September ‘18 in the Waterberg Biosphere , South Africa
Sept 28, 2018 19:08:13 GMT
Post by lugg on Sept 28, 2018 19:08:13 GMT
This was my first trip to SA and I went solo flying in and out of Johannesburg. To be honest I was not completely comfortable with travelling around SA alone after hearing a number of horror stories and so I really saw very little outside of the private reserve I was visiting. I now wish that I had seen more as I felt very comfortable there… albeit with usual safety provisos . So I plan to go back, hopefully next year. However despite not seeing more of SA this really was my holiday of a lifetime. I was able to indulge many of my passions – horse riding; observing wildlife, here a chance to see animals in the wild that I had previously only seen in zoos or wildlife parks in the main and photography - albeit mostly limited to a camera that was tough enough to withstand being in a saddle pack . Added bonuses included ….enjoying some really excellent food and wine in very good company - some of whom were tourists from various parts of the world, some ex-pats and some locals who'd spent their whole lives in this area.
The Waterberg Biosphere is in the north of South Africa close (ish) to Botswana and about 5 hours drive west of Kruger. It is about 3 hours drive NW of OR Tambo airport, a drive which takes you past the outskirts of Pretoria. This map shows the location.
It seems to me that it remains an area that is still somewhat off the tourist’s radar both national and international Formally mostly a cattle ranching economy which devastated the ecology, some landowners have re- instated the habitat and game and consequently tourism has been boosted. I did see some arable farming as I travelled through e.g. peach farming and signs that some other fruits and veg are produced locally but mostly it is an area of bushveld.
The Waterberg sits just south of the tropic of Capricorn. The particular area I stayed was quite high in altitude, about 1000 -1500m above sea level. The weather in September was lovely just coming into Spring so mostly warm and sunny during the day , cool overnight and little no rain. However the landscape just coming out of winter was barren and sparse, occasional trees just starting to blossom and bud. The advantage was that this made for easy game viewing. I would hope to go in autumn next time which I was told has similar weather but to see everything green and lush after the summer rains would be a treat I guess.
I was so excited when I saw some Impala soon after entering the reserve on my way to the first lodge I was staying at. Of course I soon learnt that they are very common but they held me in thrall on the many subsequent sightings.
The first lodge I stayed at, the Nest, was sited in a flat area – at this time of year it was an oasis in an almost desert like landscape.
My room was set to one side of the main lodge. It was so lovely albeit I had to share it with a bird that, despite everyone’s best efforts to scare it off, kept returning to perch in the roof – So glad of the mossie netting at least I knew if it pooped through the night I would not get splattered in bird shit! Of course I welcomed the friendly gecko. Actually that is another benefit to travelling at this time of year no mossies. It is also a low risk area for malaria generally.
An early am cuppa was always welcome as I looked out from my patio into the bush
The great thing about an overnight flight from the UK was that I was at the lodge for lunch, time to unpack have a shower and then out on my first expedition riding out into the bush finishing with my first experience of a sundowner ( a really great G&T – good job we were getting the jeep home and not riding)back and my first SA sunset.
We just took off the horses tack and they headed back home themselves . This was my first horse , he was perfectly slow -just right given that I had now been awake for 30 hours or so. But it was my one and only time on him as next day I found my perfect 2 horses for the next few days. Both were a mixture of Boerperd ( SA native horse) crossed with Frisians . Truly fab creatures. They live out in the bush for a lot of the time and so the wild animals do not see them as a threat. This allows you to get really close at times.
Some photos all taken whilst on horseback whilst I was at the Nest. I hope I’ve identified the less recognisable animals correctly but if not please correct me if you spot any mistakes.
These are all Plains Zebra
Circling Rhino quietly so we could move in closer. Of course Rhino are one of the big 5.
These two White Rhinos are Sophie and her calf Wolverdance . I will post more info about the Waterberg Rhinos later in the report . My heart was pounding at first but I relaxed enough to enjoy them.
Dad Erwyn who was so not bothered he lay down and went to sleep once he had decided we posed no threat.
Sable antelope – I think one of the most endangered of the African antelope.
Blue wildebeest – one thing I remember the guide telling me that the collective noun for wildebeest is an “implausibility” given the famous massive migrations it eems to me to be an oxymoron
Blesbok
Pumbaa !! Absolutely hilarious animals – loved them.
