6 February 2025
Today was camp moving day. When I booked my trip originally I was only going to stay at Twee Rivieren, Nossob, Grootkolk, Nossob and Twee Rivieren again. But with the postponement I was able to change my trip to include three nights in Mata Mata. I left Nossob just after 06h00. The sunrise was once again stunning.
It was incredible to see the puddles of water in the riverbed!
At Marie se Gat the riverbed looked like a lake!
There was a huge puddle a little further on, and I felt too nervous to navigate it, and I turned around. The rest of the road to Dikbaardskolk was fine with only one medium puddle to navigate.
The Long Dune Road is one of the most scenic roads in the Park. At first there were few sightings, but as I drove along, I saw Ostriches, Northern Black Korhaans and two Leopard Tortoises.
A little Steenbokkie was watching me nervously. There were also quite a few raptors. I saw Tawny Eagles, Kestrels, Lanner Falcons and PCGs. I also saw a few Black-winged Kites, my first for the trip.
But the Red Dunes stole the show. The road follows the contours of the landscape going up and down over the dunes. It reminded me of floating on a calm ocean with the waves gently lifting you up and down, lulling you into a completely relaxed state. The scenery was so beautiful, and along with the red “waves”, I melted into a puddle of happiness.
I also found a small flock of Burchell’s Sandgrouse drinking from puddles in the road.
When I reached the Auob Road I stopped at Kamqua Picnic site for a body break. There was a small herd of Springbok with babies. I saw my first Giraffes on the dune just before 13th Borehole. A beloved animal on a dune – one of my favourite things! I saw more Raffies as I drove towards Mata Mata
While driving between 13th and 14th Boreholes, something in a tree caught my eye. It was two Spotted Eagle Owls and a Barn Owl. I couldn’t get decent photos, but it was interesting to see the two owl species together like that.
I would see the Barn Owl every day after that, but the Eagle Owls disappeared. At 14th Borehole I saw a few Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters.
Butterflies have been a key feature during the trip, and there were loads of them at Craig Lockhart.
When I reached 14th Borehole, I saw two vehicles parked under the trees. As I approached, I wondered if they were there for a sighting or a coffee break. I quickly found my answer. She was fast asleep. She seemed oblivious (although I am sure she wasn’t!) to the rest of the world.
I went on a short night walk. I did not find much. I found one Huntsman spider and a couple of adult Ant Lions that looked like they were laying eggs.
There was a large Community Spider nest in a bush near the ablutions.
I was watching these active little creatures when I heard a sound behind me.
A massive beetle had landed behind me. It was at least 8cm long, if not bigger. I’ve never seen such a large beetle before.
7 February 2025
The next morning, I was the first one out of the gate. I drove slowly, enjoying the quiet of the early morning.
I was driving between Graig Lockhart and Dalkeith when I heard birds chattering in a rather alarmed manner. I stopped and scanned the bushes and quickly found the reason – a bright yellow Cape Cobra was moving through the bush.
The birds were really upset – I saw Starlings, a Crimson-breasted Shrike, a Marico Flycatcher, Drongos and a few others shouting at the snake. It is not the best view, but it was still obvious that this beautiful snake was not a small one. This Cape Cobra was not the only snake I found, but sadly it was the only live snake. The next day I found a dead Mole Snake near Dalkeith and few days later I found another dead snake just north of Confluence. It also looked like a Cape Cobra.
I couldn’t get enough of these lilies.
When I reached Dalkeith on my way back to camp I was met by an enchanting scene.
The Giraffes were a little nervous, but I waited patiently. My patience paid off and they finally came for a drink.
No matter how many times I see this, seeing a Giraffe drink remains one of the most special sightings to me. A Gemsbok gave me an intense stare while these Springbokkies could not have been more relaxed if they tried.
I saw something very special at Sitzas Waterhole. There were two adult Gemsbok and two babies!
There were loads of Springbok and Red Hartebeest and Blue Wildebeest babies all over the Park, but these were the only baby Gemsbok I had see at that stage. I was so thrilled to see these two youngsters. It was one of the highlights of my stay at Mata Mata.
When I arrived back at camp, I decided to move my tent to a different spot where I would hopefully have more shade. Two Sanparks Staff members helped me, and the move went quickly. Unfortunately, the wind picked up A LOT. There were strong gusts, and the wind took outs its anger on my poor tent. I soon realised that it would be impossible to relax and sleep in the tent that night. I went to reception and changed my two remaining nights at Mata Mata to a chalet. When I took down my tent, I found that the wind had cracked quite a few of my tent poles. I had to spend quite a bit of time taping them and I hoped they would be fine for my last three nights camping at Twee Rivieren (they were). I was annoyed at the change because I enjoy camping and this was an additional expense. But when it started raining during the night and when I took a nap in the airconditioned bedroom the next night my annoyance disappeared very quickly!
As the sun set the meerkat family came to the camp site. I’ve not really seen them around camp as much as the last time. They played in the riverbed just on the other side of the fence.
The little ones were playful and mischievous, and it was great fun to watch.
8 February 2025
The one thing I was nervous about this trip was that it was the raining season and the potential impact it could have on my trip. I’ve been stuck in mud before, and it was not something I enjoyed. It rained quite a bit during the night and it was still drizzling when I woke up. The rain stopped a little after 06h00 and I decided to put on my big girl pants and go for a drive. The road was mostly fine. There was water everywhere and many puddles on the road. But fortunately there were only three sections at Dalkeith and 14th Borehole that made me nervous, and as a result I took the “main” road back to camp. There was also a large “dam” at Craig Lockhart!
Today seemed to be the day for baby animals. The baby Springbokkies looked a little damp but very cute.
I also saw my first baby Giraffe of the trip.
The baby Blue Wildebeest seemed content to snuggle next to the adults.
Maybe they were not quite babies anymore, but the two young Gabar Goshawks I found were not adults either.
The parent was not far away.
I found the Spotted Eagle Owl family again and today I could get a few decent photos of the babies.
I can never get enough of Squeaky Toy nests. They are such architectural marvels.
A part of one had fallen to the ground. But on closer inspection I saw that it had not been abandoned. A few birds were still busy with nest building.
Back at camp I noticed a Ground Squirrel near my chalet. She had a very round belly and I wondered I she was pregnant. By now other visitors to Mata Mata might be hearing the pitter patter of little Ground Squirrel feet!
Later that afternoon I went for a drive. It was extremely quiet, and the first mammal I saw was a lone Blue Wildebeest at 14th Borehole. On the way back a few more Blue Wildebeest and a lone Springbok had come out of hiding. I stopped briefly at Sitzas. There were many Karrasburg Tree Skinks on the ground under the tree.
Then, just a few kilometres further there was the sighting that made the quite drive 100% worth it. I spotted a Grey Hornbill.
While I positioned the car to take a photo, I noticed he was not alone. A Pygmy Falcon was perched on a nearby branch!
I saw three of these miniature raptors during my first visit in 2023, but I had forgotten just how tiny they are! What a cute little bird. A little further there were two Black-backed Jackals.
All of a sudden, the last 30 minutes of the drive made the quiet afternoon worthwhile.