News June 2009

I apologise for the belated newsletter - I have been playing catch-up since I returned from our European trip.
 
The pilgrimage was very fulfilling: Sandy and I were particularly impressed by the almost contagious fervour and unbridled commitment of fellow pilgrims. It was good to see that there are so many people who believe in so passionate a manner. What made it even more special for us was a phone call from our eldest daughter, Michelle. We were preparing to go out for the candlelight rosary procession on our first evening at Lourdes when we were given the exciting news that we are to become grandparents!
 
While overseas, we tried to keep up with events back home. The press were generally pleased with the way the Confederations Cup was conducted. Notwithstanding one report of a theft at the Egyptian football team hotel as well as another of some British and Irish Lions rugby supporters being robbed on arrival, the general feeling was that South Africa did well in June in terms of hosting these big sporting events. Perhaps there is still place for improvement in terms of safety and security precautions.

What with the road upgrades in and around Johannesburg and the concomitant traffic problems, Viva Safaris has considered changing our service of collecting guests from their homes/hostels/hotels. There can be no doubt that this service is very time-consuming. However, as long as the potential for crime stays at its present level, we feel that our clients will be able to accept the long journey to Kruger knowing that our service gives them peace of mind in terms of their safety and security.

Within 72 hours of my return to S A, I was up at our lodges. The veld in Kruger is looking very good for June. In fact the grass is still very high. I was driving my Toyota Tazz which is a relatively low vehicle and was particularly annoyed at not being able to see a Leopard lying in high grass. The leopard apparently was easily visible by the occupants of higher vehicles. I must admit to having been tempted to get out the car to have a look, but the Kruger Park rules are there for a very good reason : people that alight from their vehicles are likely to frighten the animals away thereby spoiling the sighting for other tourists. Our Viva tourists are fortunate that they are in open vehicles and are about 2,5 metres above the ground. We have placed an order for two new open Gameviewers and look forward to receiving these before the end of July.

Game viewing in Kruger has been good. The animals are starting to congregate in larger numbers. Our guides report that they have had some very good sightings.

GAMEVIEWING NEWS

Bertus has emailed the following report:
 
Report for June 09

“This month was once again a month of contrast for me. We had some great days and then other times when it was very quiet. But in the end I saw most of what I had wanted to see.

Kruger was as normal full of surprises. We had a very interesting day on the 18th. We were told about a leopard sighting close to Ngotso Dam, but all the guides of different safari companies said that they have not seen the leopard but that there were lions around that area. We decided to go and have a look and succeeded in finding the leopard. I was busy describing to the guests exactly where to look when one of the guests told me that he had spotted lions as well. I then also saw the lions about 200m from the tree in which the leopard was resting. It is peculiar that the others missed the leopard - we must not think because we see a predator of some kind that there can’t be another one close by.

My highlight in Kruger might not seem so cool to most but for me it was something special. We came across a yellow-billed hornbill that had caught a chameleon and was in the process of swallowing it. There was a lot of speculation among the guests as to whether the hornbill would succeed in getting it right, which he did after a huge struggle. He was definitely a lot less mobile afterwards.

Yellow-Billed Hornbill attemping to swallow a chameleon

Balule also provided its ups and downs with one day very quiet and then the next day full of excitement. We had some great late afternoon sightings of lion and elephant as well as the occasional rhino. A buffalo herd about forty-strong has been hanging around Tremisana Lodge a lot. This has given us many good lion sightings - even as close as the small watering point in front of the Lapa where the lions have been drinking water in the early morning.
 
A day that showed me that Balule can be just as exiting if not more than Kruger was unfortunately a day I did not had guests with me. I had to drive to my family’s property and in the space of an hour I saw a pride of lionesses with cubs, elephants drinking water being chased away by a lone buffalo bull and then a rhino bull just to top it off. The animals are here - we just have to have Lady Luck on our side. ”
 
BONGANI spent most of the month on long leave but reports that on the 27th June he had sightings of the Big Five. There was a pride of four lionesses eating a Wildebeest right on the road. Two pesky black-backed jackals were trying unsuccessfully to get a morsel or two. Later on Bongani and guests encountered a number of large herds of elephants on their way to the drinking places. At the Olifants River high level bridge, a leopard was spotted up a tree. It is permissible for tourists to alight from the vehicle at designated places on the bridge so our guests had a good look at the leopard.
 
