We didn't stay long enough to draw too many conclusions about Berg-en-Dal but I'd certainly consider another visit. We got up reasonably early and were greeted to a rather dull overcast day...not what we'd been hoping for! We took a walk around the trail inside the camp to give us a feel for the place, a peep at what was on offer if we decided to come back and to compare the various positions and types of accommodation there was on offer. To be honest there wasn't that much advantage having a perimeter fence view, after all it would be dark most of the time we'd be in the room anyway however, it might be quieter and more private , well as far as other humans are concerned.
There wasn't too much avian activity but the one bird I was delighted to see was a few Brown-headed Parrots. I have seen them at long distance before when visiting The Gambia where they are on the bird guides speciality list which helps sell their services. Here they were right outside our door and posing nicely too.
A great start to my day but nothing compared to what followed as we journeyed across to Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp!
What a drive that turned out to be!
We didn't take the most direct route, we had all day to get there after all.
I decided I wanted to take the local gravel roads around Berg-en Dal then head up the tar road to Afsaal picnic site which had been reported as serving the best bacon, egg and cheese roosterkoek ( a grilled bread bun) in the park. Ideal for a breakfast stop then!
Delicious and not expensive it was but we had to wait some time to get one. The place was heaving!
When booking our trip I hadn't realised that we were visiting during the school holidays for the first week, not only that but our first day was a national holiday.....Heritage Day!
Oops! We were only spending a limited amount of time in the south of the park to avoid crowds and I'd gone and booked a busy week. Too late now.
Moving on well fed, we were soon into some fabulous sightings. Off the tar road we saw my first ever Klipspringers thanks to a handful of cars that had stopped to look. I'd have missed them otherwise.
Likewise a sighting of Rhino right next to the road was shared with just three or four cars.
I could live with those sort of numbers! The tar roads were supposedly the busiest.
We ventured off down a gravel route and then I found out what things could get like.
The road was totally blocked by all those trying to get a better view. What of? A dead Impala hanging in a tree. A Leopard's dinner in waiting but no Leopard in sight. These folk were waiting for the moment it returned and were prepared to spend an age doing so. The big cats are the be all and end all for some. I was instantly annoyed at their selfish attitude in blocking the road but I eventually got through. Mr Grumpy was being counselled by his more tolerant wife but it was soon forgotten when we had our next sighting and this time all to ourselves!
Amazing to see these magnificent beasts so close to the car. We went on to see over a dozen during the course of the journey which was truly amazing as I had expected them to be hard to find.
There was still more to come though....much more!
A stop at Biyamiti Weir was very special. You can park on the road with the water at eye level.
Game hopefully will come down to drink at the edge of the pool beyond the wall.
Waterbuck were there when we stopped.
A Malachite Kingfisher was sat just a few feet away.
Amazing eye level views of a Black Crake, a normally shy and confiding bird but hidden in the car the bird approached to within a few feet.
and all the time the occasional odd sound.
A snort it seemed.
Then all was revealed!
I could have spent hours there but I was moved on, big style.
You don't argue with these characters, especially if they have young ones around.
We decided it was time to leave.
Our next stop was forced when a herd of Buffalo decided to cross the road in front of us.
They don't hurry if a car is there either, taking their time, often it seemed with a big bull taking the role of blocking the road whilst the herd crossed.
There was just so much to see and witness and amazingly with no other cars to share it with.
Next up a Spotted Hyena, again all to ourselves!
All this in the crowded south and on Heritage Day! We later found out that both the southern entry gates to the park had been closed to further day visitors as the maximum number of allowed entries had been passed. They must all be in the picnic sites as far as we could see!
The next major sight was one that took me totally by surprise, it was one of my best ever.
No, not the Natal Spurfowl that I had spent several minutes waiting to try and get a clear shot of.
Well I wasn't to know how common and widespread they are was I? Had I known I couldn't have stopped for so long but in doing so missed the opportunity for the following shot.
Yes, Wild Dog! one of the rarest mammals in the park with an estimated total of less than 300.
It just emerged out of the bushes and started to trot alongside the road. I hurriedly put the car in reverse and overtook it, stopping just in time as it came to a hot right in front of us.
What a day this was turning out to be, the only problem was how to top it and this was only day one.
It was starting to get late so we moved on at a slightly faster pace now ignoring anything that we'd seen before, however, I couldn't resist this shot of a mother and baby Giraffe not far from our next stop over at Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp.
