SANParks.org Forums

To all the last 5 or 6 posters , we have certainly not seen the end of development of tourist infrastructure in the KNP .
If run by KNP staff in areas at a limited level where it will not be seen by the public , I see it having far less impact than the concession lodges with their 100's of kilometres of private roads and daily vehicle deliveries and scheduled daily flights into KNP (yes) and who are allowed to drive off road to major sightings , as well as the hundreds of open safari vehicles , private vehicles and vehicles transiting through the KNP to Mocambique daily .
KNP staff would be in control with a vehicle dropping a group off and picking them up a few hours later downstream .
What could be better and have a lower environmental impact than gliding or rowing down a river and viewing game and untouched scenery , it has been done for many years on rivers throughout Africa , and while there are risks involved these can be minimised by carefull consideration .
BTW , maybe not quite so "dof" as you think , Scipio .

I Agree with ndloti.

If run by KNP professionals, and i mean professionals, and i dont mean these money making so called "safari" companies with their millions of IRRITATING trucks and busses, who all they manage to get right is to congest the roads and irritate nature lovers and over commercialize the Park.

If run following the 'touch the earth lightly' approach in remote areas, i dont see a problem. Limited numbers.

ndloti and Glen79, I do agree with your arguments and I also think something like this would have a lesser impact on the environment than say a walking safari. However, I think the main concerns are where to draw the line...what else should be allowed?

Like Micetta said... but then...

In the fishing post everyone went on where to draw the line and fishing should be allowed.ok..so now I see that you want to move the line a bit further?next week further by 2010 they can change the parks name to SAAP (South Africa's Adventures Parks).By 2015 you can view game (whats left of it) from the tree top canopy's or in gages because its to dangerous for them walking around while all these nice adventures activities in place!

I see little additional effect on the environment , the amount of vehicles using the KNP as a throughfare and speeding delivery vehicles have a far higher impact , not to mention the 420 additional beds being made available for the soccer world cup .

For the benefit of sight seekers , or for profit ?

If this is well managed this kind of eco - dinghy trip could be something for the future , though .
Scipio , as far as guide availability is concerned , the big pity is that I am sure there are PLENTY of non BEE compliant guides available .

From a practical point of view, I do not think that rafting in Kruger is actually possible. Look at the trip reports throughout the year and you will see that the rivers are either in flood or are flowing very gently with more obstacles than open waters. You will have to carry your boat most of the way. The Crocodile river may be an exception.

My point is just the more and more activities that comes into the park the less wild and untouched it is.If you want to do dingy trip down rivers then go to that other places in Africa that you know of why spoil KNP?If more and more activities are going to come into KNP I would be the first (of many) who would consider other parks.The next thing you know everyone goes to Serengeti or Botswana's delta or masai mara.And then what would happen to KNP?I dont say this would happen I am just thinking ahead.There are places where you can do river rafting so go do it there and come to KNP for the 'wildness' it presents!!Why spoil it?

Those would have reflected my thoughts exactly , but then came the accelerated expansions of the last 15 years , if you had seen the KNP as it was 30 years or so ago , but I think you will agree with me if you see KNP in 30 (or less ?) years from now .

Still , I do not see how (eco) river rafting could have a more detrimental effect to the environment than expansion of camps and provision of monstrous day visitor centres (etc) , not to mention the influence that for example "My Acre of Africa" and other estates opposite the S 3 will have on the Phabeni area .
The way I would see the dinghy trips being arranged would add little additional infrastructure , just a dinghy on a trailer being towed by a game viewing vehicle (which is used for other purposes when not in use) and a drop off point and a pick up point , this would be just a half day excursion , no overnighting .

Only 2 places to go on the river in Kruger & both are in view of tourist roads. Except if you carry the boat. IMHO, not very good idea.

Maybe change the thread name to, extreme walk, carry boat on shoulders while dodging elephants.

Besides other points ...

I would have very serious safety concerns. The rivers in KNP cannot be compared to other rivers on which it is done. Even the big KNP rivers are very seasonal. Most of the year it is either very low or rather fast. It is also very narrow, there is no room to maneuver past crocs or hippos, as in areas such as the Okavango.

There is no way that even an armed guide can protect the people against two very serious (Probably the most dangerous animals in the bush.) animals, nl. crocs and hippo.

And then you often hear of accidents taking place in other areas where this activity is done.

Three days ago I was watching a 4 plus meter croc in the Olifants. You have no chance if he grabs you!

Personally I am absolutely at ease and feel absolutely safe walking in the bush. Going down the river ... no thanks!

My mothers cousins wife(something like that) got attacked by a hippo in the Okavango. I have see the pics not very nice images.Her story was on 1 of the nature channels 'Hunter hunted'.

Imberbe , well that probably puts an end to the possibility .
Unless it is just a seasonal activity when rivers are higher (but not too high) , then hippo & croc dangers are minimised .
Why not take a small risk , most people risk their lives daily out on the roads with unroadworthy vehicles and at home offering themselves as easy prey to marauding criminals ....

Ndloti, if it was a small risk (like walking are) I would go for it. I have often stated, to the ire of my SO, that I would prefer dying on the sharp end of a rhino above dying in a car crash.

But I consider it a considerable risk. Hippos are very territorial, and can be very aggressive. Water is their place of safety and they will attack if you threaten that. (The recent Croc bridge incident being a case in point.) Crocs see you as one thing ... food. If it was not for that ... I would have loved the idea!

It can be done in the Orange river .... no hippos and no crocks ... (But it isn't Kruger! )

At least on walking safaris the Rangers/Guides that take you out can minimalise the possibility of being attacked by knowing to a degree how to deal with animals on foot, like scaring off lions with a shot above their heads etc.(im not a guide so I dont know whether this will help, just speculating) In the water, if the raft had to capsize, what good will a trained proffesional do to scare off crocs/hippos. I dont see why we need to take those risks, when its the innocent animals living like they do, that are the first ones that get shot and not the people that create that risk for themselves.

I think that this would be a brilliant Idea in areas with no crocs or hippos.
JJ

As it would not be a white water rafting type of activity there would be minimal chance of capsizing .
In my experience on Lake St Lucia loud knocking of oars on the sides (these were fibreglass canoes , I assume dinghys may have wooden or fibreglass frameworks in which the oars can be located which could emit the necessary noise) chased the hippos away - assuming one could steer away from pods of hippos .