Whilst at this first lodge I generally rode x 2 day, a total of about 5 hours, the pm ride always finishing in a different place and with the same hefty gin and tonic sundowner. The horses sometimes had a bathe either in the dust or water before they headed home without us.
Most of the guests come to ride the horses but not all and there are lots of other activities such as game drives, night drives, bush walks, off site excursions etc. available. Game drives in other reserves that have more of the Big 5 e.g. ellies, lions etc. . I wanted to do a bush walk to get up close to the Rhino’s on foot and was lucky enough to have the opportunity. The white rhinos in the reserve are not kept in any enclosures but there is an element of human interaction for many reasons. A few years ago the family lost 3 rhinos through poaching. Since then they and other reserves in the area have put measures in place to try to stop it happening again.
So after safety briefing and a check that I was able to sit quietly (no panicking or screaming allowed) and do as I was told we got up close and personal out in the bush. I have to say that I was a little nervous but trusted Fred the guide who understands these magnificent creatures body language after working with them for years . Here are a few photos – I have so many. Unfortunately I was taking pics directly into the sun but we could hardly ask the rhinos to move to get better shots !
We were so privileged that they felt safe enough to wallow in the mud as we watched
Some warthogs were also enjoying a mud bath
These guys were was very interested in us as we sat quietly on the ground,
I love this photo as two youngish rhinos appear to be communicating with Fred,
And here is Skewy (aptly named}mwho decided that she would investigate the jeep
I won’t go into all the details of the protection in this area but now during the risky hours of night / early am the rhinos have armed guards with them in the bush. To do this they have to ensure they all come into a central place at the end of the day ( they do this by feeding them ) . A pragmatic decision which is reaping rewards. They are then free to move off but the guards can follow easily them during the night. Otherwise it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack in 000’s of hectares. The poaching of rhino in SA is increasing again, and I was told that the SA government currently does little to stop it. As well as the traditional use of horn in Asian medicine another main market is Vietnam where the newly rich see grated rhino horn sprinkled into champagne as a status symbol . It’s really hard to put into words just how terrible rhino poaching is Currently rhino horn generates a higher market price than platinum. More info here.
www.waterbergrhino.com/
The rhinos coming together at night so the armed guards can keep them safe
Unsung hero
The warthogs are also taking advantage of this arrangement , and were extremely funny to watch as they whizzed in and out snatching a mouthful of lucerne or rhino food when they can. Generally the horses keep a respectful distance.
So after 4 wonderful nights I moved on to another lodge within the reserve which was much higher up in the hills. More to come....
The Waterberg Biosphere is in the north of South Africa close (ish) to Botswana and about 5 hours drive west of Kruger. It is about 3 hours drive NW of OR Tambo airport, a drive which takes you past the outskirts of Pretoria. This map shows the location.
It seems to me that it remains an area that is still somewhat off the tourist’s radar both national and international Formally mostly a cattle ranching economy which devastated the ecology, some landowners have re- instated the habitat and game and consequently tourism has been boosted. I did see some arable farming as I travelled through e.g. peach farming and signs that some other fruits and veg are produced locally but mostly it is an area of bushveld.
The Waterberg sits just south of the tropic of Capricorn. The particular area I stayed was quite high in altitude, about 1000 -1500m above sea level. The weather in September was lovely just coming into Spring so mostly warm and sunny during the day , cool overnight and little no rain. However the landscape just coming out of winter was barren and sparse, occasional trees just starting to blossom and bud. The advantage was that this made for easy game viewing. I would hope to go in autumn next time which I was told has similar weather but to see everything green and lush after the summer rains would be a treat I guess.
I was so excited when I saw some Impala soon after entering the reserve on my way to the first lodge I was staying at. Of course I soon learnt that they are very common but they held me in thrall on the many subsequent sightings.
The first lodge I stayed at, the Nest, was sited in a flat area – at this time of year it was an oasis in an almost desert like landscape.
My room was set to one side of the main lodge. It was so lovely albeit I had to share it with a bird that, despite everyone’s best efforts to scare it off, kept returning to perch in the roof – So glad of the mossie netting at least I knew if it pooped through the night I would not get splattered in bird shit! Of course I welcomed the friendly gecko. Actually that is another benefit to travelling at this time of year no mossies. It is also a low risk area for malaria generally.
