SANParks.org Forums

Hi,
Is this topic DEAD
Is there nobody with an old or even not so old story

How I earned a six pack and a bottle of wine.

The time December 1982.

We entered Phalaborwa gate early the morning - just after opening time.
Drove to Letaba, had breakfast and then off to Shingwedzi. WE drove up the H1-6 and at the S106 turnoff I got the feeling to turnoff - so we did, hoping to see some good Elephant at the Nshawus ( we always do ). After a debate at Nshawu 5 , I decided to keep on the S106.

A few kilometres on I noticed a vehicle in the distance. As we got closer I noticed people outside the vehicle. I then drove a 108" Landy (which we all loved ). Getting closer, the people all got into the vehicle.

As we approached there was a lot of frantic waving us down. It was an ivory coloured Mercedes with a Rustenburg registration number. We drove closer and stopped next to the Mercedes and saw that it had a punctured rear right wheel and also noticed that the rim was all buckled with long tell tale marks on the dirt road of rim drag markings.

The driver told us that he had a puncture, I then replied that I have noticed, and that he should change the wheel.

I was then told that he cannot find the jack to do so - we looked in the designated places but it was nowhere. We then used the Landy jack and changed the wheel.

While we were changing the wheel the lady told Lanette my wife how pleased they were to see us as they left Shingwedzi early the morning and drove down the dirt road ( she was driving ) and then they got the puncture.They could not find the jack so they waited - no one passed. They then decided to drive on slowly with the punctured wheel, still no one else in sight. It was getting hotter and hotter outside ( being December) and also inside the Mercedes, as were the tempers of the occupants and still no one else in sight.

After many hours they saw our vehicle in the distance ( a prayer came true ).

After the wheel had been changed the man asked what it cost - the reply: nothing , just drive safely, and get a new wheel and tyre at Phalaborwa as soon as possible.

We greeted and drove off.

Getting to Shingwedzi we unpacked and lit the fire for our braai.

While getting the fire settled my wife came out with a Castle ( I do not drink Castle when Black Lable or Windhoek is available), I asked where this came from , the reply: from a very relieved lady who lives in Rustenburg.

Well, not such an old story, but I can give you an exerpt from one of my Kruger Journals of an incident that occured in the '90s to my friend Jess and I. We were on our way from Letab to Satara at the time:

. . . . Eventually we get to the point where the Olifants river comes up against the road. Here, for the first time, we see plenty of game. Vervet monkeys run along the bank, impala and bushbuck step down to drink, and there are giraffe and zebra in the bush. We come to a large parking area under a huge sycamore fig, down from the road, floored in whitish gold sand. I take a wide right hand circle to put Jess on the river side, and because the bank is canted a little here, I can’t see out of the window, so I try to move forward a little, and this is when we discover that we are stuck. Really stuck. Jess sighs with resignation.”Oh well, this is where I do my Kalahari stunt again”
“No, no, you drive, I’ll push” say I. “No, I’ll push” she decides. She goes to the rear of the passenger side and says “Ready? Go!” And I put my foot down whereupon a three metre high wave of sand spins into the air, fans out, and totally obliterates Jess so that for a moment I think she has dived down the bank into the river. However some of the sand hanging in the air takes on a Jess- shape and I realise thankfully that she is still there, albeit heavily disguised. She gestures wildly, spits out mouthfuls, empties it out of her glasses and says “it’s this near side front.” I can only admire her sang froid. I try reverse. No luck. “Try again” she instructs “rev harder.” I comply, and a second wave of sand rears up and engulfs the car, pouring in the window all over me, the camera, the luggage and, once again, Jess who is still attached to the nearside rear. By now we are hysterical with laughter, and I stagger out, cascading sand, to see for myself. Sure enough, the wheel is in so deep that the body of the car is almost on the ground. We start digging the sand away with our hands, but deeper down it is solid and difficult to move. We start to look for sticks, but then Jess hears a car. “I’m going to wave him in” she says.
I don’t look at her, but I want to help so I wave too. “Stop waving like that and beckon” shrieks Jess “he thinks you’re just being friendly!” We both collapse again, laughing uncontrollably, and the stranger hesitates for some time before cautiously driving down to investigate. Only then do I turn round and really look at the car and see what he sees - a blue Citigolf almost entirely obliterated by sand; in fact the roof is totally invisible and sand is stacked half-way up the windscreen. On either side of it are two sand-covered figures, one waving in friendly fashion, the other beckoning frantically in counterpoint. Warily he approaches winding up all his windows except the drivers one. I walk towards him, shedding camouflage at every step. “Did you roll?” he asks with a certain amount of interest. “No” say I, “we are stuck in the sand and wondered if you could call in at Olifants and ask them to come and pull us out?”
“Yes?” he says reflectively “well if our bumpers were the same level, I could push you out” I conceal a shudder and point out that his are much higher. By now the rest of the family have recovered from their trauma and are busy winding down windows and peering with interest at the scene. Jess meanwhile has been busy beckoning, and two more vehicles drive down into the parking area and more men get out. One says “Hmm - just like snow.” I file that remark for later consideration. The other one says “ did you roll?”
“Has anyone got a spade?” I ask. No one has. “Has anyone got a rope?” queries my sandwoman friend. No one has. I start burrowing amongst the tools hoping to find my tow rope. The man who made the remark about the snow now takes over. “We will push” he announces. “You get into second and ride the clutch” so I do and they do, and this is how we are extricated. Our gratitude knows no bounds, but actually I think they all enjoy the diversion and will probably dine out on it! We drive on to Olifants, still giggling, having removed half a ton of sand from the passenger seat so that Jess can sit down. Not that it would make any difference - she says she feels just as if she has been dumped by a big wave and her costume is full of sand. I say that I think she showed true grit throughout . . . .

