Day 1 Drifters South Africa 18-day Tour

30 August 2011

Johannesburg to Balule Game Reserve  

Milton Mpache knocked on our door at 5:30 to make sure we were up. We were. I think Kirsty thought it was Christmas and woke up several times during the night and again at 5 so she was ready. Breakfast was ready at 6, and once we had loaded our gear into the truck we tucked in. Departure time was 6:30 am. 

Our guide, driver, chef, and fountain of knowledge was Milton, a Zimbabwean standing 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide. When he talked, we listened. And his voice rarely climbed higher than a whisper. After a brief schematic of the truck, designed to sit 16 comfortably so 7 was no problem, we received our agenda: first pee stop in 2 hours as we headed towards the world famous Kruger National Park. 

The first pit stop was at a roadside gas station just as we entered Mpumulanga Province. South Africa has 9 provinces, each with a provincial capital and premier. We bought some water, pop, and biltong (South African beef jerky), and were told our next stop would be in Lydenburg, 2 ½ hours away.

Biltong - a damn good snack 

As we neared Lydenburg the terrain of the country around us changed. We left the open spaces, only broken up by tiny ramshackle townships and mines, and entered a land of green rolling hills, idyllic streams, and the sense that the best was yet to come. We rolled in to town just before 11, stopping briefly to go to the bathroom and still have enough time to find ourselves a safari hat each.

Talking with Milton as we enjoy a rest with a view 

We would be stopping next at Pilgrim’s Rest, a World Heritage Site, and our place for lunch. We weaved our way through the hills and valleys before turning into a viewpoint only minutes from Pilgrim’s Rest to view the valley below. Kirsty bought a hand-crafted wooden fruit bowl from one of the merchants as I snapped photos and before we knew it, we were walking into Scott’s Café in uptown Pilgrim’s Rest.

The locals and their wares

Kirsty and her first item for the house

Our first real pit stop - Pilgrim's Rest in the valley below 

Kirsty ordered a cheeseburger (boring) while I had a crepe stuffed with spiced lamb, vegetables, and mint sauce. If Heaven had a taste; this was it.

The gang at lunch

I bought a map and animal guide of Kruger Park and Kirsty bought a carved wooden mask and we headed for our next stop – Bourke’s Luck Potholes. The Potholes form where the Blyde and Freur rivers meet and a series of wooden bridges let you see the natural wonder from different vantage points. We spent around 30 minutes exploring, jumping from stone to stone to avoid pools, and capped off the visit with a much-needed ice cream.

The potholes themselves

The Blyde River

Anne, Kirsty, Barb and Ricky posing on the rocks

The river heading towards the canyon

Only minutes down the road we stopped at the Three Rondavels, so named because they resemble the huts many local tribes use. The Rondavels stand an impressive backdrop to the Blyde River Canyon, the third largest in the world and definitely the greenest. From our viewpoint we could see Kruger … but getting there wasn’t so straightforward.

The Three Rondavels - named after the tents they share a shape with

The Blyde River Canyon as it expands

Kirsty enjoying the sun and the scenery    

We came down from the hills into the grassy lowveld and continued on the final 2 hours of our journey to Andy’s Camp, a camp owned by Drifters in a private nature reserve sharing an unfenced border with Kruger. As we waited at the main gate, we got our first sighting of one of the Big 5 – the buffalo. Kirsty snapped off a couple of excellent photos before we headed down the dirt track. Light was fading and we needed to be at camp by 6:30. We paused briefly for some giraffes and zebras and finally pulled in to camp – 12 hours after we pulled away from the lodge in Jo’Burg.

The first sighting of one of the Big 5 - the Buffalo 

We met Joostie (You-stee), the lodge proprietor, and walked to our luxury tent. Each tent had two single beds, a deck, an en-suite bathroom with shower, and electricity. I think even my mom would have been comfortable there. We were told to keep the bathroom door closed and to keep the clip-link on the zippers when we left the tent to prevent the local troop of vervet monkeys from trying on our clothes. Milton cooked dinner – lamb chops, boerewors (sausage), and pap (a maize-based mash). We sat around the campfire enjoying a few beers before heading for bed at 10 knowing that breakfast would be served at 6:30 and we’d start our game walk at 7. 

At 3:30 we both woke up, needing extra covers and a trip to the bathroom. I was on bug duty anytime we’re on holiday and I went to the bathroom first. No bugs were found, however, we did have a lodger in the shape of a thick-tailed gecko. He sat comfortably in the corner and paid us no mind. Kirsty can deal with geckos so he wasn’t a problem to either of us. Kirsty eventually decided to call him Matisse.

Matisse in his quiet corner of our bathroom