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Yes, can you believe it, we are off to Kruger again on the second of our biannual trips.
Tomorrow morning bright and early we hope to be on our way up the north coast.

We will be staying at Ngwenya Lodge this time for the 2 weeks but doing daily or almost daily trips into the park.
Martial and Tawny are coming with us, so the excitement is mounting!
Plus we hope to meet some mites, Yellow ribbons and also have WendyA coming to stay for 1 night on the 31st.

I promise to complete my other trip report from Feb when I get back and then will do this one, last time I had to do that was when I broke my ankle 4 years ago but I guess moving house just after we got back can almost be as stressful so I hope you will all forgive me my tardiness.

But I will post reports from the park either directly in here or by sms to one of my dear friends on the forum.
so will keep in touch and anything majorly exciting, you will all be the first to know!

We are here! And its wonderful to be sitting out and hearing a hippo feeding in the bushes just below. We have mainly just settled in and had a walk around after a long day in the car. Tomorrow we plan on going into the park for a while, see what we can find! Thanks for all the great well wishes dear mites. Chat again soon.

Went into the park yesterday for a few hours, so great to be back. Its looking quite dry and many waterholes drying up. Had some fantastic Rhino sightings plus a nice tusker. The most Warthogs I think I have ever seen. Going in for the morning again shortly.

Hi again from Kruger, went in again today but only from 11.30 till gate closing, lots of ellies, and other great sightings, the cats still eluding us so far but we will get them! Weather lovely and warm around 26.. Thanks for all the well wishes. Chat again soon.

Hi everyone! Update from paradise! You are right about the noisy geese Chirinda! No sleeping in here even if we wanted to. Spent a wonderful evening with Wendy last Thursday and she reports some great sightings from Moroela. Had an fantastic day yesterday in the park, got the big 5 including a very special Leopard sighting. Today we spent at Ngwenya and had a big herd of buffs here again plus numerous other animals and birds, then 6 lions came along and looked themselves down on the sand in front of our chalet which had the buffs departing in a hurry! Also hearing lots of Hyena calls. Tomorrow we will go back into the park for the day.

A quieter day in the park today, just so we don't get too complacent! But still most enjoyable with sightings of some nice tuskers, big herds of Zebra, a secretary bird, ostrich and lots more general game. Had a nice lunch at a very busy Mlondozi. Very warm today peaking at 29C.

Its been quite amazing this year Kallis, we have had 4 of the big 5 here so far. I am sure its because the water is drying up in the park and the animals need to come to the river to drink. Lots of Hyena activity, hearing them every night. we are off to meet WendyA at LS today, last drive then home tomorrow.

It was great wasn't it Tawny! and TR's are such a great way of reliving all those magical moments and special sightings.

I can say our final day in the park had a heart stopping moment and a very special sighting but I am going to leave you all in suspense for that and want to first complete my Feb TR before carrying on with this one.
Promise not to leave it too long!

I promise to get to this report asap after finishing my Feb trip, I know I am lagging far behind but this year has just been so hectic one way and another.
Wendy!

Thanks for being so patient and also sorry for allowing the to get cold and go stale!

Anyway having finally finished my Feb/Mar report I can now get on with the latest May/June one.

Tawny, Martial, Klystron & myself embarked on the second of our twice yearly trip and it was with much excitement and a lot of planning for this one seeing as we had barely settled into our new home only having moved in a month previously!
but there you have it and we were all up early ready for the trek up the North coast and through Swaziland on Friday the 25th May
For his trip we were to stay art Ngwenya Lodge and make daily or almost daily trips into the park.

After recovering from the long drive and settling in we decided to take our first shortish drive, full of excitement and anticipation of what we would see and the joy at being back again.

First up a pair of Giraffe which looked like they were having a little conversation!

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then a loner!
maybe they were gossiping about her?

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Next up a head to tail Kudu pair.

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then some of Tawny's favourites! Slender Mongoose

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Sitting at a very muddy waterhole which I am not going to say where owing to the animals seen there, we were entertained for a long time by the steady procession of animals and birds.

White-backed Vulture that seemed to be intent on catching something, we suspect it was trapped Barbel but never did see it actually succeed.

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even scaring an Impala half to death!

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Then in trotted a family of Warthog

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and immediately set of doing what Warthogs love to do, wallow in the mud glorious mud!

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and then the stars of the show!

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and we all know they also love a good mud bath as well!

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Happiness is!

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A nesting Tawny Eagle by the look of it?

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and what would a drive be like without an Ellie!

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And with that we headed on back for a braai and dreaming of what the next day would bring!

My thanks to Foxy, Val, Wendy, Pumbaa, Barry, MM, hilda, & Tawny

It is so nice to be able to relive our trips through our reports and pics and get us through to the next one.
in my case having to wait until next Feb!