An early am cuppa was always welcome as I looked out from my patio into the bush
The great thing about an overnight flight from the UK was that I was at the lodge for lunch, time to unpack have a shower and then out on my first expedition riding out into the bush finishing with my first experience of a sundowner ( a really great G&T – good job we were getting the jeep home and not riding)back and my first SA sunset.
We just took off the horses tack and they headed back home themselves . This was my first horse , he was perfectly slow -just right given that I had now been awake for 30 hours or so. But it was my one and only time on him as next day I found my perfect 2 horses for the next few days. Both were a mixture of Boerperd ( SA native horse) crossed with Frisians . Truly fab creatures. They live out in the bush for a lot of the time and so the wild animals do not see them as a threat. This allows you to get really close at times.
Some photos all taken whilst on horseback whilst I was at the Nest. I hope I’ve identified the less recognisable animals correctly but if not please correct me if you spot any mistakes.
These are all Plains Zebra
Circling Rhino quietly so we could move in closer. Of course Rhino are one of the big 5.
These two White Rhinos are Sophie and her calf Wolverdance . I will post more info about the Waterberg Rhinos later in the report . My heart was pounding at first but I relaxed enough to enjoy them.
Dad Erwyn who was so not bothered he lay down and went to sleep once he had decided we posed no threat.
Sable antelope – I think one of the most endangered of the African antelope.
Blue wildebeest – one thing I remember the guide telling me that the collective noun for wildebeest is an “implausibility” given the famous massive migrations it eems to me to be an oxymoron
Blesbok
Pumbaa !! Absolutely hilarious animals – loved them.
Whilst at this first lodge I generally rode x 2 day, a total of about 5 hours, the pm ride always finishing in a different place and with the same hefty gin and tonic sundowner. The horses sometimes had a bathe either in the dust or water before they headed home without us.
Most of the guests come to ride the horses but not all and there are lots of other activities such as game drives, night drives, bush walks, off site excursions etc. available. Game drives in other reserves that have more of the Big 5 e.g. ellies, lions etc. . I wanted to do a bush walk to get up close to the Rhino’s on foot and was lucky enough to have the opportunity. The white rhinos in the reserve are not kept in any enclosures but there is an element of human interaction for many reasons. A few years ago the family lost 3 rhinos through poaching. Since then they and other reserves in the area have put measures in place to try to stop it happening again.
So after safety briefing and a check that I was able to sit quietly (no panicking or screaming allowed) and do as I was told we got up close and personal out in the bush. I have to say that I was a little nervous but trusted Fred the guide who understands these magnificent creatures body language after working with them for years . Here are a few photos – I have so many. Unfortunately I was taking pics directly into the sun but we could hardly ask the rhinos to move to get better shots !
We were so privileged that they felt safe enough to wallow in the mud as we watched
Some warthogs were also enjoying a mud bath
These guys were was very interested in us as we sat quietly on the ground,
I love this photo as two youngish rhinos appear to be communicating with Fred,
And here is Skewy (aptly named}mwho decided that she would investigate the jeep
I won’t go into all the details of the protection in this area but now during the risky hours of night / early am the rhinos have armed guards with them in the bush. To do this they have to ensure they all come into a central place at the end of the day ( they do this by feeding them ) . A pragmatic decision which is reaping rewards. They are then free to move off but the guards can follow easily them during the night. Otherwise it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack in 000’s of hectares. The poaching of rhino in SA is increasing again, and I was told that the SA government currently does little to stop it. As well as the traditional use of horn in Asian medicine another main market is Vietnam where the newly rich see grated rhino horn sprinkled into champagne as a status symbol . It’s really hard to put into words just how terrible rhino poaching is Currently rhino horn generates a higher market price than platinum. More info here.
www.waterbergrhino.com/
The rhinos coming together at night so the armed guards can keep them safe
Unsung hero
The warthogs are also taking advantage of this arrangement , and were extremely funny to watch as they whizzed in and out snatching a mouthful of lucerne or rhino food when they can. Generally the horses keep a respectful distance.
So after 4 wonderful nights I moved on to another lodge within the reserve which was much higher up in the hills. More to come....