MyAddo
Addo and Kirkwood Accommodation
76 km and 44km trails to keep you on your toes…
Elephants do not traditionally make good joggers. As far as running is concerned, these beautiful beasts tend to take it easy, with the occasional moment of ferocious sprinting, trumpeting and ear flapping.
If you haven’t been to Addo…. there are several hundred elephants, mostly tucked out of sight in the thick bush, but we were lucky to see almost a hundred of them at Hapoor Dam – drinking, splashing muddy water over their backs, resting, arriving and leaving in family groups, babies sticking to their mothers and trying not to slip into the dam, young adults playing in the water.
The day was very hot, in the mid-thirties or higher, so the waterhole was a great attraction. Some just came to drink in a row along the edge.
One or two eyed us and we were a little anxious when approached later by a group walking down the road in the opposite direction. They calmly moved over to the other side and slid past us – we could have reached out and touched them!
Addo has a few remaining tusked females.
A large Kudu resting in the shade
Buffalo – the only one we saw
At another waterhole we watched a herd of Eland approaching, probably wanting to drink, but something spooked them and they gathered speed until they shot past the water. Amazing to think that an antelope that stands about 1.6m at the shoulder and weighs between 400 and 600kg can ‘pronk’!
Leopard Tortoise
Black-backed Jackal
Red Hartebeest
Keeping an eye on the lions
Roadblock…
The Warthogs were everywhere
We recently hosted Professor Michael Bode and his family at River Bend Lodge. Professor Bode is the Director of the Astrophysics Research Institute at Liverpool John Moore’s University, which is considered to be one of the world’s leading authorities in astronomy and astrophysics. Professor Bode is also a past Vice President of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Some of us were fortunate enough to have some time with Michael, after dark, gazing at the heavens while he gave us a short talk on what we were looking at. Michael specializes in ‘exploding stars’ and we wish to thank him for giving us of his time and a very interesting talk!! This is what he had to say of his time spent at River Bend Lodge.
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“We’d never been on safari before and didn’t quite know what to
expect. Our 4 days and nights at River Bend were however some of the most
memorable we’ve had as a family. Each day was full of adventure and discovery
with our guide Mikey. We had some very close encounters with the wildlife and
literally never knew what would be around the next corner – his knowledge of
the flora and fauna was unbelievable and his enthusiasm just infectious.
Then there was the Lodge itself where we felt pampered and at home.
Between the twice daily drives, and all the food(!) we also managed to tap into
Michael’s expertise to enhance my daughter’s photographic skills while I learnt
far more about wine in a glorious couple of hours with him (Michael Price) than
several decades of quaffing had imparted. I thus felt the least I could do was
show them, and some of the other staff, a few things from my own area of
expertise in astronomy.
I’ve been to the Southern Hemisphere several in my career, and maybe
I shouldn’t be, but I’m always taken aback a little by the Southern sky. First
of all, familiar things are literally ‘upside down’ to a northern European like
me. Then there are the unfamiliar constellations and objects such as the
Magellanic Clouds that are too far South to see from home. Finally, the Milky
Way is even more glorious ‘down there’.
We chose a dark spot in the grounds and looked up. The most obvious
object was our own Moon, just past first quarter. Also easily visible was the
giant planet Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. Turning much
further afield, to the stars, I pointed out Alpha Centauri, one of the nearest
stars to the Earth at just over 4 light years away. Easily visible across the
sky was the great constellation of Orion where the two supergiant stars Rigel and
Betelgeuse clearly showed their distinctive blue and red colours respectively.
These are stars in the later stages of their lives which are likely to go out
with a bang in supernova explosions. In between them, I pointed out Orion’s
belt and sword, with the latter being the illuminated part of a giant cloud of
dust and gas that covers that whole region of sky but most of which is
invisible to our eyes. In that cloud, new stars are being formed.
Stretching across the sky was the Milky Way, the diffuse band of
light that is in fact the Galaxy in which we sit, comprising around 200
thousand million stars – a giant spiral structure over 100,000 light years
across, with us circling our star the Sun some 30,000 light years from our
Galaxy’s centre. Finally, the faint blotches known as the Magellanic Clouds off
to one side of the Milky Way are in fact small satellite galaxies of our own.
Light from the larger of the two takes over 150,000 years to reach us. There
was lots more to see, but by now it was getting late, and we had to be up
bright and early for our final drive, so we said our goodnights and turned in.”
Tranquility, luxury and exquisite cuisine describe the gracious living at the River Bend Lodge. River Bend Lodge is situated within the 17 000 hectare Nyati Private Concession of the Addo Elephant Park …
Walk with the Elephants through the diverse valley bushveld, ravine and forest habitat. After the walk, we offer you the exhilarating experience of riding these magnificent animals – revel in the natural beauty of the …
The comings and goings of wildlife around the waterhole situated in front of the main verandah are a constant source of fascination. The natural rock swimming pool is the perfect place to beat the African heat, otherwise …
Long Hope Villa is a beautifully restored exclusive safari villa, located in the Greater Addo Elephant National Park, on a private concession. All meals are prepared by private chef, all game activities with private game vehicle …
At night let the “Sky Rangers” enhance your nature experience with cosmic safaris from our deck using our eight inch telescope. With unforgettable morning and night game drives experience the diverse wildlife on …
Addo Elephant Park
For accommodation outside of the reserve, see these towns which border the reserve:
• Addo Accommodation
• Colchester Accommodation
• Kirkwood Accommodation
• Nanaga Accommodation
• Paterson Accommodation
• Somerset East Accommodation
• Zuurberg Accommodation
Or to see all towns bordering the reserve at once, visit Greater Addo Accommodation.
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On our first morning in the park, we headed straight for Hapoor waterhole. There were a few safari vehicles, but on the whole we had the place to ourselves. Then the elephant started arriving, non-stop. Eventually there were over 100 with dozens of little ones. We were surrounded by the hordes!
