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Now whoever have talked to me on the forum or those 'lucky' mites that have been in an actual conversaton with me would know that all I want to see is the golden kitty breed. And my luck hasn't been that good, leppies-yes them I see, doggies now they come and give me show and a half everytime we mee but those kitties with the golden glow they elude me or are always toooooo far for a great kiekie opportunity or they just stay for a few minutes.
Now I went to Sabie Park with my fam for 2 weeks in December/January. And a daily Kruger trip was planned. Sometimes I was alone and sometimes my mum/family joined me. Was I lucky when it came to kitty cats? Yep you bet I was!!!!

We left Bronkhorstspruit at 2o'clock in the morning. I had trouble with my cars battery, it just needed a few tries before it started and before we left we checked the water and put some battery water in. The morning we left there were no hassles and off we went taking paradise road to the bush we all love. Everybody had different reasons for the trip. My 2 sisters wanted to rest and wanted to catch up on some reading (that means that they want to read about 15 books in the 2 weeks) the 2 snotties didn't care, they love the animals and wanted to swim and play and just make us mal all the time. Mum wanted to to see Krugs again as well as rest as she works 25/8. And then me------------->HELLOOOOOOOOOO... I want to be in Kruger and take a gazilion kiekies!!!!!

On our way to Sabie Park we got to see our first golden kitty and lucky for us, he was very chilled out and allowed us to take a kiekie of him.


On the Schoemanskloof road, a kiekie of my mum and 2 sisters with our very first kitty.


We got to Sabie Park in tgood time and unpacked and chilled for the day. Only the following day we went into Kruger the first time. We were up very early and as I started my noble squeekems nothing happened, she was as dead as a log. No worries we jump started her and with 2 cars we enetered the Park. Our route was H11->S1->S65->H1-1 to transportdam->U-turn to Skuks->H3=>S113->S112->H11 to Sabie Park.

We only had general game on the S65 and had our first luck on the H1-1 just for mummy dearest as she loves her spotties.






NOw as you know, my mum have bad luck with all the meat eating animals and as always it showed here again. We heard leppie and moved through the little roadblock to get a clearer view. We actually got a spot next to our spotted friend and he looked very agitated. I switched my car off and mum was engrossed in her kitty that was hidden in the horrible Pretoriuskop longgrass!!!!! He came towards us and hissed and snarled saying that we better back down, mommy dearest did not ccare and was taking kiekies. The JJ whispered 'madam close the window' where my mum exclaimed that cats love her and won't her.... Well at least it wasn't like the hyena where mum thought that she would be food... The cat just turned around there and dissapeared into the grass. We saw a far off ellie at Transport and somewhere on our route we had some unmentionables as well but a speeding women chased them away trying to find what I don't know...

We didn't see much further but I was afraid that it was because of the smell... We just started smelling a rotten/scrambled egg smell and it was chasing us everywhere. At Skuks we found out that it was us...

THen on our way to the Gate we had this hyena sighting. He was busy with a carcass and didn't know what to do with the bones/flesh/meat, really very entertaining to see him running around.



We also had a baba imps on the road. They were so cute but they did grow alot in the 2 weeks while I was in Pretoors.



Then as we left the very friendly guard at the Gate informed us of a python baking in the sun. Well that was all he had to say to get me out of my car and searching for the fella. YOu could see him from the bridge.





It was a groot meneer about 2-3m long. And looks like he ate something because he was lekker fat. My sisters climbed into their car and sped off as they don't like snakes and as we climbed into our car nothing nada niks... my car was dead. We phoned them and jumpstarted my car again. At our house we tried again but the battery was gone, he went to vehicle heaven... we were in a frenzy as we only had 40minutes to get to HAzyview and buy a new battery. well with my formula 1 instinct and killer sharpness we made it with 2minutes to spare. They took my battery and threw it immediately into the garbage bin... NO hope they said, a battery cell exxploded that is why we smelt egg the whole time. On our way back it just dawned at us that I stopped and switched off the car at the leppie, hyena and everywhere we saw sightings... Just glad it decided to start everytime otherwise we would've been in BIG trouble...

Well we didn't go to Krugs again that day and ended a great ehilirating day with a braai and Amarula.


to be continued...

Well Heksie I LOVVVVVVEE your first golden kitty looks a bit like garfield

Gorgeous Leppie pics even in that long grass

and that Python well what more can be said but AMAZING in which camp did you see it??

Great TR, Heksie.

Wow you hd some unique sightings, leopard,hyena and python - ok, golden kitty too.

I still yet to see a python and that is a 'meneer'.

