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Mahonie and Mphongolo loop are magical roads for me

Love your open-billed stork - Hopefully we will have the honour in seeing one next year as it is already quite a while ago

Great pics and wonderful day you had with super sightings.

Gorgeous sunrise.

Val, what a gorgeous sunrise.

as for your other evocative

sigh

I can't wait until I too can experience the joy of a Kruger sunrise again.

Just caught up with your last two episodes Val! I am so glad to see that you had lots of lovely sightings and took beautiful pictures too, especially that awesome sunrise!

Beautiful Raptors, Open-billed Stork, a very handsome Kudu, a cute Steenbokkie and a Grysbokkie!

Can't wait for the next episode!

What a sunrise Val, makes me sooo homesick.

Hi Val,

More great sightings. Glad to see you are having a good time. Just posted our picture from Letaba in my TR.

Take care,

Daron

Thanks for the beautiful sunrise Val .

Great sightings all around, especially the golden kitty .

Thanks so much for sharing

Thanks again for all your lovely comments, and Chirinda and Elsa, thanks for the IDs (I thought that as well, but did not have the confidence!!)

Day 43 (Dec 13th) cont.
Feeling refreshed after our snooze, we set off from camp along the famous Mahonie Loop.

We saw Impala, Nyala, a cute little Duiker and Reedbuck (firsts for the kids, but the Duiker was too quick for photos!!)
We also saw Steenbok, female Kudus, two Southern Ground Hornbills (also a first for the kids, who couldn't believe how ugly they are!!)
Further on we came across a group of Buffs, and some Vervets, and then just after we had gone around the mountain, and were on our way back...............one of my worst nightmares............a huge breeding herd of Ellies on a dirt road!!!

We passed two without realising they were there, but they didn't seem too bothered, but of course they were now behind us, and as we drove on we came across the main herd with the babies!! They were either side of the road, and one large one was in the road!!

Time was moving on rapidly, and we resigned ourselves to the fact that we would be late for the gate!!

We sat looking out of the back mirror to check to see whether the two behind us were approaching, but luckily there was no sign of them!

Then after about twenty five minutes, joy of joy, the whole herd crossed over the road, and disappeared into the bush, not a bit concerned about the little grey Atos with it's four nervous occupants!!

Well now it was a question of whether we could get to the gate (without speeding) before it closed.

Never before had that loop seemed so long and winding.......around each bend we hoped to see the main road, but no, there was just another bend!!

It was getting dark by this time, and we were all a bit concerned.

We eventually came to the main road, and drove as fast as the speed limit would let us, arriving at the gate just as they were about to shut it up for the night!! Phew!!

We were exhausted by this point (partly with the long journey up, and also the nervous energy we had used up at the Ellie sighting!!)

We therefore didn't braai that night, but just put the Lamb Chops and Wors in the oven, and cooked potatoes and butternut in the microwave............not as good as a braai, but it was all yummy never the less!!

As we sat in the lounge with our Amarulas (we had moved inside after our meal, as our daughter was battling with the huge moths flying about outside) we had a little visitor looking at us through the glass door on the verandah...............it was a cute little Thick Tailed Bushbaby!!

None of us had a camera ready, so no photo I'm afraid, but it was such a lovely end to the day, to see it, before it walked back into the darkness.

To be continued............

Another lovely drive Val, despite the herd of Ellies! Fortunately they behaved!

You had lots of lovely sightings, but to end your day with a Bushbaby looking at you through the glass door was the best!

Lovely Reedbuck and Nyala!

Val another great day in paradise, lovely sightings,thanks so much for sharing

See you met the famous Mahonie Loop ellies but thankfully they were well behaved other than almost making you late for the gate and using up all that nervous energy for nothing!
Loving all your pics as well.

WOW, Val, another fab episode. Really Loved every bit of it.

2 of my favorite loops. Loving your TR to bits.

Cant wait for more

Thanks Kallis, Elsa Carol and Hilda.......part of my faithful band of followers...your lovely comments make it all worth while.

Day 44 (Dec 14th)
Today was going to be a long day, because we were driving up to Pafuri, and then back to Shing, as I couldn't get us another night at Punda.

We were parked outside the shop/reception area, when I could see a familiar figure walking towards us..............it was PetraJ, in her brand new Honorary Ranger uniform!! She did look smart, and she was just off to the camp manager, to see what duties she was required to do that day!!

We had a quick chat, and then it was off up the road to Pafuri!!

We had not gone far, when we saw a very strange sight!!!

Just off the road, under a small tree was a dead domestic dog, which a Tawny was attempting to rip into!!!

How had it got there? How had it died? It was such a pathetic sight...........poor little thing!! It actually looked as though it was asleep, but of course it was not.

We travelled on towards the north, and my excitement was mounting,

I love this area, and as we progressed, we watched more and more Baobab trees appear, and the whole terrain was changing around us.

We passed Baobab Hill, and now I felt I was nearly home..........if only we could build a little cottage here, how happy we would be!!

We saw Impala, Ostrich, Steenbok, Zebra, Buffs, Nyala, Baboons, Warthog, and Kudu.

As we neared Pafuri, I wondered whether Frank would be there, because when we had met Carolv at Olifants, she had said he was on leave, and due back on the 14th. Well today was the 14th, but did she mean he was back at work on the 14th, or back on the 14th to start work on the 15th? I hadn't thought to ask!!!

When we got there, we were surprised to find four medi clinic vehicles and lots of people...............but sadly no Frank!!

We soon discovered that it was a local hospital's Christmas party, so after a quick sandwich, we decided to leave them to it, and drove on to Crook's Corner.

Daughter and SIL were fascinated to read the history of the place, and were also amazed to see the "mighty Limpopo" that we had seen many times on the TV in flood, was a dry river bed, all except a few small pools of water near the fence.

There were however a few small crocs lurking about, so that was at least something to see!!

As it was to be a long drive back to Shing, we didn't stay there too long, and set off back past the beautiful fever trees in the "enchanted forest", down to the main road, and along to Nyala drive, which yielded no sightings sadly.

I had hoped to do some birding while up here, but Daughter and SIL, haven't quite caught the bug yet, so we concentrated on the larger creatures.
I was hoping to track down a Crested Guineafowl, and Green and Orange Winged Pytilias, but it was not to be, so maybe Dungy and I will have to have another minibreak early next year before we leave Phala, and then we can have a birding session! Any old excuse for another visit!!!

On the way back to Shing, we saw Waterbuck, Ellies, a Secretarybird, Giraffe, Openbill, and several Maribous.

That evening we braaied succulent sirloin steaks, wors, and with it we had chakalaka, corn on the cob, fried onions and baked potatoes.........lekker!!!

That night we heard loins roaring the other side of the fence (at least we hoped that they were on the other side!!) and before it got dark, a Crested Barbet and two Glossy Starlings came to fight over the crisp crumbs that we had inadvertantly dropped.

That is the closest that I've been to a CB, and I was so thrilled to watch it at close quarters!!

Then it was Amarula time, and a reflection on our four nights in paradise, as sadly tomorrow we would be making our way back to Phala!!

To be continued.............

Another lovely episode Val!

Not nice to see a dead domestic dog, we do know there is a fair amount of poaching with dogs that occurs in the area so possibly connected to that?

Lovely pic of the CB, they are so beautiful and of course, Crook's corner and the enchanted Forest!

Hi Crested Val,
I too enjoy visiting northern Kruger so I paid close attention to your exploits on the Mahonie Loop and Pafuri (which you described beautifully in your last TR). Looking forward to more.