There was high drama when one of the littlies fell into the waterhole and couldn’t get out. Much trumpeting and rumbling by the entire group ensued. The bulls kicked up dust in their eagerness to rally the mothers to assist the little tyke. Eventually it emerged unharmed, but covered all over in dark mud except for its ears, eyes and trunk. What relief!
Then a hyaena couple arrived, keen for a bath themselves. There was much splashing and shaking of heads and eventually one of them even submerged its head under the surface. When the male had had enough and started to leave, his companion initially followed him, them turned around for another go at it. The previous days the temperature reached 39 degrees, which explains their frolicking. Another unique experience.
I’ve wanted to experience an African safari my entire life.
Lions, zebras, elephants, giraffes, hippo, cheetah. You name it, I want to see them all — and in their own habitat, roaming freely outside of the confines of a caged area. Justin has gone on many safaris in his lifetime as he spent a significant portion of his childhood living in South Africa. Some of his greatest childhood memories are of spotting the Big Five (elephant, leopard, cape buffalo, rhino, and lion) from the back of a safari vehicle. But if all goes according to plan, this Fall, that dream will finally come true for me, too. We’re planning to visit Justin’s parents in South Africa in October and high on our list of things to do is a safari (or two, or three …).
But the question is … where do we go for our safari? Should we visit more than one park? Which parks are the best? And where can we see a cheetah?!
There’s no doubt that South Africa is one of the best places to go for safari in Africa. It boasts some of the greatest variety of wildlife, as well as some of the most developed parks with a great tourist infrastructure. But there are just too many options to choose from in this rather large country! To help us narrow down our decision, we’ll be researching which parks and the most recommended and for what reasons. We’ll keep you posted on our progress and update you on our decision over the coming months, but for now, we’ve identified three top places to go on safari in South Africa:
1.) Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park safaris are an extremely popular choice for anyone looking for the best African safari experience. The area is famed for it’s incredible array of wildlife, including the Big Five. It’s also easily accessed and the surrounding area offers many accommodation options for every budget, whether you’re looking to stay in a luxury lodge or a primitive tent. Experienced rangers are on hand to guide you through open vehicle game drives in the park. Kruger National Park is also fringed by spectacular mountainous terrain, making it an all round must do. If location was not an issue for us, Kruger would hands-down be my pick for safari in South Africa. But our other travels in South Africa will likely have us sticking to the southern coast, which means, unfortunately, Kruger might not be the right choice for us.
2.) Addo Elephant Park
Although it’s not as well known as Kruger, at nearly 450,000 acres, Addo Elephant Park is actually the third largest national park in South Africa and it’s where I am leaning toward most for our safari. It is located conveniently outside of the city of Port Elizabeth, where we’ll be spending some time visiting Justin’s family. Contrary to what its name may imply, the park holds more than just elephants. Lions, zebra, black rhino, leopard, cape buffalo, and spotted hyena roam its protected plains. The combination of convenient location with abundant wildlife makes this my top choice.
3.) Pilanesberg National Park
Pilanesberg National Park is located in the northern part of South Africa, close to Botswana. This park is interesting because it lies in a volcanic crater where the unique geological formations are a bonus attraction to its varied range of wildlife. If you’re looking for a completely different experience to the traditional African Safari, there is also the family friendly resort Lost City, which offers wave pools, beaches, water slides, amusement park rides, and championship golf courses, adjacent to the game park. Although this park sounds unique and I have no doubt we would find it amazing, we will probably be unable to visit there as it is so far from South Africa’s coast.
There are a broad range of African safaris available in South Africa, many of which are suitable for the whole family. Companies such as Wild Africa offer a host of family friendly safari options. For more information on choosing the best African Safari for you and your family, visit www.wildafrica.com.au
Stay tuned over the coming months to see which South African safari we choose — and what else our South African itinerary will hold!
Have you visited South Africa? What safari experience do you recommend?
This post was supported by www.wildafrica.com.au
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I have to admit, I was expecting to be given a few more warnings or perhaps a few tips on what to do in a certain situation.
But no, all I got was “please sign here”. I presumed it’d be fine, entering Addo National elephant park, the third biggest national park in South Africa and home to the so called “big 5″ game animals.
The biggest problem we’d have in our lovely blue bubble of a hire car (Nissan Micra!?) would probably be some cheeky band of monkeys bouncing all over the car and chewing on windscreen wipers, I thought. However, this wasn’t Knowsley Safari Park. There were much bigger animals roaming the park and the most obvious instructions on the warning signs seemed to be to “stay in your vehicle at all times”.
We turned a sharp corner and were confronted with a huge elephant who was being photographed like a A list celebrity. The huge animal was dwarfing a tiny silver Polo car. We slowly crept forward, not too close, but near enough to get a decent shot with a zoom lens. Milene took the camera and starting taking photos, it was an impressive sight. The one thing that struck me was the size of its head, seeing these creatures roaming around at will is quite humbling.
I thought the huge beast would probably just plod on by, perhaps slowing or even stopping so we could get the perfect shot. But our amazement suddenly turned to fear as the elephant abruptly changed his course, the docile look in his eyes that was there earlier seemed to have vanished.
I asked Milene to stop taking photos and not to make any sound as my heart start thumping out of my chest. As the fully grown adult elephant headed straight towards our passenger door I remembered the signs around the park of cars being tipped over by an elephant and warnings of not getting too close. But what do you do when the elephant gets close to you? The first thing you notice when an elephants coming straight towards you are how big the tusks are and how powerful this creature is.
We sat perfectly still for what seemed like a long time but was probably only seconds before I realised the car engine was still running. Just as the elephants head filled the view out of the passenger window and his body cast a huge shadow over our tiny Nissan Micra he turned his head away and plodded on by brushing the car as he went with his tail. Perhaps he was bemused by the sound of the car engine or just wanted a closer look at us? Either way it was an incredible if not slightly frightening experience.
Addo Elephant National Park is actually the third largest national park in South Africa. It’s home to more that 550 elephants as well as buffalo, lion, black rhino, antelope, warthogs, zebra, jackal, dung beetle and tortoises. A visit to the park is an amazing day out (you could probably spend longer if you wanted) that we would reckon to anyone visiting this part of South Africa. It’s also a very safe place to visit as long as you are sensible, despite my heart pumping experience face to face with an elephant.
