MyAddo
Addo and Kirkwood Accommodation
On Wednesday, November 20th, we spent the day at Addo Elephant Park, one of the nineteen National Parks existing in South Africa, ranking number three in size, after Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrrontier Park. As it can be easily inferred by the name, Addo is notorious for the large amount of elephants living in …
On Wednesday, November 20th, we spent the day at Addo Elephant Park, one of the nineteen National Parks existing in South Africa, ranking number three in size, after Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrrontier Park.
As it can be easily inferred by the name, Addo is notorious for the large amount of elephants living in there. We could spot over forty.
Both kiddies and their parents can look forward to a fun-filled holiday programme in Addo Elephant National Park, packed with activities for youngsters between the ages of four and 12 during December. The Park’s People and Conservation Department will be running a special programme for the young ones between 14 and 31 December, with the …
Both kiddies and their parents can look forward to a fun-filled holiday programme in Addo Elephant National Park, packed with activities for youngsters between the ages of four and 12 during December.
The Park’s People and Conservation Department will be running a special programme for the young ones between 14 and 31 December, with the exception of Christmas Day. Children can be left in the hands of trained professionals at the Ulwazi Interpretive Centre, where they will enjoy a variety of activities and entertainment designed to suit their needs. Some of these activities will include game drives where they can explore their natural and cultural heritage and get up close and personal with the Addo ellies – the first inhabitants of the park. There will also be activities like face painting, movies on a big screen, walks on the wild side and creative crafts, while their parents can enjoy the tranquillity the park has to offer.
Packed with interactive displays, the Ulwazi Interpretive Centre is the perfect place for curious minds. The centre provides valuable hands-on learning experiences using world-class exhibits designed to enrich and equip enquiring minds by increasing their understanding of the environment – a truly interactive experience!
The children will also enjoy the spacious play areas in which they can run, jump and have fun. These areas include an elephant jungle gym, whisper dishes and a sand box where they can trace the tracks of the wildlife seen on the game drives.
All these activities will be available to both day visitors and overnight guests in the park. Activities are conducted in English to include the majority of guests. A detailed programme containing times and venues will be advertised throughout the Park from 14 December.
Both children and adults alike can learn as they play during Addo Elephant National Park’s fun-filled holiday programme between 14 and 31 December.
My eyes did a double-take when I came across Elsa’s photos from her recent trip to South Africa. She spent the day at Addo Elephant Park, one of 19 national parks in South Africa, and spotted some 40 elephants roaming about. And can you believe how close she got to this beautiful lion? Such wonderful …
My eyes did a double-take when I came across Elsa’s photos from her recent trip to South Africa. She spent the day at Addo Elephant Park, one of 19 national parks in South Africa, and spotted some 40 elephants roaming about.
And can you believe how close she got to this beautiful lion? Such wonderful creatures in the world. You can see more photos from Elsa’s travels here. Anyone want to go on a safari with me? xoxo
Article source: http://melissabxoxo.blogspot.com/2013/12/dream-vacation-addo-elephant-park.html
Due to popular demand, Addo Elephant National Park’s Restaurant will once again offer two sittings of their popular Christmas Day lunch this year. Restaurant Manager, Wayne Range, says the three-course meal, featuring a three-meat main course, was well-received by patrons last year. “Judging by the reviews, it made sense for us to offer Christmas Day …
Due to popular demand, Addo Elephant National Park’s Restaurant will once again offer two sittings of their popular Christmas Day lunch this year.
Restaurant Manager, Wayne Range, says the three-course meal, featuring a three-meat main course, was well-received by patrons last year. “Judging by the reviews, it made sense for us to offer Christmas Day lunch again this year, and it only costs R160 per person,” he said.
It’s an alternate way to spending Christmas. Visitors can choose to work their way through the Park from the Camp Matyholweni gate near Colchester before ending up at the main rest camp for lunch, or they could opt to exit that way afterwards while enjoying the Park’s sights and sounds along the way. All-in-all, the day’s outing will prove to be a leisurely alternative to those wanting to do something a bit different this Christmas.
The two sittings are at 12:00 and 14:00 and the restaurant will close at 16:00. Bookings are essential to avoid disappointment. To book your table contact (042) 233 8674 or e-mail addo@tourrest.co.za.
Due to popular demand, Addo Elephant National Park’s Restaurant will once again offer two sittings of their popular Christmas Day lunch this year. Restaurant Manager, Wayne Range, says the three-course meal, featuring a three-meat main course, was well-received by patrons last year. “Judging by the reviews, it made sense for us to offer Christmas Day …
Due to popular demand, Addo Elephant National Park’s Restaurant will once again offer two sittings of their popular Christmas Day lunch this year.
