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Hi everyone

87 Days till Kruger again and the time passes so slowly. So I decided to start my next Trip report and post a few of our favorite pics of the past 13 years. So lets start counting the days till our next trip to paradise.

Day 87


The first pictures was taken before our digital camera era. I will tell a story on each picture I post here.

The first picture was taken in 1998. I took my SO to Kruger for the first time. It was his first time in South Africa as well and he thought seeing a kill was common. Only years later did he realize that it was a once in a lifetime experience.
We joined my sister and her family on an afternoon drive and approached a little water whole on a very long and uneventful gravel road. There was a safari vehicle parked and he showed us the lioness who was hiding behind the bushes.

She tried to hunt for a few days without success. So we waited. Some impala's and kudu's came for a drink and just as the biggest Kudu started drinking, she started her chase. We had a first class view of the kill.
Our camera had no zoom so the picture you see is actually how far it was from our car. Our adrenaline pumped as she killed the kudu right in front of us, but as everyone found it amazing, I couldn't stop crying. The sounds the kudu made was unbearable. It took about 15 minutes for the kudu to die. We watched her for hours, how she started licking, then had trouble tearing the skin and eventually started eating. All alone. There was no other lions nor any other animals around. Just she and her well deserved meal. It was quite an experience.





These next few picture is pretty special to me. It was our children, Roan and Eric's, first time in Kruger. My oldest son, Roan's first time was 10 years ago. He loved driving around, looking for animals. Even in camp he told us when it was time to get in the car and go for a drive again. He just loved it.





This picture was taken 2,5 years later. Eric was about 1,5 years old and the same as his brother, he loved Kruger. He would sit in the dirt paths and play with the rocks and sand for hours. But chasing the monkeys and birds around was his favorite activity. And as he was not so stable on his 2 little legs, he often fell. The poor thing had so much band aids on his little knees, I wonder what people thought.

Good morning everyone

Day 86

I love it when I see different kinds of species in one view. Here is a few samples....

This was taken near Lower sabie. A big herd of buffalo's crossed the road and just as we were about to move on, this Giraffe crossed as well.


This next picture was very funny. We were watching the ostriches when all of a sudden the rhinos came chasing past us and towards the ostriches. They got such a scare and ran all over the place.


These 2 checked us out on the bridge next to Shingwetzi.


This pic was taken in Shimuwini. We were sitting on the grass and under a big tree watching all the magnificent bird life in camp. The squirrels were so tame, they came only 5 meters from us.

Day 85

This picture is the first camping trip we did with our kids. It was raining and although we felt lots of discomfort, the kids enjoyed the mud puddles...



Eric playing around in Pretoriuskop. He just loves the monkeys.


I had trouble keeping him clean. Eating dirt was also part of his hobby

Good morning everyone

Day 84

Today I'm posting some pics we took in February 2010. Our birthdays were 6 days apart and SO bought us 2 plain tickets. We stayed in Pretoriuskop and had a marvelous time.

Roan just turned 10 and felt like he was the man on this trip. So he wanted to lit the fire for the first time.



We enjoyed the swimming pool and one afternoon we saw this terrapin.


One morning we left camp when the gates opened and this is what we found. It was a mating pair and that let to lots and lots of questions...

Day 83

Little Shine from Shimuwini. This is our favorite antelope in Kruger. Always special to see her.

Day 82

Here is some giraffe pictures for you today.

Good morning everyone.

Summer is finally here in Holland. Enjoying the weather made me think of these pictures we took in Kruger

Day 81

In 2010 our family got together in Lower Sabie. It was in October, very hot and when in camp, we all headed for the pool...


They can't get enough of playing outside. And mommy is always in for a game of soccer.


All this heat and outdoor activities makes them very tired....

Good morning everyone

Day 80


Every year we try to stop at olifants for a picture at the little elephant statue. These ones were taken the previous years and are hanging on the wall in our living room.

(sorry about the bad quality of the first few pictures. but after fitting them all together and resizing them, the quality turned out bad)





2010

2011

Good morning

Today I will be posting some raptor pics.


Day 79

Good morning

Day 78


This picture was taken in the bird hide at Punda Maria. We didn't see anything, but we heard lots of noises. The kids loved the experience of walking in the dark to the hide and wondering what is out there...



This one was taken at the bird hide in Shireni bush camp. Early morning just before we left camp. It's blissful there.



Here Roan sits with his bird book, trying to identify some of them at Lake panic. We saw a few hippo's and this beautiful bird

Day 77

We found these Hyenas in 2010, on our way to phabeni gate. The youngsters were chewing on the skin of a buffalo we think. It was nice to see the interaction between the hyenas. I think the one mom had a headache . Kids were making quiet some noise.

Day 76

Just some random pics today.

This was taken in 2009. We just entered kruger at Pafrui gate and at the Luvuvhu bridge we got out for the first time. The feeling of being in kruger and getting out of your car, is amazing. So showed Eric the buffalo thru the binoculars.


Roan took this pic at Mopani. Very nice bird to see.


Bush breakfast time at Muzandzeni picnic spot just before we left kruger in 2011.


Sunset in Olifants camp.

Good morning everyone

Day 75

So today I'm going to show you some DUNG pictures


So and Roan trying to identify the dung at Makhadzi picnic spot.



no mystery to who this belonged to...



I think the ex owner of this is a cheetah. It was on the S14 'brick sign' just outside Pretoriuskop. Look at all the hair...



Roan and I saw this elephant dung in February. Funny to see how the marula fruits are still whole. This ellie sure loved his marula fruits...

A very good morning to you all


Day 74

Here is some random pics again today.

Eric posing at Pafuri picnic spot with some njala's. They were so tame you could almost touch them.



The moon rising from Olifants.



This picture was taken at the Sweni bird hide in 2010. Lots of beautiful birds there and we saw some crocodiles eating a dead hippo. Will definitely stop there again

Good morning

Day 73

I just love baboons. They are so funny and entertaining and the kids love them. We found this family on the bridge very early morning. They were still sleepy and lazy. Some brooming each other, and some just lying flat on their backs.



Then all of a sudden this little youngster thought it was the right moment to wake up one of the moms. He went over to her and stuck his finger in her eye. He obviously knew that she was going to be very upset, because the second he did that, he ran away. And just as he thought, she jumped up and yelled at him. It was hysterical. He ran for about 15m where he sat down and it looked very pleased with is accomplishment.