Trip Report: Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: 12 to 21^st August 2006.

Vehicle 1: Mike Clark, wife Vicki and two daughters, Kelly and Robyn in a white Land Rover Discovery TD5 towing an Imagine Trailvan.

Vehicle 2: Mike Cliff and wife Estelle in a Land Rover Discovery TD5 towing an Oryx Off road Caravan.

Route: Home in Wilgeheuwel, then onto N 14 past Tarlton, Coligny, Biessiesvlei, Sannieshof, Delareyville, Vryburg, Kuruman (fuel) and Upington (fuel). From Upington to Twee Rivieren (fuel), Nossob (fuel), Unions End, Gharagab, back to Nossob and Twee Rivieren (fuel). We returned via Upington (fuel), Witsand, Kuruman, Vryburg (fuel) etc, etc home.

Saturday 12^th August 2006:

Met up on Hendrik Potgieter Road at the corner of Fredenharry street at 6am.

All systems GO. Breakfast was at the Spur in Vryburg. Arrived at Monate (Spitskop) some 10 kms outside Upington at 4pm. Booked in and camped down. Very impressive place. They have tame mongoose and lambs that wonder through the camp site. R 30.00 per person per night camping.

Supper: Chops and Wors braai with salads.

Sunday 13^th.

Breakfast: Amarula coffee, rusks, bacon and eggs.

The last 60 kms or so is dirt road and well corrugated. Set up camp at Twee Rivieren.

Supper: Beef Schwarmas and salad.

Monday 14^th.

Breakfast: Amarula coffee and rusks.

Off to Nossob. Set up camp at Nossob and shared with loads of ground squirrels and birds. Nossob now has 220 volt power, ice in the shop (but no wood… only briquettes) and a VERY cold swimming pool. However Nossob had a problem with water that was only fixed late afternoon. Sunset game drive showed loads of gemsbok, wildebeest, springbok, jackal, bat eared fox and lion but to name a few of the animals seen.

Supper: Roast leg of lamb with roast potatoes, spicy rice and roast veggies.

Jackal visited the campsites and wrecked everything that was not “bolted” down.

Tuesday 15^th.

Breakfast: Amarula coffee and rusks followed by “bubble and squeak” made from left-overs.

Spent most of the afternoon game drive at a water hole watching lions watch a skittish herd of wildebeest. En route back to camp we were held up by yet another lion, but this time in the road. She was a beautiful lioness and we managed to make it back to camp as they were closing the gates.

Supper: Cobb pizzas.

Wednesday 16^th.

Breakfast: Amarula coffee and rusks, and cold pizza .

Packed over from the caravan and trail van into the vehicles as we were going up to the Gharagab bush camp and trailers were not allowed. Left the ‘vans at Nossob and drove up to Union’s End. Awesome lion and leopard sighting en route. 32 kms of track driving to get to the lovely bush camp. Four bush tents that consist of a balcony that overlooks a well used water hole, kitchenette with gas stove and fridge, two single beds with bedding, a bathroom and a separate shower in each tent met us.

Supper: Fettucine with creamy ostrich fillet.

Thursday 17^th.

During the early hours a pride of lions visited the camp (as it is not fenced) and we received a pretty hair raising wake up call by them roaring outside my tent at 2:30am. They drank from the water hole and then moved on.

Breakfast: Amarula coffee, rusks and left over fillet.

A game drive showed loads of lion spore, but only a few gemsbuck and jackal.

Supper: Spare ribs and wors braai with salads with freshly baked bread. The resident ranger was invited to join us but didn’t arrive.

Friday 18^th.

Breakfast: Amarula coffee with rusks, and cereal.

Packed up and had to be out of the camp by 9am. Took a nice leisurely drive back to the main road (27 Kms) which was made special by by the dune crossings that we had to endure. Drove back to Nossob and made camp, once again in our caravan. To our dismay two families had joined our camp site, one on either side. With an almost empty Nossob camp site we had to have people camping right next to us! One of the adjoining parties made his way over and introduced himself to us, and bragged about how he had purposefully driven over and killed a jackal that was in the road that day. His reason for conducting himself in such a hideous manner was that he farms sheep in the Cape and the jackals kill his lambs, so it was pay back.

Supper: T-bone steaks, roast potatoes and salads.

Saterday 19^th.

Breakfast: Amarula coffee, rusks and left overs from the previous supper.

Packed up and drove back to Twee Rivieren via the Mata Mata short cut from Dikbaardskolk to Kamqua. At Twee Rivieren I reported the previous day’s boasting incident with the jackal to the SAPS and head ranger and gave the vehicles number plate details that I had copied down. I was consoled by the promise that the guilty party would be black listed from all SAN Parks. Feeling slightly better now that some form of justice would be done, Mike and I decided to spoil the SWAMBOs and booked into chalets as well as booked a park night game drive. The evening game drive was great in that we got a chance to see more of the nocturnal animals that we had missed so far. Supper was average in the restaurant.

Sunday 20^th.

Managed to get away and out of the park by 8am on our way home after….. amarula coffee, rusks and cerial. Whilst on the dirt road we came across the head ranger and his family in their bakkie, all dolled up for church. They were busy changing a flat tyre. As they were in their Sunday best attire we stopped and changed the tyre for them. Good deed done we continued on our way. Just after Upington we passed the WITSAND signboard, when the radio roared to life. It was Mike asking if we had ever been to Witsand as they hadn’t. We hadn’t either and so turned the vehicles around and bombed down the dirt road to the Witsand Nature Reserve. The 70kms as advertised became 96kms. SWAMBO took one look at the chalets and booked us in, much to the protest of myself and the caravan that by now was starting too sulk. R 1100.00 and loads of compromising Captain Morgan later I unpacked my clothes into the bedroom in one of the chalets. I must agree, but will never admit it, that the chalets were of the best that I have ever stayed in.

R80.00 rental per sand board soon saw us on the slopes of the white sand dunes. They seriously need to install an elevator to get us “ou toppies” to the top, however once the second wind and fifth beer kicked in fun was had by all.

Supper: Chop and chicken braai with braai bread and salads.

Monday 21^st.

After a quick breakfast of coffee (Amarula was used up with last nights coffee before bed), rusks, and han and cheese sandwiches we packed up and continued on our merry way home. A bit of a sand storm whilst on the dirt road reduced visability for a while, but hay… I’m going home!

Quick stop at the Kuruman Spur for lunch resulted in us getting back home at 4:30pm.

Distance traveled: 3075 kms.

Fuel used: 548.32 litres

Fuel consumption was high for a diesel but understandable as there was a head wind most of the time.

Good points:

1. VHF radios are definitely the way to go. Communication between both vehicles was always 5/5.
2. Captain Morgan.
3. Gharagab bush camp is an idealic way to spend a few days away from the hustle and bustle of the park.
4. The new Monate (Spitskop) camping grounds some 10 kms from Upington on the KTP road must have the best camping site ablutions in the country IMHO.

Bad points:

1. The idiot farmer that rode over the jackal. May the fleas of 1000 camels infest his pubic hair and may his fingers turn to fishhooks.
2. The price of diesel at the Kuruman Engen was R 7.23. This was by far the most expensive fuel purchased.