Monday
I arrived in Addo just after lunch time. There was a lone elephant at the waterhole in the main camp – the perfect welcome.
Check in took a while as it was rather busy. After dropping my luggage at the chalet, I went on an afternoon drive.
It was EXTREMELY windy, and as a result the drive was on the quiet side. I saw almost no birds, just a Bokmakierie and a Common Fiscal. On the way to Rooidam there were a couple of warthogs.
At Rooidam I found Red-knobbed Coots, a Black duck, Yellow Billed ducks and a Wood Sandpiper. I had to go to Hapoor, an decided to take the dirt road rather than the slightly longer tar road. Given the windy conditions, this was a bad decision. The wind was swirling in every direction and kicking up so much dust it felt as if I was driving behind a huge truck.
It was completely quiet at Hapoor. I only found this little Red-capped Lark that was staying close to the ground. At one point it lifted its little body and was blown about 2m away before it managed to steady itself again!
Spekboom hide was also quiet, but I did spot a couple of elephants in the distance. On the way back there were more warthogs and this Karoo Prinia. If you look closely you will see how white its little knuckles are as it is clinging to the bush for dear life!
At Gwarrie Pan there was a scrub hare. I saw another Common fiscal – it seems these little birds were some of the few that were willing to brave the extreme wind!
I drove the Nzipondo loop in an anti-clock wise direction. There were more animals in this section of the Park. I saw my first Karoo Scrub Robin of the Addo leg of my trip. There were also quite few Zebras and Kudus.
A little further on there were more beautiful Bokmakieries.
I heard a bird call, and scanned the area. After a few minutes I saw movement. It was a female Southern Black Korhaan – a new bird on my Addo list. Sadly a little far for decent photos, but a lovely sighting none the less.
As I turned towards Domkrag Dam I spotted a huge elephant near the eastern fence of the Park.
As I arrived at Domkrag Dam, some elephants came for a drink. I got out the car, but due to the strong wind I found it almost impossible to hold the binoculars and camera!
There were also some birds at the dam – a Pied Avocet, Spoonbill and Yellow-billed Ducks to name a few.
It was still early, so I drove back to camp the way I came. This time there were quite a few Cape Crows around. I also saw a Pale Chanting Goshawk.
Then I saw a large bird walking in the distance. It was quite a challenge to make out what it was, but studying the bad photos later that night confirmed that it was my 2nd ever sighting of a Ludwig’s Bustard – a very nice addition to my Park list!
The Kudus and Zebras were still in the same area as before.
I saw my first leopard tortoise of the trip. During my first visit to this Park we saw so many tortoises, some of them very large, but during this visit I would only see a handful of smaller ones. On the way back to camp I saw another scrub hare.
I was very ready to be out of the wind, and I drove back to camp. I was hoping to find some shelter from the wind in one of my favourite places – the hide. At first it was quiet with only a Black Heron and some Pied Starlings.
But not for long. Soon a herd of elephants arrived.
There were only couple of other people in the hide. I sat in the hide for a long time. I enjoyed the quiet and being able to spend time with my favourite animal. I thought – this is really what you can describe as Chicken Soup for the Soul.
There was no way I was even going to attempt lighting a fire with the wind blowing as it was, so I headed off to the Cattle Baron for supper. The Cattle Baron in Skukuza is one of my favourite restaurants, and this one did not disappoint either. I had my “usual” meal with an excellent glass of wine.
Tuesday
At about midnight I was woken by the loudest thunder I have heard in a long, long time. I think the thunders said to the wind – “Enough now! Lie down!”, because when I woke up the next morning, the wind had completely died down. Compared to the ferocious winds of the previous day, it was eerily quiet. It was also heavily overcast, and the this created one of those magical, perfect mornings.
As a result of the windless conditions, all the little birds came out – Neddickies, Canaries and Prinias.
On the way to Domkrag dam I saw that the grass had ears.
Two Bokmakieries were sitting on top of a bush and greeting the perfect morning by singing their little hearts out.
I also saw my first Malachite Sunbird of the Addo leg of my trip. At Domkrag Dam the same birds from the previous afternoon were still there, but they had now been joined by a beautiful Grey Heron. As I continued on to the Gorah Loop I saw more Prinias and a Pale Chanting Goshawk.