Restaurant Manager, Wayne Range, says the three-course meal, featuring a three-meat main course, was well-received by patrons last year. “Judging by the reviews, it made sense for us to offer Christmas Day lunch again this year, and it only costs R160 per person,” he said.
It’s an alternate way to spending Christmas. Visitors can choose to work their way through the Park from the Camp Matyholweni gate near Colchester before ending up at the main rest camp for lunch, or they could opt to exit that way afterwards while enjoying the Park’s sights and sounds along the way. All-in-all, the day’s outing will prove to be a leisurely alternative to those wanting to do something a bit different this Christmas.
The two sittings are at 12:00 and 14:00 and the restaurant will close at 16:00. Bookings are essential to avoid disappointment. To book your table contact (042) 233 8674 or e-mail addo@tourrest.co.za.
Article source: http://www.chickenruby.com/2013/12/addo-elephant-national-park.html
Posted By Brendan van Son+ on Dec 4, 2013 | 2 comments After spending a couple weeks exploring the Garden Coast of South Africa and being completely surprised by what I was seeing (in a good way), I made my way inland towards one of South Africa’s lesser travelled parks, Addo Elephant National Park. Addo …
After spending a couple weeks exploring the Garden Coast of South Africa and being completely surprised by what I was seeing (in a good way), I made my way inland towards one of South Africa’s lesser travelled parks, Addo Elephant National Park.
Addo Elephant National Park, as one could assume from the name of the park, is famous for it’s elephants. Now, obviously, there are plenty of elephants in South Africa, but what makes these special is their colour. The elephants in Addo coat themselves in the red earth of the region to give them a beautiful colour of red rather than the typical grey. My luck, however, in finding elephants was quite bad. I saw a couple in a heavily forested area, but had to move on for safety reasons. I had better luck with other animals, however. I saw a caracal which was maybe my favourite sighting my whole time in South Africa. I also managed to see some more typical wildlife like Kudu, Zebra, and some warthogs.
Following my self-drive safari in Addo Elephant National Park, I headed back down to the sea to the Wild Coast. In coming episodes, I continue to skirt down the Wild Coast, and explore more of South Africa.
My eyes did a double-take when I came across Elsa’s photos from her recent trip to South Africa. She spent the day at Addo Elephant Park, one of 19 national parks in South Africa, and spotted some 40 elephants roaming about. And can you believe how close she got to this beautiful lion? Such wonderful …
My eyes did a double-take when I came across Elsa’s photos from her recent trip to South Africa. She spent the day at Addo Elephant Park, one of 19 national parks in South Africa, and spotted some 40 elephants roaming about.
And can you believe how close she got to this beautiful lion? Such wonderful creatures in the world. You can see more photos from Elsa’s travels here. Anyone want to go on a safari with me? xoxo
Road Trip from Centurion to Cape Town and back via Durban and Port Elizabeth We’ve been to Durban and the surrounding areas and driven the Garden Route but we’ve never explored the East Coast and have been told that’s where we find the most spectacular beaches. It’s a very long journey with an …
Road Trip from Centurion to Cape Town and back via Durban
and Port Elizabeth
We’ve been to Durban and the surrounding areas and driven
the Garden Route but we’ve never explored the East Coast and have been told
that’s where we find the most spectacular beaches.
It’s a very long journey with an average of 7 hours a day on
the road, but it’s a must. Locals warn you of the dangers on the road, people
and animals. It is constant, from goats wandering across the roads to cattle
delaying the traffic and not just the side roads but the National roads also.
I was told in advance about the Xhosa peoples green houses,
today I’m assuming they’ve got a job lot of various shades of green paint, but
originally their houses were decorated by extracting the green from copper in
the mud.
We didn’t spend a lot of time in any of the places to
explore but what we saw from our brief stop over in Ramsgate, Coffee Bay, visit
to Port Alfred we really liked it and plan to return another time.
Coffee Bay involved a 2 hour, return, drive on an unpaved
road for 75kms. I think they should put signs up to say ‘no pot holes for the
next 100 yards, otherwise they’re everywhere’
The trip to Port Alfred took us on a detour off the N2 of
around 40 minutes. We drove through a range of small villages full of bars,
restaurants, craft shops and small cheese and dairy farms, to the coast. It’s
obviously quite windy there judging by the size of the sand dunes and despite
the constant drizzle we’d had for the past 3 days, the air was warm and we took
a walk on the beach collecting shells from the Indian Ocean.
