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Grootvlei Dam

Grootvlei Dam on S105, just off S50 south of Shingwedzi. If you have a vehicle with good ground clearance, you can drive on the dam wall to the other side and back again. Tracks quite clear here with no no-entry sign. We were sitting on the dam wall watching a pair of Fish Eagles and a lone Saddlebilled Stork when a Martial Eagle swooped low over our car (cast quite a shadow through the sunroof!) and crashed into the bushes just below us. Didn't see what it was after but it flew back to a tree on our left shortly after.

Grootvlei Dam

Yes, the photo is taken from the dam wall . I had read somewhere on the forum that it was OK to drive across it, so I did. Otherwise, as Mikev points out, the view from the parking area is to the west, whereas this view is SE. The access onto the dam wall in a small car is a bit tricky, so not recommended if you are a nervous driver, but the view of the dam from the wall is great and there is a small turnaround area at the far end.

We also drove up onto the wall in Feb this year and spent a wonderful hour watching as 2 ellies came down and first had a drink then had fun playing the the water.

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Nice photo’s of the ellie’s Elsa. I always have to at the way they hold one leg slightly raised in the air when they drink water. It looks like a perfect spot for an early morning flask with hot coffee and rusks W@H .

I agree Grantmissy
Looks like one of those ideal spots!

Is there water in Grootvlie in the dry months?

Howzit Cheetah,

The Dam was full when I was there in November 2005 meaning that it had quite a bit of water in it already as the first rains surely wouldn't have fulled it up in a week.

This Dam is a good one for us as we saw our first and only ever African crake of the park there on the otherside of the wall.

This was taken after driving along the dam wall in April. I must confess I did wonder how well I would reverse if I met an ellie on the wall.

13041140412 201 by jansp, on Flickr

Ellies.. and more Ellies..

What are you trying to do to me W@H?

Getting you used to the North .. the ellies are very bored up north and like to play tag with cars and chicken

It did concern me a bit as well but fortunately the ellies stayed put in the water and none others decided to take a short cut across the wall!
I did see where someone had posted a pic of very little water in the dam, it was quite a contrast.

Always something going on at that dam , although we've seldom seen it full of water .

Hmmm... wonder how much that ellie contributed to its fullness

Elsa : this is how we have seen it a few times .

Love the picture! (and the others) Tsessebe always excite and this Dam location and the fact that it doesn't get visited by the masses means we still have a great deal to learn about it and who visits it

Thanks O-Dog
Love the pictures by everyone