I’ve only driven Gorah Loop once before, and it was a most unpleasant drive, completely due to traffic. I was a little apprehensive as I turned onto the road. But what a pleasant drive! There were almost no other cars. As a result I drove the road every day for the duration of my trip!
It was very misty on the first half of the Gorah Loop. There were Red Hartebeest and Zebras.
I also came across a herd of Buffalo with some adorable calves.
The misty conditions added to the magical and mysterious atmosphere of the morning. There was only one other car and we both switched off our engines. It was so special to be surrounded by the buffalos as they grazed peacefully.
Eventually I moved on and found more warthogs and zebras. Is this a small zebra foal or a large warthog?
I was really surprised at how many Cape crows there were in the Park. I don’ recall there being so many during my previous visit.
At Carol’s rest I spotted a Cape Longclaw. A Zebra was laughing at a secret joke while others were having a drink.
Further along there were more Red Hartebeest and Kudus. There was also a cute Karoo Scrub Robin.
Then one of the highlights of the Addo trip happened. I missed them on my previous visit, and was absolutely thrilled to come across this family of meerkat. And there were four adorable pups! How cute are they!
I followed them slowly as they moved parallel to the road. I just love how they run with their tails in the air!
I don’t know how many photos I took, but I took a lot! Eventually they moved away from the road and I continued on to the Zuurkop lookout. On the way there was a Malachite Sunbird.
It was still very misty. I saw a Plain Backed pipit. It was not a lifer, but it was my first photo of one, so I was very happy!
There were also a couple of Kudu bulls. They were majestic animals.
And then there was another creature I missed on my first Addo visit – I saw my first dung beetles! It is surprising how excited this little creature made me feel.
There were quite a few elephants at Hapoor.
And that is when I saw my first Tinyfant!
The little elephants were so completely cute!
I enjoyed these little elephants so much. They were so small, it almost felat as if I would be able to pick one up!
I did not neglect the older generation.
I think I spent about 2 hours at Hapoor that morning. I took hundreds of photos. Choosing some to ad to the trip report was a real challenge. But for long periods I also just put the camera aside and enjoyed the elephants while sipping coffee. I was in heaven being surrounded by my favourite animals. As I write this I am back there on that perfect morning. Elephants are the largest land mammals, and I do not want to be in the way of an angry elephant. But when they are as relaxed as they were that morning … I can’t find the words to describe the experience. But you realise again how special these animals are. And when you look into their gentle eyes, it brings a sense of absolute peace and calmness. And Addo being Addo, I would have more such moments during the trip.
The elephants were not the only creatures at Hapoor that morning. They were having their morning drink to the soundtrack of Red Bishops calling in the reeds. There was also a pair of South African Shelduck, and when a spot opened up, a warthog came for a quick sip.
Eventually I managed to tear myself away and continued on to the Spekboom hide. It was very quiet there. On the way out I only saw this lizard.
Marion Baree was also quiet with some zebras and a couple of elephants browsing in the area. I also came across another leopard tortoise.
At the Harvey’s Loop four way intersection there were more warthogs. Another car told me about some hyenas at the Peasland Waterhole, so I headed there. On the way there, there were a couple of Kudus and a beautiful Jackal Buzzard.
When i arrived at Peaseland waterhole, I did not immediately spot the hyenas. There were a couple of buffalos but I was more interested in their passengers – Red-billed Oxpeckers! There were also some warthogs and Red Hartebeest.
Then the hyenas arrived. There were three youngsters that really enjoyed the water.
Three warthogs arrived and completely intimidated the youngsters! It was so much fun to watch the interaction between the hyenas and warthogs.
Once the warthogs moved away, the hyenas sneaked back to play some more.
But then the warthogs came back and there was more intimidation!
This back and forth antics continued for some time until the warthogs got tired of it. With tails in the air they trotted off. The water playfulness continued.
On the other side of the road a third hyena was chewing on a part of a leg.
There were about five jackals hanging about hoping to sneak a bite. After a while the youngsters moved away from the waterhole and I decided to continue on.
As I drove down the hill I spotted a Red-necked Spurfowl – another lifer! I did not get a great photo of it, but my luck would change the next day!