ADDO NATIONAL PARK The South Africa was being blown away. The wind howled constantly, trees bend and we ate dust as the southeasterly winds battered Cape Town. Back in Cape Town after spending a few days at Addo National Park in South Africa, doing what we love best; being in nature and among the wild …
The South Africa was being blown away. The wind howled constantly, trees bend and we ate dust as the southeasterly winds battered Cape Town.
Back in Cape Town after spending a few days at Addo National Park in South Africa, doing what we love best; being in nature and among the wild life of Africa. Addo Park is famous for the elephant population of over 550. We had hired a Land Cruiser with a tent but when we got to Cape Town we discovered a mix up and the Cruiser was in Johannesburg.
“Lets book ourselves into a real lodge like normal travelers.” Tom said and we did. We flew to Port Elizabeth picked up a rented car and headed for Kuzuko Lodge located at Addo National Park.
We arrived at Kuzuko just in time for the “night drive.” There was some consolation night drive was in a Land Cruiser over tracks, rutted, across dry sandy riverbeds and rocky narrow paths. We were back off roading and I felt like I was in a tumble dryer as we bounced and rocked down the track. We scanned the dense, night filled bush for signs of life. Addo did not disappoint and experienced the thrill of seeing elephants and wild life.
Tom Doing What He Loves Videotaping Nature
Words cannot do justice to the thrill of seeing wildlife in nature. From the largest animal the elephants who rule the park to the tiny flightless dung beetle whose role is to clean up the elephant’s poop and does so by rolling it into balls. The dung beetle rolls the balls into a hole and lays its larva into the balls as well as partly eats the ball.
Family Life
Male Elephant with large family
African Road Block
As the elephants like to walk on the road a lot of elephant poop is on the roads. The tiny dung beetle has right of way and motorists are to yield to the beetle. There are also rules against driving over the piles of poop as the beetles could be underneath.
Yield to Dung Beetle on Road they have right of way
Flightless Dung Beetle Rolling Elephant Dung
We were lucky and witnessed a cheetah kill shortly after it happened. Cheetahs usually do a kill every third day. On this occasion they had brought down a kudu a large buck.
Cheetah Kill
Resting after Eating
Bottoms up
We spent time watching the lions laze under the trees in the midday sun. In the distance zebra, various antelope and buffalo were grazing the grass. A lone tortoise crossed the road and birds of all chattered in the bushes
Quick look around before getting out of car
Warthog
African Buffalo
Zebra
We returned to Cape Town and from here I will fly to Italy to see family and Tom will fly to Morocco. For those of you who don’t know Tom is currently working in Morocco so I will join him there for a few weeks after Italy. Our stay in South Africa has been refreshing and a reminder how much we love to travel and experience everything this continent has to offer.
Farewell to Cape Town
The exquisite 5 star River Bend Lodge is found on the private Nyati concession area of the Addo Elephant National Park and visitors can be sure that they are going to be in for heaps of fantastic game viewing opportunities. Not only that, on a guided walk or private game drive, you will also glean …
The exquisite 5 star River Bend Lodge is found on the private Nyati concession area of the Addo Elephant National Park and visitors can be sure that they are going to be in for heaps of fantastic game viewing opportunities. Not only that, on a guided walk or private game drive, you will also glean fascinating information on medicinal values of the bush, do some tracking of animals and see plenty to enthrall you. There is also a professional in-house photographer who will help guests to improve their photography skill to get some amazing pictures.
Whats all on Offer at River Bend Lodge:
Contact Details:
RiverBend Lodge
Addo Elephant National Park
Eastern Cape
South Africa
For more info and bookings CLICK HERE.
Tel: +27 (0)42 233 8000
Fax: +27 (0)42 233 8028
Email: reservations@riverbendlodge.co.za
Website: www.riverbendlodge.co.za
Addo Elephant National Park is a diverse wildlife conservation park, close to Port Elizabeth in South Africa. It was originally established as a sanctuary for elephants and it is now home to almost 500 elephants. Full information and directions can be found here: http://www.sanparks.org/parks/addo/tourism/gps.php You can drive around the park in a day, and there …
Addo Elephant National Park is a diverse wildlife conservation park, close to Port Elizabeth in South Africa. It was originally established as a sanctuary for elephants and it is now home to almost 500 elephants.
Full information and directions can be found here:
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/addo/tourism/gps.php
You can drive around the park in a day, and there is a mixture of tar macadam roads and gravel roads. I comfortably drove around the park in a family car!
There is an amazing variety of wildlife in the park in addition to elephants. And you can get really close by stopping the car and let the animals walk right on by.
