Observations over 50 years ....

[Grantmissy]

My father told us that the till operator in the Kruger National Park rang up 25 cents for one beer in the 1970’s and plus/minus R5 for bag of (elephant) biltong. My grandfather paid R12, 50 for a hut for two persons in the late 1960’s and the picnic spots sold coca-cola’s in paraffin fridges for 2 and half cents each. He said that a person could eat from a menu for 60 cents and you were served soup, fish, main meal, dessert, tea and coffee and cheese and biscuits in the 1960’s. In 2017 a Rondawel costs around R1 320 per night. If it was still in the 1960's a person could have stayed for approximately 105 days in a hut or Rondawel for R1320 . I wonder what a guest to the Kruger National Park will pay in 2027 for a Rondawel I suppose change is inevitable.

[hilda]

If it was still in the 1960's a person could have stayed for approximately 105 days in a hut or Rondawel for R1320 .

Wouldn't that be wonderful!

[Grantmissy]

For that price I would retire now and book for 20 years

Me too Chas.

According to the Kruger National Park history the renting of a hut initially cost one shilling (10c) per person per night which later became 25 cents per person. But the visitors complained and the tariff for children was reduced to 10c per night. Visitors who preferred camping paid 10c for adults and children under 16 years 5c per day for a site (camping). So I think the visitors who paid R12.50 for a hut or rondawel in the 1960’s must have thought the price was very high

[Hugh]

Just to put that into perspective . My first paycheck in the late 60's was R80 and then the tax , board and lodging had to be still taken off so I was left with about R50 Of that I kept R10 for myself for the toiletries and a monthly treat of a toasted chicken sandwich 25c which included about 5 chips The I saved the rest and from that I bought my first car a mini Worsley for R1776 out of the box .cash... oh and it took R1.44 to fill the tank .So to drive from CT to JHB took the grand total of R5 petrol ... !!
I remember that you paid so much for a coir mattress and little extra an inner spring one at Kruger I do have a list of the prices somewhere I will look them up .Ah here we are ...
Printed I would imagine in the late 40' early 50's
Admission per visitor 10/- children 2/6
Season permit two pounds
life fellowship 50 pounds I wonder if any of those who took it out are still alive?
Accommodation per night Huts 5/-
in huts with an inner spring mattress 6/-
Tents 3/-
Camping2/-
Bungalow 2pounds ten shillings for 4 persons
those really were the days ..

[Hugh]

Just to mention that when decimalisation came in R2 =1 pound , I wont go into the rest as the imperial system gets complicated

[Grantmissy]

Hugh it must have been heaven driving around in a brand new shiny Wolseley car in the Kruger National Park in those days . I suppose the petrol pumps in the Kruger charged a bit more for petrol than outside the Park as it is today but today it will cost a bit more than R1,44 to fill the tank! But a person would have plenty of change left to visit the Tshokwane tea room for tea and Marie biscuits every day even if it was with the half cents change from the coke bought at the picnic spots. But for R100 (R2 = 1pound) a person got a life fellowship to visit the Kruger National Park – I guess without any restrictions on the number of visits .

[Hugh]

My car was a MINI Wolseley and not ideal for animal viewing I could more or less drive under a giraffe and the ellies looked so beeeeeeg so we took the real ones car which was a leetle bit bigger it was a triumph chicane ( I loved that car).

[Grantmissy]

I immediately pictured the Wolseley Hornet Six Saloon in the Kruger Park without thinking of the mini Wolseley but that might have been a bit too long ago in the much earlier days of the Kruger National Park.

[johanrebel]

If memory serves, you could in the early 90s still order a coke in a camp restaurant for something like 47 cents. A full English breakfast was R8 or so.

Johan

[Meandering Mouse]

I was at boarding school in the late sixties, early seventies. I remember been given 10 cents every week that was meant to go into the church collection plate. Problem was, that 10 cents could also buy a packet of chips and a coke. Guess what won?

We started taking the children to Kruger in the late eighties. We had to write a request letter and wait for a reply. Although it was possible to request a camp, it really was first come, first served. The full amount had to be paid on acceptance. Time in the Park was limited and we were happy if we were given three nights.

Our first trip included a night at Berg n Dal. Friends of ours were absolutely horrified and suggested that the 'horrible modern monstrosity' was a complete waste of time.

[arks]

We started taking the children to Kruger in the late eighties. We had to write a request letter and wait for a reply. Although it was possible to request a camp, it really was first come, first served. The full amount had to be paid on acceptance. Time in the Park was limited and we were happy if we were given three nights.

Were there different "rules" for overseas visitors in the 1980s? Because when I first visited in 1984, I was able to select the camps that I stayed in, as well as how many nights at each. In November 1984 I stayed for 6 nights: 2 Skukuza, 2 Olifants, 1 Shingwedzi, 1 Punda Maria. And in March 1987 I stayed for 8 nights: 4 Olifants, 2 Skukuza, 2 Pretoriuskop. Perhaps the limits only pertained to school holiday times?

The 1984 visit I organised my visit by snail mail from the USA. I don't recall how payment was made, but I expect that I used a credit card. I do recall that snail mail communication was very slow and frustrating Therefore, I waited to organise my 1987 KNP visit until I was already in Cape Town. I went to the parks offices there and everything was lots easier in person.

[Grantmissy]

Arks in the 1980’s and even early 1990’s it was best to book at the then Parks Board Office in person and a person got a big printout with the booking and the descriptions of the Rondawel or Kruger Hut or or … I remember in the early 90’s ladies came to the Rondawels and Huts in the Letaba camp if I am not mistaken taking orders for pancakes if I remember well it was 50 cents for a freshly baked pancake sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Some visitors ordered pancakes and took the pancakes with them to the evening outdoor camp movie with a thermos flask of coffee to watch the nature movie and see the lions roar on the camp “movie screen” .

[hilda]

Some visitors ordered pancakes and took the pancakes with them to the evening outdoor camp movie with a thermos flask of coffee to watch the nature movie and see the lions roar on the camp “movie screen” .

Sounds absolutely wonderful Grantmissy!

[johanrebel]

Were there different "rules" for overseas visitors in the 1980s?

I can only speak for the 90s, when overseas travel agent had a special allocation. That's to say, the NPB reserved a certain percentage of the accommodation for overseas bookings. Even so I generally booked through the Skukuza booking office, which was a two-man (well, woman) show, run by Martie and Rose. I could always get exactly what I wanted, even when the camps were not availble through my European travel agent. The NPB was noticeably keen on pushing overseas tourist to stay in the underutilized Mopane rest camp.

Johan