Tuesday
I did not quite realise how far it is from Satara to Shingwedzi when I made my reservation. But I also knew from experience that the road between Olifants and Mopani would probably be quiet, so I set my cruise control on 45km/hr and made good progress.
There is a section of the Olifants River near the Olifants Camp turn off that I love. It is one of my favourite birding spots. Today there were some Bee-eaters and a Black-backed Puffback. Next to the river I saw Yellow-billed Storks and a Goliath Heron.
At the point where the river turns away from the road, I saw a Saddle-billed Stork and a small group of Waterbuck.
The road between Olifants and Letaba was as quiet as I had expected. I did see a couple of large Elephant bulls.
I stopped at Letaba for a body break and a leg stretch. I wandered around the camp for a bit. It was great to see the new shop that had been built after the fire destroyed the previous shop some time ago. As usual there were lots of birds. I also spotted Collared Pratincoles flying across the riverbed. In the Letaba Riverbed I saw more Saddle-billed Storks and Waterbuck. As I walked along the fence I saw Tree Squirrels and an African Striped Skink.
I drove the little loop behind Letaba before I continued North. A large Hippo was out of the water.
There were lots of birds near the water, including an African Spoonbill and a Little Bee-eater.
But time waits for no one and I had to push on to Shingwedzi.
I stopped next to the river just outside Letaba when I heard the call of a bird. It was an Icterine Warbler. Only my second ever sighting of this bird and first photo.
I had to stop on the Letaba Bridge. When I stop here I am always reminded of one of the happiest days I’ve had in Kruger.
Today there were a few birds in the river bed. The birds included a Goliath Heron, Common Sandpiper and a few Open-billed Storks.
There were also some Crocodiles as well as a few Mozambique Tilapia.
Somewhere north of Letaba I saw something under a bush.
I thought I would ahev seen lots of these pretty birds by now, but it took 10 nights before I saw these two.
I was excited when I saw the first Tsessebes. I stopped at Mopani for a leg stretch and this view.
It is impossible to drive past the two iconic landmarks north of Mopani without stopping. First the Baobab Tree and then the Tropic of Capricorn.
There were a few Zebras against a rocky outcrop.
There was a herd of Elephants at a small waterhole in a river bed. The Tinyfant was seeking shade next to its mother. A group of Tsessebes with a baby also came down to one of the puddles to drink.
European Rollers were extremely scarce during this trip. I only saw 4 the entire time I was in Kruger.
Just before the turn off to Shingwedzi there was a delightful roadblock.
I saw quite a few animals in the Shingwedzi River bed.
I’d been to Shingwedzi as a day visitor, but this would be the first time I would sleep over in this camp. My first impressions were extremely positive. It is a clean, neat and well maintained camp. Becaue I would only be staying for two nights, I did not camp, but booked a hut.
After unpacking the few things I would need for the two nights, I had lunch at the restaurant.
Satara to Shingwedzi is +- 150km, and after such a long drive, I did not go for an afternoon drive. I went for a swim and relaxed at the hut. I had an early braai and then went on the night drive.
The night drive was very quiet. Apparently there had been lions all over the previous few days, but we only found one lioness towards the end of the drive. We did see an African Wildcat, and the guide found me the bird I had been looking for – a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl. Fortunately it was fairly close to the road as I only had my cell phone with me to take a photo.
As much as I love camping, I was very happy to sleep in a bed after a very long, but very good day.
Wednesday
The destination for today was Groovlei Dam. I headed out of camp early and drove along the S50. I’ve never driven much further than the hide, and the road was a delightful surprise, The road surface is in a really great condition. It’s twisty path runs all along the river and every now and then I could see Crocodiles in the puddles in the river, In one puddle I counted 20 large crocodiles in and next to the puddle. A large Hippo was still browsing, but he was very skittish when he saw my car.
I saw many Yellow-billed Storks and Grey Herons along the River. An Elephant was browsing and a young Giraffe was curious.
