SANParks.org Forums

Hello!

Herewith pics of the new PK picnic spot in the making!

About 5 km from camp on the Numbi road! Good idea!

Can't see any lovely big shady trees

Glenn said a while back a picnic spot was required near PK, and so it is!
The existing day visitors facilities in said camp are tiny!

And I hope the trees are fast growing shade trees, otherwise they might just as well close this place down, no one is going to want to sit in Dec sun at that picnic site,

I think this is an excellent idea!!
From experience I know that after the day visitors facilities were moved out of the camps at Skukuza and Letaba it made the camps so much better.
The day visitors area at P/Kop in my opinion was far too close to the overnight accommodation.
During the hot hours of the day when you want to sit on your "little verandah" and enjoy the sounds of birds and bees and not screaming children running around

Being in architecture I am pretty sure this picnic spot could have been approached in a totally different angle. Its seems they have decided to totally clear the entire site to erect a few stalls and some ablutions.
The approach should be to touch the site with a degree of sensitivity which will ultimately increase the enjoyment of using the facilities.
I think decision makers should perhaps utilise more experts in various fields to maximise these opportunities both for visitors and fauna and flora.

I am amazed at all the criticism levelled at SANParks, have any of you got an idea what this site was before they decided to change it into a day visitors area.
This site used to be a old rubbish dump for all the Pretoriuskop building material and a variety of scrap.
A proper EIA was done and the decision to at least take all the crap away was made and then the BRILLIANT idea to turn this into a useful area.

Thanks for the information Nkambeni.
Perhaps with something so loved and important to so many people such as any National Park information could be shared with the public more such as a page on the website indicating not only future or current projects, but more importantly about areas to be developed.

The fact that we criticism or question SANParks is not a debate on whether we are proud South Africans or nature lovers, we just wish for more disclosure.
I am generally happy and proud of SA's conservation and the role that SANParks play.
They are invaluable.

On a side note: I might be sticking my foot in it again, but I'm not too sure it was a good thing to have a dump site within the park to begin with... so at least that is gone.
Hope there aren't more like this.

It was a dump before. I would rather have day visitors lured out of camps where possible. Glad its a day visitors site and not a soccer field !

I am going to agree with Richprins , I like this new development. The fact that they are using an area that is not pristine (I am guessing there are many more area like these "dumps" in Kruger away from our tourist eyes) to build a facility that many want to ease the overcrowding is great. This solves a problem many have identified, more picnic spots/day visitor areas, and a site has been chosen not only on the, "this would be nice because the view is nice" building method.

KNP management has for many years ensures that this park is maintained in the best possible fashion.
Firstly to protect the wildlife within and also to provide facilities for day and/or overnight visitors.

When visiting in October, I look forward to seeing this and other improvements to KNP either completed or in development.

I think we all agree that SANParks is doing an outstanding job.
I personally feel (and yes it would mean more work) that since a National Park is for the people this same people should have access to certain bits of information for the following reasons:

1. Announce future projects and their advantages
2. Allow access to EIAs
3. Ensure that Joe Public understands the process undertaken in such constructions or developments.

This could only assist SANParks and strengthen the relationships between itself and its patrons.
The fact of the matter is, if one is shown images like the ones above in a protected area the assumption is always "we should be protecting it and not developing it".
Its natural to want to protect that we love and feel is invaluable.
A simple development updates page on the website will do wonders.
It would even educate some of as to how SANParks goes about something such as the Pretoriuskop Day Site.
I for one think it would be interesting reading.

No one is bashing SANParks I think we just like to understand process.

Well done to SANParks on this one!
We must all remember.... Many of the people working for SANParks are properly educated individuals who obviously understand the environmental impact and risks. I don't think that they drove around the P-Kop area and said: "Ah, let's just put it here."

What were the reactions when Tamboti was introduced? I'm sure very similar negative comments were thrown to SANParks, and look at it now. One of the jewells op the park.

Let's cut them some slack. I'm sure they know better than most of us, bashing keyboards in an office all day.

Any updates on the picnic site?

Friedrich von Hörsten

This Monday:





Some progress being made!

Don't recall seeing the board...