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9 March 2012 and time to exchange Pretoria for Skukuza and the annual cricket matches between the Forum and SANParks.

We (Me, Lord Burchelli, Lady 459 and Sekhmet) decided to leave early to enable us to meet Daffy and SO (from the Netherlands) in Skukuza before they left the “South” for Olifants camp later in the morning. To make the most of the trip we entered at Malelane Gate. As we go along I will introduce my passengers to you. We will stay 2 nights in Skukuza and 2 nights in Lower-Sabie.

Just after we entered the Gate, we encountered our first vehicle with a yellow ribbon. When I asked the friendly guy who they are, he answered me by telling me my name!!!! Then I realized that I told him in a PM the make and colour of my car. This was of course Daffy and SO. As we were both heading in the direction of Afsaal, we decided to have some coffee and a kuier there.

The second yellow ribbon was Sparrow (the guy with the large Shark’s flag at his camping plot). He was on his way to look for some wild dogs. They were far in the bushes and we decided not to spend too much time on looking for them.

Here are some of the sightings before we reached Afsaal. We also saw beautiful Kudus and Elephants but the bush was too dense for decent photos.






At Afsaal
We had to take a photo of the Skopsie before we sat down


Lady 459 (Yellow-billed Hornbill - my sister in law) and Sekhmet (the oldest piglet)



And the reason for the coffee break at Afsaal: Monique, me and Daffy.

We had a wonderful time and also met Elsa and family on our way out of Afsaal. I hope Daffy will do a TR – they have wonderful photos of a Lion kill.

On the way to Skukuza we met a beautiful Kudu, European Roller, a handsome Brown Snake Eagle and the usual Klipspringers on the H1-1, etc.

Cheetah Thanks

We arrived at Skukuza, unpack, took Sekhmet to cricket practice (where we watched 2 warthogs destroying a flower bed at one of the Staff houses)


and made a turn at the Skukuza Restaurant Area. There was a “tame” monkey mum with a tiny baby following us:




A bit later in the afternoon we took the road to Granokop for a sundowner with fellow mites. When we were still in Pretoria, Dan decided that we will “do” this sundowner!! And what a good idea! Before we reached Granokop (Mathekenyane) we had to stop for this roadblock set up by this young Lions



This one tried to “smack” the little blue car. The guy told us afterwards that he was quite scared when this Lion singled him out!!!



Many pictures have already been posted by mites on the “Sundowner affair”, so I will only post a few:
My brother and his wife (Lord Burchelli and Lady 459)

Dan and his SO Catmatix

Few mites being funny

Scenery



And back at Skukuza to prepare for the SANParks braai.

What memories! Catmatix giving Dan some punishment in his bum there
Those Lions were a treat ne?
Cricket practice was also great fun! A classy under-arm act!

Before I continue with my story, who of you are familiar with this “ritual” that my SIL is executing in the sand at Granokop?


The bridge near De Laporte waterhole


The bring and braai with SANParks on the evening of the 9th were once again a huge success. (Photos were posted under the Wild Projects thread just after the cricket).
We went home after we had eaten and then Dan and Catmatix stopped for a visit at the Chalet. We had a very interesting and “educational” evening with lots of stories, etc, shared by my brother and Dan……and we had talks “down memory lane” talking about our young and younger days.

The next morning we slept a bit later than usual in the Park and left just after 7.30 for the Staff village and the Angels versus Groenkloof Rhinos game. Sekhmet had to be there at 8.00. At the turn-off to the village Roaneric stopped us and told us about the Wild Dogs +- 2km’s from there on the tar road to Pretoriuskop. We decided that there is enough time to do the detour….and found many cars there with yellow ribbons!!!!








Back at the cricket field
The practice


One of the refs


Etc, etc.

Hi Tripple V!

Yes, that was a kuier of note! Thank heavens I took so much beer to the braai otherwise the throat would have been like dry sand after all the talking and laughing. I'm very glad his Lordship will be at the meet. I can just immagine the conversation is going to be non-stop again. And you must tell Sharifa this TR is about best sides. Since mine was already on display Dukie can join in just as well...

That Friday Night braai was heck of a fun!
It all went by so fast! I just floated around chatting to everyone. One minute I was asking Frikkie a million questions, next I was commentating the swimming, then joking with LizaF and next thing I have had 6 Labels and it was time for bed
Then I had hardly hit my pillow when I woke up to go check out the doggies!
Shoe! What an eventful weekend!

To all my "mite friends who commented on my TR again - Hilda, Davenjan, Tawny, Pumbaa, Dan, Cheetah and Heksie - Thank you

After the long absence, I will try and finish this TR in the next week.

Warthogs and Cricket 2012 continues:

Few “human” photos before I show you the real warties at the cricket in Skukuza

Angels walking off the field after the final bit of practice



Food preparation for after the Angels Match later in the afternoon to eat on the drive

Visitors


Brunch – prepared by Sharifa and Duke (and what a wonderful meal!!!)