The baby is so young it still has it's umbilical cord attached.
It was a real WOW of a day but we were ready to settle in to our new camp for the next three nights, sit back with a sundowner and reflect on the day whilst watching the flames from our Braii gradually reducing in size ready to cook our first meal of the trip.
T.B.C.
There wasn't too much avian activity but the one bird I was delighted to see was a few Brown-headed Parrots. I have seen them at long distance before when visiting The Gambia where they are on the bird guides speciality list which helps sell their services. Here they were right outside our door and posing nicely too.
A great start to my day but nothing compared to what followed as we journeyed across to Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp!
What a drive that turned out to be!
We didn't take the most direct route, we had all day to get there after all.
I decided I wanted to take the local gravel roads around Berg-en Dal then head up the tar road to Afsaal picnic site which had been reported as serving the best bacon, egg and cheese roosterkoek ( a grilled bread bun) in the park. Ideal for a breakfast stop then!
Delicious and not expensive it was but we had to wait some time to get one. The place was heaving!
When booking our trip I hadn't realised that we were visiting during the school holidays for the first week, not only that but our first day was a national holiday.....Heritage Day!
Oops! We were only spending a limited amount of time in the south of the park to avoid crowds and I'd gone and booked a busy week. Too late now.
Moving on well fed, we were soon into some fabulous sightings. Off the tar road we saw my first ever Klipspringers thanks to a handful of cars that had stopped to look. I'd have missed them otherwise.
Likewise a sighting of Rhino right next to the road was shared with just three or four cars.
I could live with those sort of numbers! The tar roads were supposedly the busiest.
We ventured off down a gravel route and then I found out what things could get like.
The road was totally blocked by all those trying to get a better view. What of? A dead Impala hanging in a tree. A Leopard's dinner in waiting but no Leopard in sight. These folk were waiting for the moment it returned and were prepared to spend an age doing so. The big cats are the be all and end all for some. I was instantly annoyed at their selfish attitude in blocking the road but I eventually got through. Mr Grumpy was being counselled by his more tolerant wife but it was soon forgotten when we had our next sighting and this time all to ourselves!
Amazing to see these magnificent beasts so close to the car. We went on to see over a dozen during the course of the journey which was truly amazing as I had expected them to be hard to find.
There was still more to come though....much more!
A stop at Biyamiti Weir was very special. You can park on the road with the water at eye level.
Game hopefully will come down to drink at the edge of the pool beyond the wall.
Waterbuck were there when we stopped.
A Malachite Kingfisher was sat just a few feet away.
Amazing eye level views of a Black Crake, a normally shy and confiding bird but hidden in the car the bird approached to within a few feet.
and all the time the occasional odd sound.
A snort it seemed.
Then all was revealed!
I could have spent hours there but I was moved on, big style.
You don't argue with these characters, especially if they have young ones around.
We decided it was time to leave.
Our next stop was forced when a herd of Buffalo decided to cross the road in front of us.
They don't hurry if a car is there either, taking their time, often it seemed with a big bull taking the role of blocking the road whilst the herd crossed.
There was just so much to see and witness and amazingly with no other cars to share it with.
Next up a Spotted Hyena, again all to ourselves!
All this in the crowded south and on Heritage Day! We later found out that both the southern entry gates to the park had been closed to further day visitors as the maximum number of allowed entries had been passed. They must all be in the picnic sites as far as we could see!
The next major sight was one that took me totally by surprise, it was one of my best ever.
No, not the Natal Spurfowl that I had spent several minutes waiting to try and get a clear shot of.
Well I wasn't to know how common and widespread they are was I? Had I known I couldn't have stopped for so long but in doing so missed the opportunity for the following shot.
Yes, Wild Dog! one of the rarest mammals in the park with an estimated total of less than 300.
It just emerged out of the bushes and started to trot alongside the road. I hurriedly put the car in reverse and overtook it, stopping just in time as it came to a hot right in front of us.
What a day this was turning out to be, the only problem was how to top it and this was only day one.
It was starting to get late so we moved on at a slightly faster pace now ignoring anything that we'd seen before, however, I couldn't resist this shot of a mother and baby Giraffe not far from our next stop over at Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp.
The baby is so young it still has it's umbilical cord attached.
It was a real WOW of a day but we were ready to settle in to our new camp for the next three nights, sit back with a sundowner and reflect on the day whilst watching the flames from our Braii gradually reducing in size ready to cook our first meal of the trip.
T.B.C.
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