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Hi there all,

So glad the issue regarding Camelthorn has come up. We inthe park received a notice in September 2011 about the new protected species (Trees). See the following below:

STAATSKOERANT, 16 SEPTEMBER 2011 No. 34595

NOTICE OF THE LIST OF PROTECTED TREE SPECIES UNDER THE NATIONAL
FORESTS ACT, 1998 (ACT NO 84 OF 1998)

By virtue of powers vested in me under Section 15(3) of the National Forests Act, 1998,
I, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries hereby publish
a list of all protected trees belonging to a particular species under Section 12(1) (d) set
out in Schedule below.
The effect of this declaration is that in terms of Section 15(1) of the National Forests Act,
1998, no person may cut, disturb, damage or destroy any protected tree or possess,
collect, remove, transport, export, purchase, sell, donate or in any other manner acquire
or dispose of any protected tree or any forest product derived from a protected tree,
except under a licence or exemption granted by the Minister to an applicant and subject
to such period and conditions as may be stipulated.
Contravention of this declaration is regarded as a first category offence that may result in
a person who is found guilty of being sentenced to a fine or imprisonment for a period up
to three years, or to both a fine and imprisonment.

The three main species in the Kgalagadi is:
Acacia erioloba - Camel thorn/Kameeldoring
Acacia haematoxylon - Grey camel thorn/Vaalkameeldoring
Boscia albitrunca - Shepherd's tree/Witgat

Hi all,

We are travelling from the UK to KTP in June and have a total of 8 nights there. 3 in Nossob, 3 in Kieliekrankie, 1 night KTC and 1 in Twee. We are going to stop off in Uppington to stock up on water, wine, beer, meat, veg etc, but I am conscious that the fresh food won't last us the full 8 nights. I therefore welcome any recipe inspiration from KTP experts - especially anything from cans

Oh - and I LOVE to braai and would hate the lack of fresh veg and meat to prevent me from a braai each evening

Cannot wait!

Thanks in advance for your help

Marie

First thing to ask you is...what sort of accommdation have you booked?

Most have fridge freezers, so as long as you get your meat vacuum packed (and preferably frozen) it will last all trip, you just take it out to defrost each day.

The same with fresh fruit and veg.

There are some good butcheries in Upington (KG can advise), or Pick n pay are very helpful. You can email them and pre order, or if you just go in on the day, that is also OK.

I agree with previous comments, you must braai as often as you can in KTP!!

Hope you have a wonderful time!!

Mariek, also remember to take a cool bag with, to put the frozen stuff in for when you move from one camp to the next.(will help to keep it all frozen and keep the cool stuff cool)

Thanks Crested Val, we're in a mixture of chalets, dune cabins and a tent - but I think all are fully equipped. Good point Picnic, we will have to be careful when moving between camps that things don't defrost too much (we will take a cool bag and can pack it full).

We will definitely make a stop at the butchers - sounds yummy!

Hi Mariek
We find that butternut lasts very well and braais nicely too. Put the whole butternut into a pot of water to par cook, then slice in half lengthways & spice and add butter. Wrap up and put in the coals while you are cooking your meat.
Gem squash done in a similar way ( but filled with tinned creamed sweet corn) is also yummy.
If you are taking salad ingredients, try to look out for Cos lettuce as this lasts longer than the other lettuce varieties. Just remember to take in whole lettuces in preference to prepared lettuce packs as the packs do not last.
If you are going in winter remember your hot water bottles - they are great for slipping inside your fleecy top if it is cold outside & on the early morning drives. Some sherry will also do wonders to keep you warm!
Enjoy your trip

Thanks Gandalf...those are some great tips. My mouth is watering thinking of the squash and creamed sweetcorn!

And we like to take a few garlic breads and freeze them to take with on our trips. And in the evening when we braai we will make toasted tomato and cheese(on the grid) for the next day. Nice to have a bite at a waterhole early in the morning.

Hi Marie,

Veggies like potatoes, onions, butternut and corn keep well for a long time. These you could all cover with tinfoil and put on the coals or on the stove top if you want to.

For salads I take only tomatoes and those bottled small cucumbers. Other salads that is nice to have in the groc bag are beetroot and three bean salad tins.

We usually make "braai bread sandwiches" the evening to take with the next day as breakfast/lunch. Tomato and cheese is very nice. Buy those prepacked cheese slices.....I see Picnic had the same idea!!!

Cup-a-soup or even tinned soup should be nice for those really cold days when you want something quick for lunch.

Thanks Picnic and lion queen - these tips are so so helpful! I am set for a tasty trip!

And for those very windy nights when you can't braai, a packet of pasta'n sauce (any flavour) and a can of tuna or smoked mussels makes a quick and tasty supper

We have just returned from a 7 night stay in KTP, some in bush camps, and all the fridges were in good working order. We froze all our meat beforehand, and then wrapped each individual day's portion in thick news paper. The newspaper kept the meat frozen, and I then just popped it into the freezer with the newspaper around it. I even had one packet of lamb chops left that I could give to our camp attendant at the last night's stay-over.
Water is available at a "water shop" right outside the Pick & Pay entrance in Upington - it's much cheaper there, we took 5l per day (for 2 people), as the water in the camps is very brackish.
As far as salads are concerned, P&Pay sells a product that's packed in boxes, you can buy 3bean salad, tangy rice and lentil, curried bean, beetroot, pasta salad, etc. It's normally enough for 4 people, we take quite a selection with us.
If you like sweet potato (yam), buy smallish ones, scrub them, rub with oil and wrap in aluminium foil (shiny side inside), put them on or next to the coals about an hour before you start cooking your meat (no flames) - serve with a knob of butter. You can do potatoes the same way, just turn them frequently to prevent burning.

Cut a slice out of them, put in some braai spicing and some bits of fresh garlic first! The garlic will actually melt, becoming a sort of butter.
The potatoes are quite large, so I turm them maybe twice, no more. Shiny side outside for these, you only want the heat. Actually I often use them to keep my coals to one side of the braai as a sort of dam.
They take 45 minutes or so, of course depending on the heat and the size of the spuds. As you don't peel them (! saves work ) a little burning doesn't matter.

Edit, just in case you haven't used a braai a lot, I wrote a little how to a year ago: http://duques.nl/

When we went, we decided to buy tortilla-type wraps to use as bread for lunch times as they keep so much better than actual bread. They worked very well (especially delicious with tuna, mayonnaise and sweetcorn or Feta cheese, mayonnaise and cucumber), but were incredibly expensive at the P 'n' P and we decided that if we ever (can afford to) go again, we would bring these over with us from England! We bought mayonnaise in a squeezy bottle to minimise the chances of it going moldy from crumbs in it.

Hi,

I have started a new topic because I am not sure where this one fits, but please drop it under the correct topics.

Questions: My first trip to KTP is getting closer, so please help with the following. On my way to KTP from Augrabies I would like to by my meat in Upington. Any butchery or supermark you guys favour?

On the first night I will be sleeping at TR. We will be at TR before 13:00. What route shall I take for my first drive in KTP, taking into consideration that we will be going the next day to Mata for 3 nights and then Nossob for 3 nights and back to TR for 1 night.

We will be staying in the Chalets, do we need to bring a heater along for the cold?

Baie dankie,