How BIG is the WORLD?: Madikwe and Mosetlha

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Madikwe and Mosetlha

16/17 JULY 2011

MADIKWE GAME RESERVE, South Africa

MOSETLHA BUSH CAMP

Yes, we can see you

This was to be a surprise for Terry because he had shown little interest in seeing animals during his stay here in South Africa.

My friends Bill and Jill had recommended Madikwe game reserve and this particular camp. So credit card ahoy, I booked us in and from Kimberley we drove 5 hours to arrive spot on time as requested. After being ushered in the Abjaterskop Gate and driving to the park administration we see a giraffe and a zebra in the first 15 minutes! We have to leave our car parked at the Park Admin office but we have a little trouble finding our lift to the camp here. Eventually she finds us and we soon arrive at the bush camp to be greeted by the ever smiling Bruce. He gives us the royal tour of the camp facilities and our standing tent accommodation pointing out the extra blankets for safari drives and promises of hot water bottles.

And we can see you too

There are a family here on their last night of a four day holiday and they have loved it here. The daily routine is lunch at around 3pm then a game drive with drinks and snacks at sunset and more driving to return for dinner at around 8pm. Then a 6.30pm start with another game drive with hot drinks and rusks, more driving and return to camp around 10.30am for brunch. Lay about in glorious sunshine till lunchtime and do it all again. Terry is his usual controlled self but I’m very excited to be looked after in style here.

Our driver was a lovely woman (wot’s her name, Terry?) and she does her very best to please by tracking animals and following up any sightings that get reported on the radio.

Here at Madikwe there is a lockdown of 2 vehicles only for any sighting with others requesting to be next in line. Very civilised with a lot of polite chat on the radio. On our first afternoon drive we see a lioness with 2 cubs, a mad baby wildebeest, various birdies and of course an elephant. The evening drive was not a busy and our guide struggled to sight very much. Our fellow guests are from Capetown, one a GP another a ENT surgeon with two big sons.

My fav photo

Not too offensive and not too interesting either really! Great night’s sleep and the morning drive is also pretty quit. Not so our afternoon drive where its only Tez & I, what a luxury, we see a WHOLE pride of lions, and it was about then that Terry finally let himself go and expressed some amazement, excitement and eagerness to see more. Giraffes, elephants, zebras, wildebeest, rhinos etc. And I’m learning so much - now I know the difference between black and blue (straight horns) wildebeest, and black and white (square lipped) rhinos. Our two days pass here very easily in comfort and soon enough Sunday rolls around and it’s time to hit the road back to Johannesburg to drop both the car and Terry at OR Tambo airport via Melville to drop my gear off. No worries with the car drop and then Tez sees me off at the Gautrain where I return to Sandton to find all the taxis finished for the evening – bugger. 150 rand later I get back to Melville and a great room back at Sunbury House.

FACT: The Sowetan Newspaper has a half page dedicated to Johannesburg Child Welfare advertisements. What are they advertising? CHILDREN! Orphaned, deserted and abandoned children, ranging in age from newborn to preadolescent. The pics are heart breaking and more so the appeals for natural parents or relations to come forward or “the child/children will be place in foster care or made available for adoption”.