for the long drive south!
It is 28th June & no news from the SA Government about rolling over visas, so time to head for Namibia! I have to be out of the country by 30th June, so car & trailer are packed once more & we hit the road once again. We both love Namibia but don't want to go at this time. The weather is not great at this season, as it can be bitterly cold for camping at nights & it is the start of the windy season with all that associated dust! Also we would just like to stay in one place for a while, we were really enjoying our time at Pearly Beach but had to leave because of my visa issue.
We are in Pretoria at the moment & have just heard that because of the rise in covid cases here the government are stopping people from leaving the province. So we hit the road heading south with very little traffic on the roads. We wait for the road block at the Gauteng border but unbelievably it wasn't in place yet & we sailed through! We spend the night just outside the town of Vryberg & it is bitterly cold! Up early the next day for the long drive to Upington.
The very same place as in 1988 &
it hadn't changed a bit!
Delana had booked us in to the Kalahari Monate Lodge just outside town, close to the turnoff to the Namibian border. I had never heard of the place but as we arrived it looked awfully familiar to me! I had stayed here with the family in 1988, not only that but we were booked into the same chalet! The plan was to have an early night & cross the border into Namibia as soon as possible. However, all that changed at the last minute the SA government have rolled over my visa until 30th September! All that driving for nothing, we could have stayed at our lovely home in Pearly Beach! So time to make a new plan! What to do? We are so close to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, it seems a shame not to try & visit. On to the computer, everything fully booked of course. Delana came to the rescue again by finding a new lodge just three kilometers from the entrance gate of the park! We booked in for five nights camping!
The view from our camp!
It was a fine camp, but bitterly cold at night!
How plans can change quickly! So on 1st July we entered the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park through the Twee Rivieren Gate. We only just got in though! Unknown to us, the park authorities had set a quota of only 20 day visitor vehicles a day through this gate! We were number 20! How lucky was that? We quickly booked our spots for the next four days as well. It was like stepping back in time for me. I had been here twice before with my family, once in the middle of winter & once in the middle of summer. Both times were very memorable for us with some great sightings. Delana had visited much more recently than me but both of us were excited by this recent turn of events.
Typical scenery as you enter the park.
What the park was originally all about.
One of the first species we saw as we entered the gate!
all fluffed up against the cold!
A lone Burchell's Sandgrouse.
It is not too often you get them so obliging.
I have a soft spot for these terrific little birds!
We slowly drove north along the Nossob River
Black headed Heron
Apparently an unusual species here.
Very common in this section of the park.
Worst photos ever?
Melkvlei Picnic Spot.
We enjoyed a slow drive along the riverbed throughout the morning, seeing some great species but the light wasn't quite correct for photography. We had lunch at the picnic spot & lingered quite a while.
This is a lovely well spaced out site.
Southern Grey headed Sparrow
We then packed up & drove back the same way enjoying a nice time in camp. The end of our first day in the park & it was a good one.
First one has to cross the dunes, looking fantastic
after the recent rains.
Both of us had never seen the park looking like this before.
Never get tired of looking at these!
Male Ostrich
White quilled Bustard
Communal roosting against the cold.
This Sociable Weaver nest was been used as a roosting site for Scaly Weavers!
Possibly the commonest small passerine in this habitat.
One of the star birds of this park.
Marico Flycatcher
This is one of the old farm houses which originally dotted the landscape. Life must have been incredibly tough here, scorching jot summers & freezing winters. Also the rooms are incredibly small by todays standards. By 1931 all settlers had moved & the entire area became a national park. It was interesting to go inside & see how people lived in these times & some of the equipment they used.
Delana enjoying some down time at the nearby picnic site.
Tawny Eagle
This bird was taking a drink.
The next day the 2nd July was one of those wonderful winter days, sun shining but cold, however soon warming up. We drove up the western Auob River this morning & the lighting was exceptional for photography. The birding was so good we only got as far as the Auchterionie Picnic Site & Museum before we had to turn around. It was one of those really great mornings.
Secretarybird
Great to get so close in the early morning light.
This pair gave us cracking views.
Brilliant early morning action!
On the 3rd July we once again slowly drove up the Nossob River. Virtually the first birds were saw were a pir of Secretarybirds by the roadside. It was another bright but very cold morning, not a cloud in the sky. Then we came across a pair of Lanners which put on a great show for us. As we slowly trundled down the track things started to unfold for us.
A very stately Gemsbok!
Secretarybird enjoying the morning sun.
We spotted these two male Lions on a distant dune on a kill.
But, the star of the show was looking on...
It is rare indeed to get a daylight sighting of a Brown Hyena!
Always present where there is a chance of food!
We were very pleased with this sighting, so we returned to Melkvlei Picnic Site for a spot of lunch & discuss our good fortune. By now I was starting to feel a little unwell, so we returned to camp & enjoyed a lazy afternoon there.
Red headed fFnch
Nice to get up close to this species. Often one just sees it flying away from the roadside.
Singing & displaying.
Great to see this species so well.
On 4th July I was definitely feeling poorly, so we decided not to go into the park & instead just a bird walk across the dunes behind our camp. It was a lovely cold morning with bright sun but i was finding the walk hard going. By this time I knew I had covid! The birding was surprisingly good & I took some nice photos. We then returned to camp, packed away & moved to a chalet for the night. I was going down!
We left on 5th July having had a nice time here. The park was excellent, the camp ground exceptional (great to have your own bathroom) but I was still feeling unwell.
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