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Kgalagadi and Some Eclectic Places in South Africa -- A Trip Report by Safaridude

Kgalagadi and Some Eclectic Places in South Africa -- A Trip Report by Safaridude

Old Apr 30th, 2008, 05:37 PM
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Kgalagadi and Some Eclectic Places in South Africa -- A Trip Report by Safaridude

“Once Africa is in your blood, …” a South African colleague reminded me several weeks ago. No complicated, self-reflective explanation needed then. When you’ve got to go to Africa for the eighth time in your life, you’ve got to go. So, I simply zipped up my duffel bag, which is semi-permanently packed for Africa anyway, and headed for the airport.

This was an eclectic safari. Aside from the renowned Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, our party of three visited The Willem Pretorius Game Reserve in the highveld, and Bontebok National Park and De Hoop Nature Reserve, representing the Cape fynbos environment.

Itinerary:

Willem Pretorious Game Reserve – 1 night at Aldam Estates

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (guided by Kalahari Safaris) – 1 night at Twee Rivieren, 2 nights at Nossob, 2 nights at Kalahari Tented Camp

Bontebok National Park and De Hoop Nature Reserve – 2 nights at Aan de Oever Guesthouse


Willem Pretorius Game Reserve

Richard D. Estes in his “The Safari Companion” writes about the highveld in South Africa -- “the black wildebeest, blesbok, springbok, and quagga once ranged there in the same manner and abundance as the white-bearded wildebeest, topi, Thomson’s gazelle and plains zebra still range the Serengeti ecosystem.” Unfortunately, hide hunters decimated the black wildebeest at one point a century ago to a population of about 300. Thanks to a concerted effort by a few concerned farmers, the black wildebeest occur in many isolated populations now and are no longer endangered. The quagga (a race of the plains zebra) wasn’t so lucky. They were shot out. Somewhere in the world, I presume, the fading hide of the last quagga hangs on a wall.

The Willem Pretorius Game Reserve near Bloemfontein lies very much in the middle of the highveld. The drive from Bloemfontein is like driving through Nebraska, with wheat-like grass extending to the horizon. It is easy to imagine what it must have been like before the decimation of the herds. But now, the pristine grasslands are occupied by cows and sheep and interrupted by tarred roads. The odd cell tower and ubiquitous power polls remind one that it is indeed the 21st century.

We stayed at Aldam Estates, which is immediately adjacent to Willem Pretorius. Aldam is very much a weekend retreat for South African families, offering angling and hiking as well as game viewing. The chalets are nice and clean, though not luxurious. As long as there is a braai facility and a shop to buy meat and beer, does anything else matter in South Africa?

The reserve is divided roughly in half by a man-made dam. On the first afternoon drive, we explored the northern section, which is rocky and hilly, with acacia shrubs as the dominant vegetation. Among the game spotted were southern giraffes, buffalos, impalas, greater kudus, eland, mountain reedbucks and white rhinos. The surprise of the day was a tame herd of sable antelopes. Sables are not indigenous to the highveld, but introducing non-indigenous species appears to be the South African way sometimes. Inside the Aldam Estates gate on the way back, we spotted blesboks, zebras and gemsboks.

The next morning we set off to the southern section of Willem Pretorious. On this treeless, classic highveld biome, we encountered the black wildebeest. Smaller than the regular wildebeest, the black wildebeest boasts a truly beast-like, grotesque head and bleached golden tail – exuding a raw, medieval characteristic. Black wildebeests roamed the reserve in several large herds and were complemented by smaller populations of blesboks, springboks and red hartebeests. In all, Willem Pretorius, though not a destination on its own, was a perfectly pleasant warm-up offering a representative glimpse of the highveld.

I could not help but think of the movie Jurassic Park as I was leaving Willem Pretorius. What if someone was bold enough to recreate the highveld of old by acquiring private farms adjoining the reserve (this has been done in other parts of South Africa)? What if the black wildebeest, blesbok and springbok were able to roam freely over a large area as they did two hundred years ago? Reintroduce lions, cheetahs and wild dogs and – bring back the quagga. The quagga is thought to have been nothing but a race of the plains zebra. What if?