My Cape Town flights were courtesy of Skyscanner and the trip was assisted by Cape Town Tourism.
Vote for my article on WorldTravelist.com, sharing the best travel content on the web.
Addo Elephant Park was proclaimed in 1931, as a safeguard for the last 11 wild elephants roaming the area. It is now home to over 350 elephants and numerous other species. Addo Elephant Park was so successful that it started to get overcrowded, so surrounding land needed to be acquired.
With local co-operation, adjacent farms were purchased and the new Greater Addo National Park will soon cover 1.2 million acres (492,000 ha).
Elephants are wondrous creatures to watch especially at a waterhole. Some facts about elephant’s digestion may help to demonstrate why the dung beetle is so important to this park ,and why rangers were very worried about their decline.
An adult elephant deposits upwards of 330 pounds (150 kilos) of dung every day – about one consignment every 15 minutes. Prior to the expansion of the park, this meant that the dung beetles had an enormous clearing up job, and they were just not coping.
The flightless dung beetle is found almost exclusively in this park (other dung beetles can fly), and are important to the ecology of the area.
No citrus fruits may be taken into Addo as elephants have such a craving for them, that one whiff of an orange could send them crazy, and could mark the end of you and your car.
The cruellest irony is that the region has many citrus groves – which is an unkind twist of fate for the Addo elephants!
Black-backed jackal are commonly seen in Addo, and evenings are punctuated by their strident howls.
Cape buffalo, black rhino, kudu, eland, red hartebeest and springbok all graze on their preferred grasses or bushes and highly adaptable leopards are there but rarely seen. With the consolidation of the land expansion, lion will be reintroduced to complete the ‘Big Five’.
Furthermore, with the park now stretching to the shores of the Indian Ocean, whales and dolphins will swell the viewing opportunities.
Addo’s birding opportunities are accentuated by the contrasting habitats of dense thickets interspersed with open grassy areas and wooded kloofs. Look out for martial and crowned eagles, olive bush shrikes, yellowthroated warblers, Cape batis, black korhaan and secretary birds.
This region’s temperate climate is influenced by the Indian Ocean, providing rain in equal measures throughout the year.
Spring: Spring is in the air by the end of August and into September.
October gets much warmer with the feeling of summer around the corner.
Summer: November to March are hot, and temperatures peak from December to February at around 75°-86°F (24-30°C) or more.
Autumn: Temperatures start cooling down from about April but it can still be very pleasant until June.
Winter: June, July and August are mid-winter months but the days may still be bright and warm, but it gets cold in the evening.
Article source: http://goafrica.netscype.com/node/33
De Hoop Nature Reserve
It’s wonderful to know that in a diverse and abundantly beautiful country, land and the species that live on it are preserved. Within every province you will find another reserve with a different climate, rainfall patterns, vegetation and inhabitants. There are so many to choose from so I’ve made a list of ones you shouldn’t miss.
I love that this reserve combines the coastline and the veld (field). One minute you could be trailing through fynbos and low lying vegetation whilst spotting zebra and the next you could be searching rock pools to observe what lives within its waters. There are a few overnight trails available which go through De Hoop, the most popular one being the Whale Trail. There isn’t a better way to explore this territory than on foot, up hills and sand dunes and past bontebok on the pathways.
Kruger National Park
This is South Africa’s most iconic park which houses the Big Five; lions, leopards, buffalo, elephant and rhinos. There are countless ways to enjoy your time here and a plethora of accommodations to choose from ranging from luxury safari tents to basic rondavels. Go on morning games drives or drive yourself through the reserve and hold thumbs that you spot these majestic creatures. Dine beside the camp fire and fall asleep to the sound of the wild.
This reserve forms part of the Table Mountain National Park and will open your eyes to cliffs towering above the south-western most tip of Africa, bays, beaches and valleys. Once inside you can climb your way to the lighthouse which was first built in 1859 or take the Funicular. Zebra, baboons, buck and over 250 species of bird call this home so bring binoculars and a camera. There are overnight trails which run through this reserve, so if you’re keen for a walk with a view, this is where to begin.
Addo Elephant Park
Despite its name, this park houses way more animals than just elephants. Cape Buffalo, warthogs, Black rhino, lions, eland, kudu and hartebeest antelope are all found within this reserve. On a self-drive through the park we spotted three lions snoozing in the midday sun and an entire herd of elephants visiting and playing near a waterhole. You can also opt to go on horse, hiking or 4×4 trails and elephant back safaris.
This is one of my favourite parks to visit. You won’t find the Big Five here but you will find tranquillity amongst the fynbos and spring blossoms, sunshine on the beaches of Kraalbaai’s azure waters and antelope such as eland and bontebok grazing in the fields. Just a over an hour’s drive from Cape Town, this makes for a great day visit unless you wish to overnight on a house boat or in the fishing village of Churchhaven.
South Africa is filled with beautiful game and nature reserves. Book your South Africa Accommodation today so that you can visit.
Useful Links:
South Africa Wildlife
South Africa Game Reserves
South Africa Accommodation
Addo Elephant Park was proclaimed in 1931, as a safeguard for the last 11 wild elephants roaming the area. It is now home to over 350 elephants and numerous other species. Addo Elephant Park was so successful that it started to get overcrowded, so surrounding land needed to be acquired.
With local co-operation, adjacent farms were purchased and the new Greater Addo National Park will soon cover 1.2 million acres (492,000 ha).
Elephants are wondrous creatures to watch especially at a waterhole. Some facts about elephant’s digestion may help to demonstrate why the dung beetle is so important to this park ,and why rangers were very worried about their decline.
An adult elephant deposits upwards of 330 pounds (150 kilos) of dung every day – about one consignment every 15 minutes. Prior to the expansion of the park, this meant that the dung beetles had an enormous clearing up job, and they were just not coping.
The flightless dung beetle is found almost exclusively in this park (other dung beetles can fly), and are important to the ecology of the area.