Back in th 80s when I was a little kid enjoying the park for the first time i got a bit to close to the fence at Letaba while eating a boerie roll and the resident hyaena flung itself at the fence and stole said boerie roll from out of my hands!

1996 - For those of you who ever thought if the electric fence at Letaba, close to the restaurant is working.... it does , everytime we go camping at Letaba I'm still laughing at my brother in law

During one of my first trips to Kruger way back in 1990, we stayed in Pretorius Kop a few nights. We were on our way to Skukuza and about 500m from the Transport Dam, we noticed a few cars at a sighting and thought this ought to be big!

When we arrived, behind an old ford grenada, we spotted a white rhino and calf next to the road. We sat there for about 10 minutes and most of the cars already left. As we passed the ford slowly, the drivers kindly asked us help him. We said sure what can we do? He softly replied, "Can you please jumpstart me!!!!"

We realised that the calf and her mother were slowly getting irritated with all the car noise and also the ford being so close to them.

My dad suggested that the driver open his trunk from the non facing side of the rhine, and he will connect the jumpers on the battery. Unfortunately the battery was on the side facing the rhino and this meaning someone had to connect the cables facing the already irritated Rhino. The driver did not want to get out of the vehicle and my dad decided to do it on his own!!!

Eventually my dad walked over to the bonnet, connected the plugs and started the car. Got out of his vehicle again, took the jumper cables, closed the bonnets and got back into the car.

Needless to say, people were showing him signs and thinking what on earth has come over this person to walk infront of a Rhino and her calf! But soon after the car started they all realised the situation and with each passing vehicle, visitors complimented him for his brave effort.

Needless to say, if it were lions or buffaloes, i dont think it would have worked out the same way!

what a story!

Haven`t got lots of old stories because I´m not even close to old myself


But the oldest memory is from my first trip to the KNP in 1993 which was also my first visit to Africa in general.

I had no clue about what to expect and what we would experience but I was hooked at the latest 2 minutes after we drove inside

Being 11 years old I was very excited and thought every stone or log to be an animal much to the distress of my older brother
After approximately 20 stones and 15 logs I shouted "stop" once more. I said I saw something brownish between the bushes.
Nobody of my family thought it would actually be something but when we all realised that there was a lone male lion walking parallel to the street I was very proud and happy

It was our only lion of the trip and my brother stopped to roll his eyes when I yelled "stop" from now on

My fondest memories most definitley come from the late 70's early 80's, being a young boy at the time.

The early morning fires, going to the gate at closing time to watch the late comers, the evening film show, seeing the staff at Lower Sabie going home using the walkover bridge over the east fence, going to reception to read the visitors book and running back to tell Dad where the sightings were.

Does anyone remember the CB radio craze in about 1980, you dredded a car that had a long CB radio arial attached to it ariving at a good sighting, because within minutes every other car with a CB was there.

But hey, the bush itself and sitting quietly at a waterhole still feels the same.

Reading Glen79's post it brings back very fond memories of my three daughters in Kruger.

They also used to read the vistors book and check the sighting maps and then during the evenings everyone of them had a different route in mind for the following day.

They also used to go around the camp and then return with all the news, they also knew where every squirrel family in camp was nested.

Months before going to Kruger they started saving for the great event and upon arrival used to go and do their shopping and return with something special for Lanette and myself and one another - these always were very special moments and those little gifts even today still are little treasures to the two of us.

Going to the restaurant also was a great occasion for the five of us - they used to dress up and just loved the service and also a small accompanying glass of wine. . . . . . . those really were the days . . . . .

Does anyone remember the Elaphant and Buffalo Pies with Gravy?

When stopping at a camp when the park's catering was still done by themselves, they had the pie and gravy combo. I think it was about R2.99!!!

Those were the days...

I remember them very well. You could also buy tinned buffalo stew. I used to use it as the base for a big,rich stew to feed everyone for one of the nights we were in the park.

Another Old Kruger Park Story.

I agree the Elephant and Buffalo pies with gravy with coffee served at Skukuza were just great - quite similar to those served at the old South African Railways restaurants/ tea rooms.

We were in Punda Maria and the daughters were again on their rounds. They came and asked my wife Lanette for some money, "why", "because we feel like something warm" was the reply.They got the money and were off in a flash.

After quite a long absence they returned and told us with great enthusiasm that they each had a BUFFALO BURGER and Chips and a Coke at the restaurant.

Later the afternoon I asked whether they would like another BB each the enthusiastic reply was "YES PLEASE".

I gave them the cash and that evening we each had a BUFFALO BURGER and Chips,Coke and an Ice Cream as a takeaway ex Punda Maria restaurant.

Needless to say after that it was repeated quite e few times during later visits untill it was no longer available.

I agree the Elephant and Buffalo pies with gravy with coffee served at Skukuza were just great - quite similar to those served at the old South African Railways restaurants/ tea rooms.

No wonder some of us reminiscent about those days - and bore others with our stories.

I loved the good old days , even though I started seeing them regularly from 23 years of age in 1983 , keep them rolling G !

It's nice to read the stories of the experienced guys But for me: I'm currently 'writing' my chapter on my 'good old days' for when I'm old one day, if I might live by then. So too, I will once love my 'good old days'

That's why I decided to "Throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade & adventure winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

We should take all the oppurtunities we can!

Keep it coming