I had booked to go on the sunset drive, so I decided to head back in the direction of camp to ensure I was not rushed. On the way I spotted an African Stone Chat, Rufous-naped Lark and a lone elephant. I also found this interesting looking creature on the road.
Luckily I decided to give myself enough time to get back to camp because my progress was once again halted at Marion Baree. A couple of teenagers were enjoying the muddy water while the adults looked on indulgently before also having a bit of fun.
There was also a Tinyfant in the herd. Again my camera went into overdrive. 
And then the little one got thirsty!
As I approached the Spekboom hide I could see there were two elephants, so I stopped for a few minutes.
Then I arrived at Hapoor and my jaw literally dropped. I was astonished to find that what looked like almost every elephant in Addo had congregated in the area. Well, it seemed like that anyway. I have never in my life seen so many elephants in one area. There were little groups of elephants everywhere as far as the eye could see. It was absolutely breath-taking.
There were hundreds of elephants, but my attention was immediately drawn to one elephant slowly walking away from Hapoor. I quickly drove to get closer to this magnificent animal. Thembe.
I knew from photos that he was a big guy, but to see him in real life – magnificent. The fact that he was there surrounded by so many elephants was a sign that he had settles in well and had been accepted by the other elephants. It was a truly special moment to see him.
More elephants approached.
And of course there were some cute tiny elephants as well.
I spent some time at Hapoor with the many, many elephants.
It is no secret that I absolutely love elephants. And seeing so many elephants in one area literally made my head spin. It had been an incredible hour at Hapoor, and I loved it.
On the way back to camp there was a tortoise and a lone ellie at Rooidam.
I had a quick lunch and went for a short walk in camp before the sunset drive. I saw a Yellow-billed Kite overhead. There was a pretty Sombre Greenbul. The Red-winged Starling looked breathtaking in the sunlight.
We left for the sunset drive, and soon found a lone elephant.
Our route took us along Nzipondo Loop, onto Gorah Loop to the Zuurkop lookout point. Along the way we found a Yellow Mongoose, a Jackal and a pair of elephant bulls. There was also small herd of Zebras with an adorable youngster. The adults crossed the road in front of us, and the little one sped up to catch up with mom.
When he did, he promptly had a drink. Being cute is thirsty work!
A little further there were some Red Hartebeest with some foals. We also saw a massive Eland in the distance – a first for me in Addo! We reached the top of Zuurkop at sunset. A special thing about the sunset drive is that it includes drinks and snacks. Our driver was very efficient in unpacking the drinks and snacks, and we had a pleasant few moments enjoying the refreshments. The rest of the drive was fairly quiet. We did see a Duiker and a yellow mongoose.
Wednesday
I was up and about early the next morning. My route took me along Nzipondo Loop and Gorah Loop again. There were beautiful Bokmakieries greeting the morning.
At Domkrag dam I was delighted when an eland came for a drink. I was able to get much better photos than the night before. I did wonder if it was the same one we saw the previous evening.
A few zebras also came for a morning drink.
The Red Hartebeest herd from the previous evening had also moved closer to the road. The calves were still not quite ready to be active, and neither were some of the adults it seemed!
Gorah loop was a little quieter than the day before. I found a Mongoose again, more Bokmakieries and a buffalo with a Drongo as a passenger.
Hapoor and Spekboom were both very quiet. I saw a little Dung Beetle on the way.
When I reached Marion Baree, there was a herd of elephants with a couple of cute tinyfants. Again I found a spot to park, and just enjoyed these animals. Some of the little ones looked very new – definitely recent arrivals. How cute is this little one’s crooked tail!
This little one looked really young,
This is the safest place in the world.
The adults were so relaxed and peaceful.
There was second tiny one as well as it’s cousin.
Again I spent some time with them until most moved into the bushes. On the way to Peasland waterhole I added another bird to my trip list – Wattled Starlings. The hyenas and jacals were still at Peasland, and again provided lots of entertainment.
One hyena was still chewing on the left overs of the elephant leg.
Another hyena was enjoying the water.
Then it started raining. It was horizontal rain – when I opened the passenger window, it rained on me on the driver’s side of the car!