Today we decided to take a drive along the S25 and see what we could find.

I am a shocking note taker and generally what starts out with all good intentions ends up with a few scribbles that I can hardly decipher afterwards, but in the absence of Jock and Tawny's car sickness I guess I'm all I've got!

So I have written or scribbled down H4-2 Kudu, Ellies x4, Wildebeest & Imps but I am pretty sure there was a lot more than that!

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S25 gave us Giraffe, Crested Francolins and a few others!

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We took the road down to Hippo Pools but apart from the general game didn't see to much else than what I have already mentioned.
Being the weekend Daniel wasn't on duty so no chance to say hello to a real legend of the park.

Back on the S25 we came across quite a few Vultures of various types.

First up being the Lappet-faced

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who then decided to be a total show off!

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White-headed not in a very good place for a pic but we work with what we have!

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There is a sign at the junction of the S25 & S108 informing one that you cannot continue through to the H3 via this route due to the damage of the Biyamiti bridge but as we wanted to see it for ourselves we decided to carry on.

Along the way we came across a few Buffalo and one of them had an awful looking tumour or something like that on its face which must have been terribly uncomfortable for the poor thing.

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and a more normal looking one!

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and then we got to the bridge and you can quite easily see that there is definitely no crossing this!
The power of water and what was totally bone dry now.

Damaged Biyamiti Bridge

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Retraced our route and on the S108 I have down Baboons and vervets and on the H5

H4-2 Giraffe again!

but somewhere along the way we did see a little family of Zebra as I have pics of them!
told you I am a useless scribe!

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Look at me too, so lovely!

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Maybe this is my better side!

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and a youngster!

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Also along the route we stopped for a nicely posing Southern White-crowned Shrike

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and how can one possibly ignore our little Impala

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Taking the load off and look at my brand new horns!

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Back at the lodge we relaxed, and just enjoyed watching the sun going down over the park.
(Table and reflection in the foreground!)

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And so ends another day but lots more to look forward to!

Many thanks to hilda, Eliz, Val & Sharifa

Right lets move along again.

Our drive today took us up the H4-2, along the S29 and back down again with a little bit of other roads thrown in for free!
Not such a long day today.

First up a little breeding herd of Ellies

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and eventually as they crossed this one tiny little guy who had a serious attitude already and was challenging the cars who came a bit too close, it was too sweet.

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and a Burchell's Coucal who looked as it was reluctant to get the day going!

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Lovely little Sunbird which I think could be the Marico but not sure?

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Then further on a couple more very laid back Ellies having a power snooze!

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This White-breasted Cormorant was doing his best not to slip on the mossy rocks and fall right into the Sabie River!

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A graceful Kudu lady

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and an "all ears" Steenbok

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A quick visit to Lower Sabie and the ever busy bird bath which always seems to have customers!

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Martial snapped this Giant Stick Insect

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As we crossed the Sabie River we spied this Water Monitor doing a bit of sunbathing.

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We actually nearly saw a kill from the bridge!
a small croc was lying on the one sand bank and slowly slowly another bigger one was approaching from in the water until it got to within striking distance and we had just remarked that it looked as if it might be hunting, when quick as a flash it shot out the water and lunged for the smaller one!
Luckily for the smaller one it was a little quicker and make its getaway!

But it just goes to show one can always see something interesting just sitting and watching.

Also very busy on the sandbank in the river was this Black-winged Stilt

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Another little male Steenbok

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Who can possibly resist the most photogenic of all birds Lilac-breasted Roller

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and a bit of a scruffy looking Kori Bustard

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Coming back down the H10 we encounter a pair of Double-banded Sandgrouse

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A tree full of Magpie Shrikes

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Then crossing the bridge again the usual Baboon troop are sitting about and its grooming time!

Under his chin chinny chin!

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On the S82 a Swainson's Spurfowl was very busy catching lunch!

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Got to be something to eat in here!

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Ok, if you insist I'll pose for you!

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I hate seeing this sad sight of some careless driver not looking where they are going!

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and just before Croc Bridge the ever present Giraffe

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Enjoy!

More to come!

A big thanks again to Wendy, hilda, billy, MM, & norms, I do appreciate all your kind comments and interest!

For starters this was one of the days that we decided to stay at the lodge and let the animals and birds come to us, have a wander around and get to stretch the legs a bit after all the sitting in the car of the previous days.
Some of those who entertained us were

Goliath Heron busy catching breakfast in the Crocodile river below us.

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Rhino moving steadily along!

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A family of Ellies on the edge of the bush.

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and we had Mr Water Monitor Lizard who patrolled up and down in front of our veranda!