Here is an interesting website: www.quaggaproject.org

Kgalagadi next... Kgalagadi rocks!
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Old Apr 30th, 2008, 06:28 PM
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Welcome back safaridude! I've been waiting (im)patiently for you to return and post a Kgalagadi report, can't wait til you post the next chapter...HURRY, HURRY!!
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Old May 1st, 2008, 02:10 AM
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I await what you thought of De hoop and Bontebok, we have been to both in the past week.
 
Old May 1st, 2008, 06:26 AM
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I'm also looking forward to your report on Kgalagadi -- I did the same circuit (TR, Nossub to Kalahari Tented Camp) in July 2006.

Not to plug a competitive forum, but there's much more info on Kgalagadi on the sanparks forum.
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Old May 1st, 2008, 11:16 AM
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Eagerly awaiting your report on Kgalagadi -- will be there in December & can't wait to hear what you saw there!
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Old May 1st, 2008, 02:50 PM
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Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

You almost have to rub your eyes when approaching the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park from the air. Ripples of parallel sand dunes simulate ocean waves. The turbulence caused by the strong thermals makes the waves come alive. Then, a long gash in the earth breaks up the monotony of the dunes. That is the fossil riverbed of the Nossob running along the eastern boundary of the park. The Aoub runs along the west. The Nossob and the Aoub are the lifeblood of Kgalagadi. Though these rivers almost never flow anymore, the riverbeds retain moisture and contain the most fertile soils in the ecosystem.

We would spend the next five days exploring the Nossob and Aoub riverbeds as well as the northern dune road, which connects the two riverbeds. We would be guided by Pieter and his assistant Bianca of Kalahari Safaris. There were be no fancy accommodations or specially built vehicles (open vehicles are not allowed inside the park), and there would be no five-course meals (Pieter and Bianca did the cooking in our self-catering chalets and tented camps). This was the genuine South African safari. This is how South African families spend their holidays.

On our first afternoon game drive, we drove up the Nossob riverbed from our base in Twee Rivieren (meaning two rivers, as the Nossob and Aoub meet there), the administrative headquarters of Kgalagadi. April is near the end of a five-month rainy season in Kgalagadi. Most exceptional rains this year provided lush greenery around Twee Rivieren. The first few kilometers on the Nossob riverbed proved to be a bit claustrophobic. The riverbed is narrow, and the escarpments rise on both sides of the riverbed road. Dense bushes on either sides of the road somewhat impede visibility. It feels rather like driving on the fairway of a stadium-type golf course. In fact, bushy patches remind one of saguaro-filled waste areas. Big herds of gemsboks, springboks and smaller herds of wildebeests and red hartebeests were relishing the season of plenty in Kgalagadi. They seemed in excellent condition – especially red hartebeests, their brick-colored coats shimmering in the sun.

The next day, we drove 150 km from Twee Rivieren to Nossob Camp. About half way in between the camp is what Pieter described as the driest stretch of the park. But there was still plenty of game. Gemsboks, the masked swordsmen of the Kalahari, were literally everywhere. It is hard to believe that there are reputedly just a few thousand in the park. We may have seen them all on this one drive. The Nossob riverbed must be bar none the best place in Africa for raptors. Due to the loose, sandy soil, burrowing animals such as rodents flourish, providing an all-you-can-eat buffet for birds of prey. It seemed that one out of every ten trees had a bird of prey on it. Bateleur eagle, tawny eagle, brown snake eagle, black-breasted snake eagle, martial eagle, pale chanting goshawk, lanner falcon, pygmy falcon and giant owl were sighted numerous times.

Nossob Camp is frozen in time. The chalets look as though they haven’t been maintained since opening. Looks are deceiving, as everything is functional. Most of the guests are South African families on holiday with their own 4x4 vehicle. Those who don’t want to stay in chalets can use the campsite. There is a floodlit waterhole where people gather especially after dinner. Black-backed jackals steal the show.

On our second and last morning on the Nossob riverbed, we had an incredible lion encounter. The pride male was in the midst of hassling his three-year old son, perhaps attempting to kick out the young male from the pride (kind of like sending your kids to college, I suppose). This is normal lion behavior I had only read about. Seeing it in real life was intense. The pride male was growling and spitting at the young male, and with a sudden burst of athleticism, leapt at him with paws leading the way. All of the females appeared to be agitated by the episode. From an anthropomorphic standpoint, the young male appeared to wear a sad and confused expression on his face that seemed to be saying “Daddy, why are you doing this to me?”

