Final Game Drive – Pretoriuskop To Malelane Gate

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Tara

We got a pretty late start since the birds were so engaging at Pretoriuskop restcamp, but luckily we didn’t have far to go. In a pinch, we could have simply exited at Numbi Gate and driven back to JNB at normal speed. But I didn’t want to miss one last chance to see more birds and animals in Kruger so we took the scenic route! In the map below, a red road is paved and a yellow road is a dirt road but well-maintained. Our route is in blue.

We saw lots of Fork-tailed Drongos but not close to each other. They seem to be pretty territorial.

There are also a lot of these “Jock of the Bushveld” plaques.

I really wanted to get a decent shot of a Lilac-breasted Roller in flight. I had to wait a bit but this little guy finally obliged!

European Bee-eaters come here to escape the cold in Europe.

Vervet monkeys are always amusing.

Combining this with the map, you can see distances aren’t that great.

G’waaaayyyyyyy!

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Weaver birds are also everywhere.

This Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill was at a picnic spot.

An elegant Pin-tailed Whydah.

The quintessential African photo.

Red-breasted Swallow

Red-billed Ox-pecker, apparently near-sighted as he is pecking a giraffe!

Jacobin Cuckoo

Lunch At Skukuza & Road To Pretoriuskop

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Tara

Skukuza Restcamp is one of the largest ones so I wanted to have a quick look at it just in case we come back to South Africa (meaning getting more miles). The restaurant is called Cattle Baron Grill & Bistro and has both a sit-down service and a fast food outlet. We went for the fast food so we could get back to the safari asap.

Heading off, we passed another waterhole. Given that it was now the heat of the day, there wasn’t a whole lot to look at.

Not sure what this lizard with the blue head is but he looked pretty cool!

That was pretty much it up to the Pretoriuskop gate.

Game Drive From Satara To Skukuza Restcamp

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Tara

One of the nice things about Kruger Park is that the restcamps are spread out at suitable distances to make it easy to do a game drive from one to another, stop for a meal and a rest, then go off again. After very early morning birding at Satara, we had breakfast and then headed off in the direction of Skukuza for a leisurely game drive before lunch. Then we would continue on the shorter road to Pretoriuskop.

Heading out, the first thing we saw was the lions resting after last night’s feast.

European Bee-eaters looking for a meal.

We got 4 out of the big 5 just on this one stretch of road! Lion, Buffalo, Rhino & Elephant. Sadly Leopards eluded us again!

Helmeted Guineafowl

There’s a nice pond with lots of water birds.

Distances are marked in kilometres so you know how far to the next pit stop.

Signs like this indicate a water hole you might want to check out.

No, I wasn’t too close, I had a 100-400mm lens on my camera!

THIS guy is too close!

Picnic area with snack bar, toilets and BBQ facilities. Great to take a break midway!

It’s the dry season now but sometimes this river can be flooded. I like how they have the turn outs so people can stop and take photos and others can still get by. Good planning!

Doing At Least One Night Game Drive Is A Must At Kruger

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Tara

Most restcamps offer several game drives with a Kruger park ranger throughout the day. These allow you to experience the park at times outside normal hours which are usually sunrise to sunset. This is a list of what is offered at Satara Restcamp. A full list for all restcamps is found here. Sunrise and sunset drives can be good too but sometimes frustrating for birders if the other people in your group aren’t as interested in birds. With a night game drive leaving at 8pm. birds are pretty much off the table unless you find an owl so you can just relax and enjoy whatever happens along!

Since we are primarily birders, the timing of the night drive was perfect. We had to be inside the camp by 6:30pm although we checked in around 6-ish and booked the game drive as we checked in. Then we had enough time for a quick dinner and met the ranger just before 8pm. We all piled into a large Land Rover with open sides and some people were given torches to spotlight the animals.

We were spotting nocturnal animals such as Civets, Genets & Jackals before we had reached the main road. In the photos below, I have posted some unedited photos to show you just how dark it is, then the same photos with some editing and lightening to see the subjects better.

The most exciting part was seeing a whole pride of lions dining on a kill, probably a wildebeest. Our ranger/guide drover as close as possible. The lions didn’t seem to care although a few of them were eyeing up the vehicle. I was acutely aware that we had completely open sides, there was nothing to stop them from jumping in. Apparently they don’t do this otherwise they wouldn’t be running the trips!

This lioness is looking in our direction, looks like she is saying, “Hey guys, room service is here”!

Hyena skulking in the bush waiting for the leftovers. This was a big kill and there were several other scavengers including jackals patiently waiting their turn but some were too far to be photographed.

I’ve done a few of these sunset and night game drives over the years and this one was by far the most exciting!