If you are in Port Elizabeth, Addo is well worth a visit, and is just an hour away by car.
Article source: http://wherecanitakethatphoto.com/2013/11/20/addo-elephant-national-park/
The exquisite 5 star River Bend Lodge is found on the private Nyati concession area of the Addo Elephant National Park and visitors can be sure that they are going to be in for heaps of fantastic game viewing opportunities. Not only that, on a guided walk or private game drive, you will also glean …
The exquisite 5 star River Bend Lodge is found on the private Nyati concession area of the Addo Elephant National Park and visitors can be sure that they are going to be in for heaps of fantastic game viewing opportunities. Not only that, on a guided walk or private game drive, you will also glean fascinating information on medicinal values of the bush, do some tracking of animals and see plenty to enthrall you. There is also a professional in-house photographer who will help guests to improve their photography skill to get some amazing pictures.
Whats all on Offer at River Bend Lodge:
Contact Details:
RiverBend Lodge
Addo Elephant National Park
Eastern Cape
South Africa
For more info and bookings CLICK HERE.
Tel: +27 (0)42 233 8000
Fax: +27 (0)42 233 8028
Email: reservations@riverbendlodge.co.za
Website: www.riverbendlodge.co.za
Addo Elephant National Park is a diverse wildlife conservation park, close to Port Elizabeth in South Africa. It was originally established as a sanctuary for elephants and it is now home to almost 500 elephants. Full information and directions can be found here: http://www.sanparks.org/parks/addo/tourism/gps.php You can drive around the park in a day, and there …
Addo Elephant National Park is a diverse wildlife conservation park, close to Port Elizabeth in South Africa. It was originally established as a sanctuary for elephants and it is now home to almost 500 elephants.
Full information and directions can be found here:
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/addo/tourism/gps.php
You can drive around the park in a day, and there is a mixture of tar macadam roads and gravel roads. I comfortably drove around the park in a family car!
There is an amazing variety of wildlife in the park in addition to elephants. And you can get really close by stopping the car and let the animals walk right on by.
If you are in Port Elizabeth, Addo is well worth a visit, and is just an hour away by car.
Cycle tour leaves positive trails in Addo Phil Buys negotiating a section of singletrack at Hayterdale. Photo: Tonie Griffin Mountain bikers can look forward to riding eco-friendly, hand-cut trails in one of the world’s most biologically diverse areas when they sign up for The Herald VW Cycle Tour in Addo on the 1st of …
Phil Buys negotiating a section of singletrack at Hayterdale. Photo: Tonie Griffin
Mountain bikers can look forward to riding eco-friendly, hand-cut trails in one of the world’s most biologically diverse areas when they sign up for The Herald VW Cycle Tour in Addo on the 1st of February.
The mountain biking segment of the cycle tour not only exposes riders to some of the area’s natural wonders but also provides pathways to development by creating trail-building jobs for local labourers.
According to race director Brad Jackson of Mountain Events, participants should expect “something new and exciting” from the newly skilled route builders.
“We believe that a good mountain bike race is all about good quality trails,” said Jackson.
“Every year we endeavour to add something different instead of just serving up the same old race routes year after year.”
This approach, he said, had led to various job creation and skills development opportunities.
“In collaboration with local landowners, we have worked on building some of the best dedicated mountain bike single track in the country.
“However as much as we love spending time outdoors building trails, we just don’t have the luxury of doing this on a full-time basis.”
Instead they decided to train and equip a team of local labourers to build and maintain mountain bike trails throughout the year.
At Hayterdale Trails, four labourers are employed on a permanent basis, while the development team expands to as many as eight workers from time to time, as needed.
“Aside from the fact that sustainable jobs have been created, these guys have truly become masters at trail building and have developed the skills to build proper single track while adhering to sound environmental principles.”
Due to the mostly inaccessible nature of the terrain, the majority of the work is done manually without the use of heavy machinery.
Jackson said the head of the trail-building crew, Zolile Pikoli, would showcase his signature trail section – the aptly named Zorr’s Rollercoaster – for the first time in next year’s race.
He said conserving the environment and ensuring it remained unharmed during events such as the cycle tour was extremely important as Addo encompassed five of the country’s seven biomes.
Jackson said riders would have the opportunity to experience the beauty and diversity of the region first-hand.
“The cycle tour mountain bike routes start among citrus orchards in the Sundays River Valley and extend to the Zuurberg mountain range and back, traversing a diverse range of vegetation along the way.