No citrus fruits may be taken into Addo as elephants have such a craving for them, that one whiff of an orange could send them crazy, and could mark the end of you and your car.
The cruellest irony is that the region has many citrus groves – which is an unkind twist of fate for the Addo elephants!
Black-backed jackal are commonly seen in Addo, and evenings are punctuated by their strident howls.
Cape buffalo, black rhino, kudu, eland, red hartebeest and springbok all graze on their preferred grasses or bushes and highly adaptable leopards are there but rarely seen. With the consolidation of the land expansion, lion will be reintroduced to complete the ‘Big Five’.
Furthermore, with the park now stretching to the shores of the Indian Ocean, whales and dolphins will swell the viewing opportunities.
Addo’s birding opportunities are accentuated by the contrasting habitats of dense thickets interspersed with open grassy areas and wooded kloofs. Look out for martial and crowned eagles, olive bush shrikes, yellowthroated warblers, Cape batis, black korhaan and secretary birds.
This region’s temperate climate is influenced by the Indian Ocean, providing rain in equal measures throughout the year.
Spring: Spring is in the air by the end of August and into September.
October gets much warmer with the feeling of summer around the corner.
Summer: November to March are hot, and temperatures peak from December to February at around 75°-86°F (24-30°C) or more.
Autumn: Temperatures start cooling down from about April but it can still be very pleasant until June.
Winter: June, July and August are mid-winter months but the days may still be bright and warm, but it gets cold in the evening.
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Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 tells
us there is a “Time for Everything”…and without sounding flippant, in the
Eastern Cape, now is the ‘Time for Prickly Pears’. And this many thorned fruit
is important to hundreds of people who wake up early every morning in January,
February and into March each year to harvest the fruit, wipe on the grass to
remove the thorns from the fruit, and heap them into containers of all sorts.
The day is then spent on the side of the road…holding up the fruit to passing
motorists in the hope that they will stop and buy some of the fruits of their
labours. For all…this is an important source of income.
Rubbing the thorns off
“Like all true cactus species, prickly pears are native only to the
Western hemisphere; however, they have been introduced to other parts of the
globe. Prickly pear species are found in abundance in Mexico, especially in the
central and western regions. They are also found in the Western United States,
in arid regions in the Northwest, throughout the mid and lower elevations of
the Rocky Mountains such as in Colorado, where species such as Opuntia
phaeacantha, Opuntia polyacantha and others become dominant, and especially in
the desert Southwest. Prickly pears are also the only types of cactus found to
grow natively far east of the Great Plains states”.
“The first introduction of prickly-pear into Australia
can be definitely ascribed to Governor Philip and the earliest colonists in the
year 1788. Brought from Brazil to Sydney, they remained in Sydney for 50 years,
until they were brought to New South Wales to a farmer’s garden in 1839. The
farmer’s wife gave cuttings to neighbours and friends, who planted it not only
in their gardens but also as hedgerows. So began the Australian invasion that
caused major ecological damage in the eastern states. They are also found in
the Mediterranean region of Northern Africa, especially in the most northern
nation of Africa, Tunisia, where they grow all over the countryside, and
southern Europe, especially on the island nation of Malta, where they grow all
over the islands, and can be found in
enormous numbers in parts of South Africa, where it was introduced from South
America.”
Prickly Pears belong to the
Family Cactaceae Genus Opuntia. The spread of the plant to
Australia was a result of the insect Cochineal which hosts on the plant and is
an important part of the dye industry.
“The cochineal (/kɒtʃɨˈniːl/ koch-i-neel or /ˈkɒtʃɨniːl/ koch-i-neel;
Dactylopius coccus) is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which
the crimson-coloured dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite
native to tropical and subtropical South America and Mexico, this insect lives
on cacti in the genus Opuntia, feeding on plant moisture and nutrients.
The insect produces carminic acid that deters
predation by other insects. Carminic acid, typically 17–24% of dried insects’
weight, can be extracted from the body and eggs then mixed with aluminum or
calcium salts to make carmine dye (also known as cochineal). Carmine is
today primarily used as a food colouring and for cosmetics.”
Traditionally cochineal was used for colouring
fabrics. During the colonial period, with the introduction of sheep to Latin
America, the use of cochineal increased, as it provided the most intense colour
and it set more firmly on woolen garments than on clothes made of materials of
pre-Hispanic origin such as cotton, agave fibers and yucca fibers. In general,
cochineal is more successful on protein-based animal fibres (including silk)
than plant-based material. Once the European market discovered the qualities of
this product, the demand for it increased dramatically. By the beginning of the
seventeenth century it was traded internationally. Carmine became strong
competition for other colourants such as madder root, kermes, Polish cochineal,
brazilwood, and Tyrian purple, as they were used for dyeing the clothes of
kings, nobles and the clergy. For the past several centuries it was the most
important insect dye used in the production of hand-woven oriental rugs, almost
completely displacing lac.It was also used for painting, handicrafts, and
tapestries. Cochineal-coloured wool and cotton are still important materials
for Mexican folk art and crafts.
The
Dye Industry in the late 1700’s was controlled by Spain and Portugal and, according to some sources, the
the reason that Governor Philip took it from Brazil to Australia was to create
a supply of the source of this dye for England.
There are many theories as to
how and why and when Prickly Pears arrived in South Africa. What we do know
though, is that they have thrived in South Africa and are prevalent in most
Provinces…not least the Eastern Cape.
Experience the thrill of running wild! Tackle the 44km or 76km Trail Run through the vast Addo Elephant National Park (75km from Port Elizabeth) and experience the remoteness of the Eastern Cape’s bushveld. Designed to test trail runners both mentally and physically, the trail tracks the mountains and valleys of the park. Runners are challenged to run primarily on tracks within the park itself as well as some stretches of gravel roads. If you are fit enough to go the distance – come and experience the unrivalled natural diversity of the park’s vegetation and wildlife.
