Our cottage in the Karoo
Check-in was smooth and I was really happy to get the cottage I hoped for - #38, which was right on the end with an uninterrupted view
Whilst at reception I had two very important questions to ask.
First, where might we find the lions in the park on our drive tomorrow?
Several of the lions have radio transmitter collars, so the rangers know where they are at all times. Unfortunately for us, they were in the rugged west of the park and due to all the rain, the 4WD drive loops in that section had been closed
And my second question was where are the washing machines?
Dad and I were down to our last pair of undies
The lady told us that due to all the electrical storm activity the mains power was down and generators were supplying power for essential services only - not washing machines
Right on cue, there was a massive clap of thunder and lightning before the skies opened up and let loose with a torrential downpour
Oh well, we would just have to handwash some essential items
We drove up to our cottage. It was lovely, with a glorious view, despite the weather

We were even more impressed with our view when the clouds cleared a bit

The changing light playing on the clouds painted a different view in the sky every time I looked outside
We hadn't been there long before some visitors came to see if the new humans had dropped any crumbs.
I think these birds might be familiar chats?

I'd love any help with IDs from the experts


Dad and I sat out on the stoep with a beer and binoculars and scanned our surroundings.

And WOW!!! Look what we saw from our cottage?? Our first ever springbok!!

After watching them on the Nossob cam for years it was so great to see a springbok with my own eyes
And another birdie in our "front yard"

In between checking out our view Dad and I took turns to wash our clothes in the bathroom sink.
It gave me a whole new appreciation for washing machines!
Halfway through the washing, the power went out.
Oh well, we simply donned our trusty headlamps to see what we needed to do
I think the power might go out quite frequently as the cottage had a good supply of candles
So we had a yummy candlelight dinner of tomato, cucumber, fetta cheese salad, chips and beer while watching the sunset

In between unpacking and getting ready for bed we kept peeking out at the ever-changing view.
One last pic before I had to lie down and close my eyes….