DAY 1:
Up early ready for the first day of the tour:
showered, shaved and packed ready for group breakfast
at 7am. Last night we all met together for the
first time and Alfie and Sabine had briefed us
on the basics of the tour.
At 8 am we were off in the truck (or the Mothership,
as I liked to call it) for a hot and dusty drive
to Kruger National Park, along with our supplies
of food, water, soda and cheap beer. The truck
had a large side lift for all off us to get inside,
roll-up windows, lots of storage space and plenty
of room for our three wheelchair users and three
crutch users. The seating was high enough off
the ground to give us a better view than people
in any other vehicles. Along with us tourists
(me, Karin, Liz, Nick, Joe, Sonja B and Sonya
V) we also had the benefit of Jessica the nurse.
After a roadside lunch we arrived at the Crocodile
Bridge campsite at 4 in the afternoon. By now
the whole group was chatting and very excited
about the 8 days ahead.
The campsite was a pleasant surprise: big twin-bedded
tents, one with its own ramp (the others made
accessible with Alfie’s own ramps), fridge,
electric fan, wardrobe and decking veranda.
Sheer luxury! The accessible toilets were only
a short way up the path, with a wheel-in shower.
We dumped our bags, raided the bar and got ready
for the evening meal around the truck.
This was the first time I’d eaten Gemsquash,
South Africa’s best kept secret, all buttery
and smooth. By the time I’d eaten the
baked potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, BBQ chicken
and salad I was full to burst.
Then after a few beers it was off to bed at
9pm ready for the 5.30am start in the morning.
DAY 2:
The early rise was a bit of a struggle (being
the city lad I am), but I managed it. We all
dragged ourselves into the truck, wiping the
sleep from our eyes. On the road through the
park Alfie and Sabine were eagle-eyed stopping
the truck every time an animal could be seen:
zebra, impala, warthog, kudu, elephant, baboons,
giraffe and wildebeest! All seen in the space
of 2 hours!
Sabine shared her extensive knowledge of the
animals and their habits. For example, did you
know that a giraffe has the same number of vertebrae
as a human, despite its size?
Then back to the Crocodile Bridge campsite for
breakfast, then off again through the park on
our way to the next site.
By this time it was starting to sink in that
here we were, this group of people with mobility
needs, doing a safari in the same way as non-disabled
people: travelling in a truck, sleeping in tents,
cooking over open fires, helping each other
if there was a problem. I loved it. Alfie and
Sabine were very welcoming of any suggestions
to improve access, even though they’d
clearly given the trip a lot of planning, effort
and investment already.
When we arrived at Skukuza it quickly became
apparent that the level of access wasn’t
quite as good as Crocodile Bridge: the toilets
were further away and there was more uneven
ground to deal with, but the bungalow Alfie
had hired did have a wheel-in shower and accessible
loo.
While everyone else went on the evening drive
(which was in an unadapted jeep run by the Skukuza
staff), I took the chance to rest and help out
with preparing the evening meal: traditional
South African potjie (pronounced “poy-kee”),
a layered dish cooked over an open fire in a
cauldron.
By the time it was cooked the others had returned
from their game drive, tired and hungry, but
having spotted leopard, baboons, elephant, and
lion.
The potjie was delicious, swilled down with
red wine, and a tired group ready for bed.
DAY 3:
Up at 4 am ready for the 5.30 am game drive.
Because of the recent wet weather the plants
were relatively lush, and at times you could
almost believe you were driving through the
English countryside in a dry summer. That is
until you see a pack of lions looking at you
from the roadside!
The temperature today was 36 decrees Celsius
- so off came the shirts and trousers and on
with the shorts and vest. The fan in the tent
was very welcome during the night.
The drive this morning was very exciting -
we saw a pride of lions right by the side of
the road. They were only 5 feet away. Then later,
while I was half-asleep, Alfie shouted “Elephant
on the road!”. We turned the engine off
and coasted 100 metres down the road to get
closer. It was absolutely huge, and at first
it seemed it would walk right by the side of
the van, but instead it came right up to the
front then slowly disappeared into the bush.
We carried on to Skukuza for breakfast/lunch
and scoffed some leftover Potjie, bacon, eggs,
beans and bread. (There was a vegetarian option,
but hey, I deserved all that cholesterol!).
And to make up for the early mornings I took
an afternoon nap.
Then, refreshed but still getting used to the
39 degree heat, we took off at 4pm for some
more game spotting: more impala, baboons, and
warthogs, but unfortunately none of the Big
Five.
Back to camp, and a dinner of tacos and red
wine, chatting about the animals we’d
seen, the places and the people we’d encountered.
DAY 4:
Up at 6.30 am (practically a late morning!),
showered and packed, breakfast and off at 8am.