RHULANI reports as follows: “We have been seeing the famous White Lions of Timbavati as we drive between Marc’s Camp and the Orpen Gate. They are in a private reserve but are often seen along the fence.

On the 13th June, we had a great sighting of three lion cubs on the S 90. We guessed that as the cubs were alone, the mother was away probably hunting. A little later we came across a lactating lioness attempting to hunt wildebeest. Later that day we had the great fortune of following a leopard for about 2 km along the road. We saw the Big Five this day and my guests were very pleased.

On the 17th four male lions caught a zebra north of Satara at 10h00. By 12h00 just about all the meat was finished – they must have been really hungry.
 
On the 19th we had an exciting sighting of a Black Rhino along the S 36 near Mudzanzene. He was very relaxed and quite close to the road. Later that afternoon on the S 100 we had a great sighting of lions at a kill with hyenas nearby. One hyena ran right in front of us carrying some skin of the dead animal. I turned back towards Satara and within 300 metres of the lion kill a young leopard ran across the road in front of our vehicle.

I saw another leopard, this time a big male, on 22nd just one kilometre before the Orpen Gate reception area. On the 23rd we had a sighting of 3 male lions that had killed a buffalo near the Nwanedzi River bridge on the tar road south of Satara. On the 25th we spent 45 minutes watching a lioness attempt to catch its meal at the waterhole 7km north of Satara. This is a very open area and she unsuccessfully stalked a zebra, then a warthog and lastly a wildebeest. The animals easily saw her from a distance and ran away to safety before she could get close enough to catch them.”

THULANI submitted the following report: “On 5th June I took our marketing manager, Trevor, and his party on safari. We started off by viewing a huge herd of buffalo in the Timbavati River, followed by a great sighting of a breeding herd of elephants at Shibotwana waterhole. South of Nwanedzi we had a great sighting of five male lions and three lionesses feeding on a buffalo.

On the 6th we found all of the Big Five including a leopard on a Sausage Tree along the S 126 road and a huge White Rhino at Nsemane waterhole.

On 18th June I again showed my guests the Big Five : leopard stalking impala on the S 100; 11 lions ( six males and five females) on the S 90; a huge herd of buffalo on the same road about 10 km further on; a White Rhino on the S 41 and elephants at Ngotso Dam.
 
On the 19th June, I conducted a Sunset Drive from Tremisana. Within 100 metres of the parking lot, we found 2 male lions half a metre from the road watching a herd of buffalo that were drinking at the watering point in front of the Lapa – talk about early luck!
 
My most successful day was on 24th June:
Elephants at Nsemane Dam; 11 lions at Shimangwanane Dam; Rhino and Buffalo along the S 100; Lions at Sonop waterhole; Leopard at Rabelais; Cheetah crossing the road near Orpen …WOW !! ”

NEWS AT TREMISANA GAME LODGE

TREMISANA staff have had a number of sleepless nights with the buffalo herd charging around in their efforts to avoid being caught by the lions. The staff quarters are a short distance from the camp and we have erected a powerful spotlight to illuminate the path.
 
The buffalo have just about emptied the water at Tremisana Dam which is unlikely to last beyond July. A number of herons and storks are seen on a daily basis wading in the ever decreasing water while picking off frogs and fish.
 
Birdlife at the dam as well as the watering point in front of the Lapa has been very good with a constant coming and going from early morning to dusk.
 
A group (I do not know the correct collective noun) of honey badgers have been making a nuisance of themselves at Tremisana. They knock over the refuse bins as they search for extra nourishment. We rebuilt the wooden fence around the refuse bin and this was promptly destroyed one night. Honey Badgers are tough customers!
 
We also have regular nightly visits by a porcupine that has succeeded in destroying large parts of our garden. Of course the monkey troop is in full swing. As the food sources dwindle in the veld so they rely more and more on scraps from the kitchen.
 
The repainted tank stand looks a lot better than before. We have added a covering of palm fronds to the thatch tiles on the roofs of units 6 to 9. The effect of the palm fronds is to give these units a ‘tropical’ look – although the present cold weather does nothing to accentuate any ‘tropical’ feel.

