22 November 2018

Today is my birthday and just being here in the bush is the best gift I could ask for. However, I make a short list of what I would like to see today and at the top is Cheetah! The Kgalagadi usually shows us wonderful cheetah sightings but this time we’ve seen only a single sleepy one under a tree! I really want the Mools to see them at their glorious best. Pat even put in a request when saying Grace last night. Will her prayer receive a positive answer???

The Mools greet me with a big happy birthday and a gift of a new Kgalagadi Map Book! – It will be much treasured!

First up and always amazing to see is The Martial Eagle – then a den of the cutest Cape Foxes.

Then we watch two springbok locking horns in a friendly battle of strength

These two entertained us when they decided to lock horns and tussle

We find the wild cat at the same spot as yesterday and point her out to others who stop to ask what we’re staring at. We manage to get good shots of her and the kitten

There are no lion at Kij Kij today but we stop for coffee and to watch the sandgrouse, sparrows, quelea and finches flying from trees to water hole – always fascinating.

From there we drive to Melkvlei where The Earl cooks us a delicious birthday breakfast on the Skottel.

Pat poured some water in a plastic lid and the birds drank thirstily

After breakfast we take the Dune Road.

Once on the Mata Mata Road we stop to see birds and animals. We find Ostriches. The babies are having a delightful sand bath.

Then it all happens. Between Rooibrak and Kamqua bore holes, lying lazily under a tree we find two young cheetah! My birthday wish comes true! Patricia’s prayer is answered.

We thoroughly enjoy a birthday treat of note! The cheetah interact with each other then they spot a springbok and get up and go for the chase – but they’re spotted and lose their lunch. We think they’ll go off somewhere else now –but no, they return to the same tree, giving us more wonderful views of their beautiful selves. I am in heaven!

Oh well – maybe next time – let’s go back to the shade

There are only two other cars and we have nobody blocking our view – just awesome.

It’s a long way back to Twee Rivieren and we’re on a high all the way home. We stop to enjoy other creatures but the Cheetah are definitely the highlight. A wonderful way to end an amazing month’s trip! Tomorrow we start making our way home!

20 November 2018

Moving Day today! We were up by 5 and on the road by 6:25. The Mools made stops at all the waterholes while The Earl and I went on as quickly as possible with the caravan. As most of the waterholes don’t require negotiating, we managed to get some good sightings along the way. There were three lions at the waterhole on Kaspersdraai. There were quite a few cars so we pulled in and quickly took photos before moving on so as not to block the view for everyone else.

Kasper Sanderson had a residence here during the tsamma melon season. He also dug a well here. Kaspersdraai means Kasper’s Turn.

An hour later we had another lion sighting of 2 males and a female at Kameelsleep waterhole. A sad meaning to this name – kameel(perd) is a giraffe sleep means drag. It was here that the last migrating giraffe was shot by the Sandersons and dragged by donkeys to neighbouring Bechuanaland. Giraffe have now been reintroduced to The Kgalagadi.

We had a brief pit stop at Dikbaardkolk picnic site. Dikbaard means bushy beard and kolk means pool. Dikbaard is a colloquial term for lion. So it means Lion Pool.

Our next stop was for for breakfast at Melkvlei which is a big un-fenced site with tables and benches on both sides of the road. “Which spot do you want?” asked the Earl – I picked one on the opposite side of the road to the toilets. “Are you sure?” He asked. “Yes!” I said and when he pulled in what should I see in the tree but a Spotted Eagle-Owl! “This is definitely the right spot,” I said! A little later I noticed there was a juvenile on a branch and the mom was keeping a careful eye on it.

Melk means milk vlei means small depression which collects water in the rainy season. It is so named because of the white chalk banks of the river. We have indeed seen this picnic site flooded after heavy rains.

We arrived at Twee Rivieren at half past 11 and set up quickly. The Mools arrived two hours later. We went out again at 4 o’clock and had another lion sighting at leeudril. Leeu means lion dril means shiver. So it means here a man’s legs shook with fear when he encountered a lion on the other side of the dune!