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Angela's first
ever game drive in South Africa was in 2001 at a reserve called
Pilanesberg, which is next door to Sun City. That afternoon we saw four
of the "Big 5.” A pregnant Lioness, a Leopard, several White Rhinos and a
couple of Elephants.
This time instead
of staying at Sun City we stayed in a camp at the northern end of the game
reserve, although we did go to Sun City both afternoons we were there.
The first afternoon we had a Bunny Chow and won $200 on the Roulette Wheel
by betting on our birthdays, the second day we had a fantastic meal at the
Cascades Hotel!
In the reserve we
saw the tiniest baby Rhino we had ever seen, a couple of Lion sightings,
an elephant and a Cheetah. Other than that the game viewing was
spectacularly quiet, although it was a beautiful reserve to drive around!
After driving for
two hours back to Johannesburg, we met Dean and he drove us for four hours
back past Pilanesberg, to a private game reserve on the border of South
Africa and Botswana, called Madikwe.
Our room
overlooked the waterhole and as we checked in a couple of Bull Elephants
were having a drink. On the game drive we saw a pride of eight Lions with
an Eland kill, a couple of White Rhinos and a Black Rhino, albeit through
some thick bush!
We are typing
these diary updates sat in the sun with an ice-cold beer, the waterhole is
just a few metres away and currently has more than twenty Elephants around
it with another huge herd of Elephants heading this way.
On the evening
game drive we came across another herd of fifty plus Elephants, as well as
seeing an African Wildcat, which is an extremely rare spot! On the way
back to the lodge we had to follow a lunatic Scrub Hare which insisted on
running in front of the vehicle for more than three kilometres!
Our final morning
of our World Tour began at 5:30am as we set off to watch the sunrise. We
then went and watched a pride of ten Lions feeding and playing whilst
several Jackals unsuccessfully tried to sneak in close to the kill for
breakfast! On the way back to the lodge we came across nine Hyenas eating
an old Elephant carcass.
After a quick
breakfast we set off on our four hour journey to Johannesburg Airport
where we met Charmaine, who we last saw at our wedding in 2002. We went
and had something to eat at Nandos and then after several hugs we said
goodbye to Dean and made our way through customs and immigration. |