I continued on to the southern entrance of the Ngulube loop. The rain continued for quite some time.
I found a couple more Red-necked Spurfowl, this time much closer to the road.
The rain continued, but the little Neddicky and Black Saw-wing did not seem to mind.
At Marion Baree a herd of buffalos had taken over from the elephants. I liked the heart-shaped horns on this one.
Southern Double-collared Sunbirds are such pretty little birds.
Spekboom was quiet again and I continued on to Hapoor. I got this real close up of a Zebra on the way.
When I arrived at Hapoor, there was not much happening. But just as I continued onto the dirt road, I ran into a herd of elephants on their way to the waterhole. Obviously I turned around to join them.
There was one again a cute little one.
I made it ahead of them, found my spot at Hapoor, and waited for them.
There were only one or two other cars, and it was absolutely wonderful to enjoy their company. The little ones were so adorable.
This little one was thirsty. I loved how he stretched to drink!
It was lunchtime now, and I headed back to camp to get some refreshments. There was a kudu on the way. Before reaching camp I decided to have a quick look if anything was happening at Domkrag.
Not long after turning onto the Nzipondo Loop I found 2 jackals eating something. One would go and get something, walk a little distance, drop it, go back to the spot he started from, and repeat. The other one (looked like a youngster), settled with his meal behind a bush. When I zoomed in on the photos, it looked like new born warthog piglets. I had to wonder if the two jackals ran into the mom that had recently given birth. It was sad to think about it, but that is the circle of life I suppose.
Back at camp I spent a wonderful hour in the hide. On the pathway I heard a bird calling above me and just managed one photo of an Olive Bushshrike. A Cape Weaver was having a bath at the waterhole.
Soon an elephant arrived for a splash down.
A cape weaver also decided to have a bath.
The elephant continued to enjoy the water,
On the way out a couple of scaly ones scurried away. I decided to wait to see if they will appear again, and my patience paid off.
Outside the shop a Black-headed oriole was cleaning up the crumbs the visitors had dropped.
For my afternoon drive I decided to take a leisurely drive along Nzipondo loop, then to Hapoor and then back to camp. The jackals from earlier were gone. I drove on, and that is when it happened. I drove past a bush with a little Karoo Prinia singing (rather screaming, as I discovered) it’s little head off. At first I was just going to drive on – I had seen a number of these little birds before. But, I stopped, and I reversed. I then saw that this Prinia was not alone in it’s agitation. A Neddicky and Apalis were also jumping about and calling frantically.
And then I discovered the reason for the performance. Below the bush I found something staring at me in the way only a feline can.
The most beautiful Black-footed cat! If you drive to that spot, you will probably still see the dent in the road where my jaw dropped. I was incredulous. There in broad daylight was one of the more elusive small cats in SA!
I just sat there watching this pretty animal. Eventually another car stopped. It was a German couple, and I wondered if they would appreciate this sighting. In my opinion it was better than a lion sighting! They seemed quite excited however, and actually stayed at the sighting long after I left and returned. I ran into them at the hide later and they came over and thanked my for pointing out he black-footed cat. It turns out that they are regular visitors to SA (they’ve actually visited more National Parks than I have!), and this was also a lifer for them. I was extremely pleased that someone else enjoyed this sighting as much as I did.
I am not sure what animals I may have missed after leaving the Black-footed cat because I drove away in a slight daze. I did notice a handsome PCG and a beautiful Bokmakierie.
I took the tar road to Hapoor. I had to stop for some very important residents. I love dung beetles and absolutely love watching their antics.
A little further there was a herd of elephants on either side of the road between the spekboom bushes. My drive so far has been very quiet (I think I saw 5 cars), but all of a sudden there were a lot of vehicles. Addo elephants are very relaxed, but I was not comfortable with the proximity of the animals, not being able to see where they are or if I am in their way (the spekboom trees were like walls on either side), so I tried to get through the traffic jam as quickly as possible and continued on to Hapoor. Hapoor and Rooidam were both quiet, and I decided to call it a day and head back to camp. One of the last sightings of the day was a hairy warthog.
I had two more special sightings that evening. When I arrived back at my chalet I was just in time to see a female bushbuck disappear into the bushes. And then I saw a black Rhino. It was almost dark, but I could see him grazing, with an elephant close by. It was the most perfect last night in Addo!