“If riders are lucky, they may even spot a herd of Addo elephant where sections of the feature route hugs the Addo Elephant National Park.”
If a brief glimpse from the bike left them wanting more, he said participants were encouraged to stay on and explore the region with families and friends after crossing the finish line.
Leading the host of accommodation options in the area is Zuurberg Mountain Village, which is the official cycle tour accommodation sponsor for the mountain biking events.
General manager Clinton Wild said the tranquil mountain top retreat would host 24 of the cycle tour’s VIPs.
In addition, it will provide special rates to participants who wish to enjoy the establishment’s four-star accommodation and breathtaking views over the Addo Elephant National Park.
About 145 000ha of the park surrounds the Zuurberg Mountain Village, where a wide range of activities from horse riding to hiking trails can be enjoyed amid magnificent wildlife, birdlife and vegetation.
For those riders looking for a budget-friendly option, organisers will turn the fields of the Addo Polo Club, which is next to the start and finish line, into a campground. Campers will have access to a pub, braai facilities, bathrooms, food stalls and a bike lock-up.
The mountain bike events comprise the 80km Extreme, 60km Adventure and 30km Powerade Leisure Challenge. The 5km Kiddies’ Challenge and 500m Toddler’s Dash, also sponsored by Powerade, complete the line-up.
Registration takes place on Friday, January 31, at The Boardwalk, with late registration for the mountain bike events continuing on the Saturday at the Addo Polo Club.
Click here for accommodation and travel packages.
Mountain bikers can look forward to riding eco-friendly, hand-cut trails in one of the world’s most biologically diverse areas when they sign up for The Herald VW Cycle Tour in Addo on February 1. The mountain biking segment of the cycle tour not only exposes riders to some of the area’s natural wonders but also …
Mountain bikers can look forward to riding eco-friendly, hand-cut trails in one of the world’s most biologically diverse areas when they sign up for The Herald VW Cycle Tour in Addo on February 1.
The mountain biking segment of the cycle tour not only exposes riders to some of the area’s natural wonders but also provides pathways to development by creating trail-building jobs for local labourers.
According to race director Brad Jackson of Mountain Events, participants should expect “something new and exciting” from the newly skilled route builders.
“We believe that a good mountain bike race is all about good quality trails,” said Jackson.
“Every year we endeavour to add something different instead of just serving up the same old race routes year after year.”
This approach, he said, had led to various job creation and skills development opportunities.
“In collaboration with local landowners, we have worked on building some of the best dedicated mountain bike single track in the country.
“However as much as we love spending time outdoors building trails, we just don’t have the luxury of doing this on a full-time basis.”
Instead they decided to train and equip a team of local labourers to build and maintain mountain bike trails throughout the year.
At Hayterdale Trails, four labourers are employed on a permanent basis, while the development team expands to as many as eight workers from time to time, as needed.
“Aside from the fact that sustainable jobs have been created, these guys have truly become masters at trail building and have developed the skills to build proper single track while adhering to sound environmental principles.”
Due to the mostly inaccessible nature of the terrain, the majority of the work is done manually without the use of heavy machinery.
Jackson said the head of the trail-building crew, Zolile Pikoli, would showcase his signature trail section – the aptly named Zorr’s Rollercoaster – for the first time in next year’s race.
He said conserving the environment and ensuring it remained unharmed during events such as the cycle tour was extremely important as Addo encompassed five of the country’s seven biomes.
Jackson said riders would have the opportunity to experience the beauty and diversity of the region first-hand.
“The cycle tour mountain bike routes start among citrus orchards in the Sundays River Valley and extend to the Zuurberg mountain range and back, traversing a diverse range of vegetation along the way.
“If riders are lucky, they may even spot a herd of Addo elephant where sections of the feature route hugs the Addo Elephant National Park.”
If a brief glimpse from the bike left them wanting more, he said participants were encouraged to stay on and explore the region with families and friends after crossing the finish line.
Leading the host of accommodation options in the area is Zuurberg Mountain Village, which is the official cycle tour accommodation sponsor for the mountain biking events.
General manager Clinton Wild said the tranquil mountain top retreat would host 24 of the cycle tour’s VIPs.
In addition, it will provide special rates to participants who wish to enjoy the establishment’s four-star accommodation and breathtaking views over the Addo Elephant National Park.
About 145 000ha of the park surrounds the Zuurberg Mountain Village, where a wide range of activities from horse riding to hiking trails can be enjoyed amid magnificent wildlife, birdlife and vegetation.
