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Just a bit of background: From next week I will be spending 2 months in Kruger, so this weekend PetraJ and myself took my daughter camping at Balule. After dropping her off in Phalaborwa this morning... we decided to take a detour towards Johannesburg, via Orpen to Phabeni gate. Lets see what happens... we are entering Orpen gate now. See you on the other side

Hi everyone, we arrived late last night in Jhb, left the park at 18h00 with a few seconds to spare. It has been a wonderful day...

Hiya, all, as Petra said, only got out of Kruger with minutes to spare, saw some really pleasant things.

Downloading of pic's is in advanced stage, and this week I will post various mooments of the weekend.

Busy getting all the equipment and vehicles ready for the 2 months in Kruger. And will post some of the sightings on this thread.

The best part of the day to reflect on what transpired, that is the few minutes of nothing just before and after Sunset. No sound, no movement, not even a breeze......

As I was sitting, wondering what the next two months will bring, I saw a reflection in the yellow glow of the dying sun.

Whas this an omen, a strange feeling came over me........

During the day we saw some “Pleasant” sightings, with the birdies being busy, this year it should be a great year.







Also some general game, I have always been lucky with the Elephants, and we saw a lot, also a baby that was still falling around, but that was later.





Dan, Billy, the skull turned out to be an omen, but later.

Rino,

Well, on that note, two things happened that made me think back on that skull:

Firstly, PetraJ took the cigarette lighter when I was sitting admiring the sunset, and had it in the camp with her, I could not light the Gigar I saved to enjoy with my Cold Hansa/sundowner, reminiscing on the day's events.

And, when changing seats, as she is a terrible driver when she gets behind the wheel of a big V8 car, you know, the fuel goes glug-glug, she locked me out of the vehicle, with all those wild animals around.

It could have been my skeleton, bleache by the African sun lying there, only to be seen in the last rays of the sun.

OK, since this will be a looooong report, some life to be entered into it, and I promise, only pulling a Minnie every 2 weeks Cheetah.

Qiuzztime:

What happened between the two pics posted?

Eish, Dan, by then I have been locked out, couldn't smoke my cigar, so I was concentrating on the wildlife.

In answer, I tried another setting on the camera.



Later we found this little baby, with mother tiptoeing around him, as not to bump him over.





And again a good looking Bull




And we found a rhino midden, very interesting one.

That little ellie was really too cute for words. Scipio busy packing and getting everything ready for his departure tomorrow morning. Entering the park on Sunday with the first guests after taking a great mite on a low maintenance road trip.

Spoke to Scipio last night, but reception was very bad. He had some awesome sightings since entering the park. He promised to try and upload some pics here tonight when he is at Letaba as soon as his duties with the tour group are done

Hiya all, been a long time.

It is hot, very hot in the park, but the sightings are great. I will be downloading pics over the weekend, but to start off I set some goals for the following two months. They are......

1)Show my daughter cheetah cubs, eish, thats gonna be a wild one.
2)Bring nature and not the Big-5 to the peeps in the park with me.(Well, the big-5 was done on day No. 1. )
3)Complete my book, oh yes, a real book.
4)Try and find a Auto teller that works in the park.
5)Figure out how the sound system in the Jeep works. Need my LO for that one.
6)Find a 6-pack that is under 50 bucks in the park.(Parks shop, you are a ripp-off)
7)Investigate the Honey badger problem at Orpen.(Done)
Try and do the Malelane to Punda trip in one day without getting fined. (Not possible I think)
9)Take one good, awesome, one-of-a-kind photo.
10)Find and photograph 2 birds, Lesser yellow legs, Western Marsh Harrier.

But, I will download pics over the weekend, some really good stuff, and it started with, before Impala, .........................Leopard, then Lion, .........And yes, I did see the badgers at Tamboti, cute indeed.

Dan, see you next weekend then. Petra, thanks for the updates girl.

OK, so the start of the two months, with me at the gate, no YR, but thanks to petraJ a sticker on the back of the jeep. Hope nobody finds me having a Veltie with the sticker showing Dan.



But, later to the daily trip, tonight a few random shots,

Birdie on Ground.



Cutie,



It is really hot at the moment.



And this little chap, left behind by his herd, broken front leg. I spent a few hours with him, first hoping to see a lion on his back, but tonight, I wish he would make it. He investigated the Jeep, tried to make friends, and I had a long chat to him. But, tomorrow a new friend will be no more.




Shortly I will post the daily activities of the mating lions this morning, the lion pride and the leopard, and the suckling ellie baby. But now, still got some washing to do.

Dan, some areas are green, as this pic.



And the sunsets are great, probably due to the humidity.



But the heat is unbearable for some, but I like it.

Me, Dan and Catmatix joined Scipio this past weekend in Satara. It was a great weekend, with both highs and lows (due to carproblems missed the Monday-workday altogether ). But at least we saw some very nice sightings. One of which 13 lions on a giraffe-kill on the Satara-Tshokwane road just before you get the H6.
Unfortunately I left my camera behind and ended up using Scips' during the weekend, and we were just too tired after the horrific drive back Monday evening into the early hours of Tuesday, to worry about transferring all the photo's to my laptop.
I know that there isn't always significant signal in some of the camps, and as he is already busy with his next group, doesn't always have the time on hand, but he will post some pics as soon as he gets a chance.
Maybe Dan can help out with one or two pics of our weekend? By the way, he took some awesome photo's.

Just done that, what a whopper, it was HHHHOOOOOOTTTTTTT

But yes, last weekend, what a time, then this week, we saw a lot and had one WOW experience last night.

And met with Dave&Jenny, it was great having a beer Dave, and pleeeze post that pic of the tic.

I will post Daily happenings when I get some time, but in the meantime, some random pics again.

Some Playfighting.


A Jeep gone wrong in 42 degrees.


Mating pair, Lioness, calling: "C'mon now old man, I am waiting" over the shoulder. When must a man rest.


Grubs up.


Who you Looking at?????



And then Last night.......A Braaibuddy came to visit.