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My question is" will it REALLY ease congestion at PKop - folk will still call in there for fuel - go to the shop - at the SKUKS picnic place it's just a kiosk - so folk are still calling in for fuel and supplies at the main camp - so to my mind there will be more of a "coming and going" than before at PK. When we camped at Croc Bridge last August we rode up to LS - I personally think a day visitor area "annexed" to a camp - like Letaba & LS - works better for all concerned - just my 2 cents worth

Thanks for the update RP I really believe it will make a huge difference to PKop...Yes, ppl will still come in for fuel or to the shop, if they coming from inside the Park....but those coming from outside wont have to as they will come with their supplies and enough fuel....

Still wonder what they're going to do for shade!

And google earth shows a little water point nearby?



Feb 2010

I like the idea for the simple reason that in the busy summer season the day visitors hopefully wont be using the pool area ...... it was hugely ovewrcrowded and quite unpleasant in dec/jan with all the non camp residents

Pretoriuskop has been my favourite camp for the past few years, with better predator sightings than at Lower Sabie!
Just before Christmas I went to the trouble to drive into the barren-looking treeless strip of cleaned-up garbage dump that will now be the new Picnic Site for Day Visitors….
From the road it looks VERY uninviting! Who on earth would ever bother to have a picnic in the blazing sun on bare earth and weeds?

First surprise – the barren earth is for parking, but there is an electric fence on the left side, and some shady spots and trees for the actual picnic spots!



Second surprise – very neat ablutions (2 blocks) with a tuck shop on the left. Chairs and tables were already stacked in piles, ready for use!



Third surprise -- a herd of kudu were grazing peacefully behind the tar pole edge of the treeless `parking lot’!



This got me thinking! So I asked at reception to speak to the manager of Pretoriuskop. Margaret Jones surprised me by excusing herself from a meeting just to chat to me!
She was very gracious, and spoke freely of how happy they were to have turned a dump into a `picnic site’ without disturbing the ecology any further…

Phase one is about completed, and will be in use very soon!

Phase two – who knows? Perhaps a swimming pool, some trees planted in the barren parking lot, not too sure about the final outcome yet.

I asked Margaret: ``Would you mind if I asked Forumites to give some input – What would they like to see at Pretoriuskop, to make it an even bigger success?’’

Of course she was delighted – any ideas would be welcome!

So here are the dreams of Friedrich and Michelle von Hörsten for Pretoriuskop:

1. Could forumites/local Honorary Rangers not arrange a TREE PLANTING DAY to get those little trees planted SOON – it is going to take a LONG time till there is welcome shade for parking…
2. Of course a swimming pool would be welcome for Day Visitors in the hot summer months, but what about the animals? I wonder where on earth they drink water around Pretoriuskop (little vlei on each side of camp is usually dry all winter; only that small stream on the Fayi loop)? So why not CREATE A WETLAND/WATERHOLE in that ugly hollow where the kudus are grazing in the pic – all the water from taps/basins/pool overflow could be directed into such a hollow for the benefit of birds and animals. Imagine having a picnic, surrounded by birds and the occasional warthog/kudu/sable coming down for a drink? This has been done in Etosha (Okaukuejo waterhole)!

On a larger scale:

Quoting Margaret Jones, ``Pretoriuskop has nothing to seriously attract tourists, except the lovely swimming pool in the rocks, and the rare animals like sable and hartebeest, and the lovely trees and cool climate. No Sabi River or Lake Panic…’’

Which got me thinking…

1. What about creating a BIRD HIDE FOR PRETORIUSKOP– as good as Lake Panic! Surely there must be a corner of one of the big dams like Mtshawudam (just off the S3 – look at it from Shabeni hill) or Mestel dam (far right hand corner), where there is permanent water, plenty of birdlife, hippos, crocs… But PLEASE, the hide must be CLOSE to the animals, not like the ``useless’’ ones at Shingwedzi and Letaba where you are not in touch with wildlife. Lake Panic is so pupoluar because you are SURROUNDED by wildlife! Margaret, find us a Lake Panic at Pretoriuskop – surely it can be done with minimal change to the environment!
2. What about creating a ``MATHEKENYANE/GRANOKOP LOOKOUT AT PRETORIUSKOP – it has the most stunning rocky outcrops, and surely one would be suitable for tourists to ride onto and GET OUT OF THEIR VEHICLES to watch the sunset or have breakfast in the bush! There is already a little `road’ turning off Shabeni loop to a little `cement dam’ full of water for who knows what. Why not extend the road a bit further, so people can stop on the rocky outcrop for sunset.?

