The Green Family Safari Tour 11-16 June 2012.
I met the Green family at there hotel in Durban and we began our safari tour from there once I have packed the vehicle, filled in indemnity forms and discussed the itinerary for the day.
We headed off to one of my favourite places Hluhluwe umfolozi game reserve the oldest Game reserve in Africa and home to Operation Rhino in the 1960’s.
After covering much History, social issues and general parts to South Africa and Kwa-Zulu Natal/Durban Surroundings we arrived at the Cat rehab center where we did a tour of the rehab and spent some time with the Cheetah brother Juba and Moyo.
This of course is so far from what any person would ever do that it always is special for the clients and myself.
Once we had finished with the cheetah we headed to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve for a Private Safari Tour with myself where we soon realised that the reserve was covered in Fires and Smoke due to controlled Winter burns. This is done to aid the vegetation regrowth/germination aswell as ensuring that the Dry Fuel gets burned off in case a wild fire enters and burns the whole game reserve down.
So the first day was very smokey but this did not really effect our sightings.
After some lunch and checking in we had a short rest and then they Greens headed out on a Night drive which was quiet but there were many Hyenas which was great.
A late dinner at 8pm we all went our separate was for the night and got up early for Day 2. Where we departed at 06:30 at first light to see what we could find.
Well it was a brilliant drive. Fresh Lions tracks, Wild dog Tracks and Scat meant we were close to the previous night activity.
We were lucky enough to catch the Wild dogs on the hunt but they quickly disappeared into the bush.
Minutes later a Hyena hot on the Dogs heals clearly trying to scavenge a meal which was great for us to see.
We had seen Buffalo close aswell as Rhino which was exciting but no elephants to that point.
After a late Breakfast (More like lunch) we rested and set out at 15:00 for 3 hours in search of Elephants and what a worth while wait is was a we tracked a breeding heard for a couple of Kilometers until we found them.
On mother gave us a nice show as she had a new born with her that we could not see because of the long grass until they crossed the road in front of us. Elephants had been knocked off the list!
We had many more great sightings even a lone Kudu Bull standing in the smoldering ash looking for his wife more than likely.
We returned for dinner and did some star gazing with my laser pointer. Then it was bed time.
Day 3:
On the third morning we had breakfast first and headed out to see some animals before going to a Zulu Cultural Village.
We did spot a Giraffe chewing a bone which was great as it really show how nature works! Gotta get that Calcium!
Once we got back onto the tar road after a little shopping for african curios, we made it to the Zulu Village in time for the “show”.
A great introduction in Zulu meant I was using all my Zulu skills to translate for my clients and I must say I did very well.
We then entered the Umuzi or Homestead and watched the young men making spears, Shields and the women showed us how to carry the traditional Zulu Pots on there heads.
We also visited the Traditional Healer the Inyanga and he showed us a few things he was making.
Then we entered a Hut and were taught some Zulu Customs like men go First and women make the beer etc.
Zulu Dancing time was the best as we also got to taste some Zulu Beer which was not bad, but the dancing was great.
We the departed for Durban where I would leave the clients for the night and collect them for the Drakensberg stretch of our Tour the following Morning.
Drakensberg, Bushman Paintings and Spioenkop Battlefield.
Buy 9am I had collected my clients for Durban for the Kwa-Zulu Natal Safari Tour to the Drakensberg and Spioenkop Battlefield.
We headed straight to Spioenkop with our intention of doing the battlefield but got a little side tracked with the Spioenkop Nature reserve where we saw Blesbok, Red Hartebeest, Waterbuck and others which we hadn’t seen so time went by and we left the Battlefield for the last morning.
Arriving at one of my favorite places in the World the Northern Drakensberg we check in and I bought some fire wood for us all as it was going to be cold. The clients had a beautiful Chalet which they loved and I roughed it a bit in my tent for the 2 nights.
Dinner was great and we went our separate ways to relive our day in our dreams.
The next morning we left at 07:30 for Royal Natal(Christmas) National Park where we hiked to the cascades and then the Bushman paintings which was great. we tried so hard to spot an Eland without any luck!!!
We returned to camp for lunch and later that day I took Morgan, Les and Linda’s son down to the river to try get some photographs of the Sunset. It was great conditions and we both got some great shots.
We returned and I got a fire going as it was cold.
Later meeting for dinner was great as it was warm in the restaurant and we had a good meal and a great desert which was a malva pudding.
The clients kindly offered for me to sit in there Chalet by the fire to warm up but I gratefully declined.
The final day was spent having a solid breakfast and then a drive to Spioenkop battlefields where the British lost many live for not much really a rocky Hill. When you are at the places there is always this airy feel as grave sites are scattered all over the place.
We didnt spend to much time there as we needed to get to the airport but we all experienced something which we will not forget!
A great Safari Tour with a great family and so much accomplished in such a short time. I’m sure the clients will have stories to tell when they get back to Minnesota, USA.
Tim Brown Tours
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