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anne marie...Here is another flower we spotted on our hike...the Barberton lovely orange...

We headed back to camp, noticing this marvellous ellie being stalked by a saddle billed stork...

The stork didn't last too long...such a wingspan...very neat to watch soar away...

So here are some shots from our lazy afternoon in camp...it was nice to have a non car day!
- cute little white bellied sunbird...darn leaf
- nice black headed bulbul
In the late afternoon, we retraced our morning adventure, found vulture parties, ellies, and wonderful malachite kingfishers, amongst our views.

- lovely white backed vulture...photos are sooo much nicer in the sun...sigh..

- this malachite was beetling straight for my open window
- thankfully it stopped for a few shots or 20...right beside the car...yeah...love the mud on the beak!
AND this is what blue sky looks like...ha it was just so rare for us

It does help to make the scenery that much more beautiful...


Then we were invited to Sharifa and Duke’s for a wonderful meal. We had a very pleasant evening visiting with them. They had stunning photos and lots of stories to share of their sightings...there are some horseshoes somewhere...or maybe just good living!!
Oh we did witness a kill as well…a gecko made short work of a katydid (both at our place and at theirs)….wings everywhere…not for the frail…ha.

April 26- on to Orpen
Another great cloudless morning- we were getting spoiled..ha

We had a last visit with Sharifa and Duke at the exit gate and then were on our way continuing south on the S92 to the S90.

Near the weir road a cranky ellie had prevented some people from using the road.

We kept going south on the S90 and found the older hyena family at a culvert den. Yeah...more hyena.... This time the 2 young hyenas came out and about, while Dad chewed on a set of impala horns.
- youngster
You think he had some nervous energy to get rid of…he really worried the horns.

One brazen young hyena tried to share in his experience and Daddy wasn’t much up to sharing.


- don't push your luck kid!!!
- yeah...would you argue with this snarly face??????????????
- ok...rethink if you really want that set of horns...
Eventually the young were able to have a turn at the soothing teething ring set of horns.
It seemed that all the mongeese in the area chose this sunny am to climb to the highest point and view the surroundings.

Ok...this is NOT a hyena...

and neither is this...

But this is....break over...babe finally got the horns...


Enough hyena...We continued south and went on the S39 to Timbatavi. Some things we saw along the way...
- steenbok
- more mongeese
- successful warties
- white crowned shrike
- on the fly
- such a sweetie, but rotten light...
- dwarf mongoose
There were loads of people at Timbavati having their 9am braai- bacon with beer…there’s a good start to your day! well...not for me...Then we continued south on the S39 and found 8 distant large lions seeking refuge in the shade of trees, but they refused to budge.

Then we took the H7 west to the S106 Rabelais Loop and visited the museum.
Into Orpen and early check in was available since the place was all ready. We gave the Orpen accommodation 89/100, since it was nicely situation in the shade, had a spacious outdoor kitchen and eating area, but had no view for us to speak of and no dish soap (it seems I developed a pet peeve)...ha. It was very tidy but was in need of some window repairs. Wonder what was so keen to shread the screens???
It was good and hot, 33C, so we welcomed the pool-yeah...it finally worked for us today and had a dip. Then we went off on a lengthy drive somewhere in the park……hmmm wonder what we might see.....

Then we went off on a lengthy drive somewhere in the park…

along the way we saw....
- itchy red hornbill
- sleepy baby baboon
- very out babe...
and finally we had a very close up view of a rhino crossing the road, and some jackals greeting each other with a very submissive display.
- it was quickly swallowed up in the tall grass...but was very neat to see!!!

Back in Orpen we had a braai, then sat out and watched the activity at the lit waterhole…neat to see the herd of elephants, and the buffs come to visit.
- ha a blurred effort, but you know what it is!!!
We wondered if the cammers were catching this all, but it was one of those non functioning nights (I checked when we got home-ha). The screen shreaders (honey badgers) also seemed to have abandoned their bad habits for the evening, for which I was grateful, but I wouldn't have minded them wandering through!!!
Sigh...the end is near for this last big trip on our year long adventure...

April 27- out of Kruger….Freedom Day…1994 Election
Up at 0330 and out to have a morning game drive….well people had been tripping over wild dogs…and now that we were there…nothing. We saw quite a lot on this drive…through the rain…..again…genets, jackals, scrub hares, kudu, hyena having a tiff, bushbabies, zebra, hippo, buffs, giraffe, a lion sauntering down the road and lots of the regular game- but it was just not condusive to taking photos.
It was also nice to meet forumite Cape of Storms and her friends on this ride! They had just finished a trail hike further south and it sounded very interesting…hmmm so when we come back…….

Back at Orpen we packed up and took one last morning drive in search of wild dogs.


We went all the way back to Satara where the leopard kill was still in the tree but reduced now to a backbone, some skin and a skull. A vulture was picking morsels off it still- that impala had assisted many in their quest for food.

Further on we saw a huge group of buffalos, heard hyena, hippos, an ellie with a very thick trunk, ellies using an itching tree, and kudu.





I have some special shots for the end...tbc soon

Big sigh...yup...my keyboard is a little damp, anne-marie.
I have saved some special shots from Kruger for the end of this report...I will let them speak mostly for themselves....
- sunset giraffe
- are you an ellie too?
- I could eat you...
- regal look
- we are not amused
- leap frog??? or leap buck?
- what a beaut
- satisfied kitty
- unhappy giant..ready to sandblast us...
- yellow house bat...ya know I had to have a last bat photo...
- Time to leave Kruger....sigh
- Good night Kruger...
So for a year we have traveled in South Africa, despite people 'warning' us of the upcoming dangers before we left. Well the dangers in South Africa exist, but you just have to be sensible in your approach. The benefits of meeting all sorts of lovely people, seeing amazing animals and plants, and drinking in spectacular vistas far outweigh the security risk. Thanks so much for all those who have touched our lives. Thanks also to San Parks for preserving/conserving such marvelous lands to provide habitat for the vast diversity of creatures, so that they may thrive and we may have the priviledge of having special glimpses!
It was a difficult transition back into North American society. Certainly it was fabulous to reconnect with family, friends and our pooch, but the wasteful, greedy, more self centered approach to life was embarrassing to recognize and deal with. Hopefully we will continue to recall our experiences in South Africa and follow those marvelous examples.
Thanks again for sharing your wonderful country and for all those who took the time to comment on our adventures….we hope to return in 6 year’s time for another sabbatical…if not sooner.
KTF
- Time to leave Africa
- Good night Africa