Today we’re off to Tamboti camp, where
we’ll be staying for the night in a bush
camp. The drive was a little frustrating, with
hardly any sightings. Then all of a sudden three
elephants appear only 10 yards away, munching
their way through the foliage.
Then, frustration again. But then we spotted,
of all things, a pack of dung beetles hard at
work on an elephant dung pile! They were hilarious.
Honest.
At Tamboti we were again in tents, this time
under the trees on a bank overlooking a dry
river bed, where we could see hyena coming up
to the fence scavenging.
Dinner was bangers and mash, and we sat around
on the balcony joking and relaxing until bedtime.
Just as it was getting dark we saw a badger
under the decking. Liz and I, coming from the
UK, thought it looked cute. But then Sabine
rushed past us with two crutches ready to defend
us. Apparently it was a Honey Badger, which
are terribly aggressive and can even bring down
a large cat. They do it by biting off their
genitals and letting them bleed to death. Which
gave me a new respect for wildlife, thats for
sure!
DAY 5:
Up early again for a 5.30 game drive. Just 5
minutes out of the campsite we saw a huge horned
wildebeest running straight for the truck! Then
10 minutes later a leopard was seen slinking
along the roadside behind some bushes.
We drove to the Hoedspruit Research and Breeding
Centre for Endangered Species. We managed to
get into two of their jeeps (with the aid of
their built-in ramp to get us to a transfer
height for the seats). We drove round the centre
looking at the animals they were breeding and
the “inbred” animals they were looking
after, including king cheetah, blue crane birds,
wild dogs, lions and leopards.
At the campsite at Tshukudu Game Reserve we
were warned to stay in the lighted areas - this
was REAL bush camping and wild animals were
nearby.
This time we were staying in a 2 bed roomed
hut with its own bathroom - and with the bath
seat Alfie had brought with him I was sorted.
That evening we visited the Nyani Shangaan cultural
village. Axon Khosa, a local Shangaan man, had
used his grandfather’s knowledge to revive
and educate people about traditional tribe life.
The tour included lectures on village life,
how the huts are built, traditions and a shared
meal.
Then, off to the bush camp and bed.
DAY 6:
In the morning we visited the main Reserve Lodge
to walk with a cheetah and leopard! I even plucked
up the courage to stroke them. They had both
been raised with humans and were relatively
safe to be with. The adult lions at the reserve
had begun to hunt on their morning walks with
the staff, and it wasn’t safe to be with
them without a fence between us.
That afternoon I took the chance to have a nap,
and in the evening it was back to the lodge
for a traditional Boma - a meal in an enclosed
circle, open to the stars. Beauty, the chef,
introduced the meal and the dishes she’d
prepared: including ostrich, ribs, boerewors
sausage, salad and a blissful bread pudding.
Hilda, the unofficial hostess, kept us entertained
and made sure everything ran smoothly, regaling
us with her life story.
DAY 7:
Another early start, driving out with Duncan
(our guide) who got out of the truck and pointed
to a still water pool saying there was a Crocodile.
We couldn’t see it so he walked up to
the water, waved a stick around and... all of
a sudden the Croc surfaced and swam straight
to Duncan (who quickly stepped back into the
truck). Later he got out again and brought us
samples of the local plants, including some
leaves that are so abrasive you can use them
as sandpaper.
Then along came an elephant - one of the ones
the Reserve had tagged. It came right up to
the truck, putting its trunk into the cab, sniffing
and feeling around us all! There was a brief
panic grabbing our bags so it wouldn’t
run off with them, but after that we were all
in awe stroking this immense animal. (It managed
to get our wood and charcoal from the back of
the truck, but that was all).
Back to the camp, packed up and set off at 9.30
for God’s Window (one of the most awe-inspiring
views in South Africa). Unfortunately, by the
time we’d got there the rain and mist
were so thick we couldn’t see anything.
Instead we carried on to Pilgrim’s Rest,
a restored gold-mining town, dating back to
the first gold rush. We stopped off and did
some much needed shopping.
After we set off for Dullstroom where we were
staying the night in two large bungalows in
the town (ours had two adapted bathrooms on
the ground floor - one with a bath, the other
with a wheel-in shower). We settled down for
our last night together with hot & sour
chicken cooked by Sabine, red wine and chocolate
pudding. While it rained outside we shared our
stories of the week and reluctantly started
to say goodbye to the great friends we’d
made.
In the morning we drove back to Johannesburg
and said goodbye properly, hugging and handing
out email addresses. In all it had been an incredible
experience, a trip of a lifetime, and it would
take ages afterwards for it all to sink in.
DAVID COLLEY
UNITED KINGDOM
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