Orpen Gate To Satara Restcamp

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Tara

Always allow a comfortable buffer to get from the entry gate to the restcamp as gates are very strict on when they open and close. It’s for your safety and that of the animals in the park. Officially, it takes 1:15 to get from Orpen Gate to Satara but I would allow at least 3 hours as there is a lot of game in this area not to mention all the birds! Here is some of what we saw just on the 3 hours we took on this drive!

Just outside the park we saw this cool statue.

Magpie Shrike, scroll down for better pics.

Helmeted Guinea-fowl

Weaver nest

Even when you are looking up for birds, don’t forget to look down for turtles!

I think this partially obscured little guy is a Gorgeous Bush-shrike.

Lilac-breasted Roller, I did get better pics further on.

Grey Go-away bird

Cape Glossy Starling

This pond was on the left driving in and a real treasure trove of animals!

Bathing Hippos

Look how close we got!

Finally reached the camp.

How To Design Your Own Self-Driving Safari In Kruger National Park

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Tara

If you are planning to visit Kruger right after Magoebaskloof I want to point out a better route. I usually rely on Google maps and they will recommend the route I outlined in red. However David Letsoalo said the road was in poor condition and slow going and it was much better to go via Gravelotte and Hoedspruit as shown below.

Kruger National Park is HUGE and there is so much to see there. It’s impossible to see it all in one trip and odds are that you will make several trips there over your lifetime. On previous trips going back to the 90’s I have been to Lower Sabie, Olifants, Pretoriuskop and Skukuza. In 2009, my husband and I went to Punda Maria in the north since it was recommended for birding. What I really love about Kruger is that is is soooo easy to DIY your own safari in your own car! The roads are very well maintained and although it can get crowded in peak season, if you go in the off season you won’t have to deal with crowds. You don’t need a 4WD, a sedan car will do just fine. Look here for how to find the best deal on a rental car.

Since this trip was just a whistle-stop tour as part of a major trip all over Africa, we only had 2 days to spare so I had to choose wisely. Here’s how to make the most of your time in Kruger, no matter how little it is!

1. Use the SANPARKS website to study the park. Make sure the driving time is realistic if you will be leaving the park and going straight to the airport. I decided Orpen Gate was a good entry point from Magoebaskloof and leaving via Malalane Gate would give us a nice safari on the way out of the park and back to JNB.

2. If you know what species you are targeting, see if any camps are known for that species. You will probably have to look at each camp individually so make the time to do your homework! I was targeting Brown-headed Parrots (Poicephalus cryptoxanthus) in particular, then just birding in general and of course any mammals in the area. Voila, there they are, right in the top 5 for Pretoriuskop!

We had 2 days and Pretoriuskop was too far to drive considering a half day of birding in Magoebaskloof first so we needed one night a bit closer. After spending some time on Google and reading birding trip reports I saw that several people reported seeing the parrots in Satara Restcamp which was an easy drive from Orpen Gate. Satara is also known for lion and even the most devoted birder likes to see lions in Kruger!

3. Book everything in advance on SANPARKS website. You can even pay the conservation fees in advance so you can just breeze right through the gate. Bring your printout to show the rangers.

4. Never pass by a public restroom! You will find them at all restcamps, entry gates and picnic areas but they can be 2 hours away in some areas and you are not allowed to leave your car outside of picnic areas.

5. Fill up your car before entering the park, also stock up on supermarket goods such as snacks and drinks. You can either self cater in the camp kitchens or braais (BBQ) or eat in restaurants which turned out to be pretty reasonably priced. I will review camp facilities later.

6. Do at least one night safari with the camp rangers! We did one at Satara and it was awesome! What I liked about Satara’s safari is that it left at 8pm whereas some camps only have sunset drives which leave around 6pm.

Here’s a teaser shot of what’s to come on my night safari post!

The Cape Parrots Of Magoebaskloof

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Tara

I have already blogged about my encounter with the Cape Parrots in King William’s Town. This post will be about the Cape Parrots in the Woodbush Forest in Magoebaskloof.

I should mention that there is another similar species found in savannahs further north called Grey-headed Parrots (Poicephalus fuscicollis suahelicus). They were once a subspecies of Poicephalus robustus but have now been separated out into their own species. If you look at maps in field guides, it can be very confusing as they aren’t very detailed as to which species is near which town. Scientific taxonomy is not my field of expertise so I’ll refer you to Dr Steve Boyes’ explanation on Safari Talk. There are also a number of researchers and biologists in the Cape Parrot Group on Facebook who can help if anyone needs more information.

: .

After a good night’s sleep at Kurisa Moya, David Letsoalo picked us up in his jeep. There was no way our little car would be up for the bumpy roads in the Woodbush Forest so we paid extra to hire David’s jeep.

I knew it would be interesting to see the birds at a different time of year as the last time it was so foggy, we could barely see the Cape Parrots. We were lucky this time and the weather was clear.

