Monday, 2nd October 2017
Bethlehem to Nambiti Game Reserve (north of Ladysmith)
We drove on the N5 heading to Ladysmith. At the scenic point for Sterkfontein dam we stopped for the view. A group of young men had their wares spread out on the ground. They were selling plain grey pottery animals which they were painting and decorating as they waited for customers.
Along this stretch of road there were large fields of wheat, most of which had been harvested. The silos were bursting at the seams and the overflows of wheat were under canvas covers. The wheat stubble was being burnt off so there was a lot of smoke around. Lots of cow herds and large travelling irrigators. Rondavels are now rare and the small stone houses have iron sheeting roofs held down with many rocks.
We stopped at Harrismith for a coffee- not a very nice town. The main square was dead grass. As soon as we parked a young man offered to "mind" our car for 50 cents. The coffee was awful- a large polystyrene cup filled to the brim, covered with glad wrap and microwaved.
On to Ladysmith to find the lodge in the Nambiti Private Game Reserve where we are staying for two nights. Putting Springbok Lodge into the GPS took us past the turn off, down a rocky and gravel road to what looked to be derelict houses. Wrong place!. Back to the turn-off and once on the right road we saw a young hippo at the edge of a dam.
The lodge is situated in a 20,000 acre game reserve and the accommodation is stone rooms with tented roofs. The windows were mesh with canvas blinds and the shower was outside. There was a large bath but the area is in drought so water was restricted. Included in the accommodation fee were two game drives each day, one at 6am and one at 4pm. Each lasted for three hours.
Our first afternoon game drive had nine of us in a jeep. Soon after starting out we came across a large bull elephant busy chewing on a tree branch. He was removing the bark with his truck to get to the juicier interior bit. He wasn't at all perturbed by us staring at him.
The giraffes also elegantly stood by and watched us.
Lots of birds, a falcon chick in a nest, a brightly coloured lizard, buffalo, kudus and impalas.
Nearing the end the weather changed and we all donned the provided warm ponchos. By the time we returned to the lodge there was lighting and rain. It bucketed down and the loud thunder made us jump. The power went off and didn't come back on until we were having dinner. We didn't expect such wild weather. The grass is so dry and the whole area has been in drought for a long time.
Bethlehem to Nambiti Game Reserve (north of Ladysmith)
We drove on the N5 heading to Ladysmith. At the scenic point for Sterkfontein dam we stopped for the view. A group of young men had their wares spread out on the ground. They were selling plain grey pottery animals which they were painting and decorating as they waited for customers.
Along this stretch of road there were large fields of wheat, most of which had been harvested. The silos were bursting at the seams and the overflows of wheat were under canvas covers. The wheat stubble was being burnt off so there was a lot of smoke around. Lots of cow herds and large travelling irrigators. Rondavels are now rare and the small stone houses have iron sheeting roofs held down with many rocks.
We stopped at Harrismith for a coffee- not a very nice town. The main square was dead grass. As soon as we parked a young man offered to "mind" our car for 50 cents. The coffee was awful- a large polystyrene cup filled to the brim, covered with glad wrap and microwaved.
On to Ladysmith to find the lodge in the Nambiti Private Game Reserve where we are staying for two nights. Putting Springbok Lodge into the GPS took us past the turn off, down a rocky and gravel road to what looked to be derelict houses. Wrong place!. Back to the turn-off and once on the right road we saw a young hippo at the edge of a dam.
The lodge is situated in a 20,000 acre game reserve and the accommodation is stone rooms with tented roofs. The windows were mesh with canvas blinds and the shower was outside. There was a large bath but the area is in drought so water was restricted. Included in the accommodation fee were two game drives each day, one at 6am and one at 4pm. Each lasted for three hours.
Our first afternoon game drive had nine of us in a jeep. Soon after starting out we came across a large bull elephant busy chewing on a tree branch. He was removing the bark with his truck to get to the juicier interior bit. He wasn't at all perturbed by us staring at him.
The giraffes also elegantly stood by and watched us.
Lots of birds, a falcon chick in a nest, a brightly coloured lizard, buffalo, kudus and impalas.
Nearing the end the weather changed and we all donned the provided warm ponchos. By the time we returned to the lodge there was lighting and rain. It bucketed down and the loud thunder made us jump. The power went off and didn't come back on until we were having dinner. We didn't expect such wild weather. The grass is so dry and the whole area has been in drought for a long time.
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