LOGISTICS: Runners are required to run with a small pack to carry two drinking bottles or a bladder. For environmental reasons, no cups or sachets will be provided at the checkpoints – water bottles will be filled. Check Points are stocked with bottled water, energy drinks, cola, tea, coffee, soup, boiled potatoes, jam and peanut butter sandwiches, oranges, bananas and sweets.
REGISTRATION: Registration will be held at the Addo Elephant National Park Main Rest Camp from 13:00 on Friday, 01 March 2013.
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE: There will be nurses along the route, as well as a 4×4 ambulance with paramedics and the Mountain Search and Rescue Team in vehicles.
76km ROUTE: Starts at the Entrance Gate to the Addo Elephant National Park, Kabouga, just outside Kirkwood at 06:00 on Saturday, 02 March 2013. The 76km route winds its way over the mountains, into the Sundays River Valley and then across the escarpment of the Zuurberg Mountains to finish at the Addo Elephant Park Main Rest Camp. There are 8 Check Points along the route. There is a cut-off time at 16:30 at Check Point 6 (47km mark) and at 19:00 at Check Point 7 (56.5km mark). All finishers of the 76km run will receive a miniature hand blown glass elephant from Ngwenya Glass which will be given to the participants as they finish.
44km ROUTE: Starts at the Entrance Gate to the Addo Elephant National Park, Kabouga, just outside Kirkwood at 06:00 on Saturday, 02 March 2013. The 44km route follows a section of the 76km route to finish at Zuurberg Mountain Village. There are 6 Check Points along the route. There is a cut-off time at 16:30 at Check Point 6 (34km mark). All finishers of the 44km run will receive a commemorative key ring which will be given to the participants as they finish.
PRIZE GIVING: Prize-giving for the 44km will be at the Zuurberg Mountain Village at 14:00. Mens and Ladies trophies for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions will be handed out. Prize-giving for the 76km will be at the Addo Elephant National Park Main Rest Camp at 19:00. Mens and Ladies trophies for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions will be handed out.
For Itinerary and more details go to the Website or contact Nadia Arndt on+27 (0)44 690 3420
Images of elephant have stayed with me since my post of last week and sparked by Buzzerbeezz, who highlighted a wildlife sanctuary for orangutans, i’d like to pay tribute to these regal creatures and the conservation work of the Addo Elephant Park.
On this particular visit there had been a lack of rain and the herds congregated around the water holes. As each group made it’s way toward water there was an expectant air of reunion and revelry, which made for some interesting viewing. I was struck by the greetings between the family units, but as always it was the boisterous youngsters with their rough and tumble who stole the show. Well, and as for the littlest…. . he was having problems with his trunk (take a look at the picture where he loses patience and just slings it about)! With over 50 000 muscles to co-ordinate it takes some practice.
The heart of the Park is located in the Sundays River Valley where i still have family ties. I recall family outings there as a child when the park had a small herd of ‘problem’ elephant with a deep distrust of people. In those days visitors viewed the animals from safe vantage points through a specially engineered fence. To heighten the chances of seeing them the local farming cooperative supplied castoff oranges which were put out in allocated ‘feeding’ areas. As the elephant came to trust people gradual changes were made. Tentative measures such as allowing visitors in their cars into certain areas habituated the animals to accepting vehicles as being non-threatening. Over time a forward thinking conservation ethos allowed for the introduction of a wider selection of species and an expanded conservancy area. Today the park boasts the attraction of the big “seven” (elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, leopard, southern right whale and great white shark) and stretches well over 180 000 hectares encompassing a range of ecosystems, including the coastal water s and two islands. It provides sanctuary to over 600 elephant, which considering there were only sixteen elephant when it was first proclaimed a park, is a heartening accomplishment.
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Together with the VW enthusiasts Sanita and Chris van den Heever, who we got to know at the “AutoPavilion” in Uitenhage, we visited the Addo Elephant National Park.
Even though the entrance fee is pretty expensive for nonresidents (the annual pass for all South African National Parks would have even cost hundreds of Dollars – it actually costs five times of the one for residents), we really enjoyed spending the day with Chris, Sanita and all the elephants we spotted within the park.
Sanita and Chris van den Heever are proud “parents” of about three dozens of vintage air-cooled “Vee Dubs”. On our day trip to the National Park, they took one of their wonderful restored kombis (“Volkswagen Bus T2”) for a ride.
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Colossal, immense or ginormous are appropriate adjectives to describe an elephant. Weighing up to 7 000 kilograms and measuring four metres at its front shoulder, an African bull elephant can eat 300 kilograms of plant matter and drink around 200 litres of water every day. Some of the largest tusks – their upper incisor teeth – weigh more than 75 kilograms each, which is equivalent to that of an average man. Elephants are very, very big.
But these statistics and adjectives don’t fully prepare you for a close encounter with Earth’s largest land animal. Wild elephants command attention and respect like no other creature and, in Addo Elephant National Park, just 40 kilometres northeast of Port Elizabeth, there’s every chance of getting near to them.
My first meeting with Addo’s elephants was more like a roadblock. I turned a corner in my car, and a breeding herd of 20-odd individuals was walking determinedly up the road towards me. Hemmed in on either side by the bush and from the back by another vehicle, I couldn’t go anywhere. I leaned out of my window to take a few photos and, as they came closer, I had no choice but to surrender meekly to their indisputable authority, pulling my camera back in. They passed within centimetres, the matriarch giving me a sideways glance as if to say ‘driver’s licence, please,’ before moving on.
The next day, I was with guide Martin Bronkhorst from Gorah Elephant Camp, a beautiful private lodge in the east of the park where I’d been staying. A lone bull was pulling up grass, still damp from recent rains. Martin slowed the Landy and stopped a few metres away. The bull stopped feeding and ambled over to us, standing alongside the vehicle. An elephantine eclipse blocked out the sun. His tusk almost scraped the bonnet. ‘He seems to be enjoying our company,’ Martin whispered. ‘I hope he is,’ I replied softly.
After a few minutes of not doing anything in particular, the bull obviously decided he needed to be somewhere else. He waved his trunk at us before sauntering off down the road as if on his way to another appointment.