Thank you for sharing and look forward to the next one.

What a lovely start (apart from that pesky stinky battery..) lovely spotty one, my all time favourite and what a great sighting of the fat python, I wonder what he had in that fat belly...

Hi Heksie,
Nice start of the trip
Think I am going to follow you ...just curious about your sightings

Thanks Sheenaugh-Lee The Garfield kitty has since the kiekie moved to a better place
The pics were ouch and go as sometimes the cam focused on the grass and not the spotty Just so glad that a few did come out
The python was seen just outside Kruger Gate on the bridge. We were very lucky with the sighting but it isn't the last Kruger Gate surprise that we got...



Kaapsedraai you will see your python but never when you think you will, they always surprise me in the weirdest of times. THis was my third sighting this year and I feel so blessed because my 'to see' list always have snakes



Maybe a bit of imp? At least the car problem happened early in the trip when I still had money otherwise I would've been stranded. My mum are also a spotty lover so this was the highlight of the day



I aat So glad that you joined my TR hope that some of my sightings are fascinating as I see that you had a stellar trip with amazing sightings

Day 3: The start of my kitty luck
Now I decided before the trip to do 2 trips a day so that I can rest/read/build puzzles or do whatever a person can do during the hot summer afternoon to not be in the sun... So this morning I planned on driving H11->H1-2->H12->H4-1->H11 in 5 hours and so I left my family at home and packed some droewors and took on the road.
There were a lot of general game including g-raffs, zebs, willies and then on the bridge on Sandriver I saw my first pied kingfisher.


I then decided that maybe my trip planned was a bit short and then went on S21, a road that I have never taken before. I’m really glad that I took this road as it was a very beautiful road with a lot to offer. I had beautiful sightings and the other thing was that this road was very quiet. The only ‘gagga’ thing was that a JJ rushed past me at a horrible speed.
Here is some of my sightings on the road.







I spoke to people on the road and was informed about some lions on this road-how lucky am I that I decided to tale this road? And also some bad news... A grumpy ellie was waiting for me and a horrible sighting...
Now the ellie at least moved on Phew! And there was no need to run with tail between my legs but then just past it my eyes got teary as they lay on this...



I strongly believe that it was the JJ. There are a lot of turns and twists on this road and animals are skittish when it comes to cars. Just a horrible accident that people don’t want to see in Kruger!
My heart was sad and I contemplated about the type of people that come to Kruger and why this is allowed in the Park. There are a lot of complaints about people breaking the rules and they are reported but I hear that not always something are done about this??? Just saddens me!
Now on a much happier note I was greeted by 2 cars in a mini road block, I crept closer, lo and behold a mooi man on my left hand side chilling underneath a bush. Pure bliss, I sat there for about 2 hours, because me with my eety beety fiat wasn’t in any cars way and the great thing about dirt roads are that people don’t like them. I enjoyed a beautiful specimen roaring next to the road and filling my heart with joy.









I then left my golden kitty to move on. As I was on my way to go home I decided that turning onto the S1 was a much better bet. Well that wasn’t such a great idea... I didn’t have sunscreen and it was starting to get hot hot hot hot hot. I also got a message from my worried family... ‘where are you’ so I replied ‘on my way to Phabeni Gate’ I then refreshed at the Gate and decided to do the S3. I am actually glad that I took this road as I got a new lifer. It is a bearded woodpecker...



Very very happy I moved on and had some different sightings than normal. It was too hot for animals.







I got another message from mommy dearest ‘Where are you now?’ Where I replied that I am on my way to Kruger Gate. I had a lot of time so I went to visit my lions again and I stayed with them for another 2 hours. It was really a great start to my search of the golden cats of Kruger.
The day was ended with a KPA and lekker braaivleis and I passed out early to start yet another day in Kruger.

To be continued...

Heksie,

How did I miss the start of this lekker trippie. ...Mom and sisters in tough.

Awesome pics with super special sightings all round and it has only just begun.

Great pic of All big and small. ... Leppie sighting

Super pics of the python... ..belly nice and full.

Very to see the bokkie in the road...why oh why do some people speed.

Love the golden kitty ...the video is awesome ...what a roar can literally feel the vibration going through me.

Hi Heksie

I’ll join you on this TR in search of them golden kitties! What a lovely start you had seeing your first kittie outside the park, such luck .

Great sighting of the spotted kind, never mind the long grass, shows that they are in their natural habitat.

Hyenas are fascinating creatures and one could watch them for hours (as long as it doesn’t smell like rotten/scrambled eggs)

You’re impie is just adorable and what a fantastic python sighting, never seen one before but it looks massive!