For those riders looking for a budget-friendly option, organisers will turn the fields of the Addo Polo Club, which is next to the start and finish line, into a campground. Campers will have access to a pub, braai facilities, bathrooms, food stalls and a bike lock-up.
The mountain bike events comprise the 80km Extreme, 60km Adventure and 30km Powerade Leisure Challenge. The 5km Kiddies’ Challenge and 500m Toddler’s Dash, also sponsored by Powerade, complete the line-up.
Registration takes place on Friday, January 31, at The Boardwalk, with late registration for the mountain bike events continuing on the Saturday at the Addo Polo Club.
Trail-building crew (from left) Zolile Pikoli, Happyboy Hina and Bulelo Pikoli look forward to welcoming mountain bikers to The Herald VW Cycle Tour in Addo on February 1. In the background is official accommodation sponsor Zuurberg Mountain Village, which is offering discounted rates to participants. Photo: Brad Jackson
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Article source: http://mype.co.za/new/2013/11/hand-crafted-cycle-tour-trails-in-addo/
Published: November 26th 2013Africa » South Africa » Eastern Cape » Addo Elephant National ParkAugust 1st 2013 Thirsty elliesWe arrived at the gate to Addo Elephant Park in the afternoon and signed in. We had a room booked at the guest enclosure at the other end of the park and after registering with the main gate we were …
Published: November 26th 2013
August 1st 2013
Thirsty elliesWe arrived at the gate to Addo Elephant Park in the afternoon and signed in. We had a room booked at the guest enclosure at the other end of the park and after registering with the main gate we were directed to drive through the park and be sure to get to the other side by 6 because that’s when they close the other gate. When we laughingly asked what would happen if we didn’t make it in time, the woman at the desk told us some elephants would probably destroy our car overnight.
Nice.
So we set off into the park. Our first safari experience unfolded on the sandy tracks of Addo surrounded on either side by scrub and bushes…where anything could be lurking.
Indeed, according to the website , there are.. ‘over 550 elephants, lions, buffalo, black rhino, spotted hyena, leopard, and a variety of antelope and zebra species‘
Not to mention a special species of flightless dung beetle (everyone’s favourite African species, I know..)
Why no mention of warthogs??
No sooner had we driven slowly down the first stretch of road from the gate than we turned around some
Looking for animals
from our bungalow balconybushes and came face to bumper with a warthog rutting in the ground with it’s tusks. Is rutting what warthogs do? It seems to be the right word. Anyway, we were chuffed to get this close to a wild animal, applied the handbrake and sat snapping pictures of the beasty. Little did we know that we’d be sick of the sight of these things over the remainder of the holiday as they are everywhere and particularly numerous in Addo. If there are over 550 elephants in that park, there must be thousands of warthogs. Not only are they everywhere, but from a distance and in amongst the undergrowth, they tend to do great impressions of rhinos/lions/hunting dogs/unicorns or whatever else you want to see. It became common for one us to go…’Over there..! Behind those trees…there’s something…‘ and for us all to sit there focusing binoculars on the spot with bated breath for several minutes…before someone would mutter ‘….warthog‘ and we’d all groan and drive away. Still, it was our first truly wild large land mammal sighting. So we owe it that honour.
What about the elephants? I mean where do 550 elephants hide? they appeared soon enough. Plus
Warthogs.
Pretending to be….zebras. just wandering around our car. Driving through a wildlife reserve in South Africa seems pretty surreal at first. I mean you’re in a car, parked on a dusty road watching an elephant walk by. It feels like you’re in a zoo or safari park. But it’s a real live wild animal and you’re alone in your car and you know those bushes over there? A lion might be there. A lion! It was all very Jurassic Park. Anyway, luckily we made it to the accommodation compound before the gate was locked and were safely behind the high electric fences before darkness fell, just hoping they didn’t fail and let the velociraptors out…
It was while in Addo I became particularly obsessed with setting up the following joke – I wanted a zebra to cross the road in front of the car so I could declare – ‘Look! A zebra crossing!‘. Obviously the art of comedy is in the delivery, so I should have kept this quiet until the moment arose….but as it never did, I had to share the whole concept of the joke (which, incidentally, I’m sure no one before
Not crossingme has thought of..) with everyone. Thus, our collective anticipation of a zebra crossing the road was palpable. I think. Alas, it never happened while we were in Addo…*
We’d booked a couple of bungalows in the accommodation complex with views looking out over the park. Lucky for me and Kate our booking had been upgraded because the cheapest available rooms were being refurbished, so we checked into a bigger bungalow that was basically for the older or less mobile person. The taps were those special easy-to-use ones and there were handles everywhere to help you get off the toilet or stop you from slipping in the shower. It was kinda odd. But we didn’t mind.We cooked dinner in our kitchen that night and got ready for an early rise to explore the park and see more elephants. And warthogs.
