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Next week Thursday is a public holiday! Taking Friday off, makes a long week-end....not so? So where can one go where there is wild animals, enough open spaces and red dunes? The Kgalagadi, off course!

Four nights is too short on the other hand, especially from Cape Town! So if one were to take the preceding Wednesday off and stretch your imagination a little further to the following week's Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as well, into the equation, you have a potential trip to KTP!

Quickly check the SANParks webpage for accomodation and with lady luck on your side........VOILA!
Bookings done, payed and confirmed..... I have a potential New Trip Report for all of you 'unfortunate home stayers' .....and lovers of the Wild places coming up!

For those of you that will be there in KTP during the same time, I will fly my Yellow Ribbon!

So, hopefully I will start reporting in about three weeks' time! Stay connected!!!

Thank you for the good wishes and encouragement, you make my forthcoming trip even a more special event to look foreward to!

@ Hugh: There is more than enough place, so be my guest!

@ Jo: Nothing to be about, Jou beurt is jou beurt! (One's turn is one'sturn: read; chance!) {But it does not sound the same in English}

@ Kamadejo: Thank you Katja for getting on the KTP trip Wagon!

@ Caracal: Thank you as well and how was the AUS/SESRIEM trip? Lots of water at SOSSUSVLEI?

@ GavinW: Thank you for the good travel wishes and I will be thinking of you guys at home!


If only I can repeat this sighting of Leo Kruiper at Samevloeiing:-




I will be soooo

Counting the days now! FMJ

Thank you for jumping on the TR wagon and for the good travel wishes Tobieo; Sharifa and Duke (I'll try my best!); mybs. We will be on the look out for the white Prado! We will be in a Kia Sportage!

......or if we can just repeat this amazing adrenaline rush that we have been injected with at Dikbaardskolk picnic spot!

Only four days now and counting......down!

@ Caracal: The "rubbing in" process is part of the phycing and build up process, more for myself than doing the thing to my fellow forumites!'

@ Tobieo: you bet!!! No need for a loo break in conditions like that! Haha!

@ Son godin: Enjoy your forthcoming trip to KNP and have a safe drive!
No, I do not think the lions prefer the picnic spots as much as they like to scare people in their tents and rooftop tents at the wilder places! Take the pepper spray along! Haha!

@ Micetta: I was wondering what happened to you? Thank you for jumping on the KTP wagon!

@ wanderw: I will need all the luck and good wishes that I can get, thank you..and I agree that unplanned visits are very exiting....ask me!

By the way, we may encounter and see another totally unplanned and surprise event at Upington!
We heard on the news last night, that masses of flooding water will reach Upington on Tuesday (again)! We will try and work in a one night stay at Augrabies National Park, God willing, to observe this spectacle!


I know Caracal and others, but i must publish another "teezer" on my wishlist from our previous stay at Nossob, this time! If only we could...............

Thank you Son godin and p@m for the good wishes and "tips"!

OK, I am finally ready to start posting……but alas, five days in the Park is just not the same as a loooonng holiday there and nothing compared to what we saw in December, only six months ago!

But on the other hand, just to be there is a super experience and a privilege! So I will bring you my photies, but the predators were hiding either in the dunes or in the long grass where we did not see them!

Here goes! The long road ahead and overnight in Upington.



But first a fuel stop at Brandvlei!



Then hit the kilometres again past all the sociable telephone booths!



They erected these telephone poles exclusively for the future generations of weavers – no trees here!!!



My brother and his family caught up with us at Upington – that,s them in front and not far to go now…….can’t wait!



Here we are again! Proof! White in Red!



Oh the joy…..our nine persons campsite at Twee Rivieren…..



……from all the angles!





Had to go the pool, but to cold for a swim now! I wish it looked like this when we were here last December – plus forty remember!



To be continued shortly…………..

Thank you Elsa for the visit and enjoy your Forum get together there in Durbs! mybs, I am feeling a bit embarresed with you on board with all your wonderful sightings and super photos! But there can always be a next time! Thanks Michetta and Son godin for your loyal visits and always much appreciated comments!

Now for the real thing!

2nd Posting AWKT (After Wonderful Kgalagadi Trip): Sunrise on our first morning in KTP and Twee Rivieren! The excitement mixed with the cold and dry Kalahari air woke me up early this morning!



We read somewhere in the Forum pages that SANParks opened another four Kms of the Nossob road beyond Leeudril, so we wasted no time to investigate!

Our first sighting of note I had to publish!



….and another view!



We saw photographer Hannes Lochner’s open vehicle parked here and stopped!
(Between Samevloeiing and Leeudril.) We saw nothing and wondered, without speaking to him (mistake), what he was seeing? With hindsight knowledge - A Leopard with fairly young cubs and he has been following them since birth!! PLUS a huge male Leo! Shucks!!

(It is worth going to his website – HANNES LOCHNER WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY and click on his blog for some stunning photos of the Leo & Cubs we missed!)

Where the leopard den is!