Great that you’re car trouble is solved after a day

What a shame of the impala road kill, I hate speeders . Luckily for you the elephant wasn’t to nasty and let you past.

Great to get your first lion of the trip, he is a handsome fellow.

Nice muddy buff pic

Just caught up, Heksie,

and great to read another from your famous reports

It makes me always so furious when I see dead animals in the road which were hit obviously by a car - Poor impala I experienced such a sighting once by myself - the largest water monitor which I have ever seen lying dead in the road - Indeed I was soooooo furious

But gladly your found Mr. Majestic already and a leopard and the python is huge

Looking forward to hear and see more

Heksie, Python Leppie

bad smelll oh dear, what was that about

impie

your trip report.

Thanks MM I do love seeing them sankes but they are very scarce
And the smell was the battery of my car that died and went to carheaven May he RIP




THanks Pumbaa I'm behind and then I'm going to Krugs again on Wednesday for 5 days
I'm there with you when it comes to animals, reptiles and birdies that I see have been run over by speedsters. I mean why are we in the Kruger for in the first place?
Mr Majestic did make my day but nothing compared to what I saw the next day



Y I'm glad that I didn't have to sit with a eggy car the rest of the trip It did have a benefit, I would have chased away any car in a roadblock
THere were actually 2 brothers but the other one was lazy and slept the whole time. HE didn't really pose for kiekies.


Thanks trrrrr-trrrrrp It has been a great trip so far but there are many more great sightings that are waiting to be posted.
That lion was amazing I actually heard him before I saw him, he was roraing alsmost every 20 minutes. But you will find out in the next episode why

Day 4... the search commences

I woke up this morning and packed my car for a morning drive(well lets hope that it is a morning drive) and off I went to go find the Kitties of the South. My route was H11->H1-1->H3->S113->S114->S21->H4-1->S1->S2->S3 today and I planned on being at home late afternoon. The lekker thing about Kruger Gate was that I wasn’t greeted by imps in the morning but without fail the first animals I saw entering the park was zebs. The road was very uneventful until I reached the S113/S114 crossing and was entertained by these cutie pies. They were busy scurrying around looking for seeds together with some hornbills.





Then on the S21 a friendly tallhorse greeted me on the way.



I was bout 15km down on the S21 when a 4 car traffic jam said ‘halo’. They were all on the left hand side of the road and looking down. I got a spot in the middle but could only see the ears of a lioness. I saw a male lion sleeping as well but the view were shoddy. But that is where patience come in, after about 20 minutes of waiting the one lioness stood up and went to lie behind the one jeep. Nobody moved so I obliged, I drove behind the Jeep and had a lekker conversation with het.



She moved back after 10 minutes or so then I moved back into my place. Still very gaga kiekies for 20 minutes and then the 2 ladies decided that the road is much better place to go lie down in. I again reversed out of my spot and the one occupant of the Land Rover looked at me like I had a screw or two loose. They were checking out the male and had front row seats to him. I just wanted to see lions, didn’t care male, female or cub. I was about 3m from then and had prime view.







And then it happened. The male decided that he wanted to join his two lady friends in the road. YAY I had the best view and all the other cars had to make u-turns and stand behind me and next to me. See it pays off when you don’t always go for the best. My cam was going berserkers...

















I was blissfully happy and so excited about this sighting. I never in my whole life thought that it could get any better. But I counted my chickens before they hatched. The female walked to the male and the next scene played 2m from me. They were so close that I couldn’t get the both of them fully in my camera frame.





I was about 2 hours with those beautiful kitties and then decided to move on. I had a great sighting of a martial eagle then I found 2 piggies for VVV.





And then another surprise sighting, on the S1. She was a bit far and my kiekies are very bad but it is proof. Today has been a great day in the Park.





I went home very happy that afternoon. It was about 3o’clock and time for a MMC. Yes mum thought I was a bit mad drinking coffee in this heat but I had to celebrate my sightings for the day. I had a big smile the whole day and couldn’t wait to see what the rest of the trip could bring forward. We had a lekker braai and as it was Christmas eve prezzies were given to the snotties. We enjoyed ice cold KPA’s underneath the Kruger skies and chatted till 21:00 when I decided to go to bed as another day in the Kruger awaits...

To be continued...

Some stunning sightings. There is just nothing like the sound of lion's roar. So awesome.

Love the little mongoose, a stunning pic.

Looking forward to more.

And you start your trip with a leppie .
Great start Heksie .
Love all your sightings, especially the golden kitty .
Thanks for sharing .
Looking forward to the rest .