From Addo we drove to Port Elizabeth and stayed the night. Then we left the car with the rental company at the airport and boarded a flight to Johannesburg to start the next epic leg of our journey – to Kruger National Park.
At Johannesburg we picked up another hire car (changing cars – much more fun than cleaning them) and set off out of the city and into the wilderness on quite a long roadtrip to the edge of Kruger in a town called Graskop. We planned to stay there overnight and then head into the park the next day. Which was wise, because it was quite a journey.
The road from the airport starts out as a massive multi-lane highway and then dwindles as you get further to the city. At first the views either side of the car flattened into sparse plains furnished at each junction with a crowd of hitchhikers. But pretty soon the scenery started to become much more 3D as hills and then mountains started popping up. Before long we started climbing hills on long windy roads. And then the trucks started appearing. Big, heavily loaded trucks that went very very slowly on the mountain roads. Like, I mean, we could have literally stopped the car, climbed out and walked past them. However….overtaking them was more difficult given the blind bends and the narrow roads. Cars frequently built up in
They were THAT close.the rearview mirror, but given the chances that another equally huge and heavy truck might be coming the other way, overtaking was a dicey prospect. So It was pretty scary to see people behind think ‘what the hell‘ and fling their cars into the other lane and accelerate blindly forward past 6 cars and the truck to get ahead. Still, better safe than sorry. And the Lloyd family would probably be really annoyed with me if I drove them into a truck on a remote highway in the mountains of South Africa. It’s just one of those things you try and avoid with the ‘in-laws’ on a par with treading mud into the house etc…
Trucks aside, the road scenery was spectacular. Amazing views as long as I didn’t take my eyes off the road for too long…
Graskop’s a little rural town on the edge of Kruger national park. There’s not a whole lot in the town, but it is really well located to see some amazing scenery a short drive away. We stayed over for a night’s sleep and dinner before heading to Kruger early in the morning. While there we
Still not crossingwent to an Awesome Portuguese style restaurant with huge portions. Which was nice…
* I refined the joke later while in Port Elizabeth where I added a better setting. Picture the scene… the Great Migration…herds of wildebeest and zebra crowd the banks of a surging river edging ever closer to the water as crocodiles lurk in the froth…
Two wildebeest watch from the bank as other animals take to the water. One wildebeest says to the other…
‘Do you think it’s safe??‘ ….and his friend points to a zebra midway across the river…. ‘Well‘ he says ‘There IS a zebra crossing’
Ba-bum chsssshhh.
Tut
It’s a play on words.
Never mind…
Article source: http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Addo-Elephant-National-Park/blog-815092.html
Published: November 26th 2013Africa » South Africa » Eastern Cape » Addo Elephant National ParkAugust 1st 2013 Thirsty elliesWe arrived at the gate to Addo Elephant Park in the afternoon and signed in. We had a room booked at the guest enclosure at the other end of the park and after registering with the main gate we were …
Published: November 26th 2013
August 1st 2013
Thirsty elliesWe arrived at the gate to Addo Elephant Park in the afternoon and signed in. We had a room booked at the guest enclosure at the other end of the park and after registering with the main gate we were directed to drive through the park and be sure to get to the other side by 6 because that’s when they close the other gate. When we laughingly asked what would happen if we didn’t make it in time, the woman at the desk told us some elephants would probably destroy our car overnight.
Nice.
So we set off into the park. Our first safari experience unfolded on the sandy tracks of Addo surrounded on either side by scrub and bushes…where anything could be lurking.
Indeed, according to the website , there are.. ‘over 550 elephants, lions, buffalo, black rhino, spotted hyena, leopard, and a variety of antelope and zebra species‘
Not to mention a special species of flightless dung beetle (everyone’s favourite African species, I know..)
Why no mention of warthogs??
No sooner had we driven slowly down the first stretch of road from the gate than we turned around some
Looking for animals
from our bungalow balconybushes and came face to bumper with a warthog rutting in the ground with it’s tusks. Is rutting what warthogs do? It seems to be the right word. Anyway, we were chuffed to get this close to a wild animal, applied the handbrake and sat snapping pictures of the beasty. Little did we know that we’d be sick of the sight of these things over the remainder of the holiday as they are everywhere and particularly numerous in Addo. If there are over 550 elephants in that park, there must be thousands of warthogs. Not only are they everywhere, but from a distance and in amongst the undergrowth, they tend to do great impressions of rhinos/lions/hunting dogs/unicorns or whatever else you want to see. It became common for one us to go…’Over there..! Behind those trees…there’s something…‘ and for us all to sit there focusing binoculars on the spot with bated breath for several minutes…before someone would mutter ‘….warthog‘ and we’d all groan and drive away. Still, it was our first truly wild large land mammal sighting. So we owe it that honour.
