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During January or February of 1971 Brian, Vonnie, Helen and I went to Kruger Park....
Brian
at Magoebaskloof on the way to Phalaborwa, North/Eastern Transvaal. We
overnighted at the Lion Hotel at Phalaborwa where a coincidence occurred.....
There in the dining room was
Mervyn Johns (father of Glynis Johns) (Welsh Actor/actress), and I'd met him
10 or 12 years previously on the set of Day of the Triffids at Shepperton Film
studios
Up early the next morning - and off into Kruger Park at the Phalaborwa entrance - touring around and getting to Olifants Camp towards sundown... but first....
Impala
Spot
the hefalump...
aiming for Olifants Camp.....
which is upriver on
the right hand side amongst the rocks and koppies where the river turns to the
left
You
can see why Olifants Camp is so named...
Vonnie checked out the rooms and was amazed to find that each had a supply of
po's - I really don't know why she put one on her head (she also put on my
desert boots - chic!!) - can you imagine what's been in there.....??? Apparently
the story is - that they're provided so you don't need to trek to the communal
loo's during the night - if I remember rightly - all washing/toilets were
communal...?? Andy and Tabitha..... now you know where the "crazy streak" comes
from - it was there well before you were born!!
So then its sundowners - looking out at Africa from the lookout point - and...
can
you spot the 4 elephants... just right of centre - setting out to cross the
Olifants River....
this
is the same group a little later - without the zoom lense
Next day...
Water
Buck, and then...
we
started to see... Giraffe...
it
got quite competitive, getting the best shot...
but
then they started appearing....
everywhere....
but
aren't they great...??
bookends.....
family making a move for home...
don't
get left behind...
Heading back to Olifants Camp for the second night...
Storks, Cranes...??
Back to the Lookout - with drinks....
Spot
the elephant!!..... right in the centre, 1 inch up from the bottom, just crossed
some water and is about to cross the small island.
Sunsetting...... no herds crossing tonight..
...
but its a lovely evening....
Up the next morning - after breakfast in the cafeteria, Brian has to set up a "self-timer, group-photo"....
smoking then!!
And then it was on the road to the Exit Gate...
A
Vulture was the last animal we saw....
On
the road near Phalaborwa...
These
were the days before Air Con - so all windows open - even at 80 mph!! Let's get
home!!