‘Incredible, hey?’ Martin smiled. We agreed that neither of us had felt unduly threatened during our silent meeting with Mr Elephant. He had treated us with consideration and respect.
‘The Addo elephants are very friendly,’ he explained. ‘And that’s something of a miracle, considering everything they’ve been through.’
Forgive and forget
If the saying that an elephant never forgets is true, then the elephants of Addo must be very forgiving. Several million African elephants roamed the continent during the early 1700s and the South African population was an estimated 100 000, many of which would have ranged across the south-eastern Cape where Addo lies today.
The slaughter began when the Europeans arrived 400 years ago. The last elephant in Cape Town was shot in 1652 and hunters moved steadily up the east coast. By 1918, there were no more than 140 elephants near Addo, down from several thousand just a century before. Here the animals hid away in the dense spekboom, a rubbery, near-impenetrable succulent bush that grows, coincidentally, to the height of an elephant.
Surrounded by citrus farmers, the elephants had nowhere to go and the orange orchards proved too juicy for them to ignore. At night they’d emerge from the thickets and raid the crops. Soon farmers were petitioning government to kill all the elephants and a hunter, Major PJ Pretorius, was employed by the Administrator of the Cape Colony. Between 1919 and 1920, he shot about 114 elephants with his .475 Jeffries double-barrelled rifle and captured two calves to be sold to Boswell’s Circus. On one occasion, he maimed an elephant with a shot through its spinal column, then climbed onto its back and shot it through the head. In another hunt, he shot 22 elephants in just a few minutes. At the end of the macabre year, just 16 elephants remained.
The public finally woke up to the tragedy, but it took another decade before authorities acknowledged the need to save the last of the Cape’s elephants. Addo Elephant National Park was proclaimed in 1931 and the few remaining elephants had to be chased into its boundaries from surrounding areas with firecrackers, shotguns and bonfires. However, the park wasn’t fenced and the elephants wandered back into the surrounding orchards, where they came into conflict with farmers, further reducing their numbers to 11.
Another 23 years passed before warden Graham Armstrong developed a unique fencing system of railway sleepers and Otis lift cables unbreakable by elephants. In 1954, about 20 square kilometres of land was fenced and finally, after four centuries of hunting, the remaining elephants were safe from people and their guns. Still, for several decades, the elephants feared or hated anything that looked or smelt like a human. During the day, they would hide away in the spekboom or chase people and overturn cars when they could. They clearly hadn’t forgotten the years of hunting and persecution.
The big and the small
Today, however, it seems as if the elephants have forgiven us. More than 650 elephants roam the park, mingling peacefully beside the vehicles of about 140 000 tourists a year.
‘This is undoubtedly Addo’s most famous success story,’ park manager Norman Johnson explained. ‘It’s why the park was proclaimed, to save these elephants from local extinction, and even though they’re still wild animals, they’ve become very habituated to people and vehicles.
‘The elephants now are so successful they’re becoming a nice problem. At some stage we’ll need to look at controlling the population, but for now we won’t use culling as an option. We’ll either move elephants into new parts of the park, or we’ll look at using contraceptives in certain sectors of the elephant population.’
‘Addo was all about elephants at first, but today it’s about conserving the biomes and their animal and plant species,’ said Norman.
The park has grown considerably since proclamation and today the terrestrial part covers 1 800 square kilometres, with a long-term target of 2 600. It stretches roughly 150 kilometres end to end across diverse ecosystems; five of South Africa’s nine biomes are found in Addo, namely Nama Karoo, fynbos, Albany thicket, forest and Indian Ocean coastal belt.
Key conservation concerns include the endemic flightless dung beetle (Circellium bacchus, which is crucial for recycling nutrients from dung into the soil), black rhino and Cape buffalo, which barely survived the hunting of the 1800s and is one of the few disease- free populations in South Africa.
Then there’s the remarkable thicket biome, an endemic yet threatened type of vegetation in South Africa. The predominant plant is spekboom, which forms the basis of Addo’s highly productive ecosystem. ‘Spekboom is amazing,’ said conservation manager John Adendorff. ‘Besides its medicinal values and ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, it’s able to sustain high concentrations of animals, including elephants.’
The reason for Addo’s high elephant density – about 2,8 elephants per square kilometre – is simple: they love spekboom. It’s full of water, has a high protein and vitamin content and, unlike many savanna trees or bushes, it grows back readily after being browsed. Even just breaking off a stem and leaving it on the ground can result in the growth of a new plant. The more elephants eat spekboom, the better it grows.
It’s not just elephants that thrive on it. During the day, black rhino use it to hide away and 60 per cent of the Addo buffalo’s diet is made up of spekboom (elsewhere buffalo tend to graze grass elsewhere in Africa). Several antelope species, including a thriving kudu population, also browse on the plant.
All these herbivores make for happy predators and lion and spotted hyena are doing well after reintroductions into the park. From just six lions introduced from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Addo’s population reached 22 before some were relocated to other reserves; and from eight individuals brought in from Kruger, its spotted hyena numbers have climbed to 20.
‘In the beginning, the lion’s speciality was buffalo. At one stage there were two males which killed buffalo almost exclusively; they could take out up to 12 buffalo in one month. And the hyenas are definitely not scavengers; they hunt kudu successfully,’ John said. ‘At some point, predators can seriously affect herbivore numbers so, like all protected areas, we have to keep a balance so gave away some lion.’
Lions now concentrate on species such as red hartebeest, kudu, eland and ostrich while buffalo have developed successful defensive strategies by forming larger herds and staying out of the thick bush.
Addo’s other sections
Most of the big wildlife is in the Main Section, where the spekboom thicket occurs and the park’s biggest rest camp lies. Located between the N2 national highway and the public R342 road in the north, this is where most visitors start their stay at Addo before exploring the other sections to the north or south.
Sections are separated by fences or public roads and John, who has worked here for 20 years, thinks some of the lesser-known areas are more beautiful than Addo’s main wildlife section. ‘The mountains of Zuurberg are my favourite. They’re one of the oldest wilderness areas in Africa, declared in 1896; it’s untouched and wild and the only way to explore is by hiking or on horseback.’
