Day 5 ... and away we go to Kruger NP

September 23, 2024

A lazier start to our day today as we were being picked up from our hotel around 9.00 am for our 4-day Kruger tour. So no rush ... a lovely breakfast, a chance to neaten up the suitcases before heading down to the lobby to await the arrival of our driver.

Solomon 1 arrived just after 9.00 and we loaded into the mini bus that would take us on the six hour drive to our Safari Lodge. We met our fellow travellers on this tour ... a young man from Switzerland and two young ladies from France. Our ages skewed the average higher!

The drive, whilst long, was very interesting. There is always so much to see ... from houses (the styles are so different both within South Africa and from what we see in Australia), coal mines, power stations,  forests of eucalyptus trees (yep ... good old gum trees), pine forests and fields of crops, cows and sheep.

Solomon had explained that we would be stopping at a petrol station for a rest room break and that it would be a very special stop. He was 100% correct as the stop overlooked a wildlife sanctuary where we were able to see Kudu, Water Buffalo, Ostriches, Gemsbok (Oryx), Sable and Rhinos. Yes … at the petrol station. You just walk out behind the buildings and BOOM there they all are. The toilets provide one of the most spectacular views ever!

There are a lot of similarities to driving through Australia  ... although the freeway left the Western Highway for dead! The road was 2 lanes wide but each lane was super wide! The smaller roads are a little rougher but generally okay. It all depends on what province you are in! In some provinces you could Iose a small child in the potholes.

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant called the Mayfly. We had pre-ordered via a menu in the van as we left Johannesburg and Solly forwarded the order so that our food was ready when we arrived. Ian and I both opted for salads which were delicious.

At lunch we got to know our fellow travellers a little better. We discovered that they are in fact babies ... Ryan is 21, Maureen is 24 and Pricilla is 26. They asked how old we were ... and all did a good job at not looking totally horrified when we told them. Ryan said we were okay as 60 was old (lucky for Ian who still has 2 weeks to go).

 

After lunch Ian and I had a wander through the quaint little town of Dullstroom. It was a very eclectic with buildings that looked like they were out of parts of Europe or North America and yet you had the fruit seller with his metal stand. We were amused at the upcoming Ducktober ... which sadly we will miss!

Driving on after lunch, we had switched drivers and buses ... now driving with Solomon 2. This drive was on rougher roads (in one province) and through the mountain range known as Drakensberg (Dragon's Back). In the valleys there was extensive cropping including oranges, avocados and the largest cabbages I have ever seen.

We stopped for a rest room at a small town ... Ohrigstad  ... where the shops had ab amazing religious sculpture on the side which we think suggests it may have been a church at some point. There was also a lovely mural and some sculptural banners that were fantastic.

Driving over the Drakensberg was truly spectacular.  The sheer cliff faces, the red and golden earth, the valley below ... all made it worth the windy mountain roads (my family will understand how much I hate windy roads). 

 

Having passed over the range we had another 45 minutes till we arrived at Tremisana Lodge which would be our home for the night. We were allocated our rooms and given 15 minutes to get changed, layer up on insect repellent and get back out to go on our first game drive.

 

The drive started at 5.00 pm which meant we had a drive as dusk descended.  We saw impala, one lone giraffe,  a majestic male lion and went in search of Rhinos that had been spotted but were gone by the time we got there. We also saw Steenbok, Hippo, Grey heron, Blacksmith lapwing, Zebra, Civet and Hyena (incl. Steve).

We drove to the Marula Boma where we were fed an amazing dinner of a traditional Braai  ... or BBQ. we had homemade broccoli soup followed by lovely beef sausages, marinated chicken, coleslaw, pap (polenta) and a tomato relish. Dessert was apricots and cream. Absolutely delicious. We were actively watched by two hyenas and a civet that was trying to steal the food.

Then a drive back to the lodge with Nadine (our driver ad guide) steering with one hand whilst shining a torch to see if we could spot any other animals.

Back at the Lodge just after 9.00 pm. A quick change, a rinse off and then falling into bed! Ready for a 5.15 am wake up call!