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Received an SMS at 9.30 this morning:
"On the long road to Kruger, sleeping in Bloemfontein tonight"

Hope they have arrived safely in Bloem, still +/- 800kms before they arrive at Croc Bridge tomorrow, then the relaxing starts

Oumie left Bloemfontein early this morning, she had forgotten how cold the Free State can get

Just received an SMS " Arrived at Croc Bridge, fire lit, sitting down and having a glass of Amarula"

I am so Hope they have a relaxing time and some great sightings

Oumie left Croc Bridge early, saw impala, warthog and giraffe, arrived at Lower Sabie at 9.20.
As they arrived clouds gathered so they hurried to put the tent up before it started to rain. As they started the rain started and they got horribly wet. Oumie is sure the cloud aimed just at them they were like two drowned rats.
They looked at each other and packed up laughing.
They had a nice hot shower and went to watch the many hippos and crocs at Sunset Dam.

These reports are hard to do when you just want to be there

SMS in from Oumie:
'It rained hard here again early this morning, got a cold and nearly no voice, whispering!
Saw a big herd of buffalo this morning. Grass is high and there is plenty of water in the park.
Warthog, impala, ellies, 4 kudus, hippo, giraffe and late this afternoon we saw 5 lionesses at Duke Water hole.
SO bought himself a toy, a small GPS, so I have to do all the driving while he plots the road etc.
Also there is a hyaena in the camp strolling round late at night. A bit of a worry when need the toilet at night.
Did not see it yet but all the campers are talking about it.
Well fire is lit, Amarula in glass, ready to start drinking"

Sounds like they are having a great time, think I'd squat very near the tent

Oumie had a lazy day out today, made a bed in the back of the car and slept while SO drove round and looked for the animals.
Saw elephants, zebra, wildebeest, 2 blackbacked jackals, buffs, hippos and baboons.
She is feeling much better now, her cold seems to have gone.
Nice and warm there and they are sitting out without jackets.

Kruger seems to be a cure-all and I'm sitting indoors here with a jacket and heater on

Just received from Oumie:
"We are having a super time, a lion roared right outside camp the whole of last night till this morning. We went out as early as the gates opened and went straight to Sunset Dam where we saw him, he was beautiful. Also saw buffs, ellies, impala, warthog and hippo. Four more days here then off to Maroela for 6 days"

I'm so

and more......

"The moon is stunning here tonight, we watched the sun set and at the same time the moon rise, what a sight!"

She has her phone on silent mode

Had a hard time with Oumie's SMS's this morning,
1st one said 'following 3 lions down the S29'
2nd said 'following 3 cheetahs down the S29'
I am supposed to work while this confused Oumie is sending me these exciting messages

Later received this SMS at 10.50:
'What a morning! Went on the S29 where we say 3 lions walking down the road, followed them to the H10 towards Lower Sabie for a while when they went in the long grass and we lost sight of them. Turned back onto the S29 and got 3 cheetahs in the road, followed them back to the H10, same route as the lions, also after a while they went into the long grass and we lost them, off back to camp for breakfast now"

All that before breakfast

Oumie had a lazy day in camp yesterday, they watched the space station come over the park last night, what a sight it was!
Left early this morning for Maroela, saw jackal, zebra and lions on the way A lioness, a male and 2 teenage cubs.
Sitting having sundowners now in a very full camp.

Hope they are quiet campers

Another lazy morning in camp, these people certainly know how to relax while having bacon, egg, avacodo and toast, kudu and bushbuck walked past the fence.
Went out for a drive this afternoon and saw a very young leopard walking on the tar road, followed him for at least 6kms (think this must be the H7) he was trying to catch some birds and squirrels. Had to leave him to get back to camp before the gates closed.
Went to Satara and had a look at the new swimming pool, looking nice, they are upgrading the camping site so it is smaller and very cramped, all the fence sites are closed due to the upgrading so they are thinking of changing to Shingwedzi instead of Satara.
Also saw giraffe, elephant, zebra, vervets and wildebeest.
Fire is lit and Amarula is in the glass.