Thursday
My last morning in Addo arrived much too quickly. I was flying back to Jhb later that afternoon, and decided to make my way south via Nzipondo Loop, Gorah Loop, Zuurkop Loop and Hapoor. I would then do the loops I had not driven yet – Harvey’s Loop, Vukani Loop and Mbotyi Loop.
My morning started with a Karoo Prinia. It made me smile as it was close to where I stopped for it the previous evening, and I had to wonder if it was the same one that showed me the black-footed cat. I also saw a White-throated Canary and a Cape Sparrow looked beautiful in the early morning light.
Where Nzipondo Loop turned south I found a family of meerkats looking for breakfast.
This morning I decided to drive the Gorah Loop anti-clockwise. I saw a few Pale-chanting Goshawks along the way. 
There was also a sweet zebra foal.
I found a few magnificent Kudu Bulls. I always think of them as the royals of the antelope world.
This handsome Malachite Sunbird looked absolutely stunning in the morning sun.
A Bokmakierie also entertained.
At the Zuurkop loop turn off I found the Meerkat family and babies again. This one was vigorously looking for Breakfast.
The pups were still just too adorable. I loved how they huddle together.
It is very difficult to tear yourself away from something that is this cute! 
At Carol’s Rest zebras and Warthogs were having a drink.
Around the corner a lone elephant was approaching.
Towards the upper end of Gorah Loop I saw a large bird fly in the distance – it was another Ludwig’s Bustard. I saw more than one yellow mongoose. They have such an intelligent faces and looked lovey in the morning sunlight.
The rest of the drive to Zuurkop loop. Mbabala loop and Hapoor was quiet. I saw a few Red-Hartebeest along the way. I stopped at Jack’s Picnic site for a quick leg stretch. Just outside the gate I came across a beautiful male bushbuck browsing behind the bushes.
There were a couple of elephants at Marion Baree.
There were 2 interesting experiences at Marion Baree – on one of the previous days the elephants emptied the water hole. A couple of Sanparks employees arrived and firstly apologised to the onlookers for disturbing the elephants but they had to look at the pump to ensure the waterhole re-fills. It was amazing to see the elephants’s response. They were not agitated at all, and calmly moved off a little. Once the water hole started refilling, the Sanparks guys drove away and the elephants returned to continue drinking. When I arrived this morning, the Sanparks team was there again. They were parked about 2m away from the waterhole and two elephants were calmly drinking water on the opposite side. This one again proved just how relaxed the Addo elephants are and I also believe they know when someone is helping them, adding to the relaxed demeanor.
There was not much happening at the waterhole at the Harvey’s Loop intersection. On the other side of the road was this cool dude. I love his “moustache”!
I found it interesting that the starling was pecking ticks directly from the starling’s legs.
Harvey’s Loop was extremely quiet. I saw this dung beetle.
Towards the end of the loop I first heard and then spotted the Black Cuckoo in the trees some distance away. This pretty Citrus Swallowtail butterfly brightened the quiet drive.
Just before I arrived at Peasland water hole I noticed a raptor overhead. The light was not great and I had to be quick for photos, but closer inspection of some of the photos confirmed the “landing lights” on the wings. My second ever sighting of a Booted Eagle!
At the turn off the the Mbotyi loop I stopped another car and asked if there was anything interesting on that loop. He said they saw Secretary birds, but they had walked away. It was still worth a look, so off I went. About 200m further I found two secretary birds.
More often than not you see then striding in the veld, and you don’t realise just how big and surprisingly elegant they are when they fly.
A little further on there was this sweet little monkey and it’s mom.
The rest of the loop was very quiet with only two large elephants along the way. The Vukani loop was also very quiet, but I did add another trip bird on the form of a Common Buzzard. There were lots of Cape Crows and a few Red Harte Beest.
A last Sunbird before the gate and that as they say, was that. All to quickly the trip had come to an end. I did not see the lions (but apparently no-one else did either), but I had the unexpected and extraordinary sighting of the Black-footed Cat.
Add hundreds of my favourite animal in all sizes to the mix, and it was once again a perfect trip.
I Hope to be back soon!