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in fact he of the same name nearly gave me a heart attack the one day!!
I was sitting on the veranda, blissfully soaking up the sun and scanning for any animals coming out of the bush when I heard a funny scratching sound on the tiles and on looking down saw that he had actually come up onto the veranda and was making his way towards me and only about a meter away at that point.
Well to say I moved fast is most likely the understatement of the century!

plus not to forget one of the many of our feathered friends that came to visit during the day.

The Kurrichane Thrush

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Will leave it here while I get the next batch of pics ready for the trip into the park the following day!

Don't go too far away!

Thanks to all!

Right lets get on with the real deal!

Today we decided to get to the gate early and see what the park would show us, so it was and found us sitting outside the closed gates of Croc Bridge at 5.45am, first car in line and we did look very keen!

Gradually the sun started peeping up lighting the scene.

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I must say its really lovely being in the park nice and early, everything is so fresh smelling and rejuvenated.

A tree full of Marabou Storks

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Tawny Eagle

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Hello Early Birds! says this Steenbok

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Rhino silhouetted in the early morning light.

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and a bit brighter!

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Ellies in similar light!

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and brighter!

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Pretty little Bushbuck

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On the H4-2 the resident Fish Eagle is in his usual place on his favourite tree.

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We stopped off at Sunset Dam for a mug of Hot Chocolate and some biscuits and as per usual are well entertained.

A different view of the dam!

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Grey Heron surveying its territory, wondering which hippos to use for surfing!

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Little Three-banded Plover

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These what I think are either Fulvous Ducks or Juv White-faced were very relaxed and having a little nap.

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A lone Giraffe

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This Greater Blue-eared Starling posed quite beautifully but in actual fact was really begging shamelessly!

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After leaving the dam, and carrying on up the H4-1 we decided to take the S79 N'watimhiri Causeway to see what it would produce.

but apart from this old Buff making his way wearily across the road, a Bushbuck and some Helmet shrikes we didn't see much else.

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As we crossed the green bridge we saw that they were busy with repairs, a big job for sure.

I noted that we saw a sleeping Hyena and a male Nyala but both could not have been good photo opportunities!

After a stop off at Tshokwane which at that stage was still not open for business but thankfully the toilets were all once again spic and span with hardly a sign of the devastation of a few months before.

We took the S35 Loop to Orpen Dam which was firmly closed for our Feb/Mar. and now also all fixed up so lots of hard work have been done, thanks to SANParks!

We saw Warthogs, Zebs Wildebeest and more Giraffe

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The temp had risen to a balmy 29C, winter in Kruger!

The H10 produced this Ellie

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a Tortoise quite unusual to see at this time of year.

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and this stunning view, not from Nkumbe but the other side.

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I liked this typical Kruger scene when coming down the H10.

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We saw this group of Rhino, one of which had a huge horn!

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and we had stopped some way off to view them when suddenly right next to us the long grass parted and out stepped..

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we could hardly believe our eyes or luck to be in such a perfect spot.

and to add to it he then started roaring!

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crossed the road, calling all the time,carefully by-passed the Rhino only to plonk himself down in the long grass, not to be seen again.

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At the end of the Lower Sabie bridge a troop of Baboons were playing around on the rocks and sliding down the bank having a wonderful time but this Mom and baby were a little more subdued and having some quiet time.

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Back on the homeward stretch of the H4-2

Common Duiker who thought the day had been long enough!

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a majestic Kudu

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and a Magpie Shrike

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and the end of a successful and most enjoyable day.

More to come! So stick around.

I think its time to get going with another little episode of our trip.

This day we were expecting a very special visitor to join us for 1 night at the time share in the form of WendyA!
so we decided to just hang around and make it an "animals come to us day" while we waited for her to arrive.

A herd of Ellies arrived and made their way down to the river bank.

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in a cloud of dust!

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One very "chilled" out ellie who thought he would relax on the nice warm sand bank!

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Still there as the sun was going down!

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This Juv Little Sparrowhawk was sitting waiting for the bats to emerge and then swoop and snatch one out of the air!

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By then Wendy had arrived and we all sat watching the sun sink into the park and catching up on all the news, swapping our sighting stories and looking forward to the next few days.

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The next day as our first week was up we had to pack up in our one unit and move to our other one downriver so after a busy morning but finally all settled into our new place we relaxed for a while before deciding to take a short little drive into the park in the late afternoon.

I think this might have been at the Gezantfombi Dam
An Openbilled Stork and Egyptian Geese

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Then as I didn't take any notes for this day I am going to have to just post the pics!

Pale Morph Tawny Eagle

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and a Red-crested Korhaan

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and a Giraffe

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with passengers!

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Almost sunset which means we had to be heading for the gate!

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More to come so don't go too far!