Right at the end of the road past Leeudril, we saw this massive Sociable Weaver nest. If you look close at the bottom right of the picture, you will see a white spec! That’s a Barn Owl hiding there!



Also called “Ghost Owl” and many other names! They are the most widely spread owl (and bird) in the World! (Quote Wikipedea)

Close –up!



More photos and short descriptions soon……….

Thank you again Micetta & Pumbaa for your visit to my TR, I just hope I can keep your attention with our 'sub - ordinary' sightings! At least I had an experience with my leather slippers at Nossob! More of that later!

3nd Posting AWKT (After Wonderful Kgalagadi Trip):

There are a few animals in the animal kingdom that always makes beautiful photos and these couple of gemsbok is no exception!



At KAMEELSLEEP waterhole we saw the first of many Red Hartebeest! They seem to thrive in KTP and together with the gemsbok and ostriches their numbers are escalating!



BWB bodyguards relaxing while the gemsbok explore the dunes!



A very neat weaver squatter camp!



Close up of the semi – detached dwellings!



We also saw a few steenbokkies like this one next to the road.



…..and the compulsory PCG!



Another reason why I keep on going back to KTP.



I need help with the English of the ‘Kelkiewyn’ please!
They have gathered here at the Samevloeiing Waterhole. (Thank you Caracal for the English: Namaqua Sandgrouse)



The tall grass and the gemsbok makes a nice photo on the way to Achterskolonie!



No lions in this area!



Neither here!



……and more later!

4th Posting AWKT (After Wonderful Kgalagadi Trip):
WE decided to take the bottom dune road to Nossob and arriving at Kij Kij waterhole there were a fair variety of animals!



There were lots of activity in the close proximity of Kij Kij, but the predators were somewhere else!



Springbuck in the road and next to the road







We stopped for a brunch - break at Melkvlei picnic sight!



This Melkvlei landmark is worth a photo….something to look at when I am back home!



….and this view to the north towards Nossob……but still a long way to go!



With no cheetahs around these beautiful gemsbok posing at the waterhole will have to do!




You watch my back and I’ll cover yours!



A lone red hartebeest!



....and a solitary male lion at the back stretch of Marie se Draai, but on the far side of the Nossob riverbed!



We waited for a while and we heard his roars, calling the rest of the pack, but nothing happened!



The Nossob hide where we saw the Brown hyena and the leopard last December was now rather deserted!



We pitched the camp and lit the fires for the braai. Our camp was not far from the swimming pool area and would you believe it, just before dark, a BBJ came strolling right through our camp! I warned everyone to make sure all their shoes are stowed away by the time they went to bed, but after going to the ablutions myself and climbing into the roof tent, I left my favourite leather slippers in the gazebo next to the step ladder going up into the tent. Needless to say, the next morning all I could find, were the many BBJ spoors where my slippers was left the previous evening!
It was a very special birthday gift – now somewhere in a BBJ den at Nossob!

Nossob sunrise and no slippers!

To all who have been so kind to take time off to 'scan' my TR and leave some comments, I just want to say thank you very much! I have been away for some time and only now had some time to post some more much overdue photos and comments on our latest trip! Special thanks to Caracal; Tobieo; Son godin; Micetta; wanderw; p@m; Elsa; mybs; Pumbaa; Suej; katydownunder; Bushbuddies and all the other wonderful Forumites that I might have missed!

Now for some more postings!

On our way up north on the Nossob the grass was so very long that we could hardly see over it into the riverbed! This is maybe one of the reasons why our predator sightings were very poor on this (short) trip!



Then far beyond Cubitje Quap we saw these two hyenas on the prowl in the long grass. At least some excitement!



Wish we could see what they were up to?



Some ostriches (I think they have little enemies in KTP) and their numbers on the increase!



Has anyone ever noticed the white PT shorts that the Hartebeest are wearing?



…..and the proud and beautiful symbol of KTP!



….and this time around – lots of them!



At this waterhole (Polentswa) we counted 38 Gemsbuck and one ostrich who thought he was a Gemsbuck.



We had lunch in the form of an open air stirfry at the Lijersdraai picnic spot and then turned back! We started too late to make it to Unions End! On the way back to Cubitje Quap I caught this Bateleur just as it was about to take off!



The next morning we left Nossob and I took a few pictures to remind me of this nice camp later!



I must say that we had wonderful weather, but fairly cold at night! Ready to leave for Mata Mata!



Decisions! Left or right? What the heck, with time on our side, one last detour around Marie se Draai!



At Marie’s we came across this very interesting lion’s spoor continuing for a good few hundred meters! We think that she had a broken leg and was pulling it along! What do you think?



At Kasper’s Draai we saw these finches! ID please!



The Dikbaardskolk Picnic Site and turn off to the top dune road, showed no sighn of the Male Lion of December that gave us such a fright!



…and December!!!



…..and some more uploads a little later!

Thanks for a wonderful post Johan
We have seen a lioness around Nossob a few times with a lame back leg. It could have been her.
Aparentley she suffered a snake bite to her foot, which has left it lame

Thank you all once again for helping to keep my TR interesting and alive! It certainly makes the effort worth the while!