Before you shoot me down –
• there was NO Lake Panic before somebody was brave enough to just do it!
• There was NO Granokop lookout before somebody was brave enough to do it!
• There will be NOTHING SPECIAL for Pretoriuskop before we are brave enough to do it!
• Don’t say it will interfere too much with the ecology! Hotels are being built, facilities upgraded all the time – this is low-key stuff that can have high-key benefits, especially for Day Visitors!

Maybe you have better ideas for Pretoriuskop! Let us know about them. Let Margaret Jones, Manageress of Pretoriuskop know about them! Perhaps we can help Pretoriuskop to get that extra edge it needs,

BUT

without losing its peaceful, rural character or cheaper S2 huts that are affordable to all South Africans. Perhaps we can fill them up all year, and keep the prices down!

Just dreaming…

Friedrich and Michelle von Hörsten

That would be fantastic

I also like Pretoriuskop a lot the way it is but your suggestions (especially the bird hide) sound very interesting! I'm curious to hear what other forumites think about it

MM and FC

Thanks for your quick replies!

I am not aware that there is much at Pretoriuskop to remember what Wolhuter did -- did see the lion skin etc. in the Skukuza museum a long time ago... perhaps they do have some things stashed away that could be put on display at PK?

My dream for Pk is NOT to turn it into a Skukuza -- I would not bother to visit it then!
Rather to have one or two `Special Places'' that would just enhance the time at Pk more.

Currently my favourite PK activities (apart from game viewing) are:
* swimming in the pool when it is hot (plenty of shade)
* having breakfast at Afsaal (33 km away) before the crowds arrive
* bird watching at Biyamiti Weir (another 15 km further)
* having supper or lunch at Phabeni Gate (Albasini Ruins) where you can get OUT of your car
* bird photography at Lake Panic/breakfast at nursery, where you can get OUT of your car
* sunset at the top of the smallest koppie, where you CAN'T get out of your car...

from this it is obvious that MOST special activities are NOT near Pretoriuskop itself!
Mestel dam, Shitlave dam and Nyamundwa dam (S1) are usually not very exciting for game viewing, so you stay at PK and travel a lot. Why should this be? Somewhere close to PK you need at least 2 places where you can alight from your vehicle to stretch the legs -- on top of a rock koppie would be fantastic, and what better than a small, intimate bird hide close to trees, a small island, or rock wher birds can nest/perch!

Keen to hear from the rest!

God bless and a very happy New Year,

Friedrich von Hörsten

Love your post and this topic Friedrich. Thanks for the report on the progress of the picnic area and the pics. It is looking really good!

Great ideas Friedrich von Hörsten! I have been to Pretoriuskop many moons ago, and we have booked there for September 2012 - my SO's first time at PK. The new picnic spot will surely be to great benefit of many people. If only half of all the amazing things you mentioned could realise, it will definitely put PK back on the map.

what a great post
and the first images of the new picnic spot imo

btw, still one of my fav camps

Hi All,

We are ay P'skop right now . Jut thought Id give my opinion on the new day visitors picnic spot.
It has such potential, the area needs a place to have a picnic, however....


The picnic spots have horrible corrigated iron roofs get back to reality and bring in some genuine thatch There is zero shaded parking, and it's a reasonable trek to get your goodies from the parking to the picnic spot.

The furniture looks like graveyard stone . It just does'nt work. Who decides on the purchase of this ....


Neilo.

The actual area where you could make your picnic is right in the bush, electric fenced off. The individual picnic spots are private and well located, so there is plenty of potential.

The last 10% of doing a job is the difference between excellent and so-so......... . Come on KNP we can do better than this !!!!!!


neilo

I personally Like the stone furniture(if it is the same as the Berg en Dal picnic area) It stops JJ's from monopolising all the furniture for their guests, that is something that drives me insane at picnic spots

I was there this weekend.
The open area that has been cleared is just the parking.
The actual picnic spots are NOT in the open and are in the trees and bush.
The spots look great.
However, the tables and seats are made of some kind of pre-made concrete and simply don't work.
Rather use the wooden table, bench seat combo's like at Afsaal.
Also the spots are covered with corrugated iron sheeting, which is not pretty at all. (How about some THATCH
Otherwise the location amongst the trees is really nice.
The spots themselves have an electric fence surround and are well separated from each other.

The picnic spot won't have room for a pool, but the pool in pretoriouskop is very nice indeed