SANParks.org Forums

By way of introduction:-

I have been going to the Kruger Park since before I can properly remember. One of my earliest memories is of walking down a hard earthen path behind a man in shorts, who carried a long gun over his shoulder. At the end of the path was a river and in the river we could see the humped backs of what I learnt that day were hippos. Although my husband (Chacma) and I have been living in Australia for a quarter of a century now, we still return to visit the park whenever we can.

Last year we hired a car in Johannesburg and drove to Punda Maria, after spending a day and a night at an airport hotel. This year we decided to spend our first night in the park. So, after landing in Johannesburg at dawn, we went straight to the domestic departures area. There we swapped our SIM cards for local ones and we had breakfast. Then it was time to board the midday flight to Phalaborwa.

Hi Dream Weaver
Welcome to the Forum


Would love to hear all about your trip and so will join you on this TR

Dream Weaver it sounds like you have many happy memories of your Kruger visits . The title of your Travel Tale reminds me of one of my favorite television programmes, which I enjoyed a lot \I am looking forward reading more.

Dream Weaver,

So glad you decided to do a TR.

Wonder what awesome sightings and pics will be revealed.

On board ready for this TR

A warm welcome to the Forum Dream Weaver! Looking forward to your trip report!

Thank you Sharifa, Grantmissy, Trrp-trrrrrrrr and Hilda. It is good to have your company.

When we left an overcast and drizzly Johannesburg, in a plane that looked more like a toy, the pilot told us that the weather in Phalaborwa was much the same. Then, when we were nearly there, the little plane bumping and bouncing along in the sky, the pilot told us that he might not be able to see the runway through the low clouds, but that he had enough fuel for three or four attempts at landing.

Down we went. The clouds seemed to clear. We could see houses and trees getting closer and closer, and then we were climbing up again into the clouds that, at the last minute, had hidden the airport. We circled the town before coming down almost low enough to land, only to be foiled by the clouds again. Back up we went. The pilot said he would try once more and if he still could not get a clear view we would have to go back to Johannesburg. Back to Johannesburg! It seemed unthinkable that we might not sleep in the park that night. This time as we descended, the cloud looked thicker than before and I resigned myself to the possibility of spending the night at a city hotel.

Then with a burst of speed we were suddenly through a clearing in the cloud and dropping onto the runway where, with steam billowing from the tyres, the little plane hurtled to the end, executed a fast wheelie and taxied, engines roaring, to a sedate standstill in front of a statue of a baboon guarding the airport entrance. A woman hurried towards the plane carrying a bunch of umbrellas and a broom. She handed the umbrellas to the passengers as they climbed down the tiny steps from the plane. I didn’t see what she did with the broom.

It was windy, cold and raining. I had not known Phalaborwa could be like that. Shivering, we collected our luggage and the hire car and went to the supermarket, bottle shop, ATM and then to the butcher for fresh meat and biltong.

At the entrance gate we were warmly welcomed and after a quick change into dry clothes were on our way to Shimuwini.

On the H14 we saw our first animals, a small group of impala. We stopped the car. A woman in a passing bakkie asked what we had seen. When we told her, she laughed rather derisively and said “Enjoy”. We laughed too because unbeknown to her we were enjoying something besides the view of the sodden impalas. Family tradition allows us to only start tucking into the biltong after the first impala has been sighted and there we were; happily twisting strips off our newly purchased whole stick. We had left the knife in the car boot.

The afternoon was gloomy and the rain rippling across the window seemed to give life to many a log or rock animal. Other than that, the only creatures we saw were two more herds of impala through the gloaming and three tortoises.

We got to Shimuwini with eight minutes to spare. The gates were closed. We looked at them. We looked at each other. We checked the car clock. We checked our phones. I checked my wristwatch. I checked the iPad. What a lot of devices we have for finding out the time these days! Ours all agreed that we were not late. We opened the gates, drove in and then closed the gates again. The reception office was dark and locked. A sign told us what phone number to ring, but the phones that had been so good about confirming the time had no signal. So, not knowing which bungalow was to be ours, we followed the sign to the staff village. There, a helpful young man led us to the home of the duty manager who gave us the key to our bungalow.

