Lion

It is very dry around Satara with very little grazing, most of the recent good rains fell north of Olifants and south of Tsokwane. Last year we hardly saw Lions around Satara, look at our 2015 blog (click the link under Previous trips). this year with the grass being so short and sparse we are seeing plenty Lions some days up to three prides a day.

Some of the Lion we have seen around Satara so far.
 

3 lazy Lions

That is what you call cuddling

Close eyes

Smell that armpit

don't disturb me

look at that paw

Some more of the White Lion

hungry, see the ribs, many mouths to feed in this big pride.

Lovers

Leopard in tree on a Impala kill

10 Km from Satara on the Orpen rd

Colin Fourie

This Blog Post is dedicated to the memory of my best friend Colin.

Yesterday 24 April we left early heading for  Muzandzeni Picnic spot for breakfast via the Sweni road (S126), the road was teaming with game after many years of being rather quiet for game spotting.

We arrived at Welverdiend water hole, where we normally stop for coffee and rusks, again for the first time in years, there was water in the pan and the trough was full.  Hyaena, Giraffe and a herd of Impala were around the waterhole.

Lettie, Kim and myself all spent a few quiet moments, each in their own way remembering, our best friend Colin who so loved this place, we spent many happy mornings and afternoon sundowners at this special waterhole. We told Peter (Kim’s husband) and the grand children about Colin and what a special person he was. It took a little bit of explaining to the children that his ashes were scattered here and created more questions than answers.

 It was a special few moments, the animals came out, the waterhole was full, the birds were singing, even the Squirrel was there, just as it always was. RIP my best friend.

We spend the next month here and with all the game on the Sweni, we will spend many mornings and sundowners at Welverdiend, every time I crack open a beer it will be “Cheers Colin”

Welverdiend translated means “Well Earned”

Our Satara camp site

Corner site at Satara

 Stella and Piper along the fence following Boytjie the Hyaena

How exciting is this for the grandchildren our children still remember when they did this as kids.

White Lion seen on the S41 just after the turn at the end of the S100
He is part of a big pride +20 they were on the hunt.

Cheetah on the s100

Our Grandchildren leave tomorrow 26 April, it has been great having them and we look forward to the next 2 months on our own, now we need our holiday.
Till next time

Satara

Arrived late on Sunday 17 April at Satara accompanied by our 2 youngest grandchildren, Stella (5) and Piper (2). We set up on a site waiting for a spot to go open along the fence. I was up at 05h30 on Monday to see who was packing up, I checked all my favorite sites, all taken, when I saw some people packing up on a site next to the fence nice and big, but full sun, we discussed this and decided to set up. I sent Lettie to the pool and play park with the grand children while Sam and I set up, took me the whole morning. Settled in, Stella made friends with our neighbors, great people from Bedfordview. Next morning, Tuesday up early and on my way to the ablutions I noticed the people packing up on the corner stand, our favorite site and the one we have always wanted to stand on, but have never been lucky to get. I asked the people on the site if I could have it and that was it. I raced backed to our site, threw all the chairs and tables into the car and placed them on the site to claim it, plugged in a power cable and then went and told Lettie and the kids we are moving again, Lettie was furious, the children sad because they would be further from their new friends. Lettie and the kids went and sat under the tree on the new site while I took down all the canvas and moved the caravan to the new site, another morning spent establishing the site, all worth it as we now have a great private site where we can spend the next 45 days.
The grand children have kept us busy and we have not been out much,  as keeping a two year old occupied in a car is a full time job....!!!. Kim and Peter are fetching them and spending the weekend. Once they have gone we will start our real holiday and spend more time photographing and game viewing. I will post some photos and more regular updates then.
Today is my birthday and we plan a lovely roast and dinner tonight with the family.

Goodbye Mahai, we will be back

I have discovered a new passion for hiking, I am not sure why it took me so long, but I intend to make up for this and really spend more time hiking, particularly in the Drakensberg.

What a well-run and maintained camp Mahai is, spotless ablutions, plenty hot water, lawned level sites. You can now understand why this is so popular on weekends and school holidays, only 3 hrs drive from Johannesburg and 2.5 hrs from Durban or Bloemfontein

Today, Wednesday 13 April I did a 4 hour hike to Gudu Falls past Plowmans Kop and returned via Lookout Rock and the Cascades, The falls are spectacular, I crossed both the Dudu and the Mahai River twice.

We leave tomorrow 14 April to spend 3 days with Kim and Peter before leaving for Kruger on Sunday 17 April.

Stella(5) and Piper(2) our beautiful grandchildren, are spending the first week in Kruger with us, this is the first of many times they will spend with us in Kruger, without their parents.

We are probably more excited than they are, will spoil them and also plant the seed of conservation and the love of the bush, nature and wildlife.

 Kim and Peter will fetch them the weekend following and spend 3 or so days with us.

This will be the last Blog post until we are settled at Satara in Kruger.

Some of the Photos of my last walk.

Ground scraper Thrush

Eastern Buttress on my walk

Gudu river

Crossing the Mahai river below falls

Cycads

Gudu falls (in the distance center)

McKinley's pool

Amphitheatre

Today I did a 3 hour Hike up to Sunday Falls on the way I took this Photo of The Drakensberg Amphitheatre.
There are fantastic walks/hikes around the area from the camp site ranging in difficulty from easy and flat to difficult and steep. Time wise from 1 hour to 8 hour and overnight stops. I hope to do most of the walks before we leave on Thursday 14 April.

Sunday Falls

Mahai Royal Natal National Park

Steadies up at 10h00 on Friday 8 April from Golden Gate after 3 days of solid rain and cold.

Short drive over Olivier's Nek pass to Royal Natal where we arrived at 12h00 for 6 nights

We found a great site with a view, put up some canvas and satellite dish to watch the Rugby and Masters golf. How was Ernie’s 6 putt??

The weather has cleared, the sun is out and I did my first walk to Tiger Falls 4 hours round trip, great to get out after being confined to the Caravan for the last few days at Golden Gate.

There are enough walking trails around the camp site to try a different one every day. I also plan a round of golf at the Amphitheater Golf Course.

View of Camp from our site

Our camp site

A crab on the walk

View from our site to Tiger Falls

Tiger Falls

Cycad on the way to Tiger Falls

Sunday morning walk to Cascades absolutely beautiful, clean clear water of the Mahai river.

I think this is a Ground Woodpecker

I am sure the birders out there will be on to me in a flash if it is the wrong ID






 Can anyone ID this butterfly for me.

Sunday afternoon I played 9 holes at the
Amphitheatre Golf Course all the holes have a view to the Drakensberg Amphitheatre.

Tee off with the Tugela river flowing past. What a swing, Danny Willett can take lessons from this poetry in motion.

A great walk Amphitheater in distance clouded over

Cosmos with the Tugela meandering past

I walked and my caddy rode in the cart.