To the northwest, in the rain shadow of the mountains, is the arid Darlington Section, where black rhino munch on spiky euphorbia plants and Darlington Dam gives relief from the intense summer heat. From there, 4x4ers can tackle a day trail over the mountains into the adjacent Kabouga Section in the south. Some of the best views in the park are on offer here, while forested kloofs shelter remote, isolated populations of Knysna turaco and the Sundays River provides a home for the few hippos that Addo protects.
In the far south, the coastal Woody Cape Section’s lush temperate forest abuts the Alexandria dune field, the largest in the southern hemisphere. The beautiful two-day hiking trail in this section is a must-do.
There are plans to develop an extensive 120-square-kilometre marine conservation area adjacent to the coastal section and incorporating the protected offshore St Croix and Bird islands, which are home to critical populations of endemic African penguins and Cape Gannets.
‘That’s our biggest challenge at the moment,’ John admitted. ‘Both penguins and gannets are in a gloomy situation. There were 10 000 pairs of penguins 15 years ago on St Croix; today there are no more than 7 000 and that’s the largest breeding colony in the world.’
Declining fish stocks and global warming are seen as the main culprits, both of which are out of direct control of John and his team.
‘We do as much as we can. We have teams actively looking after the birds. Kelp gulls and seals are stopped from eating the eggs and chicks and if we see a penguin that is sick or injured, we’ll intervene and rehabilitate it. We have to because, unless things change drastically, African penguins could be extinct in 20 years.’
Symbol of hope
Despite this, John remains optimistic that conservation authorities will win the day. The creation of the proposed marine protected area will secure some of the fish stocks for penguins and provide sanctuary to a host of other marine species.
It would be a fitting finale to Addo’s growth from a small patch of spekboom created to save elephants, to a 2 000-square-kilometre conservation area protecting species as diverse as dung beetles and black rhino, cycads and yellowwood trees, great white sharks and southern-right whales.
I asked John whether elephants will be seen on the coast of Addo again, as they did 400 years ago. Today, they’re restricted from doing so by the N2 national highway.
‘It’s unlikely,’ John pondered, ‘but, you know, in the United States of America I have seen bridges built over highways to allow wildlife to cross. Maybe someone, some day will have the money and courage to do that here.’
Imagine that! A herd of elephant crossing over a bridge above the traffic of the N2, making their way down to a beach at the southern end of Africa to dip their toes in the salty water and commune with whales.
It remains just a dream, but for now the kings and queens of Addo seem more than happy.
There are two main access points to Addo: the gate near the main rest camp and Matyholweni Gate in the south. The most accessible route from Port Elizabeth to the main gate is to drive east on the N2 before turning north onto the N10. Take the R342 west for 23 kilometres until you see the sign to Addo. To access Matyholweni Gate, take the N2 east from Port Elizabeth, then turn left at the sign to Addo just after crossing the Sundays River near Colchester.
The main entrance is open from 07h00 to 19h00 and Matyholweni Gate opens between 07h00 and 17h00. There is a daily fee of R40 an adult and R20 a child. Wild Card holders enter free.
Guided game drives cost from R240 a person, a hop-on guide in your own vehicle costs R180 a vehicle and horse trails are from R168 a person. The Bedrogfontein 4×4 Trail in the Kabouga Section costs R380 a vehicle. The two-day Alexandria Hiking Trail is R230 a person.
Addo Rest Camp is the largest camp and offers self-catering campsites (R190 a site), safari tents (R485 for two people), forest cabins (R640 for two people), chalets (R745 for two people), cottages (R1 045 for two), rondavels (R1 045 for two people) and guest houses (R2 985 for four people).
The much quieter and more remote Matyholweni Camp in the south offers 15 self-catering chalets. From R960 for two people.
For the more adventurous, the small, fenced Spekboom Tented Camp has five tents on decks with communal ablutions and cooking area. Costs R595 for two people.
Narina Bush Camp in the Zuurberg Section along the Wit River on the southern slopes of the mountains, is basic with four two-man tents. Costs R990 for the camp.
The stone, self-catering Kabouga Cottage can be accessed by 4×4 only and sleeps six people in two bedrooms. From R405 a night for the first two people.
Mvubu Campsite with six stands is also in this section and you need a high ground-clearance vehicle. From R100 a night for the first two people.
Darlington Dam Cottage sleeps six people and costs R405 for first two people.
For forest lovers, the rustic Langebos Hikers’ Huts (in the Woody Cape section in the far south) are superb; this is where the Alexandria Hiking Trail starts.
The luxurious five-star Gorah Elephant Camp is one of a few private lodges in Addo, and is probably the best for game viewing as it’s the only one within the main wildlife section. Unlike most of Addo which is covered in dense spekboom, Gorah is surrounded by open grasslands (a result of old farming practices) and so provides plenty of food for grazers such as zebra and red hartebeest, which in turn attract predators such as lion and hyena. Guests at the unfenced camp are often treated to sightings of lion and black rhino, which come in the evening to drink from a small natural pool at the edge of the manor house stoep. Eleven luxury safari tents with bathrooms are linked by wooden boardwalks to the restored manor house, where gourmet meals are served. From R3 995 a person a night, including all meals, teas, non-alcoholic beverages and activities. Tel 044-501-1111, email res@hunterhotels.com, www.hunterhotels.com.
Tel 012-428-9111, email reservations@sanparks.org, www.sanparks.org.
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Tags: Addo Elephant National Park, Addo Rest Camp, Alexandria Hiking Trail, Bedrogfontein 4×4 Trail, Darlington Dam Cottage, elephant conservation, elephants, Gorah Elephant Camp, Kabouga Cottage, Langebos Hikers’ Huts, Matyholweni Camp, Matyholweni Gate, Mvubu Campsite, Narina Bush Camp, Port Elizabeth, spekboom, Spekboom Tented Camp, Sundays River, Year in the Wild, Zuurberg mountains
76 km and 44km trails to keep you on your toes…
Elephants do not traditionally make good joggers. As far as running is concerned, these beautiful beasts tend to take it easy, with the occasional moment of ferocious sprinting, trumpeting and ear flapping.