Everything outside was wet, wet, wet. The bungalow was a dry and cosy haven. We carried in the wet shopping and the wet luggage. We looked at the wet braai outside. We looked at the inside oven and pots and pans. Realising that we were too tired to cook, we sank into the deep, soft sofas and there we enjoyed a supper of snacks and red wine. Then we climbed into the comfortable bed and lay down to sleep for the first time in 46 hours. We were in the park. At last.

Very warm welcome to the forum!
Beautiful, if somewhat wet start to what I am sure is going to be a wonderful trip report!
Looking forward to more!

Welcome to the forum dream weaver
Now what an exciting start it was-i would not have been calm in that aeroplane
We don't stop for every imp but if they are close to the road we do slow down because close up kiekies of them are amazing! They are really beautiful animals just such a shame there are so many of them in the park that is why we don't appreciate them so much!
Glad that you got your bungalow-wouldn't want to stay my night in the car...
Love the start of the TR

Dream Weaver,

Wow what an eventful start to your TR

Oh my word can just imagine that small plane bouncing around.

How awesome to be in the Park ...enjoying all there is to offer...sights,smells and biltong....Sigh

Looking forward to see what what awaits you after a good nights rest.

So glad you managed to find the key to your bungalow Dream Weaver! I can just imagine how tired you must have been after your long trip!

Looking forward to your first real drive!

Dream Weaver, what a lovely name A very warm welcome to you

I am most definitely on board the bus for this trip report.

Hello again Trrp-trrrrrrrr and Hilda. Hello too Elsa, Heksie and Meandering Mouse and thank you for the warm welcome.

We awoke at 3.15. The rain had stopped during the night and a bird was calling, “Coo ee prr . . . Coo ee prr tp.” It was dark outside and the caller remained unseen and unidentified. We had our early morning coffee in bed. When the curtains began to glow faintly around their edges, I drew them open. The dam gleamed in the dawn and on its far bank a pale giraffe was moving slowly from one tree to another. On the lawn, standing silently in the soft, early light was the little duiker, Shine. A wave of happiness washed over me to see that she was still alive. She must be about fifteen years old now.

She rubbed her muzzle gently on the verandah edge and wandered away across the grass.

I opened another set of curtains. Clinging to the wall behind them was this little frog. Its sides were heaving and it scrambled hurriedly onto on the windowsill. I took a quick photo and left it in peace.


We breakfasted on paw paw and oranges and slices of hot, fried potato. After that we simply sat on the verandah for a while, listening to the hippos grunting and watching as ripples formed and faded on the dam’s surface. Then it was time to visit the reception desk where we checked in, purchased a wild card and handed back the key.

We drove alongside the river bank and then onto the tarred road towards Mopani. The sky was clouded over and we did not see much game. At the confluence lookout the macabre remains of a hippo were floating in a shallow pool of bright green, toxic looking water. We wondered what death scene had so recently played out down there.

At Mooiplaas we stopped and walked about for a bit, relishing the opportunity to stand upright and stretch our limbs. We reached Mopani too early to check in. So we drove a short way northwards and found the culvert where, a few years ago, we had watched as a family of hyenas emerged and the mother lay down to let her baby suckle. This day, no hyenas were there. Perhaps they had abandoned the den or maybe they were just hiding inside.

We returned to camp and carried our bags and boxes into the cottage that was to be our home for the next four nights. We ate a late lunch on the verandah and settled back to watch the birds and squirrels hopping about in the bushes. We had a view of the dam and that evening the sunset over it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Your trip so far sounds wonderful Dream Weaver

Looking forward reading more.

Sounds very relaxing Dream Weaver! Looking forward to more!

Dream Weaver,

Sounds as if you guys are having a wonderful time in the Park, with wonderful sightings.