What about the elephants? I mean where do 550 elephants hide? they appeared soon enough. Plus
Warthogs.
Pretending to be….zebras. just wandering around our car. Driving through a wildlife reserve in South Africa seems pretty surreal at first. I mean you’re in a car, parked on a dusty road watching an elephant walk by. It feels like you’re in a zoo or safari park. But it’s a real live wild animal and you’re alone in your car and you know those bushes over there? A lion might be there. A lion! It was all very Jurassic Park. Anyway, luckily we made it to the accommodation compound before the gate was locked and were safely behind the high electric fences before darkness fell, just hoping they didn’t fail and let the velociraptors out…
It was while in Addo I became particularly obsessed with setting up the following joke – I wanted a zebra to cross the road in front of the car so I could declare – ‘Look! A zebra crossing!‘. Obviously the art of comedy is in the delivery, so I should have kept this quiet until the moment arose….but as it never did, I had to share the whole concept of the joke (which, incidentally, I’m sure no one before
Not crossingme has thought of..) with everyone. Thus, our collective anticipation of a zebra crossing the road was palpable. I think. Alas, it never happened while we were in Addo…*
We’d booked a couple of bungalows in the accommodation complex with views looking out over the park. Lucky for me and Kate our booking had been upgraded because the cheapest available rooms were being refurbished, so we checked into a bigger bungalow that was basically for the older or less mobile person. The taps were those special easy-to-use ones and there were handles everywhere to help you get off the toilet or stop you from slipping in the shower. It was kinda odd. But we didn’t mind.We cooked dinner in our kitchen that night and got ready for an early rise to explore the park and see more elephants. And warthogs.
From Addo we drove to Port Elizabeth and stayed the night. Then we left the car with the rental company at the airport and boarded a flight to Johannesburg to start the next epic leg of our journey – to Kruger National Park.
At Johannesburg we picked up another hire car (changing cars – much more fun than cleaning them) and set off out of the city and into the wilderness on quite a long roadtrip to the edge of Kruger in a town called Graskop. We planned to stay there overnight and then head into the park the next day. Which was wise, because it was quite a journey.
The road from the airport starts out as a massive multi-lane highway and then dwindles as you get further to the city. At first the views either side of the car flattened into sparse plains furnished at each junction with a crowd of hitchhikers. But pretty soon the scenery started to become much more 3D as hills and then mountains started popping up. Before long we started climbing hills on long windy roads. And then the trucks started appearing. Big, heavily loaded trucks that went very very slowly on the mountain roads. Like, I mean, we could have literally stopped the car, climbed out and walked past them. However….overtaking them was more difficult given the blind bends and the narrow roads. Cars frequently built up in
They were THAT close.the rearview mirror, but given the chances that another equally huge and heavy truck might be coming the other way, overtaking was a dicey prospect. So It was pretty scary to see people behind think ‘what the hell‘ and fling their cars into the other lane and accelerate blindly forward past 6 cars and the truck to get ahead. Still, better safe than sorry. And the Lloyd family would probably be really annoyed with me if I drove them into a truck on a remote highway in the mountains of South Africa. It’s just one of those things you try and avoid with the ‘in-laws’ on a par with treading mud into the house etc…
Trucks aside, the road scenery was spectacular. Amazing views as long as I didn’t take my eyes off the road for too long…
Graskop’s a little rural town on the edge of Kruger national park. There’s not a whole lot in the town, but it is really well located to see some amazing scenery a short drive away. We stayed over for a night’s sleep and dinner before heading to Kruger early in the morning. While there we
Still not crossingwent to an Awesome Portuguese style restaurant with huge portions. Which was nice…
* I refined the joke later while in Port Elizabeth where I added a better setting. Picture the scene… the Great Migration…herds of wildebeest and zebra crowd the banks of a surging river edging ever closer to the water as crocodiles lurk in the froth…
Two wildebeest watch from the bank as other animals take to the water. One wildebeest says to the other…
‘Do you think it’s safe??‘ ….and his friend points to a zebra midway across the river…. ‘Well‘ he says ‘There IS a zebra crossing’
Ba-bum chsssshhh.
Tut
It’s a play on words.
Never mind…