Later in the day, we crossed the northern dune road, which leads to the other riverbed on the western side, the Aoub. The vegetation on the dunes is quite different. Acacia melifera bushes proliferate amongst patches of sour grass. Very few animals were seen in the dunes due to the season of plenty on the riverbeds. When succulent vegetation dries out on the riverbeds, gemsboks, red hartebeests and some springboks disperse into the dunes in search of lesser quality, but plentiful fodder. Wildebeests remain on the riverbeds.

Our accommodation on the Aoub riverbed was at the Kalahari Tented Camp. Recently appointed, Kalahari Tented Camp is an attempt to address a more luxury market. One could not distinguish these tents from those one might run into in, say Kenya, Tanzania or Botswana – which is to say they are indeed luxurious. However, there are important differences. Each tent unit comes with a parking space (since most visitors are self-driving) and also a separate kitchen/refrigerator tent – and of course, a braai facility. No, this is not Kenya. In South Africa, you must cook your own meat.

The Aoub was crawling with cats. We saw lions and cheetahs each day, though most of the time they were spotted well away from the road. Cheetahs on the Aoub use the terrain to their advantage when hunting springboks. Because there are dune escarpments on either side of the riverbed (making it stadium-like), cheetahs spend much of their time on the escarpments looking for suitable prey, and then doing the actual hunting on the riverbed.

The springbok, the national animal of South Africa, is worth a mention here. While abundant and, on surface, uninteresting, springboks can actually bring hours of entertainment. Springbok male territories are well defined and spread out along the Aoub riverbed (as they are on the Nossob). Females drift in and out of territories at will, and the territorial males compete to corral as many females as possible. The art of stealing and corralling a female springbok involves the male chasing and herding one female at a time, accomplishing this task with a surprisingly swine-like cry. We watched one particular male on the riverbed one afternoon at work. While the females were relishing the new sprouts of green grass on the riverbed, this male spent the entire afternoon running, chasing, herding and corralling. Apparently, he does not eat or drink when carrying out his mission. As he adds females to his territory, some invariably drift out. When we left for our afternoon game drive, he had 13 females in his territory. When we returned that evening, he had 9. For a male springbok, life is hard, and then you die from a cheetah.

Note: We were exceptionally lucky with the weather. It was never too hot or too cold – which is quite unusual for Kgalagadi. The best weather is from mid-March to mid-May and then again about six months hence. For those who plan to self-drive, I recommend a vehicle with some height. The Nossob road, especially close to Twee Rivieren, is a bit sunken; since open-top vehicles are not allowed, low bushes near the road can impede visibility. The Aoub does not have that problem. Kgalagadi isn’t for everyone. If you are looking for five-star luxury, go to Singita. If you want to see a remarkable living desert, Kgalagadi rocks.

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Old May 1st, 2008, 04:59 PM
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Still lingering on your what if.

Lions and cheetahs everday in an eclectic place. What a trip. Thanks for info on a destination that is not that frequently visited.
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Old May 1st, 2008, 06:15 PM
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Thanks, Safaridude - nice report! and hopefully i get to these places soon!!!
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Old May 1st, 2008, 06:34 PM
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Anyone read the article in the recent AG magazine? - it gives an overview of the area in general.
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Old May 1st, 2008, 08:02 PM
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Thanks safaridude! Now I can't wait to get there, sounds like an amazing experience! Did you have any cats come into camp? Will you be posting pics?
Thanks again!
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Old May 1st, 2008, 08:44 PM
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Hi safaridude-is there anything you'd recommend bringing that isn't supplied at Kalagadi? I know the shops don't have a lot of stuff, but is there enough that if we run out we won't starve? Any other suggestions or advice?
Thanks!
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Old May 2nd, 2008, 04:29 PM
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Hari, I did see the feature. I will tell you that the best guide book on Kgalagadi is "The Crowded Desert" by Wilf Nussey.

