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The S52 gravel road runs parallel to the H1-6 tar road. The S52 takes you to the entrance road of Batleur and the loops back to connect with the tar road close to Redrocks.

1. Anybody have experience of this road?
2. Any good sightings on this road in the past?

I'm planning a couple of days in the Park in January 2006 and time will be limited. Trying to included places I've not yet visited that was mentioned before on the forum. If it is not a "hot" road I'll rather visit it during my trip later in 2006.



@GP: Please do not create a spin-off of this topic, I know it's difficult but your cooperation is much appreciated.

francoisd, it is a lovely camp with 2 very productive roads and a third to get some time by if you like. The gravel loop between Babalala adjacent to the H1-7 is a gem. It is absolutely beautiful!! Then from Shingwedzi's back gate towards Kanniedood dam. Seen a male lion on that road last year. It is a very good area for birding.

I have traveled quite a lot there and saw leopard, lions, lots of ellie's, kudu, nyalah's, hayena and once a cheetah eating an impala and a lot of birdlife. No problems with the Red Rock route.

One of the nicest loops i have seen.
Seen lots of Kudu, few nyala, Ground hornbill, Hyena and ellie real close.
cats... you my story in this

Shingwedzi is a must IMHO

reasons:

reasonably sized camp away from the crowds with outstanding game viewing opportunities

the redrocks route S52 is one of my favourites, produces regular leopard sightings
so do the kanniedood routes S50 and the mphongolo routes S56

the area has good lions, buffalo, and elephant. in the afternoons there is a good chance of watching elephant wallowing in the mud along the shingwedzi river (S50)

my wife and I will never forget two mornings on the same route (S50) in different years
2002: Elephant, lion, leopard with cubs, buffalo within 06:00 h and 06:40 h
2004: Mating lions (watched them for two hours basically all by ourselves)

sunsets in the shingwedzi riverbed (low level crossing right next to the camp) are very special

i also had the best saddlebilled stork sighting ever on S52, in the riverbed right after the tar road

the redrocks crossing is also always good for special sightings

in 2004 rooisbosrant and silverwis dams were also open to the public, which are very very special places with good sightings of birds and even the occasional lions

of course, the pool comes in nicely, as does the restaurant with a beautiful setting right on the riverbed; depending on waterlevels, you could see hippo feeding during dinner

going south to letaba, don't miss to take S106 (extension of S50) and spend some time at grootvlei dam. you can actually drive onto the dam wall there and get close to various plaines game grazing (paradize....)

oh, wish i'd be there now...


have fun and cheerio

Uwe

When ever possible I try to do the loop. It is a special drive for the scenery alone. The is also a lot of variation in terms of flora.
Have seen one of my most exciting buffalo sightings on the route. Also, I have never experienced heavy traffic.

Hi all.

Great forum. With regards to the S52 loop I consider it better than the river loop. Was there in July this year and saw a great leopard sighting (LOG) There is also a resident pride of Lions near Bataleur and with patients and good timing they are often seen in the area. The road is also not as busy as the river loop.
If you go to Shingwedzi this road is a must.

Just found this. You have no idea how lucky this road has been for us now, Francois! This is the one I call Red Rocks Loop. We saw 4 Hyenas hunting Impala - couldn't see the outcome as they moved into the bushes, Sharpe's Grysbok right next to the car standing so quietly, I got a beautiful video clip, and I found a huge bull elephant bathing in the river bed with one massive tusk the other one broken off. Beautiful sunrise at Red Rocks. Tshange Lookout just past Bateleur - saw lots of Rock Dassies sunning themselves. Giraffe and Impala moving about at the foot of the lookout. Definitely one of my fav roads.

Lovely road!! Had a wonderful sighting last January of a Tawny and a Verreaux's EO in the same tree, maybe 2 meters apart!
Was on the river crossing closest to Tshanga viewpoint. For one reason or another I decided to stick my head out the window (oops!) and look back at where we'd just come from. And there they were.

I love that road - it's very scenic. Most exciting sighting I had there were 2 Sharpe's Grysboks (mother and young) pretty close to the road.

Plenty of Sharpe's around the Mahonie loop at Punda.

Landscape between Shingwedzi and Babalala.

Have driven the road (redrocks) many times and love the Scenery on that road.
Although it has not been prolific with big game sighting I have been lucky enough to see the following on it:

Eland (the only one I have ever seen in the park)
Roan antelope
Lion with tiny cubs
Leopard in a tree with a baby zebra
Big herds of Elephants & buffalos

But best of all, I had my greatest sighting on that road. one hot afternoon driving along we hadn't seen much at all and everyone was starting to fall asleep in the car when we came across 2 cheetah lying up under a tree next to the road sleeping.
We obviously startled them as they got up and move off about 5m further in and then lay down again.

We watch them for about 30min before they both got up and started making a strange hissing noise with their eyes fixed on the bushes to the right.
Suddenly out of nowhere a Leopard came charging after them.
Both cheetahs ran full circle in opposite directions around the charging leopard.
This happened twice before the cheetahs disappeared into the bush.
The leopard then slunk across the road in front of us almost embarrassed looking at what had just transpired.
He disappeared down into the river bed and not 15seconds later and a car came around the corner.
We quickly drove off and pretended we hadn't seen anything.
It wasn't like they were going to believe us.

We sent the very poor video in to Veld focus but I think the quality was too poor for it to be viewed on TV.

That has to be the most amazing sighting and almost certainly a once in a life time occurance.
But isn't it just so incredible that in an instance things can change from a drowsy quiet drive into a breathtaking sighting.
Thats Kruger, I guess and what makes it so enticing.