This time we didn’t have to hunt around for the parrots. It was breeding season and David knew exactly where a Cape Parrot family could be found. He said there were 2 chicks but we only saw one at a time so I can’t say for sure we saw them both, it could have been the same one poking his head out. He wasn’t fledging age, he was actually a few weeks younger than the King William’s Town youngster. We were there on 4 Nov 2014 and I was glad I had brought the trip forward. If we had gone as planned in Sept 2015, the babies would still be in eggs, not nearly as cute as seeing youngsters!

See the little head poking out!

At this point the parents flew off to get more food leaving the chicks in the nest. They were gone around 45 minutes so we looked for other birds while waiting for them to return (will blog this part tomorrow). When the parents returned, the chicks heard them right away and at least one poked his head out in anticipation. One perched as a sentinel while the other went down to the baby.

The parent feeding the chicks in the nest.

I only managed one flight shot.

Now it was getting later and David said the parents might not be back for awhile so we left the area to look for other birds. I’ll post those pics tomorrow.

How We Killed 8 Hours In Beijing

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Tara

Here we go, another whirlwind layover, this time in Beijing. We were enroute to Johannesburg from Brisbane and I maximized the routing so we could get a peek at Taipei and Beijing.

We had to pass a temperature test before they let us in due to ebola, but other than that our 72 hour transit visa (only used for 8 hours) went smoothly once we reached the front of the line.

If our layover had been during the day, we would have grabbed a taxi to the Great Wall but since we arrived at dusk, I decided the best options was a quick look at Tienanmen Square. This was easily accomplished using the air train and local subway. Details of public transport are on the airport’s website.

The long lines at PEK left us with no time to check carry on backpacks so we took them with us. It was dark by the time we got there so it was all lit up.

We didn’t stay long, I was worried about possible delays getting back through security so we headed back after a quick walk around. Lines were indeed long so it was good we weren’t late.

Back at the airport, we wandered around the shops. We stopped in at the lounge for drinks but I knew from our previous visit in Sept that the wifi was painfully slow and they don’t warn you about flights being called so we went to the gate shortly afterward. Not the most exciting layover we ever had but at least we were exhausted enough to sleep well on the South African flight to JNB!

Taipei Layover & Airport Lounge

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Tara

Getting creative with the routing enroute to your final destination gives a chance for a quick look at a city that you otherwise wouldn’t have a chance to. We had 7 hours in Taipei to see some of the highlights. I wanted to allow a generous buffer to get back in time for the onward flight to Beijing. By the time we left the lounge with our backpacks, we basically had 4 hours to go downtown and back. I decided the best option was the Evergreen bus and that we would have to just see as much as possible through the window as we wouldn’t have time to get out and actually visit anything. Still it was better than nothing!

The friendly tourist information folks directed us to where the buses were.

We had to buy one-way tickets for the outbound journey and were charged upon return for the return trip since we never left the bus. It was a comfortable ride with nice large windows.

We got a peek at Taipei 101 and other interesting buildings. It was pretty cool to watch people going about their normal early morning business.

Right after I snapped this pic of the monk, we were treated to some major drama! All of a sudden, a young man ran out in front of the bus, then a policeman followed on foot all at high speed! We watched the youth cross the street and disappear on the other side. The policeman stopped a random passer-by on a motorcycle, hopped on back behind the driver and take off in pursuit of the suspect. It all happened so fast it was over before it even occurred to me to try to take a photo. Probably better that I didn’t as I wouldn’t have wanted to be involved in a court case just as our African adventure was starting.

The bus continued through downtown Taipei and we saw more interesting buildings and temples.

I was relieved to see we made good time and that we were in no danger of missing our flight.

More curiosities back at the airport.

Interesting shops at the airport.

Our onward flight was on China Airlines and we were invited to the China Airlines lounge, once again a cross-alliance partnership. So we got to experience two lounges at TPE.

Last Chance Birding Near Hobart International Airport

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Tara

Sadly our exciting birding adventure in Tasmania had come to an end. We had seen all the parrots which are found on the island, some seen up close and easily photographed. Others like the Blue-winged Parrots only flew overhead without warning or chance to grab a photo. Our flight was around noon so that gave one last chance to go birding. We left Customs House right after breakfast and drove out to the airport where I knew several parrots species would be easily seen. I had been hoping the elusive Blue-winged Parrots would come closer but they didn’t. This map shows the general area to look for birds.

We started at the patch between the Travelodge and the caravan park where we had seen Galahs and Eastern Rosellas before. They did not disappoint!

I wanted to see birds but not badly enough to pay a $5000 fine!

Musk Lorikeets were everywhere! And that concludes my birding report on Tasmania, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and are inspired to plan your own trip! If you want to find all the posts in this series, simply click here.

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