I stopped at the Nyawutsi Hide. It was the first time I’ve been to this hide. I had three previous opportunities, but all my attempts have been derailed in some shape or form. The hide is very isolated, especially being so close to the border. It is a lovely setting, and there were quite a few birds – A Striated Heron flew past and little Fire Finches were foraging below the hide. This Arrow-marked Babbler posed for a photo for a change.
There were also a few Water Think-knees, and I almost did not see the Goliath Heron
There was clouds in the sky, and it was a rather gloomy morning, but it added to the enjoyment of the drive. This section of the S50 may now also be one of my favourite roads in the Park, On the way to Grootvlei I saw large groups of Waterbuck, more Elephants and a lone Hyena.
I parked my car at Grootvlei Dam and waited, There was a group of Zebras and they were joined by a Marabou Stork,
The combination of the dark ground and the gloomy skies made the colours of the Zebras pop. They looked really pretty and clean. Well, clean from the ankels up at least..
The Zebras and Marabou did not seem bothered by each other.
A Tawny Eagle landed in a tree on the far side. An African Fish Eagle looked gorgeous in the low light.
It started to drizzle quite heavily, but it just added to the enjoyment of the morning. The drizzle did not last long and did not affect the activity around the dam.
The Fish Eagle then flew across the dam.
A small group of Waterbuck came to drink.
The large ram followed them a little while later. He was a magnificent animal.
The Waterbuck were joined by a few Kudus.
More Zebras came to drink.
The action at the dam was non-stop, as I had hoped it would be. The hippos peeked as me with just their eyes sticking out above the water. Little Sparrows and Buntings were looking for food along the water’s edge. They were joined by a few Thick-knees. An Impala came to drink and then made a quick exit.
After a couple of relaxing hours at Grootvlei Dam I headed back to Shingwedzi. The Crocodiles were still basking. Elephants were feeding in the river.
I saw one of the most magnificent Waterbuck Bulls I have seen in a long time. Along one of the little loops close to camp there was a little Tree Squirrel with a snack.
A little further there was a Southern Ground Hornbill busy preening.
I decided to drive to Red Rocks. Along the way I saw a Buffalo with a white face, probably from old age.
I saw a herd of Blue Wildebeest in the river bed. They had a few babies.
The little ones were too cute when they crossed the road.
The view at the look out point at Red Rocks is always beautiful.
I drove back to Shingwedzi via the R52. How cute is this little Giraffe?
Another Giraffe was feeding. I just loved his facial expressions as he chewed!
Blue Waxbills and Little Bee-eaters are some of the prettiest birds and I saw quite a few.
From there I drove the bottom part of the S56, another new road for me. This road was also quiet, but I did see a few Elephants, Buffalos and Kudus.
There were lots of European Bee-eaters and a few Lilac-breasted Rollers. A Bateleur glided over my car and a White-bellied Sunbird sang from the top of a tree.
Back at camp I had a relaxing braai. There was a lot of entertainment and company. There were a few African Striped Skinks. They are pretty little animals.
Just the smallest suggestion of food brought the birds close. And they were all extremely pretty.
A cute little Tree Squirrel was representing the mammals.
I heard the Starlings lose their minds and went to investigate. I quickly saw what they were excited about – a Rock Monitor. It was fascinating to see him go from tree to tree looking for something to eat.
The Starlings tried their best to deter him, but he was not bothered by their divebombing. 
I went for short drive later in the afternoon. A Saddle-billed Stork was relaxing in the Shingwedzi Riverbed and an Elephant was feeding next to the river.
I had to stop for a couple of roadblocks just before the gate.
I went for a short evening walk. I saw a few Sundowner Moths and Harvester Termites. There were lots of Wall Crab Spiders.
I also saw a couple of Darkling Beetles and this large Tyrant Ground Beetle.
Another good day in Kruger came to an end.
Shingwedzi is a fantastic Camp. I loved the two nights I’d spent here, and am looking forward to many more.