NEWS AT MARC’S TREEHOUSE LODGE

MARC’S TREEHOUSE LODGE has had a new arrival: a large-spotted genet. No doubt also feeling the strain of diminishing food in the veld, the genet has appeared on the scene and patiently awaits for the clients to finish their dinner before searching for scraps.

The Black Rhino are being seen regularly on our Motlala game drives. They have settled in well and are fairly curious animals. When they see our game-drive vehicle, they sometimes approach to have a closer look. Their eyesight is not very good, so they get quite close.

June has been very cold in the treehouses and Louise has been offering hot water bottles and additional blankets to the grateful guests. Unfortunately the cold has also resulted in the odd frog or mouse moving in as well. We understand that the hyena clan is also feeling the cold and are grateful that they too have made no effort to seek shelter in the treehouses.

NEWS AT THE CHEETAH INN

CHEETAH INN is looking good. The succulents planted at the front entrance are blooming and add a colourful dimension to an otherwise drab veld.

Entrance at Cheetah Inn

The gardens have survived the odd foraging raids by warthogs, duiker, steenbuck and bushpigs. With the cold, the number of Fruit Bats roosting under the thatch roof at the entrance has increased to over 70!

Fruit Bats roosting under the thatch roof

Astrid has moved to Cheetah Inn and her presence has been noted. With her new ideas learned at university in Holland, she has successfully used her internship with us to add a new vitality to Cheetah Inn. Thank you, Astrid!

NEWS FOR OUR TRAVEL PARTNERS

We have had so many requests already at this stage of the year for our 2010 tariffs – no doubt a precursor to the expected deluge of tourists for the FIFA World Cup. I am still trying to assess the impact of our over 31% national increase in electricity rates as well as potential fluctuations in petrol price and the ever-increasing inflation associated with foodstuff. Luckily through my previous teaching experience, I have access to past pupils who are now very senior people in the banking and financial world. I shall be tapping into their bountiful knowledge and together with friends and family members in the accounting world, hope to be able to have the 2010 tariffs by end of July at the latest.
 
It is important for me to arrive at figures that we can maintain throughout 2010. We certainly shall not be involved with any profiteering via increasing our rates in June/July.
 
COMMENTS FROM OUR GUEST BOOKS
 
TREMISANA
 
12/06/09 Nora Sanders: “Thanks for a wonderful time! The hospitality was superb and the rangers truly excellent. I had the time of my life! Hope to come back soon. ”
 
24/06/09 Brittney Corey: “Thank you for the yummy food, the great stories and the awesome fires under the stars. This was by far my favourite place. I hope to come back one day. ”
 
26/06/09 Paul Moss: “A magnificent stay with gracious service. A warm memory in winter. ”
 
MARC’S
 
12/06/09 Alex and Sian: “Awesome!!!! We had a really great time – all the staff were brilliant and so friendly. We will be definitely be recommending Marc’s Treehouse Lodge to our friends! ”

14/06/09 Alex and Tania: “Thanks for looking after us – lovely food, lovely atmosphere and didn’t get shot on the bush walk! Yay! And all the Big Five in one day – awesome! ”

16/06/09 Jeremy and Becky O’Hara: “Wonderful trip! Wonderful people! Wonderful treehouse! Wonderful food! We had a blast! Thank you for hosting us on such a great couple of days in the Kruger Park. Go leopards! ”

19/06/09 Aryanne (Quebec): “Great service! Well organised! Pick up and drop off at our front door!!! Guide saw things no-one else could see. Amazing! Only missed the leopard. ”

CHEETAH INN

CIARA O’ RIORDAN: “Fantastic trip to Kruger. Cheetah Inn was really great. Astrid was brilliant as well as the staff. Lovely place – will recommend to others.”

FRANK MURPHY: “Marvellous time – I was well looked after. Made to feel so welcome by Alice, Margaret, Patrick and the rest of the staff, as well as the guides and staff at Marc’s and Tremisana. Experience of a lifetime! Thanks to all. ”

BILLY BARNETT: “Had a great time. Excellent hospitality. Good food – especially the Pap! Will come back for more for sure! Am going to highly recommend to friends and family. Thanks to Alice and Astrid and everyone else for making us feel so welcome. ”

My thanks to our staff for their hard work that elicit such pleasing comments!
  
Regards and best wishes,
Piero