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Greetings All

I have just transferred to MZNP (Mountain Zebra National Park) from Kruger National Park. Started work on monday the first and as you can imagine i have been seeing, hearing, smelling and learning all sorts of new things. I will try and put a few of these new experiences in this thread.

Well my first week i have spent getting to know some of the roads and the hicking trails. I've got eleven new birds on my check list and many new mammals. i'm not going to mention the plants as everyone is a new one for me.

Today i did my first game drive, we came across the buffalo, mountain zebra, springbok, gemsbok, red hartebeest , kudu, steenbok, black wildebeest, vervet monkey, ground squirrel, cheetah foot prints and eland. i think it was quite productive for a two hour mid-morning drive.

I've also been up into the mountains a couple of times and the views are spectacular.

Thats all for now.
Cheers

Yay!! Wonderful news!! I absolutely LOVE this park and visit frequently as I only live an hour away!! I am so excited that we have someone new to give us updates of sightings, etc.!

Welcome to the Eastern Cape, the friendliest province in the country! I am sure you will be very happy here and from what I've heard, we are lucky to have you! Good luck with your new "life" in MZNP!!

We passed you on the Ubejane Loop on Saterday, and again when we were leaving 1st Hut - near Weltevrede Picnic Site yesterday.

Welcome we know you will be very happy at MZP.

Hi Michael,

I think the people in Mopani are going to miss you a lot!! Enjoy Mount Zebra and maybe we see you there in March 2011. We are staying in MZNP 9th till 12th of March!

Cheers

Hi and welcome back Michael!

Nice to see that we may be getting some reports from that little gem of a park.
(I'm still planning to visit it next year...)

Greetings All

As i'm sitting here it is raining, much needed rain i must add. Did not do any activities today so not much seen except the usal springboks and kudu.

Thanx for all the welcomes and i must agree all the people i have met so far in the eastern cape have been friendly and i hope to meet some of the local forumites.

cheers

How about giving us a view of how you spend your time when you aren't on an activity? I know some guides go off and do drives on their own.

I hope you are settling in, it must be strange uprooting yourself to a completely different part of the country.

Greetings All

Another week has gone by in MZNP. Monday and tuesday i was down with the flu so did not see much, but for the inside of my house. On monday afternoon there was a good electrical storm with a dash of rain.

Wednesday, back to work. That evening went out on a game drive. The sightings were steenbok, grey duiker, springbok, red hartebeest, black wildebeest, gemsbok, many kudu, ground squirrel, yellow-tailed mongoose, mountain zebra and the specials Antbear or aartvark and Aartwolf, oh and not for get our relatives the monkeys and baboons.

Saraf, my day generaly will include general mantenance in the park and observing the happenings in the park. In the late afternnon if there is an activity i'll do that and eventualy get home around 10 o'clock. If i get the chance i do go for a short drive and see whats moving around, i also do some birding. MZNP has over 200 bird species and i'm on 101 species.

Cheers

Greetings All

Hope every one had as good a weekend as i did. Saturdays drive all the usal suspects were seen, steenbok, mountain zebra, gemsbok, kudu, hartebeest, duiker, springbok(about 150+), the crazy black wildebeest then the sun went down and we got to see some specials, bat eared fox and aartwolf.

Sundays drive. steenbok, duiker, springbok, hartebeest, mountain zebra, eland, black wildebeest, gemsbok, kudu, bat eared fox, 3x aartwolf, springhare, black backed jackel, vervet monkey, yellow mongoose and ground squirrel.

Cheers

Greetings All

Not much to report this week. Learnt how to strip and repair a windmill.
We got some good rain on thursday and friday, i think it was about 28mm on friday. The amazing thing is that by saturday afternoon the wild pomegranate (rhigozum obovatum) was flowering, bright yellow flowers. Then there were these massive earthworms that surfaced after the rain on friday night.


giant earthworm. when i held it up it streched to over 2m.


one of the local criminals.

Cheers

I will be there for the 11th and 12th December. i try to get up that way as often as possible, I will be just camping there. Last time I was in one of those cottages overlooking the dam Anyway, its just a start to teh holiday, besides, mostly in the park

Do you offer guided night drives ? If so....what time are they ? Id dearly love to go on one...

Hey Mike,

Glad to see that you got off the windmill safely

Sounds like you're having fun.

Maybe the Roundtree's should forgo one of theKruger trips for MZNP trip.

Anyways cheers till next time

Nicky
There are night game drives.
We did one in September and it was very good.
The minimum amount of people required for it to take place is 4, however only me and the SO had booked.
We made the decision to pay for all four places and we were not disappointed.
Kind regards
JDW

Thanx JD - Same thinking if 4 seats is the minimum!!
Appreciate the feedback mate.
Nick

Arrived back today Had an awesome time!!

Was exceedingly luck to have seen a female rhino with calf in tow. Other good spots were a klipspringer, a huge herd of buffalo and a few bat-eared foxes on the night drive. I took the advice above, and paid for 4 seats, as there was just the two of us. We were NOT dissappointed !

Our guide was a graduate student, who was very learned, and had a wonderful sense of humour. The driver too, was especially keen sighted. All in allduiker, kudu, bat eared foxes, porcupine,buffalo....well...whjat we didnt see were cheetahs, monitor lizard, and brown hyeana, otherwise we ticked all teh boxes

Its a wonderful park, and one i intend to "discover" or "explore" with renewed ferver.