River Bend Lodge is a mere 55 minutes’ drive from Port Elizabeth and is an ideal malaria-free safari addition to a Garden Route holiday. Personalised game drives are led by enthusiastic and experienced guides, who will ensure you have a truly memorable safari experience.
I was well acquainted with long drives to Jeffrey’s Bay in the Eastern Cape. I had endured more twelve bus journeys than I dared to count and once the beauty of the Garden Route passed by, I slept soundly missing nothing much on the roadside but endless open land and dreary hills. My husband and I were only dating then and bus rides were the cheapest way to get there unless a few people went up together in a car.
Addo Elephant Park
I had never been further. Not until my then-boyfriend and his family decided we would take a drive through Addo Elephant Park. The only other game reserve I had visited was the Kruger National Park when I was 13. I remembered so much of it but didn’t recall seeing many animals. This time five of us squashed into a little Fiat and made our way inside the gate.
We stopped at the sight of anything stirring. A tortoise crossing the road, what appeared to be antlers amongst the thorny bushes and even a snake making its way through the heat of the road. A warthog scampered around amongst the dry grass and dug into the earth before crossing the road. I was at the back of the two-door car and started to feel claustrophobic without a window beside me. I longed to get some air and stretch my neck out and see bigger animals.
Not long after we were rewarded by spotting three lions lazing beside a small body of water. They languidly licked themselves and resumed their sleeping positions totally oblivious to us and the people in cars observing them through binoculars and cameras. Their limbs seemed too heavy for them to lift and I wondered how long they would lie out here in the blazing sunshine before they sought shelter before hunting at dusk.
We were all famished and tired of the car’s confines. We took a break on benches on a hill overlooking the plains where we devoured our packed lunch. A sign read ‘Beware of the Lions, alight from vehicle at own risk’. We ate quickly constantly checking our surrounds for any wild visitors who may enjoy us for lunch.
We continued through the reserve’s generous portion of wild territory and in the distance we saw many cars parked together. They were all staring at the same thing. A massive herd of elephants were walking towards the watering hole. Some walked slowly as if in no rush at all, whilst others quickened their pace at the sight of water. The babies followed closely at their mother’s feet and couldn’t believe their luck when their bums landed in the mud. Teenage elephants tousled playfully with each other, unaware that someday their jabs may become fierce in their fight to lead the herd. Mothers sucked the cool water up their trunks and sprayed it out in a shower over their hot, dry bodies. They drank the water thankfully and lingered for quite awhile beside the hole before moving off.
Never before I had seen such a large group of wild elephants before and yet here they were in Addo. With their families and roaming the park’s lands unrestrained and carefree. Once or twice an elephant would look in our direction. But once she observed no threat of us onlookers, she happily returned to caring for her calf. Whilst the lions usually grabbed everyone’s attention, it was the elephants that enthralled me. Their black eyes that always appeared tired and their rubbery, thick skin seemed to have the ability to protect them through centuries. I looked on at their ‘toenails’ on giant, rounded feet and rough, flexible trunks which wielded a life of its own. From then on I’ve been in awe of these gigantic, gentle creatures.
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Addo Elephant Park was proclaimed in 1931, as a safeguard for the last 11 wild elephants roaming the area. It is now home to over 350 elephants and numerous other species. Addo Elephant Park was so successful that it started to get overcrowded, so surrounding land needed to be acquired.
With local co-operation, adjacent farms were purchased and the new Greater Addo National Park will soon cover 1.2 million acres (492,000 ha).
Elephants are wondrous creatures to watch especially at a waterhole. Some facts about elephant’s digestion may help to demonstrate why the dung beetle is so important to this park ,and why rangers were very worried about their decline.
An adult elephant deposits upwards of 330 pounds (150 kilos) of dung every day – about one consignment every 15 minutes. Prior to the expansion of the park, this meant that the dung beetles had an enormous clearing up job, and they were just not coping.
The flightless dung beetle is found almost exclusively in this park (other dung beetles can fly), and are important to the ecology of the area.
No citrus fruits may be taken into Addo as elephants have such a craving for them, that one whiff of an orange could send them crazy, and could mark the end of you and your car.
The cruellest irony is that the region has many citrus groves – which is an unkind twist of fate for the Addo elephants!
Black-backed jackal are commonly seen in Addo, and evenings are punctuated by their strident howls.
Cape buffalo, black rhino, kudu, eland, red hartebeest and springbok all graze on their preferred grasses or bushes and highly adaptable leopards are there but rarely seen. With the consolidation of the land expansion, lion will be reintroduced to complete the ‘Big Five’.
Furthermore, with the park now stretching to the shores of the Indian Ocean, whales and dolphins will swell the viewing opportunities.
Addo’s birding opportunities are accentuated by the contrasting habitats of dense thickets interspersed with open grassy areas and wooded kloofs. Look out for martial and crowned eagles, olive bush shrikes, yellowthroated warblers, Cape batis, black korhaan and secretary birds.
This region’s temperate climate is influenced by the Indian Ocean, providing rain in equal measures throughout the year.
Spring: Spring is in the air by the end of August and into September.
October gets much warmer with the feeling of summer around the corner.
Summer: November to March are hot, and temperatures peak from December to February at around 75°-86°F (24-30°C) or more.
Autumn: Temperatures start cooling down from about April but it can still be very pleasant until June.
Winter: June, July and August are mid-winter months but the days may still be bright and warm, but it gets cold in the evening.
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!– google_ad_client = “pub-8982229653008092″; google_ad_slot = “2158176860″; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; //– Posted on January 3, 2013 by admin in Day tours, Grahamstown, Port Alfred, Port Elizabeth. An encounter with these amazing animals gives your heart a little race. As these giants walk the fields of Addo they have been known to brush […]
Port Elizabeth Budget Accommodation
Go to:My Addo
