansie gehad,wens ek kon dit ook so doen.wat n klomp pragtige foto’s.groete dirk
April 15th, 2010 at 11:04 am
Lourens, Dit bly maar ‘n voorreg om die wonderlike natuur so te kan beleef! Dankie dat jy dit met almal deel deur die pragtige fotos - waardeer dit regtig!
April 15th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Hi Lourens
I dreamed to go there. I sure will since I looked your photos. I am almost closed to , I living in Maputo for a while.
Thanks.
JM
April 16th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Hi Lourens,
Thanks for sharing your wonderful and inspiring pics of a beautiful park.
Regards
Elsa.
August 30th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Hi …
we are leaving for the Kgalagadi now on the 23rd of september 2010 and we can’t wait our first visit…
Going to Mata Mata , twee rivieren, nossob and then 4 night at Polentswa on the Botswana side.. we can’t wait!
For one or other reason I can’t view your photo’s but if I read everyones comments it sound like you had a awesome time… will you visit the Kgalagadi again?