Humans and Warties in the same pics

Good evening - Heksie , Radman , Meerkitty (the warties were all over as you will see now ), Pumbaa , MM - Sharifa can cook. Remember the samoosas at the meet , Hilda and Barry - we will kuier again in Sept and the warties were a handfull , Me Skarabee, I will post a photo of both teams in this episode

The stars of the 2012 Skukuza Cricket weekend showing us that this is their place!









And then this lady is trying to move “equipment” from the playing field. She was later chased away by Pardus 1029





This Wartie was chasing the bowlers, but decided he had enough and ran off the field


The 2 Ladies Teams after the match…..a human element again


We decided to take a short drive before the evening event. I will post the sightings in the next episode.

Good evening to all my reading and participating Forum friends. I am trying to get this TR finished, but I have forgot how many sightings of all the different birds and animals in the Park we saw. Here is a few:

As I said at the end of the previous episode, we decided to take a short drive after the Angels Game before the evening event.

Here are some of the highlights:
Brown Hooded Kingfisher


Hippos and storks – Undertakers and Black Storks


Marico Sunbird and Carmine bee-eater


Scenery and a spider (my brother has a phobia for Spiders AND he took the photo!)


Ellies very near the car (and Sekhmet’s head was permanently near the car floor!)





Impies


Red-backed Shrike and Juvenile Martial Eagle



Duiker and Steenbok


BJ family and bit of Scenery in between
Negotiating? Just after this the bigger youngster knocked the baby off the stump!


Wish I could know what went through this guys mind?

And –



Under the bridge where the BJ is pondering on life – this Goliath Heron

We found this lovely Kudu scratching his head and then started to fertilize the soil around him



Birdies again – Brown Snake Eagle and an assortment of Vultures

We returned to the Bungalows and just before 18.00 we had to be out of the camp on our way to Dinner, etc at the Golf Course. As we turned into the Kruger Gate Road – a surprise was waiting for us, or shall I say blocking the road. There were also police officers in a kombi and they were glaring at the cars leaving the camp at 18.00, and the one lady was very upset when we stop to take photos of our surprise!








Since quite a number of photos were already posted of the Dinner Affair at the golf course, I will post only a few:
These key rings on the tables, were made by Roaneric


Speech on Rhino poaching

BB30 and Sekhmet receiving their medals for the cricket game


Gerhardb entertaining us with his beautiful voice (Perhaps Love)

Photos taken from outside the dining area and “candles in the wind”!



Tomorrow we will go to Lower Sabie for 2 nights before we return to Pretoria again.

That Paul Kruger road Hyena Clan has been in that area for as long as I can remember When I was young we had timeshare at Kruger Park Lodge and would go in Paul Kruger Gate everytime as it was in the days before Phabeni Gate. And I remember writing 'Ena's" on my list every day

Lovely memories. Especially Frikkie's speech on rhino poaching. Straight and to the point. Shocking and inspiring. I asked him a million questions that weekend.
I have so much respect for that man

Hi VVV!

Lovely photos of both the dinner affair and the animals, and of course your birdies!! Good heavens, I think the BJ population is taking over at Kruger!! Wonder where was the police when our car's battery decided to go flat next to the roadblock, not a place where you want to get out and push while 7 hyenas are giving you the hungry eye from 5 meters away. Thanks to JenB and So for coming to our aid , and for my SO that gave the car a very urgent and energetic push in the black of night!! We could just see the eyes in JenB's car's lights, no wonder where CM got her strength from for that push!

And tomorrow (Sunday 11 March 2012) eventually came with not that many, but still excellent sightings…..although some were also very far away.

The near sightings:
Green Wood-hoopoe (Rooibekkakelaar)


The Short and the Tall were also very near


One of many snakes (Mamba this time) we saw on the road


A very near Dagga Boy


And thanks to Elsa and Family our first LIT for this trip – but far away and I had to crop the photos quite a bit (and took away most of the quality). This was very near Kruger Gate where we saw leopard frequently in the past.

Hi VVV

Lovely lit and kakelaar. I'm afraid our leopard at Granokop was so far away we couldn't even take pics. And to get back to the hyena drama, it happened on the way back from the Golf course, and we were al alone. I switched of the car to listen to the hyenas giggling at each other but left the lights on. When I turned the ignition, it only made click. We thought there were no problem since there were still lots of people behind us, but nobody showed. Apparently everyone drove the staff village road back to camp, and we were the only ones left on that road. Al of a sudden hyenas giggling 3 meters away from your car in the moonlight all alone didn't have that romantic ring to it anymore... Luckily we got hold of Scips and Petra and they asked JenB to come back for us. Guess who were our heroes that evening?

From the Leopard sighting we decided to go to Pretoriuskop for lunch. Along the road we again had nice sightings such as the Female Red-backed Shrike and a beautiful Impala (I love to take photos of them)



We came across this LBR who tried his very best to eat a praying Mantis. We stayed until he finished his meal









We took hundreds of photos of Carmine Bee-eaters such as these two


One of many Monitors and a juvenile Dark Chanting Goshawk



A Koppie along the road