Matniksym, Twee Rivieren and Nossob are fenced -- so no cat visitors. Although apparently the first night we stayed at Nossob, lions made repeated attempts to come in according to a local researcher. Jackals are prevalent at Nossob, and they come into camp despite the fencing. Kalahari Tented Camp is not fenced. Apparently, hyenas are regulars there, but we didn't see any.

The shops at Twee Rivieren, Nossob and Mata Mata (very close to Kalahari Tented Camp) all carry frozen meat, water, beer and wine, biltong and things. I would say bring your own vegetables if you can't do without. As you may know, vegetables are often missing from the South African diet (the joke goes that chicken is considered a vegetable in South Africa).

Other advice -- do adhere to gate closing times at the camps. Rangers tend to be ruthless, and they will shut the gate on you. Apparently, you have to spend the night in your vehicle then.
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Old May 2nd, 2008, 05:49 PM
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Great report Safaridude. I enjoy reading about places that don't get too much visibility on this forum. You've planted a few seeds for future consideration.
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Old May 2nd, 2008, 06:24 PM
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Thanks, safaridude - will look out for that one!
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Old May 2nd, 2008, 06:26 PM
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Thanks for the helpful hints safaridude!
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Old May 5th, 2008, 02:39 PM
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Bontebok National Park and De Hoop Nature Reserve

Beneath the spectacular Langeberg Mountains (about 2 ½ hours east of Cape Town), Bontebok National Park in Swellendam is a cozy place where one can view the gaudy, brown and white antelope called the bontebok. Once thought to have been reduced to 17 individuals (again at the hands of the hide hunters), bonteboks are now plentiful. The national park authorities try to limit the bontebok population to about 300 inside Bontebok National Park. Surplus animals are captured and reintroduced to other reserves.

On an afternoon drive, we spotted bonteboks, Cape mountain zebras (another formerly endangered species), red hartebeests and vaal rheboks. A recent bush fire had damaged about half of the park, and we were not allowed to drive there. Since Bontebok National is host to a unique ecosystem called Cape fynbos, fires are not welcome. Cape fynbos is part of the “Cape floral kingdom”, and it contains some 6,000 endemic plant species.

We stayed at de Oever Guesthouse in Swellendam. At the edge of town, Aan de Oever is a lovely, quiet bed & breakfast with a stunning garden. Swellendam is one of very few cities in South Africa where it is still safe to walk around at night. We strolled through town for dinner on both nights of our stay at Swellendam.

On our last full day, we drove south toward the ocean from Swellendam through a series of sheep farms in order to reach our last destination, De Hoop Nature Reserve. So often the cliché “the best kept secret in Africa” is bandied about. However, in the case of DeHoop, it is not a cliché. This little reserve boasts beautiful Cape fynbos vegetation, exquisite white ocean side sand dunes, dolphins in the ocean and game. There is gentleness in the air at De Hoop. It reminded me of Pebble Beach. The only downside is the presence of horse flies, but compared to tsetses, horse flies are tolerable.

Because there are no large predators, you are allowed to leave the vehicle at De Hoop. On a couple of occasions, we stalked bonteboks and elands on foot, while being mindful of Cape cobras, which are apparently abundant at DeHoop. We found the bonteboks and elands to be quite tame. Cape mountain zebras, ostriches, and chacma baboons were also spotted. There is also a Cape vulture colony, but we did not have enough time to see it.

Next time I am near Cape Town, I vow to spend at least a couple of days exploring De Hoop. It’s a gem.






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Old May 7th, 2008, 12:05 AM
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safaridude

I am glad you enjoyed our local parks!
Bontebok has recently expanded with the purchase of a local farm, the accomodation (self catering) has also been updated and is now very nice indeed. Did you go to the newly open picnic site on the Breede River, we observed a Puff Adder swimming across it last week.
De Hoop is also great although the accomodation is a little less "new". Did you go down to the beach, at the right times of year you can see Whales, when we were there last week we say 6 African Black Oyster catchers, one of the world's rarest birds (5,000).
Remember all of the profits of these reserves are used to fund further wildlife conservation!
 
Old May 7th, 2008, 06:47 PM
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Sniktawk, we did go down to the ocean at De Hoop. Those sand dunes are gorgeous. We saw some dolphins out there, but we were too early in the season for whales.
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