Oumie and SO saw cheetah again

"Left camp at 6am yesterday and at the Talamati turnoff saw a cheetah walking towards us going towards Orpen gate, followed it for a while when it dashed off into the bushes chasing warthogs, missed, then chased some impala, missed again and strolled into the thicker bush.
Took a slow drive to Timbavati for breakfast, saw a few animals on the way, the bushbuck is still there being fed!
Decided to change our accommodation (think Oumie will tell you why later ) moving to Olifants for 2 nights, got #93 bungalow with a view of the river, then 1 night at Berg-en-dal, leaving on Thursday back home, cutting holiday short by 7 days, with a promise from SO to visit Grootkolk in Kgaligadi in August "

Hope she gives us a full report when she arrives back home

More cats

"Drove up to Letaba, not much game but a very cross ellie on the road, had to wait for him to move into the bush. Had breakfast at the day visitors site, very nicely set out next to the swimming pool. The same layout is being built at Satara.
Went for an afternoon drive to Balule and on the way to Bangu waterhole saw a pride of lions, 2 males and 5 females walking on the sand road towards the waterhole.
Sat with them for 20 minutes but had to get back before the gates closed, on the way back saw a hyaena, took some nice pics. (Can't wait to see them)
Weather is cold and rainy"

Here is part of our trip report.
7th of June
Stopped at Outdoor Warehouse in Nelspruit and SO bought himself a small GPS.
Arrived at Komatiepoort at 3pm. Did the shopping for Kruger at the new Spar shopping centre. Very nice spar We found everything we needed there. Also bought some books at CNA to read in Kruger, forgot to buy them in Cape Town
I went into a chemist in Komatiepoort to buy some throat lozenges and boy was it expensive For 10 lozenges it cost me R43-90
We then left to the Gate and parked the car on the
bridge for a while just to feel Kruger
Saw Hippo and some storks.
Booked into camp and got a river view bungalow. Very nice. The camping site was full and there were a lot of people about. SO could not wait to open the box containing the GPS's to start playing with it I had to ask him a couple of times to start the fire because it was getting dark and I wanted a drink SO then lit the fire and I poured the drinks. We sat down drinking and toasting each other glad to be in the bush. That first braai was the best
SO could not wait for me to go and wash the dishes so that he could start "plotting" things on his new GPS

8th of June
Left early for Lower Sabie. It was cloudy but not raining yet. We had to stop at each and every road markings so that SO could "plott" the road on that GPS
On the way we saw Impala, Hippo & Warthog. The grass is very high and the animals were scarce.
Got to Lower Sabie at 2pm and started to set camp up. As we were busy putting the top canvas over the tent it started to rain I think that cloud looked at us and said there is the “Rogers” and came straight for us and threw buckets of water over us We got soaking wet, but carried on putting the top sheet over so that the tent did not get too wet. We looked like two drowned rats. Then after a minute it really came down and we had to shelter under the already wet top canvas. We looked at each other and just burst out laughing! We could not stop, kept on giggling like
two little school kids After 5 minutes the rain stopped and we carried on setting up our camp. Luckily it was not too cold and we seem to get dry a little. After setting up tent we went to the bathrooms and had a warm shower. Went to Sunset dam and watched the sun set. What a sight!
After the fire was lit and sitting down sipping our drinks a gentleman came over to tell us there is a Hyena in the camp. They have seen it early in the morning scrounging around camp for food, knocking the dustbins over. We stayed up late to try and see the “pest” but nothing.

9th June
Slept in and lazed around camp for most of the morning. I made us a nice breakfast and we lazed around some more.
SO playing with his new toy After lunch we headed out towards Mlondozi road towards Tshokwane and back on the S128 to Lower Sabie, stopping at these "points" to "plott" We saw Impala, Hippo, Warthog, our first heard of Buffalo’s, Elephant, Reedbuck, Zebra, Steenbok, Slender Mongoose, Kudu, Giraffe, Lion, Bushbuck, Vervet Monkeys and 2 White Rhino’s.

Rest of report and photo's will be posted in a few days time

This young Marshall eagle was sitting in a dead tree calling- we think for his parents.



I think this is a Brown Snake Eagle - plse correct me if I am wrong.


This Cougal kept on posing for us

This is actually a juvenile Bateleur Oumie. Brown Snake-eagles have got big yellow eyes. And their legs are more bare.
You can have a look here for some pointers on id'ing juv. bateleurs.

Nice pics by the way.

10th June

We decided to lie in a bit and take a late drive out and go towards Croc Bridge.
Saw Impala, Hippo, Warthog, Zebra, Steenbok, Slender Mongoose, Giraffe,Vervets, Tree Squirrells, BB Jackal, Wildebeest and our second big Buffelo herd and Elephant herd


Also saw this on the road...the men sat in the front of the bakkie and the women sat at the back...and boy was it hot that day!



Report to be continued....