@ GavinW: This info about the 'strange' drag marks of the lion spoor at Marie's is certainly very interesting! Thank you and I will be on the look out next time for this one!

@ Suej: ....I knew that, the Red heads Haha! Thank you for the help!

@ Micetta: I will continue regardless!

@ wanderw: I wish we were so lucky to see her there! We must have missed her with only a few hours, because the tracks seemed to be very fresh! Thank you for the nice comment!

@ Munchkin: It would seem that there is one or more very active BBJ's in the Nossob camp, because we also saw a lether glove just outside the Camp gate the same morning my slippers disappeared! The exiting from the vehicle(s) at the picnic places will deffinately be taken more serious by our family in future!

@ Bushbuddies: I am aware of cheetahs catching ostriches, but it seems that they aquired skills to outrun cheetahs beccause of the increase in their numbers!

@Vlakvarkvrou: ....and luckily we can keep on reading Trip Reports in between visits there!

6th Posting AWKT (After Wonderful Kgalagadi Trip):

We continued our drive over the top dune road to the Aoub River. I must say that the first quarter of this dune drive from the Nossob side is very beautiful!

When we arrived at Kamqua waterhole we found some BWB’s there!



On our December trip we found six lions here!





…..and more ostriches on our way to Mata Mata!



Thanks to Caracal and GavinW for giving me the position of the Hyena Den just north of Urikaruus. No sight of the young babe hyenas though! Probably sleeping!



Look how long the grass is where we saw the four lionesses last December!



…and no grass where we saw these lionesses last December.(only six months ago!)



A road block in the 13th Borehole loop!



Our camp at Mata Mata!



To be continued shortly…………..

7th Posting AWKT!

We took the South bound (only) road from Mata Mata! This part of the Aoub is my favourite as far as landscape is concerned!



This morning we woke up before the ‘springbokkies’ lying down in the long grass!



Between Dalkeith and 14th Borehole we saw a head pop up a couple of hundred yards into the riverbed, but alas too far for decent photos.



A cheetah mum with at least three cubs – but not tall enough to be seen properly above the long grass!



Then I stopped at this Lilac Brested roller not too far this time.



He flew off and I followed him to the next tree where he settled close to the love of his life! Are they not a nice pair?



A typical Kgalagadi scene coming out of one of the loops!



This is how Veertiende Boorgat looked after the good rains the last five months in June! No lions – plenty of grass!



….and this is how Veertiende Boorgat looked in December! No grass and plenty of lions!



To be continued shortly…………..

8th Posting AWKT!
I wish I could entertain you with rare sightings, but alas, not much to show as far as ‘unusual’ game photos…….and no leo photos! This will have to do then.

This BBJ ran all along the perimeter of the excavated roadside for quite a distance before disappearing in the the long grass on the right!



What do you call a gemsbok without horns? Maybe a gemsdonk! We saw this unique one two years ago as well – well I think it could have been the same one!



Oh to be in the Kgalagadi and to see these weaver nests so big!



We are now on our way to Twee Rivieren for the last time and then to Augrabies for two nights! All over too soon!

Samevloeiing waterhole was very busy – we seem to be lucky here! A BWB arrived!



Then came the crowd – How awesome!



No one wants to go home!



A last photo before we leave!



Stand by for my final posting!

Last & Final Posting and many thank you's for your kind visits and comments!
KNP up next in less than a month - God willing!

A quick checkout and farewell to KTP and en route to Augrabies National Park, luckily not too far to travel, with a pit stop at Upington. Two nights!

The main reason why we cut two days off from our KTP visit, was that the mighty Gariep (Orange) was in flood (again). I think third time this year! Unfortunately we missed the peak while we were in the Kgalagadi, by about 5 days.

View of the new lookout and picnic spot near “Ararat” with stunning views!



Beautiful winding roads to explore the Park and full of surprises!



The Ararat lookout is worth a visit!



More winding roads and views.



So cute….and a little perturbed with our presence!



Tree rabbits!



New floods and previous flood damage (Febuary) to one of the lookouts!



A closer look of the flood damage to the lookouts and the pathways!



….and the water rumbling over the falls at 1.2 Cumecs/sec!



In February of this year it was over 5 C/s and the record over 8 Cubic meters per second rushing over the gorge somewhere in the 80’s! (I forgot the actual date)



***Early this morning, 22 June 2011, my daughter phoned us in Augrabies, all the way from home in Cape Town, that her baby daughter is due to-day (2 weeks premature)! (Some of you may just remember Ilse and Brendon from my previous Trip Reports – their first born!)

This must have been the fastest 800 odd kms that we have ever travelled (raced) to Cape Town!

We arrived at the Durbanville Medi Clinic just 20 minutes before little Lisa was born! (She decided to wait for the 'Grannies' to arrive!)

In less than a month, she will be joining us for her first KNP adventure! How about that?



A good ending!