SANParks.org Forums

Thanks Richprins and Katmal, you both make some interesting points.

I was interested though in your mentions of rain.

I would imagine even if the rains only start, say, next week or the week after (ie. mid to late October), surely the bush would not change much in thickness in a period of just a couple of weeks?

Either way, I think Katmal may be right about the H7 being better in summer when it's more lush.

Hmmm... I think the H9 may well be the way to go.

Thanks for the input everyone.

Jeff

Another thing to take into consideration if you take your brother is to show him as much of the vegetation of the park as POSSIBLE. Considering that you will stay in Tamboti you only have the one chance to show him the Mopaneveld on the H9, depending on your plans of course. I've driven this road on Friday morning when coming from Satara after a one-night overstay during surveys. Along the H9 it is very dry but there is enough water to guarantee you good sightings especially along Sable dam and Hlanganini dam. Plenty impala, elephant and buffalo around the dams at present. You also have a very good chance of lion around the Olifants and Letaba Rivers at present and from Letaba you should definitely go the S42/44 way since the tar between Letaba and Olifants is dead except next to the Olifants where I did see 4 lionesses and Sharpes grysbok right next to the road. Even after the first rains the mopaneveld won't thicken that fast it will take about 4-8weeks to get all of their leaves back and for the grass layer to recover.

This is also one of those interesting Kruger roads that can be busy at times both in terms of sightings and traffic . We have had some good sightings on this road though but I would not call it consistently productive sightings wise, I guess during busy times the traffic scares the animals away .